Fusilli with Pecorino Romano and Black Pepper

I saw Giada De Laurentiis make this on her show and could hardly wait to try it myself. I LOVE spinach and of course cheese and pasta. How could this not be good? 

When I finally made it for dinner one night, I added way more spinach than the originally recipe calls for and a lot less black pepper. I figured for kids, less pepper and more veggies seemed better. It was a delicious vegetarian meal. Next time I'm tossing in some toasted pine nuts too.

Fusilli with Pecorino Romano and Black Pepper

Adapted by Foodism Mom from a recipe by Giada De Laurentiis

 

Ingredients

• 1 lb fusilli pasta
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic, lightly smashed with the back of a knife and peeled
• 2 six ounce bags (12 oz) of prewashed, organic baby spinach leaves
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese (6 ounces)
• 1 cup marscapone cheese (8 ounces), at room temperature

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, according to package directions for al dente. Reserve 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid, then drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until lightly browned, about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Remove the garlic and discard.

Add the spinach and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and saute until the spinach has wilted, about 1 1/2 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the heat and add the cooked pasta. Add the Pecorino Romano cheese and toss until coated.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking liquid, one teaspoon of kosher salt and the mascarpone cheese until smooth. Add the remaining pasta water only if the sauce seems too thick. Pour over the pasta and toss until coated. If necessary season with more salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer the pasta to a large bowl and serve.

Yummy Meatballs

My hubby and I made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner tonight. It was a joint effort.

Last night he mixed and formed the balls, covered them with plastic wrap and popped them in the refrigerator. So when dinner time came around today, I just browned and then simmered them in Newman's Own Sockarooni Spaghetti Sauce.

Obviously I love a good homemade sauce but when time does not permit, it's great to have a couple jars of your favorite store-bought sauce in the cupboard.

These are extremely moist and tasty meatballs. Tomorrow we should get some nice crusty rolls and have meatball subs!

Yummy Meatballs 

• 1 pound ground beef, 10 to 15% fat
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1/2 freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
• 1 cup water
• 3 tbsp olive oil

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine garlic, eggs, cheese, basil, oregano, salt and pepper until well blended. Add beef and pork and combine well.
2. Blend bread crumbs into meat mixture. Slowly add the water 1/2 cup at a time. The mixture should be very moist but still hold its shape when rolled into balls. If it seems moist enough then stop before adding all the water. Shape into meatballs about 2 inches in diameter. Can be left in the fridge overnight covered in plastic wrap. 
3. Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet. When oil is glistening, fry meatballs in batches turning them as they brown. Do not overcrowd. When the meatballs are golden brown and slightly crisp, remove from the heat and drain on a plate lined with paper towel. 
4. Add them to your favorite sauce and simmer until cooked through. About ten to fifteen minutes.

Baked Manicotti for Mom

This is a post I wrote in July but never finished writing until now. It's crazy how busy life gets when you have kids. Now I know why it was so hard to make plans with my friends that had kids. So here is a post from a while ago...

I love my mother-in-law! She is more than I could ever ask for in a second mom. Her birthday is coming up but since she will be out of town for it, we won't be able to celebrate together.

Tonight I've invited her over for an early birthday celebration. One of her favorite things is manicotti. So manicotti it is! This is what I came up with on my own after reading about eight different recipes online and not being happy with any of them.

I served the manicotti with grilled sweet Italian sausage, sauteed peppers and onions, grilled asparagus and garlic bread. Not a bad Italian meal made by an Asian gal!!!

Baked Manicotti

• 8 oz manicotti shells (12-14 count)
• 15 oz ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup marscapone cheese
• 2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp chopped garlic
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• two 24 oz jars of good marinara sauce or make your own!
• 1 cup of Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add manicotti shells and cook for 4 minutes; drain.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a small bowl, beat eggs, garlic, basil, salt and pepper together until well blended.

In a medium bowl, add 2 cups shredded mozzarella, ricotta, and marscapone. Add egg mixture and mix everything together until well combined.  Gently stuff cooked manicotti with the mixture. Easy way to do this: Fill a Ziploc bag with the filling, and then cut a medium sized whole in one of the bottom corners of it (large enough for the filling to easy come out). Then seal the top of the bag and squeeze it into the pasta.

Spread one jar of pasta sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish.

Arrange stuffed manicotti in the dish, and cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.

Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven. Uncover and continue baking 15 to 20 minutes, or until mozzarella is melted and bubbly.

Remove from the oven and let rest for about 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Pasta with Chicken Sausage, Kale and Cannellini Beans

This pasta dish I made for dinner tonight was inspired by a Portuguese Kale Soup that my hubby makes. The ingredients are similar to the ones in the kale soup and go just beautifully together.

It's healthy and absolutely delicious.

My son even told me that he would like me to make a batch of it to bring to his preschool so that everyone there could try it. Now that's a pretty big compliment!

Pasta with Chicken Sausage, Kale and Cannellini Beans

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced medium
• 1 lb sweet Italian chicken sausage, remove and discard casings
• 2 tsp chopped garlic 
• 15 oz canned white beans (cannellini or great white northern), drained but not rinsed
• large bunch of kale; washed well, hard stems removed, leaves cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1 cup of chicken broth
• 2 cups of canned crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup of white wine
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 lb of pasta, preferably a shaped pasta like gemelli, cavatappi or penne

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil on the stove. When water is boiling add the pasta and cook according to package directions for al dente. Drain and set aside when done.

While you are waiting for the pasta water to boil you can make the sauce.

Heat oil in a large pan or dutch oven over medium heat. When oil is glistening hot, add the onion and cook for 4 minutes. Stirring often. Add sausage and cook for 5 minutes or until starting to brown, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon. Add the garlic and the beans. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Add the kale, chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, and wine. When it comes to a boil, cook for 5 minutes, stirring often and scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.

Many of the beans will be dissolved at this point and the sauce will have thickened a bit. If not, you may want to smash 1/4 of them with the back of your wooden spoon. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Finally add the cooked pasta and toss with the sauce until well coated. Serve immediately with a side of good Parmesan cheese.

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Shrimp and Shells In Vodka Sauce

I had a request from my son for my Spaghetti Rosé With Sausage & Peas. The problem was I didn't have most of those ingredients on hand. So I made some substitutions. Shrimp took the place of sausage, leftover grilled asparagus replaced peas and whole wheat shells stood in for the spaghetti.

The results were good enough to please my five-year-old prince. OMG, I can't believe he's already five!!!

Shrimp and Shells In Vodka Sauce

• 1 lb of shrimp (20 to 25 shrimp per pound), shells removed and deveined
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• Olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped small
• 1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 cup vodka
• 28 oz can diced tomatoes (crushed tomatoes would work if you want a smoother sauce)
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream 
• 1 1/2 cups grilled or roasted asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 lb pasta (I used whole wheat shells tonight but a penne would work as well)

Start a large pot of water boiling for the pasta.

In the meantime, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Lightly sprinkle some salt and pepper over the shrimp and when the oil is glistening, add them to pan. Cook for about 1 1/2 minutes per side until just cooked through (don't overcook!). Set the shrimp aside in a bowl.

Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan. Turn down the heat to medium. When the oil is glistening, add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and saute for a minute more.

Now add the vodka to deglaze the pan, scraping the brown bits off the bottom for about one minute. Add the canned tomatoes and when it comes back to a simmer, cook for 10 more minutes. Stirring occasionally. Now add the cream and when it is back to a simmer, cook for 3 to 5 minutes more. Stirring occasionally.

Add the cooked shrimp and asparagus. Gently stir everything to combine and heat through for another minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn off the heat and set aside until the pasta is done.

Cook your pasta according to package directions for al dente.

Toss the sauce and drained pasta together in a large serving bowl and serve with grated parmesan cheese on the side.

Basil Pesto

Pesto sauce is delicious. You can find many ready-made brands at the supermarket but they can never compare to a freshly made pesto. It's well worth the extra effort.

Tonight I tossed the basil pesto (recipe below) with a pound of cooked penne pasta, a cup of peas and a couple grilled chicken breasts cut into thin slices. AMAZING!!!

Basil Pesto
The Complete Book of Pasta and Noodles 

• 1/4 cup pine nuts, walnuts or almonds
• 3 medium garlic cloves, threaded on a skewer
• 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
• 2 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley leaves
• 7 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• salt
• 1/4 finely grated Parmesan cheese

1. Toast the nuts in a small, heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until just golden and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Lower the skewered garlic into the water, boil for 45 seconds. Immediately run the garlic under cold water. Remove from the skewer; peel and mince.

3. Place the basil and parsley in a heavy-duty, quart-size, sealable plastic bag; pound with the side of a meat pounder until all the leaves are bruised. I used paper towel instead; it did the trick.

4. Place the nuts, garlic, basil, oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt to taste in the work bowl of a food processor; process until smooth, stopping as necessary to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl, stir in the cheese, and adjust the salt.

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Cabernet Tomato Sauce

This is a great sauce to make when you have leftover wine. Okay who am I kidding, there's never any leftover wine here. Let me rephrase, this is a great way to use up a bunch of tomatoes.

We have a tomato plant in our garden and surprisingly, we did not kill it along the way and it ended up producing a ton of tomatoes this summer. I used many of them for salads and sandwiches but there were still over a dozen ripe ones left that needed to be used up quickly before they spoiled.

I made this one lazy afternoon. While it simmered I folded some laundry. The natural sugars from the vegetables and wine release and make this incredibly rich and slightly sweet sauce that is incredible over pasta.

Cabernet Tomato Sauce

• 10 roma tomatoes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped small
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1/2 pound sliced mushrooms
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped small
• 3/4 cup red wine (fuller bodied like cabernet)
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped fine
• 2 tsp fresh basil, chopped fine
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat up a large pot of water over high heat. When it comes to a boil, add the tomatoes and simmer for 2 minutes.

Then remove the tomatoes from the pot and drop them into an ice water bath.

Skins should peel off easily; discard the skins. Roughly chop the tomatoes into big chunks and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized pot or sauce pan over medium heat. When oil is glistening, add the onions and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute stirring constantly. Add the red pepper, tomatoes, and mushrooms, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper. Bring it to a boil, then turn down the heat to a low simmer. Simmer covered for 1/2 hour. Stir occasionally.

Add red wine, herbs and sugar; cover and cook on a low simmer for 1 hour. Stir occasionally. Uncover for the last 15 minutes if your sauce seems too watery. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over a pasta of your choice that is cooked al dente.

If linguine with clams and fettucine Alfredo had a baby...

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I am still feeling the effects of the tryptophan so I won't be writing too much tonight.

I call this dish "If Linguine With Clams and Fettucine Alfredo Had A Baby".

Fettucine With Clam Alfredo Sauce

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup clam juice (bottled is fine)
• 2 cups cooked whole clams (shells removed)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano chopped fine
• 1 lb fettucine pasta

Cook your pasta according to package directions for al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

When the pasta is halfway done cooking; add the butter, cream, clam juice, nutmeg, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper to a medium sauce pan. Heat it up over medium heat and once it starts to boil, turn down the heat to a low simmer and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the Parmesan and cook for another 3 minutes or until sauce thickens, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon.

Stir in the cooked clams and when it comes back to a simmer, cook for another minute. Try the sauce. Add more salt and pepper to taste ONLY if necessary.

Pour the sauce over the pasta, add the oregano and toss until all the noodles are well coated. Tongs work really well for this. If the noodles seem too dry, add a little pasta water and toss to coat again.

Serve immediately as a main course or side.

Spaghetti Carbonara With Peas

You know the old saying "Everything tastes better with bacon." Okay, maybe there is no such saying but that doesn't make it any less true. Some of you may not eat meat but for those of you who do, you understand the magic that is bacon. It can turn a simple lettuce and tomato sandwich into a little piece of heaven. Heck, I've even heard of cupcakes with bacon in them!

There were only a few pieces of bacon left in our fridge. Not enough to serve to everyone for breakfast. A delicious solution? Spaghetti Carbonara. I added a bunch of peas to mine and some toasted Panko breadcrumbs for a little texture. I also made it less saucy to cut the calories a bit. Not too much though...some things are worth the calories!!!

Spaghetti Carbonara With Peas

• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 ounces of bacon (about 3 pieces), diced or sliced thin
• 2 tsp chopped garlic
• 1 jumbo egg
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs, lightly toasted (optional)
• 1 cup of frozen peas, defrosted and brought to room temperature
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 pound dry spaghetti

Directions

Although this is a relatively easy dish to prepare, it can get a little tricky with timing. It is extremely important that the sauce is ready to go once the pasta is finished cooking. You want the intense heat of the pasta to cook your raw egg mixture.

Start a large pot of water boiling on the stove.

Add the egg, Parmesan, 1/4 tsp of salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper to a small bowl. Mix well until fully combined. Set aside.

Heat a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. When pan is hot add the olive oil and bacon. Cook until bacon is golden brown and crispy, stirring occasionally (be careful, it can burn easily).

Turn off the heat and remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate lined with paper towel to soak up the grease.

You should have about two to three tablespoons of bacon grease left in the pan. If there is more than that, remove some of it with a spoon.

When water is boiling, add some salt and the dry pasta. Cook according to package directions for al dente.

Five minutes before your pasta is finished cooking, start heating the bacon grease back up over medium heat. When hot (about 1 minute), add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Turn off the heat, your pasta should be done about now. Reserve 1/2 cup of your pasta water.

Drain the pasta and add directly into the pan with the bacon grease and garlic. Add the egg/Parmesan mixture, peas, bread crumbs and crispy bacon. Use tongs to toss around the pasta until everything is well combined and coated with sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If the pasta seems dry, add some pasta water a tablespoon at a time and continue to toss with tongs.

Serve immediately!


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Beef Short Rib Stroganoff

The weather in L.A. this time of year is insane. Cold and rainy one day, late spring weather the next.


I actually love the balmy fall weather (when we get it). It puts me in the mood to cook up comfort food. Stews, pastas, chilis...

Today, I made Beef Stroganoff. Instead of the regular cubes of chuck roast, I found some boneless beef short ribs. I cooked it like a beef stew and because my meat was very lean, there wasn't a lot of excess oil in the pot that you would usually find when cooking short ribs. Just tender meat and a rich, creamy sauce.


Boy was it good!

Beef Short Rib Stroganoff

• 2 to 2 1/4 lbs lean, boneless beef short ribs (or boneless chuck roast), trimmed of excess fat, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup of flour
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped small
• 2 tsp chopped garlic
• 1 lb cremini mushrooms, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 3/4 cup sherry
• 2 cups of beef broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup sliced carrots (optional, I add them for extra veggies)
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup sour cream (depending on how creamy you like it!)
• 1 lb egg noodles

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F


Add the flour, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper to a Ziploc bag. Shake it around a bit to combine.

Add your beef cubes, zip up the bag and shake everything around until evenly coated.

Heat up one tablespoon of oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat.

When the oil is glistening, add about half the beef cubes. You want them to be spaced apart and not touching. This will allow the meat to brown and not just boil. Cook for about 4 minutes. Flip them over and cook for about 4 minutes on the other side. Set aside in a bowl. Repeat with the second half.

In a now empty pot, add another tablespoon of oil, the onion and mushrooms, saute for about 5 minutes or until softened, scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more, stirring constantly.

Add the sherry, broth and bay leaf; continue to scrape brown bits off the bottom. When it comes to a full boil, cover the pot with its lid and put in the oven. Cook for an hour.

Carefully remove the pot from the oven. Stir in the carrots. Leave lid off and return to the oven. Turn up the heat to 350 degrees. Cook for another hour.

Carefully remove the pot from the oven. (It should be saucy but not extremely watery. Cook longer if there is too much liquid.)

Take out the bay leaves, stir in the sour cream and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over the egg noodles cooked al dente.

Easy Fettucine Alfredo

I can tell when the weather starts turning cold. My animal instincts tell my body that it needs to store fat for the winter. Not that I don't always enjoy rich and yummy things but now it's in overdrive!

One of my all-time favorites is fettucine alfredo. Ever since I was a kid, it's the one thing that I can't just eat a little of. That being said, it's also something I can only make once in a long while.

Easy Fettucine Alfredo

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped fine
• 3/4 lb fettucine pasta

Cook your pasta according to package directions for al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

When the pasta is halfway done cooking; add the butter, cream, nutmeg, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper to a medium sauce pan. Heat it up over medium heat and once it starts to boil, turn down the heat to a low simmer. Add the Parmesan and cook for about 4 minutes. Try the sauce. ONLY if necessary, add more salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the sauce over the pasta, add the parsley and toss until all the noodles are well coated. Tongs work really well for this. If the noodles seem too dry, add a little pasta water and toss to coat again.

Serve immediately as a main course or side.

Shrimp in Vodka Sauce

Children can bring so much love and joy into our lives. The hugs and kisses are well worth the colds and flus I catch as a result.

I've been sneezing and sniffling for the past few days now. My head is stuffy and my tissue boxes are emptying by the hour. Best part is...as a parent you can't call in sick!

Luckily my wonderful hubby has been taking on most of the load when he isn't working. Since I haven't had much energy, a lot of our meals have been take-out.

Tonight I was feeling up for some cooking and kind of missed it actually. I had some heavy cream I needed to get rid of and shrimp in the freezer. Along with some other pantry finds, I concocted a yummy shrimp pasta. Very comforting indeed.

Shrimp in Vodka Sauce

• 1 lb large shrimp (about 20), fresh or if frozen, fully thawed
• olive oil
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 
• 1 medium onion, chopped small
• 2 tsp chopped garlic
• 1/2 cup vodka
• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 cup of heavy cream
• 2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped or torn into small pieces
• shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 lb pasta noodles

Rinse the shrimp in cold water and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Salt and pepper them.

Heat up one tablespoon of olive oil in a large everyday pan over medium-high heat. When oil is glistening, add the shrimp and cook the first side for a couple minutes undisturbed then flip and cook the second side for a minute or so more. Set aside in a bowl.

Add another tablespoon of olive oil to a now empty pan; add the onions, 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper; turn down the heat to medium and cook for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the garlic and cook for another minute, stirring.

Add the vodka, crushed tomatoes and sugar. When it comes to a boil, turn down the heat to a low simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the cream and cook for another four minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir the basil into the sauce.

Put the shrimp back into the sauce (juices and all) and cook for another minute.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Toss with pasta cooked according to package directions for al dente.* Serve immediately with a side of shredded Parmesan cheese.

*Try to reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. You may not end up using it but sometimes you need a little extra moisture when tossing your pasta with the sauce.

Pesto Sauce

A few weeks ago, my basil plant was on its way to the light at the end of the tunnel. I knew it didn't have long to live so I decided to pluck off all of its leaves and make a pesto sauce. If you have a food processor, it is a very simple thing to make. It also freezes beautifully. Just put your pesto into a freezer-safe lidded container and drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the top of the sauce to seal it before you pop it into the freezer. 

Yesterday, I let the frozen pesto thaw out. Today I made a yummy spaghetti with pesto sauce for lunch. It still tasted fresh and vibrant. This pesto would also be a great sauce for a pizza, spread on a sandwich or spoon on top of grilled chicken or fish.

Pesto Sauce

• 2 cups of fresh basil leaves (packed down)
• 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup of pinenuts
• 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1//8 tsp freshly ground pepper

Blend all of the ingredients in a food processor until you achieve a smooth consistency.

*This should be enough sauce for 3/4 lbs. of pasta. Reserve a half cup of pasta water (make sure the water isn't too salty) and add it a few tablespoons at a time to the pesto and pasta while you are tossing it together. The pasta water adds the moisture needed to make the pesto coat the pasta evenly.

Penne Alla Vecchia Bettola

Months back, I posted my revised version of Nick And Toni's Penne alla Vecchia Bettola. It's this wonderful penne alla vodka that The Barefoot Contessa featured on her show.

I made it again today. And once again, I messed with the recipe a bit but it's pretty close to Joseph Realmuto's original.

The fresh oregano really took the flavors to a different level. I added sweet Italian sausage to mine but you can totally leave it out to keep it vegetarian. Either way it's DELISH! It was such a hit with my kids that I had to fill up their plates three times.

 

Penne Alla Vecchia Bettola

Revised by Foodism Mom from Joseph Realmuto's original recipe 

Ingredients

nocoupons

• olive oil
• 1 medium Spanish onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of chopped garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano 
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup vodka
• 2 (28-ounce) cans peeled plum tomatoes
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper 
• 5 sweet Italian sausage links, removed from casings (you can leave out to make it vegetarian)
• 3/4 pound penne pasta
• 4 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves, chopped
• 3/4 cup heavy cream 
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large oven pot or dutch oven over medium heat, add the onions and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add the red pepper flakes and dried oregano and cook for 1 minute more. Add the vodka and continue cooking until the mixture is reduced by half.

Meanwhile, drain the tomatoes through a sieve and crush them directly into the pot with your hands. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a pinch of black pepper. Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid and place it in the oven for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes.

While the tomatoes are in the oven, heat up 2 teaspoons of olive oil a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage meat and while breaking it up with a wooden spoon, saute until cooked through and golden brown. Set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente. Drain and set aside.

Remove bay leaves. Place the tomato mixture in a blender (or if you use an immersion hand blender, you do not need to cool the sauce and you can blend it right in the pot) and puree in batches until the sauce is a smooth consistency. Return to the pan.

Reheat the sauce over medium heat, stir in the fresh oregano, sausage and heavy cream. When it comes back to a boil, simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan and simmer for two more minutes, stirring frequently. Season to taste with salt and pepper if necessary. Put pasta into a large serving bowl, spoon in enough sauce to generously coat the pasta (you may have sauce leftover, great-you'll have lunch for the next day!). Toss until well combined. Serve with a side of Parmesan.

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Gobble, gobble...

Most of you that follow this blog may notice that I make Bolognese sauce...ALOT. It's the thing that my kids ask for constantly and I can't say I blame them. Pretty darn good stuff! I don't mind feeding them red meat every now and then, especially with all the veggies that go into the sauce to balance things out. But at the rate I'm making this stuff, it's getting to be too much. So tonight I experimented with ground turkey instead of beef.

It tasted extremely close to the original beef sauce but much leaner. The family loved it. In fact, I don't believe the kids even knew the difference. What I noticed though is that I needed more sauce on the pasta for it to be flavorful enough. With the beef sauce, a little went a longer way. Perhaps it was the higher fat content?

I'm happy with my first attempt but I will be trying this out many more times. Don't get bored. I know it can be even better!

Turkey Bolognese (first attempt)

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped fine (a food processor or a mini chopper is a quick and easy way to finely chop all these veggies fine)
• 1 large celery stalk, chopped fine
• 2 medium carrots, chopped fine
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/4 lbs ground turkey (7% lean)
• 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes in puree with basil (go for high quality, Italian tomatoes are best)
• 1 cup half and half or milk
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 lb pasta of your liking

Heat up a large pan or shallow pot over medium heat. When the pan is very hot; add the butter, oil, onions, celery, carrots and one teaspoon of salt. Cook for about 9 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for one minute more, stirring frequently.

Add the turkey and cook for two minutes. Stirring and breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon. Add the half and half.

When the liquid starts to boil, turn down the heat to a low simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Stirring occasionally and continuing to break up the turkey meat.

Add the crushed tomatoes, wine, tomato paste and sugar. When it starts bubbling, turn down the heat to a low simmer and cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with hot pasta noodles cooked al dente and a side of grated parmesan cheese.

*You can make this sauce a couple days in advance and it freezes nicely too.

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It's all Greek to me...

I made a big batch of this yummy pasta salad yesterday. I brought half to a friend's birthday barbeque (Happy birthday Josh!) and served the other half with dinner at home. It's delicious with grilled meats and fish or just on its own. Great for those summer get-togethers! This recipe makes enough for a small group so cut it in half if you are serving just a few people.

Greek Orzo Salad

• 1/3 cup fresh dill (leaves only), roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp  of extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1 lb orzo
• 2 stalks of green onion, sliced thin
• 1 large English (hothouse) cucumber, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 lb grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 4 oz of crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts

Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain and set aside in a large bowl to cool.

Put the dill, olive oil, vinegar, Dijon, salt and pepper into a food processor or mini chopper and blend until dill is chopped fine and dressing has thickened. About ten seconds.

Pour half the dressing onto the orzo and mix well with a large spoon. Add the green onion, cucumbers, tomatoes, feta (or leave the feta on the side if you have kids that may not like it), pine nuts and the remainder of the dressing. Fold everything gently together to combine. Season with more salt and pepper to taste only if necessary.

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