Pasta

[Arrianna]

allezcuisine May 9, 2006, 2:23pm »
Woohoo! Right up my Sicilian ally! LOL.


I just love Sicilian food, and this recipe is no exception. Enjoy it!

The recipe is called "Pasta con pesce spada" which means pasta with sword fish. How could you go wrong with sword fish, pasta and wine? I mean my grandfather gave my mother wine in her bottle when she was a baby. This recipe is wonderful:

Pasta con pesce spada

(pasta with sword fish)



Ingredients (serves 4)

Penne or Fusilli (about 1 pound)

pesce spada/sword fish (one slice half an inch thick, chopped into small cubes)

pomodoro pelato/peeled tomatoes (one tin of chopped tomatoes is fine if you don’t have fresh cherry tomatoes)

aglio/garlic (one clove)

cipolla/onion (one)

menta/mint

olio d’oliva/olive oil

sale/salt

pepe/pepper

vino bianco/white wine



Procedure

Chop the garlic and onion and brown them in a frying pan on a moderate heat with some olive oil.

Increase the flame, add the chopped sword fish and let it brown.

Sprinkle with white wine and turn the flame down again.

Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper and mint and let it all cook for a few minutes.

Cook the pasta until "al dente", drain it and mix it with the sword fish in the frying pan.

Serve hot, adding a few leaves of fresh mint and –if one desires- some small cubes of fried aubergines.



It can be served as a main dish, followed by salad or vegetables and accompanied by cool white wine.

[Arrianna]

allezcuisine Jul 15, 2006, 8:29am »
Here is a delicious scallop recipe.

Pan-Seared Scallops on Linguine With Tomato-Cream Sauce Recipe
A touch of cream gives this slightly tangy sauce a silky-smooth finish. Be sure to serve this dish with yummy-crust hot bread so you can sop up every drop of sauce.

1 cup dry white wine
1/4 minced shallot
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (no substitutes)
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup chopped seeded plum tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 1/2 cups cooked linguine
cooking spray
3/4 lb large scallops
1/8 teaspoon salt
chopped cilantro

Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium skillet; bring to a boil.
Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup(about 5 mins).
Drain mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, reserving liquid; discard solids.
Return wine mixture to skillet.
Add cream; cook over medium heat 1 minute.
Add butter stirring until butter melts.
Stir in tomato, cilantro, 1/8 teaspoon salt and pepper.
Add linguine; toss well.
Cover and keep warm.
Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat.
Sprinkle scallops with 1/8 teaspoon salt.
Arrange scallops in pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until done.
Add scallops to pasta mixture; toss gently to combine.
Garnish with cilantro, if desired.

[Arrianna]

missteetheironchef Jul 15, 2006, 10:31am »
www.arcamax.com/cgi-bin/news/pic/14033/777097

very funny comical recipe i may add.

[Arrianna]

missteetheironchef Oct 2, 2006, 3:19pm »
Creamed Orzo with Leeks and Parmesan

Serves 12

4 Tbl butter
2 large leeks, cleaned and sliced thinly
1 cup chicken stock (canned is fine)
1 cup orzo cooked (tri-color or regular white is fine)
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Ground nutmeg to taste
4 Tbl grated Parmesan cheese

Get your pot of water boiling and start your orzo. While the orzo cooks...

Melt butter in large sauté pan. Add leeks and cook over Medium heat until they are completely loose. Add chicken stock and simmer until the stock almost disappears. Drain your orzo when it's finished cooking. Then at this point add cream to the sauté pan with the leek mixture. Heat thoroughly. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. A sprinkling of each will do. Just before serving, add the Parmesan and stir until it melts.

Note: If you are making this ahead, you can add the Parmesan right away. Chill. Then just reheat in the oven in a casserole. If the orzo looks a bit dry in the oven, you can add a little extra cream. Stir once while it is reheating in the oven. This usually takes about 30 minutes on 300 degrees.

[Arrianna]

missteetheironchef Oct 21, 2006, 10:26am »
Baked Ziti

8 oz. ziti pasta cooked "al dente"
1 32-oz. jar spaghetti sauce
1 15-oz. container ricotta cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
One quarter cup Parmesan cheese

Place cooked ziti pasta along the bottom of a 13 x 9 inch-baking dish. Top with spaghetti sauce, ricotta cheese, one-cup mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes, remove and top with remaining mozzarella cheese and bake for another 10 minutes.

The Skinny: Use low fat cheeses.

[Arrianna]

missteetheironchef Oct 25, 2006, 10:23am »
Spaghetti with Clam Sauce
By EatingWell.com

Yield: 4 servings
Active Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Ease of preparation: Moderate

Canned baby clams make an especially convenient sauce for pasta, but you can substitute 1/2 lb. fresh minced clams and let them simmer for 3 minutes.

