pasta w/ mussels

The finished product

I'm all about trying new things these days: new ingredients, new techniques, etc. I don't think I've ever cooked a mollusk before. Truth be told, I honestly didn't realize that mussels were alive when you bought them. While storing them in the fridge before cooking, half of them opened up. Which I knew was bad. Opened mussels = bad mussels. However! After running them under cold water, they all closed up again! It was kind of gross, kind of cool. I guess I'll have to deal with it if I ever intend to cook a live lobster (I want to try it, but I SO DO NOT at the same time). Anyways, keep them cool and rinse and scrub them before you proceed with the recipe. Toss any that stay open.

Regardless of your experience with mollusks, you should definitely try out this recipe. It's super delicious and makes for a great dinner party dish. Here's what you'll need:

• 1 can chopped or whole tomatoes (you have to chop them anyways, so might as well by them that way) 
• 3 fat garlic cloves; 1 crushed, 2 minced 
• 1 shallot, chopped 
• 1/2 cup dry white wine 
• 2 pounds mussels, rinsed, scrubbed and beards removed 
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or marjoram, or both 
• Pinch sugar 
• Salt to taste 
• 1 pound linguine or other pasta 
• 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley 

cherry tomato pizza margherita

I've featured different kinds of pizza on the blog several times, but I've never tried a basic margherita. The recipe I tried is a variation of one I found. It includes a nice kick with the addition of the red pepper. And it's super quick and easy, which is always nice. You could also probably use this recipe to cheat a really simple pasta sauce! Here's what you'll need:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 
• Dozen or so cherry tomatoes, stemmed (do not cut!)
• 1 garlic clove, minced 
• 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper 
• 1 4 oz. ball fresh mozzarella in water (ovoline), coarsely diced 
• 4 ounces shredded whole-milk mozzarella
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 6" whole wheat pita breads (or you can make the pizza crust from scratch if you wanna be all fancy)

chicken scampi pasta

This might seem a little redundant, but if it's working for you, why stop? I actually found this recipe to be more successful than my previous scampi recipe. Here's what you'll need:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 lb. chicken breast, cut into small strips
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Pasta of your choice

pasta w/ sausage & grapes

It tastes as odd as it sounds - but in a totally delicious way. Who knew?! Here's what you'll need:

• 6 ounces mild Italian sausage, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoon grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• Pasta of your choice (I used fettuccine in the picture above)

pasta w/ meat sauce

This is an old staple that everyone probably already knows how to make, but I'm sharing because you never know. It's also awesome because this recipe will feed you (as a single person) for literally a week, and it's great reheated. You can play around with the individual ingredients, but here's a basic recipe for you:

• 1 lb. ground beef (I go with the 80/20)
• 2 large cans of San Marzano diced tomatoes
• 2 tiny cans of tomato paste
• 2 cups of arugula
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Sprinkle of red pepper flakes

shrimp scampi pasta

Continuing the recent streak of pasta dishes - not to mention my second shrimp pasta dish in a few weeks - I bring to you an incredibly quick and easy shrimp scampi recipe. I've never made a "scampi" dish before. Does anyone know what that even means? Let me know in the comments. I Googled it, but it said something about lobster. #GoogleFail. The only scampi I really remember ever having was a chicken scampi dish that my mom used to make back in the day every once in awhile, and I recall really loving it. (Mom, do you still have that recipe?!) Anyways, there's a lot of questions here. Let's get to the meal. Here's what you'll need:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 lb peeled and deveined large shrimp
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 5 tbsp butter
• 3/4 lb pasta (I used angel hair)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

cilantro shrimp pasta

Sometimes the random, spur of the moment ideas are the best. I was wandering around the market last night, trying to figure out what kind of mood I was in for dinner. I came across some shrimp and I had vague memories of seeing a shrimp and cilantro recipe, so I decided to wing it. It turned out to be one of the best dinners in quite awhile - and it took under 10 minutes to make. Here's what you'll need:

• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Sprinkle of crushed red pepper
• Dash of black pepper and salt
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
• A dozen or so grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 lb. fresh pasta (I used angel hair)
• Grated Parmesan cheese to taste

pasta w/ basil, chicken & diced tomatoes

As the recent wave of warm weather has hit NYC this week, I've found myself less enthusiastic about standing in front of a hot stove for any amount of time. Therefore, I've been playing around with some ways to "cheat" pasta - make it easy to make and still good tasting in even less time that usual. I've had a few misses, which I won't share with you here for obvious reasons. However, I struck a good on last night that I'd like to share. Here's what you'll need:

• 1/3" fresh pasta (you can go with boxed, but for this both tastes WAY better and cooks in under 3 minutes)
• 1/2" chicken breast
• 1 small can diced tomatoes (I used Contadina with Roasted Garlic, low sodium. If you don't go low sodium, that can is more than 100% of your daily intake. Read the labels!)
• Bunch of basil leaves (maybe 10ish)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon EVOO
• Pepper to taste (again, with all that sodium, you don't need salt!)

fettuccine w/ prosciutto & orange

Sounds odd, right? Prosciutto and orange do not seem like they're two things that should really go together. Cheese and orange doesn't sound quite right either. Well strangely, they're all lovely. Whodathunk? Go easy on the cheese though. It may seem ridiculous to say that, but trust me: lesson learned. Here's what you'll need:

• 12 ounces fettuccine
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 lb. sliced prosciutto, chopped
• 1 orange, zested (is that a word?) and juiced
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup parmesan
• Black pepper

spaghetti alla carbonara

I seem to be on a pasta kick lately. Maybe the late summer heat has me craving carbs? Maybe I'm just tired of making salads and pizzas? Whatever the case, I've been revisiting old favorites and trying out new ones. Carbonara is a dish that was big in Rome when I studied there, but I haven't attempted to make myself until now. Here's what you'll need:

• 1/2 pound spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 pound pancetta, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 pinch salt and black pepper to taste

bucatini all'amatriciana

There's seriously nothing better than a spicy pasta in my book. If you follow the blog, you've seen it pop up pretty often. No one does spicy pasta better than the Romans, and last night I tried an easy recipe for one of the quintessential roman sauce - amatriciana. Here's what you'll need:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 ounces thinly sliced guanciale (or pancetta ... or prosciutto ... or just bacon if you can't find any of those)
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 cup minced onion
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 28 ounce can peeled tomatoes
• 12 ounces dried bucatini (spaghetti will totally work as well)
• 1/4 cup finely grated Pecorino

eggplant parmesan

Who doesn't love eggplant parm? I mean, seriously. It may be laborious to make, but it's pretty foolproof, and totally delicious. I took advantage of a rainy day recently to make it for the first time in a year or so. Here's how it goes:

• 2  medium Italian eggplants, cut crosswise into 1/4" thick slices
• 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 cups olive oil
• 10-20 fresh basil leaves, torn in half
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs
• 3 1/2 cups breadcrumbs (I had smaller amounts of Italian style and panko, so I just mixed them)
• 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1 lb fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
• 1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce (I KNOW! I'm lazy...)

Go ahead and preheat your oven to 375°F.

Stir together flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl. Lightly beat eggs in a second shallow bowl, then stir together breadcrumbs and 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano in a third shallow bowl.

Heat up the olive oil in a large, deep, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Allow the oil to heat up while you prepare the eggplant.

Working with 1 slice at a time, dredge eggplant in flour, shaking off excess, then dip in egg, letting excess drip off, and dredge in the breadcrumbs, pressing until evenly coated.

Fry eggplant slices a few at a time (fill the skillet, but they shouldn't overlap or anything), turning over once or twice, until golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes per batch. Transfer with tongs to paper towels to drain.

While that's going, heat up your sauce (I actually combined 1/2 jar tomato basil with 1/2 roasted garlic, as that's what I had in the fridge already - turned out well). Coarsely chop the basil leaves and add them to the sauce to simmer while you finish frying the eggplant.

