Category Archives: PASTA RECIPES

CREAMY LEFTOVER SALMON FETTUCCINE ALFREDO

1 Reply

Yesterday I posted a recipe for Herb and Garlic Baked Lightly Smoked Steelhead Trout or Salmon. Darn good recipe BTW. That same evening, I used the planned over baked salmon in this lovely pasta dish from recipetineats.com.

Now I know what you’re thinking. And I get it. Like everyone else, you are probably trying hard to step away from highly caloric and heavily cholesterol laden dishes. And Alfredo is one of the most caloric pasta dishes imaginable. All that butter, heavy cream, and cheese. And I totally understand your concern. But please know, I am right there with you. So, in this recipe, the amount of butter called for has been cut way back. The amount of heavy cream has been dramatically reduced. And there isn’t even as much cheese as is usually suggested in most Alfredo recipes.  

So, of course the next question you probably have is, “does it taste like a “real” Alfredo”? And I can happily and truthfully answer – yes, indeed it does. In fact, perhaps even better because it isn’t so cloyingly rich. The sauce just perfectly coats the pasta and doesn’t in any way detract from the delicious light flavor of the fish. So, am I pleased to pass this recipe along to you? You can bet your last pound of Parmigiano Reggiano on it!

Plus, this is probably one of the easiest and quickest pasta recipes to prepare. Not a lot of chopping of veggies or hours of simmering. Of course, having planned over salmon cuts down on the prep time. But even if you don’t start with planned overs, a quick bake of some fresh salmon doesn’t take that much time.

So, let me recommend this delicious fish dish next time you want to celebrate life, an anniversary, the fact you have survived another week of work, or you haven’t sent one of your kids to their room until they are 18. (Even though the kid may have richly deserved it!) (You know I’m just kidding. But if you’re a parent, and that thought hasn’t flashed into your mind at least once, you simply haven’t been paying enough attention or your children have yet to enter the “terrible teens”!)

As always, keep laughing at all the interesting situations life throws your way. Keep loving your teenagers even if they drive you crazy. Believe me, someday you will remember those days with longing. So, while they are still at home, fill them up with good food, good memories, and help them learn to make good choices. And above all else, be a good example. They are learning to be an adult from you. Peace and love to all.     

3 T. unsalted butter

1 sm. shallot, very finely minced  

½ c. heavy cream 

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

¾ c. finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus more for table  

8 oz. fettuccine, cooked al dente  

½ – 1 c. pasta cooking water

6-8 oz. cooked salmon, flaked

1 T. chopped fresh parsley 

Melt the butter in a large fry pan over medium high heat. Add the shallot and sauté for 2 minutes or until tender. Add the cream, salt, and pepper and bring to boil. Turn heat down to medium low and simmer for 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in the Parmigiano Reggiano until the sauce is smooth and creamy.

Transfer the just cooked al dente pasta and ½ cup of the pasta water to the fry pan with the sauce. Add the salmon. Return the fry pan to the stove over medium heat. Toss very gently to coat the pasta in the sauce and allow the sauce to thicken and completely coat the pasta. If needed, add a bit more pasta water.

Remove from heat and adjust seasoning if required. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley. Pass additional Parmigiano Reggiano at table.

SPAGHETTI IN A BASIL CREAM SAUCE

Leave a reply

This is another one of those “I’m too tired to cook but I want a comforting pasta dish for dinner” recipes. Because you just gotta know that this dish takes no time at all to prepare. (OK, it takes thyme, but no time!) (Sorry – the devil made me do it!) Anyway, there is close to no effort involved in getting this sauce ready to receive freshly cooked al dente spaghetti. (And yes, I know, many recipes of this ilk call for penne pasta. But my heart belongs to spaghetti, so spaghetti it is at our home a lot of the time. But of course, you can choose any old pasta shape you want. Just don’t cook the pasta before it’s time*, or past al dente, and we can remain friends.)

So, the other evening I decided pasta would be lovely for dinner. And along side the pasta, a big old green salad dressed with a simple vinaigrette. So that was dinner. And even chopping a few veggies for the salad, I was done within an hour. And at the tortoise like speed at which I now find myself moving, that ain’t bad for this old gal. OK, the vinaigrette was already prepared, but still, dinner on the table in an hour is just fine in my book.

