Category Archives: pasta

Chicken and Rigatoni in One Pot–One Pot Pasta

Posted on August 6, 2014 | 3 comments

I must say that the first time I saw this recipe for one-pot pasta I was hesitant. I read up on it and found out that the actual recipe for this one-pot pasta hailed from Puglia. I did do my homework here and found out that yes they do this in Italy and original recipe was from there. I have made 2 versions of this type of pasta and all I can say is yum. I will also add that you need to be a little bit more attentive during the cooking but the result was fabulous. We loved the creaminess and the pasta came out perfectly al dente. You just don’t want to overcook it, taste for doneness and sit down and eat. It was delicious the next day cold out of fridge as well. Give this one a try you won’t be sorry. Joel was very happy with the clean-up detail as well because it was one pot! Whole thing took under an hour from start to finish. One pan, people!!! dry noodles, sauce ingredients, water, wine a few good things and you’ve got a delicious impressive dinner.

*I used my large Le Creuset pot. A large skillet would work fine here as well.

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

5 cloves of garlic, chopped

app. 1 – 1 1/2 lbs. of chicken breast, cut into small chunks. Just buy a regular package of chicken breasts and cut them up as I did ( see photos)

2 large roasted red peppers, sliced into thin slices ( straight out of the jar) see photos

6 cherry peppers, chopped and de-seeded , you can use hot if you like it spicy or just mild cherry peppers which is what I used (straight out of the jar) see photos

1 cup water, you will probably add about 1/2 cup more but you should start out with a cup

1 lb. rigatoni, I like the way the rigatoni works of course penne or another type of macaroni will work just fine

1 cup white wine, use what you have open as long as it’s not a sweet wine

1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes

1 cup Parmesan Cheese grated, more for serving

1/2 stick unsalted butter

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons fresh basil torn, you’ll want to add a little more at the end of cooking as well.

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt

Crushed red pepper flakes, optional. If you like the heat add a little bit during cooking and you can always add more at end. 1/4 teaspoon to start is good.

Directions:

In a large skillet type of pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add in the garlic and chicken . Saute the chicken until it is just browned on the outside but not cooked through.

Stir in the roasted red peppers and cherry peppers, and sauté for another minute or so. Add in the crushed tomatoes and wine. Add in the water and the raw pasta and bring to a low boil. If you need more water you’ll know at this point , add a bit more water (a little at a time) Continue to cook, stirring very often, until the pasta has cooked to al dente , it will take anywhere from 15- 20 minutes. Taste pasta and judge how much longer it needs.

When pasta is done to your liking, reduce heat to low and add in the butter, basil and salt. When the butter is completely melted into the past, add in the cream and the cheese. Let simmer on low for another ten minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Top with additional cheese, basil and red pepper flakes if you like.

Serve warm.

3 Comments

Posted in chicken, pasta

Fresh Tomato Pasta with Ricotta

Posted on July 16, 2014 | 1 comment

What could be bad here? Fresh delicious ingredients and pasta with fresh I always make my fresh tomato sauce with little cherry tomatoes in the summer ( summer pasta favorite in this house). This time out I added in Ricotta Cheese, all you cheese lovers out there will love this. If you don’t love cheese just make without but don’t leave out the fresh basil because the flavor is what it’s all about. This is super easy and you’ll look like a star. By the way this was the night of the super moon and check out that awesome sunset over the mountains. Rocky Mountain High.

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, chopped

app. 1 and 1/2 packages of small cherry tomatoes or 1 lb. or so

1 small package of fresh basil will work but a little more is good too.

3 Tbsp. Olive Oil divided into 2 Tbsp. and 1 Tbsp.

2 Tbsp. Water

Fresh Ground Black Pepper app. 1/4 tsp. and then more to taste

1 tsp. kosher salt and then to taste

1 box any kind of spaghetti you like, I used bucatini it’s a personal favorite

1 cup whole milk or part-skim ricotta cheese, I used a little more but it’s fine to only use 1 cup.

Directions:

Prepare pasta according to directions on the box for al dente. You’ll want pasta with a little bite to it, never mushy and over cooked.