Take a baking dish (I only used a 9x9, as I cook in a toaster over, but you could use a full size one should you have the appliances to accommodate it). Spread 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange about one third of eggplant slices in 1 layer over sauce, overlapping slightly if necessary. Cover the eggplant with about one third of remaining sauce (about 1 cup) and one third of mozzarella slices. Continue layering with remaining eggplant, sauce, and mozzarella. Sprinkle top with remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano.

I baked covered for about 20 minutes, then uncovered until the cheese is melted and golden and sauce is bubbling, about another 20 minutes.

I like to serve mine over a bowl of pasta, but you could totally eat it as-is. This would easily feed a family of 4, or make some amazing lunches for the following days.

Bon chappétit!

baked farfalle w/ mushrooms, prosciutto & peas

As I've said many times, one of my favorite things about cold weather I enjoy most is a good casserole. They're hot, easy and delicious. Even though my favorite is the classic tuna noodle, I do like to branch out on occasion and try something different. This week I pick up a recipe for a new one with prosciutto. Here's what you'll need:

• 1/2 lb. cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1/4 lb. prosciutto, thinly sliced then coarsely chopped
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 lb. farfalle pasta
• 4 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese
• Salt and pepper 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and oil or butter a square baking dish. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the farfalle per the box directions.

Meanwhile, in a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat, warm 1 tablespoon of oil. Then add the shallots and sauté for a couple minutes. Stir in the prosciutto and cook for just a minute or so, then remove the prosciutto and shallots and set aside.

Add the remaining oil to the same skillet over medium heat and sauté the mushrooms until they start to brown, about 8-10 minutes. Return the prosciutto and shallots to the pan, and add in the pas. All them to cook for a few minutes to blend the flavors. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large saucepan over low heat, melt 3 tablespoons of butter. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until it starts to brown. Gradually add the milk while stirring, then cook over medium heat until the sauce begins to boil and thicken. Stir in a dash of salt and pepper. Remove from heat, and add in the other ingredients (mushroom mixture), the pasta and 3/4 cup of cheese.

Spoon the mixture into the baking dish and top for the remaining cheese and butter. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and just barely begins to brown.

Bon chappétit!

shrimp alfredo

So the temperature finally dropped into the absolutely friggid 80s recently (crazy, right?) and it oddly put me in the mood for something heavy and hearty. One of my favorite cold-weather pasta dishes is a super rich alfredo, so I figured why not? Although it was in the "frigid" 80s, I still didn't feel like spending too much time in the kitchen, so instead of making in from scratch, I used a jarred alfredo sauce as a base. I know, sacrilegious! Whatever. It was easy. Here's what you'll need:

• 8 ounces linguine pasta
• 1 tablespoon cup butter
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 pound portobello mushrooms, diced
• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 (8 ounces) jar Alfredo sauce (I used Bertolli)
• 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste

Begin by bringing a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook per package directions, until al dente.

Meanwhile, melt the butter together with the olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Next, stir in the garlic, red pepper and mushroom and cook over medium-high heat until soft, about another 2 minutes.

Stir in the shrimp, and cook until firm and pink, then pour in the alfredo sauce and Romano cheese and bring to a simmer stirring constantly until thickened, about 2 more minutes. Season with cayenne, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir drained pasta into the sauce, and serve. Simple and delicious, even with jarred sauce.

Bon chappétit!

fettuccine w/ fresh corn pesto

As my last post mentioned, or as you may have gathered if you've been reading the blog - or ever met me for that matter - pasta is my standard go-to cuisine. You seriously can't beat pasta. Whether it's simple or complicated (it should never be complicated); traditional or fusion; red sauce or creamy - it's just awesome. Dan and I tried out a completely new recipe this Sunday and - shocker! - it was freakin' delicious. It's a really summer-appropriate dish, now that fresh corn is abundant. Here's what you'll need:

• 8 thick slices of pancetta
• 4 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from about 6 large ears or so)
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving
• 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 ounces fettuccine
• 3/4 cup coarsely torn fresh basil leaves, divided

Cook the pancetta in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp and brown, stirring often. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon drippings from the skillet. Add the corn, garlic, salt and pepper to drippings in the same skillet. Sauté over medium-high heat until corn is just tender but not brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer 3/4 of a cup of corn kernels to small bowl and reserve.

