Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘Parmigiano-Reggiano’

Pasta Primavera With Asparagus and Peas

Posted in Everyday Food, Tasty Tidbits Tuesday, We Called It Macaroni (Pasta recipes), tagged , , , , , , , , , on May 19, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Spring Is Here And So Are The Asparagus Photo by Andrew Scrivani

Spring Is Here And So Are The Asparagus
Photo by Andrew Scrivani

Spring is here, asparagus are aplenty and we love them in our house.  I was about to toss out last Wednesday’s Food section of the NY Times when the headline, Breaking the Pasta Myth caught my eye.  I started to read the article which seemed to  be  pretty focused on fresh pasta and I’m not a fan.  I like my pasta secca or dry pasta;  the cooking time is so much more reliable and in many cases the amount of time it takes to reach al denté state, gives you plenty of time to finish up your sauce.

However, at the end of the lengthy article there was a recipe for this Pasta Primavera and as I read it, I could imagine just how good it would be and the perfect Saturday night supper for my husband and me.

INGREDIENTS

1/4 lb. sugar snap peas, stems trimmed

1/2 lb. asparagus, ends snapped

2 TBS unsalted butter

3/4 cup English peas

1/4 cup thinly sliced spring onion or use a shallot

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

12 oz fettuccine or tagliatelle

2/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano at room temperature

1/2 cup crème fraîche or whole milk Greek yogurt at room temperature

3 TBS finely chopped parsley

1 TBS finely chopped tarragon

DIRECTIONS

Bring large pot of heavily salted water to boil over medium-high heat.

While water is coming to boil, slice snap peas in half and asparagus stems into 1/4″ thick pieces; leave asparagus heads whole.

Melt butter in large skillet or braising pan over medium-high heat.  Add snap peas, asparagus, English peas and onion.  Cook until vegetables are barely tender (but not too soft or mushy), 3-4 minutes.  Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more.  Season with salt and pepper; set aside.

Cook pasta, drain well, transfer pasta to vegetable mixture. Toss with vegetables, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, yogurt  and herbs.  Season generously with salt and pepper.

Recipe from NY Times

** What I did;  I increased the amounts for the ingredients because I wanted to cook a whole pound of fettuccine.  I used fat free Greek yogurt because that’s what I had.  I think next time I will use crème fraîche or whole milk yogurt because the dish was a bit dry.  And I actually had reserved about 3/4 cup pasta water which I also added.  When I reheated the leftovers, I drizzled some basting oil on top before popping into the microwave and it was very good and moister.

Read Full Post »

Fusilli with Spinach and Walnut Pesto -The Macaroni Marathon

Posted in Everyday Food, Tasty Tidbits Tuesday, We Called It Macaroni (Pasta recipes), tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 4, 2015| Leave a Comment »

You’re going to want to “catch” this fresh green sauce, so I’m suggesting you use fusilli because the sauce will cling to the ridges in the spiral cut pasta.  This is a quick and easy weeknight dinner, the whole process should take about 35 minutes!  Orrechiette or penne rigate would also work well.

Photo from Martha Stewart EveryDay Food

Photo from Martha Stewart EveryDay Food

INGREDIENTS:

1 bunch spinach (about 1 lb) trimmed and washed

3/4 cup walnuts, toasted

3 TBS EV olive oil

1 TBS finely grated lemon zest

coarse salt and ground pepper

1 lb fusilli

1/4 cup shaved pecorino cheese (1 oz) for serving

DIRECTIONS:

Add spinach and 1 TBS water to a large skillet set over medium-high.  Cook, stirring constantly, until spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes.  In a food processor, combine spinach, walnuts, oil and lemon zest.  Process until mixture forms a smooth paste, scraping down bowl as needed.  Season with salt and pepper.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente.  Reserve 2 cups pasta water; drain pasta.  Return pasta to pot and add pesto, tossing to combine and adding enough pasta water to create a sauce that coats pasta.  Transfer to a serving plate, top with pecorino, and serve immediately.

