Tag: penne
Pork Ragu with Penne
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup pancetta, chopped
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- ½ cup white onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups beef broth
- ½ cup half and half
- Salt
- ½ pound penne, al dente- ½ cup spare pasta water
- 2 tablespoons truffle paste or 1 tablespoon truffle oil
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the pancetta and sauté for 4-5 minutes on medium heat. Add the carrots, onions and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes on medium heat. Add the pork and separate with the back of a wooden spatula while sautéing the meat on medium high heat about 2-3 minutes. Add the beef broth and cook on medium low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, till a thick sauce is formed. Add salt and half and half. Add the truffle paste or oil. Mix well and add the cooked pasta and pasta water. Check for seasonings and serve.
Pasta Cinghiale- My Version
Our favorite dish to order at our favorite Italian restaurant (Arturo’s) is pasta cinghiale… it is really, really delicious and if I close my eyes, I am transported to Umbria where wild boar dishes are in abundance. I have tried to make this dish at home before but this time I found wild boar sausages and decided to use them to replicate my favorite dish…
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ pound wild boar sausage, casings off, crumbled
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 10 ounces Cremini mushrooms, chopped
- 3 to 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- Salt
- ½ to 1 cup pasta water
- ½ pound penne, cooked al dente
Heat a large frying pan with the olive oil. Add the crumbled sausage and sauté over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes or till golden brown. Take the sausage out with a slotted spoon and add the mushrooms and more olive oil if needed. Saute on high heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the garlic and thyme and continue to sauté for another 2 minutes on medium heat. Add cooked pasta, cream, pasta water and salt to taste. Bring to a gently boil and turn heat off and serve.
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.
Baked Sausage and Mushroom Pasta
Another one pot meal one can whip up in no time. I played around with marsala wine in this dish to give an extra yummy flavor… really good!
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 to 5 sausage links, casings removed and crumbled (I used with roasted garlic)
- 1 10 ounce pack Cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- Salt
- ¼ cup Marsala wine
- 2 cups fresh tomato sauce, homemade or store bought
- ½ pound penne, cooked a bit less than al dente
- ½ cup fresh full fat ricotta cheese
- 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese, divided in half
- ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Heat a wide frying pan with the olive oil. Add the crumbled sausage and cook on a medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to sauté for another 4 to 5 minutes. Add a teaspoon of salt and Marsala wine. Stir well and add the tomato sauce. Bring to a boil and add the cooked pasta, ricotta cheese and ½ cup mozzarella cheese. Mix well, turn heat off and check for seasonings. Add parsley, mix well and transfer to an oven-proof dish. Top with the remaining grated cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and turn the broil function on and brown for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes and serve.
Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce
My daughter loves baked ziti and she loves pasta with meat sauce- so I made baked ziti with meat sauce. Why not?? It is easy to make and yummy!!
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound ground dark meat turkey
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 3 cups fresh tomato sauce
- Salt
- 1 pound penne, cooked al dente
- 1 cup fresh mozzarella, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Add the turkey meat and brown at a high heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and sauté on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the thyme and rosemary and tomato sauce. Add salt and bring to a boil and simmer at a low heat covered with a lid for 20 to 25 minutes. Take the lid off and add the al dente pasta and mix well and check for seasonings.
Transfer half of the pasta mixture to an oven proof dish. Top with the fresh mozzarella and basil, distributing evenly. Top with the rest of the pasta mixture. Add the shredded cheese and top and bake, covered for 45 minutes. Take the foil off and bake to brown the top for another 15 minutes. Serve warm.
Pasta with Pancetta Mushrooms and Spinach
This one is quick and simple- you can eliminate the pancetta and add some shallots and garlic to make it vegetarian…
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup pancetta, chopped
- 2 cups Cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 8 ounces, baby spinach
- Salt
- ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano
- ½ pound penne pasta, cooked al dente
- 1 cup saved pasta water
Heat a wide frying pan with the oil. Add the pancetta and sauté on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté on high heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the spinach, pasta, ½ cup pasta water, salt and the cheese. Mix well till the spinach is wilted. Check for seasonings and serve warm.
Creamy Shrimp With Penne
- 1 to ½ pound penne, cooked al dente
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium shallot, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh thyme
- ½ cup white wine
- ½ cup clam juice
- 2 cups homemade tomato sauce or a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup half and half
- 1 pound medium shrimp, deveined and peeled
- Salt
Heat a wide saucepan with olive oil. Add the shallot, garlic and thyme and sauté on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the white wine and clam juice to deglaze. Bring to a boil and add the tomato sauce. Bring to a boil and simmer for ten minutes. Lower the heat and add the half and half and shrimp. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes or till the shrimp are cooked. Add salt and cooked penne. Mix well and check for seasonings. Serve hot.