Pastisio - Secret Recipe Club

Secret Recipe Club took the month of January off. I was glad to see the date for the February reveal was prior to our vacation. We try to plan a vacation to a warm spot every February. Although it's been a much warmer than normal winter this year, we're still looking forward to vacation. This year even more than past years, because I WON this vacation. More about that later.

In case you're not familiar with SRC, here's how it works. Each month you're assigned a blogger, you choose one of his or her recipes, prepare it and keep it a secret until reveal day. This month, I was assigned Let's Try These. I am surprised we haven't "met" before. We've both baked in Cookie Carnival and Martha Stewart's Cupcake Club. Also, we've both been through the Wilton cake decorating courses. Vivian has baked a wedding cake. I'd love to do that one day but it makes me crazy nervous to think about it! I chose one of Vivian's savory recipes since I bake enough sweet recipes in the baking groups I belong to.

The cinnamon adds a great depth of flavor to this tomato based pasta dish. Tim and I enjoyed this dish a lot.

Pastitsio
Courtesy of Let's Try These.

2 lean ground beef

6 garlic cloves, minced and divided

4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground oregano

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

salt and ground black pepper, to taste

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

1/4 to 1/2 cup red wine (or water if you prefer)

1 pound penne pasta

1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk (I used skim)

1 1/2 cups vegetable or beef broth (I used beef)

3 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 large eggs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Heat a pan over medium-high heat; add ground meat. Cook until is browned.

Add Four of the minced garlic cloves, the cinnamon, oregano, pepper flakes and a

generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Cook until fragrant and spices are

well incorporated, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, sauce and enough wine, or water,

to make a sauce that is suitable to your taste but still not too thin. You will be

layering the sauce as you would for a lasagna so keep in mind that thickness.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and continue to simmer, partially covered,

until sauce is thick and richly flavored, about 20 minutes.

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.

Microwave milk and broth in a quart measuring cup, cover lightly with plastic wrap

and cook until steamy and hot. How long this takes will depend on your microwave.

Mine only took 4 minutes.

In a medium saucepan; heat butter and remaining 2 cloves minced garlic until garlic

is slightly golden. Whisk in flour until well blended. Pour in hot milk mixture while

whisking vigorously until sauce is smooth and starts to thicken. Stir in 1/2 cup of

the Parmesan cheese and nutmeg; season to taste with salt and pepper. In a separate

bowl, whisk together the two eggs; add a ladle full of the broth mixture to the eggs

and whisk to combine. Add the egg mixture to the remaining broth in the

sauce pan and whisk to fully incorporate.

Add a ladle full of tomato sauce mixture to bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.

Spread half of the pasta over the the pan and top with remaining tomato mixture;

sprinkle with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.

Top with remaining pasta and pour over the top the milk/broth mixture;

cover top with remaining Parmesan cheese.

Cover pan with foil; bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and turn oven to broil.

Watching carefully, broil until tops is spotty brown, 3-5 minutes.

Remove from oven and let stand to set 10-15 minutes. Cut into portions and serve.

Yields: 8 serving

Pumpkin Alfredo - Secret Recipe Club

It's Secret Recipe Club time again! Last month, when I said it was my fourth month participating, I was wrong. It was my sixth month. WOW, I can't believe it was June when I started. I've met some great bloggers and cooked up some delicious recipes.

My first month, I was assigned the Hagis and the Herring and made their Crunchy Roasted Potatoes and Carrots. Month two was Creative Culinary and her beautiful Lavender Martini. August was month three and The Wednesday Baker's Wild Blueberry Muffins. September was fellow Omaha blogger Biking and Baking's, Rosemary Squash Soup. Just in time for football season, October brought me Sticky Chicken Wings from Lavender and Lime. November was a delicious holiday breakfast idea, Eggs en Cocette from Searching for Spice.

