Falling for Risotto, Again
Posted: November 11, 2013 Filed under: pasta, sides & soups, veggies | Tags: Autumn Food, comfort food, food, meatless monday, pumpkin, recipes, risotto, squash, vegetarian 15 Comments
who’s up for a round of squash?
Guys, I think I have another food obsession. Everyone (everyone who regularly reads this blog, that is) knows that I’m obsessed with chicken. And eggs. Duh.
But after searching through my recipes, there are a lot that involve squash. Zucchini. Butternut. Acorn. And like this risotto, pumpkin. If you asked me when I was a kid – heck, if you asked me 5 years ago – I would have said that I didn’t like squash in any form. It was squishy and gross and bland. Oh, how naive I was. Squash is nothing like that. It’s sweet and rich and earthy. And crazy versatile.
Which brings me to pumpkin. Most people are used to seeing squashes in all kind of dishes this time of year, but pumpkin still seems to be something we just carve up or bake into a pie. Seasonal lattes aside, there’s more to pumpkin than just that. And risotto, with it’s creamy, fluffy rice, is the perfect base for this autumnal flavor. And please don’t get put off by the somewhat laborious process of making risotto. It’s worth it in the end, I promise. Would this squash fanatic lie to you?
Maple Pumpkin Risotto
2 cups of apple juice or cider
3 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
1 tablespoon of butter
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 ½ cups of diced leeks
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
2 cups of Arborio rice
1 cup of white wine
1 15oz can of pumpkin puree
3 tablespoon of maple syrup
2 tablespoon of grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
Salt & pepper
4 slices of maple-glazed bacon, cooked & crumbled (optional)
In a medium sauce pan, combine the apple juice and stock and warm over low heat.
Heat the butter and oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook until soft and slightly caramelized, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and nutmeg, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the rice and wine, and cook until the wine has been absorbed.
Next, add ½ cup of the juice/broth mixture to the rice and stir frequently. When fully absorbed, add another ½ cup of the mixture. Repeat this process until all of the juice/broth mixture has been absorbed into the rice, or until the rice is al dente. The rice should nearly double in size, so use that as a gauge, too.
Stir in the pumpkin puree, maple syrup and Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Plate, garnish with extra Parmesan (and bacon), and eat.
(*Also, I realize putting maple-glazed bacon on this doesn’t make it meatless. But I’m not saying you HAVE to put it on there. But I am telling you it tastes pretty good if you do.)
Zucchini Linguine
Posted: June 10, 2013 Filed under: pasta, sauces & gravy, veggies | Tags: asparagus, food, meatless monday, pasta, recipes, sauces, summer food, tomatoes, zucchini 9 Comments
pasta party
My summer romance with zucchini is heating up again. I think corn is starting to get jealous.
This time I’ve roasted some zucchini slices along with fresh asparagus and combined them with stewed tomatoes to make a very rustic sauce. (It would have been more rustic if I used fresh tomatoes too. Oh well. Next time.) I then tossed the sauce with linguine for a truly summer-y supper. It’ll fill you up but not in that heavy-brick-in-the-stomach type of way that’s not very fun to have on a warm evening.
Roasted Vegetable Linguine
2 small zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced ½ inch thick
1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed & cut into 2 inch pieces
1 small onion, diced
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon of cracked red pepper flakes
1 14.5 oz can of stewed tomatoes
1 teaspoon of tomato paste
½ cup of grated pecorino romano cheese plus more for garnish
½ lb of linguine
Handful of fresh basil, chopped
Olive oil
Sea salt
Pepper
Heat your oven to 425º.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Toss the zucchini and asparagus with a tablespoon of olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Season with sea salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 20 minutes.
Heat another tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Increase to medium-heat, add the stewed tomatoes and tomato paste and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese.
Cook the linguine until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of cooking liquid and drain. Add the linguine to the skillet with the sauce. Add the roasted vegetables and a little of the reserved cooking liquid (more or less depending on how thick you want the sauce) and toss to combine. Garnish with additional cheese and basil, and then eat.
Creamy, Dreamy Fettuccine
Posted: January 18, 2013 Filed under: pasta, sauces & gravy | Tags: fettuccine, food, goat cheese, pasta, recipes, red peppers, sauce, supper 7 Comments
supper’s ready
Mac and cheese is something we all know and love. I’m all for making the traditional stuff, when I have the time. But I’m also okay with the stuff from a box, usually because it’s quick and easy, and I got home late from work and I’m starving and just want to eat already. But there are other options that are just as fast. Like making a simple sauce from roasted red peppers and goat cheese, then tossing it with fettuccine. It’s got the lets-eat-already quickness that I need with the rich, homemade taste that I want.
