Asiago Tortellini Soup with Black Pepper Flatbread

Since we have been experiencing hints of fall weather recently, I decided to make a soup for dinner the other night. I came across this recipe on the Cooking Light website and was happy I did. This was so simple and very fast. I made a black pepper flat bread as suggested and it was the perfect compliment!

Asiago Tortellini Soup
Courtesy of Cooking Light

Ingredients: 

-1 (9-ounce) package fresh three-cheese tortellini 
-1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth (vegetable broth if making vegetarian)
-2 plum tomatoes, chopped 
-1/4 cup chopped fresh basil 
-1/2 cup (2 ounces) shaved fresh Asiago cheese 
-Basil leaves (optional) 
-Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
 

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

While pasta cooks, combine broth and tomato in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; stir in basil. Cover and let broth mixture stand until pasta is done. Add drained pasta to broth mixture. Ladle soup into shallow bowls; sprinkle each serving with cheese. Garnish with basil leaves and pepper, if desired.


Black Pepper Flatbread
Courtesy of Cooking Light 

Ingredients: 

2 garlic cloves, minced 
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano 
1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper 
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 
1 (13.8-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough 
Cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Unroll dough onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; form into a 12 x 9–inch rectangle. Lightly coat top of dough with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with garlic mixture. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until golden. Cool flatbread; cut into 6  large slices.




 

Farfalle with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Cream

I'm back! I have been cooking a little more lately. I am trying to get used to my new small, outdated kitchen! I'm starting to figure out some new tricks to make it work. Anyway, this is the first meal I made in said kitchen and it was quite delicious. I bought this cookbook last winter and have yet to make anything from it, so I decided to break it open. It is full of great recipes I have tagged to try over the next few months so look out for more yumminess! The only thing I would change about this recipe next time I make it is to make it with bacon. I think the smokiness from the bacon would be perfect! If you don't eat pork try turkey or chicken sausage or turkey bacon. Either would be great substitutes!


 Farfalle with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Cream
Courtesy of Barbara Fairchild


Ingredients:
-2 tbl olive oil
-1 lb of sweet italian sausages, casings removed (i used regular sausage)
-1/2 tsp dried crushed red pepper
-1 c chopped onion
-3 garlic cloves, minced
-1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes with added puree
- 1/2 c heavy cream
-1 lb farfalle (bow tie pasta)
-1 c (packed) chopped fresh basil
freshly grated pecorino romano cheese

Directions:
Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausages and crushed red pepper. Saute until sausages are no longer pink, breaking into chunks with fork, about 5 minutes. Add onion and garlic; saute 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and cream. Reduce heat to low; simmer until mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1 c pasta cooking liquid.(I did not reserve pasta water and it was fine). Return pasta to same pot.

Add sausage mixture to pasta; toss over medium heat, adding reserved pasta cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls if dry. Transfer pasta to serving dish. Sprinkle with basil. Serve passing cheese separately.

Pasta Pie

Yep, that's an entire pie...made of pasta! For New Years Eve, we were invited to a pie party and I decided to make a savory pie for the occassion. It's actually quite easy until you get to the stuffing the shells part. Stuffing each indivdual shell took some practice, but the longer I stuffed, the better I got. It was totally worth the effort being as it was delicious and made for an impressive presentation. If I could only have a big slice of pasta pie tonight....


Pasta Pie
Courtesy of Noble Pig


Ingredients:
1 pound rigatoni

2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 pound ground beef
2 garlic cloves, crushed

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 can (28 ounces) good quality crushed tomatoes

Butter, for pan

Salt

1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

8 ounces coarsely grated mozzarella

Directions:

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until slightly underdone (I cooked mine for 12 minutes when the box indicated 14 minutes). One pound of pasta should be cooked in 6 quarts of water, make sure you are using a big enough pot so the pasta doesn't stick together. When done, rinse in cold water and drain again. Toss pasta with 1 Tablespoon olive oil to coat. Set aside.

Heat remaining 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef. Cook, stirring occasionally until browned. Add garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook 2 minutes more.

Add crushed tomatoes; simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.

Toss pasta with Parmesan cheese. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Tightly pack pasta into pan, standing each piece on end. It should look like this:

Spread meat sauce on top of pasta.

Push the meat sauce into the pasta holes filling each one up.
Place in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top and bake another 10-15 minutes until cheese is golden. Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen and then unmold.

Cut into wedges and serve with any remaining meat sauce you might have.

