Category Archives: Pasta Entree

Jun 01 2 comments
Main Dish, New Food, Pasta Entree, Recipes, Vegetarian

Green Garlic Pesto

pesto

I have sadly been too busy this month to get to the Farmer’s Market since it opened on Saturday mornings, but luckily we have a really great Whole Foods nearby and they feature fresh produce from local farms. I wanted to pick up some groceries and I spotted some green garlic that was 2/$4 for a generous bunch. I had no idea what I would do with it, but I remember hearing so much about garlic scapes last year and wondered if it was similar.

cleangreengarlic

I did a bit of research and found out that green garlic is garlic that is picked in the spring before it fully develops into the cloves we normally would use. Just like spring onions are picked before developing into large onions. Sure, you probably knew all about green garlic and I’m just late to the game. It’s ok, I’m used to it.

I needed Google, my dear, dear friend and began searching for green garlic recipes, hoping a pesto was on the menu. Many soup recipes popped up and sounded amazing, but did I mention that Michigan has been close to 90 degrees lately? I can only imagine the look my husband would give me if I serve soup during this heat wave. I did see a few mentions for green garlic pesto and dug out my pesto recipe from last summer. I modified it slightly and oh my, this is good. It has a fresh mild garlic flavor. I wouldn’t serve it to someone who doesn’t like garlic, but it does not have the usual bite raw garlic has. I tossed it with some spaghetti and a bit of butter and we had  a wonderful meal that required minimal heat in the kitchen.

pestoingredients

Green Garlic Pesto

adapted from this Basil Pesto Recipe

Makes about 1 1/2 C.

5-6 shoots of green garlic, trimmed of tough dark green parts and cut into 2 inch pieces

2 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano, cut into small cubes

1/2 C. pine nuts

3/4 t. coarse salt

1/2 t. pepper

1/2 C. extra-virgin olive oil (I used CA Olive Ranch Arbequina)

1. Add all ingredients above to a food processor or blender, except for olive oil. Process until cheese is broken down and everything looks pretty well combined. Open top and scrape down any large bits that moved to the top of the food processor or blender.

2. Stream in extra-virgin olive oil until you get a uniform texture and all is well combined. You may have to scrape down the large bits again to make sure everything is fully incorporated.

Green Garlic Pesto Spaghetti

4 entree servings

1/2-3/4 C. green garlic pesto (I eyeball about half of the recipe above)

1 lb. spaghetti (or your favorite pasta)

coarse salt for pasta water

2 T. unsalted butter

1. Make above recipe for green garlic pesto.

2. Cook spaghetti al dente in salted pasta water according to package directions. Drain pasta.

3. Add butter and pesto to hot pasta and mix with tongs until pasta is coated. Serve immediately.

greengarlicpestopasta

May 25 5 comments
Main Dish, Pasta Entree, Recipes, Vegetarian

Fettuccine with Tomatoes, Basil and Crisp Bread Crumbs

Fettucinewithbasiltomatoandbreadcrumbs

We recently had our family over for burgers and my darling husband was a bit too excited about cutting up the tomatoes and thinly sliced enough tomatoes to give one to everyone in the neighborhood. I really hate throwing away perfectly good food and it usually provides me with the motivation to find new recipes using those leftover ingredients. I had printed off this Joanne Weir recipe for Fettuccine with Tomatoes, Basil and Crisp Breadcrumbs a few months back and it seemed easy enough for a weeknight meal. Instead of using the cherry tomatoes she specified in her recipe, I cut our leftover tomato slices into large chunks and proceeded. The balsamic vinegar gives this dish a nice fresh punch. We had leftovers and I was afraid that the breadcrumbs would be soggy and inedible for lunch the next day, but it was delicious. I took my lunch out of the refrigerator that morning, let it come up to room temperature on my desk and by lunchtime it was perfect. The fresh breadcrumbs had soaked up the oil and balsamic, but the soft texture didn’t bother me because it was so flavorful. I look forward to trying this recipe again when I get my hands on some fresh farmer’s market tomatoes.