For December, our hostess Tina of Mom's Crazy Cooking suggested we find a holiday recipe to share. Having not tired of eating pumpkin, I was drawn to Pumpkin Alfredo from Veggie Converter. Kristi has amazing vegetarian and vegan recipes, most of which I found would be easy to change or convert if you aren't vegetarian. Although we aren't vegetarian, we try to eat at least one meatless meal a week. To lighten the recipe up a little, I decreased the butter and increased the milk. The pasta was still rich and creamy.

When Tim saw what I was making, he questioned the peas. I used the small canned peas. They added nice flavor and color to the dish. As I was putting the finishing touches on the dish, I was wishing I had some fresh sage to add. I think sage would add a nice finishing touch. We enjoyed this hearty pasta dish.



Pumpkin Alfredo

1 pound spaghetti noodles
1 cup peas, fresh or frozen

2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter (I used 1/2 stick)
4 ounces cream cheese
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup milk (I used 1 cup of skim milk)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste


Directions
Boil spaghetti noodles according to package directions, add peas into the boiling water with 5-7 minutes remaining.

Meanwhile, brown garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add butter and cream cheese, allow to melt partially. Add pumpkin and stir. Mix cornstarch with a bit of the milk to create a slurry. Add slurry and remaining milk to pan. Cook a few more minutes, stirring regularly, until thickened. Add Italian seasoning and House seasoning, to taste.

If serving immediately, mix sauce with noodles and peas. If serving later, package noodles and peas separately from sauce. Top with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Countdown to 2011 - Main Dishes

Two more days remaining in SnoWhite's Countdown to 2011. Today's feature is Main Dishes!

One of the things I enjoy the most about blogging is trying new recipes. Besides all of the cookbooks in my library, there's all of my fellow bloggers fabulous recipes. My favorite 2010 Main Dish recipe, Penne With Sausage and Leek Sauce, is one of those recipes. This recipe came from Mary at One Perfect Bite. Mary provides us with wonderful stories and amazing recipes. I was intrigued by this recipe. After making it, I love the flavor combination of the leeks and sausage.

There's still time to enter my giveaway here!

Countdown to 2011 - Meatless

I am having so much fun participating in SnoWhite's Countdown to 2011. So far this week we've posted our favorite Breakfast, Bread and Soup/Stew recipes. Today we're featuring our favorite meatless recipe of 2011. As I was looking through my recipes, I found more meatless recipes than I remembered. If you're a regular reader of my blog you know my husband Tim doesn't think a meal is meal without MEAT. Although, he's become a lot more receptive to meals without meat. There's even been some he said he liked and would eat again. The key is whether or not he says he would eat it again.

This past summer the basil was basil plentiful in the garden. My favorite meatless recipe, Pasta with Corn and Basil Pesto, incorporates a different ingredient into the pesto, corn. I can't wait until summer to make this recipe again!

There's still time to participate in Countdown to 2011, Main Dishes and Desserts are the posts for Thursday and Friday. Find your favorites and join in!

Pasta With Pesto, Potatoes and Green Beans

Are you ready for Christmas? My shopping is done but none of the wrapping. My goal this weekend is to finish everything by Sunday night, so I can enjoy the rest of next week.

Today's recipe is from sometime over the summer. Not sure why I haven't posted this one before because I loved this dish. Do you need a quick, easy dinner? If you're like me and you have pesto in your freezer, give this one a try.



Pasta With Pesto, Potatoes and Green Beans
Recipe Courtesy of Martha Stewart Living

2 waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon salt
8 ounces cavatappi
8 ounces green beans, trimmed and halved
1/2 cup Pesto
Pepper
Directions
1.Peel and cut 2 waxy potatoes into 1-inch cubes; place in a large pot of water; bring to a boil.
2.Add 1 tablespoon salt and 8 ounces cavatappi or other short tubular pasta; return to a boil; cook 2 minutes.
3.Add 8 ounces trimmed and halved green beans. Return to a boil; cook until vegetables are tender and pasta is al dente, about 6 minutes.
4.Drain; toss with 1/2 cup pesto; season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

I am linking this to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum.