Pasta with Truffle Butter

YUM YUM YUM. This pasta is so amazing, I am coming off of my long hiatus just to share this recipe with you. Yesterday, as I cleaned the apartment I turned the tv to food network to watch one of my favorite peope, Ina Garten, get down in my dream kitchen. Hmph. Anyway, I discovered two things:

1) inexpensive way to make truffle pasta
2) a wonderful food blog, Big Girls Small Kitchen

If you are looking to impress family and friends with a delicious meal, and aren't about spending hours in the kitchen, please try this recipe. It won't dissapoint. I served this with a roasted tomato on the side stuffed with sausage and rice.

Pasta with Truffle Butter:
Courtesy of Ina Garten

Ingredients:

Kosher salt

1/2 cup heavy cream
3 ounces white truffle butter  (I found this at Whole Foods)
Freshly ground black pepper
1 (8.82-ounce) package Cipriani tagliarelle dried pasta or other egg fettuccine (I used whatever egg fettuccine I could find in the store)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
3 ounces Parmesan, shaved thin with a vegetable peeler


Directions
Add 1 tablespoon salt to a large pot of water and bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a large (12-inch) saute pan, heat the cream over medium heat until it comes to a simmer. Add the truffle butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, lower the heat to very low, and swirl the butter until it melts. Keep warm over very low heat.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes, exactly. (If you're not using Cipriani pasta, follow the directions on the package.) When the pasta is cooked, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta. Add the drained pasta to the saute pan and toss it with the truffle-cream mixture. As the pasta absorbs the sauce, add as much of the reserved cooking water, as necessary, to keep the pasta very creamy.

Serve the pasta in shallow bowls and garnish each serving with a generous sprinkling of chives and shaved Parmesan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve at once.



.

Lemon Pasta with Roasted Shrimp

    My mom was in town for a few days so I decided to make dinner one night for everyone. What can I say other than that this is a new favorite. I've never thought of roasting shrimp before but this has to be the next best thing to heaven (besides cheeseburgers or chocolate). The shrimp was perfectly moist and the lemon pasta was so refreshing. Perfect summer meal...and so fast you can make it on a  weeknight! We served with a simple garden salad, a loaf of crusty bread, and a bottle of white.


Lemon Pasta with Roasted Shrimp
Adapted from Ina Garten

2 pounds (17 to 21 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound angel hair pasta
(1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Zest and juice of 2 lemons ( I used 1 1/2 lemons)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the shrimp on a sheet pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.Toss well, spread them in one layer and roast for 6 to 8 minutes, just until they're pink and cooked through.
Meanwhile, drizzle some olive oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add the angel hair and cook until al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking liquid. Quickly toss the angel hair with the melted butter, 1/4 cup olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and about 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking liquid. Add the shrimp and serve hot.

Penne with Braised Short Ribs

I should really rename this blog to "Boops Scoops About Pasta." I would love to say it's by coincidence that I end up making so much pasta...but it's not. I just love it. I have never attempted to make short ribs before so I was excited to test my skills. Braising the meat took some time but the actual preparation was fairly quick. If you have the time, you should definitely try this recipe. It is delicious! The flavors were very complimentary and the short ribs were so tender I didn't even have to separate them from the bone. 

Penne with Braised Short Ribs

Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis 

• 4 pounds beef short ribs
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 5 Roma tomatoes, cut into eighths
• 1 cup red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 1 pound penne pasta
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (I forgot to add this ingredient) 

Directions: 

Place an oven rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Season the ribs with salt and pepper. In a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or ovenproof stock pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. In batches, add the ribs and brown on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the ribs and set aside. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, wine and mustard. Bring the mixture to a boil and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Return the ribs to the pan. Add the beef broth, cover the pan and place in the oven for 2 1/2 hours until the meat is fork-tender and falls easily from the bone.

Remove the ribs from the cooking liquid. Using a large spoon, remove any excess fat from the surface of the cooking liquid. Using a ladle, transfer the cooking liquid in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the mixture is smooth. Pour the sauce into a saucepan and keep warm over low heat. Remove the meat from the bones. Discard the bones. Using 2 forks, shred the meat into small pieces. Stir the shredded meat into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and place in a large serving bowl. Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat from the sauce and add to the pasta. Pour 1 cup of the sauce over the pasta. Toss well and thin out the pasta with more sauce, if needed. Sprinkle the pasta with Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley before serving.

