- By Berkshire Eagle staff
We're headed into the dog days of summer ... temperatures this weekend are predicted to be near 90 degrees. In that type of heat, no one wants to heat up their house by using the oven and even getting a meal together can seem like too much of an effort.
When it comes to a quick, easy-to-make pasta salad, usually, the only cooking required is boiling water for the pasta. And, if something else needed to be cooked, like bacon, many times it can be bought already cooked so all you have to do is chop it up for the salad. Heck, there are even pre-cooked pouches of pasta you microwave for only a couple of minutes.
Plus, when building a pasta salad, you can use any pasta shape or variety, fresh and frozen vegetables, mayonnaise or a vinaigrette dressing, and any type of meat and cheese. Throw any combination of ingredients together and the odds are your pasta salad will come out great.
Beat the heat this summer with these tried-and-true pasta recipes from members of The Berkshire Eagle staff.
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This zippy pasta salad can be made with most things you probably already have in your pantry. I often skip the ground beef mixture all together, to further cut down on cooking time. Sometimes, I'll add a few springs of cilantro from my herb garden to freshen the salad up. This is best eaten the same day right after mixing at room temperature, since the tomatoes will continue to break down. But leftovers the next day (after chilling in the refrigerator) are also good. You may need to whip up a little more sauce to keep the zesty zing fresh, however.
— Lindsey Hollenbaugh, managing editor of features
COWBOY PASTA SALAD
(Courtesy bellyfull.net)
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Servings: 12
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound dried mini pasta shells
1 pound hickory smoked bacon, diced
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1 teaspoon cumin
pinch red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 1/2 teaspoons hot chili sauce
1 can (15 ounce) whole kernel sweet corn, drained
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
5 scallions, diced
DIRECTIONS:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil; cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drizzle with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.
In the meantime, saute bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crispy, about 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain off grease. Wipeout skillet, leaving a little of the bacon grease. Add the ground beef; cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until cooked through and no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Season with the cumin, red pepper flakes, and with a pinch of salt and pepper. Drain off fat. Set aside to cool completely.
In an extra-large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and hot chili sauce until combined and smooth. Add in the cooked pasta, bacon, beef, corn, tomatoes, cheese, and scallions; toss to combine and coat.
Enjoy right away or refrigerate until ready to serve.
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I love making this BLT macaroni salad recipe because it is so easy. I don't use the spinach in it but use green onions instead. You can buy the already-cooked bacon if you are in a rush. I usually put a tablespoon of bacon grease in the ingredients to add flavor. You can line the bowl with some leaf lettuce to make a nice presentation. I also add chopped chives on the top for color.
— Nancy McLean, public notices coordinator
BLT MACARONI SALAD
Prep time: 15 minutes
Additional time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
16 ounces elbow macaroni, uncooked
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
8 pieces of bacon, crumbled
1 cup seeded and diced tomato
1 cup roughly chopped baby spinach
DIRECTIONS:
Cook macaroni according to package instructions. Drain.
Mix together remaining ingredients, and toss with macaroni until combined.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
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This is another favorite macaroni salad. You can use any kind of pickles. Get the ones in the deli section, they have a better crunch.
— Nancy McLean
DILL PICKLE PASTA SALAD
(Courtesy spendwithpennies.com)
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 pound dry shell pasta (about 3 cups)
3/4 cup sliced pickles
2/3 cup cheddar cheese diced
3 tablespoons finely diced white onion
2 tablespoons fresh dill
1/2 cup pickle juice
Dressing:
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 tablespoons pickle juice
Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
Boil pasta al dente according to package directions. Run under cold water to stop cooking. Toss cold pasta with about 1/2 cup of pickle juice and set aside for about 5 minutes. Drain & discard pickle juice. Combine all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Toss all ingredients in a large bowl. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
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This is one of my favorite go-to pasta salads. I always have several types of pasta in my pantry, and I've used medium shells, spirals and bowties in place of the spaghetti. I've also sometimes added shredded mozzarella and fresh basil. It's perfect as a main course on those really hot summer nights when you don't want a hot meal. Especially when served with a nice crusty loaf of bread or homemade garlic bread — heated up on the grill instead of the oven!