Pasta With Ham and Peas

Do you cook with ham? I hardly ever do! I will cook a whole ham, heat up a thick slice for breakfast or make ham and beans from the leftovers from the whole ham. When I received this recipe on the Martha Stewart Everyday Food app on my IPhone, I saved it. There's another place I save my recipes and that’s not the only IPhone food app I have. It’s endless, I’ll never find all my recipes, let alone make them all. It’s different than any other pasta recipe I’ve ever tried but I liked it. I love the flavor the peas give the dish. It's a simple, yet delicious dish!


Pasta With Ham and Peas
1 pound bow-tie pasta (farfalle) (I used penne)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 tablespoons butter
1 onion, diced
10 ounces (2 cups) frozen peas
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 pound cooked ham
Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Directions
1.Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain pasta; return to pot.
2.Meanwhile, heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring, until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add peas and half-and-half; season with salt and pepper. Simmer until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes.
3.Cut ham into strips. Add to sauce; cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Toss sauce with pasta. Serve with grated Parmesan.

I am linking this to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum.

Pasta with Bacon, Brussels Sprouts

I love pasta! I could eat it every night. There are so many combinations and possibilities; I think you could go years without ever preparing the same recipe. I’ve been trying to use more whole grain pasta and make recipes that have vegetables. At least that way it’s sort of good for you. If you’re a brussels sprouts fan, you know they are so good prepared with bacon. I had brussels sprouts that needed to be used up and a couple of slices of leftover bacon, so I decided to see if I could find a recipe to use them up. I wish I was better at just creating a recipe myself!! The flavors in this recipe are so clean and crisp. The sage and the brussels sprouts are delicious together!



Pasta With Brussels Sprouts and Bacon
Courtesy of Martha Stewart Living
6 ounces bacon (about 7 slices), cut into 3/4-inch pieces
Up to 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
4 large shallots, cut into thin rounds
1 1/4 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved (quartered if large)
1 1/4 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
12 ounces rigatoni pasta
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh sage leaves, about 20 leaves
Directions
1.Heat a dry large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon; cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Add enough oil to bacon fat in skillet to total 2 tablespoons. Add garlic, shallots, and sprouts; cook, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, about 3 minutes. Add stock; season with salt and pepper. Cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed and sprouts are tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
2.Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil; add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta. Cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid; return pasta to pot.
3.Stir in sprouts mixture, reserved 1/2 cup cooking liquid, and cheese. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil; add sage and bacon. Toss until combined. Serve with more cheese.

I am linking this to Tasty Tuesday's and Tuesday's at the Table.

Penne With Sage Brown Butter Sauce

We've all experienced it, life getting in the way of blogging. I feel like I have a good routine for blogging. For the most part, my posts come together pretty easily. I try to plan out my posts for the week and whenever possible bake for my baking groups in advance. This week wasn't one of those weeks. We were out of town last weekend. I've been working on securing in home help for my 91 year old father and step mother. Life just got in the way!

As I was looking through my drafts folder, I find I have drafts with photos but no content. I was pleased to see NO dessert recipes in the folder. I think that's a first. :) Lots of pasta recipes in there though, guess you can't win them all! I don't consider myself a writer. I often find myself struggling with what to write and where to find my inspiration. There's so many of you who write beautiful, funny and inspiring blog posts. Where do you get your inspiration?

With winter just around the corner, I am savoring the fresh ingredients from my garden and the farmer's market. My sage seems to be thriving in the cooler weather. Pasta With Sage Brown Butter Sauce is on my Top 50 list! It's always a good feeling to post a date next to an item on my list. Don't you just love browned butter and the flavor it imparts?