Chop 2 cloves of garlic. Clean Basil leaves and take out 3/4 of Basil and wash it , dry it and tear it into small pieces. Wash the tomatoes.

Place a large skillet or any large pot on the stove on a medium heat. Put 2 Tbsp. of Olive Oil in pot and heat for a few minutes till oil starts to shimmer. Add the chopped garlic to pot, the add the basil. Cook down stirring with a wooden spoon for about a minute, don’t burn garlic. Stir in the tomatoes leaving them whole, and add 2 Tbsp. of water ( tap water is good here). Add tsp. of kosher salt and about 1/4 tsp. of freshly ground black pepper. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking while cooking pasta. You will want tomatoes to break down and release their juices for the sauce.

Once the pasta is cooked al dente, drain it in a colander, no need to rinse cooked pasta. Then add it to the pot with the tomatoes. I added ricotta cheese right before we were going to eat and mixed well with the rest of the basil leaves and taste for more salt and pepper.

Delicious! and Easy!

1 Comment

Posted in pasta, vegetables

Tagged fresh tomatoes and pasta, Pasta, ricotta cheese pasta and tomatoes

Kale and Pasta Perfection

Posted on March 12, 2014 | 3 comments

Our daughter Kerri is out visiting in Colorado and it’s a great opportunity not only to ski with her and enjoy our time together but to cook vegetarian style for her. I have been saving this one for her because we all know what a waste this would be for just Joel. I made Joel a separate Bowties Pasta with Turkey Sausage, Peas and Mushrooms which if you have never made you really must check out, it’s on my blog under that title originally posted on July ’11. (see in photo) I used a Fusilli type short pasta which was perfect. This dish really was so super easy to put together and it will now become one of my go-to pasta dishes for sure. I was also able to buy the Kale from Whole Foods chopped and cleaned already, which only made the prep that much easier . I would say total prep even if you have to chop and clean kale would only be 20 minutes . Super healthy and the kale turned a beautiful shade of deep green and the flavor is amazing. I of course added a little crushed red pepper , just 1/4 teaspoon which is enough for a bit of heat but not too much at all. You can moderate this to your own taste.

Ingredients:

1 bunch of Kale , I bought a bag of cleaned , chopped Kale and it was perfect. I used one bag of chopped and cleaned Kale.

4 cloves garlic, chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons to cook kale and 1 tablespoon at the end

1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 box (1 lb.) short pasta like fusilli , I used DeCecco brand Fusilli Corti Bucatini which worked out beautifully. Any short macaroni will do.

3/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

Cook pasta according to box directions for al dente. Make sure you reserve 1 cup of pasta water before you drain pasta. Start to boil water as you prepare the kale.

Prepare the Kale if you can’t find the chopped and cleaned version. Pull the kale leaves from the stems, discard the hard stems and tear the leaves into small pieces. Wash Kale. A salad spinner is perfect for this task.

Chop the garlic.

Add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet type pot, large enough to hold and cook all of kale. Heat oil till it shimmers for a few minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1/2 minute. Add the kale and toss with tongs if you have them coating the kale with the oil and garlic as you go. Then add the 1/2 cup of water, cover and cook , stirring a few times and cooking the kale until it is tender 7-10 minutes. Stir in the salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. Remove from the heat.

Your pasta should be ready by now and you should have your reserved cup of pasta water handy. Drain the pasta.

Add the pasta to the kale in the pan you were using and turn the heat on to a medium heat. Add about 3/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. Bring to a low simmer, add the parmesan cheese and stir, using a wooden spoon to mix till cheese melts and coats the pasta. If you need a little more liquid you can use the little bit of pasta water left. Keep stirring until it’s nice and creamy. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Taste for Salt and Pepper. Mine was perfect . Serve with a fresh hunk of Parmesan Cheese for grating in a little extra and a little more crushed red pepper.

Perfection.