1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 10-oz. can whole baby clams, drained, juice reserved,
or 8 ounces minced fresh clams, juice reserved
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. pine nuts
12 ounces spaghetti or linguine

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and garlic; cook, stirring, until the tomatoes have softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in wine and clam juice; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in parsley, basil and clams and heat through. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Toast pine nuts in a small dry skillet, stirring, over medium heat, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and add to the skillet with the sauce. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with the pine nuts and serve immediately.

Nutritional Information

Per serving: 496 calories; 9 g fat (2 g sat, 3 g mono); 113 mg cholesterol; 72 g carbohydrate; 36 g protein; 11 g fiber; 759 mg sodium; 225 mg potassium.

[Arrianna]

missteetheironchef Nov 10, 2006, 2:23pm »
Linguine with Clam Sauce
1 26-oz. jar pasta sauce
4 6-oz. cans minced clams, undrained
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 pound linguine
One third cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Combine pasta sauce, clams, garlic and red pepper flakes in a saucepan and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer. Meanwhile, cook linguine according to package directions, drain and serve with clam sauce on top. Sprinkle with fresh Parmesan cheese.

The Skinny: Not much room for improvement here.

[Arrianna]

missteetheironchef Nov 13, 2006, 4:00pm »
Beef Cannelloni with Mushroom Tomato Sauce

Serves 4 for entrée. Can be doubled or tripled for a bigger crowd

In Italian, cannelloni means "big pipes". It's usually made with lasagna noodles cooked and rolled around the stuffing. I'm going to make it easier by using manicotti noodles so if you want you can call this manicotti but there will be no ricotta filling like traditional manicotti.

Noodles:

1 box of manicotti noodles. (3 to 4 noodles per person)

Cook according to directions and drain. Then let them rest in a 9 by 13 pan with an inch of water in it to keep them moist until the filling is ready to stuff.

While the pasta water heats up you can start your filling.

Filling:

2 Tbl of olive oil
one half cup of chopped onion
1 tsp garlic crushed
three quarters pound of ground sirloin
8oz of chopped organic tomatoes drained (half of a usual-sized can)
2 Tbl of breadcrumbs
one quarter cup of grated romano cheese
one egg lightly beaten
salt and pizza grinder spice to taste
a light dusting of cayenne

Heat the oil in the sauce pan. Add the onions and garlic. Sauté for 3 minutes until soft. Do not brown the garlic. Add the ground sirloin and cook until browned. Stir often. Add the tomatoes. Cover and cook for 10 more minutes over low heat. Stir in the breadcrumbs. Remove from heat. Add the romano, egg and spices. Stir thoroughly. Set aside to cool.

Cook the pasta in your boiling water and drain as noted above.

Sauce:

3 Tbl of butter
3 Tbl of flour
1 cup of milk (skim is okay)
1 cup buttermilk
one quarter cup of grated romano
grated nutmeg
salt and pepper

8 ounces of sliced mushrooms
1 tsp of butter
1 tsp of olive oil
8 oz. of diced tomatoes (the other half of the can from above)
dusting of parmesan cheese

Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour. You are making a béchamel sauce. Cook gently over low heat for one minute. Stir often. Remove from heat and whisk in the milk and the buttermilk. Do this slowly while you whisk constantly so you don't end up with lumps. Return to heat and bring to a boil; whisking constantly until thickened and smooth. Season with salt, pepper and a dash of nutmeg. Cover and keep warm off of the heat. Reheat and add a little extra milk if necessary to get the sauce back to smooth and pourable.

In a separate sauté pan, sauté the mushrooms with the butter and oil. Cook on medium just until the mushrooms start to brown on the edges. Stir in tomatoes and set aside until ready to assemble cannelloni.

You now have your pasta. Your filling. Your sauce and your sauce topper (the mushroom mixture). You are ready for assembly. You can even solicit the help of teenagers or other guests to help with this part.

Assembly:

The trick here is to gently handle the pasta so you don't tear it. Even if you do tear it don't be alarmed. It will still taste great. It just won't hold its shape the same way.

When I stuff cannelloni I told the pasta tube upright in my hand. My hand is cupped like a tulip and the pasta is resting the middle. With a small spoon (coffee spoon) I slide a couple of spoonsful of filling into the manicotti noodle. Arrange the cylindrical noodles in an oiled 9 by 9 oven proof pan. ( 9 by 13 for larger crowds. Or even two 9 by 13 pans if necessary). Just lay them next to each other as you fill them. You'll have 3 to 4 stuffed noodles per person depending on appetite sizes.