Pasta With Sage Brown Butter Sauce
Recipe courtesy of Sidewalk Shoes

•6 tablespoons butter
•20 or 30 fresh sage leaves (or 1 tablespoon dried)
•salt and fresh black pepper to taste
•1 pound pasta (like ziti or penne)
•1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
•Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the sage, salt and pepper. Cook until the butter turns light brown, about 10 minutes.

Salt the boiling water and cook the pasta per package directions. Reserve 2 or 3 tablespoons of the pasta water and place in a warm serving bowl. Drain the pasta and in the serving bowl, toss it with the butter mixture and half the Parmesan cheese. Serve with additional ground black pepper and the rest of the Parmesan cheese.

Serves 4

I am linking this recipe to Foodie Friday's. I am submitting this to Presto Pasta Night's, hosted this week by Ruth at 4Every Kitchen.

Zucchini with Tomatoes and Brown Butter

Zucchini seems to be one of the vegetables of choice on the blogsphere. You'll find Zucchini bread, zucchini pancakes, sauteed zucchini and pasta with zucchini. I found this recipe on the Star Tribune blog Taste. It called for ribbons of zucchini, I decided to go with matchsticks. As with most pasta's it called for parmesean cheese. I used some leftover Parrano from our cheese tasting a couple of weeks ago. It added a nice nutty yet buttery flavor to the pasta.

I like how the liquid from the tomatoes, zucchini and the small amount of browned butter make a nice sauce. Tim said it was a nice change and he would eat it again. That's a compliment considering this dish didn't have any meat.

Zucchini with Tomatoes and Brown Butter
Recipe Adapted from Taste

• 1 lb. bowtie pasta
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2 medium shallots, chopped
• 1 lb. zucchini (about 3 small), very thinly sliced lengthwise
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg (freshly grated, preferred)
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to directions. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until butter is beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add shallots and zucchini and cook, stirring often, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add tomatoes, salt, nutmeg and pepper and continue cooking, stirring often, until tomatoes are just starting to break down, 1 to 2 minutes.

Stir in Parmesan and parsley. Add pasta and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

I am linking this to Foodie Friday and this is my entry for this week's Presto Pasta Nights hosted by Abby of Eat the Righhttp://www.eattherightstuff.com/t stuff.

Pasta With Butternut Squash & Walnuts

What vegetables do you think of when you think Fall? After months of summer squash, I am ready for their winter counterparts. I'd never cooked much with winter squash until last year. Now I am a big fan. Butternut Squash is so versatile. Besides roasting or preparing a soup, you can make Butternut Squash Risotto and Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato and Pomegrante Soup.

I bought my first winter squash at the Farmer's Market a couple of weeks ago. One of the things I love about these veggies is how long they keep. They are a bit challenging to cut. I've discovered if you microwave them for about 60 seconds, it softens the skin just slightly and they're much easier to cut. Did you know the skin of butternut squash irrates some people's hands? I didn't until I read this recipe. Apparently it can cause a burning or itching sensation. As I was cutting the squash for this recipe, I felt like my hand was starting to burn. I am sure it was all in my head but I dawned the gloves, just in case.

I planted a sage plant for the first time this year but I haven't used much sage. I know I want to to make a pasta with Sage Brown Butter Sauce. Other than that all I can think of is dressing. Do you have a recipe using sage that you love?

As this was roasting in the oven, the house was filled with the most wonderful aromas of garlic, onion and sage. I was tempted to eat the squash right out of the oven instead of saving it for this recipe. The recipe called for pine nuts. Is it just me or have pine nuts gotten even more expensive lately? Walnuts seemed like a perfect substitution. I loved this pasta! It's unique because you pan fry the all of the ingredients together. The butternut squash creates a rich creamy sauce without the addition of any cream.



