Parpadelle with Asparagus, Shiitake Mushrooms and Prosciutto

Courtesy of Nadia G! (My current fav :) This is beautiful looking, delicious and full of some great veggies as well as being true fast food (seriously, it's like lightning).

14 oz Papardelle pasta (rather pricey at Meijer, try Trader Joe's for some that's way cheaper)

4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, smashed

Baby asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces

Shiitake mushrooms, sliced 1/4 inch thick

1/4 Thai chile, minced (I couldn't find one, so I used a serrano instead)

2 cups sweet cherry tomatoes, sliced

Pinch brown sugar

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Prosciutto di Parma, sliced into ribbons

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for topping

Directions:

Cook the papardelle in salted boiling water until al dente. Strain.

Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the smashed garlic to the pan and saute until golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Throw in the baby asparagus, shiitake mushrooms and Thai chile. Saute for 8 minutes or until the veggies are tender but still crisp. Add the tomatoes to the pan and season generously with sea salt, freshly ground pepper and brown sugar. Give it a good stir and let the tomatoes sauce up for about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the cooked pasta and prosciutto to the pan, mix it up for a couple of minutes so the flavors meld together.

Serve the pasta topped with freshly-grated Parmesan cheese.

Eva Fury's Baked Ziti

My take on the classic dish...add additional spices (oregano, basil, pepper, etc.) as you see fit!

Ingredients:

1 box penne pasta

1 jar pasta sauce of your choice (I think the chunkier the sauce the better, but that's me)

1 "tube" ground sausage

1 8 oz brick of mozzarella cheese, grated (can use shredded cheese, but that can sometimes be a little too dry)

1 16 oz. tub ricotta cheese

2 packages of fresh, sliced mushrooms (canned, sliced works too)

Red pepper flakes (optional)

1 tbsp. minced garlic

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Salt pasta water and bring to a boil. Cook penne as directed on box.

2. Brown sausage and, if desired, add some red pepper flakes to taste. When sausage is done browning, add mushrooms to pan and saute until golden. Add garlic and allow to become golden as well. Set aside.

3. In a 9 x 13" pan, begin layering ingredients. Begin with pasta sauce (doesn't need to be heated in advance), then a layer of noodles, sausage mixture, ricotta and Mozzarella. Continue with layers until all ingredients are used. Top with Parmesan cheese.

4. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve with a glass of red wine and crusty bread!

Mac n' Cheese Soup

Ok, so, this admittedly sounds a little gross, but it is SO good (maybe lethal, but good) and the perfect sort of thing for those cold and rainy fall days around here. We made it with just cheddar cheese, but I imagine you could use all sorts of cheeses in this (I bet a bit of gruyere would be good in this, but then when ISN'T gruyere good??) I also imagine that if you want to go for the full heart-attack version, starting with some chopped up bacon in with the onion and celery might be good...

The recipe came from a freebie copy of Cuisine magazine that I got in the mail and, I'll give them this, there are a number of rather interesting recipes there and if they're as good as this one...

Serve with buffalo wings (or chicken tenderloins tossed with some buffalo sauce) for a truly yummy treat.

1.5 ups dry elbow macaroni

1/2 cup minced onion

1/4 cup minced celery

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup dry white wine (I used chardonnay)

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 tsp. dry mustard

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (I was more liberal with the pepper than this...)

2 cups whole milk

4 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

salt to taste

1/4 crumbled bleu cheese

2 tbsp. minced fresh chives

Cook macaroni in a pot of salted water according to package directions; drain and set aside.

Sweat onion and celery in butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes.

Stir in flour to coat and cook 1 minute. Deglaze with wine and simmer until nearly evaporated. Stir in broth, mustard, nutmeg, and cayenne. Simmer until slightly thickened, 5 minutes, then whisk in milk and warm through. Do not let boil or base may become grainy.

Add cheddar, 1 cup at a time, allowing it to melt completely before adding the next cup. Stir in macaroni, lemon juice, and salt; remove from heat.

Combine bleu cheese and chives in a small bowl. Garnish each serving with bleu cheese mixture.

Pasta al Forno (Baked Farfalle with mushrooms, prosciutto and peas)

From the Williams-Sonoma "Rome" cookbook.

1 lb fresh button or cremini mushrooms

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 shallots or 1 small white or yellow onion, thinly sliced

1/4 lb prosciutto or cooked ham, including some fat, very thinly sliced and coarsely chopped

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 2/3 cups frozen peas

3/4 lb farfalle

For the Béchamel sauce

4 tbsp unsalted butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups whole milk

salt

1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1 tbsp butter cut into small pieces

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil or butter a baking dish with a 2-quart capacity.

