Tag: fresh pasta
A Day in Como, Italy
Day two in Switzerland started with a delicious breakfast filled with lots of cheese, bread, some salami and lots of delicious coffee. One of the advantages of being in Lugano is that we are half an hour away from the Italian border! That makes me happy. I couldn’t wait to make our way there.. even though we were there a month ago- I can’t get enough of the good food, cheap and delicious wine and the sweet life! I feel blessed to be able to enjoy some quality time with my family while eating delicious food.
We made our way there via a speed train. Thirty short minutes later, we were in Como.. and a short ten minutes later we were by the beautiful lake. We decided to take a ferry ride and admire the lovely villas and homes around the beautiful lake. There wasn’t a whole lot of difference between Lugano and Como.. except Como seemed more populated. Also, the prices in Como were much cheaper than Lugano. Switzerland on the whole is quite expensive overall, including food and wine.
We made a couple stops for gelato con panna (whipped cream) and then finally settled down for a yummy lunch break. We ordered a mixed salad, a zucchini lasagna and pasta with salmon. All the pasta was made fresh, of course! We also ordered a carafe of a local Rose. The simplest things taste good in Italy- it is all about the ingredients… fresh and delicious… A couple of hours later we made our way back to Lugano.. can’t wait to explore some more tomorrow!
Pasta with Salmon
Zucchini Lasagna
Roasted Cauliflower and Sausage Pasta with Pecorino & Thyme Breadcrumbs
I decided to go with the pasta theme from yesterday and post this delicious dish. As a lot of you know, I work with cauliflower a lot- mostly in Indian dishes. I decided to make a change and use the veggie in another cuisine.. how about pasta, I thought??? Well, why not?
I decided to roast cauliflower florets in a hot oven to bring out the nutty, sweetness. I then took off the casings off some delicious chicken sausages and sautéed them with garlic, shallots, white wine and diced tomatoes. The mixture made a delicious sauce- especially after I added some leftover pasta water to it… it thickens the sauce and makes it yummier.
If that was not enough- I decided to add a topping. I slow cooked a delicious combination of garlic, breadcrumbs, thyme and Romano cheese. The topping gives a delicious crunch and flavor to the pasta dish.
This is a great option for a quick, healthy weeknight meal.. try this with a delicious salad and a glass of wine.
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Chicken Sausage Ragu with Red Pepper Gnocchi
I hardly ever make gnocchi. I do always notice it in Whole Foods- in there fresh pasta section. I have had it a few times before in restaurants and also during our trip to Italy last summer. It obviously depends on how well the gnocchi is made- if it is well made, it can be fluffy and light. If it is not made properly, it tends to be tough and heavy.
A friend had tried the gnocchi at Whole Foods and told me it was really good. I was browsing, and the red pepper gnocchi caught my eye. I bought it not knowing what to do with the pasta- but I was sure I could come up with something delicious.
The day after turned out to be a cold and rainy day- perfect for a sausage ragu, I thought- hmm, with lots of red wine- yum! I also decided to utilize the red pepper gnocchi. So, that is where this recipe came from. I took the sausages out of their casings and cooked them with onion, garlic, rosemary and wine, of course…
It was so nice to smell the lovely aromas in the house while sipping some wine and enjoying the evening. My daughter was at a play date and my husband wasn’t home from work yet. It is my favorite thing to do- being in the kitchen, cooking while enjoying a glass of wine.
Anyway, the meal turned out delicious. The gnocchi was excellent- although- my daughter didn’t care for it much. She liked the ragu part but didn’t like the smoky red pepper flavor as well as the gnocchi texture. The adults thought the gnocchi and the ragu complemented each other really well- especially with a glass of wine.
Try this dish- it is perfect for a weekday since it doesn’t take very long. Serve it with a salad and some delicious wine, of course.