Now, on to how this sauce tastes. I’d be lying if I said this was the best thing I ever tasted. Because that distinction belongs to my father’s older sister Louise’s homemade salami, which I last tasted when I had just turned 16. (I know that for a fact, because I drove most of the way to Nebraska because I had just gotten my driver’s license.) But to this day, I still remember that delicious salami. It made quite the impression. And since you might also be interested to know, her fried chicken was also absolutely sensational. And it’s not just my memory alone that can recall how outstanding our Aunt Louise’s food was, because my brother Phil also used to wax poetic about her cooking. And he was 4 years younger than me! We were just too young at the time to ask for recipes or even realize that older people might not always be around. But wonderful memories still abound. And that includes wonderful memories of my dear brother. (And yes, I miss my little brother.)  

So, is this the best dish I ever tasted, no. Is it a dish I look forward to enjoying again and again, yes indeed! But about the thyme.

Somewhere I read that basil and thyme go well together. I was a bit apprehensive, but I though just a modicum of dried thyme might be a nice addition. And yes indeed, a great combination. It’s like the thyme is there in the background to lift the basil to new heights. You don’t really recognize the thyme flavor, but you know something is there that you really like. So please leave it in the recipe when you decide that this simple pasta dish is just what the doctor ordered.

As always, try new dishes, but keep your favorites always available. Life is fleeting, so treasure the wonderful times you’ve already had, but make new memories, even during this impossibly ugly pandemic. Someday, when we all look back on this, I pray that we can once again surround ourselves with our families and friends and celebrate together. Peace and love to all.

4 T. (½ stick) unsalted butter

¼ c. finely chopped onion

2 lg. garlic cloves, finely minced   

½-¾ c. loosely packed fresh basil chiffonade, plus more for garnish

¼ tsp. dried thyme

½ c. whole milk

½ c. heavy cream

½ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

4-6 oz. thin spaghetti, cooked barely al dente (save some of the cooking water)

freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino-Romano cheese

Melt the butter in medium sized fry pan. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, basil, and dried thyme and cook for 1 minute. Add the milk, heavy cream, salt, and pepper; cook until thoroughly heated. Transfer the pasta into the sauce using a pair of tongs and let it cook for a minute or two until the sauce thickens. If the sauce gets too thick or you feel a little more sauce would be nice, stir in a small amount of the pasta water. Adjust seasoning. Serve immediately. Pass the cheese.

*It truly makes a difference if you don’t cook pasta ahead of time, drain it, and make it wait for the sauce to be prepared. If anything is required to wait, the sauce is much the better choice.

    

SPAGHETTI IN A SPICY ARRABBIATA (ANGRY) SAUCE

Leave a reply

Now I know there are evenings when all you want is to spend as little time as possible in your kitchen while at the same time serving a delicious and soul satisfying pasta dish to your family. So as the saying goes, “have I got a deal for you”! Now that I have you all excited, I better add a warning. This is probably not a dish young children would appreciate. It is also a dish that anyone whose stomach responds poorly to spicy food might also want to avoid. Not that this dish is super spicy. In my opinion it is not. And I’m kind of a wimp when it comes to spicy food. But everyone’s stomach and taste buds are different. And as much as someone might enjoy an all heat 5 star experience at the moment, there can be a world of hurt that follows if your mouth and your stomach are not in full accord to begin with. (Like wine for me. My mouth loves wine. My stomach, not so much!)

Anyway, before I begin telling you how wonderful and easy this dish is to prepare, I felt it only fair to provide you with the whole story. (It’s called a disclaimer.) Now where was I? Oh yes – telling you how delicious and easy this dish is to prepare. But first, how we discovered the true meaning of “arrabbiata”.

The best arrabiata we ever tasted was in the Eastern part of Italy as we traveled from the Amalfi Coast towards the Adriatic Sea. Our travels took us just north of the Gulf of Taranto with a one night landing in the small town of Bernalda (near Mataponto, if that helps) at what was essentially a modern, business man’s, no frills hotel. We arrived hungry, and as luck would have it, lunch was still being served. But we were informed that the lunch menu was limited to just a few items. Mr. C. chose arrabiata and I went for something else. Mine was excellent, but not nearly as memorable as Andy’s choice. I really could not stop myself from taking small bites of his pasta throughout the meal. That meal at this humble hotel restaurant was the first of many fabulous meals we experienced as we traveled north along the Adriatic. And a wonderful surprise because that part of Italy is much less frequently visited than along the eastern, middle, and northern part of the country. And because the tourist trade is not as prevalent in that part of the country, we had not expected to be so royally treated and served such amazing food along our chosen route. But we were. And I can tell you true, if you want to experience the best that Italy has to offer, go off the beaten track. We are still reeling from the experience, and it was seven years ago! But, back to arrabbiata. (I so easily get distracted.)

