Showing posts with label pasta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pasta. Show all posts

Sunday, July 23, 2023

Cheese-Stuffed Meatballs and Homemade Red Sauce

 



Last week we celebrated our 42nd wedding anniversary and (of course) I chose to cook dinner for us. My husband loves spaghetti, so I decided to kick it up a notch (thanks Emerile) by making cheese-stuffed meatballs to go along with the homemade sauce.

Don't be alarmed by the long list of ingredients. I added seasonings to ground turkey to make a more healthy Italian sausage. If you want to use store-bought beef/pork Italian sausage, you can delete all of the ingredients listed above "ground turkey."

Ingredients for Meatballs

  • 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon table salt
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
  • 9 bocconcini mozzarella balls (or string cheese cut into bite-size pieces)
Instructions for Spaghetti Sauce

This one is easy. Combine all ingredients except the mozzarella in a large mixing bowl. Divide into 9 equal portions.

Form one portion at a time into a ball. Cup it in your hand, make a slight indention with your thumb, and then place one piece of cheese in the dent. Form the meat around the cheese to completely cover it.

Place the meatballs on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate while preparing the spaghetti sauce.

Ingredients for Spaghetti Sauce
  • 2 14-ounce cans of petite diced tomatoes
  • 2 6-ounce cans of tomato paste
  • 2 15-ounce cans of tomato sauce
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup dry red wine (NOT cooking wine!)
Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a large stockpot. Stir well and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.

Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally so that it doesn't burn. If the sauce seems to be sticking, stir in a little water.

Here are my meatballs. A few of them leaked a bit, but there were no blow-outs. 



Instructions for Meatballs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

Place the meatballs in a lightly-greased baking dish. I used an 8-inch x 10-inch casserole dish. A nine-inch dish would be ideal. There should be some space between the meatballs--don't let them touch.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. 

Stir into the sauce. Cook your pasta of choice, and enjoy. 

“Buon appetito” 




Monday, July 3, 2023

Two Main Dish Salads (the "No Recipe" Recipe)

 


Oh, mercy it's hot! When the temperatures soar, the last thing I want is a heavy meal for dinner. So, I've been making dinner salads. These two required almost no time at the stove. And what I really love is that you can use both of them as an opportunity to clean out the vegetable drawer in your fridge.

The first salad is a cold tortellini salad. I used 1 1/2 cups of dry cheese-stuffed tortellini (the mini ones) and cooked according to package directions. Then I added:

  • 1/2 cup sliced oil-packed sundried tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup black olives
  • 1 sliced zucchini
  • 2 slices of provolone cheese, diced
  • 1/2 cup basil pesto

Of course, you could add or substitute other vegetables (cucumber, shredded carrot, diced tomato, red onion), change the cheese, add cooked chicken, beef, ham, or salami. 


The second salad is cold salmon. I poached a 1-pound filet. Here's how to get perfect poached salmon every time.

  1. Fill a large saucepan (with lid) with enough water to cover your salmon filet completely. Add 1/2 cup lemon juice and some aromatics. I added one onion, a bay leaf, and two generous sprigs of fresh dill.
  2. Place the salmon filet in the water.
  3. Turn on the heat to high and bring the water to a boil. 
  4. As soon as the water is boiling, turn off the heat and place the lid on the saucepan. Let sit for 30 minutes (no peeking).
  5. Your salmon will be perfectly cooked but not overcooked. 
I flaked the salmon (and had leftovers). The base of the salad is a mix of salad greens, then grape tomatoes, sliced cucumber, black olives, avocado, and feta cheese. I garnished with French-fried onions (you could substitute croutons). 

The dressing was a tart-sweet blend of:
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons green apple infused balsamic (any flavor of balsamic will do)
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • salt and pepper
By the way, each of these made enough for 4 servings.

Enjoy!