Recipe from Martha Stewart’s EveryDay Food March 2011

Read Full Post »

Broccoli “Pesto” And Linguine – The Macaroni Marathon Keeps Up The Pace

Posted in Everyday Food, We Called It Macaroni (Pasta recipes), tagged , , , , , on February 26, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Broccoli Pesto and Pasta

Broccoli Pesto and Pasta

If you love broccoli and really who doesn’t unless you’re President Bush or under the age of 18, you will think this recipe for pasta sauce is the greatest thing! Though this sauce is made with broccoli, it resembles pesto because it calls for garlic, basil and pine nuts.  Its color is as pretty s anything pesto has to offer and it has far less fat.  The only step in this recipe that takes much time is the boiling of the water for the pasta.  The broccoli cooks in 5 minutes and is then tossed in the food processor with all the other sauce ingredients.  You could use the broccoli pesto for a dip but it’s so good you will want to eat it in large quantities on linguine.  A plate of sliced tomatoes would  be lovely as a side dish…BUT since there are no plump red juicy tomatoes available at this time of the year, my advice is to skip that idea because it will only detract from the freshness and flavor of your pesto.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb whole broccoli or 8 oz (4 cups) broccoli florets

2 oz Parmigiano Reggiano grated  cheese

1/2 cup packed basil leaves

1 medium clove of garlic

2 TBS olive oil

1/3 cup pine nuts

8 oz fresh egg-less linguine (I will surely use dry)

1/8 tsp salt

Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Bring water for pasta to boil.

Trim stems from broccoli and cut into florets.  Steam for about 5 minutes, until  tender but firm.  Reserve 6 TBS  cooking liquid. 

Wash and dry basil leaves and pack into measuring cup.

Mince garlic in food processor.  Add basil, olive oil and pine nuts to the food processor, and process until minced.

Cook linguine to package directions

Add steamed broccoli to the other sauce ingredients and process until smooth.  If mixture is too thick, add another TBS or so of water.  Add cheese and process to blend.  Season with salt and pepper, if desired.  Serve over freshly drained pasta.

Recipe from Marian Burros, New York Times

 

Read Full Post »

Pasta alla Genovese – The Macaroni Marathon

Posted in Everyday Food, Tasty Tidbits Tuesday, We Called It Macaroni (Pasta recipes), tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 24, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Pasta alla Genovese

Pasta alla Genovese

The temperature at 8:00 am this morning was 8 degrees in Manhattan and baby that’s cold outside when you’re walking to work!  I’ve been posting a lot of vegetarian pasta recipes lately but today calls for a heartier dish.  It would make a delicious  meal this evening BUT only if you’re home from work early or are lucky enough to be home all day.  If that’s the case, this is more of weekend dish because of the amount of time required.  This recipe is decidedly different from some other versions I’ve come across.  Perhaps I’ll post another incarnation tomorrow.

INGREDIENTS:

4 1/4 lb. red onions

1/3 cup EV olive oil

2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

1 celery rib, trimmed and roughly chopped

1/4 lb bacon or pancetta

2 1/4 lb beef chuck, cut into 2 inch cubes

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup dry white wine, plus more if desired

1 lb pasta like ziti, rigatoni or tortiglioni

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Bring large pot of water to a boil.  Place the onions in the boiling water, and cook, covered, 15 minutes.  Drain the onions, and let cool a bit, then slice very thinly.

Heat half the oil in a large heavy pot (braising pan) over medium heat; stir in the carrots, celery and bacon, and cook 4 minutes.  Add the beef, then cover with the onions.  Pour the remaining oil over the onions, then sprinkle with 1 1/2 tsp salt and 3/4 tsp pepper.  cover, bring to a simmer and cook gently until the beef is tender, about 2 hours;  the onions will release a good deal of liquid.

Uncover the pot and bring to a boil.  Cook, stirring more frequently as the liquid reduces and lowering the heat as necessary to prevent scorching, until the meat has fallen apart and the sauce is creamy, about 45 minutes.  Stir in the white wine and taste, adding more wine if desired.  Reduce the heat to low, and continue to cook stirring frequently, until the sauce is glossy and quite thick, about 15 minutes more.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, then drain and toss with the sauce.  Stir in Parmesan to taste, then serve.