This is probably one of the easiest red pasta sauces you will ever prepare. It takes hardly any time to produce a deeply flavored sauce that hasn’t had to spend several hours simmering. So while it burbled away, I made salad dressing, toasted up some croutons, threw some lettuce and romaine through my salad spinner, grated up some pecorino-Romano cheese, and cooked perfect al dente spaghetti. Ta da – dinner on the table.

So give this sauce a try. It’s just as good as the one we had in Bernalda and a heck of a lot easier to obtain. You will also find another really wonderful recipe for Pasta with Arrabiata Sauce on this blog. It too is delicious, and just enough different to give you a choice. Whichever recipe you choose, you are in for an Italian treat.

Two “B”, or not two “B”, that is the question. And yes, you will see this angry sauce spelled with either one “B” or two. But the spelling we learned while in Bernalda contained only one “B”. However, I have since learned that the correct spelling contains double Bs. So “B” it!)

As always, have fun trying new recipes. It’s always good to expand the bounds of your comfort zone. And in such a safe way as trying out new dishes, pretty much a safe way to do so. Peace and love to all.

¼ c. extra virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (more or less to taste) (I use a scant ½ teaspoon – perfect for Mr. C. and me)

1 tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

3 T. dry red wine

1 tsp. brown sugar, packed 

1 (28-oz.) can crushed or whole tomatoes in sauce (Italian if possible – I use Cento brand)  

8 oz. spaghetti, cooked al dente   

1-2 T. pasta cooking water, if needed

¼ c. fresh basil chiffonade, plus more for garnish

freshly grated pecorino-Romano cheese (Parmesan in a pinch)

Heat the olive oil in a medium sized covered Dutch oven. Add the garlic and cook over low heat for a few minutes until the garlic has softened and turned a light, golden brown. Stir often to make sure the garlic doesn’t burn. If it does, start over!

Stir in the crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Let the ingredients dance around the pan together for about a minute before pouring in the wine. Leave alone until the wine has all but evaporated. Then stir in the brown sugar and crushed tomatoes. Bring just to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Remove lid and simmer another 10-15 minutes or until the sauce has had a chance to thicken a bit, stirring occasionally. 

Transfer the al dente pasta into the sauce using a slotted spoon or spider strainer. Stir in pasta water if the sauce is too thick, then add the basil*. Simmer for a couple of minutes to blend flavors. Taste and adjust seasoning. (The sauce should be thick, but not so thick that it almost forms chunks. You want the sauce to lovingly cling to every surface of the pasta.)    

Serve the pasta hot, topped with additional basil. Pass the grated pecorino-Romano cheese.

*It is always best to add fresh basil towards the end of any cooked recipe calling for fresh basil. It can become bitter if added too soon. Plus it gives the sauce (or whatever dish you are preparing) that fresh herby basil flavor we all adore.

SPAGHETTINI A LA PROVENÇALE (TUNA SPAGHETTI)

Leave a reply

OK, the first wonderful thing about this simple pasta dish…. Wait, I just broke one of my cardinal rules of etiquette. I wrote a spoiler alert in the first sentence of this post! (I wrote that this was a simple pasta dish.) That kind of information should have been saved for a little later in this write-up. Oh well…………..

But since I already gave away one of the top reasons you should rush into your kitchen and prepare this amazing dish, I might just as well tell you all the other reasons you must treat yourself and your family to this fabulous pasta sooner rather than later. Because if you wait, you’re only going to kick yourself (you know where) for not having built this dish already. Just sayin’. (I speak from experience.)

My dear friend Ellen sent me this recipe a few weeks ago, and for whatever reason I only got around to preparing it a couple nights ago. (What was I waiting for?) Anyway, I changed things up a bit from Ellen’s recipe, because I simply can’t leave well enough alone. It’s just not how I operate. But boy oh boy, what a tasty treat this was for dinner. And the ease of preparation, use of fairly common ingredients that I almost always have on hand, absolutely contributed to the pleasurable dining experience Mr. C. and I shared. I served the pasta with a simple green salad, and life was good. And I wasn’t exhausted. Better and better.

