Category Archives: pasta

Food from the Pantry – Weeknight Red Sauce with Spaghetti

Posted on January 16, 2012 | 1 comment

After a day of skiing it’s hard to get motivated to go back out, especially when you have only 2 episodes of Homeland to catch up with. I was too tired to even bother going food shopping, so decided to just check out what was in the pantry. Always have canned tomatoes, garlic, spices and red wine. There you go, and I always love spaghetti and red sauce. It cooks up quickly, is very tasty and we both had protein for lunch on the mountain, so just in the mood for some pasta. I have posted other red sauces, and this is how I made it tonite. Obviously it would be delicious with some meat or seafood in it, just didn’t have any on hand.

Ingredients:

1 – 2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped yellow onion ( app. 1 medium size yellow onion)

1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic

1/2 cup red wine ( whatever I have open is fine)

1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes ( I only had whole ones, I threw in food processor and crushed them)

*1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley ( optional) I didn’t have any on hand

1 teaspoon of oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

*pinch of sugar ( optional) only after tasting sauce, if it is a little too acidy I throw it in to soften the acid of tomatoes

Directions:

 

Heat olive oil in a large saute ( frying) pan, add the onion and saute over medium heat until onions are translucent ( 8 – 10 minutes). Add the garlic, and cook for another minute or so. Add the wine and cook on high heat until almost all the liquid evaporates, a few more minutes. Stir in the tomatoes,oregano, *parsley, salt, and pepper. Taste and add additional seasonings, and sugar if you think it needs it. I let the sauce cook uncovered on simmer for as long as I can. At least an hour and if I can 2 hours. If sauce thickens too much add water, a little at a time, till it reaches proper consistency.

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Two Jewish Girls Cook Up Some Real Italian

Posted on January 5, 2012 | 1 comment

finished product

Two Jewish Girls Cook Italian

 

 
I have a few lasagnas that I like but the one that I recently made with my BFF, Susan, was truly wonderful.  The original recipe came from Saveur and we mostly followed it as is except for a few small tweaks. It is not for the meek–it has a lot of moving parts and is an effort but worth every step of the way. First, you have to make the Bolognese (meat) sauce, and then a Bechamel and then assemble the lasagne itself. The recipe calls for spinach noodles but that option was out because we couldn’t find spinach noodles in the valley and there was no way we were making them from scratch. We used Barilla noodles, which worked out perfectly.  I have already posted my other Bolognese but this one is also  wonderful and includes prosciutto, chopped chicken livers, and milk. This recipe drums up a pretty nice shopping list. Susan and I shopped on Wednesday, cooked the Bolognese on Thursday, and assembled the lasagne on Friday. Our plan is to  cook it partially and refrigerate. We’ll then take it out of the fridge before going to a movie, and heat it back up when we get back to the house. Susan and I get along quite well in the kitchen–we don’t get in each other’s way and it is a totally fun way to spend time together doing something we both love. We served this lasagne with an appetizer of shrimp cocktail (complements of Joel) and a green salad.

I will start this recipe with the Ragu a la Bolognese sauce. By the way, the movie was wonderful, as was the entire evening.

Happy, healthy new year to all.

Bolognese Sauce

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 

1 small yellow onion, peeled and minced (we sliced first and then used food processor)

1 rib celery, minced (we sliced first and then used food processor)

1/2 medium carrot, peeled and  minced (we sliced first and then used food processor)

2 – 3 slices (3 oz.) prosciutto, chopped (we bought it pre-chopped)

2 – 3 chicken livers, finely chopped (available in the chicken section of most supermarkets in a container)

1 1/2 lbs. ground chuck meat

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup dry white wine (I recently found out you can buy small, inexpensive bottles, which are good to cook with)

1 cup milk (use whole milk)

1 cup beef or chicken broth

1 28 oz. can pureed italian plum tomatoes (if you can’t find pureed, just put whole ones in food processor)

Directions: 

Heat oil in a large, deep, heavy pot (Le Creuset is perfect) over medium high heat. Add onions and saute until soft and translucent, but not browned (5 minutes or so.) Add celery and carrot and cook for about 5 more minutes. Add prosciutto and chicken livers and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until meat is just cooked and still a little pink. Crumble ground chuck into pot and season to taste with salt and pepper. Break up chuck, stirring constantly with the wooden spoon, until meat is just cooked and still a little pink, about 5 – 8 more minutes.