3 Comments

Posted in meatless, pasta

Tagged Kale and Pasta, Kale and Pasta Perfection, Vegetarian Kale and Pasta, Vegetarian Pasta

Veal and Eggplant Pasta

Posted on January 19, 2014 | 1 comment

I simply love pasta and am convinced that no matter how it is prepared I will like it. Almost no way is a bad way. This particular pasta dish was just delicious and hearty and I’m passing it on to you. I sort of winged my way through it but wrote down key ingredients and key measurements. I know some people have moral objections to eating veal so maybe you can substitute with ground turkey. It will have a totally different flavor but am sure it will taste just fine. I happen to love the taste of ground veal in this pasta and although Joel picked out every last piece of eggplant he still loved it!

Ingredients:

1 medium eggplant, a nice firm eggplant with smooth skin, evenly firm, and no real soft spots.

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

2 lbs. ground veal

10 – 12 leaves fresh sage, thinly sliced

pinch of ground nutmeg or if you have fresh nutmeg a few grates is perfect (this adds a nice punch of flavor)

1 small onion , finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tbsp. tomato paste

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1/3 cup half and half

1 lb. pasta noodle like ziti, penne, any sturdy cut pasta noodle

Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions:

Peel part of the skin off the eggplant in strips with vegetable peeler, you do this the long way, cutting off and discarding the very top of eggplant ( the stem side) Leave about 1/2 the peel on and 1/2 off. Slice and dice the eggplant and then sprinkle with kosher salt and let drain on a few paper towels while you continue prepping. I like the flavor of some peel and it keeps eggplant from becoming too mushy.

In a Dutch oven or large deep skillet, heat the olive oil, melt in the butter and over medium heat add the veal and cook , breaking up with a wooden spoon. Veal should be lightly browned , should take about 5 minutes or so. Season with Salt and Pepper, add the sage and nutmeg. Increase the heat to medium-high: stir in the onion, garlic and eggplant. Partially cover the pan and cook, stirring often until the vegetables soften, about 10 minutes or so.

Add the tomato paste, stir for a couple of minutes. Add the wine, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add the stock and half and half. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce while the pasta cooks.

I let sauce simmer for a while, you can keep a little pasta water ( a cup or so) if you need to thin out sauce.

Bring a pot of water to a boil, add salt to boiling water for pasta. Cook pasta according to the box directions for al dente. Drain, and reserve a cup or so of pasta water. You may need to stir some in to sauce if sauce seems to thick. Toss pasta with sauce, season to taste, and top with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

1 Comment

Posted in pasta

Tagged eggplant and pasta, Veal and Eggplant pasta, Veal in pasta

Pasta with Turkey Ragu–Sunday Night Sauce

Posted on December 6, 2013 | 3 comments

I love cooking dinner Sunday nights and find that it is the best way to unwind from a hectic week and weekend and gear up for the week coming up. Catch up on Homeland, etc. I have an actual recipe that I used to follow for this but at this point I just sort of winged it and wrote down everything I did timing it all out. You all know by now how very much we like our sauce spicy, you can easily omit the chili flakes. This would also be delicious made with pork, but I made it with turkey. It might be a good idea to use 1/2 pork and 1/2 turkey. You can also use turkey sausage, I had ground turkey in the house so that’s what I used. Pork will throw off a lot more fat and will have to be skimmed off. If made with pork it is best to make a day ahead. In any event I used ingredients I had in pantry which always makes me happy and meat that I had already purchased. I even had those beautiful Italian cherry tomatoes in the can that I had bought and knew I would use for something. It’s a good feeling when you use items from your pantry. Enjoy! we did. I actually made this a few weeks prior to Thanksgiving and just got around to posting it. This sauce freezes up beautifully so eat 1/2 and freeze 1/2 for another time.

Enjoy!

Pantry Items:

unsalted butter, extra-virgin olive oil, crushed red pepper flakes, onion, carrots, garlic, celery , tomato paste, red wine, canned cherry tomatoes/canned diced tomatoes , kosher salt, pepper, pasta and I had pancetta in the freezer

Shopping List:

meat, ricotta salata/fresh ricotta , Parmesano-Reggiano cheese for grating or just buy fresh grated Parmesan Cheese available almost everywhere .