Recipe by Mark Bittman NY Times

Read Full Post »

The Mediterranean Diet – Tuscan Pasta Tonight (Vegetarian)

Posted in Everyday Food, We Called It Macaroni (Pasta recipes), tagged , , , , , , , , , on September 21, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Tuscan Whole Wheat Pasta

Tuscan Whole Wheat Pasta

Saturday night supper was pretty damn good if I say so myself.   I didn’t think I would jump on the all things Tuscan are good bandwagon, but I seem to hitching a ride here and there.  Last week, Wegman’s sent out their Menu Magazine and the theme of this Fall edition is Mediterranean Fresh Italian – The Flavors of Tuscany/Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet.  I’m sure everyone of you has read and heard about this diet, it has been around for years. 

The Mediterranean Diet is about eating more fruits and veggies, whole grains, seafood, a glass of wine, and good fats-like olive oil.  Pasta, dairy and meat are part of it too, but with smaller portions – more like side dishes than main courses.  It all sounded fine until they got to the pasta being a side dish instead of the main course.  So, much like practicing Cafeteria Catholicism where one picks and chooses which ideologies and Vatican rulings they will adhere to, I decided to follow the recipe for this delicious vegetarian pasta dish BUT of course it was the main course.

Tuscan Whole Wheat Pasta

2 TBS olive oil

2 Leeks  or 8oz. pkg. finely chopped

2 Cloves of garlic, minced

1 Medium fennel bulb, cleaned, trimmed, cored, 1/2 ” dice

2 Jars of Wegman’s Tuscan tomato sauce*

1 lb Whole Wheat Penne Rigate**

1/2 tsp salt

1 Bag of Baby Arugula (5oz)

4 TBS of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions

Heat oil in braising pan on MED heat, add leeks and garlic.  Cook, stirring about 2 minutes until translucent.  Add fennel, reduce heat to LOW.  Cook 10 minutes until softened.  Add sauce, stir.  Let simmer 5 minutes.

Add cooked pasta, 1 cup of reserved pasta water and salt.   Simmer 2-3 minutes.  Add arugula, toss and top with Parmigano-Reggiano cheese.

Season with salt and pepper.  Serve with extra grated cheese.

This is recipe is from Wegman’s Menu Magazine

* Wegman’s sells Tuscan sauce in a 17 oz. jar.  I purchased 1 jar as it is a little pricey;  The ingredients are basically tomatoes, onion, basil.  It is darker than most jarred sauces which I think may be because it is cooked down to a richer sauce.  I bought a jar of Chunky Marinara (twice the size, half the cost).  I used half of the Marinara sauce and added a little more basil.

** The recipe calls for Whole Wheat pasta so I thought “okay I’ll try it because maybe the sauce has enough flavor to overcome the cardboard taste and texture of whole wheat pastas.  WRONG!   I know it’s healthier but that pasta is dismal tasting.  I can only imagine how fantastic this dish would have been with a nice Barilla penne.  Never again….

 

Read Full Post »

Super Sunday Supper – Straight From The Pasta Maker

Posted in Everyday Food, Tasty Tidbits Tuesday, We Called It Macaroni (Pasta recipes), tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 5, 2014| Leave a Comment »

For the past several days, I’ve been planning on making the Spring Pasta recipe I posted earlier this week.  However every evening one thing or another prevented me from making it.  And before you read any further, I still haven’t made it!  BUT I did make another pasta dish utilizing seasonal vegetables.  

I gave my husband a choice between a wok stir-fry of chicken and vegetables or pasta.  He picked pasta probably thinking he might get an Arrabiata sauce and meatballs, NOT!  I sent him to Fairway to buy some ingredients but being the non-cooking man/husband that he is, he didn’t put it together that what he bought would be what he ate.

This recipe comes directly from Barilla’s web site and after reading through it I knew it would be easy to make and hopefully tasty  too.  I’m telling you all this because I altered the recipe slightly and will explain along the way.