Stir in wine and cook until the liquid more or less evaporates. (This took us a while. The recipe says 3 minutes, but it took us more like 10 (maybe because of the altitude?) Next, heat up milk in a small saucepan (do not boil , just heat until it’s hot.) Reduce heat  on sauce to medium and add hot milk, stirring occasionally, until the milk reduces. (We ended up cooking it for about 15  minutes.) In a separate saucepan, heat the tomatoes and broth until hot and then add to the meat mixture. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for about 2 – 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Bechamel Sauce: (called “Balsamella” in Italy)

Ingredients (yields 2 cups Bechamel, which is exactly what you’ll need):

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups hot milk

4 tablespoons sifted flour

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Melt butter in a heavy, medium-sized saucepan over medium low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 2 minutes (do not allow the mixture to brown.) Gradually add in the 2 cups of hot milk, whisking constantly. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir constantly until sauce is as thick as heavy cream, about 15 minutes.

Lasagne:

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil (to grease pan)

1 box of Lasagne noodles (we didn’t use the pre cooked ones, I wouldn’t in this recipe)

1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1 recipe for Bolognese (above)

1 recipe for Bechamel sauce (above)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly oil a 9 x 12 baking pan and set aside.

Cook Lasagne noodles according to directions on box (don’t overcook.) We laid the noodles out to dry. You don’t want them moist in pan. (Here in Colorado, they dried in about 2 minutes.)

Line the bottom of prepared baking pan with a layer of pasta (we used 3 sheets on the bottom, which was perfect.) Spread evenly with 1 cup of meat sauce, and sprinkle lightly with parmesan cheese. Add another layer of noodles,  evenly spread 1 cup of bechamel sauce on noodles, then sprinkle lightly with parmesan cheese. Repeat these layers (with the sprinkle of cheese on top of each layer) until you have 3 layers of meat sauce and 2 of bechamel, ending with the meat sauce on top. Reserve any extra meat sauce to put on top or for another time. There should be no remaining Bechamel sauce.

Bake in the top third of oven for 10 minutes. Then, turn oven up to 500 degrees and cook until lasagne is bubbling around the edges and browned on top, 5 – 7 minutes longer. Do not overcook. Allow lasagne to rest for 8 – 10 minutes before serving.

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Shrimp Scampi and Pasta

Posted on December 26, 2011 | 4 comments
It is Christmas Eve, and so many restaurants are closed for the night. We had some amazing shrimp that Joel was able to procure. *Beautiful Mexican White Shrimp under 10! So what else would you do? Shrimp Scampi,
*under 10 refers to 10 and under to a pound, these can cost a pretty penny so you can definitley substitute a smaller shrimp (under 15, under 20 ) etc. Both Joel and I were raised around shrimp our whole lives and have very particular taste where shrimp is concerned.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. shrimp ( we used under 10’s which are rather large ) you can use smaller ones. Joel prefers Mexican Whites, and you can ask for these ( Ocean Garden is our preferred brand) they come in a 5 lb. box and Joel cleans and deveins for me always. (that’s our deal) He cleans them and I cook them.

5 large garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup olive oil ( you may want to add more as you go)

3/4 cup dry white wine

*pinch of hot red pepper flakes ( optional) and Susan doesn’t like hot so we added a pinch and put red pepper flakes on the table

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ( again use your own discretion)

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 lb. spaghetti ( we used a thin spaghetti) or angel hair, capelini etc.

1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley chopped

Directions:

Cook Pasta according to directions. Start boiling water for pasta as you start your sauce.

Heat oil in a heavy 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking. Saute shrimp, turning until just cooked through, about 3 – 4 minutes depending on the size of your shrimp. These were large and took a bit longer, they will start to curl and turn a pretty pink color. If you’re really not sure you can always cut into one and if it is translucent put it back till it is opaque in the inside, we don’t want to be serving raw shrimp to anyone. When shrimp is done remove with a slotted spoon to another bowl. Set aside.  Add garlic to oil, if you think you need more oil just put a bit in now, add the red pepper flakes now if you’re using them, wine, salt, and pepper and cook over high heat , stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes or so. Add butter to skillet , stirring until melted, and stir in shrimp. Remove skillet from heat. Drain pasta in a colander, and *reserve 1 cup of pasta water.  Toss pasta well with shrimp mixture  and add parsley in a large bowl, add additional reserved pasta water  if necessary to keep it moist.

* Just a little tip,  before the pasta is finished I scoop out some pasta water with a measuring cup, makes it easier than juggling boiling water while you’re draining it.

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Aunt Pammy’s Chipotle Sweet Potatoes

Posted on November 15, 2011 | 3 comments

 

Fully Baked Chipotle Sweet Potatoes

This recipe belongs to my sister, Pamela. She is a great cook, and this is her signature Thanksgiving Dish. We count on it every year as her contribution.  I highly suggest it if you like spicy because it is! It definitley packs some heat, be careful when you buy the chipotle peppers in adobe sauce , just make sure they don’t say Hot or you might be blowing the roof off of your Thanksgiving Dinner! Be prepared for a lot of flavor !  If your family likes spicy this is an awesome recipe, and you all know how much I like spicy by now.  This is certainly a new take on Sweet Potatoes because they aren’t sweet.  I also make a Sweet Potato dish with Marshmallows (* see recipe) and the two are always on my table, one sweet and one spicy.  Thanks Aunt Pammy.