Fettuccine with Tomatoes, Basil and Crisp Bread Crumbs

Serves 6, recipe adapted from Joanne Weir

1 C. very coarse fresh bread crumbs (I put 3 slices of whole wheat bread in the food processor)

8 T. extra-virgin olive oil

salt and freshly ground pepper

5 T. balsamic vinegar

4 C. cherry tomatoes or your favorite tomato sliced into chunks

1 lb. fettuccine

1/2 C. basil leaves, sliced into thin strips

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Place the breadcrumbs on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 T. of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss the crumbs to distribute oil and seasonings evenly. Bake in the middle of the oven, tossing occasionally, until they turn golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

3. In a bowl, whisk together the remaining 4 T. of olive oil and the balsamic vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes and stir together. Set aside

4. Fill a large pot three-fourths full of salted water and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes or according to the directions on the package.

5. Drain the pasta and toss with the tomatoes and vinaigrette. Place in a serving bowl and garnish with basil and bread crumbs. Serve immediately.

Apr 10 2 comments
Main Dish, Pasta Entree, Recipes, Seafood, Side Dish, Vegetarian

Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta with Grilled Asparagus

asparaguspastaAsparagus seems to be everywhere I go lately and two things come to mind when I see asparagus. #1 is grilling asparagus with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper and #2 is this recipe for creamy goat cheese pasta with roasted asparagus. I decided to bring my two asparagus loves together and grilled the asparagus instead of roasting it and combined it with the creamy goat cheese pasta. Oh yes, these two were made for each other. The smoky asparagus contrasts nicely with the creamy goat cheese and pasta. I usually make this as an easy weeknight entree with a salad, but we picked up some beautiful salmon at Whole Foods and I turned the pasta dish into a side. We marinaded the salmon in a butter rum sauce and it was quite tasty, but I sadly didn’t taste much rum once it was cooked. I’ll include that recipe here, too. If you cannot grill the asparagus or salmon, roasting works great.  I first fell in love with this creamy goat cheese pasta dish when I made the roasted asparagus version. It’s quick and delicious.

rawasparagus grilledasparagus

Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta with Roasted (or Grilled) Asparagus

Adapted from Everyday Food

Serves 4 generously for an entree and 6 as a side dish

I’m going to share the roasted asparagus recipe below as I make it. Grilling works great if you are already grilling your protein. Place the prepared asparagus in a single layer on the grill for 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally to prevent burning. It works out well to start the water boiling right before you place the asparagus on the grill. Let cool and cut into 2 inch pieces before adding to pasta.

2 bunches asparagus (about 2 pounds), tough ends trimmed

4 T. extra virgin olive oil

3 T.  unsalted butter, but into small pieces

1 pound cavatappi pasta (or your favorite kind)

1 small log soft goat cheese (5-7 oz.), crumbled

2-3 T. snipped fresh chives for garnish

salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. Cut asparagus into 2 inch pieces and place on a large rimmed baking sheet and toss with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until tender, tossing occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes.

2. While the asparagus is roasting, generously salt the now boiling water. Add pasta and cook al dente, according to the package instructions. Set aside 1 1/2 C. of pasta water, then drain the pasta and return the drained pasta to the pot.

3. In a large bowl combine the goat cheese, 3 T. butter and 1/2 C. pasta water.  Season with salt and pepper and whisk until smooth. Add pasta and goat cheese to the goat cheese mixture and toss to combine. Add more pasta water if necessary for sauce to coat the pasta. Serve garnished with snipped chives.

salmonwithpasta

Butter Rum Grilled and Smoked Salmon

Recipe from about.com via frantic google search

I cut this recipe in half because we purchased 1 pound of salmon and not 2. I’m sure this cook be baked and taste great, too. I’d bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until if flakes easily in the center.

Serves 4-6

2 lbs. salmon

3 T. butter, melted

3 T. dark rum

2 T. olive oil

1 head garlic, peeled and minced

1 T. black pepper

2 t. salt

1. Set up a two zone fire in your charcoal grill (one cool side and one hot side). While grill is heating, soak your favorite wood chunks in water for at least 30 minutes.

2. Twenty minutes before you are ready to grill, lay salmon on a rimmed baking sheet and combine the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl. Spread mixture evenly over the salmon. Let sit for 15 minutes.