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 lbs. ground turkey, chicken , or pork. Or pork sausage (tastiest and most fattening) or turkey sausage. You can also do any combo you’d like, 1/2 sausage and 1/2 meat would be good.

4 oz. package of diced up pancetta

*1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes ( only if you like a little kick)

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1 medium onion, chopped

2/3 cup finely diced carrots

2/3 cup finely diced celery

3 1/2 Tablespoons tomato paste

2/3 cup dry red wine (use what you have in house)

1 14 oz. can Italian cherry tomatoes ( sold at Grace’s Marketplace in Greenvale) or canned diced tomatoes . Drain and smash cherry tomatoes. If you can’t find the cherry tomatoes buy canned diced tomatoes and just remember to drain.

2 cups water

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and Fresh Ricotta for finishing. I used Ricotta Salata crumbled up on top plus Parmigiano-Reggiano.

1 lb. macaroni type pasta , fusilli , ziti , etc. any kind will do

Directions:

In a heavy stockpot ( Le Creuset) melt the butter with the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the meat (you can cook in batches if need to ) cook until just cooked through. Using a slotted spoon , remove the meat from the pot and set aside.

Add the pancetta to the pot and cook until pancetta gets crispy. Stir in the crushed red pepper and garlic for about 1 minute. Add the onion , carrots and celery and cook until onion is translucent , about 15 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste , cook for another 2 minutes then add the red wine and bring to a simmer.

Add back in the meat to the pot along with the tomatoes, water and salt. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer for another hour.

Remove the lid after the first hour, continue to simmer the sauce till it thickens nicely, 1/2 hour more should be sufficient. Season to taste with Salt and Pepper, I didn’t add any more salt, just a few grinds of cracked black pepper.

Cook your pasta according to the package instructions for al dente.

I plated pasta in bowls and spooned sauce over it, if sauce is very thick you can add a little water to it.

Finish each bowl with some cheese of your liking and a dollop of fresh ricotta would be lovely. I used Ricotta Salata and sprinkled Parmigiano-Reggiano over it.

Needless to say this was delicious.

Enjoy! and it’s worth the effort.

3 Comments

Posted in meat, pasta

Tagged Pasta with Turkey Ragu, Ragu Sauce for Pasta, Sunday Night Sauce, Turkey Ragu

Spaghetti Carbonara–After Thanksgiving Pasta

Posted on December 1, 2013 | 2 comments

It’s two days after Thanksgiving , I am feeling rather rested, my lists have been tossed in the garbage, my thoughts are once more collected and I am feeling a new sense of calm . I took a 90 minute spin class on Friday morning not so much to try to undo the damage of all that eating but to clear my head. Well it’s officially cleared. I don’t end up with too many leftovers because my policy is to give out containers for my guests to take home. When it’s over it’s really over around here. (except for a tiny bit of dessert , which of course I had to keep)

Now I was really craving pasta but absolutely had to make it from what I had in my house because I am not going near a supermarket for at least a few more days. So few ingredients for such a perfect pasta. I had pasta, eggs, and I always have pancetta in my freezer. Real carbonara recipes do not contain cream contrary to many recipes , however I did have a tiny bit of heavy cream in the fridge and I like the silky texture of it so I added a little bit, it is totally optional as recipe shows but I like it. This is a wonderful warming pasta for the cold nights ahead.

*serves between 4-6 depending on who’s eating it

Ingredients:

1 lb. dry spaghetti ( I love bucatini or perciatelli ) I like the ropey pasta , but use whatever you have in the house, any spaghetti will work.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 oz. chopped pancetta ( I buy it already diced and keep it in the freezer)

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 large eggs beaten

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano , plus more for serving

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

I like to prepare the sauce while the pasta is cooking to ensure that the pasta will be hot and ready when the sauce is finished, With this recipe you’ll want the pasta very hot when adding the raw eggs so that the eggs cook in the sauce,

Cook pasta according to box directions for al dente. Reserve about a cup of pasta water for thinning out sauce.

Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over a medium heat.