— Margaret Button, associate features editor
SUMMER ITALIAN SPAGHETTI SALAD
(Courtesy reluctant entertainer.com)
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Servings: 8
INGREDIENTS:
1 package (16 ounces) thin spaghetti, halved
1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
1 cup cucumber diced
1 cup (5 ounces) thin salami slices, cut into small pieces (or pepperoni)
1 medium green pepper diced
1/2 small red onion diced
1/2 cup black olives thinly sliced
1 bottle (8 ounces) Italian salad dressing
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
Cook spaghetti according to package directions, usually 1 minute less in time (el dente); drain and rinse. Place spaghetti in a large bowl and add a drizzle of olive oil so pasta does not stick together. Refrigerate until cool. To the cooled spaghetti add tomatoes, cucumber, salami, pepper, red onion, and olives. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over salad and toss to coat. Add the Parmesan cheese; gently stir together. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours; serve.
- By America's Test Kitchen
It's hard to find anyone who doesn't love a bowl of spaghetti topped with meatballs and marinara, but stovetop versions are often messy (between the spattering oil from frying the meatballs and the sputtering tomato sauce), and the sauce requires a long simmering time to develop rich, deep flavor.
We turned to the multicooker for the neatest and most efficient method for making classic meatballs in marinara. Meatloaf mix provided a combination of ground beef, pork, and veal all in one, making our grocery list short without sacrificing flavor.
The meatballs were a bit dry, so we added an egg and a panade — a paste of bread and milk — for the moisture the meatballs needed, creating tender meatballs that would also hold their shape.
We seared the meatballs until they were crisp and brown; the deep pot of the multicooker kept spattering to a minimum, and the fond made a flavorful foundation for our marinara. We cooked some aromatics, added crushed tomatoes and tomato puree, and returned the meatballs to the pot.
From there, we could either briefly pressure cook the mixture, or leave it unattended to gently cook for the next few hours on the slow cook setting. Either way, we never had to worry about splattering grease or sauce.
The final product was a pot full of flavorful and tender yet firm meatballs in a robust, savory tomato sauce. If you cannot find meatloaf mix, substitute 8 ounces 85 percent lean ground beef and 8 ounces ground pork.
Meatballs and marinara
Servings: 4-6
Pressure cook total time: 1 hour
Show cook total time: 4 hours 30 minutes
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 cup whole milk
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 large egg, lightly beaten
6 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper
1 pound meatloaf mix
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano or 2 teaspoons dried
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (28 ounce) can tomato puree
1 pound spaghetti
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Using fork, mash bread and milk into paste in large bowl. Stir in Parmesan, parsley, egg, half of garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add meatloaf mix and knead with hands until thoroughly combined. Pinch off and roll mixture into 12 meatballs (about 1/4 cup each).
Using highest saute or browning function, heat oil in multicooker for 5 minutes (or until just smoking). Brown meatballs on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to plate.
Add oregano, tomato paste, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining garlic to fat left in multicooker and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and tomato puree, scraping up any browned bits. Gently nestle meatballs into sauce, adding any accumulated juices.
To pressure cook: Lock lid in place and close pressure release valve. Select high pressure cook function and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off multicooker and quick-release pressure. Carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.
To slow cook: Lock lid in place and open pressure release valve. Select low slow cook function and cook until meatballs are tender, 3 to 4 hours. (If using Instant Pot, select high slow cook function and increase cooking range to 4 to 5 hours.) Turn off multicooker and carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.
Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot. Add several spoonfuls of sauce (without meatballs) and basil and toss to combine. Add reserved cooking water as needed to adjust consistency. Serve pasta with remaining sauce and meatballs.
Nutrition information per serving: 593 calories; 173 calories from fat; 19 g fat (6 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 93 mg cholesterol; 667 mg sodium; 77 g carbohydrate; 5 g fiber; 10 g sugar; 28 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com. Find more recipes like Meatballs and Marinara in "Multicooker Perfection ."
- By America's Test Kitchen
Much like a Chinese finger trap that lures by appearing to be a toy, sesame noodles are not what they seem. You may think of them as merely a humble bowl of cold noodles, but don't be fooled — just one bite and you're hooked on these toothsome noodles with shreds of tender chicken, all tossed with the fresh sesame sauce.