3. Add wood chunks to the coals and oil your grill grates. Gently place the salmon over the cooler side of the grill. Close the lid and let the salmon smoke for 30-45 minutes, depending on the thickness. When finished the salmon should flake easily in the center. The color should be light pink without any shine.

rawsalmon 1 rawsalmonwithmarinade

Mar 04 2 comments
Beef, Main Dish, Pasta Entree, Recipes, Restaurants

Cincinnati Chili

chilithreeway

How we came to know Cincinnati Chili

Last summer we went to North and South Carolina and on our way there, we stopped by my brother-in-law’s place in Florence, KY. He lives in Kentucky, but Cincinnati is so close that you can see it from his condo. It was our first time visiting and we were there for only a short time, but he recommended we check out Skyline Chili. This midwest chain is big all around Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana with some locations in Florida. I’m all up for trying new things, but in the far back of my mind I was wondering what was special about this particular chili. Chili is chili, right? At Skyline, their chili has unique spices like cinnamon and allspice that change the flavor of your average chili. One of their most famous meals is called the Three Way, spaghetti topped with their famous chili and lots of finely shredded cheddar cheese. We loved this chili with its unique spices and a week ago I saw that Cook’s Country had a recipe for Cincinnati Chili! Could it be? Could I possibly make my own at home?!? Our homemade version was really, really good. You can taste those earthy spices and there aren’t any hot spices which is perfect for people that don’t like spice, but serve with your favorite hot sauce for an extra kick. The chili is also very meaty. This would be a great recipe for a crowd. It makes a great chili all by itself, but try it on top of spaghetti with cheese. It may sound strange, but it is really delicious.

Horrific Story

This recipe almost broke me last week. The following is an unappetizing and ridiculous story, but every time I make this chili, I will think of this first experience, so here goes. I looked at the recipe a week ago and saw that it was very simple and would come together quickly. I had almost all of the ingredients already in my pantry and I was planning on making it on Monday evening after work. As my onions were browning, I started to put the spices in a small white bowl and suddenly I saw…gulp…2 small bugs! Please don’t leave my blog. I’m not gross, promise. I was horrified into stunned silence. I seriously did not know what to do since this had never, ever happened before. I try to be so careful about how long I’ve had my spices. As my onions turned from brown to black I vented my frustrations to Marc while he was attempting to solve a work problem on his laptop. I finally snapped out of it and decided that the spice culprit must be the allspice. I purchased it about a year ago and I use it sparingly, so I figured, yep, that was it. Monday dinner was ruined. I dumped the bowl of spices in the trash along with any remotely suspect spice in my cabinet and then had to clean burned onions out of my pot for a meal that never was, grrr. Marc noticed my foul mood and told me to take a seat and he would whip up some spaghetti quickly. The next morning I bought some new oregano and allspice from the grocery store and was ready for round #2. This time, I started with the spices and thank goodness I did, because when I poured out my fancy (not even two months old) ancho chili powder that I purchase from a boutique spice place in my hometown, I saw something. Those somethings were not alive, but I will not expound further as not to gross you out. I couldn’t believe it. I was going to have to go to the grocery store again to buy chili powder.  In the end, the dish was worth the trouble because it made for a very tasty Sunday afternoon and now we have a memorable story that we’ll laugh about one day.

Cincinnati Chili

Recipe from Cook’s Country

Serves 6 to 8 for just chili, but can serve more on top of spaghetti

1 T. vegetable oil

2 onions, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 T. tomato paste

2 T. chili powder

1 T. dried oregano

1 1/2 t. ground cinnamon

1 t. salt, plus more to taste

3/4 t. ground black pepper

1/4 t. ground allspice

2 C. low sodium chicken broth

2 C. canned tomato sauce

2 T. cider vinegar

2 t. dark brown sugar

1 1/2 lbs. 85% lean ground beef

1. Heat oil in Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook onions until soft and brown around edges. Add garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, oregano, cinnamon, salt, pepper and allspice and cook until fragrant., about 1 minute. Stir in chicken broth, tomato sauce, vinegar and brown sugar.

2. Add beef and stir to break up meat. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until chili is deep brown and slightly thickened, 15-20 minutes. Add salt to taste and serve. Chili can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen up to 2 months.

Three Way Chili

1 batch of Cincinnati chili-recipe above

1 lb. spaghetti

2 C. cheddar cheese, shredded on the fine side of a box grater

your favorite hot sauce

1. Cook spaghetti al dente while your chili is simmering away.

2. Add a portion of spaghetti to the plate, top with chili and a generous amount of cheese. Add a few shakes of your favorite hot sauce, if desired.