 

Monday, March 6, 2023

Tomato Macaroni and Cheese






This is not the prettiest plate of food I've ever prepared, but it certainly delivered on flavor. In my quest to always pack more veggies into every meal, I've attacked even our beloved macaroni and cheese. By under-cooking the pasta, draining, and then adding a can of diced tomatoes (juice and all) to the pot, the pasta not only finishes cooking but it gains a ton of flavor from the tomatoes. Here's the recipe.

Ingredients
  • 3 cups dry (uncooked) elbow macaroni
  • 1 14-ounce can petite diced canned tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 cups milk (I used non-fat)
  • 1 14-ounce can cheddar cheese soup
  • 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (not pre-shredded)
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
  • 1 teaspoon powdered onion (not onion salt)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or melted butter
  • 2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Add 2 teaspoons of table salt and then stir in the elbow macaroni. Stir frequently so that the pasta doesn't clump together. Cook for 5 minutes.
  3. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. Set the pasta water aside.
  4. Add the pasta back into the pot; stir in the diced canned tomatoes and then cover and set the pot aside for 5 minutes. Note--the pan is no longer on the heat. After your 5-minute wait, the pasta should be al dente. Set aside.
  5. Add the flour to a large saucepan or saute pan. I used a large oven-safe saute pan so that I could create the sauce and bake the macaroni in the same pot (saving a dish is never a bad thing). Heat over medium until melted; stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. You want the flour to cook but not brown.
  6. Stir in the milk all at once; stir constantly with a wire whisk until the mixture thickens and is smooth. Add the soup and seasonings. 
  7. If you have used a large, oven-safe saute pan simply fold the cooked elbow macaroni into the sauce. If you used a saucepan, pour your cheese sauce over the cooked macaroni and then spread in a greased oven-safe casserole dish.
  8. Combine the olive oil and bread crumbs and sprinkle over the macaroni.
  9. Bake the casserole for 18-20 minutes or until bubbling around the edges. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.


Saturday, November 21, 2020

Thanksgiving Recipes - The Main Event

 


It's time to plan for the main course of the Thanksgiving Day meal (because I'm the Carb Diva, T-day is my favorite holiday). Obviously, this year will be different. We won't be gathering a dozen or more people under our roof (unless you already all live together). 

But we still have much to be thankful for. Let's plan on creating sweet memories from the kitchen and creating loving memories around the dining table. 
Here are a few of my favorite recipes from my recipe file for the main course.

Despite the fact that we will have only five gathered at our table, I am roasting a 24-pound turkey (Mr. Carb LOVES turkey leftovers). My slow-roasted turkey takes quite some time (half-a day at least, depending on the size of the bird) so because time is short (and you probably aren't planning on feeding a crowd, I'll share that recipe another time. 

Here are some of my favorite smaller-scale main dishes--a few of them are vegetarian.











 



Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Homemade Almond Pasta




I love Saturdays. Every other day of the week is filled with work and routine, but Saturday is my one day to really spend time in the kitchen. That's the way it was for my mom. 

Early Saturday morning I would awake to the aroma of yeast dough proofing in the pantry, waiting to be formed into loaves of bread, rolls, or coffee cake. And while waiting for the dough to rise there would be a pie in the makingapple, peach, maybe apricot, rhubarb, or (Daddy's favorite) gooseberry.

And then, in the afternoon while the bread was baking and pies were cooling, mom would make pasta dough for egg noodles.


Mom made the most amazing noodles. They were hand-rolled—paper-thin, and light as air. And when she wasn't looking (or so I thought) I would grab a bit of the raw dough and pop it in my mouth. Flour-y, eggy, salty wonderfulness!! As the years passed Mom's arthritis made it impossible for her to wield the rolling pin that formed those thin layers of pasta dough. So Daddy bought a pasta machine for her.