The real problem is, good versions of this dish can be hard to find. The cold noodles have a habit of turning gummy, the chicken often dries out, and the sauce is notorious for turning bland and pasty. We wanted a recipe that could not only quell a serious craving but could do it fast.
Though drawn to the softer texture of fresh Asian-style noodles, we conceded that dried spaghetti could serve as a second-string substitute. The trouble with both types of noodle, however, was that after being cooked and chilled, they gelled into a rubbery skein. After trying a number of ways to avoid this, we found it necessary to rinse the noodles under cold tap water directly after cooking. This not only cooled the hot noodles immediately but also washed away much of their sticky starch. To further forestall any clumping, we tossed the rinsed noodles with a little oil.
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are quick to cook and easy to shred; the real question is how to cook them. The microwave seemed easy in theory, but we found the rate of cooking difficult to monitor_30 seconds meant the difference between underdone and overdone. Many recipes suggested poaching the chicken in water or broth, but this chicken had a washed-out flavor. Nor was roasting the answer; it caused the outer meat to dry out before the interior was fully cooked. Cooking under both gas and electric broilers, however, worked perfectly. The chicken cooked through in minutes, retaining much of its moisture and flavor.
To be authentic, the sesame sauce should be made with an Asian sesame paste (not to be confused with Middle Eastern tahini), but most recipes substitute peanut butter because it's easier to find. Somewhat surprisingly, tasters preferred chunky peanut butter over smooth, describing its flavor as fresh and more peanutty. We had been making the sauce in a blender and realized that the chunky bits of peanuts were being freshly ground into the sauce, producing a cleaner, stronger flavor. We found the flavors of both fresh garlic and ginger necessary, along with soy sauce, rice vinegar, hot sauce, and brown sugar. We then stumbled on the obvious way to keep the sauce from being too thick or pasty: Thin it out with water.
Although the sauce was tasting pretty good, tasters still complained that there was not enough sesame flavor. Tossing the rinsed pasta with toasted sesame oil helped a bit, as did garnishing the noodles with toasted sesame seeds. But tasters were still not satisfied; they wanted more. Finally, we tried adding some of the toasted sesame seeds to the sauce. Blended into the sauce along with the chunky peanut butter, the sesame seeds added the final kick of authentic sesame flavor we were all hankering for.
SESAME NOODLES WITH CHICKEN
Servings: 4
Start to finish: 1 hour
INGREDIENTS:
5 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 cup hot water
4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
Salt and pepper
1 pound fresh Chinese noodles
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
4 scallions, sliced thin on bias
1 carrot, peeled and grated
DIRECTIONS:
Puree soy sauce, peanut butter, 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, vinegar, sugar, ginger, garlic, and hot sauce in blender until smooth, about 30 seconds. With machine running, add hot water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until sauce has consistency of heavy cream (you may not need entire amount of water).
Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Spray broiler pan top with vegetable oil spray. Pat chicken dry with paper towels, season with salt and pepper, and lay on prepared pan. Broil chicken until lightly browned and registers 160 F, 10 to 15 minutes, flipping chicken over halfway through broiling time. Transfer chicken to cutting board, let cool slightly, then shred into bite-size pieces.
Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add noodles and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until tender. Drain noodles, rinse with cold water, and drain again, leaving noodles slightly wet. Transfer to large bowl and toss with oil. Add shredded chicken, scallions, carrot, and sauce and toss to combine. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sesame seeds and serve.
Nutrition information per serving: 700 calories; 194 calories from fat; 22 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 101 mg cholesterol; 2205 mg sodium; 79 g carbohydrate; 6 g fiber; 12 g sugar; 45 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com . Find more recipes like Sesame Noodles with Chicken in "Revolutionary Recipes."
- By Francesca Olsen, Eagle correspondent
Most nights, as many people do, my partner and I discuss dinner options. We have some different opinions about what's tasty, and we sometimes have to meet in the middle.
"What about a pasta bake with, like, a bechamel sauce instead of red?" I asked. He rolled his eyes; he hates creamy sauce.
"Why can't we just use red sauce?" he asked.
"Red sauce takes too long. It's already 5:30," I said.