Fettuccine with Creamy Red Pepper & Goat Cheese Sauce
– 1 small yellow onion
– 3 cloves of garlic
– 1 7oz jar of roasted red peppers, drained & chopped
– ½ teaspoon of Italian seasoning
– ¼ cup of low-sodium chicken (or veggie) stock
– ¾ cup of crumbled goat cheese (or feta)
– ½ lb of fettuccine
– Salt and pepper
– Olive oil
– Small handful of parsley, roughly chopped
– Sliced grilled chicken (optional)
Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft and golden, about 8 minutes. Add the red peppers, Italian seasoning and pepper to taste, and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Place the mixture into a food processor along with the chicken stock and goat cheese. Process until combined and smooth, about 30 seconds. Meanwhile, cook the fettuccine according to the directions. Drain and then toss with the sauce. Stir in the parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. Plate, add a few slices of grilled chicken and eat.
Bow-tied Butternut
Posted: November 20, 2012 Filed under: pasta, veggies | Tags: Autumn Food, comfort food, food, pasta, recipes, vegetarian 4 Comments
pasta squash’d
Okay, I know everyone’s thinking: Really? Two days before Thanksgiving and this guy gives us a pasta recipe?
Yes really. Because have you ever fried sage leaves? How about pasta? Do you know what happens? The soft and fuzzy sage leaves turn dark green and crisp up. The pasta turns golden. Combined with roasted butternut squash, something magical and autumnal happens. (Yes, also still using that word.) You might think this dish would be complicated, but the hardest part is peeling and chopping the squash. In reality, you just roast and pan fry everything together.
Pan-Fried Pasta with Roasted Butternut Squash & Sage
– 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed & cut into 1 inch cubes
– 1 small yellow onion, diced
– 3 cloves of garlic, minced
– 1 bunch of sage leaves
– ¾ lb of farfalle pasta (aka bow-tie)
– ½ cup of pine nuts
– 1 cup of grated Parmesan
– Salt and pepper
– Olive oil
Heat your oven to 375º.
In a large bowl, toss the butternut squash, onion and garlic with a drizzle of olive oil. Mince half of the sage leaves and add to the vegetables. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread the mixture in a thin layer on a baking sheet and roast for about 40 minutes, or until the squash is tender and just starting to brown. Stir once during roasting.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the farfalle and cook until al dente. Drain and set aside.
As the squash finishes roasting, add 2 tablespoons of oil to a large, high-sided pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the remaining sage leaves and fry for 1 to 2 minutes, or just until they begin to shrivel. Remove from the oil, lightly salt and then crush with the back of a spoon.
Next add the pasta and roasted squash mixture to the pan. Add the crumbled fried sage leaves and cook, stirring frequently, for about 6 minutes, or until the pasta turns golden and slightly crisps on the edges. Stir in the pine nuts and cook another minute. Off the heat stir in the Parmesan, season to taste with additional pepper, and then eat.
Pumpkin to the Mac
Posted: November 8, 2012 Filed under: pasta | Tags: cheese, comfort food, food, pasta, recipes, vegetarian 4 Comments
pump’d up
Earlier this year when it was cold and dark outside, I made mac & cheese with cauliflower as a secret ingredient. Now that we’ve come full circle – seriously, I hate daylight savings time – I’ve made mac & cheese again, this time with pureed pumpkin hidden amongst the cheesy goodness. Will you taste the pumpkin? That depends on the power of your taste buds. But either way, there’s nothing more comforting than a hot plate of cheesy macaroni on a chilly night.
Pumpkin Mac & Cheese
– 3 cups of elbow macaroni
– 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
– 2 tablespoons of flour
– 2 cups of milk
– ¾ cup of pumpkin puree
– 4 oz (1 cup) of shredded Colby Jack cheese
– 4 oz (1 cup) of shredded Gruyere cheese
– 2 oz (½ cup) of grated Parmesan
– ¼ teaspoon of salt
– ⅛ teaspoon of pepper
– Pinch of ground nutmeg
– ¼ cup of breadcrumbs
Heat your oven to 375º.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the elbow macaroni and cook 1 to 2 minutes less than the directions. Drain and set aside.