Pasta Pan-Fried with Butternut Squash, Fried Sage, and Walnuts
Adapted from Serious Eats
feeds 4

1 medium butternut squash
1 small sweet onion, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup fresh sage leaves
1 pound farfalle pasta
3/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
4 ounces high quality Parmesan, shredded or shaved (about a cup total)

Heat the oven to 375°. Cut the butternut squash in half and scoop out the strings and seeds the middle cavity. Flip the squash halves upside down and peel them. (Note: The raw squash rind can irritate your hands. If they start to itch or tingle, wear gloves.) Cut the squash into 1-inch cubes. Toss with the onion, garlic, a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper. Mince about half of the fresh sage leaves and also toss with the squash.

Spread the squash mixture in a thin layer on a large baking sheet and roast for about 40 minutes or until the squash is soft.

Heat salted pasta water to boiling and cook the farfalle until al dente. Drain and set aside. As the squash finishes roasting, heat about two tablespoons of olive oil in a large high-sided sauté pan. The oil is ready when it pops and sputters. (Don't let it start smoking.) Drop in the rest of the sage leaves and fry for about a minute, or until they begin to just shrivel up.

Remove with a slotted spoon and salt lightly. Crush with the back of a spoon.

Add half the pasta to the pan, along with half the roasted squash mixture. Crumble in half the sage. Cook, stirring frequently, for five minutes or until the pasta is heated through and getting crispy on some of the edges. Add the pine nuts and cook for another minute. Stir in half the cheese and serve.

(Repeat the last step with the rest of the ingredients. We split it into two because none of our pans are big enough to accommodate the entire recipe. It's very important that you not crowd the pan too much - you want the pasta to really pan-fry, not just steam up.)

I am linking this to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum . This is my entry for this week's Presto Pasta Nights.

Penne with Sausage and Leek Sauce

Is One Perfect Bite one of the blogs you read? If not, you're missing one of the most amazing blogs on the blogsphere. Mary's photographs are beautiful and her recipes are delicious!! This is just one of many I have bookmarked to prepare.

I really enjoy the simple flavor and beautiful colors of leeks. My favorite leek recipe is this creamy risotto.



Bow Ties with Sausage and Leek Sauce...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, adapted from Lidias Italian Table

Ingredients:
6 quarts salted water
2 large leeks (about 1 pound)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 sweet Italian sausages (about 6 ounces), casing removed
1 tablespoon minced shallots
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided use
1 cup young peas, blanched in boiling water for 2 minutes, or defrosted and drained frozen baby peas
1 cup canned low-sodium chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground pepper
12 ounces bow-tie pasta (farfalle)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigian-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving, if you like

Directions:
1) Bring salted water to a boil. Cover pot to speed up the boiling time.
2) Meanwhile, prepare leeks: Cut off and discard top third of rough green portion and root ends. Remove any brown or wilted outer layers. Slice remaining green and white parts into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Rinse leek slices in several changes of cold water, swishing them around to remove all soil and grit.
3) In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Crumble sausage meat into skillet and cook, breaking up lumps, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add leeks to skillet and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in shallots and cook for 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon of butter, peas and stock. Heat to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, cover skillet, and set aside.
4) While sauce simmers, stir bow ties into boiling water. When water returns to a boil, uncover pot. Cook pasta, stirring occasionally, until al dente (tender, but firm), about 12 minutes. Drain bow ties well and return them to pot over low heat.
5) Add sausage and leek sauce to the pasta and toss well until pasta is coated. Remove pot from heat, add remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and grated cheese. Toss well. Serve immediately, passing additional grated cheese if desired. Yield: 6 servings.


I am linking this to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum and Presto Pasta Nights hosted with week by Thyme For Cooking.

Corn and Basil Pesto

What's your favorite way to enjoy fresh corn? I grew up only eating corn ON the cob. As a child, I can't ever remember a dish where the fresh corn was taken off the cob. With corn so plentiful right now, I wanted to try at least a couple of dishes using corn off the cob.

