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Summer Squash, Tomato and Sausage Pasta

Summer Squash, Tomato and Sausage Pasta

Summer Squash, Tomato and Sausage Pasta

 

2 medium to large squash

2 medium to large zucchini

2 pints, cherry tomatoes

4 T. olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

6 Italian sausage links

1 (16 ounce) package rigatoni pasta (substitute 1 box of quinoa for a gluten-free alternative)

Parmesan cheese for garnish

 

Chop squash and zucchini into bite-size squares and place in large bowl. Cut cherry tomatoes in half for a juicier sauce, or leave them whole. Toss vegetables and tomatoes in 3 T. olive oil, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper. Swirl 1 T. olive oil in a saucepan on high heat and add sausage. Once sausage is partially cooked, drain fat and then add the vegetables to the saucepan. Turn heat to medium. Cover the sausage and vegetables and allow to cook for approximately 15 minutes. While sausage and vegetables are cooking, boil water and cook pasta according to package directions. When vegetables and sausage are cooked, remove sausage and cut each link into bite-size pieces, placing back into the saucepan once cut. Once pasta is cooked, drain and place in large bowl. Serve pasta on individual plates and spoon sausage, vegetables, and tomatoes (and naturally occurring sauce) over pasta. Grate parmesan cheese over each dish.

Shrimp Linguine with Herbs, Corn and Arugula

Shrimp Linguine with Herbs, Corn and Arugula

Shrimp Linguine with Herbs, Corn and Arugula

 

Kosher salt

12 ounces linguine or spaghetti

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed, if you prefer

Black pepper

½ C. unsalted butter (1 stick)

2 C. fresh corn kernels (from 2 to 3 ears)

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

½ tsp. red-pepper flakes

1 C. dry white wine

8 ounces baby arugula, spinach or other tender greens

2 C. loosely packed, roughly chopped tender herbs, such as basil and mint

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

 

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions until it is just short of al dente. Reserve 1 C. of the pasta cooking water, then drain pasta. While the pasta cooks, season the shrimp well with salt and pepper. Melt half the butter in a deep 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp and sauté until just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove and set aside. Add the corn to the pan and season with salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until browned in spots, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook, stirring frequently, 1 minute. Add the wine, bring to a simmer and cook until it is reduced by about half, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss to combine. Add the arugula by the handful, stirring well between each addition, until wilted, adding some of the reserved pasta water as needed. Add the remaining butter and the shrimp to the pasta and toss until the butter is melted and everything is coated with sauce. Add more pasta water as needed. Add half the herbs and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large bowl or serve directly from the skillet. Top with remaining herbs, drizzle with olive oil, if desired, and serve immediately.

Middle Eastern Macarona

Middle Eastern Macarona

Middle Eastern Macarona

 

2 T. olive oil, divided

big pinch of salt

3 heaped T. tomato paste, divided 2 oz or 70 g

1 pack elbow macaroni 14 oz or 400 g (you might not use it all, see notes)

1 onion, very finely diced

1 zucchini, finely diced

1 carrot, finely diced

4-5 garlic cloves, minced

250 g ground beef

1 tsp. seven spices

1 tsp. turmeric

1/2 tsp. paprika powder

1/4 tsp. basil

1/4 tsp. cinnamon powder

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. salt

1 can crushed tomatoes 14.5oz (400g)

 

Bring a large pot of water to boil, add 1 T. olive oil and the salt, one T. of tomato paste, then the pack of pasta. Cook until al dente, then drain the pasta, reserving the pasta water. Set cooked pasta aside. In a large skillet, heat the remaining T. of olive oil. Once hot, add the diced onion, and cook for 4-5 minutes until softened. Add the diced zucchini and carrots, and garlic and cook for a further 4-5 minutes until softened slightly.

Add the ground beef, and cook, smushing with a wooden spoon to break up the meat. Keep cooking until the beef is browned and cooked through, then optionally, drain the fat. Add in the salt, pepper, and all the spices. Cook for another minute or so. Add the remaining 2 T. of tomato paste, and stir. Add the can of crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, then add a big ladleful of the reserved pasta water and simmer for 2-3 minutes on low heat. Add the pasta to the sauce (I don’t always add all the pasta, maybe 3/4 of the cooked amount until the finished dish is as saucy as I like). Stir to coat, cook for another minute or so until the pasta is warmed through, then enjoy!

 

Chicken Pasta Wheel Salad

Chicken Pasta Wheel Salad

Chicken Pasta Wheel Salad

 

1 C. cooked pasta

½ C. chopped cooked chicken

¼ C. diced cucumber

¼ C. diced celery

2 T. sliced black olives

6 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

¼ C. carrot, julienned

2 T. olive oil

2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

¼ tsp. Italian seasoning

salt and black pepper to taste

 

In a small bowl combine the olive oil, apple cider vinegar and Italian seasoning. In a large bowl place the pasta, chicken, cucumber, celery, black olives, tomatoes and carrot. Add the olive oil mixture, season to taste with salt and black pepper and toss to combine. Pack it in a lunchbox with a fresh fruit for a nutritious and satisfying meal.