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Rigatoni with Fresh Tomato Sauce Topped with Sauteed Scallops and Served with Arugula Bruschetta
I have been so inspired by my one day cooking class with Paola in Spello, Umbria that all I want to do is cook fresh tomato sauce. The problem with doing that and writing a food blog is that I need to switch the recipe around a bit so I can post it and inspire other people to make it as well. With all the yummy tomatoes around in the farmer’s market and my back yard, I just couldn’t help myself today and made yet another fresh tomato sauce.
I went to Whole Foods and bought fresh rigatoni- I haven’t made boxed pasta since I came back from Italy- not sure how long this obsession will last.. My plan was to buy some jumbo shrimp and make a shrimp scampi pasta with tomato sauce. I was standing at the fish counter when I noticed beautiful sea scallops from NJ. I had to buy them since they were so local. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with them but bought them anyway.
I came home and cut the fresh tomatoes up and started cooking them. I boiled the fresh pasta and brought it together with the tomato sauce. I sauteed the scallops on the stove- very quickly- that is the trick to really juicy and tender- do not over cook them. I placed them on top of the pasta.
I remembered the arugula pesto in the fridge and decided to serve a bit of that in the form of a bruschetta. All in all it was a delicious meal. The fresh pasta with the fresh tomato sauce was of course delicious. The sweet and tender scallops were yum and the arugula bruschetta was out of this world. A bottle of Malbec made it even better!
- 3 cups fresh plum tomatoes, cut into rough squares
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Pinch of sugar
- ½ pound fresh rigatoni, cooked al dente (reserve ½ cup pasta water for the sauce)
In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil on medium high heat. Add the tomatoes, salt and sugar. Cook on medium heat for at least 20 minutes or till the tomatoes start to get mushy and soft. Add the ½ cup pasta water and the al dente pasta. Mix well and check for seasonings.
Sauteed Scallops
- 1 pound sea scallops, cleaned
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Heat a non-stick frying pan on high heat. Add the olive oil and scallops. Add salt and pepper. Cook on each side for 2 minutes on high heat. Cook in two batches is the pan is not big enough.
Serve the pasta with 4-5 scallops on top. Toast some sliced baguette and top with the arugula pesto. Serve with the pasta.
Quick and Easy Pesto Salad with Green Beans and Tomatoes
I love anything made out of pesto. It’s my favorite thing to have around and use in a pinch. Since it has all the yummy ingredients I would normally cook with, it’s easy to add a dollop of it on anything. My favorite way of eating pesto is making a shrimp pasta with lots of pesto and more fresh basil on top. Shrimp and pesto are a match made in heaven- really, you should try it. I always have shrimp in the freezer- and on days when I am all out of ideas and don’t have a lot of time to cook- the pesto and shrimp come out. A nice salad on the side and some garlic bread with a yummy bottle of red- what else do you want??
Last summer I tried making a big batch of pesto to freeze for the winter- but it was a disaster. I harvested the basil too late which made it extremely bitter. All my hard work went down the drain- I was not happy. I was off making pesto for a while and yes I was buying it from the store. The store bought versions are actually quite good. For people who are working all day and don’t have time to make their own pesto- store bought is a great option- I would highly recommend it. Having a container of pesto in the fridge is very handy- it makes a great condiment for sandwiches; a big dollop on a piece of fish with a salad is a great lunch; meatballs with pesto are delicious and easy; pasta with mushrooms and pesto is out of this world- this list goes on and on.
We were going out for dinner and I wanted to eat a light lunch at home. There was nothing made in the fridge and I decided to go outside to harvest my yummy looking tomatoes. While out there, I noticed the basil plants thriving. I decided to bring some inside and make a pesto- a small quantity, just enough for the meal. I cut the tomatoes in half and remembered the green beans in the crisper. I blanched and added them to the mix. I had frozen fresh pasta which I decided to use. The whole thing came together in just a few minutes. The pesto was absolutely delicious and so was the salad. There were a few pieces of leftover chicken from a restaurant which worked out very nicely with this dish.
I think this would be a great accompaniment to any barbecue or nice just by itself for a light lunch. Grilled shirmp or chicken would taste delicious in this dish as well- again sky is the limit- enjoy!