Now don’t be frightened by a whole can of anchovies. Or the capers. If you are not familiar with these two exquisite ingredients, it’s high time you learned how much flavor they can bring to a dish. And canned tuna in a red sauce? I for one had no idea how much I would enjoy the combination.

And yes I know, eating tuna, especially albacore tuna, can be risky. But according to Medical News Today, adults weighing over 150 pounds should not eat tuna more often than every 9 days. Well, for us that is not a problem. We actually rarely eat tuna. But I must say, there are always a couple of cans in our pantry because you just never know when a tuna fish sandwich craving might occur! It definitely has been known to happen at Chez Carr!

So if you are in the mood to create a quick, simple, low fat, and different pasta dish some evening, I highly recommend you give this recipe a try. We loved it. And another nice thing I need to mention before you wander off to your real life – no Parmesan cheese required. It was actually called for in the original recipe, so of course you can add Parmesan if you must. But I really felt it would be superfluous. Plus just more calories we really don’t need!

As always, think healthy, cook healthy, and stay healthy. Peace and love to all.

¼ c. chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 T. capers

3 T. extra virgin olive oil

½ lg. yellow onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 can (2-oz.) anchovy fillets packed in olive oil (oil discarded)

1 lg. can (28 oz.) plum tomatoes in their own juice (Italian preferred)

1 T. tomato paste

4 oz. sliced pimentos

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

1 (6-7 oz.) can tuna, drained and chunked into small pieces (I use Kirkland brand albacore tuna)

8 oz. thin spaghetti, cooked al dente  

Combine the parsley, dried oregano, and capers in a bowl. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large fry pan. Add the onion and cook until soft but not brown. Add the garlic and anchovy fillets and cook for 1 minute. (I break up the anchovy fillets while they cook.)

Stir in the canned tomatoes (juice and all), tomato paste, pimentos, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Let simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes. Add the tuna and heat through.

Toss in the al dente pasta and the parsley mixture. Simmer for a minute or two. Serve immediately.  

CREAMY PESTO, SPINACH, AND LEFTOVER CHICKEN PASTA

Leave a reply

The other evening I was hungry for pasta. Mr. C. had just been to our local grocery store and brought home a bag of living potted basil and I still had some leftover chicken from the roasted chicken I had fixed a couple nights before. (Search Brined Oven Roasted Whole Chicken if you want to read about the chicken I used in this recipe.) So I thought to myself, a pasta dish with pesto and cooked chicken might just make for a pretty darn good meal. So to my computer I scurried in search of the perfect pasta recipe.

Based on a recipe I found on the budgetbytes.com site, I fashioned this dish to accommodate the ingredients I not only had on hand, but I knew we would both enjoy. But I over-achieved. The pasta was very flavorful, but a bit too rich for our older metabolisms. So the recipe you find below is the result of the cut-backs I made in behalf of all of our digestive tracts!

I reduced the amount of pesto I used originally (pesto is actually very rich), substituted whole milk for heavy cream, and said good-by to any sign of cream cheese in the mixture. I also decided that next time I served this pasta dish, there would be no extra Parmesan on the table. Simply not necessary. (The girl can learn!)

Now that I have dissed this dish to the point where you have probably decided it will never grace your dining table, let me tell you how good it is. Seriously, we really liked the flavor, it was fairly simple to prepare, and a very good way to use up leftover chicken. The first iteration was simply too rich for our older tummies. So don’t be afraid. If you love pesto, perfectly cooked pasta, and chicken – you are going to love this dish. Scouts honor!

Until next time, stay happy, stay healthy, and always remember these sage words from Tom Lehrer. “Life is like a piano. What you get out of it depends on how you play it.”  So play on dear readers, play on!

¾ c. mashed down fresh basil, plus more for garnish

½ c. finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1 lg. garlic clove, minced, divided

4 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 T. unsalted butter

¼ c. finely chopped onion

½ c. chicken broth

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

1 c. whole milk

2 lightly packed c. chopped fresh spinach

8 oz. penne pasta cooked al dente (save some of the water)

1-2 c. bite sized pieces of cooked chicken breasts or thighs

For the pesto: Combine the basil, ¼ cup of the Parmesan cheese, half of the minced garlic, and olive oil in a food processor. Whirl until the basil is chopped. (You don’t want to make a paste.) Set aside.

Melt the butter in a large fry pan. Add the onion and sauté until soft. Add the remaining minced garlic; cook for 1 minute.