Spoon the white (béchamel) sauce over the noodles laying in the pan. Scatter the mushroom mixture over the white sauce. Sprinkle with the parmesan. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 20 - 30 minutes. You are really just heating the pasta until it's golden and bubbles.

Serve with salad or wilted spinach.

[Arrianna]

missteetheironchef Nov 21, 2006, 12:03pm »
Hearty Mac and Cheese Strata with Bacon
Serves 4. Can be doubled

One half pound of elbow macaroni (I use the smaller ones if I can find them). You can use macaroni or even penne or rigatoni. (2 cups of noodles)
2 Tbl of butter
one half cup of shallots diced
one pound of sliced mushrooms (button or exotic)
1 Tbl of white flour
one half tsp of dry mustard
one quarter tsp of salt
one quarter tsp of cayenne pepper
1 tsp of Worchestershire sauce
three quarters of a cup of grated Emmenthaler cheese or Swiss
one and a half cups of grated mild cheddar
6 slices of bacon
one half cup of breadcrumbs made from fresh bread

Cut the bacon crosswise into small strips. Fry until crisp. You'll have automatic bacon bites. Wipe out the pan. You can now re-use it for your sauté portion of the recipe.

Cook your pasta in a pot of boiling water. Drain the pasta and put it back in the pot. Add the milk, flour, mustard, salt, cayenne, worchestershire and the cheese. Stir until well blended.

While the pasta is cooking....

In a sauté pan melt the butter and add the shallots and mushrooms. Cook on medium high until onions are loose and mushrooms have reduced and are beginning to brown just slightly on the sides.

Now you're ready to assemble your strata.

In the bottom of a 9 X 9" oven-proof pan with tall sides, add your mushroom mixture. Then add half of the bacon. Add the mac and cheese mixture. The other half of the bacon and now the bread crumbs.

Bake the pasta for 30 minutes on 350. The top will be crunchy and the flavor delicious!

Serve with a salad....suggestion: romaine, sliced yellow pepper, cherry tomatoes and Caesar dressing.

[Arrianna]

missteetheironchef Yesterday at 10:16am »
Athenian Orzo
By EatingWell.com
Yield: 4 servings
Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Ease of preparation: Moderate

Orzo, a rice-shaped pasta, makes a delightful base for an authentically Greek combination of shrimp, tomatoes and feta. To serve as a side dish, omit the shrimp and drain the tomatoes before adding them.

1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
1 tablespoon drained capers
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Pinch of crushed red pepper
1 pound medium shrimp (30-40 per pound), peeled and deveined
1 cup orzo
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1. Preheat oven to 450 F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch (or other 3-quart) baking dish with cooking spray. Put a large pot of lightly salted water on to boil.

2. Heat oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add wine and cook for about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, 1 1/2 tablespoons parsley, capers, oregano, basil, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper; cook for 5 minutes. Drop in shrimp and cook, stirring, until barely pink, about 2 1/2 minutes.

3. Cook orzo in the boiling water until tender but still firm, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to the prepared baking dish. Toss with the tomato-shrimp sauce. Sprinkle with feta and the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons parsley.

4. Bake, uncovered, until the feta is bubbly, about 10 minutes.

Nutrition Information

Per serving: 397 calories; 9 g fat (4 g sat, 3 g mono); 189 mg cholesterol; 44 g carbohydrate; 34 g protein; 4 g fiber; 991 mg sodium. Nutrition bonus: 26 mg vitamin C (45% daily value), 730 mg potassium (37% dv), 7 mg iron (35% dv), 124 mcg folate (31% dv), 243 mg calcium (25% dv), 97 mg magnesium (24% dv), 15% dv vitamin A, 15% dv fiber.

[mickster]

New Year's Celebration Pasta:

Cook as much of any kind of pasta you will want for however many people you are serving.
Olive oil
green onions, chopped coursely
Fresh mushrooms, small ones
Green bell peppers, diced small
Red bell peppers, diced small
Raw salad shirmp
Raw bay scallops
Spicy sausage (optional)
Dry white wine (chablis, chardonnay - optional, can also use a non-alcholic wine)
Can of diced tomatoes, with juice
Heavy whipping cream
season to taste, i.e., garlic powder, black pepper, cajon seasoning, etc.

In skillet over med-hi heat, add olive oil, green onions, mushrooms red and green peppbers, shrimp, scallops, and sausage. Saute until the seafood is almost done. Remove from pan. Deglaze skillet with the wine, add the tomatoes with juice and the cream. Add seasoning to taste. If the sauce is not thick enough add a bit of corn starch mixed with some of the juice from the shrimp and scallop mixture. Add everything together and mix. To this, add your cooked pasta. This can be served warm or cold. You probably can figure out how much of everything you need of stuff without measuring.