Ingredients:

5 lbs.Yams or Sweet Potatoes

Kosher Salt ( about 1/4 to 1/2 cup)

Heavy Cream ( about 1 1/2 quarts)

Chipotle Peppers in Adobe Sauce (canned) *look in Mexican Food Aisle in most supermarkets

Directions:

Slice Potatoes thinly and add salt. Place in baking dish you are going to use and cover with kosher salt, start with 1/4 cup and go to the 1/2 cup. Use your clean hands and toss together.

Puree Chipotles in small food processor .* you can keep pureed chipotles in fridge for up to 2 months. So you can do this step ahead.

Put approximately 1 – 2 tsp. of chipotle pepper puree in heavy cream and mix together

Pour Cream Mixture over Potatoes in an ovenproof baking dish ( earthenware is nice for this)

Place in 375 degree preheated oven for 45 minutes to an hour depending on your oven.

Potatoes should be somewhat set and browned on top when ready.

Enjoy! and Happy Thanksgiving

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Posted in Holiday Recipes, Holiday/ Thanksgiving Recipes, pasta, Uncategorized, vegetables, vegetarian

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What I’m cooking tonite and Happy Daylight Savings (Bye Bye Daylight)

Posted on November 7, 2011 | Leave a comment

I think Sunday night is the best night to stay in , cook dinner and relax. So I went to make the Bowtie Pasta, mushrooms, sausage, and peas. Couldn’t find Turkey Sausage anywhere, not Whole Foods, not Fairway, and I gave up. I bought ground turkey, which just so you know works perfectly well. I season it up a lot more with salt and pepper, and it’s just fine. Have had this problem before and this is what I did.  I like to eat in and be in control of what is going into our meal. We all eat out so much these days, isn’t it nice to just kick back , cook and eat dinner, and know what it is that is going into your body? I think it is. I’m not saying we should all be cooking every night, but once in a while give it a try. Happy Daylight Savings, this day is so long anyway , there’s plenty of time to cook unless you’re running the NYC Marathon then I’ll give you a pass.

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The Ultimate Comfort Food: Mac and Cheese

Posted on October 3, 2011 | 1 comment

 

 

When I think of the ultimate in comfort foods, Mac and Cheese always comes to mind. Now that there is a slight chill in the air we’re ready for this recipe. I have made it for big crowds, and just the two of us. Not the neon orange kind from the box (although when I make it for my grandkids it’s really not all that bad) but the creamy homemade oh so soothing one. I love the creaminess and the richness. You can’t really eat too much of it because of the richness. I just love the crunchy burnt pieces on top, and the smooth texture underneath. I also love it cold from the fridge, which can be a very dangerous thing to have around. So invite a bunch of people over (this recipe is perfect for Sunday get-togethers) and it will disappear. You’ll have just enough left over for a little midnight raid.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. elbow macaroni or Cavatappi

1 tbsp. kosher salt

1 quart milk , I actually used Skim Plus and it was just fine

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

12 oz. grated Gruyere cheese (approx. 4 cups)

8 oz. sharp or extra sharp grated cheddar (approx. 2 cups)

8 tbsp. unsalted butter (1 stick), divided into 6 tbsp. for sauce and 2 tbsp. for topping with bread crumbs

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg I love freshly grated Nutmeg, either one will do

1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs (5 slices of bread with crusts removed. I use whole wheat but white is fine. I do this using a food processor with a steel blade. It’s quick and easy.)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Cook macaroni according to directions on the box. Drain well. I let it sit and get good and dry while I prepare the cheese sauce.

Heat the milk in a small saucepan but do not boil it. Melt 6 tbsp. of butter in a large pot and add the flour, then the hot milk and cook for a few minutes until the sauce is thickened and smooth. I continue stirring with a wooden spoon during this process. When it is thick and smooth, take it off the heat, and add the cheeses, salt, pepper and nutmeg. I then place the dry macaroni back in the pot I cooked it in and pour the cheese sauce on top. Stir well. I then spray a 3 quart baking casserole dish with Pam and pour the macaroni and cheese into it. Melt the remaining butter (in the microwave is fine), combine it with the fresh bread crumbs and sprinkle the mixture on top of the macaroni. Bake for approx. 35 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on top.

*serves about 8 – 10 depending on crowd, and if it’s a side or main, I served with a light green salad with balsamic dressing.