Penne alla Vodka Casserole

Penne alla Vodka Casserole

Penne alla Vodka Casserole

 

1 lb. penne

4 T. butter

1/2 med. onion, chopped in 1/4″ dice

1 T. red pepper flakes

1 qt. roasted tomatoes (or 1 28-oz. can tomatoes)

3 mild Italian sausages (~1 lb.) sliced crosswise in 1/4″ coins

1 c. vodka

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 c. sour cream or whipping cream

1 c. Parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated

Salt to taste

 

In a heavy-bottomed sauté pan or skillet, melt the butter and add onion and red pepper flakes. Cook over medium-low heat until onion is translucent. Stir in the whole tomatoes with liquid and simmer for one hour. Add the sausage coins, vodka and oregano and continue to simmer for another hour. Turn the heat to medium high, add sour cream (or cream) and stir constantly for 10 minutes. Reduce to simmer and to cook for another 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. During the final half hour of simmering the sauce, bring 4 quarts of water to boil in a large pot. Drop the pasta in the boiling water and cook, stirring frequently until tender but still firm to the bite, a little less done than usual “al dente.” Drain well, put back in pasta pot, add sauce, then toss pasta with sauce and 2/3 C. grated cheese. Adjust for salt. Pour into 2 3/4-qt. casserole dish and top with remaining cheese. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and serve.

Spaghetti Pangrattato with Crispy Eggs

Spaghetti Pangrattato with Crispy Eggs

Pantry-Friendly Spaghetti Pangrattato with Crispy Eggs

 

Crumbs

2 T. olive oil

1 large or 2 small garlic cloves, minced

1/2 C. fresh or stale coarse plain breadcrumbs (panko worked great here)

Salt and red pepper flakes, to taste

1 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced

Few fine gratings fresh lemon zest

 

Crispy Egg

1 glug of olive oil per egg

3 eggs

Salt and pepper

 

Pasta and Assembly

8 ounces dried spaghetti

1 T. olive oil

2 tsp. small capers, drained (rinsed if salted), chopped

Handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1/3 C. grated Pecorino Romano cheese (optional)

 

Make crispy crumbs (pangrattato): Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add garlic and let sizzle for barely a minute, just until it begins to turn a pale golden color. Add breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, rosemary and lemon zest and reduce heat to low, cooking mixture slowly until all of the crumbs are an even golden color, about 5 minutes. Set aside. Cook pasta: Bring a large pot of well salted water to a generous boil and cook pasta until al dente about 1 to 2 minutes shy of package directions. Reserve 1/2 C. pasta cooking water before draining pasta. Meanwhile, make crispy eggs: Wipe out breadcrumbs skillet. Return to stove over high heat and add a generous glug of olive oil per egg. Once hot enough that the oil begins to smoke, add egg(s). They’re going to hiss and splatter so step back as soon as you do. Spoon some of the cooking oil over the eggs, carefully. Season with salt and pepper. In 1 to 2 minutes, the egg(s) will be brown and very crisp underneath and around the edges. Shimmy a thin spatula underneath the egg(s) (a flexible fish spatula works great here), being careful not to break the yolk. If you’re cooking for someone who shouldn’t be eating runny yolks (ahem), you can flip the egg over and cook it for another 30 seconds or so before removing it. Transfer cooked egg(s) to paper towels to drain. Assemble dish: Once pasta is drained, return it to the empty pot or a large skillet with 1 T. olive oil and a splash or two (or all, if needed to loosen pasta) of reserved cooking water. Over high heat, toss with capers and parsley for 1 minute. Divide among bowls or plates. Sprinkle with Pecorino, if using, then 1/3 of breadcrumb (pangrattato) mixture. Place an egg over each dish, and break up with a fork. Eat immediately.

Garlic Miso Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower

Garlic Miso Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower

Garlic Miso Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower

 

30 oz cauliflower florets, approximately 1 large head

3 T. sesame oil

2 T. Everything-but-the-Bagel Spice (see notes for substitution)

15 oz long or medium-size pasta noodles (use gluten-free if necessary)

½ cup neutral tasting vegetable oil (e.g. grapeseed, avocado, etc)

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups reserved water from cooking the pasta

¼ cup miso paste (I use a lighter miso. Red or brown miso will be saltier and stronger tasting.) (use gluten-free if necessary)

½ cup nutritional yeast

1 T. rice wine vinegar

ground black pepper, to taste

sliced green onion and red chili flakes to garnish, optional

 

Defrost the cauliflower overnight in the fridge or a few hours at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly oil a large baking sheet, or line it with parchment paper. Cut up any larger pieces of cauliflower so that the florets are all roughly the same size for even cooking. Drain the cauliflower and dry it on paper towel or a clean tea towel if necessary, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Toss the cauliflower with the sesame oil and Everything-but-the-Bagel spice. Spread the cauliflower out on the prepared baking sheet, ensuring there’s space between each floret so they can crisp on the edges. If they are all together, they will steam and remain soft. Once the oven has preheated completely, place the cauliflower on a middle rack and roast for 25-30 minutes, tossing once half way through. For the Garlic Miso Pasta: Prepare your pasta noodles according to package instructions except reduce the cooking time by 2 minutes. When the time is up, reserve 2 cups of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta in a colander. While the pasta drains, place the pot back on the stove over medium heat. Add the oil. When the oil is shimmering, add the garlic and cook it for 30 seconds. Add the water and miso – whisk well until the miso is dissolved. Whisk in the nutritional yeast, rice wine vinegar and black pepper to taste. Add the pasta back to the pot, stirring to coat and bring to a simmer for 1-2 minutes, or until the noodles are al dente. The sauce will look thin at first but it will thicken as the noodles finish cooking. Serve the pasta immediately with roasted cauliflower over the top, and garnish with green onions and chili flakes if desired. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Like any pasta, the noodles will soak up any excess sauce – add a splash of water to leftovers when reheating to loosen them up.