This pasta with corn pesto recipe from Epicurious seemed like a perfect choice. It’s a homemade pasta sauce recipe using fresh corn and basil . The recipe called for bacon, I didn’t have any so I omitted it. Don’t tell Tim!!! The original recipe used tagliatelle, I used penne. In an effort to eat more healthy, I used whole wheat pasta.

I think I liked this better than Tim did. He thought it had too much basil. Now that may have been because he ate the dish we photographed, so it had extra sprinkled on the top.
I also think the whole wheat pasta takes some getting used to and it may not have cooked quite long enough. I loved the sweet flavor of the fresh corn and the creamy consistency it adds to the sauce. If you didn’t know better you would think cream was used in the dish.

I am linking this to Foodie Friday . This is also my entry for this week's Presto Pasta Nights hosted by Siri of Siri's Corner.

One Year Ago...Rosemary Scones.

Looks Can Be Deceiving - Garlic Scape & Basil Pesto

This is one of those recipes where I have to say, trust me this is delicious. I wish I had sprinkled some basil on the top of this for color. It doesn't look very appealing but it was delicious!

Garlic scapes are the flower stalks found on members of the Allium family (onions, leeks, chives, and garlic). Garlic scapes, which only appear on the finest hardneck garlic varieties, curl upward as they grow, straighten, and then grow little seed-like bulbs. When the garlic scapes are still in full curl, they are tender and delicious.

A few weeks ago, I picked up some garlic scapes at the farmer’s market. I’d never cooked with them before. At the stand where I purchased them, the grower said she uses them wherever she would use garlic. They can be used in frittatas, pasta and stir fry’s. When you use them in stir fry’s, they add a natural cornstarch like thickener.

We love pesto in the summertime. When I saw this recipe for Garlic Scape and Basil Pesto, I couldn’t wait to try it. Also, I was intrigued because this recipe uses almonds. I always make my pesto with those wonderful, yet expensive pine nuts.

This pesto is a refreshing change from traditional pesto. The garlic scapes add a nice bite and the almonds add a sweetness to the pesto.

Pasta with Garlic Scape and Basil Pesto
Courtesy of Serious Eats

- serves 4 -

Ingredients
4 to 5 garlic scapes, roughly chopped
Large handful basil leaves
1/4 cup almonds, toasted in a dry skillet until slightly browned
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound linguine or other pasta

Procedure
1. Combine the garlic scapes, basil, and half the oil in a small food processor or blender. Process or blend until the leaves and scapes are finely chopped, then add the nuts and remaining oil. Process or blend until nicely pureed.

2. Remove to a bowl and stir in the cheese. If necessary, add more olive oil to create a loose paste. Season with more salt if needed.

3. In the meantime, bring a large pot of salty water to boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water, and toss with the pesto. If necessary, add some of the pasta water to create a creamy texture. Serve with more grated Parmesan cheese.

I am linking this to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum. Also, I am participating in my first Presto Pasta Nights. Pam from Sidewalk Shoes is hosting this week. I love her blog, stop by and check it out.

Penne With Vodka Sauce - Foodie Friday

Vodka Sauce is on My 50. When I saw this recipe at There's Always Thyme to Cook, I couldn't wait to give it a try. Even better this recipe is from Lidia Bastianich, one of my favorite chefs.

I've mentioned before, I sometimes open a jar before I make homemade sauce. No reason to do that when you can make this sauce. It's easy to put together and well worth the time. Next time I want to try adding shrimp and maybe some asparagus?

Penne With Vodka Sauce
Recipe courtesty of Lidia's Italian American Kitchen via There's Always Thyme to Cook

salt
One 35-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes (preferably San Marzano) with their liquid
1 pound penne
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
10 cloves garlic, peeled
crushed hot red pepper (to taste)
1/4 cup vodka
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil for finishing the sauce (optional)
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in an 8-quart pot over high heat.

Pour the tomatoes and their liquid into the work bowl of a food processor. Using quick on/off pulses, process the tomatoes just until they are finely chopped. (Longer processing will aerate the tomatoes, turning them pink.)

