Category Archives: Pasta

After-Hours Tortellini with Smoked Sausage and Vegetables in a Spicy Cream Sauce by Joshua

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As strange as it may sound to some, I consider myself to be pretty lucky. I’ve been blessed with two tremendous love stories (and a handful of rather unimpressive attempts) in my short lifetime.

There is a beautiful future in front of me with Michael, who I have the honor of marrying next November. But that does not  mean I can’t look behind with reflection and gratitude for the first man I married. The end of this month marks another year since he passed away – and it is no different than any other year thus far without him; it tough, strange, and always changing.

Autumn has always been my favorite time of year and at the same time, it is now a reminder of those days when everything was so raw. The time of year we both loved has been changed forever.

Joshua had eyes the color of chestnuts. They were soulful and said more than any words that fell from his mouth. We shared many laughs. We had many fights. We loved with an intensity that was often misconstrued to the outside world. It was light and it was dark. It was love.

He worked hard in a restaurant kitchen and at the end of each shift, all of the cooks were allowed to make their own meals to take home. Sometimes they took advantage of the opportunity and made the largest steak in the house or lump crab cakes. But most of the time, Joshua’s meals were bowls of tortellini tossed with a spicy cream sauce, vegetables, and sausage.

He’d sit in the brown corduroy chair, completely exhausted, and eat what was usually the only meal he’d had all day.

It is a meal that is quick yet rich, and reminds me of late nights and conversations with a man who I loved deeply and who drove me absolutely crazy. I am proud to have been his wife and the mother of his child.

We can all be honest that this dish is not fancy or gourmet in any way. However it was born from the brain and made by the strong hands of a damn good man. Cheers to that.

Joshua’s After-Hours Tortellini

  •  1 teaspoon grapeseed oil
  • 1 cup thinly sliced red pepper
  • 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
  • 1/2 lb. thinly sliced kielbasa or smoked sausage
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 – 2 teaspoons sriracha sauce, depending on taste
  • 1 big fist full of baby spinach, chopped roughly
  • 1/2 cup diced tomato
  • 1 cup tortellini, cooked according to package directions
  • salt and pepper

Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Drizzle in the oil, and when hot add in the peppers and onions. Stir to coat with oil and continue to cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Add in the sausage, mixing to combine, and cook for another 7 minutes.

Add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the wine, and cook, stirring occasionally until the alcohol is evaporated, about 3 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium, stir in the cream and sriracha sauce and cook until the sauce starts to thicken a little bit, about 3 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Stir in the spinach and tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes allowing the spinach to lightly wilt. Add in the cooked tortellini and cook for a minute or two to warm them through.

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Fettuccine with Prosciuttio and Orange

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Bon Appetit magazine inspires me on a monthly basis with their issues. I have a method to reading them; first a feverish flip through followed by a lingering perusal. This was one of the recipes that caught my eye in the Italy Issue (May 2011).There was something about imagining the saltiness of Prosciuttio and bright citrus flavors mixed together in cream that insisted this dish be made in my kitchen.

I pretty much insist you make it. You really don’t have a choice in the matter. The magazine says it makes four servings, but with the amount I ate before calling everyone to the dinner table, it was considerably less. Don’t be greedy like me.

Be sure to get orange zest fingerprints all over your issue too. Sigh.

 

Fettuccine with Prosciuttio and Orange (Bon Appetit Magazine – May 2011)

  • Kosher salt
  • 12 oz tagliatelle or fettuccine (BA magazine said “preferably fresh” but I didn’t have any – my apologies)
  • 2 oz thinly sliced prosciutto, torn into 1 inch pieces (this was 4 slices for me)
  • zest and juice of 1 orange
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan (not pictured)

Bring a pot of water to a boil – and season the water with salt and add the pasta. Cook until almost al dente (because it will continue to cook in the sauce when it’s ready). Drain the pasta and reserving 1/4 cup of the water.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add prosciutto; saute until browned, about 3 minutes.

Add the water, orange juice, cream and half of the zest. Bring the mixture to a boil. Add the pasta, and continue to cook, stirring until all of the pasta is coated (about 1 or 2 minutes). Season with salt and pepper as needed. Stir in the cheese and serve.

 

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Pierogi Lasagna with Mornay Sauce and Golden Buttered Onions

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We’re all big pierogi fans but sometimes there is just not enough time to make a batch by hand. There’s something about the pasta on potato and cheese action that just makes you feel good – like a giant hug. Carbs. Yum.

Taking out the labor of pierogies and mixing it with the belly warming comfort of a lasagna – sounds good to me!