I have Mom's pasta machine now, and whenever I use it I think of her. Today with the help of Mom's pasta buddy I made noodles. But these were no ordinary noodles. In my pantry is a large (I mean REALLY large) package of sliced almonds. I found them in our local warehouse store; they were just too great of a bargain to resist. They have appeared in salads, cakes, and cookies. 
And today they served as my inspiration for this pasta.

Almond Pasta

Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds
  • 1 tablespoon wheat gluten
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 eggs
Instructions
  1. Process the almonds in a food processor until ground. However, don't process to the point of having almond butter. There should be a bit of texture in your pasta. 
  2. To the same bowl add the wheat gluten, salt, and flour. Pulse until mixed. 
  3. Add the eggs and process until a stiff dough forms and cleans the sides of the bowl. This will take a few moments and a bit of patience. At first, it will seem that the dough will not come togetherit will be a bowl full of crumbs. But as the gluten in the flour breaks down, your dough will come together. Trust me!
  4. With a pasta machine or by hand roll the dough out to desired thinness. When rolling out the dough, your goal is a thickness somewhere between 1/8 and 1/16 inch thick. If rolling out by hand, you will need to
    (a) cover the dough with a bowl and allow to rest for 15 minutes,
    (b) use a large well-floured surface, and
    (c) lift and flip over your dough several times to
     ensure that it doesn't stick to your work surface.
  5. If using a pasta machine, use the setting you prefer to cut your noodles to the desired width. If cut by hand, you have two options.
    (a) You may use a pizza wheel to slice the dough into strips of the desired width, or
    (b) liberally flour the top surface of the dough, roll it up jelly-roll fashion, and then slice it into ribbons of the desired width (this option takes a bit more patience)Once all the dough is cut into noodles, sprinkle again with flour and toss so that all pieces are coated with flour to prevent sticking.
  6. Bring a large kettle of water to boil. Place your noodles in a colander. Shake to remove excess flour and then drop the noodles into the boiling water. Cook until done; the amount of time needed will depend upon the thickness of your dough. Very thin noodles might need only 2 minutes. Thicker noodles will require 5 minutes or more. Sample, taste, assess, and enjoy when ready!

NOTE: Wheat gluten is available in health-food stores and in many major grocery stores in the baking goods section. Gluten provides the "glue" that binds dough and makes it sticky and pliable. A bit of gluten is needed in this recipe because almonds (which do not contain gluten) are taking the place of some of the flour.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Pasta with Shrimp and Bacon



The Yin and Yang of Food

After surgery or illness have you ever been restricted to a bland diet? You end up eating food that is all the same texture and color. My cat is perfectly content to eat the same kibble day in and day out. But we humans are always looking for some excitement in our meals. It's that lack of "sameness", the contrasts, that make our foods interesting.

Yesterday I made one of those yin-and-yang meals, and it happened quite by accident. It all started with bacon. I had fresh shrimp and some fettuccine--always a good start. I love shrimp because it cooks quickly and can be taken in so many different directions--with a bit of soy sauce and spices you have an Asian-inspired meal, with cardamon you are dining in Morocco, or with chilies and tomatillos you are south of the border.


But yesterday I had some bacon in the frig that would soon be past its prime. I also had a few mushrooms about to expire. So I started to think about combining bacon and mushrooms and shrimp. Sure, you can always wrap bacon around shrimp and toss them on the grill, but I wanted to do something in the kitchen (dang, it's cold out there!) So here's what happened:


Pasta with Shrimp and Bacon

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound pasta of your choice
  • 4 slices of honey-maple cured bacon, diced
  • 1 cup crimini or button mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 large cloves garlic
  • parsley, about 1/2 cup (tops only)
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, diced
  • Zest from 1/2 lemon
  • 1 pound of shrimp, shelled and deveined
  • 1/2 cup pecorino romano or Parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions

  1. Fill a large cooking pot with water and set over high heat to bring to a boil to cook the pasta. (I used fettuccine, but you could use whatever type of pasta you have on hand.) Cook pasta according to package directions; save 1/2 cup of the cooking water then drain the pasta and set aside.
  2. Place the bacon in a large sauté pan, and cook it until it is crisped. Remove it from the pan and set aside. Add the mushroom slices and cook over medium heat until lightly browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  3. Place the garlic, parsley, walnuts, and lemon zest into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the garlic is pulverized and the walnuts are finely minced.
  4. Heat the sauté pan to medium-high heat. Add shrimp to pan and cook until pink, about 4 minutes. Return cooked bacon and mushrooms to sauté pan. Add garlic/walnut mixture and stir together over medium heat. Add cooked pasta to pan. Stir in 1/2 cup of reserved pasta-cooking water. Season to taste with salt and/or pepper if desired. If you like a bit more heat with your meal add a pinch of red pepper flakes.

So Why is This Recipe Different?

Sweet shrimp play against the salty taste of the bacon. Acidic lemon vs. the bite of garlic. Toothsome pasta vs. crisp parsley. The crunch of walnuts vs. the creaminess of romano cheese.

The point isn't to use these specific ingredients. Just think about complements and contrasts in your everyday meals. If you don't have shrimp, substitute chicken. If you don't have parsley, use another fresh herb. No romano? Any other firm cheese would do. No bacon? What else is hiding in your frig that might impart a smoky taste? Perhaps a bit of sausage or kielbasa?

By the way, the husband all but licked the pan. I hope you can find a way to make this dish your own and enjoy it too!

Source: Image by Jumi Kang from Pixabay 

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Recipe - Butternut Squash Lasagna with Fennel and Gorgonzola



Serendipity

I pity my cat.
Every day he eats the same chicken kibble--crunch, crunch, chew, chew. Day in and day out he always knows that breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be served at precisely the same time....and he will receive precisely the same thing, day after day after day.
Despite the obvious luxuries of sleeping 20 hours a day, not paying rent, and "owning" the entire universe, I could not be a cat.
I love diversity. I love surprise.
And when cooking, I love to create contrasts in the foods I serve to my friends and family. Pairing creamy with crunchy, or sweet with savory is what makes food interesting and enjoyable. Even the lowly scoop of vanilla ice cream is elevated (no pun intended) when placed atop a crisp waffle cone.

Last evening I experimented for my family and found a serendipitous combination of sweet and savory that they raved about.

Butternut Squash Lasagna with Fennel and Gorgonzola

Cook Time

Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ready in: 50 min
Yields: 4 servings
Equipment You Will Need
  • Large pot for boiling water to prepare pasta sheets
  • Large (10- or 12-inch) sauté pan
  • Large-rimmed baking sheet
  • Parchment paper
  • Sharp knife and cutting board or mandolin for slicing
  • Four 8-ounce ramekins
Ingredients
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 2 cups (1 large bulb) fennel, thinly sliced (reserve green fronds for another use)
  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeds scooped out, and thinly sliced
  • 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/2 pound chanterelle oyster mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
  • 2 tsp. garlic, finely minced
  • 2 tsp. fresh rosemary, finely minced
  • 1 jar Alfredo sauce
  • 1 package of no-boil lasagna noodles, (see note below for specific instructions on how to prepare for this recipe)
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
  • 1/4 cup Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper.
  2. Place the sliced squash in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes or until tender and the squash begins to brown. Remove from oven and set aside.
  3. While the squash is baking, heat the sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter; when the butter has melted and begins to foam add fennel and onion. Sauté until fennel and onions are softened and begin to brown. Remove the fennel and onion to a bowl and set aside. Return sauté pan to heat.
  4. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan. When melted add the mushrooms, garlic, and rosemary; stir until the mushrooms release their moisture and begin to brown. Remove from heat.
  5. Now begin to assemble the ramekins. Place the ingredients in each ramekin as listed below:
  6. 1 tablespoon of Alfredo sauce in the bottom of each ramekin, then 1 lasagna square.
  7. 1/4th of the squash mixture is followed by 1 tablespoon of sauce and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese.
  8. Another lasagna square, followed by 1/4 of the fennel/onion mixture. Top with 1 tablespoon of sauce and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese.
  9. Another lasagna square, followed by 1/4th of the mushroom mixture. Top with 1 tablespoon of sauce.
  10. One last lasagna squared followed by 3 tablespoons of the Alfredo sauce and 1 tablespoon of the Gorgonzola.
  11. Place in oven and bake 20 minutes or until bubbling. Remove from oven. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