So, no bechamel, no red sauce, but plenty of sausage in the fridge. What to do? Compromise.
This recipe is an altered version of a casserole I often prep in advance and store in the freezer for a desperate weeknight, but it can be made pretty simply as a regular dinner. Because it lacks sauce of any kind, but doesn't lack on cheese, the binding liquid is a simple pan sauce made with sherry vinegar and some starchy, salty pasta water.
That liquid commingles with the sausage and veggies, then slicks itself over the nearly al dente pasta, creating just enough moisture to allow it to fully cook in the oven, and enough moisture for the cheese to do its job, which is to create a creamy and crunchy assemblage of delicious edible textures. The bread crumbs call back to more creamy/traditional casseroles, which are often heavy on dairy.
This got the vote of approval from Mr. No Creamy Sauces — and from me. It's drier than it would be with a bechamel, but it's lovely, and it hits all the high points — a little spicy and fatty from the sausage, nice and starchy, perfect for a cool rainy night. However, next time he's away for dinnertime, I'll be making myself the creamiest mac and cheese I can as an act of protest.
NOT-SAUCY PASTA AND SAUSAGE BAKE
INGREDIENTS:
6 sausages or 1 pound ground sausage (I used a sweet/hot combo — highly recommend!)
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon dried sage
Salt and pepper
1 pound bag of spinach
1 pound pasta
2 tablespoons butter
Sherry vinegar
1/4 cup reserved pasta water
3 cups shredded cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan and Gouda (or whatever other shredded cheese you would like to use)
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 425 F. Heat large saucepan to high. Remove sausage from casings and mash into small bits, allowing sausage to fully cook and brown (skip the casings part if you're using ground sausage). Remove sausage and set aside. Turn heat to medium low.
Chop onion and garlic and add onion to pan, cooking 3 to 5 minutes until soft and beginning to brown. Add sage, spinach and garlic, and cook about five minutes longer.
Salt and boil a large pot of water, then cook pasta about 5 to 6 minutes until just approaching al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water, then drain pasta.
Add sausage, sherry vinegar and pasta water to the pan with onions and spinach. Adjust heat to medium and simmer until liquid is reduced by half. Add pasta and stir until well combined. Add half the cheese and stir, then once cheese is incorporated well, add the rest to the top and top with bread crumbs. Bake 30 minutes or until cheese on top is brown. Wait at least 10 minutes before serving.
- By Francesca Olsen, Eagle correspondent
Your average grocery store now has tons of non-semolina flour/gluten-free options, from chickpeas to hemp (really!) — and if you're lucky, unexpected varieties like black bean.
As a onetime vegetarian, I have an enduring love of black beans. They're a common dinner protein in my house. They're heart-healthy and are a good source of fiber. But when I was assigned this story, I initially balked at the idea of turning them into pasta. What else is in that pasta besides black beans? And more importantly ... is this pasta variant any good?
What's in it
The only ingredient listed in the black bean pasta I purchased was organic black beans. One serving — a quarter of the box — will cost you 180 calories and contains a whopping 25 grams of protein, half the daily recommended amount, along with 1,098 milligrams of potassium (31 percent); and 11 grams of fiber (44 percent). For comparison, a serving of canned black beans (half a cup) is 109 calories and contains 7 grams of protein, 8.3 grams of fiber, and 800 milligrams of potassium.
Tasting notes
I did not have any expectations about how this stuff would taste. I feared it would be cardboardesque, like so much well-intentioned health food, but no! It tastes very similar to whole wheat pasta, with a little bit of black bean aftertaste. I don't recommend using this in a traditional red sauce, but I think it'd be great with mussels and butter, or with a spicy peanut sauce and some crunchy cucumber. I elected to pair it with some fall flavors and healthy vegetables to bring out the whole wheat flavor and play down the bean flavor.
Where to find it
I went to four grocery stores in the Northern Berkshires and couldn't find any black bean pasta (though there were plenty of other non-semolina pasta varieties). Managing Editor of Features Lindsey Hollenbaugh found hers at Aldi; if you're making a trip to Albany or the Pioneer Valley, you can find it at Trader Joe's. Amazon also has several black bean pasta brands (including the Trader Joe's variety).
