Tag: parmigiano reggiano

Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes, Asparagus & Broccolini with Toasted Breadcrumbs

Another pasta dish but completely different from yesterday… this has spring vegetables and is topped with the most delicious toasted breadcrumbs…

1 lb plum tomatoes, cut in half and seeds scooped out
Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

Place the tomatoes face down on a lined cookie sheet. Drizzle the oil and sprinkle salt and pepper. Roast them for 3 hours until soft. Let cool and scrape off any lose skin. Chop the tomatoes and set aside.

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
1 bunch broccolini, trimmed and sliced in half
Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Transfer the vegetables to a lined cookie sheet. Drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper and roast for about 30 minutes. Take out and keep aside.

½ pound cooked pasta plus 1 cup of pasta water, penne or any kind
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 large shallot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, grated

Heat a large frying pan with the olive oil and butter. Add the shallot and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and pasta water. Bring to a boil and simmer for a minute. Add the pasta and the vegetables. Mix well and season accordingly.

Toasted Breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup parsley, chopped
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Heat a medium frying pan with the olive oil. Add the breadcrumbs and garlic with the salt. Saute on medium heat, stirring constantly, making sure the breadcrumbs don’t burn. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes and keep aside and let cool. Once cool, add the parsley and cheese. Mix well and top the pasta before serving.

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.

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.

Spinach and Ricotta Dumplings

I think I will call these vegetarian meatballs! They were really delicious and no one missed the meat! Make sure to buy a good quality ricotta- preferably fresh and drain in for a couple of hours so the extra liquid comes out before forming your dumplings. I always have fresh tomato sauce on hand – which is quite handy with a number of dishes.

1 pound fresh ricotta cheese placed in a strainer above a bowl for 3 to 4 hours
½ box 9 ounces frozen spinach, defrosted and water squeezed out and chopped
½ cup parsley, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano
¼ teaspoon fresh nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup all purpose flour (plus more)
Semolina for holding dumplings

Take the ricotta out of the strainer and transfer to a large bowl. Add the spinach, parsley, eggs, cheese, nutmeg, salt. Mix well. Add ¼ cup flour, mix, if the mixture is still wet, add in the remaining ¼ cup. I added the entire ½ cup. Using a spoon take about a tablespoon of the mixture and place them on a platter with some flour. Form into a ball and transfer them to a tray lined with semolina. Form all the dumplings and keep aside.

Sauce

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, grated
2 cups fresh tomato sauce or a 28 ounces can of San Marzano crushed tomatoes
Salt

Heat a wide frying pan with the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and some salt and simmer on low for 15 to 20 minutes. Taste for seasonings.

In the meantime, bring a large pot full of salted water to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and gently add the dumplings to the simmering water. Cook until the dumplings float and swell, about 3 to 4 minutes. You may need to cook them in badges in order not to over crowd. Using a slotted spoon remove the dumplings from the water and add to the sauce. Serve warm.

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.

Ravioli with a Tomato and Anchovy Sauce

I love, love anchovies… most people think they don’t like them, like my husband and daughter…I didn’t tell them this sauce had anchovies in them and they loved it! Anchovies bring that delicious umami flavor into any dish… so next time don’t shy away from them!

3 to 4 anchovy filets
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 medium shallots, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3 cups fresh homemade tomato sauce or a 28 ounces can of crushed tomatoes
¼ cup half and half
½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
½ cup basil, chopped
Salt
1 pound ravioli (I cooked mushroom ravioli) with ½ cup pasta water spare

Heat a wide frying pan with the anchovy filets. Let them melt over medium heat for a minute or so. Add the butter, oil, shallots and garlic. Saute over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes on a low heat. Add the half and half, cheese and basil. Check for seasonings and add salt. Add the cooked ravioli into the heated sauce plus any pasta water if needed. Garnish with extra cheese on top.

Spinach and Ricotta Meatless Meatballs

These meatless meatballs are perfect for Meatless Mondays!! And… they are simply delicious.. my daughter, the meatball aficionado, thought they were delicious! Mixture of ricotta, spinach and cannellini beans makes this delicious dish easy and very healthy… make it today!!

1 cup full fat fresh ricotta cheese
1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
1 cup chopped frozen spinach, thawed and excess water squeezed out
1 14 ounces can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
3 eggs
4 garlic cloves, chopped
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
½ cup fresh basil, chopped
½ cup panko breadcrumbs, plus more for rolling
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons salt
Drizzle of olive oil
4 cups fresh or store bought tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Transfer the ricotta cheese, parmigiano reggiano cheese, spinach, beans, eggs, garlic, parsley and basil to a large food processor. Process till a smooth paste is formed- about a minute or two. Take out in a large bowl and add the breadcrumbs, nutmeg and salt. Mix well and refrigerate for ½ an hour. Using a small ice cream scoop, form balls and roll in breadcrumbs and place on a lined cookie sheet- will make around 20 to 25 balls, depending on the size. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for about 45 minutes, turning the balls every 15 minutes. Take out of oven and place in a pan with warm tomato sauce. Heat through and check for seasonings. Garnish with grated cheese.

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