Creamy Ranch Mac and Cheese

Mac and cheese is one of my favorite dishes and there times when I need a nice helping of it to make it through the day. After a rainy weekend, mac and cheese is just what I needed to lift my spirits...and bbq cups ...and a glass of wine.  I usually bake my mac and cheeses but when I stumbled across this recipe on a new fave of mine, Noble Pig , I was intrigued. A stovetop mac and cheese that doesnt involve a cheesey powder packet...yes,please! It also gave me an excuse to break out he dutch oven. I am always looking for new ways to make mac and cheese and since I love ranch, this seemed like a must try. This was easy, fast, and a delicious blend of ranch and cheese.


What you will need:

Thats:

1 package (16 oz.) elbow macaroni
1 cup milk (I used skim)1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon garlic pepper blend
1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
1 cup  shredded sharp cheddar
1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar
1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream (I used light)
1/2 cup crushed saltines
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cook macaroni according to package directions, however, do not use salt in the pasta water.  Meanwhile in a Dutch oven, combine the milk, butter, dressing mix and seasonings; heat through.  Stir in cheddar cheeses until melted.  Stir in sour cream.

Drain macaroni; stir into cheese sauce with the saltines.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna

Another fuzzy picture...but I am so excited to share this recipe because I know you will love it! I found this recipe on Closet Cooking and I knew that I had to make it when I saw the words bechemel sauce. I love love love a good white sauce. I made this lasagna for a few friends that came over for dinner. In order to maximize my friend time, I decided to go for a one dish meal that I could make ahead and pop in the oven. This was perfect...and a crowd pleaser!  I served this yummy salad on the side. This entire meal is a must try!

Bechemel Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat the butter in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat until melted.

2. Whisk flour and stir until smooth.

3. Whisk in milk and stir until smooth.

4. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper.

5. Reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes.

Sauce will thicken

Lasagna:

Ingredients:

1 package lasagne noodles ( I used Barilla no boil)

2 tablespoons butter

4 cups sliced mushrooms (portabello, shiitake, etc)

2 servings Bechamel Sauce

2 cups parmigiano-reggiano (grated)


Directions:

1. Cook the noodles as directed on the package. (Add a splash of oil to the water to prevent sticking.)

2. Saute the mushrooms in the butter.

3. Preheat the over to 375 degrees F.

4. Spread some of the bechamel sauce on the bottom of an 8 inch by 8 inch baking dish. Place a layer of noodles on top, then more sauce, then a third of the mushrooms, and 1/4 cup of the grated parmigiano-reggiano. Repeat 2 more times. Top the final layer of noodles and sauce, and the remaining parmigiano-reggiano.

5. Bake the lasagna for about 45 minutes. The top should be a bit browned the sauce should be bubbling.

6. Allow to sit at room temperature for 10 or so minutes and serve hot.

Fusilli with Spinach and Tomato

I know what you thinking. This dish may not look like much...but it is full of flavor! Christian and I normally don't celebrate Valentine's Day but I decided at the last minute that I wanted to make him dinner. Due to the recent snowpocalypse and my last minute dinner idea, I knew my options were going to be limited. I decided pasta would be a good choice for many reasons. a) it's fast  b)fewer indgredients increases my chances of having a successful grocery trip c) i love pasta and  d) it's not a romantic meal so it technically doesn't count as a celebration. The entire meal took about 15 minutes and was absolutely delicious. I plan to make this again and again...especially on weeknights.

Fusilli with Spinach and Tomato
Courtesy of Giada

1 pound fusilli pasta

1/4 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (9-ounce) bag fresh spinach, roughly chopped
8 ounces (1/2 pint) cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup (about 3 1/2-ounces) grated Asiago
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper



Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.


Meanwhile, warm olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the spinach and tomatoes and cook until the spinach wilts, about 2 more minutes. Add the cooked pasta and toss. Add the cheeses, salt, pepper, and the pasta cooking liquid and stir to combine.

Smoky Shrimp with Spinach Pasta

I am on a pasta kick this week! Actually, I shouldn't have put an exclamation mark behind that last sentence because I am supposed to be working on making healthy dishes and not indulging on pasta  every night. Anyway, I found this recipe a while ago while browsing through foodgawker. Today I had a craving for seafood and I immediately remembered this recipe.  It orginally called for smoked paprika and turkish pepper. I only had paprika in my pantry and have no idea what turkish pepper is. Google was surprisingly no help. If you know what it is, please comment below! s. I used cayene pepper instead. I added a little smoked chipotle tabasco sauce to try to add a smoky flavor to the mix. Next time, I will definitely use the smoked paprika as it wasn't as smoky as I expected. This meal was still yummy nontheless!