Feb 20 3 comments
Pasta Entree, Recipes, Vegetarian

Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

gnocchiwithsauce

When there’s gnocchi on the menu, Marc is sure to order it. He loves those potato dumplings something fierce. I was in high school the first time I ordered gnocchi and they were dryish, flavorless and a bit tough. For a long time Marc and I were on opposite sides of team gnocchi. I’ve tried a bite when Marc orders them and one bite was always more than plenty…until last summer. We were starving and made an impromptu visit to an established Italian restaurant. Our waitress was a middle-aged, speedy and matter-of-fact gal that you could tell had been doing this a while. The owner was a friendly, older gentlemen that was greeting guests at the door and walking around to say hi. I ordered the Grand Marnier chicken that was very tasty and Marc ordered, you guessed it, gnocchi. Things were different, though, this time around because it happened to be the tastiest gnocchi in the world. The gnocchi was tender and dressed in the most addicting Gorgonzola cream sauce. It was ultra creamy and had the perfect bite from the Gorgonzola. I seriously took at least 3 bites from poor Marc’s plate and for the first time in our relationship I wanted to switch dishes immediately. Sadly, Marc is not a fan of chicken and I never order pasta in a cream sauce for my poor waistline’s sake, so my 3 bites had to be enough.

gnocchiingredients gnocchionbits

This Valentine’s Day, I finally decided to take the plunge and try my hand at gnocchi because I knew Marc would love it and I was interested in the technique. I did some research online and found a great recipe from Bon Appétit via Epicurious that looked very simple and tasty. I saw in the reviews that some people had trouble with their gnocchi dough and I knew exactly who to turn to, Lidia Bastianich. She is (in my opinion) the queen of Italian cooking. Her regional, yet simple preparations of great quality food finds me tuning into PBS every weekend. Her gnocchi recipe has more lengthy directions, but it’s not more difficult, just more clear. Lidia’s recipe produced the most tender gnocchi I’ve ever tried and the cream sauce was a rich and creamy accompaniment. The sauce was not as addicting as the one in that Italian restaurant, but I think I’m making a spot for gnocchi in my life. This recipe is gnocchi-lover approved and was a fun meal to share.

gnocchionpan

Potato Dough for Gnocchi

Recipe from Lidia Bastianich

Makes enough for 6 first course or 4 main dish servings

1 1/2 lbs. baking potatoes (all the same size)

3/4 t. salt

2 large eggs, beaten well

1 1/2 C. all-purpose flour, plus more for working with the dough

1. Put the potatoes, whole and skin-on in a large pot with cold water covering them by at least 2 inches. Bring to a steady boil and cook just until they are easily pierced with a fork or sharp knife blade-don’t let them overcook or let skins burst.

2. Lift potatoes from the water and drain. Peel and press through a potato ricer or food mill (or alternately mash well with a potato masher) while they are still as hot as you can handle, so their moisture will evaporate. Spread the potatoes in a thin layer onto a baking sheet, sprinkle salt all over them and let them cool and dry for preferably 2 to 3 hours. *This is where Lidia’s recipe differs, the drying and cooling of the potatoes helps make the dough easier to work with.

3. To mix the dough, pile the dried potatoes in a large loose mound on a work surface. Pour the beaten eggs over them and sprinkle 1 C. of the flour on top. Set aside the additional 1/2 C. of flour and then using your hands, work in the eggs, mixing and moistening the flour and potatoes. Gather into a single mass and knead for several minutes, scraping in sticky bits from your work surface and hands. Incorporate the additional flour in small amounts, only as needed, until the dough is smooth, soft and only slightly sticky. Too much flour will make the gnocchi heavy and dry. Form the gnocchi as quickly as possible so it does not dry out. *This is another important tip from Lidia, make sure you are ready to form your gnocchi as soon as you combine the dough or they will dry out.

4. Cut the finished dough into 4 pieces. Dust the work surface and your hands with flour. Roll one piece under your hands into a thick cylinder and gradually stretch it into a long rope, about 1/2 inch thick. With a sharp knife or bench scraper, slice the rope crosswise into 1/4-1/2 inch lengths; sprinkle pieces with flour. *I adjusted the measurements here because I liked the gnocchi a bit smaller, for Lidia’s original recipe click the link above.

5. To prepare a spot for your finished gnocchi, put a clean kitchen towel onto a rimmed baking sheet and flour the towel. To shape traditional gnocchi, hold a dinner fork, tines downward at an angle to your work surface. Place one of the cut sides of a piece of dough against the tines. With your lightly floured thumb, press into the dough on the other cut side and push it off the end of the fork onto the work surface. It will be hollow and curved where you pressed it and ridged on the side that rolled off of the fork. Press and roll the other cut pieces into gnocchi, dust them with flour and set in a single layer on your prepared sheet, not touching. *The shaping was tricky. It’s best to work quickly and not fuss about the shape because the more you try, the less of a ridge you will have. My gnocchi turned out pretty “rustic” but I have hope that I can get the hang of it someday. Lidia’s small grandchildren can do this expertly, surely I might be able to?