Add the pancetta and sauté for about 3 minutes, until it is crisp and the fat is rendered. Toss the garlic into the fat and sauté for a minute or so till it softens.

Add the hot drained pasta to the pan and give it a good toss for a few minutes , you’ll want pasta to be coated in the bacon fat. Beat the eggs and parmesan together in a mixing bowl, stir well to prevent lumps. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the egg/cheese mixture into the pasta, whisking quickly until the eggs thicken but do not scramble (that is why you do this off the heat) Thin out the sauce with a bit of the reserved pasta water until it reaches desired consistency. Season the carbonara with several turns of freshly ground black pepper and salt for taste.

Add more cheese at table if you’d like!

Simple and Delicious!

2 Comments

Posted in pasta

Tagged Carbonara Sauce, Spaghetti Carbonara

Lobsta Pasta

Posted on October 3, 2013 | 3 comments

What could be better than 2 of my most favorite foods together ? Lobster and Pasta and no wrangling with a messy lobster, just yummy lobster meat and tomatoes with pasta. I just adore this combo and while it may be a tad rich there is no heavy sauce just delicious fresh ingredients. I picked up the lobster meat at Grace’s Marketplace in Greenvale and I also use Roslyn Seafood Gourmet on Willis Avenue. I call ahead because they don’t always have it on hand so you may have to order ahead of time.
I got this recipe from the NY Times Wednesday dining Section and made a few adjustments to my liking. It is perfect for the summer, winter, spring or fall. I actually think it’s a perfect way to serve Lobster and the lobster goes pretty far in a recipe like this.
* 4-6 servings, or increase ingredients and make it for more.

Ingredients:

1 lb. cooked lobster meat

1 lb. pasta such as bucatini, lasagnetti, rigatoncini, or long ziti, macaroni or any sturdy type pasta.

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 large shallots finely diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (this was spicy so you may want to adjust to your liking)

app. 2 cups chopped cherry tomatoes or little grape tomatoes if you can find yellow tomatoes mix them in with the red tomatoes, I used a whole container , I sliced in 1/2 .

Joel eating Lobsta Pasta

Lobsta Pasta

Lobsta Pasta in the Pan

Colorful tomatoes available now

–I put 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and a few grinds of the pepper mill on tomatoes. I added a teeny bit more salt, you’ll have to taste for it –taste a piece of tomato and you’ll know if you need more salt and pepper.

app. 2 handfuls basil leaves, torn or roughly chopped–obviously this adds a bit of punch to the plate but not entirely necessary.

Directions:

Bring a pot of well salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to directions for al dente.

Pour olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook for a couple of minutes till shallots soften without browning. Add garlic and red pepper and cook down for another minute or so. Add tomatoes and season generously with salt and pepper, I like to break down the tomatoes a little, so I cooked for about 15 minutes. Add lobster meat to skillet, stir to coat and heat through for another 5 minutes. Turn off heat until pasta is ready.

When pasta is al dente, drain, add to skillet, and season with salt and pepper. Toss well and transfer to a wide bowl or platter. Add basil, toss once more and serve immediately. Keep a little pasta water on hand if you need to moisten pasta.

This was amazingly delicious, and what the hey we’re worth it right?

3 Comments

Posted in lobster, pasta

Tagged Lobster, Lobster and Pasta

Kasha Varnishkes–Jewish Comfort Food

Posted on August 30, 2013 | 1 comment

This is truly traditional Jewish comfort food made with buckwheat grains and bowtie noodles. I love it and grew up eating it and try to make it a few times a year. What better time to make it than the Jewish New Year? it’s super easy and super tasty. If you’ve never made it why not start now. It’s a wonderful side dish to any meal and it can be vegetarian for all of those who need some extra vegetarian dishes on their tables.

Kasha comes in a box. There are different types of Kasha and almost all will work. I use medium or coarse granulation. Wolff’s brand is really wonderful so look for it.

If you’re looking for an easy side dish to put together now is the time to look at this great recipe. This is also our go to the night before Yom Kippur. It’s tradition and delicious and comforting all at the same time.