Scrape the remaining corn mixture into a food processor processor. Add the Parmesan and pine nuts. With the machine running, add the olive oil through feed tube and blend until pesto is almost smooth. Set pesto aside.

Cook the pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid. Return the pasta to the same pot. Add in the corn pesto, reserved corn kernels, and 1/2 cup of basil leaves. Toss pasta mixture over medium heat until warmed through, adding reserved pasta cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls to thin to desired consistency, 2 to 3 minutes. Season pasta to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer pasta to large bowl. Top with remaining 1/4 cup basil leaves and reserved pancetta (roughly chopped).

Seriously, delicious. We were blown away by how awesome the corn pesto turned out. Definitely give it a try while corn is in season.

Bon chappétit!

penne arrabiata

So the temperature finally seemed to drop last night. Either that, or I'm just completely used to 90+ degree heat...which is just sad. In any event, I got back to making meals that take more than 5 minutes - but not much more, so don't worry. I went for an old favorite - penne arrabiata. This is a pretty simple pasta dish that really packs a punch. If you like your pasta with a kick, this one's for you. Here's what you'll need:

• 1 lb. thin chicken
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 bunch fresh basil, chopped
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 cup (small can) tomato sauce
• Salt/pepper
• 1 (28oz) can diced tomatoes
• Red pepper flakes
• 1/2 lb. penne

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, and saute for a few minutes. Sprinkle in the red pepper flakes, and saute for another minute. Pour in the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, and add the basil. Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
While that's going on, cook the penne until al dente, then drain and add to the sauce and simmer as well.

Egg, breadcrumb and fry the chicken in olive oil until browned, about 5-10 minutes depending on the size of your chicken. I like to cut it into small strips when done and toss with the sauce and penne before serving. However if you'd really like to preserve the crispy breading, serve the chicken on top of the pasta. No matter how you serve it, it's going to be simply awesome.

Bon chappétit!

tuna & arugula pasta

While the temperatures are consistently in the 90s these days, I'm finding it harder and harder to spend very much time in my windowless, A/C-less kitchen. I'm also getting tired of takeout options. So I've now moved on to the absolute quickest meals I can make (I'll also be trying my first ceviche soon).  This pasta dish was a big staple back in college when I used to cook regularly for a few friends (yo Hallie! yo Lee!)  It's one of the quickest ones I know (because I use jarred sauce - deal with it).  Here's what you'll need:

• 1 can of tuna (in oil)
• Pasta sauce (I usually go for a tomato basil)
• A handful of arugula
• Pasta of your choice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Boil the pasta per box directions.  Toss some sauce and the arugula into a pot to heat (I find about 1/3 of a jar - yes, jar - is about one dish).  The arugula makes this dish.  Don't be afraid to use a lot - it will wilt down to nothing.  Add the tuna (drained) and salt and pepper to taste (I usually like mine pretty spicy).  Combine all ingredients when done and voila! Super easy tuna pasta: it's better than it sounds.

pasta primavera

As Sunday was the last official day of Spring, and as I was totally craving some pasta for dinner (it had been DAYS), what could be better suited than a pasta primavera? This does happen to be one of those rare Italian dishes that I don't actually have a family recipe for, so I went searching through some of my favorite food blogs. Broke Ass Gourmet (check it out if you haven't already) had a great looking recipe up, so I decided to try it, with a few changes (mainly, more meat). Here's what you'll need:

• 1/2 lb. penne
• One small carton of heavy cream (like half a pint or something? The small one)
• 1/4 cup fresh Parmesan
• 1 head of broccoli, chopped up
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• A few mushrooms
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1 bunch fresh basil, coarsely chopped
• Some pancetta (I got a 1/4 lb., however I ate half of it before it went into the dish...so 1/8 lb?)