The verdict
Gluten-free people, I see you, and I appreciate you. It's great that we have so many non-grain options now. I'm never giving up pasta, but its black bean cousin is a legitimately good alternative, and is surprisingly reminiscent of whole grain. I've had some other gluten-free pastas (my mom is off gluten) made with things like corn flour, and the black bean one is healthier, more filling and has a more interesting flavor. If you can find it in the store, grab it!
BLACK BEAN PASTA WITH SWEET POTATOES, SAGE AND VEGETABLES
Serves 3-4
INGREDIENTS:
1 box black bean pasta
1/2 onion, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes (approximate to reduce food waste)
4 tablespoons butter, divided into two 2 tablespoon chunks
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tablespoon dried sage
1 cup frozen green peas
1 pound bag spinach
DIRECTIONS:
Heat saucepan to medium and add 2 tablespoons of butter and sweet potatoes. Season with salt and pepper and saute 10 to 12 minutes, until sweet potatoes get soft. Add onion, garlic, sage and more butter, then saute until onion is soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add spinach and peas, and cook about five minutes longer, until spinach wilts.
Meanwhile, fill a large sauce pot with water and a liberal amount of salt. Boil and add black bean pasta; cook 4 to 6 minutes until soft/al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water and drain pasta.
Add 1/3 cup pasta water to pan with sweet potatoes and cook until liquid reduces, then add black bean pasta and another splash of pasta water to help you toss it all together. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.
BLACK BEAN SPAGHETTI WITH VEGETABLES AND LIME MAYO
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 lb (250 gr) black bean spaghetti
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 yellow onion diced
1 garlic clove pressed
2 cups chopped bell peppers
2 cups sliced white mushrooms
1 cup (1 medium) diced zucchini
8 small sun dried tomatoes sliced lengthwise
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoon chopped green onions
lime juice for drizzling
Lime mayo:
1 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
juice from 1 lime
zest from 1 lime
splash of Tabasco
DIRECTIONS:
Prepare lime mayo by mixing 1 cup mayonnaise, zest and juice from 1 lime, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper and a splash of Tabasco.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add spaghetti. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes, then drain water.
Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet on medium heat and add onion. Saut for 2 to 3 minutes, until translucent.
Add peppers and cook for 2 minutes, then add mushrooms and zucchini and cook until mushrooms begin to sweat. Them add garlic.
Add paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, cayenne, oregano and stir. Add sun dried tomatoes and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until vegetables are cooked.
Divide spaghetti between 4 plates and top with vegetables. Drizzle lime mayo on top. Sprinkle green onions and squeeze some lime juice on top.
- By Margaret Button, The Berkshire Eagle
While driving down Route 7 Tuesday morning , I was amazed at how the trees had turned colors, almost overnight it seems. Did they know Monday was the official start to autumn and an alarm went off for their leaves to change?
OK, I'll admit it — I'm in fall denial. I've overlooked the cooler nights, my dog glued to me in bed at night to keep warm and the invasion of pumpkin-spice into everything imaginable. I'm a spring and summer junkie, give me those hot humid days and nights. Fall means winter is coming — and winter means boots, heavy sweaters and jackets, snow and ice, and praying to the MassHighway Gods I don't get stuck or spin out of control on Route 7. (I owe my undying love and gratitude to the crews that keep Route 7 open.)
So, with fall's arrival, I unearthed my crockpot, soup pot and electric frying pan in anticipation of making all of my fall and winter comfort foods — chili, soup, meatloaf and mac and cheese. And speaking of comfort foods ...
When a reader spotted me at the supermarket last week, she asked if I had a recipe for Fettuccine Alfredo. I do — one that has withstood the annals of time. A co-worker shared it with me literally decades ago when I needed a dish to impress a boyfriend. It did impress him, as it did the next man in my life, who liked it so much he married me! (Although, I think my mom's whoopie pies helped seal the deal.)
When I make this, I usually double the recipe because although the original claims to feed two people, it's never enough. I use fettuccine noodles in place of the egg noodles, light cream and the best Parmesan I can find — and afford. Have everything ready in advance, the dish moves along quickly and is ready in well under 15 minutes from start to finish.
