Wonky Summer Pasta

I got this recipe from Jamie Oliver's 30-Minute Meals cookbook. It was totally different from anything I had ever made or eaten before in regards to a pasta dish. Adding cooked pasta to raw ingredients and in the end you have a lovely lemony, cheesey coating. It has a lovely lemony zing and basil bite which is so perfect for summertime. Now if you don't care much for lemon you may not like this dish, but I do think it is what makes the it so lovely. So if you want to tone it down a bit you could cut the amount of lemon in half or a little less to just give it a slight hint of the lemon because it's a must try dish. Most importantly the real key to this dish is eating it immediately after the pasta is mixed with the egg/cheese mixture to be enjoyed properly.

Ingredients:

2 egg yolks

125 g (1 1/4 cups) freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving (can use pre-grated but works better with fresh)

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

zest and juice from 2 lemons

a small bunch of fresh basil

500 g / 1 lb of wide noodle pasta (fettechini - wide egg noodles)

Method:

Heat water in large pot and cook pasta according to package recommendations and add a good pinch of salt.

While pasta and cooking prepare the egg/cheese mixture. Carefully separate 2 eggs and put the yolks in a large pasta serving bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Add the grated parmesan cheese along with lemon zest and juice.

Now take your small bunch of basil. Reserve some of the small leaves for later, but split the rest of your basil into 2 halves. Pound one half in a pestle and mortar until you have a green paste, and roughly chop the other half.

Add both green paste and chopped basil into the bowl. Stir until everything is mixed together, then season with salt and pepper.

When pasta is cooked, use tongs to move it from the pot into the egg mixture. If this is too tricky, go ahead and drain the pasta but save the water.

Toss the pasta and add cooking water into the mixture until you achieve the silky level you want (usually about 2-3 tablespoons). Have a quick taste to see if it needs more salt and pepper or parmesan to balance the lemon juice. Sprinkle with the reserved basil leaves and eat right away.

Cheesy Spinach Pasta Casserole

A friend of mine gave me this recipe after I just raved over it at a girly luncheon we had. I've managed to tweek it a little bit to make it even more fabulous and fattening though. On a healthier note its a great way to incorporate a little spinach in your diet. This is a great dish to be able to mix up together several hours before your dinner, but I would suggest that you wait to add the cracker crumbs on top until just before baking it.

Ingredients:

3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts - cooked and torn

3 cups bowtie pasta noodles, cooked al dente

16 oz sour cream

1/2 cup butter

1 - 10 oz package of frozen or 1 large bag of fresh spinach, chopped

8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 large onion, chopped

3 cups mild chedder cheese

1 can cream of chicken soup***(optional, but makes it fabulous)

Topping:

2 cups of butter crackers (like Ritz), crushed

1/2 cup butter, melted

Method:

While you are cooking your pasta, cook up your chicken and tear it apart with forks on a big cutting board. Set aside.

In a large skillet, melt 1/2 cup of butter on medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until soft.

Add mushrooms and fry for 2-3 minutes until soft. Then add in spinach and toss until wilted.

Turn heat down to medium. Add in shredded chicken, sour cream, and cheese and stir together.

If you want an extra creamy casserole, add in that can of cream of chicken soup. The casserole tastes pretty good without it, but it is killer with the extra creaminess. (If it makes you feel better, use the low fat, low sodium version.)

Mix all together and taste. Add salt and pepper to season to taste.

Pour al dente cooked pasta in 9x13 inch baking casserole dish. Pour chicken, spinach, mushroom mixture on top of pasta and lightly mix together.

Top with a mixture of the crushed cracker crumbs and melted butter. Bake at 350F/180C for 35-40 or until bubbly and golden brown on top.

Chicken and Alfredo with Mushrooms

One of my most favorite pasta dishes ever and I've tried a couple different homemade alfredo recipes and this is the one I like the most. It's so simple to make, but you have to care for it a bit so that the butter doesn't separate out. I think the key to this recipe is using the most freshly grated parmesan cheese you can. It can be more economical as well to buy a chunk of parmesan and grate it yourself and it really makes the sauce dynamic. I would not recommend using the grated cheese in a can for this recipe as it makes the sauce grainy.

Ingredients:

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into 4 cutlets

1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms

linguine pasta

Sauce:

1/4 cup butter

1 cup heavy cream

1 clove garlic

1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese*

* The type of parmesan cheese you use makes or breaks this sauce. If you can use freshly grated parmesan instead of the dry kind from a can and it melts much better and tastes better.