6. Cook gnocchi in large pot of boiling salted (*properly salting the water is important for flavor) water until gnocchi are tender and rise to the surface, about 5 minutes.

Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

Adapted from Bon Appétit via Epicurious

Makes enough for 6 first course servings

1 C. whipping cream

7 oz. Gorgonzola cheese

pinch freshly grated nutmeg

chopped fresh chives

1. Bring cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. *You can heat the cream at the same time as you heat the water for the gnocchi to have them both ready at the same time.

2. Add Gorgonzola and pinch of nutmeg, whisk until melted.

3. Spoon sauce over gnocchi and sprinkle with chives and Parmesan, if desired; serve.

Sep 21 6 comments
Bread, Cocktail, Pasta Entree, Recipes, Salad

What My Basil Did This Summer

Pesto

Many thanks to Pink Stripes and The Honey Eater for helping a girl out. They answered my plea for basil recipes. The basil plant might as well have been a money tree because I figure if I had to buy that much basil it would be a fortune indeed. Wendy’s idea for basil ice cream was an inspirational one, but I sadly had to use my slowly wilting basil before I read her great suggestion. Next time for sure. The Honey Eater shared her authentic pesto recipe and a link to Gourmet’s recipe. I ended up taking a bit from that recipe and also grabbing a couple of details from David Lebovitz’s pesto recipe. The results were amazing.

Here’s what became of my basil in another desperate attempt to deny summer is over. I love you, fall, you just need to go ahead and wait your turn.

The OK Recipes

Creamy Basil Dressing

Creamy Basil Dressing

Recipe from Gourmet

All of the ingredients made this sound like a dressing we would really love, but it just wasn’t for us. The shaved Parmesan made it more interesting, but I felt something was missing. Have I mentioned that I recently fell in love with the wedge salad? I know the lettuce has no nutritional value, but I love how on a weeknight I can peel off the outer layers, wash it, quarter it and have salad for that night and two salads for lunch the next day. It’s especially great with bleu cheese dressing, recipe coming soon!

Basil Corn Bread

Basil Cornbread

Recipe from epicurious

This cornbread smells amazing while it is baking in the oven. It was creamy with a true corn flavor, but this recipe made me realize that I’m old fashioned when it comes to my cornbread. I like it crispy on the outside, corny and sadly, without basil. This makes a ton of cornbread, so if this recipe interests you, it’s great for a crowd.

Oh My Gosh, Make This Now Recipes

Pesto Linguine

Pesto

Adapted from Gourmet and David Lebovitz

Makes about 1 1/2 C.

3 large garlic cloves

2 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano, coarsely grated (2/3 C.)

4 C. loosely packed fresh basil leaves

1/2 C. pine nuts (some recipes say to toast, I did not and it was still great)

3/4 t. coarse salt

1/2 t. fresh ground black pepper

2/3 C. extra-virgin olive oil (I used Colavita)

1. With processor running, drop in garlic and finely chop.

2. Stop motor and add nuts, cheese, salt, pepper and basil, then process until finely chopped.

3. With motor running, add oil in a stream until incorporated.

Tips: Will keep in fridge for 1 week. Make sure to press plastic wrap against pesto so darkening of pesto does not occur. You can also freeze pesto in an ice cube tray or in muffin tin portions. Simply pour pesto into preferred tray, freeze for a few hours and put perfect portions into a plastic bag or container.

Pesto Linguine

Whipped up with hints from David Lebovitz

4 servings

1/2-3/4 C. pesto

1 lb. linguine (or your favorite pasta)

kosher salt, for pasta water

3 T. unsalted butter

1. Make above recipe for pesto.

2. Cook linguine in salted water until al dente. Drain pasta.

3. Add 3 T. unsalted butter and pesto to hot pasta. Mix until pesto is fully incorporated into the pasta. Serve immediately.

Basil Cucumber Martini

Cucumber Basil Cocktail

Recipe from Food & Wine

This drink is divine! It is so refreshing and delicious. There is a bit of warmth from the ginger and paired with basil, cucumber and Bombay Saphire gin, wow. We had this martini at one of our favorite restaurants and I jumped for joy when I found this recipe online. If you’re trying to cling to summer like me, this is the perfect way to pretend it’s still June.