FETTUCCINE ALFREDO
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups 1/2-inch-wide egg noodles
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter
1 egg
1/2 cup light cream or half-and-half
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
Bring 3 quarts of water, with the salt added, to a full boil in a saucepan.
Throw in the noodles and boil for exactly 8 minutes, then remove from heat and pour into a colander to drain.
Melt the butter over low heat in a medium-sized heavy skillet. As soon as the butter is melted (do not let it brown!), add the drained noodles to the skillet, then stir in the cream.
Beat the egg separately in a small bowl, then stir the beaten egg into the noodles. Add the grated Parmesan by sprinkling it over the surface of the noodles and stirring. Cover the skillet and allow the noodles to heat through without boiling.
Just before serving, sprinkle with black pepper. Serve on warm plates.
- By Katie Workman, The Associated Press
In the quest for Big Crowd Food, lasagna reigns supreme. And at this time of year, you may find yourself entertaining a big crowd for a basketball game party or just because it's cold out and it's nice to put together a cozy gathering.
This lasagna is rich and creamy, absent the tomato sauce that anchors many lasagnas, filled with sauteed spinach folded into fluffy ricotta and a very simple b chamel sauce, rich with melty cheeses. The nutmeg is optional — a little can add a nice flavor, but too much can overpower.
A few more notes on the ingredients: You may think that 2 pounds of spinach looks like an awful lot for one lasagna, but it cooks down to just a few cups. No-boil, or oven-ready, lasagna noodles are a gift to the busy cook, and the reason I make lasagna more often. I have also made this recipe in a super-large lasagna pan and increased the quantities by half again. Then it will serve 12 to 16.
It is tempting to dig into a bubbling lasagna, but resist the urge. Letting it sit for at least 10 minutes will reward you with slices that hold together, and it will still be perfectly warm — in fact, just the right temperature for you to enjoy the flavors without the pieces sliding apart on the plates.
This can also be assembled a day ahead, held in the fridge and baked before dinner. Or it can be baked up to two days ahead and reheated for about 20 minutes in a 375 F oven.
Cheesy white and green spinach lasagna
Serves 10 to 12
Start to finish: 2 hours
INGREDIENTS:
Spinach-basil-ricotta filling:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup minced shallots
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 pounds baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
2 pounds ricotta, preferably fresh
2 large eggs
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus 1/3 cup for sprinkling the top
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
B chamel-cheese sauce:
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups (1 quart) whole milk
Pinch ground nutmeg (optional)
1 pound fresh mozzarella, shredded
8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 (8 ounce) package no-boil lasagna noodles (containing 12 noodles)
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Make the spinach-basil-ricotta Filling: Heat the tablespoon butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until melted. Add the shallots and garlic, season with salt and pepper and saute for 2 minutes until tender. Add the spinach in batches and saute, adding more spinach as each batch wilts down, about 6 minutes in all, until all of the spinach is added and wilted. Adjust the seasoning, transfer to a strainer over a bowl, press down with a spoon to release excess liquid, and set aside to cool slightly.
In a large bowl combine the ricotta, eggs, 1 cup Parmesan, and the basil. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
Make the b chamel-cheese sauce: Heat the 4 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until melted. Whisk in the flour until the mixture turns a light golden color, about 3 minutes. While whisking constantly, slowly pour in the milk. Continue to cook and whisk until the mixture thickens and bubbles, about 4 minutes, adding the nutmeg, if using. Whisk in the mozzarella and Monterey Jack cheeses until they are melted, and season with salt and pepper.
If the spinach still seems wet, give it a squeeze with your hands. Stir the drained spinach into the reserved ricotta mixture.
Lay out all of the lasagna noodles on a clean counter top. Spread the spinach-ricotta filling evenly over all of the noodles, so that each is topped with about a 1/2-inch-thick layer of the spinach-ricotta mixture.
Pour a small amount of bechamel sauce into the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch pan and spread it out. Place four ricotta-covered noodles in the bottom of the pan to cover it in a single layer. Drizzle 1/3 of the white sauce over the noodles. Place another layer of the ricotta-covered noodles over the top, drizzle with another third of the sauce, and then repeat the layers once more. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake for about 40 minutes until the top is golden and the lasagna is bubbling. If you want a more browned top, run it under the broiler for 1 or 2 minutes, watching it carefully.