Add the chicken broth and cook until the pan is almost dry. Add the salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, milk, and pesto. Stir and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens a bit. Add the remaining ¼ cup of grated Parmesan and stir until combined.

Add the spinach, al dente pasta, and cooked chicken. Cook until the spinach is wilted and the chicken is hot. If the sauce appears dry, add a bit of the pasta cooking water. Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with basil leaves. Serve immediately.

Note: as always – don’t cook your pasta ahead of time. Pasta is absolutely at its very best when you have cooked it just until al dente, transferred it directly to the sauce with a slotted spoon, and taken big bites of it within a few short minutes. You just gotta trust me on this.

THREE CHEESE MACARONI CASSEROLE (gourmet mac and cheese)

Leave a reply

OK, what do you get when you combine béchamel sauce, three beautiful cheeses, perfectly cooked pasta, and a seasoned bread crumb topping? Well in this case you get a dish that is perfect in every respect. At least, this mac and cheese lover finds it absolutely delightful. And I happen to be extremely picky when it comes to mac and cheese! (After all, if I’m going to consume masses of calories, those calories better taste like they came straight down from heaven. Because otherwise, there’s no way for me to justify the guilt I’m going to feel after enjoying every mouthful!)

So when our dear friends Chip and Linda sent me this recipe from chef/owner Rick Mahan of the Waterboy Restaurant in Sacramento, having first prepared and loved the dish themselves, I just had to give it a try. And oh am I glad I did. What a relatively easy and delicious way to up my calorie intake with barely any redeemable nutritional value to warrant my doing so! Except of course, for the flavor, texture, and culinary happiness that came with every bite of this delectable dish. But I can’t say I wasn’t warned.

In Chip’s email to me which included this recipe and his comments about it, he pretty much said it all in one sentence. And I quote – “The recipe includes the Nutrition Facts, but really, that’s better left uncontemplated”. Good way to tell me that ignorance is bliss on this one. So a big thank you to Chip for sparing me the unpleasant details of fat and sodium content, etc. in this wonderful pasta dish. And to both Linda and Chip for sharing this wonderful recipe so that I could pass it along to you.

Now that you know I am absolutely sold on this recipe, you must taste this dish for yourself. It is just a perfect blend of ingredients. But it is a very rich pasta dish. So a small portion goes a long way. But in these difficult times, I firmly believe that spoiling ourselves with extra special food is justified. Now if only my bathroom scale would be a bit more supportive, my relationship with food could be even more expansive. But unfortunately, the only things expanding around here is my waist.

But through all, even being forced to live with a mendacious bathroom scale, we remain well and happy. We continue to hope and pray for an end to covid-19, that true social justice will soon become a reality in our country, and more than ever, fervently desire to once again experience political leadership that embraces humanity rather than inhumanity.     

In the meantime, I cook, Mr. C. plays the piano, and we live comfortably in place. As always, peace and love to all.  

3 T. unsalted butter

3 T. flour

1½ c. + 2 T. milk  

½ tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. white pepper

pinch nutmeg

pinch granulated onion

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

2/3 c. (2 oz.) grated Gruyére cheese

2/3 c. (2 oz.) grated sharp cheddar cheese

¼ c. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

2 c. uncooked macaroni, cooked al dente (I use large elbow macaroni)

½ c. (4 oz.) heavy cream

1/3 c. unseasoned dried bread crumbs    

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

pinch seasoned salt

freshly ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly until the roux cooks for about 2 minutes. Do not let the roux get brown.

Heat the milk in a small pan until bubbles appear along the edge. Pour the hot milk in with the roux and continue to whisk as the sauce thickens. Bring to a boil. Add salt, white pepper, nutmeg, and granulated onion. Lower the heat, and cook, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in the Dijon mustard and cheeses. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Place the cooked macaroni in a lightly buttered baking dish. (I just lift the al dente macaroni right out of the salted water with a large slotted spoon directly into the prepared casserole dish.) Stir in half of the sauce, then top with the remaining sauce. Drizzle on the heavy cream.

Mix the breadcrumbs, olive oil, seasoned salt, and pepper together. Scatter evenly over the whole casserole.

Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until the top is nicely browned and the sauce is bubbly. Remove from oven and let sit for about 5-7 minutes before serving.

I think this is a first! The “twins” and the resident princess all three on our bed together. Maybe there’s hope yet!

ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND VEGETABLE SPAGHETTI

Leave a reply

You know the old saying “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”, well that doesn’t necessarily apply to “older” cooks like myself. Because I learned a terrific new trick when I found the foundation for this recipe on the inspiredtaste.net website.

Ever heard of dried mushroom powder? Well, if you have congratulations. But why in the heck didn’t you let me in on the secret? Of course if you’ve never heard of it either, you’re off the hook. But boy oh boy, regardless, you are going to be very glad you are reading this post today.  

Dried mushroom powder is the real deal. And to think I’ve been using dried mushrooms for years, but never thought to grind them up. Bogles my mind to realize the number of things I do know about cooking, compared to the extraordinary amount of ingredients, techniques, cooking secrets, etc. I have yet to learn. It’s so exciting! I absolutely love to learn. And if it’s about food, well then, all the better! But before I learn and share any more culinary secrets with which to thrill and amaze you, let’s talk more about dried mushroom powder. And yes, it’s just like it sounds. Dried mushrooms finely ground in a blender or spice grinder.

But why bother to make dried mushroom powder you might ask. Why not just use re-hydrated pieces of dried mushrooms in this or any other recipe? Well there are two very good reasons. 1) Dried mushroom powder adds an extra depth of flavor to dishes without adding bulk or texture. Great in soups, stews, pasta sauces, or any dish that might benefit from a bit of umami* (savory or “meaty”) flavor. 2) Not everyone likes mushrooms. And finding a piece of dried mushroom in a dish might be enough to make them unwilling to even give the dish a try. But when added as an ingredient that they can’t see, well, all’s fair in love and fine dining as far as I’m concerned.

And speaking of fine dining – this pasta dish is so good as to be outrageous. Easy to prepare, takes little time to cook, and looks like a million dollars.

So please give it a try. And as far as dried mushroom powder goes, I really couldn’t taste any fungi in the sauce. But there was just this “something” that added richness without smacking you in the face with its inclusion. Some might use the word “subtle” even. But that may even be too strong a word. Oh heck, just make this dish and see for yourself. And yes, I will be adding mushroom powder to many of the dishes I serve from now on. Both new and old favorites.

So as always – peace, love, and great pasta to all.       

4 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 lb. bulk Italian sausage

1 c. chopped onion

3 garlic cloves, minced  

1 tsp. dried oregano

½ tsp. fennel seed

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

½ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 T. tomato paste

1 (28-oz.) can whole or diced tomatoes (Italian if possible)

1 c. drained and roughly chopped roasted red peppers

1 T.  mushroom powder, opt. – see note below (I used ground porcini mushrooms)

1 c. small chunks of zucchini or yellow squash

8 oz. spaghetti, cooked al dente (save some of the water)

4 loosely packed cups of cut spinach leaves

1/3 c. fresh basil chiffonade

grated Parmesan, Pecorino-Romano, or Asiago cheese for serving

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage, breaking it up as it browns. Using a slotted spoon, remove the sausage to a container. Set aside.

Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally until translucent; about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Stir in the oregano, fennel seed, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes.

Stir in the tomato paste, canned tomatoes, roasted red peppers, mushroom powder, and zucchini chunks. Bring to a low simmer and cook for about 5-10 minutes. As the sauce cooks, use a spoon to break up the whole tomatoes into smaller pieces for a chunky sauce. Stir in the cooked sausage. Let burble for a couple minutes.

Take the sauce off the heat. Stir in the spinach and basil. Taste and adjust seasoning. Toss in the al dente spaghetti, and leave alone for a minute or so to allow the pasta time to absorb some of the sauce and to let the spinach wilt. (If the pasta seems dry, add about a quarter cup of the pasta cooking water. Still dry, a bit more water.) Toss again, serve, and pass the grated cheese. 

Dried Mushroom Powder: Can be purchased online or you can make mushroom powder at home. Start with any type of dried mushrooms. Place in your blender or spice grinder and let it whirl. (My spice grinder is an inexpensive coffee grinder dedicated just for the purpose of grinding herbs, spices, and anything other than coffee!)

Store mushroom powder in an airtight container. Great for adding depth of flavor to almost any dish that calls for mushrooms.

* Umami is one of the five basic tastes, along with sweet, bitter, salty, and sour. It was classified as such over a century ago and is best described as a savory or “meaty” flavor. The word “umami” in Japanese means “a pleasant savory taste.”