Begin by boiling a large pot of water and cooking the pasta per the box directions, about 10 minutes or so. While that's going, take a large non-stick pan and cook up the pancetta so that it's nice and crispy, about 7 or 8 minutes. When that's done, place on a dish with a paper towel to dry. Once dried, simple crush it up into little bits.

In the same pan, sauté the garlic and oil for just a few minutes over medium heat, until the garlic turns golden. Next, add the broccoli, pepper and mushrooms and sauté these as well for another 3-5 minutes. By this time, your pasta should be cooked and drained. Add the two dishes together in the pot the pasta was cooked in. Add in the peas, cream, cheese and half of the pancetta. Cook over medium heavy for just a few minutes, until the cream begins to thicken.

Serve immediately while hot, and top with the remaining pancetta. This dish was quick and delicious. These veggies gave a nice balance to the creamy cheesiness, and you seriously can't go wrong with pancetta. Ever. It may have been in honor of Spring, but it'd definitely be a great meal anytime year-round.

Bon chappétit!

italian meatballs w/simple tomato sauce

Last night I decided to betray my mom (sorry!) and try a new meatball recipe. I'm used to the basic, old school kind that's really just ground beef, breadcrumb and egg. Well, let me tell y'all, this new version really sent me for a loop. They were so succulent and tasty, I don't think I'll ever turn back. And I really don't feel that sorry Mom - once you try these you'll see what I mean :) Here's what you'll need:

For the meatballs

• 1 lb meat (I used the a ground beef/pork/veal combo in my local market)
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1/2 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1/4 cup of cheese (I used a pecorino romano I had, but you could use parmesan as well)
• Salt and pepper

For the sauce

• 1 large can peeled tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 8-10 basil leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup olive 
• Salt and pepper

Begin by getting the sauce going. In a medium pot, sauté the garlic and onion in oil. Once they begin to open up and brown, pour the liquid from the tomatoes into the pot, and the tomatoes from the can into a bowl. Mash them up nicely, and then add to the pot, along with the basil, salt and pepper to taste.  Let this simmer on low heat in the background while preparing the meatballs.

For the meatballs, basically just combine everything in a large bowl.  Roll into desired size (mine pictured are about the size of golfballs).  I then baked mine on a cookie sheet for about 10 minutes on 450 degrees.  You can also brown them in a skillet with a little oil if you'd prefer.  They also get a little crispier this way, which can be nice. However, I was feeling lazy and didn't want to have another pan to clean (I lined the cookie sheet with tin foil to avoid cleaning - genius!)

After they've been cooked by whichever method, add them to the sauce and let them simmer and blend while you cook your pasta. Once the pasta is done, toss it all together and you're done.  This made 16 meatballs, which could easily feed 4 people.  You may want to double the sauce if you're serving that many and want it really saucy. I kept it on the lighter side - although I ate half of this all by myself in one sitting...

Bon chappétit!

shrimp pasta w/ tomato & basil

Today marks another first for the blog - a shrimp dish! I first tried this one several months back, only to totally lose the recipe. I finally found it and decided to break it out again last night. This is probably one of the easier, more simple recipes I make. Howeve, don't let that fool you - the flavors are definitely strong. It's an easy dish to impress. Here's what you'll need:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup white wine (I used a sauvignon blanc)
• 1/2 pound of the pasta of your choosing (I went with angel hair)
• A bunch of tomatoes, chopped (I know, my measurements are crazy exact)
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 8 ounces crumbled feta cheese (I went with a French feta, but any will do)

Begin by sautéing the garlic in oil, until it begins to open and turn golden. Next, add the shrimp and sauté until the shrimp begins to turn pink. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.* Then, add the tomatoes sliced-side down (see picture), basil and white wine. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the tomatoes break down.

While that's going on, begin to boil your water. Cook the pasta per the box directions.

When you have about 2-3 minutes left, add the shrimp back to the pan and sauté with the tomatoes and basil. Drain your pasta and add with the tomato and shrimp sauce. Finish by topping with a healthy sprinkling of feta and you're done. Really simple, really delicious.

Bon chappétit!

*Note: This is to be done if you're cooking raw shrimp. You can also be steamed shrimp and skip this step.