While macaroni cooks, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until dissolved. Slowly whisk in the milk and let cook until thick, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the pumpkin. Remove from the heat and mix in the cheeses, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir until smooth.
Combine the cheese sauce with pasta and then pour into a lightly greased baking dish. Top with the breadcrumbs. Bake until golden and bubbling, about 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly and then eat.
Make Room for Mushrooms
Posted: October 11, 2012 Filed under: pasta, sides & soups | Tags: easy, food, mushrooms, orzo, pasta, recipes, side dishes 6 Comments
or, thyme is orzo side
You always need a good side dish to fill out your plate, right? This mushroom & herb orzo went perfectly with my pork florentine the other night. But you could also just toss some cooked chicken in with it, and then you’ve got yourself a simple supper. I was thinking some additional veggies might be good too, like roasted butternut squash or sauteed zucchini. It’s fall, use your imagination!
Mushroom & Herb Orzo
– 1 cup of orzo
– 1 tablespoon of butter
– 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
– 1 8 oz package of sliced white mushrooms, roughly chopped
– 2 cloves of garlic, minced
– ¼ cup of Marsala wine
– 1 tablespoon of freshly chopped sage
– 1 teaspoon of freshly chopped thyme
– ½ teaspoon of cracked red pepper
– Handful of Italian parsley, chopped
– Garlic salt
– Salt and pepper
– Olive oil
In a large skillet, heat the butter and a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook until soft, about 6 minutes. Season with garlic salt and pepper, add the minced garlic, and cook another minute. Add the Marsala wine and let everything simmer for about 10 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been reduced.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
Add the sage, thyme and cracked red pepper to the skillet and cook until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Off the heat, add the orzo, parsley, a large drizzle of olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir until combined.
Plate (possibly with a fantastic pork dish) and eat.
Sprung on Risotto
Posted: May 9, 2012 Filed under: pasta, sides & soups | Tags: food, recipes, risotto 3 Comments
mind your peas and Qs
Spring has sprung! Well, kind of. The weather in New England has been the usual mix of sunny weekdays and cloudy, rainy weekends. Just when you think it’s time to put away the long sleeves and pop on some flip-flops, it goes and rains for 3 days straight. So, in the hopes of making the weather gods happy (or just making myself happy), I’ve made a risotto featuring some lovely spring vegetables. This is a slight variation on the roasted butternut squash risotto I made in the fall, swapping out the squash for leeks and peas. The little green peas add a nice burst of color, right?
Bacon, Leek & Pea Risotto
– 4 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
– 6 slices of thick-cut applewood smoked bacon, chopped
– 2 large leeks, thinly sliced
– ½ of a yellow onion, chopped
– 2 garlic cloves, diced
– 2 cups of Arborio rice
– ¾ cup of white wine
– 1 cup of petite frozen peas
– 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter
– 1 small handful of parsley, chopped, plus more for garnish
– ¼ cup of grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
– Garlic salt
– Freshly cracked black pepper
– Crushed red pepper flakes
Bring the chicken broth and ½ cup of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Cover to keep warm.
In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the bacon until crisp. Place on a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Add the leeks, onions and garlic to the drippings (or some olive oil) and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the Arborio rice and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Then stir in the white wine and cook until the wine is absorbed into the rice.
Next, add the broth mixture, ½ cup at a time and stirring constantly, to the rice. When full absorbed, add another ½ cup of broth. Repeat this process until all of the broth has been absorbed into the rice. Add the peas and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the bacon, butter, parsley and Parmesan. Season to taste with garlic salt, pepper, even some crushed red pepper flakes. Plate, top with some extra bacon, parsley or Parmesan, and eat.
Whole-y Fettuccine!
Posted: February 24, 2012 Filed under: pasta, sauces & gravy | Tags: comfort food, food, pasta, recipes, vegetarian 4 Comments
hey alfredo
So, I’m no health nut. This shouldn’t be a shock to people who know me. But I do think I could eat a bit healthier now and then. That’s what prompted my resolution to eat more veggies this year. And, it’s why I’ve (insanely) decided to give up some of the foods I love for the next 40 or so days. I’ll spare you the laundry list, but it’s going to force me to get a little creative with my meals. Take this fettuccine alfredo, for example. You could use whatever kind of pasta you prefer, but I used 100% whole wheat fettuccine. Is it really that much better than traditional fettuccine? I’m sure we could debate about that all day. But putting more whole grains into my body doesn’t sound like a bad thing. So I did. Plus, that whole wheat pasta went really well with this quick (and light!) alfredo sauce. It’s so easy, too. You can make the sauce in the time it takes to cook the pasta, and just toss it all together.