Ingredients:

1 package bowtie ( farfalle ) noodles (app. 3/4 lb.)

1 white/yellow onion thinly sliced or you can use chopped onions , entirely up to you.

app. 2 tablespoons olive oil, you may need a little more and may want a bit more to drizzle at the end. You can also use vegetable oil. I do use vegetable oil with this recipe.

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper–to taste

1 box button mushrooms sliced 8 ounce box

1 cup kasha, medium or coarse granulation.

1 egg

2 cups vegetable or chicken stock ( obviously if you’re making vegetarian you’ll use vegetable )

Directions:

Cook the pasta according to directions on box for al dente.

Saute’ the onions in olive oil, salt and pepper until they just start to soften, about 5 minutes. I use a medium size frying pan large enough to add in the pasta, and make sure you have a tight fitting lid.

Add the mushrooms and sauté until they start to soften as well, a few more minutes , set aside. Place mushrooms and onions in a bowl and you’ll use same frying pan to cook kasha.

Coat the kasha in a slightly beaten egg. You’ll just place kasha in a bowl and put beaten egg on grains. This will help the grains not to stick to themselves while you are cooking them. Make sure the grains are completely coated with egg. Put the kasha in the same frying pan, set over a fairly high heat. Flatten, stir, and break up the egg-coated kasha with a fork or wooden spoon for a few minutes till toasted and the egg has dried on the kasha and kernels are brown and mostly separate. Kasha instructions for cooking are usually on the box as well.

Add back in the mushrooms and onions and combine with chicken broth. Cook box of Bow Tie Pasta according to directions on box al dente.

Bring to a boil and cook over low heat covered tightly. Check on it after 10 minutes or so to make sure the kernels are tender and the liquid has absorbed. If not, cover and continue steaming for another few minutes till all liquid is absorbed.

Adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if you’d like, mix in cooked pasta, and if you’d like drizzle a little more oil on it. I like to do it all in a large enough frying pan to hold pasta . You can always mix in pasta in a large bowl separately. I like it in frying pan on stove top till I serve it. You can always make ahead and heat up in oven at 350 degrees in a pyrex dish, you’ll most likely need to add a little oil if you do so.

*Wolff’s Kasha has directions for cooking kasha on the box. It’s pretty much the same , I just add in the mushrooms and onions for more flavor.

*should serve 8 people

1 Comment

Posted in Holiday, Holiday Recipes, pasta, sides, vegetables, vegetarian

Tagged Jewish Comfort Food-- Kasha Varnishkas, jewish cooking, jewish holiday food, Kasha Varnishkas, Rosh Hashana, Traditional Kasha Varnishkas, Yom Kippur

Orzo with Lemon Shrimp and Spinach

Posted on July 31, 2013 | 4 comments

By now you all know how very much we love shrimp. It comes in handy to have an ex-shrimp monger on hand to clean and devein my shrimp. I love cooking it but not so much cleaning and deveining it. Joel not only obtains the best shrimp around but he really does do a great job of cleaning and deveining. ( I think it’s in his DNA) In any event we make a pretty good team when it comes to shrimp dishes.
So now on to this delicious dish. I didn’t feel like grilling and this dish was calling out to me. I saw Giada de Laurentiis make a shrimp scampi on her show and she made it with arugula , it looked so awesome and light I figured I’d do it my way and make it with spinach even though I knew Joel wouldn’t eat the spinach. Our friend Drew was over and he loves spinach so we ate Joel’s spinach, once again it’s his loss. This dish was pretty easy to pull together once shrimp was prepped. Not a whole lot of ingredients, and whole thing took about 1/2 hour. This dish was very light in flavor and a perfect summer night meal, doesn’t have to be served super hot , can be room temperature. Thanks again to Giada for the wonderfully inspiring recipe.

*once the shrimp is prepared this dish is a snap. Have your fish store clean and de-vein your shrimp for you.

Ingredients:

Vinaigrette:

1/3 cup olive oil

zest of 2 large lemons ( try to use organic if you’re zesting and eating the peel) and scrub those lemons well

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice ( from the 2 large lemons you just zested)

1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest and lemon juice, salt and pepper until smooth and set aside.