About "cooking" those no-boil lasagna noodles

Yes, I know--no-boil lasagna noodles are promoted as "no cook". However, if you want to use them in individual-serving dishes (as we do in this recipe), you need to be able to cut them into smaller pieces. Here is how you do it:
  • Bring a large pot of water to boil
  • When the water is boiling, turn off the heat
  • Drop the lasagna sheets into the pot of hot water.
  • Set your timer for 10 minutes.
  • After 10 minutes your pasta sheets will be pliable--al dente--ready to cut to size for your individual-serve ramekins.

A Few Words about Blue Cheese

Blue cheese has a distinctive, pungent taste, but not all blue cheeses are created equal. The most popular blue cheeses are Cambozola, Gorgonzola, Maytag Blue, Roquefort, and Stilton.
  1. Cambozola is a German cheese. Unlike other blues, it is creamy and has a much milder flavor. If you are a blue cheese newbie, this might be a good one for you to start with.
  2. Gorgonzola is the blue cheese of Italy. Italian-made Gorgonzolas (Gorgonzola dolce) are creamy and mild; domestic versions made in the United States are sharper and more crumbly.
  3. Maytag Blue is an American blue cheese--it is quite crumbly and pungent.
  4. Roquefort is a French sheep's-milk cheese and is considered to be one of the finest of the blue cheeses.
  5. Stilton is made in England. It's firmer and milder than Roquefort or Gorgonzola.

A Few Suggestions

  • I have a friend who does not like squash. The amount of mushrooms and/or fennel could be increased, or one could substitute carrots for the squash. Slice them thinly on the diagonal and cook for 2 minutes in boiling water before roasting in the oven.
  • Want to add a bit of crunch? After the lasagna is baked, top each serving with some toasted hazelnuts or pecans.
  • Gotta have meat? Crisp cooked crumbled bacon can be added to each serving after removing from the oven.

Photo Credit: Image by DonMarciano from Pixabay 

Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Easy Weekday Spaghetti Carbonara



Some time ago at Delishably.com, I wrote an article entitled You Can "Carbonara" Just Like Olive Garden where I explained in great detail how to replicate a meal that was, at that time, being served at Olive Garden restaurant. 


It's a great recipe (if I do say so myself), but not one that you can quickly whip up when your family is starving. It's more of an I-have-all-Sunday-afternoon-to-cook type of recipe. If you do have all afternoon, please visit my Delishably page. If you don't, try this one. 

Easy Weekday Spaghetti Carbonara

Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 3/4 pound turkey bacon, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 12 ounces of dry spaghetti
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/3 cup half and half
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions
  1. Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat until the butter melts and begins to foam. Add diced onion and turn the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to turn golden. Be patient. This will take about 10 minutes. Return the heat to medium; add the diced turkey bacon and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is cooked and crisp. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
  2. Beat together the egg, half and half, and parmesan cheese. Set aside.
  3. Cook spaghetti in boiling salted water according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water. Drain the spaghetti well and return to the pan.
  4. Immediately add the onion/bacon mixture and toss; add the egg/half and half mixture and toss again until spaghetti is coated with sauce. If the sauce seems a bit thick, add a bit of the reserved pasta water.
Makes 4 generous servings. Top with additional grated Parmesan if desired.

French Onion Chicken and Pasta

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