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Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (Garlic and Oil)

Posted on September 26, 2011 | 3 comments

It’s been a challenge these days even for someone like me who loves to cook. Cooking every night is one thing but coming up with ideas of what to cook is quite another. Hopefully I have helped you with this a little. Everyone needs a little inspiration now and then and this is definitely one of those times.

This is a super easy recipe with very few ingredients . Hopefully you’re all getting what you need from the supermarkets. Add along these easy ingredients and you’ll have a delicious meal.

Stay Safe and Keep Cooking at Home along with me.

 

Pasta with Garlic and Olive Oil

INGREDIENTS:

1 box spaghetti (16 oz.)

1/3 cup olive oil

8 large garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced

Kosher salt

1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (plus extra for serving)

DIRECTIONS:

Cook pasta according to directions on package. Save about 2 cups of the pasta water before you drain the pasta.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot (large enough to hold the pasta; a large sauté pan is perfect.) Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently without burning the garlic (be careful!). Add the red pepper flakes. Add the reserved cooking water from pasta to the garlic and oil and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, add 1 tsp kosher salt and simmer for about 5-10 minutes until liquid is reduced by about a third.

Reserve a cup of the pasta water and set aside in the event you’ll need some liquid for the pasta. Add the drained pasta to the garlic sauce and give it a good toss. Remove from the heat, add the parsley and parmesan and toss to coat well. Allow the pasta to sit for a few minutes or until the sauce is absorbed. Taste for seasonings and serve with additional parmesan cheese on the side. If pasta looks dry add a little of the pasta water and mix well till pasta absorbs the water.

*If I use shrimp in this, which I sometimes do, I just sauté the shrimp in garlic and oil and skip the parmesan cheese. (About 1/4 lb shrimp per person.) For me and Joel, I use approx 1/2 lb raw shrimp. For 4 people, I use a pound. You can also add broccoli and keep it vegetarian.

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Real Deal Meatballs and Spaghetti (and another tomato sauce)

Posted on September 21, 2011 | 1 comment

real deal meatballs/prep

I’ve been on the subject of comforting foods a lot lately and this recipe is one of my all-time favorite comfort foods. When I was a young girl, nothing made me happier than to know that my mother was preparing meatballs and spaghetti for dinner and it is still one of my most favorite meals, of which I have the fondest of memories. I hope you like my recipe and are not put off by the amount of ingredients required. I promise you it’s worth it. The sauce and meatballs are perfect for freezing and I usually make enough for at least one extra meal. This tomato sauce has onions and a few different ingredients from my other tomato sauce. This is one suggestions for these meatballs but you can use any sauce that you like. The last time I made these meatballs I actually used the Dreamy Creamy Vodka Sauce. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

Spaghetti (any type you like) cooked according to directions on package

Freshly grated parmesan

Meatballs:

1/2 lb. ground veal

1/2 lb. ground pork

1 lb. ground beef

1 cup fresh bread crumbs (I never cheat on this one. I use 4 slices–5 for thinner bread–of whole wheat bread and make the crumbs in a food processor with a steel blade. It’s fast and easy but you can use whatever you have in the house.)

1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs (Italian style)

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (you can cheat here, if you must)

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

2 tbsp fresh, flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 extra large egg, beaten (start with a room temp egg)

Sauce:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 cup  (one medium) yellow onion, chopped

1 1/2 tsp garlic, minced

1 cup red wine

2 28 oz cans of crushed tomatoes (or you can puree chopped plum tomatoes)

1 tbsp fresh, flat-leaf parsley, chopped (this is optional but it adds delicious flavor)

1 1/4 tsp kosher salt (taste to check if you need more than this)

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 small can tomato paste

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (use at your own discretion)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place the ground meats, both types of bread crumbs, parmesan, parsley, salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg and 3/4 cup warm water in a large bowl. Combine all ingredients with a fork. Next, I use my washed hands and lightly form the mixture into small (2 inch) meatballs. You should have about 20-25 meatballs. I don’t fry my balls; I bake them at400 degrees for approx. 30 – 40 minutes on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. If you prefer to fry the balls, use a combination of vegetable and olive oils. (This is up to you.) The meatballs will continue to cook in the sauce so don’t worry if they are not fully cooked through as well as they should be at first.

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and while cooking sauce on high heat, deglaze the pan by scraping up from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Do this until almost all of the liquid evaporates. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, oregano, pepper, parsley, crushed red pepper, and tomato paste. Let it cook for approx. 1 hour. If sauce is too thick, add a little water at a time until you get to the consistency you like. Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover and simmer on the lowest possible heat for about another 1/2 hour, until the meatballs are immersed in the sauce and cooked through. Serve hot on cooked spaghetti with freshly grated parmesan cheese. I plate individually so I can freeze left over sauce with meatballs for another meal.

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