For the Lasagna:

  • 3 large potatoes, diced (I actually used 4 but I had a ton of leftover mashed potatoes)
  • 4  Tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup shredded Dubliner cheese
  • 1/4 cup milk for the potatoes (or more for smoother consistency) + another 1/4 cup
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 package of oven-ready lasagna noodles
  • 2 cups of Mornay sauce (recipe follows)
  • Golden butter and onion topping (recipe follows)

Fill a large pot with cold water and add the potatoes.  Toss in a generous amount of salt and turn to medium-high heat. Cook until fork tender. Drain and put back in the hot pot. Add the butter, sour cream, cheese and milk. Using a hand-mixer or some old fashioned elbow grease, whip the potatoes until smooth and creamy.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. While it is warming up, assemble the lasagna.

In a 9 x 13 pan, spray withe cooking spray and pour 1/4 cup of milk into the bottom of the pan.  Put down a layer of noodles, potatoes and then a drizzling of the mornay sauce. Repeat for another two layers, ending with a layer of noodles. Cover this layer with the remaining mornay. Cover with aluminum foil and cook according to the instructions on your noodle package. Note: Typing “noodle package” made me giggle.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes.

For the Mornay Sauce: (yields about2 cups)

  • 2 1/2 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons  flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • 4 ounces grated Kerry Gold Dubliner Cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste

In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and continue to whisk until the sauce thickens and comes to a boil, about 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and whisk in the cheese. Allow to simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.  If the sauce seems too thick, add milk in small increments until you get the consistency you want.

For the Topping:

  • 1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)
  • 2 onions, sliced thin

While the lasagna rests, melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the onions and stir to coat everything with butter. Continue to stir and cook for 10 minutes until the onions have caramelized. Top individual servings with a little onion and a hearty spoonful of butter.

Enjoy!

 


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Butternut Squash Gnocchi in Butter Sage Sauce

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The weekends are often my favorite times to cook because I have more time, and I can share the experience with my daughter. Mr. M goes for his usual 13 mile hike, and Lil’ A and I will pick a dish and work together, tweaking, dumping, sprinkling until we’re satisfied. Last weekend it was this: Butternut Squash Gnocchi which was hearty, healthy and the perfect warm meal for yet another frigid Maryland day – which in case you were wondering, I’m totally over.

It is a little bit of a lengthy process but absolutely worth it.

Butternut Squash Gnocchi in Butter Sage Sauce (recipe tinkered with from The Italian Famers Table)

1 1/2 pounds of butternut squash, halved and de-seeded
3/4 cups of water
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup of Parmesan Cheese (and more for garnish)
salt and black pepper
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons of sage, chopped finely
olive oil (for garnish)

Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees. Place the squash on a baking sheet face down, and pour the water around the pan. This will help steam the butternut squash and make sure it doesn’t dry out. Place the pan in the oven until the meat of the squash is tender. In our oven, this was about 30 minutes. I usually flip the squash half-way through – but you certainly don’t have to.

Remove the pan from the oven and allow the squash to cool. Once it is cool, scoop out the innards into a bowl and smoosh it until there are no chunks. You could also use a food processor.

Add in the flour, cheese, egg, nutmeg and salt and pepper to form a lightly wet dough. Set aside and cool for 30 minutes.

When ready, bring a pot of water to a boil. While waiting, roll the dough into little dumplings (about 1/2 inch). Also get a bowl of ice water ready.  When the water is boiling, drop 10-15 gnocchi in at a time, until they float – about 3 minutes. Remove and place in the ice water to stall the cooking process. Continue until all of the dough is gone.

Remove the gnocchi from the ice water onto a paper towel or clean dish towel.

Warm the butter over medium-heat in a pan. Toss in the gnocchi and cook until warmed through (2 minutes), tossing to coat with the butter. Add the sage and cook for another minute or two, continuing to toss. Eat one straight out the pan for a tester bite. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with extra Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil. This would also be excellent with walnuts and blue cheese. Play around!

Enjoy!

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Dead Car Pasta

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Today sucked, to put it nicely. Nothing went right all day and when it was time for me to leave work to get Lil’ A from summer camp, a tiny light shone from above and I heard a choir of angels. Once I got her in the car, I drove away to my humble abode to make dinner.

Oh that’s right, no I didn’t because my car wouldn’t start. I sighed. Probably cursed too. Then my daughter from the backseat starts laughing and says, “Never a boring day in this family.” Oh little one, you have no idea. So I did what any independent, self-reliant woman does….I called my mother to come and get me. Mr. M was at the vet with our beagle so I knew he couldn’t help (plus he doesn’t let me pout and gripe like my mom  does). Unfortunately once I was home, I was no longer aloud to stomp around. I still had to make dinner….but I didn’t wanna! But oh, am I ever glad I did.