Rotini with Braised Fennel, Carrots & Scallions

Rotini with Braised Fennel, Carrots & Scallions

Barilla’s Whole Grain Rotini with Braised Fennel, Carrots & Spring Onions

Ingredients

1 box Barilla Whole Grain Rotini (he forgot and bought regular)

4 TBS extra virgin olive oil

1 Clove garlic (I used 2 and could have used at least one more)

2 Fennel bulbs

1 Medium Carrot (he brought home a bag of small carrots) (I used several >1 medium carrot)

1 bunch of Scallions

1/2 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese (I used all I had in the house but was somewhat short)

1 TBS Fennel fronds chopped (I used a lot of the fronds)

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil

Sauté minced garlic in oil in a large skillet, until garlic turns slightly yellow, about 3 minutes ( I used a large braising pan)

Cut the fennel bulbs in half, then in thin slices – I cut the cores out first

Add to skillet, along with the carrot cut into roundels (rounds) about 1/8″ thick.

Braise for about 10 minutes, covered, over medium high.

Season with salt and black pepper; keep covered and cook through, stirring occasionally. I cooked longer judging when fennel was cooked and slightly softened.  At this point I thought there would not be enough sauce so I added chicken broth or to keep it vegetarian, use vegetable broth.  

Cook the pasta according to box directions

Stir the scallions cut on a bias 1/2″ long, cook an additional 3 minutes. I also added a shake or two of red pepper.

Once the pasta is done (I put aside a cup of the water) and drained, add it to the vegetables and toss to coat.

Stir in the grated cheese and the fronds.

We both thought the dish was tasty but it could have been more so!  It needed the full amount of cheese and possibly more offered on the table. The red pepper gave it some zest and I think it would have been very bland and dry without the chicken broth.  By the second helping we both said how delicious it was.

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta

Read Full Post »

Soup of Borlotti (Pinto) Beans, Dried Porcini and Tubetti

Posted in Everyday Food, Tasty Tidbits Tuesday, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on February 4, 2014| Leave a Comment »

It’s Tasty Tidbits Tuesday and now that Monday’s snow has turned into gray slush around here, we’re getting ready for tomorrow’s snow storm.  And when and where’s there’s snow, there will be soup!  

English: "Painted Pony" dry bean (Ph...

 “Painted Pony” dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I have made this soup many, many times and each time it has received amazing accolades, yes really!  It’s rich and hearty and absolutely a fantastic soup to make when the weather is blustery and cold and snowy.  It’s also vegetarian except when I make it because I’m partial to chicken broth.  But if you are vegan and/or vegetarian, you know what to do about the broth.

The recipe calls for Borlotti beans which are very much like our own pinto beans.  The woodsy  aroma and flavor of the dried porcini subtly flavors this soup.

2 ounces of dried porcini mushrooms (or other dried mushrooms)

1 cup of boiling water

3 TBS of olive oil

1 medium-size onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 cups pinto beans (1 can rinsed and drained)

1 cup chopped canned tomatoes with their juice

3 cups broth

Kosher salt

1/2 cup dry tubetti or other small tubular pasta such as ditallini

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Place the mushrooms in a heat-proof glass measuring cup with the boiling water; allow to stand 30 minutes.  Strain the mushrooms through a double thickness of paper towels, reserving the liquid, and coarsely chop.  You should have about 1/2 cup of chopped mushrooms.

Heat the oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the onions.  Cook until the onion begins to soften, 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the garlic, beans-mashing some of them against the side of the pot – tomatoes, mushrooms with 1/4 cup of their soaking liquid, and the broth.  Turn the heat to high; bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low; simmer until the soup is thick, about 20 minutes.  Season with salt to taste.  Add the pasta; continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until it is tender but still firm, al dente, about 10 minutes longer.  Serve with Parmesan.

Recipe from PASTA VERDE  cookbook

  

Related articles

 

Enhanced by Zemanta

Read Full Post »

White Bean and Portobello Mushroom Soup

Posted in Everyday Food, Tasty Tidbits Tuesday, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on January 28, 2014| 2 Comments »

Portobello Mushrooms

Portobello Mushrooms

It’s Tasty Tidbits Tuesday and as long as this weather stays so cold and I stay indoors, I’ll be making soups.  I have made this soup many times and it’s always a hit.  Flavorful and delicious.  This is one of quickest tastiest homemade soups I’ve ever made. 