CREAMY CAJUN SHRIMP AND ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE PASTA

Leave a reply

While I try to vary our dinner menus, it is really difficult for me to refrain from building a pasta dish more often than we need. We both love pasta, and if you knew us, one glance would tell you immediately that neither one of us restrict our pasta predilection nearly enough! And usually that would cause me concern. But under the current shelter in place mandate, I have taken a broader view of what it takes to keep us healthy and happy. And one of the things that we both enjoy is pasta smothered in a yummy sauce with bits of meat or seafood thrown in for good measure. And if there ever was a dish that met those requirements, it’s this recipe from the dinneratthezoo.com site. (Wonderful site BTW.)

So I made this dish last evening. It was ever so easy to prepare, very little time required, and hardly any energy expended. And both of us sat at the dinner table with big old sloppy grins on our faces because this dish was so darned delicious. Along with the simple green salad I prepared (leaf lettuce, frisée, and massaged kale in an extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing), we were well satiated when we got up from the dinner table.

Now don’t get me wrong. I haven’t thrown caution to the wind. But fixing extra special food right now seems to make house arrest a bit easier to endure. And we aren’t out of the woods yet. It might be several months until we can resume dining with our friends or actually sitting in one of our favorite restaurants. (If they’re still in business that is!) So cooking wonderful dishes right now just seems like the best thing to do to relieve monotony, create anticipation, and keep me from running out on our street screaming “I need friends”! After all, as the old and moldy cliché goes – busy hands are happy hands. (Gack!!)

So with that “happy” cliché in mind, I am going to bid you adieu for today, and go see what kind of trouble I can get into in my kitchen. After all. It’s Friday. And Friday dinner around here is usually casual, fun, and quick to prepare. I’m thinking grilled tuna melt sandwiches. (With Tim’s potato chips on the side as our veggie accompaniment!)

As always – peace, love, and a healthy helping of patience for whatever the next few weeks/months has to offer.    

3 T. unsalted butter, divided

½ c. chopped onion

1 green pepper, halved and then thinly sliced  

2 tsp. Cajun Seasoning, divided (see recipe below)

8 oz. andouille sausage, sliced (I use Aidells Cajun Style Andouille because it’s not too spicy, but still very flavorful. Plus I can buy it almost anywhere.)  

1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and tails removed

1 c. whole milk

2 tsp. flour

pinch kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper.

1/3 c. finely grated Parmesan cheese

8 oz. linguine or fettuccini pasta, cooked al dente (save some of the water)

2 T. chopped parsley

Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and pepper and cook for 4-6 minutes or until softened. Season with 1 teaspoon of the Cajun seasoning.

Add the sausage and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter along with the shrimp and the remaining teaspoon of Cajun seasoning. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the shrimp are pink and opaque.

While the shrimp are cooking, whisk the milk, flour, salt, and pepper together. When the shrimp are done, pour in the milk and flour slurry. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until sauce has started to thicken. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and cooked pasta.

If the sauce seems dry, add a bit of the pasta cooking water. Serve immediately garnished with the chopped parsley.

CAJUN SEASONING

2 T. paprika

1 T. granulated onion or onion powder

1 T. granulated garlic

1 T. dried oregano (Mexican oregano preferred) (If the dried oregano leaves are large, break them down a bit in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder)

1 T. dried thyme

1 T. freshly ground black pepper

1 T. kosher salt

1 tsp. cayenne

Combine all the ingredients and store in an air tight container.

SMOKED SALMON AND BASIL PASTA

Leave a reply

Sometimes I make a dish just because of the person who created it. (And I happen to have the ingredients on hand.) Or as in this case, I go on a search based on specific ingredients. What I found when I searched for smoked salmon pasta dishes was this recipe on yummy.ph authored by Myke “Tatung” Sarthou.

Now, first of all, I had never been to the yummy.ph site, or at least to my recollection. And I had never heard or read about Chef Sarthou. But just because I found the ingredient list interesting, I decided to do some research on this man. And boy did I learn a lot.

Mr. Sarthou is a very famous and well respected chef, not only in the Philippines, but throughout the world. And frankly, I also liked the fact that he is a cultural heritage advocate. He refuses to read reviews about his cooking, whether positive or negative. And in his own words “Being unattached to achievement allows me to keep moving forward. To be a good chef you should be used to failure and it always goes together – you can never be great without failure. You cannot be too emotional about both sides of the spectrum.”

Somehow his words resonated with me. Because I am always trying to improve my cooking skills. And yes, I have my share of spectacular failures. But I also have moments of brilliance. (At least in my own eyes they are brilliant. And it’s really just all about me, right?)