Ingredients:

1 lb. orzo

1 lb. shrimp , I used large under 10’s, peeled and deveined ( you can have fish monger do this )

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 large shallot , chopped

app. 1 more teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup dry white wine , ( I used what I had on hand)

6 ounces of spinach , I used baby spinach, use whatever greens you like. Giada used arugula .

Directions:

Cook orzo according to directions. Drain and reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.

Place shrimp in a bowl and sprinkle with kosher salt and some freshly ground black pepper . Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Add the chopped shallots and cook until soft for a few minutes. Add the shrimp, cook shrimp until they turn pink and are just cooked through depending on the size of your shrimp. When shrimp is cooked through remove the shrimp from the skillet. Increase the heat to high and add the 1/2 cup of wine, allow to boil up and scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan, cook for another minute or so until most of the liquid has evaporated. Then add orzo to the pan along with the vinaigrette and the spinach and let it wilt down. I added most of the reserved pasta water , you’ll use as much or as little as you need, I used whole cup of reserved pasta water. Add the shrimp back in and toss well until all the ingredients are well coated. Serve up and enjoy.

4 Comments

Posted in pasta, seafood, shrimp

Tagged Lemon Shrimp Orzo and Spinach, Lemon Shrimp with Orzo, Orzo and Shrimp, Shrimp with Orzo and Spinach

Macaroni and Peas

Posted on June 19, 2013 | Leave a comment

Here is a delicious vegetarian pasta which is a perfect pasta for the warm summer nights and quite frankly hearty enough for the winter. It’s a sort of pea pesto , perfect at room temperature or hot . Here’s the thing, Joel has been on a very strict no carb diet for a while now and he would hate this anyway, he wouldn’t ever touch anything this green. He told me it looked like it belonged in the Exorcist movie. Once again, he doesn’t know what he’s missing, his loss but a perfect time for me to make it since he wouldn’t eat it anyway. I must say I loved it but you gotta love peas. This is also a great dish for kids, they get macaroni which they all love and all the vitamins from the peas.

Season liberally with salt and pepper and don’t be stingy with the parmesan cheese. Not a lot of ingredients but all super flavorful. This one is very heart warming and comforting to me somehow. If you’re looking for a new take on basil pesto this could be the new one . I did use 3 tablespoons of butter and I know some of you are wincing but it’s a box of pasta it’s not all going into one individual serving. This can serve 4 -6 as a main dish and probably 8 as a side. All I can say is yum.

Ingredients:

1 pound shelled small peas, fresh or frozen will do ( I used frozen )

10 ounces pasta, I prefer the small shapes for this. Macaroni, fusilli, cavatappi, penne etc.

3 tablespoons butter ( unsalted)

1 garlic clove , chopped

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, coarsely grated (more for topping)

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper – I would start with 1/4 tsp. kosher salt and a few grinds of the pepper mill. Season according to your own taste.

Directions:

In a saucepan add enough water to just cover the peas, bring to a boil and cook until tender– about 3 minutes should do. Drain the peas–but reserve the cooking water.

Cook the pasta according to directions for al dente. Meanwhile melt the butter in a small pan over low heat; add the garlic and cook gently for a few minutes. Remove butter from the heat.

Put half of the cooked peas in a blender or food processor with 6 tablespoons of their cooking water, the butter and garlic, and the 1/4 cup grated cheese. Puree unti smooth, adding more cooking water if necessary. Combine with whole peas that you didn’t puree and season liberally with salt and pepper. As I said I started with 1/4 tsp. of Salt, it was enough for me. I gave pepper mill a few grinds , you will season according to your own taste.

Drain the pasta and toss with the pea sauce. Serve with more grated cheese if you like.

Category Archives: pasta

Chicken and Rigatoni in One Pot–One Pot Pasta

Ingredients:

Directions:

Fresh Tomato Pasta with Ricotta

Ingredients:

Directions:

Kale and Pasta Perfection

Ingredients:

Directions:

Veal and Eggplant Pasta

Ingredients:

Directions: