Tag Archive for 'pasta'

Butternut Squash Beef Stroganoff

Published by mel on October 20, 2008 in entree and recipe.

Butternut Squash Beef Stroganoff

A couple of years ago I found and made a recipe for Turkey Pumpkin Stroganoff that was absolutely delicious. Since then, I’ve moved twice and lost the recipe along the way. Yesterday was the first almost-cool day of the year in Miami. It was overcast and breezy and I wanted to make something a little spicy, beefy and noodly. Stroganoff was just the thing.

Although I’m loving pumpkin and turkey right now, I decided against trying to recreate the lost recipe, and used butternut squash and lean ground beef instead. Mostly, because I was too lazy to drive out to the good grocery store and the one nearby doesn’t carry organic ground turkey. This happens a lot. Anyway, I spiced it up with sweet and smoked paprika, nutmeg and caraway seeds for a warming fall dish.

This Stroganoff would be equally delicious with your favorite winter squash or pumpkin, and you can add chunky cubes of it, or creamy pureed squash. Go ahead and use ground turkey or beef, or even thinly sliced steak in the traditional method for Stroganoff. I would also add some portabello mushrooms next time to give it more of an earthly flavor and I might even bake it with some breadcrumbs scattered on top. I love baked pasta (who doesn’t?) and this just might be the best way to reheat the leftovers!

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Crisp Gnocchi with Lemon & Garlic Greens

Published by mel on September 24, 2008 in entree and recipe.

Crisp Gnocchi with Lemon & Garlic Greens

Hot on the heels of the homemade gnocchi post, here’s another method for cooking fresh gnocchi that will make those little potato pasta pillows even more delicious and addicting. Pan fry them until they’re crisp and brown. I would describe the taste as a cross between pasta and a french fry. MMM. There’s nothing better than that!

As with the last batch of gnocchi, I didn’t want to smother them in sauce. I wanted them to really shine. So, I sauteed some kale with basil, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and serrano peppers. The greens were spicy and garlicky and lemony and the perfect compliment to the crisp, starchy gnocchi.

I used a batch of frozen homemade gnocchi for this dish — it went straight from the freezer into the oiled pan and crisped up nicely. You can also use fresh and frozen gnocchi, but I would avoid the shrink-wrapped kind you find in the pasta aisle. You’ll lose all of the creamy potato-ness if you go that route.

This dish came together in under 20 minutes and is delicious and fancy enough for guests. The Lemon and Garlic greens would also be fabulous tossed with pasta and a little olive oil. Just make sure you make a whole bunch — people will be wanting seconds.

Shamless Plug: Head over to Kelly Spitzer’s Flavor a Deux to read her “Foodie Spotlight” all about yours truly. I had a great time working with her on this interview. Thanks Kelly!

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veal & lamb ricotta meatballs in shitake parmesan broth

Published by mel on September 18, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.

veal & lamb ricotta meatballs in shitake parmesan broth

If you’re looking for a lovely Sunday afternoon meal for the Fall, these meatballs are for you. They simmer lazily in Parmesan Shitake broth while you read a book or take a nap. They’re great with a crusty piece of bread, on top of pasta or straight out of the pot if no one’s looking.

veal & lamb ricotta meatballs in shitake parmesan broth

Adding ricotta to your meatballs will take them to a whole new level, making them soft and tender and almost creamy. They’re delicate and hearty at the same time. A quick sear and they go straight into a broth flavored with Parmesan rinds and sauteed Shitake mushrooms. The meatballs cook through in the broth, infusing it with meaty goodness. Cooking meatballs in broth may seem weird (where’s the marinara?), but they’re so flavorful that it would be a shame to cover them with sauce.

I served these with homemade gnocchi for an excellent Sunday Supper.

Related: Weeknight Meatballs for when time is short

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how to make homemade gnocchi

Published by mel on September 15, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.

how to make homemade gnocchi

Have you ever tasted homemade gnocchi? I’m not talking about the stuff that’s shrink-wrapped and powdery in the pasta isle of your grocery store. Not that I’m knocking store-bought gnocchi — it’s perfect for quick weeknight meals and satisfies the potato pasta craving. But there’s nothing like real, homemade gnocchi. They’re much less dense than the pre-packaged kind — soft and pillowy, like a dumpling, but still as sturdy and chewy as you’d expect.

I was first introduced to homemade gnocchi when I was a mere pre-teen punk. My parents were close friends with an Argentinian couple who made them once a month. In Argentina, it’s tradition to make gnocchi on the 29th of each month and serve them with a dollar bill placed under the plate to attract prosperity (more over at Wikipedia). I can’t remember how the gnocchi tasted, but I remember it was good. Delicious, even.

how to make homemade gnocchi

I made an enormous batch this weekend as a special Sunday Supper for Tom’s birthday and served them with lamb and veal ricotta meatballs in a hearty Parmesan and shitake broth (recipe for those later this week). While making gnocchi may not be for the beginner cook, they’re not as difficult as you might think. Just keep a box of pasta in the pantry in case something goes wrong.

how to make homemade gnocchi

The most difficult thing about making gnocchi is that measurements are a rough guideline and you’ll have to go by feel for a lot of this. There are a lot of variables that make giving precise measurements tricky — potato sizes vary, egg sizes vary, altitude affects dough, etc. So, here’s a rough recipe, along with tips and pointers for getting your dough just right. I encourage you to give these a try. Unlike fresh pasta, fresh gnocchi is much more difficult to find at the store and definitely worth the extra effort for homemade.

Update: Forgot to mention that I froze 2/3 of the gnocchi I made since it was a double batch and only 5 people came for dinner. (I always make too much.) To freeze fresh gnocchi, just cover the parchment paper with another sheet of parchment and roll it up like a fruit roll-up or sushi roll. Gently place the rolled parchment into a gallon-sized freezer bag and seal, making sure you push as much air out of the bag as possible. The layers of parchment will prevent them from sticking together or getting freezer burn when they freeze.

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easy sausage, greens & goat cheese pasta

Published by mel on August 29, 2008 in entree and recipe.

easy sausage, greens & goat cheese pasta

Pasta’s easy. It’s usually the first food you learn to cook, and the food that sustains you throughout your penniless college days. It’s good, fast and cheap, and there’s nothing to not love about that!

So, when I need to make a quick lunch before work it’s often pasta that’s my first thought. The hard part is figuring out how to make a healthy, well-rounded meal with it. As with most things carb, I find that I can sit down and eat at least a 1/2 pound of simple, buttery pasta on my own. But me and my bikini know that it’s probably not a good idea.

So, I try to have as much “stuff” in my bowl as I do pasta. This week, that stuff happened to be spicy Italian sausage, broccoli, rainbow chard, goat cheese and walnuts. A well-rounded meal chock-full of vegetables, protein and those venerated Omega 3’s. Best of all, it traveled well, filled me up and made a very delicious little lunch.

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thick and hearty lamb ragu

Published by mel on August 1, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.

thick and hearty lamb ragu

Who in their right mind makes a long-simmering lamb ragu in July? Well, I guess that would be me. Me who lives in a city with just two seasons - Spring (Warm) and Summer (Boiling Hot). Me who makes cold noodle salad in January and lamb ragu in July. Maybe you can bookmark this for Fall?

A good ragu is made from simple ingredients you probably already have in your fridge and pantry. Because the ingredients are so simple, it’s key that they’re good quality. Good olive oil, produce, garlic, tomatoes and meat. Throw it all in a pot and let it simmer slowly for a couple of hours until the meat falls apart and everything melds together into something deliciously comforting. A ragu is the perfect Sunday supper.

I made this for my easy, no-machine orecchiete but it’s perfect over any kind of hearty pasta or grain. And it’s even better when followed immediately by a nap.

On that note, recipes will be scarce for a bit because I’ll be exploring the Pacific Northwest with Tom. (I’ve even made a spreadsheet of all the restaurants we want to hit up.) So, I’ll post a sweet treat next week, but I won’t be as post-y as usual.

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easy, no-machine homemade pasta dough

Published by mel on July 28, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.

I’ve always thought homemade pasta was more work than I cared to take on. Make the dough, knead the dough, cut it, feed it into a machine multiple times, then cut again. All that work for a few strands of fresh pasta that I could easily buy at Whole Foods? No thanks. Besides, I try to avoid foods that require special equipment beyond a mixer or food processor. Except for ice cream. I’ll store any machine for homemade ice cream.

So, I don’t want to buy the machine, but I’ve always wanted to at least attempt making my own pasta. I’m such a contrarian. Like when Tom asks me what I’d like for dinner and I’ll say pizza. So, he’ll ask me where I’d like to order from, but I can’t decide or I’m too lazy to pick it up, and we end up eating frozen burritos. It’s a bit like that.

Anyway, back to the pasta. I finally decided to make an attempt, but it would have to be one of those “rustic” pastas that have a more free-form shape. Something I didn’t need a machine or rolling pin to accomplish. Something exactly like Orecchiette. An ear-shaped pasta that doesn’t have to be perfect and only requires one piece of special equipment everyone, or at least most everyone, has handy — your thumb. This dough actually comes together rather quickly (about 30 minutes active time) and requires little of the tedious work associated with fresh pasta.

For Saturday’s dinner, I decided to make giant orecchiette to hold up to the hearty lamb ragu I served over it (recipe later this week). Usually, I’d make smaller shapes if I was pairing the pasta with a lighter sauce. I also used all semolina flour, which makes for heartier, less delicate pasta. You can follow the same method using cake (not self-rising) flour, or half semolina, half cake flour for a lighter texture. I also know that a lot of people use “00″ flour for homemade pasta, but I’ve never been able to find it.

If you’ve been wanting to make your own pasta, but don’t have the patience and cabinet space for a pasta machine, definitely give this recipe a go.

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roasted asparagus & pistachio pesto over fettuccine

Published by mel on June 4, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.

roasted asparagus & pistachio pesto over fettuccine

I’m not usually a fan of pesto. I never order it, and avoid fancy sandwiches that are adorned with the stuff. It’s usually so oily that I can’t taste anything else. And who wants to taste pesto instead of mozzarella or Gouda or prosciutto? Not me!

But I had all of this lovely, purple-tipped asparagus and I am just a bit bored of roasted asparagus. Since the pantry and fridge were devoid of anything other than grains, beans and fire-roasted tomatoes, I didn’t have many options about what to do with my asparagus. So, I roasted it and made a pesto, figuring that I could go lighter on the oil because the juicy asparagus would compensate. I also used pistachios instead of pine nuts because it’s what I had, and I threw some roasted mushrooms in for texture.

The dish was much less greasy that its traditional cousin. The asparagus was almost creamy and the pistachios added a nice crunch. Lemon and garlic brightened it up and added a nice bite. I’m not even sure I can call this pesto, but it was darn tasty. It would also make a fabulous sandwich spread or even a dip for crackers. I skipped the meat this time, but I suspect this would be a nice side to grilled steak, chicken or sausage. Or even just a light sprinkling of toasted breadcrumbs or chopped black olives or a poached egg. Endless possibilities…

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portuguese chourico, scallop & radicchio rigatoni

Published by mel on May 2, 2008 in entree and recipe.

portuguese chourico, scallop & radicchio rigatoni

A few weeks ago, I thought to myself “I really must start exploring a world beyond Spanish chorizo.” I didn’t say it out loud of course (my husband would file for divorce), but I had the thought. So, what was on the menu this week? Rigatoni with Portuguese chouico, which I’m pretty sure is the Portuguese version of Spanish chorizo. Just looked on Wikipedia, and yep, that’s what it is.

Here’s what really happened. I knew I had some scallops in the freezer and I knew I wanted use them in a pasta. So, I planned out a nice pancetta & scallop pasta with radicchio. While I’m sure that would have been lovely, my grocery store was out of pancetta. Sure, I could have used bacon, but they only had Oscar Meyer and I’m a snob. Right above that flabby Oscar Meyer bacon was a package of hot Portuguese chourico, so I grabbed that instead.

Since you can’t really go wrong with chorizo of any nationality, the pasta turned out really well. I especially liked the radicchio in this dish. It was browned and added a nice bitter contrast to the sweet tomatoes and scallops. It was also done in under 20 minutes. The only downside was all the dishes (cutting board, bowl, skillet, pot, colander, etc.), but really that’s more of my husband’s concern.

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ricotta & pea ravioli in parmesan broth

Published by mel on April 28, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.

ricotta & pea ravioli in parmesan broth

I learned a valuable lesson on Saturday night: Don’t start making ravioli 30 minutes before your guests arrive. Especially if you’re not dressed yet. Especially if your shopping bags are littered on the floor and counter top. Especially if your guests are punctual.

Thank God my guests were not very punctual. I pinched the last ravioli together 5 minutes after they were supposed to arrive and I still had time to throw on some clothes and makeup.

The ravioli in question were stuffed with a blend of peas, whole milk ricotta and a pinch of cardamom. I really wanted the creamy mixture to shine so instead of drenching them in sauce, I poached the ravioli in a concentrated Parmesan broth and served them in that. I think this is my new favorite method for serving ravioli. The chicken stock and Parmesan rinds had been simmering for about 3 hours by the time we ate and the stock turned a deep, nut brown color. The whole apartment smelled of Parmesan. It was wonderful!

And the ravioli were really good. Creamy and pea-y and a nice contrast to the tangy broth. The meal turned out great and I’ll definitely make it again. Though next time I hope to give myself a bit more of a head start.

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