Category Archives: Pasta

Pasta Arrabbiata with Herbed Breadcrumbs

Just a simple plate of pasta can be so delicious- you don’t need a whole lot of ingredients… just really good ones!!

1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 to 3 medium shallots, chopped
3 to 4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped (seeded depending on how spicy you want)
3 cups fresh tomato sauce or canned tomatoes
½ pound penne, cooked al dente with 1 cup pasta water
½ cup fresh basil, chopped

Heat a saucepan with butter and oil. Add the shallots, garlic and jalapenos. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Simmer with lid off for 30 minutes. Add basil and pasta. Mix well and check for seasonings and add salt. Adjust consistency of sauce by adding pasta water if needed. Serve warm with a garnish of herbed breadcrumbs.

Breadcrumbs

1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Zest of one lemon

Mix all the ingredients and serve on top of pasta.

Penne with Tomato Sauce and Burrata

When it is super hot outside and you want to eat something yummy!! This is this the thing to make…

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
¼ cup basil stems, chopped
3 cups fresh or bottled tomato sauce
Salt
Sugar
1 pound penne, cooked al dente with 1 cup pasta water to spare
1 burrata ball, torn into small pieces
1 cup basil leaves, sliced

Heat a large frying pan with the oil. Add the onion, garlic and basil stems. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and cook on a simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and sugar to taste. Add the cooked pasta, burrata cheese and some pasta water if desired. Mix and cook till everything is warmed through. Add the basil, cook for another few minutes. Check for seasonings and serve.

Cheesy Turkey Meatballs

Another recipe for our favorite thing to eat in my house- meatballs!! These are absolutely yummy…

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ cup pancetta, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

Heat a frying pan with the olive oil. Add the pancetta and cook over medium low heat for 4 to 5 minutes till all the fat is rendered and the pancetta bits are golden brown. Add the onion, garlic, rosemary and thyme. Saute for another 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the heat off and set aside to cool.

1 pound dark meat ground turkey
½ cup parsley, chopped
½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1 egg, beaten
½ cup panko breadcrumbs soaked in ¼ cup milk (let sit for 10 minutes before adding to the turkey)
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups tomato sauce

In a large mixing bowl, add the ground turkey, parsley, cheese, egg, soaked breadcrumbs, salt and the cooled pancetta mixture. Mix well and keep aside.

Bring the tomato sauce to a boil in a large saucepan, form the meatballs and gently slide them into the sauce. Cover with lid and lower heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or once the meatballs are cooked through. Serve warm with spaghetti.

Pasta Primavera with Roasted Vegetables

Yummy and healthy dish for Meatless Monday!!

2 cups zucchini, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large red pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 to 4 garlic cloves, with skin on
Olive oil
Salt

Place the vegetables and garlic on to a line cookie sheet. Drizzle some olive oil and sprinkle some salt. Mix well and roast in a 400 degrees oven for 30 minutes. Take out and let cool. Slide the garlic out of the skins and mash with fork.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups fresh or store bought tomato sauce
½ cup fresh basil, chopped
1 cup roasted corn
½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Salt
½ pound pasta of choice, cooked al dente and 1 cup spare pasta water

Heat a large frying pan with the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, basil and the roasted garlic. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the corn and the roasted vegetables. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cheese and pasta. Mix well and add the spare pasta water if needed. Check for seasonings and add salt.

Garlicky Pasta with Broccoli Rabe

This is one of my favorite pastas to eat- I love the earthy, slightly bitter broccoli rabe and lots of garlic… plus it is a perfect Meatless Monday dish!!

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 to 10 garlic cloves, sliced thin
½ cup pine nuts
1 bunch broccoli rabe, chopped with stems off
1 to 2 teaspoons salt
½ pound pasta of choice, cooked al dente with 1 cup pasta water
½ cup cheese, a variety is ideal- I used a combination of Parmigiano, Asiago and Pecorino

Heat a wide frying pan with the olive oil. Add the garlic and nuts and cook on a low heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the broccoli rabe and cook on medium high heat till the greens wilt down. Add the cooked pasta and ½ cup pasta water. Mix well and add the cheese. Stir and check for seasonings. Add more salt and pasta water if needed. Serve warm.

Roasted Tomato and Shiitake Mushroom Pasta

1 pound cherry tomatoes
Drizzle of olive oil
Sprinkle of salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Transfer the tomatoes to a lined cookie sheet. Drizzle the oil and sprinkle the salt and mix well. Roast in oven for 30 minutes. Put the tomatoes through a food mill or a blender. Keep aside.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups Shiitake mushrooms, sliced
½ pound rigatoni, cooked with ½ cup pasta water to spare
Salt
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Heat a large frying pan with the olive oil. Add the shiitake mushrooms and sauté on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion and garlic, sauté on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the roasted tomato sauce, cooked pasta and the pasta water. Mix well, season according to taste and garnish with parsley.

Vegetable Lasagna

This is a great way to get some veggies into your kids. They may not notice all the greens while they enjoy the yummy noodles, cheese and sauce. Eliminate the pancetta if you want to keep it vegetarian. If not then it is great way to infuse some great flavor without adding a lot of meat.

9 to 12 lasagna noodles
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup pancetta, chopped (eliminate if making vegetarian)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 10 ounces Cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 10 ounces Shiitaki mushrooms, sliced
4 cups mixed greens (I used a combination of kale, green cabbage, red cabbage & Brussels sprouts), shredded
1 cup ricotta
2 garlic cloves, grated
½ cup parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1 cup shredded Parmigiano Reggiano, divided
½ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
3 cups fresh tomato sauce, preferable homemade

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil the lasagna noodles until they are soft and pliable, about 6 to 7 minutes. Remove the pasta and lay flat on a sheet tray to cool.

Add olive oil and pancetta to a large frying pan. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and continue to sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté on high heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the greens and cook for another 5 minutes until they are wilted. Check for seasonings and turn heat off and let cool.

In a small bowl, add the ricotta, garlic, parsley, salt, egg, and ½ cup of cheese. Mix well and keep aside.

In the bottom of a 8 by 8 baking dish, add a half cup of sauce. Spread evenly. Arrange three to four noodles to completely cover the sauce. Spread ½ of the ricotta mixture over the pasta. Add ½ of the mushroom mixture and spread evenly. Repeat with noodles, sauce, ricotta and mixture. Finally add the last batch of noodles and cover with sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmigiano and all of mozzarella on top. Cover with foil. Place the lasagna on a baking sheet and bake in oven for an hour 15 minutes, removing the foil for the last 15 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before slicing.

« older entries newer entries »