I grabbed from the fridge and went with  my gut and the results where faboosh! This pasta, is the cats pajamas and most importantly was on the table in about 20 minutes. It made everything all better – if only temporary.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoon olive oil + another 2 tablespoons
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1/2 cup of sliced white or yellow onion (about 1 medium onion)
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 1 cup of chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 cup of heavy cream (or pssst! fat free half &half)
  • 2 cups of baby spinach
  • 1 medium roma tomato diced
  • zest of one lemon
  • pinch of red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup chopped basil
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 lb. spaghetti, cooked according to package directions

In a large saucepan, heat two tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat. Once hot, toss in your sliced onion and cook until they are soft and caramelized. Feel free to sprinkle some regular or brown sugar on the onions to sweeten the onions and help the caramelizing process. Remove the onions from the pan and put them into a bowl to hang out.

Add the other 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the pan with the flour, stirring to make a roux. Cook for a minute or so until it looks pasty. Stir in the stock and cream. Toss in the garlic, spinach, tomatoes, lemon zest and red pepper flakes. Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer until the sauce has thickened and the spinach is wilted. Stir in the basil. Give it a taste and salt and pepper as necessary.

Put your cooked pasta in the sauce and toss to combine. When serving, put a tablespoon or so of the caramelized onion on top of each dish. With each bite you take, give thanks that in that one moment, all is right with the world.

I served this with fish, but I also think some grilled chicken would be killer, and it’s amazing all on it’s lonesome.

Enjoy!

PS – A very handsome, rugged, man in a SUV came to the rescue later this evening and gave my battery a jump. Thank you, Mr. M!!



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Macaroni and Cauliflower Cheese Bake

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I love Mac and Cheese. I love it in a train, I love it on a plane, and I love it in the rain. This recipe comes from Jamie Oliver, who is not only ridiculously adorable, but has a great food philosophy of achieving balance in your eating habits and keeping foods that don’t need to be processed just that way. The Macaroni and Cauliflower Cheese Bake is a great way of making a comfort food with a twist! The added bonus is the cauliflower – which means you can breathe a sigh of relief about all that cheese. I added a few things (which I’ve listed in bold) because….well, because it’s in my blood to mess with things.

Serves 4-6, and oh – the leftovers, even better.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 head of cauliflower
  • 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
  • 4 ounces shredded Parmesan
  • small bunch of flat leaf parsley, chopped up
  • salt
  • 1 box of small pasta (elbow, shells)
  • 1 cup of sour cream
  • 1/4 cup reserved water from cooking the pasta
  • 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Chop that caulifower into little bits. Take out your agression. Really chop it up. Make it almost noodle sized! This is what mine looked like:

Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil. Once it’s boiling, add the macaroni and cauliflower and cook according to the package directions. Drain the cooked pasta/cauliflower and set aside.

Using a double boiler (or a heat proof bowler over a sauce pan of simmering water), melt the cheese and sour cream together to make the sauce. Once melted, add the pasta water to thin it out. Stir in the parsley a dash of salt, the pepper, and the dry mustard if you’re using. Turn on your broiler.

In a baking dish, toss the sauce with the pasta. Spread the top layer out evenly. This is where I ate a few forkfuls, than re-flattened the top out. Top with some more cheese if you’re feeling frisky. Mr. M was in the kitchen, so I was.

Toss under the broiler until the top is toasted. Once broiled, take it out of oven and allow to sit for a few minutes. This will set the cheese, and you’ll be forever thankful.

Serve to hungry people with a big salad. Make sure to heat up the leftovers in the dead of night when the rest of the world is sleeping.

From Jamie, to me, to You….

Enjoy!

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Roasted Cherry Tomato Capelinni

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Tomatoes and basil are amongst some of the most beautiful partnerships in foodland. In this sauce, roasting cherry tomatoes releases sugars that makes it absolutely addictive and balances the acidity of the tomato nicely. It’s clean cooking. This is a fresh, simple, and filling meal made from just a handful of things, and like most things I’ll ever post here, you can easily tweak it with your own flair. This feeds about 4 people.

In Today’s Kitchen:

  • 1 pint of cherry tomatoes (halved)
  • 1/2 cup of diced onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
  • 1/2 pound Capellini pasta
  • salt and pepper
  • olive oil
  • 5-10 leaves of fresh basil (depending on their size – the more you use, the better it is!) and any other herbs at hand (pictured here: basil, flat leaf parsley and fresh oregano)

Make sure you have a rack in the bottom of your oven. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. In a roasting pan, drizzle some olive oil in the bottom, and add your tomatoes. Pop a few in your mouth. These babies are like candy!

Throw in your diced onion, garlic, dried oregano and salt and pepper to your liking. Hold back just a little, as you’re going to be salting the water for your pasta. Plus, you can always add more at the end. Drizzle your mixture with a little more olive oil and toss together to make sure everything if coated with the love of all their friends in the pan.