2. Cut off the ends of the mushroom stems. Break the stems off where they join the caps and set them aside. Unless the gills are very small and tight, scrape them out with a small knife. Brush the caps clean and lightly peel them if the skins are blemished. Cut each cap into 6 or 8 wedges, depending on the cap's size. Clean and chop the stems.

3. In a large frying pan over medium-low heat, warm 1 tbsp of the olive oil. Add the shallots and saute just until they begin to color, about 4 minutes. Stir in the prosciutto and cook for 1 minute longer. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shallots and prosciutto to a large bowl and set aside.

4. Add the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil to the same pan over medium heat. Add the mushroom caps and stems and saute until all the liquid they release evaporates and they start to brown, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with salt. When the mushrooms are golden brown, after about 2 minutes longer, return the prosciutto and shallots to the pan, mix in the peas, and cook for a couple of minutes to blend the flavors. Remove from the heat an set aside in the pan.

5. Bring a large pot three-fourths full of water to a rapid boil over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta and stir for the first minute of cooking and occasionally thereafter.

6. While the water is heating, make the béchamel sauce. In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Add the flower and cook, stirring constantly, until it starts to brown, about 2 minutes. Very gradually add the milk while stirring constantly, then cook over medium heat, continuing to stir, until the sauce just begins to boil and thicken, about 10 minutes. Stir in 1 tsp salt. Remove from the heat, stir into the pea-mushroom mixture and mix well.

7. When the pasta is 1-2 minutes from being al dente, drain it, but not too dry. Stir the pasta into the sauce in the frying pan. Mix in all but 1/4 cup of the cheese. Spoon the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish. Dust with the remaining cheese and dot with butter. (The dish can be made up to this point, covered, and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before continuing).

8. Bake just until the cheese melts, about 15 minutes. Serve piping hot directly from the dish.

Serve with a full-bodied red wine such as a Sangiovese or Merlot from Lazio, Umbria or Tuscany.

Penne with Hazelnut Gremolata and Roasted Broccolini

This was a very tasty side we made with the Roasted Duck Breast (I think it would be good even if you used pork). Can't find broccolini? I'd say you can substitute broccoli, but cut it in to small florets. We might even try making a pesto instead of a gremolata with all the herbs and hazelnuts. It can also be a little dry, so don’t be afraid to use the olive oil (plus some).

1/2 lb broccolini or broccoli
3 Tbs olive oil, divided
2 Tbs hazelnuts, toasted, finely chopped
2 Tbs finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 tsp finely grated lemon peel
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 lb penne

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place broccolini on a large rimmed baking sheet (lined with parchment paper). Drizzle with 2 Tbs olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss, then spread in an even layer.

Roast broccolini until tender and golden brown around edges, tossing occasionally, about 18 minutes. Cool. Chop coarsely.

Mix hazelnuts, chopped parsley, finely grated lemon peel, and garlic in a small bowl.

Cook pasta until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain; return to saucepan.

Add broccolini and toss over medium heat to rewarm, if necessary. Add gremolata and remaining oil (plus some if dry); toss to distribute evenly. Season with salt and pepper.

Chicken Milano

"A delicious pasta and chicken dish with garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil. Use the dry packaged sun-dried tomatoes instead of the tomatoes packed in olive oil. The sauce can be kept, covered, for one day in the refrigerator; heat again over low heat. Try it with some crusty bread if desired." Shamelessly stolen from AllRecipes.com

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon butter 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped 1 cup chicken broth, divided 1 cup heavy cream 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast

halves salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 8 ounces dry fettuccini pasta

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a large saucepan over low heat, melt butter; add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and 3/4 cup of the chicken broth; increase to medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until the tomatoes are tender. Add the cream and bring to a boil; stirring. Simmer over medium heat until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
2.	Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm oil and saute chicken. Press on chicken occasionally with a slotted spatula. Cook for about 4 minutes per side or until the meat feels springy and is no longer pink inside. Transfer to a board; cover and keep warm. Discard the fat from the skillet.
3.	In the same skillet, over medium heat, bring 1/4 cup chicken broth to a boil; stirring the pan juices. Reduce slightly and add to the cream sauce; stir in basil and adjust seasonings to taste.
4.	Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add fettuccine and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain, transfer to a bowl and toss with 3 to 4 tablespoons of the sauce.
5.	Cut each chicken breast into 2 to 3 diagonal slices. Reheat the sauce gently if needed. Transfer the pasta to serving plates; top with chicken and coat with the cream sauce; serve.