Stir the penne into the boiling water. Bring the water back to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook the pasta, semi-covered, stirring occasionally, until done, 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Whack the garlic cloves with the side of a knife and add them to the hot oil. Cook, shaking the skillet, until the garlic is lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Lower the work bowl with the tomatoes close to the skillet and carefully (they'll splatter) slide the tomatoes into the pan. Bring to a boil, season with salt and with crushed red pepper to taste (you can always add more it needed!) and boil about 2 minutes. Pour in the vodka, lower the heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer, and simmer until the pasta is ready.

Just before the pasta is done, take the garlic cloves out of the sauce and pour in the cream. Add the 2 tablespoons butter or oil, if using, and carefully swirl the skillet to incorporate into the sauce. If the skillet is large enough to accommodate the sauce and pasta, take the pasta out of the boiling water with a large wire skimmer or a small strainer and drop it carefully into the sauce in the skillet. If not, drain the pasta, return it to the pot, and pour in the sauce. Bring the sauce and pasta to a boil, stirring to coat the pasta with sauce. Check the seasoning, adding salt and red pepper if necessary. Sprinkle the parsley over the pasta and boil until the sauce is reduced enough to cling to the pasta.

Remove the pot from the heat, sprinkle the cheese over the pasta, and toss to mix. Serve immediately, serve with additional cheese if you like.

Roasted Pepper Pasta Sauce

I wanted to make something different with a couple of peppers that were getting close to being past their prime. Normally we would slice these peppers, toss with a little olive oil, kosher salt, pepper and toss them in the grilling pan to grill. I wanted to do something different with these peppers. I hate to admit this but I don't make a lot of my pasta sauces from scratch. After working all day, it's just too easy to open a jar. I love roasted pepper pasta sauces, so I decided to give it a try.

No photos of the finished dish, didn't like the way they turned out. . The recipe that was my inspiration used cream. I made a lighter version of the recipe, using milk and cornstarch. We loved the taste and creamy texture of this sauce. Looking forward to summertime peppers and more roasted pepper sauce.

Roasted Pepper Sauce
2 large peppers
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup fresh basil
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup grated Parmesean cheese
salt and pepper to taste

1.Preheat grill. Lightly coat the peppers with olive oil. Grill peppers over a medium flame broiler until the skin is blackened, and the flesh has softened slightly. Place peppers in a paper bag to cool for approximately 45 minutes.
2.Remove the seeds and skin from the peppers (the skin should come off the peppers easily now). Cut peppers into small pieces.
3.In a skillet, cook and stir the garlic, basil, and peppers in 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Cook for 10 minutes.
4.Place mixture in blender (careful it is hot), and puree to desired consistency. Return puree to skillet, and reheat to a boil. Mix 1/4 cup water and 1 tablespoon cornstach with a whisk. Pout milk, cornstarch mixture into the skillet. Whisk until smooth. Add the Parmesean cheese; cook and stir until the cheese melts. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 5 minutes.

One Year Ago Beer Marinated Pork Chops.

I am linking this to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed With Grace, Tuesday's at the Table at All the Small Stuff and Tasty Tuesday's at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.

Baked Pasta Casserole

I feel like I've gotten pretty good at my "Use It Up" game the past few weeks. Costco, my favorite place to buy veggies, has a large bag of brussels sprouts for the price you would pay for a smaller bag at a grocery store. We had these brussles spouts recently. I wanted to find something a little less traditional with the remaining sprouts. I found this recipe on 101 Cookbooks. If you haven't been to Heidi's blog, you should check it out. She takes amazing pictures and posts wonderful recipes.

I made some changes to Heidi's recipe, based on what I had on hand. Her recipe called for spinach, I substituted the brussels sprouts. I omitted the lemon zest called for in the recipe and used a shallot instead of an onion.