1/4 cup olive oil

1 medium onion chopped

2 garlic cloves minced

1/2 lb sliced portobello mushrooms

1 medium carrot chopped

4 cups of vegetable or chicken broth

Kosher salt

1/2 cup of orzo

1 (16 oz) can cannelloni beans drained and rinsed

2 TBS chopped parsley

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Saute the onions, garlic and carrot in a large saucepan until onion are soft 4-5 minutes.  Add the mushrooms, season with salt and cook for another 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add broth and bring to a boil; then lower heat to medium low.  Cover and simmer 15 minutes.  Add the orzo and cook 10 minutes.  Add the beans; cook until orzo is completely tender and beans are heated through, about 5 minutes longer.  Season with salt to taste. Add the parsley and  serve with Parmesan.

Recipe from PASTA VERDE  – more than 140 vegetarian recipes for soups, pasta sauces, salads and baked pastas

Related articles

 

Enhanced by Zemanta

Read Full Post »

Roasted Whole Cauliflower – So Darn Good!

Posted in Everyday Food, Tasty Tidbits Tuesday, tagged , , , , , , , , , on March 20, 2013| Leave a Comment »

English: Cauliflower Ελληνικά: Κουνουπίδι

Cauliflower

Tastes good, looks good, and is good for you!  What more could you ask for? Oh and it’s a very economical side dish too!  “If you thought you didn’t like cauliflower, try this! It’s an awesome treat for a festive table.  Beautiful presentation and something out of the ordinary” – I believe the quote is from the woman who submitted the recipe, her name is Ariela.

BAKED WHOLE CAULIFLOWER

1 large head cauliflower

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

2 TBS grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup margarine, melted

1/8 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp salt

1 pinch red pepper flakes

1 pinch dried oregano

Clean cauliflower, and trim off leaves and any brown spots. Place the whole head of cauliflower into a steamer basket, place the basket in a large pot, and add one inch of water.  Cover, and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Cook for about 20 minutes or until tender.

Preheat the oven 375 degrees.  In a medium bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, melted margarine.  Season with garlic powder, salt and red pepper flakes, and oregano, and mix well.  Place the head of cauliflower into a baking dish, and coat with breadcrumb mixture.  Bake for about 10-15 minutes in the preheated oven or until golden brown.

Recipe from all recipes.com

Read Full Post »

BEST Thanksgiving Side Dish-Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Onions w/Rosemary+Parmesan

Posted in Everyday Food, Marthaspeak, Tasty Tidbits Tuesday, tagged , , , , , , , on November 20, 2012| 2 Comments »

English: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions and ...

Sweet potatoes, onions and garlic

This is the last of the BEST Thanksgiving Side Dishes because tomorrow I will be preparing the foods I’m bringing to our dinner.  I made this dish one Thanksgiving spent at my parents house when they lived in Florida.  Trust me, it is yummy.

ROASTED SWEET POTATOES and ONIONS with ROSEMARY & PARMESAN

2  3/4 lb sweet potatoes, peeled, cut in 1 ” cubes

8 TBS Canola oil

3 garlic cloves minced

2  1/2 tsp salt

1  1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

1  1/2 lb red onions (3 medium), halved lengthwise, cut crosswise in 1/4 ” slices

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 TBS chopped fresh parsley

Set on rack in center oven and one on lowest position.- preheat oven 375 degrees

Line 2 large baking sheets with foil.  Place sweet potatoes on one; drizzle with 6 TBS oil.  Sprinkle with garlic, 1  1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper.  Toss to coat, then spread in single layer.

Place onions on second baking sheet, drizzle with 2 remaining TBS oil, sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper.  Toss to coat, spread in single layer.  Place potatoes on center rack and onions on lower. Roast until potatoes are tender and onions are tender and brown around edges, stirring every 10 minutes, about 30 minutes total for potatoes and 35 minutes for onions.

Can be prepared 4 hours ahead of time, let stand at room temperature, covered loosely with foil.  Rewarm in 375 degree oven about 10 minutes.  Combine potatoes and onions in shallow bowl.  Sprinkle with Parmensan cheese and rosemary and toss to coat.  Season with salt and pepper.

Recipe from Martha Stewart Whole Living

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!

Related articles

 

Read Full Post »

Older Posts »