Beer- and Onion-Braised Chicken Carbonnade

According to Bon Appetit, a carbonnade is technically a Belgian beef stew, but this recipe uses chicken; I think I prefer all the flavors this way. The original recipe was cloyingly sweet, so we've made a fair number of modifications to make it suit our tastes. This is an excellent weeknight recipe as it is reasonably quick.

Serve over egg noodles (one of my favorites!).

2 Tbs unsalted butter
4 large chicken thighs with skin and bones
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1 lb onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tsp (packed) dark brown sugar
4 small bay leaves
4 tsp Dijon mustard
1 cup dark beer (we use Guinness. Don't use something too malty.)
1/2 cup beef broth
2 tsp red wine vinegar
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, and allspice. Add chicken to skillet and sauté until brown, about 4 minutes per side; transfer to plate.

Add onions and 1 tsp brown sugar to skillet; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and sauté until deep golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Mix in bay leaves, mustard, and remaining 1/2 tsp brown sugar. Add chicken, skin side down, then beer, broth, and vinegar. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Uncover skillet and simmer until chicken is cooked through and sauce thickens, turning chicken occasionally, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

1 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined
1 teaspoon salt, plus additional as needed
1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons
1 medium onion, diced
1 (14 1/2 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 cup dry white wine
3 minced cloves of garlic
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Pasta of your choice

Toss the shrimp in a medium bowl with 1 tsp of salt and red pepper flakes. Heat the 3 tablespoons of oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and saute for about a minute, toss, and continue cooking until just cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a large plate; set aside.

Add the onion to the same skillet, adding 1 to 2 teaspoons of olive oil if necessary. Saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices, wine, garlic and oregano. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Return the shrimp and any accumulated juices to the tomato mixture; toss to coat and cook for about a minute so the flavors meld together. Stir in the parsley and basil. Serve over the pasta of your choice!

Macaroni and Cheese

A lot of sins have occurred in the name of macaroni and cheese. However, my mom makes a pretty great from-scratch mac and cheese. It definitely takes longer than the Kraft stuff, but I think the end result is well worth it.

5 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
Black pepper (to taste)
Cayenne pepper (to taste)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cups of milk
1 onion
1 1/2 to 2 cups of grated cheddar cheese
Approx 1/2 box of penne
1 can drained tuna fish (optional)
approximately 1/2 to 3/4 cup of plain bread crumbs
3-4 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Start boiling pasta but take off heat and drain before it is completely cooked.

Over medium heat melt 3 Tbsp butter in a sauce pan and then add diced onion. Saute until soft but not overly brown. Add flour and allow to cook for a minute or two. Add pepper to taste. (We made this last night and accidentally put in more Cayenne than I'd intended, but it gave the dish a good bite without being too spicy). Mix in can of soup.

Turn heat up to high and add milk a little at a time to produce a liquid as opposed to more of a thick paste (You may need to add a dash more than 2 cups). Bring to a boil but do not allow top to skin over, keep stirring.

Lower heat and add shredded cheese a handful at a time. Allow cheese to incorporate before adding more.

Put pasta in a greased 9x9 baking dish. Sprinkle drained and dried tuna over noodles if desired. Pour sauce over pasta and make sure all noodles are under the sauce or they'll end up drying out.

In a very small saucepan, melt remaining 2 Tbsp of butter and add breadcrumbs to make a topping. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over pasta and sauce and then sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

**Unless you're cooking for a crowd, you'll likely have leftovers. If so, they should be heated VERY gently or the sauce separates a bit. The best way is to reheat in the oven after bringing leftovers to room temperature. In a pinch, the microwave at a low power will also work.

Walnut Pesto

This recipe for pesto is fairly basic - nothing fancy here. Of course, that's the trick; prepare a really easy, basic dish that tastes like you slaved over it for hours, not minutes. The original comes from The Joy of Cooking, with only a few little tweaks. Avi suggested I use walnuts (I hate pine nuts), and I use the fresh basil from our garden, which is particularly yummy, but of course store-bought would be fine.

Ingredients:

2 cups densely packed basil leaves (about 3 good girl-sized handfulls)
1/3 cup walnuts (smallest bag size at grocery store)
2 cloves garlic
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (NOT the stuff in the can! Buy a wedge and grate it!)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine the basil, walnuts, garlic and cheese in your food processor and process thoroughly. Through the feed tube, pour in the olive oil slowly as the machine runs. This can be pretty messy, and you may need to add more oil to get the right consistency, depending on just how densely you packed your basil into those two cups. Add the salt and pepper to taste (I use a fair bit of pepper). Cover immediately with saran wrap to keep it from turning brown, and refrigerate until serving.