I served this as a side dish but it could easily be a meatless main dish. I loved this recipe. I wish the cheese was just a little more melty, something I will work on for next time. I didn't really expect my husband to like this pasta but he did.





Baked Pasta Casserole Recipe
Adapted from 101 Cookbooks

extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 pound pasta shells
sea salt
1 shallot
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups thinly sliced brussels sprouts
1 1/2 cups sliced almonds, lightly toasted
8 ounces mozzerella, shredded or torn into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter/oil a large casserole dish or baking pan - something roughly equivalent to 13x9-inch pan.
Boil the pasta in salted water per package instructions. Drain pasta, toss with a glug of olive oil. Set aside.
In the meantime, heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high. Saute the shallots with a couple pinches of salt for a few minutes (or if you want a bit more depth of flavor until caramelized). Stir in garlic. Stir in brussels sprouts. You may need to add a little more oil. Cook until sprouts are softened, about 5- 7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of the almonds. Add to pasta and stir and stir - mixing extremely well, a minute or so. Add a layer of the pasta to the bottom of the baking pan, now sprinkle with some of the cheese, add more pasta, then more cheese. Finish with a layer of cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes or until cheese on top is bubbly and melty. Top with remaining almonds.

I am linking this post to Tasty Tuesday's at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.

Pasta, Risotto Style

Do we have a relationship built on trust? I hope so because you will need to trust me on this one. This dish tasted so much better than it looks. I love pasta and risotto. When I ran across this recipe, I knew it was one I had to try. I am so glad I did. It makes a quick and easy weeknight supper.

This recipe has endless posibilities, shrimp instead of chicken, adding broccoli or another vegetable. Broccoli would sure help add color to the dish, something it really needs. Next time I would add the chicken a little earlier. By the time the chicken was done, the pasta was a little too done. Although this recipe says it serves 4. My husband and I ate most of it. Also, it doesn't reheat well, so plan your amounts so you don't have lefovers.




Pasta With Chicken and Mushrooms, Risotto Style
Recipe from the New York Times

2 tablespoons olive oil, more as needed
1 shallot or small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 cups crimini, shiitake or button mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and sliced
1/2 pound cut pasta like gemelli or penne, or long pasta broken into bits
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine or water
3 to 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 boneless chicken thighs, diced
Chopped fresh parsley, optional
Freshly grated Parmesan, optional.

1. Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. When hot, add shallot, garlic and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms soften and begin to brown on edges, about 10 minutes. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is glossy and coated with oil, 2 to 3 minutes. Add a little salt and pepper, then wine. Stir and let liquid bubble away.

2. Ladle stock into skillet 1/2 cup or so at a time, stirring after each addition and every minute or so. When liquid is just about evaporated, add more. Mixture should be neither soupy nor dry. Keep heat at medium and stir frequently.

3. Begin tasting pasta 10 minutes after you add it; you want it to be tender but with a tiny bit of crunch. When pasta is about 3 to 4 minutes away from being done, add chicken and stir to combine. Continue to cook until chicken is done — it will be white on inside when cut — and pasta is how you like it. Taste, adjust seasoning, garnish with parsley and Parmesan if using, and serve.

Yield: 4 servings.

Fettuccini Alfredo

One of my favorite dishes from the Culinary Boot Camp cooking classes I took was Fettuccine Alfredo. I've had it on my list of recipes to make for the last several weeks and finally got around to making it. This is one of those dishes that is just sinfully delicious! I've never made it before and was so hoping it would be as delicious as it was in cooking class. Well guess what? It was every bit as delicious. This recipe will be a go to recipe for dinner or entertaining!

Fettuccine Alfredo

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesean-reggiano

salt and pepper to taste

1 pound of fettuccine pasta

Bring the butter and cream to a boil in a heavy bottomed sauce pot, simmer for 1 -2 minutes until slightly thickened. Add the parmesean and grated nutmeg, stir continuosly until cheese is well blended.

Add pasta and coat well.