Fettuccine Alfredo
– 12 oz of whole wheat fettuccine
– 1 ½ tablespoons of unsalted butter
– 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
– 1 teaspoon of lemon zest
– 2 teaspoons of flour
– 1 cup of 2% milk
– 2 ½ tablespoons of Neufchatel (or low-fat cream cheese)
– 1 cup of grated Parmesan, plus more for topping
– 2 tablespoons of chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus more for topping
– Salt and pepper
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook until al dente.
Meanwhile, in a medium pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and lemon zest and cook until the garlic is slightly soft, about 1 minute. Add the flour and cook, constantly stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk, ¾ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of pepper and cook, whisking constantly, until sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. Add the Neufchatel and Parmesan, whisk until melted and the sauce is smooth. Stir in the chopped parsley.
When cooked, drain the fettuccine and return it the pot. Add the sauce and gently toss until combined. Season with additional salt and pepper if necessary. Plate, top with Parmesan and parsley, and eat.
Just Caul(-iflower) It Mac and Cheese
Posted: January 23, 2012 Filed under: eggs!, pasta | Tags: comfort food, eggs, food, pasta, recipes, vegetarian 4 Comments
there's cauliflower hidden in there ... i promise
My resolution to eat more veggies is in full swing. Well … partial swing, because I’m still using cheese to ease myself into it. Lots of yummy cheese. Boston finally (sadly?) had a snowy weekend, so I thought mac and cheese would be a great way to combat the blustery weather. But this easy version has cauliflower hidden in the sauce, so it’s a slightly healthier option. I bet if you served this to someone they’d never even know it. It can be your little secret.
Cauliflower Mac & Cheese
– ½ head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
– 4 cups of cavatappi pasta (or whatever pasta you like)
– 1 large egg
– 1 ½ cups of light cream
– ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
– Pinch of nutmeg
– Salt and pepper
– 2 ½ cups of sharp cheddar, shredded
– 1 cup of Parmesan, grated & divided in half
– ½ cup of breadcrumbs
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower and cook until almost falling apart, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cauliflower to a bowl. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve ¼ cup of liquid, drain and set past aside.
While the cauliflower and pasta are cooking, whisk the egg, cream, cayenne and nutmeg together in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
In the same large pot, add the cream mixture and the cheese, and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the cheese melts and the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in the cauliflower. Transfer to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth (or use an immersion blender right in the pot). Add the reserved pasta liquid and blend until creamy.
Toss the pasta with the cheese sauce, season with additional salt and pepper, and transfer to a baking dish. Top with the remaining ½ cup of Parmesan and breadcrumbs. Bake for about 10 minutes in a 450ºF oven, or until the breadcrumbs brown. Let cool for a few minutes and then eat.
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Ragu You
Posted: December 15, 2011 Filed under: meat, pasta, sauces & gravy | Tags: braised short ribs, food, meat, pasta, recipes, sauces 5 Comments
those are leftovers??
As part of a pre-New Year’s resolution, I’ve been trying to do more with my leftover and let fewer things go to waste. My root beer braised short ribs were so good the first time, but could they get even better the second time around? The addition of crushed tomatoes and pasta did the trick, as I turned short ribs into a hearty meat sauce. This recipe is incredibly easy to make, so it’s perfect for a weeknight dinner.
Braised Short Rib Ragu with Pappardelle
– ½ cup of diced white onion
– ¼ cup of diced carrots
– 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
– 3 to 4 braised short ribs, cut into small pieces
– 1 28oz can of crushed tomatoes
– 2 tablespoons of red wine
– ¼ cup of beef broth
– Dried oregano
– Olive oil
– Salt and pepper
– Parmesan
– Pappardelle, or similar wide pasta
In a Dutch oven, heat some oil on medium-high heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook until soft, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another two minutes. Add the short ribs and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, wine and beef broth, season to taste with oregano, salt and pepper, and let the sauce simmer for about 20 minutes. Serve over pappardelle, and top with shaved Parmesan.
I didn’t include it in the ingredients, but I also threw in some leftover mushrooms that I had sautéed in some olive oil and seasoned with salt, pepper and a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce. I decided to use pappardelle since it’s such a thick pasta and really held up under the chunky sauce. While eating this dish, I totally forgot that most of the stuff that went into this ragu were leftovers, which is pretty cool.
egg me on 