See? Quick and easy. I like to cook some fettuccine and pan fry some chicken breasts seasoned with salt and pepper (and maybe dusted with a little grated Parmesan) to accompany my pesto, but you can serve it just about any way you like.

And the best part? Leftovers make an awesome lunch with a small loaf of crusty bread.

Shrimp & Asparagus Pasta Toss

We found this recipe after an incident in which I burnt the top layer of my tounge off because I'd been eating too much spicy food. Having been told to "tone it down a bit" by my doctor, we faced the challenge of making something tasty, soft and flavorful without depending on spiciness. Granted, this will probably only make seafood lovers happy, but it IS a tasty sauce even without the seafood.

6 oz uncooked angel hair pasta
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. chicken flavor instant bullion
1 1/2 c. milk
2 oz (1/2 c.) shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 lb. fresh or frozen uncooked shrimp, deveined
1/2 lb- 1 lb fresh uncooked sea scallops
1 bunch of fresh asparagus, cooked, drained and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 oz. (1 c.) sliced fresh mushrooms

Cook pasta to desired doneness as directed on package. Drain, rinse with hot water and keep warm.

Melt butter in medium saucepan. Blend in flour and bouillon; cook until it's smooth and bubbly. Gradually add milk; cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly. Add cheeses; stir until smooth. Stir in shrimp, scallops and mushrooms; cook until thoroughly done. Add cooked asparagus. Serve over pasta.

Spicy Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

Sasha and I initially got interested in making an Alfredo sauce when some pepper steak we did nearly killed us (ok, when some pepper steak I did nearly killed us). The steak had a rub that was way out of control and we needed a way to cut down the spicy. When we discovered how easy Alfredo sauce was to make, we gave it a shot. It worked great, but leftovers without that pepper steak were disappointing. Here's the second attempt:

Spicy Chicken (I've determined to stop mislabeling things "Cajun" just because they have cayenne, maybe I'll just go with Ragin?)

Chicken breast, boned and skinned (figure 1/2 breast to each serving and do the math yourself)
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp white pepper
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme

I usually eyeball my spice distribution, and as it can plainly be seen I prefer more pepper/garlic to less - adjust according to your own preferences but generally a 1:1 ratio is good, maybe 2:1 ; pepper: everything else. I'm also of the opinion that there is no such thing as too much garlic.

Alfredo Sauce

1 stick butter
1 cup heavy whipping cream or half & half
1 cup grated Asiago cheese (I prefer this to parmesan, but it's slightly saltier, remember that when doing your seasoning)

When pacing your meal, I'd start the water boiling when you start the chicken and then start the sauce halfway. Make sure your cheese is grated before you start because it takes longer than you'd think to grate a cup of cheese (if you're using a cowbell grater, and why wouldn't you?).

Get your skillet out and cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. Heat your pan for about a minute (med-high heat) and then drop enough olive oil in the pan to coat it and add your chicken along with all the pepper, oregano, and thyme. I usually add a few pinches of kosher salt, too. You want the chicken to have color from the spices by don't get too ridiculous. When the chicken is cooked almost through on once side you can flip it.

Small saucepot, med-low heat meet stick of butter. When the butter is completely melted slowly add the cream and mix it well each time. Check your chicken and noodles. The chicken will probably be done and the noodles still need a few minutes. Turn the chicken to a low heat if it's done (just to keep it warm) and add your cheese.

If you want your sauce to be a little thicker, you can turn the heat up on the pot. It'll bubble and spit (so make sure it's covered) and keep stirring it occasionally so that it doesn't burn. Don't give it longer than a minute or two.

Your noodles should be done at this point, so drain them and prepare them for serving. If your chicken is done put it on your noodles. Douse all plates with the sauce and enjoy!

Serve this with bread, as the sauce is going to outlast the noodles and chicken. I would recommend a white wine for this (although it'd also be good with a spicy red like a Sangiovese).

Arrabiata Sauce (The Angry Sauce)

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/8 cup red wine
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 (14.5 ounce) cans peeled and diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Italian sausage (optional)
Sliced mushrooms

DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic in oil for 5 minutes.

Stir in wine, sugar, basil, red pepper, tomato paste, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, black pepper, tomatoes, sausage, mushrooms and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer uncovered about 15 minutes.

Stir in parsley. Ladle over the hot cooked pasta of your choice.

This is truly fast food and tastes just as good as leftovers as it does when first made. When we've made it, we usually get the diced tomatoes with peppers added for that extra kick, but for those that want it a little less spicy, get the regular tomatoes. Also an excellent meal for clearing the sinuses if you're sick:)