Smoky  Shrimp with Spinach Pasta

Courtesy of The Purple Kitchen

Ingredients:

12 oz shrimp, cleaned and shells removed

10-12 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons paprika

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon chipotle tabasco sauce (optional) 

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2lb spinach spaghetti

Boil water and prepare pasta according to directions on the package.

Mince garlic and stir with salt. Heat pan (preferably cast iron skillet)  and add olive oil. Add garlic and saute for about 1 minute. Add paprika, cayenne pepper, and chiptole tabasco sauce and stir until well mixed.

 Add shrimp and saute for about 3-4 minutes until no longer grey. Drain pasta and add to pan with shrimp. Stir and mix well. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil.

Mediterranean Pasta with Fire Roasted Tomatoes

I spotted this recipe in the October issue of Martha Stewart Living and since I had almost all the ingredients I decided to make it for dinner tonight. This dish was full of flavor and very easy to make. It was definitely a "set it and forget it" kind of meal and I was able to relax and prepare for Sunday night television while the tomatoes roasted away! Sunday nights are always a night of comfort food for me for two reasons...it's the night when I have the most time on my hands to cook and it takes away some of the sadness of knowing the weekend is coming to an end.

Ingredients:
8 ounces of fettuccini pasta
10-12 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1/2 cup of olive oil, divided
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp italian seasoning
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp of freshly ground black pepper



Place tomato halves, cut sides up, on a baking sheet sprayed with non stick cooking spray.

Mix 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic and seasonings in a small bowl.  Spoon mixture over tomatoes.

Roast tomatoes  in preheated 400 degree oven for 45-60 minutes until soft.

Prepare pasta as directed on the package and drain well.

Place 1/2 of the roasted tomatoes and remaning 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large bowl. Mash the tomatoes well until they form a coarse sauce.

Add pasta and remaining tomatoes and mix well. Sprinkle with shredded parmesan cheese if desired.

Enjoy!

Baked Chicken Spaghetti

                                




My mom's friend used to make this all of the time and when I am home over the holidays I always beg her to make a batch for me. Yesterday I had a craving for chicken spaghetti and I simply couldn't wait for someone else to make it for me. Now, this is not an ideal dish for someone without a family (such as myself). I didn't realize the recipe would make so much! I ended up freezing a lot of it and giving some to my brother. This is such a yummy twist on traditional spaghetti and best of all...it's easy and delicious!

Ingredients:




1 chicken, cooked and deboned or 4 to 5 chicken breast
  1 onion
  2 tbsp. butter
  1 can cream of mushroom soup
  1 can cream of chicken soup
  1 can cream of celery soup
  2-3 cups Chicken Broth
  1 bell pepper
  1 pkg spaghetti
  1 lb. Velveeta, diced
  1 can Rotel

 Directions:

 Dice onion and bell pepper; saute in butter. Cook spaghetti
in chicken broth. In large bowl, mix cream of
chicken, mushroom, celery, chicken, Velveeta, pepper and
onion mixture. Add 1 can drained Rotel; mix well. Add
cooked spaghetti and 1/2 cup chicken broth and mix well.
Pour into large baking dish. Top with a few slices of velveeta cheese if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Orzo with Sausage, Peppers, and Tomatoes

This dish is simply delicious! I made this for the first time last night and it was such a winner that I even brought leftovers to work today (I never bring leftovers so this is a big deal). I stumbled across this recipe the other day when I took a break from watching CNN at work and spent some quality time with the food network channel. What I originally liked about this dish was that it seemed "quick and easy" which to me, are ideal adjectives when it comes to cooking on a weeknight.

Orzo with Sausage, Peppers, and Tomatoes
Courtesy of FoodNetwork.com

1 jar of roasted bell peppers (red and orange)

1 lb or Orzo

3 cups chicken stock

3 cups water

1 tbl kosher salt

2 tbl olive oil

2 10 oz packages of reduced- fat sausage

4 garlic cloves minced

3 plum tomatoes chopped

1 tsp of red pepper flakes (eyeball)

2 tbl of fresh flat leaf parsley chopped

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup of ricotta salata cheese crumbled for garnish

In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock and the water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until tender. When the pasta starts to plump and rise to the top (about 8-10 minutes) then you know it's ready!

While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add your sausage and cook until done. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Add the peppers, red pepper flakes, and tomatoes and cook until warm for about 2 minutes.

Drain the pasta and reserve 1/2 cup of the liquid. Transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the sausage mixture, parsley, season with salt and pepper and toss. Stir in 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Top with ricotta salata or a cheese of your liking.