Method:

Cook pasta as directed in salted water.

Fry chicken cutlets in 1 Tbsp of olive oil for a few minutes on each side until browned and completely cooked through.

Add a splash more olive oil to pan and add mushrooms and fry until browned.

While chicken/mushrooms and pasta are cooking, prepare sauce.

Melt butter on low heat in heavy saucepan.

Add cream and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add garlic and cheese.

Whisk quickly and heat through.

Serve sauce over hot pasta topped or sided with chicken breast and mushrooms. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley.

Cannelloni with Chicken, Ricotta, and Herbs

Ingredients:

1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 cup olive oil

2 tbsp olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
6 tbsp butter
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 egg, lighlty beaten
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
8 oz/225 g dried cannelloni
2/3 cup freshly grated mozzarella

Yields - 4 servings

Method:

In a bowl, combine the vinegar, garlic, and olive oil for the marinade. Add the chicken and marinate for 30 minutes. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet. Drain the chicken and cook 5-7 minutes, stirring, until no longer pink. Set aside.

Sauce:

Melt the butter in a pan over a medium-high heat. Add the cream, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir until thickened. Reduce the heat, then add the Parmesan and stir until melted. Remove from the heat.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Stuffing and Shells:

In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta, egg, and herbs.

Stir in the chicken.

Stuff the cannelloni with the chicken mixture.

Pour half the sauce into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Place the stuffed cannelloni on top. Pour over the remaining sauce.

Sprinkle with the mozzarella.

Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes.

Let the dish stand for 10 minutes before serving.

My Mom's Lasagna

Lasagna is a great comfort food and this is my modified version of the recipe my mom used to make for us when I was growing up. She used to make her own spaghetti sauce which I haven't learned to make yet so I used the jarred sauce, but it definitely brings me back to simpler days.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1 jar spaghetti sauce

1 medium sized carton of cottage cheese

5-6 mushrooms, sliced

9-10 lasagna noodles (cooked or non-cooked variety)

8 oz mozzarella cheese

Method:

Brown hamburger in fry pan. Add onions and cook until soft. Add in sliced mushrooms and cook a few minutes more.

If you use traditional lasagna noodles you will want to cook them according to the directions on the box, but I used the no-cook variety to save me some time. Gather your meat/mushrooms sauce, noodles, cottage cheese, and mozzarella around your baking dish. This recipe makes a thick 9x11" pan or a thin 9x13" pan.

Lightly grease the pan. Lay down a layer of noodles to cover the bottom of the pan. Next spread a layer of the meat/mushroom sauce.

Dollop on tablespoons of cottage cheese and sprinkle about 1/4 of the cheese on the first layer.

Continue with a second and third layers as done before, but use up the rest of the mozzarella cheese on the top. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes at 350 F/180 C. Remove the foil for the last 15 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Goulash

Another childhood favorite of mine and such an easy one to just through together. My husband and I differ in opinion on what should actually be included in a goulash, as I believe it's great to have veggies like carrots, corn, and celery, where he thinks they shouldn't be there. Since I'm the chef I make it they way I like it but I think I've got him converted because he said this was the best goulash I've ever made. Also we both have to agree that the best way to eat this kind of goulash is spooned up on a slice of well buttered bread. Trust us!!!

Ingredients:

Serves 4

1/2 lb hamburger

1 1/2 cups uncooked pasta

1 large carrot, chopped

1 stalk of celery, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 - 1 cup sweet corn (depends on your taste)

2 cans finely chopped tomatoes or tomato sauce

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp celery salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 Tbsp sugar

Method:

Brown hamburger then add onion, carrot, and celery. Cook for another 3-4 minutes until veggies are slightly tender.

Add tomatoes, salt, garlic powder, celery salt, sugar and pepper and heat until bubbling.

Stir in uncooked pasta and cover for 15-20 minutes until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally and adding water if needed.

Finally add in sweet corn and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Serve up with some soft and well-buttered bread. We like to scoop some goulash up on the bread and eat it like a little open faced sandwich.

***Note: I found that dicing the vegetables to a finer consistency will give the goulash a smoother texture and make them less noticeable especially if you have a picky eater. If you all don't mind the vegetables cut them a little more coarsely. They do add a lot of the flavor in the dish and if you have other vegetables that you like don't be afraid to chuck them in the pan with it all.