Anyway, based on learning a bit about this gentleman and his success as a chef, I decided to prepare this dish the other evening. In all honesty, I was a bit concerned because I had never paired anchovy with smoked salmon, or basil with smoked salmon. But then, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

And oh am I glad I took a chance. This dish is stinkin’ easy to prepare and is absolutely scrumptious. I can hardly wait to make it again.

So fellow cooks – if you too try a new recipe and it is less than perfect, or you mess up like I did yesterday when I forgot to give my sourdough bagels a second rise, get over it. It happens to everyone. Like Chef Sarthou wrote, if you don’t screw up in the kitchen once in a while, you’re not trying hard enough. (Or words to that affect.)  

As always, stay healthy, stay happy, and keep having fun in your kitchen. Remember, you can’t achieve anything if you don’t at least try. Like the old joke goes – A pedestrian on 57th Street in New York City sees a musician getting out of a cab and asks, “How do you get to Carnegie hall?” Without pause, the artist replies wearily, “Practice, practice, practice!”

1 T. extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

1 T. unsalted butter

2 anchovy fillets or 2-3 tsp. anchovy paste (I used 2 teaspoons of the paste)

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 T. drained capers

1 T. fresh lemon juice

pinch crushed red chili flakes

8 oz. linguine or fettucine noodles, cooked al dente

¼ c. cut basil leaves (loosely packed), plus extra for garnish

4-6 oz. smoked salmon, shredded or chunked into small pieces

freshly ground black pepper

½ lemon, cut into wedges

In a frying pan, heat olive oil and melt butter. Add anchovy fillets and mash into a paste. (Or anchovy paste and just stir it around.) Add garlic and brown lightly. Add capers, lemon juice, and chili flakes.

Toss in the al dente pasta. Add the basil leaves and smoked salmon. Drizzle with more olive oil, sprinkle with black pepper, and garnish with a bit more fresh basil. Serve with lemon wedges.

PANCETTA AND KALE PASTA WITH GARLIC AND LEMON

Leave a reply

OK, I know some of you don’t have pancetta just lying around, or kale for that matter. But if you do, you just have to make this dish. I found it (slightly modified by yours truly of course), on the – theviewfromgreatisland site.

OMG – this is one of the best pasta dishes I have ever tasted. And to think, one of the main ingredients is that annoying green veggie kale that every health conscious cook is trying to slam down everyone’s throat! How is it even possible that kale is so good in this dish? (I can hear what you’re thinking, because I was a bit concerned myself.) Not only is it completely possible; it’s the reality! Kale is perfect in this dish. Really! In fact, next time I plan to use even more kale (and yes you read that right) in with the same amount of other ingredients. It was that darned good!

I frankly have no more to say about this recipe. Just make it at your earliest convenience. Except I should add one more piece of advice. Mr. C. and I ate every bit of this pasta last evening. So if you are fixing for a family or you want to have planned overs, you better double the recipe. Consider yourself warned!

Stay healthy everyone. And keep cooking. It helps keep you grounded (in more ways than one!)

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

½ c. chopped pancetta* (the leaner the better)  

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

2-3 c. thinly sliced kale (loosely packed)  

¼ c. whole milk

¼ tsp. lemon zest

4 tsp. lemon juice  

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

freshly ground black pepper

¼ to ½ c. pasta cooking water

8 oz. spaghetti, cooked al dente

grated Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, or  Asiago cheese, for serving

Heat the olive in a large frying pan. Add the pancetta and sauté over medium-low heat until crispy and fully cooked. Add the garlic and sauté for a minute.  

Add the kale to the pan, toss with the pancetta and garlic, and cook for a couple of minutes or until the kale is wilted and lightly cooked.

Add the milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, crushed red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Stir well to combine. While the pasta finishes cooking, ladle about a quarter cup of the pasta water into the frying pan. Bring to a light simmer. Using a pair of tongs, lift the al dente pasta into the frying pan. Toss to combine. If needed, add additional water. (I found that I needed about a half cup of the pasta water last evening.)   

Serve with grated cheese.

*I find great pancetta at Grocery Outlet. It comes in a large package that contains several end pieces. The pancetta is lean and I like the fact that I can cut the meat into the size pieces I need for whatever dish I am preparing. I also like the fact that buying it at Grocery Outlet saves me about 90% off regular grocery stores.