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

pizza w/ prosciutto, pears & feta

The weather has been so ridunkulous lately that it's been pretty much unbearable to spend any amount of my windowless, a/c-less kitchen. That's why I've either been eating out, getting take out, or making things that take less than 5 minutes to make. This one isn't much of a recipe, but if you're in a situation like mine, you'll appreciate the idea.

I love a good, easy, personal-sized pizza (as you'll see here, and here, and more to come soon). Here's what you'll need for this masterpiece:

• 2 multigrain flatbread
• 6 slices of provolone cheese
• 1/2 cup feta cheese
• 1/4 lb. of prosciutto 
• 1/2 cup arugula
• 1 pear, sliced

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

chicken w/ fontina & prosciutto

I love a good stuffed chicken. I tried a new one last night with fontina and prosciutto, and I mean, with those ingredients, how could it not turn out to be a simply delicious dish? Here's what you'll need:

• 1/2 cup coarsely grated Fontina cheese
• 1/3 cup (packed) soft garlic-herb cheese (such as Boursin)
• 1/3 cup chopped prosciutto
• 2 tablespoons chopped basil
• Chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry Marsala

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!

veal scallops w/ prosciutto & sage

I'll start by saying that I'm well aware that today's dish might be controversial to some. I know many are ethically opposed to things like veal. Sometimes I am; last night I was not. I've never actually cooked with it before, and I was curious to see how it would go. Now that I'm typing this up, I realize that I actually made almost the identical recipe back in October with tilapia. So if you think this sounds good, but can't bring yourself to use veal, try that one! But if you're willing to forge ahead, here's what you'll need:

• 6 veal scallops (about 1/2 lb.)
• 6 slices of prosciutto
• 6 sage leaves
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• Pepper

Begin by taking each veal scallop and topping with a slice of prosciutto and a sage leaf. Secure the three together with a toothpick. Dust each scallop lightly with flour, shaking off any excess.

Melt the butter in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Place the veal scallops prosciutto-side down for about 1 minute (or until it begins to turn golden brown). Flip and cook for about another minute, lightly dusting them with pepper. Then reduce the heat and cook for another few minutes (4-5, depending on their thickness) until the veal is cooked through.

Remove from heat and set aside. Add the wine to the pan to deglaze. Let boil for a few minutes until most of it has cooked off, then serve over the scallops as a sauce (this probably serves two easily). I thought the flavors were really lovely together.

Bon chappétit!

tilapia w/ prosciutto & sage

Tonight was another one of those great little meals that was complete - start to finish - in under 20 minutes. And delicious to boot! It also only took 3 ingredients (plus oil and pepper). Bliss. Here's what you'll need:

• Tilapia fillets
• Prosciutto (2 paper-thin slices per fillet)
• Sage
• Olive oil
• Pepper

Begin by cutting the fillet in half and patting each half dry. Sprinkle with a little pepper - not salt needed due to the prosciutto. Tear off a few leaves of sage and hold them against the tilapia with one hand. With the other, wrap a couple slices of prosciutto around the fillet, securing the sage. The prosciutto should hold itself together pretty nicely.

Heat a couple tablespoons of oil in a non-stick skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Place the tilapia in the skillet (prosciutto seam side down) and cook for about 3-4 minutes per side, depending on the size of your fillet.

Remove and serve. Really simple flavor combinations for a great weeknight meal.

Bon chappétit!

salad w/ blueberry, prosciutto & melon

So last night Dan and I had a blueberry-themed evening. We both love blueberries - who doesn't? Both dishes turned out a-freakin'-mazing. Here's what you'll need for the first:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon finely grated lime peel
• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1 small fennel bulb, trimmed, halved vertically, cored, cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips
• 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 12 paper-thin prosciutto slices
• 12 cantaloupe wedges

Whisk togehter the olive oil, lime juice, parsley, salt and lime peel in medium bowl. Season with pepper. Stir in the blueberries, fennel and onion and let stand at room temperature for at least 15 minutes, tossing occasionally.

When you're ready to serve, place the prosciutto slices around each place. Top with melon, then the blueberry mixture and serve immediately.

We were literally blown away by the combination of flavors here. The cantaloupe with the prosciutto with the blueberries with the melon - it was a circus in my mouth and I love every single minute of it. A fantastic no-cook meal for these hot days of August.

Bon chappétit!

prosciutto risotto

Risotto is one of those truly amazing dishes that takes me back to my time spent in Italy during college. I used to do risotto for dinner at least once or twice a week. The only think I had more often was probably prosciutto (in sandwiches, in pasta...on it's own, just because). So when I recently came across a recipe for bacon risotto, I figured this would be a wonderful opportunity to combine the two together. Here's what you'll need:

• 1/4 pound prosciutto, sliced
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
• 2 large tomatoes (or several smaller ones), cut into 1/2" slices
• 1 bunch of basil, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Begin by cooking the prosciutto with just a little bit of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until browned, about 10 minutes. Drain and place on a paper towel to dry.

Meanwhile, bring the chicken stock to a boil in a saucepan over high heat; reduce heat to low to keep the chicken stock hot.

In the same skillet as the prosciutto was in, heat 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook and stir until the onion begins to turn golden brown at the edges, about 2 minutes. Pour in the rice and stir until the rice is coated in butter and has started to toast, about 2-3 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium; stir in one-third of the hot chicken stock and continue stirring until the rice has absorbed the liquid and turned creamy. Repeat this process twice more, stirring constantly (seriously, constantly). Stirring in the broth should take 15 to 20 minutes in all. When finished, the rice should be tender, yet slightly firm.

Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, the Parmesan cheese, tomatoes, basil and the reserved prosciutto. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

This turned out amazing for Dan and I this past Sunday. We paired it with a tilapia, but it easily could've stood as a meal by itself. Definitely a must-try.

Bon chappétit!