Roast for 20-30 minutes, until the onion has softened and the tomatoes start to wrinkle up and release their juices, making sure to toss the mixture halfway through the cooking. While the tomatoes are roasting, bring a pot of water to a boil. Salt the water, add the pasta, and cook according to the package’s directions. When finished cooking, drain and put back in the pot.

Remove the tomatoes from the oven and pour the entire contents (juice and all) from the pan, plus your fresh chopped herbs on top of the pasta, and toss to combine thoroughly. Take a forkful and adjust the seasonings to your liking, adding more salt, pepper, olive oil or herbs until you reach your happy place.

Feel free to toss some fresh mozzarella or parmesan on top. Serve with crusty bread and a side salad. Enjoy!

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Sweet and Spicy Pasta Salad with Roasted Vegetables

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You really shouldn’t leave me alone at home for more than an hour. You’re bound to return only to find the kitchen counters covered in produce, innards of my refrigerator, and other experiments I’ve decided are a wonderful idea…..like making my own butter. Or goat cheese. Not that I did that last night. (I did actually, and will post them soon!) This pasta salad was a product of my alone time one night. It’s sweet and spicy (like any good woman should be) and the roasted flavor of the vegetables adds a little smokiness.  When I make it again, I’ll definitely be adding some more vegetables like spinach, zucchini and maybe some tofu. Use whatever you have available to you! I had eggplant, red bell pepper, tomatoes, and onions that needed to be used. Play around!

Ingredients:

  • One box of your favorite medium to large sized pasta (I used ziti with lines, because the dressing gets stuck in the crevices)
  • 2 cups of your favorite roastable vegetables
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (even Vegenaise is outstanding in this!)
  • 2 tablespoons of dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons of apricot preserves
  • Sriracha sauce to taste (we’ll cover this further down below)
  • Salt and Pepper

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Salt the water lightly. Cook your pasta according to the box’s directions. Drain and set aside.

Heat your oven to 450 degrees and make sure one of your racks is on the lowest rack. On a cookie sheet, drizzle some olive oil. Chop your vegetables into bite size chunks, and make sure they’re all around the same size, so that they cook evenly. Put your vegetables on the cookie sheet, drizzle with more olive oil, salt, pepper and whatever your other favorite seasonings are. Toss to coat all the vegetables and place on the lowest rack of the oven.

Check on them every 5 minutes or so and toss them with tongs every once in awhile to make sure all sides get cooked and roasty toasty oasty. Remove and set aside.

For the dressing, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, and preserves in a bowl. Add your Sriracha sauce a little at a time until your desired heat. If you aren’t familiar with Sriracha sauce, please go to your grocery store or local market today. Thank me later. It’s a wonder liquid that adds spice to almost anything without taking over the flavor. It looks like this:

Toss the dressing with the pasta and vegetables, adding salt and pepper to taste. Take a bite or two and readjust your seasonings. Maybe you need more mayo creaminess? Sweetness from the apricot? Extra Sriracha?  Experiment!

I hope you like it!

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Christmas Cream Pasta Sauce

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I don’t know the real name of this sauce, but once again it came from my buddy Anthony. He made me a lunch right before Christmas that I almost died over. I’m normally excited about any pasta, but I was literally licking the bowl. It was disguisting and very unladylike. Thankfully Antho loves me just the way I am.

It is six ingredients. I’ll give you the basic six recipe, written in some classic Italian cookbook on Anthony’s shelf somewhere, and then at the end, some variations to try. I even jarred it and give it out as gifts. Now note, this first recipe does not belong in a diet magazine, or anywhere close to your cardiologist, and I’m sorry – but once in a while, you can live a little. And don’t forget, we’ll show some adaptations at the end.

Ingredients

  • One 28oz. can of crushed tomatoes
  • 3 tablespoons diced onion
  • 3 tablespoons diced celery
  • 3 tablespoons diced carrot
  • 1 stick of butter
  • 1/2 – 1 cup of cream (start small – you can always add more depending on your tastes. Taste after each addition. Go until you moan)
  • salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a large pot. Once melted throw in your veggies. Stir once or twice to make sure it’s all covered. No need for cooking, caramelizing or sauteeing, just dump the tomatoes right in once the vegetables are coated. Stir, cover and allow to simmer on low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

After the hour is up, add in the cream and using an immersion blender (or transfer to a food processor), grind it all up together. Salt and pepper to taste. That’s it! Serve on your favorite pasta with some cheese, just because.

If you want to play with it a little bit, here’s some variations I’ve tried:

Use half of a stick of  butter instead of a full stick
Use fat free half and half instead of cream
Add garlic in with your veggies
Throw a handful of basil in while processing
If you like a little ‘boost’ a pinch or two of red pepper flakes is wonderful
For a toastier sauce, use fire roasted crushed tomatoes, or throw in some roasted red pepper

Just like anything, make it special to your family. Have fun and share your variations!

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