[missteetheironchef]

Baked pasta with sausage, tomatoes and mushrooms

This dish will serve 8 and can be made a day ahead and re-heated. Easily doubled.

1 16oz box of pasta, your choice. I like penne or bow ties best for this dish.

2-3 pounds of Italian sausage. For a healthy version you can use turkey sausage. You can also use loose sausage (not in the casing). I used a combo of mild Italian and Sundried Tomato/Basil sausages for one version and hot Italian sausage for the other. Cut the sausage into 1/4 slices or break up the loose meat into bite-sized pieces.

3 Tbl olive oil
1 lb sliced mushrooms. Button mushrooms or exotic, your choice
2 cups diced Vidalia onion
2 Tbl butter
1 cup diced fresh basil
1 Tbl Italian spice blend
4 cloves garlic diced (jar garlic, again, is fine. 4 tsp)
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups diced tomatoes. (I use organic tomatoes in a can.)
1 cup crushed tomatoes. (I use organic fire-roasted tomatoes in a can. Muir Glen is one brand.)
1 cup Parmesan or Asiago-Romano finely grated
2 cups shredded mozzarella (this can be low-fat)

Cook the pasta according to box instructions. Drain and put in a 9 X 13" ovenproof pan.

Brown the sausage in the olive oil until the edges are browned and there is no longer any pink in the middle. This will take about 5 - 7 minutes on medium high. Stir often.

Remove the sausage but leave the drippings in the sauté pan. Add the mushrooms, onion and butter. Cook until mushrooms and onion are soft. 5 minutes should do it. Add the basil, Italian spices and the wine. Cook down on medium high until most of the liquid is gone.

Add the diced tomatoes, the crushed tomatoes and garlic. Heat until all ingredients are warmed. Pour this combination and the sausage in with the pasta. Stir until well blended. Now add the cheese and stir again until well blended.

Cool. This can now be covered in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator until you want to heat it and serve. (DO NOT cover with aluminum foil. The tomatoes eat holes in the foil and you have a spoiled dinner.)

When ready to cook remove plastic wrap, if necessary, and cover with aluminum foil. Heat at 350 F. for 30 - 45 minutes until piping hot.

Serve with salad and garlic bread.

[missteetheironchef]

Sicilian Pasta

1 pound small shrimp peeled and deveined (you may also substitute with boneless, skinless chicken cut into bite size pieces)
4 cloves garlic
One half cup olive oil
1 tsp. dried basil
3 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
Hot pepper flakes to taste
1 small jar capers, drained
1 pound linguine
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Cook shrimp or chicken in deep saucepan/wok until done. Remove shrimp/chicken and discard liquid. In same saucepan add garlic, olive oil, basil, parsley, tomatoes, red pepper flakes and capers and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until garlic is cooked. Add shrimp or chicken during last 2 minutes of cooking. Meanwhile cook pasta in a separate pan until "al dente". Drain water from pasta. Add pasta to sauce, sprinkle generously with fresh Parmesan cheese and toss to completely coat pasta with sauce and cheese. Serve immediately.

The Skinny: Be careful of how much of the red pepper flakes you use. Some guests or small children may not like the heat.

[missteetheironchef]

www.arcamax.com/pic/22097/162668

[missteetheironchef]

MACARONI GRATIN WITH FRESH BASIL

Serves 4 or 5

1 quart heavy cream

1 bunch fresh basil

8 ounces dried macaroni

1 tablespoon mild-flavored vegetable oil, such as safflower oil

Salt

Freshly ground white pepper

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup finely shredded Swiss cheese

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the cream to a boil; reduce the heat to maintain a brisk simmer and continue simmering until the cream has reduced by half, to 2 cups, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, separate the basil leaves from their stems, discarding the stems. Rinse the leaves thoroughly with cold running water and dry them completely with paper towels. To cut them into julienne strips, neatly stack several leaves, roll them up into a cigar shape, and cut across the roll in thin slices with a small, sharp knife. Repeat with the remaining leaves and set aside.

When the cream has reduced, stir in the julienne of basil and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cream is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes more.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Pour in the macaroni and add the oil. Boil until the macaroni is al dente, tender but still chewy, about 10 minutes or following the manufacturer's suggested cooking time. Drain.

Preheat the broiler. Butter a shallow ovenproof serving dish.

Add the drained macaroni to the pan of basil cream. Stir thoroughly, until the macaroni is evenly coated. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Pour the mixture into the prepared serving dish.

In a small mixing bowl, toss together the Parmesan and Swiss cheeses. Sprinkle them evenly over the macaroni. Place the dish under the broiler and broil just a few minutes, watching carefully, until the cheese has melted and the top is lightly browned. Serve immediately.