Let the lasagna rest for at least 10 to 15 minutes before cutting into squares and serving warm.
Nutrition information per serving: 674 calories; 383 calories from fat; 43 g fat (25 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 174 mg cholesterol; 871 mg sodium; 35 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 6 g sugar; 38 g protein.
Katie Workman has written two cookbooks focused on easy, family-friendly cooking, "Dinner Solved!" and "The Mom 100 Cookbook." She blogs at http://www.themom100.com/about-katie-workman
- By Margaret Button, The Berkshire Eagle
The baking bread impulse hit me again two weekends ago. I spotted a post on the New York Times Cooking Community on Facebook — a great group for all you fellow foodies to check out — for sammoun bread, an Iraqi bread similar to ciabatta bread. What the heck? I still had flour and yeast left. It was awesome — and so easy to make.
Last week, while scrolling through the New York Times own food group page, I came across this recipe for this linguine. I looked in the pantry and, miracle of miracles, I had all the ingredients, including a still-viable lemon in the refrigerator. The dish is incredible! It took about 10 minutes to boil the pasta and another two to make the sauce. A word of warning, it makes four servings — just like a pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream serves four, and we all know that isn't true! Four servings from a half-pound of linguine? No way ...
LINGUINE WITH LEMON SAUCE
(Courtesy Pierre Franey, The New York Times)
Yield: 4 servings
Time: About 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest, plus more for serving
1/2 pound fresh or dried linguine
4 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra cheese to serve on the side
DIRECTIONS:
Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Heat the butter in a skillet and add the lemon zest.
Drop the linguine into the boiling water. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.
Add the cream to the butter and lemon zest mixture. Add the pasta and lemon juice and stir until just heated through. Add the Parmesan and toss. Serve with additional Parmesan and lemon zest on the side.
Tip: If fresh linguine is purchased in 9-ounce weight, use this in lieu of the half pound.
- Berkshire Eagle Staff
It's 5:30 p.m. on a Wednesday, you're staring down the empty stomachs of hungry family members and it's just too darn cold out to make that poor pizza delivery driver make a stop at your unshoveled driveway. What's a home cook to do?
Don't panic, just grab your large deep-fry pan or a Dutch oven because that's all you'll need for these one-pot comfort meals that are proven winners at our tables. What's great about these dishes is they're not only easy to make in under 45 minutes with minimal cleanup, but they're also flexible. Swap out proteins, choose a different pasta, add more vegetables — the choice is yours to make.
***
Using only one pan, and under 30 minutes to create, there is nothing to not love about this recipe for sweet-and-sour chicken. I used to make it for tailgating when my son was playing college football. I served the lightly sweet and tangy chicken in sub rolls, making for easy eating while standing up. It works just as well over noodles, wrapped in a flour tortilla or over rice.
For sweet and sour beef or pork, use an equivalent amount of sirloin or pork tenderloin. For a vegetarian version, substitute cubes of extra-firm water-packed tofu.
For a spicier dish, add some additional hot sauce, a pinch of red pepper flakes or some finely diced jalapeno peppers.
— Margaret Button, associate features editor
SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN
Start to finish: 25 minutes
Servings: 4
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon hot sauce
2 tablespoons apricot or peach jam
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 large red bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
1 large green bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
1 cup chunk pineapple, and 1/2 cup of the canning juice
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS:
In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, hot sauce, jam and cornstarch. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour and chicken, tossing to coat. Set aside.
In a large saute pan over medium-high, combine the butter and oil. Heat until the butter has melted. Add the chicken, and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes.
Add the onion, both peppers and the pineapple juice. Saute until the chicken is cooked through and the onions are tender, about another 4 minutes. Add the pineapple, then cook until heated.
Stir in the soy sauce mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Spoon chicken, vegetables and sauce into each sub roll or flour tortilla, or serve over rice or noodles.
***
This one-pot, creamy pasta dish is a winter favorite in our house, where even my non-mushroom loving husband can't get enough. This recipe is simple to make, but does require a lot of layering of flavors, so make sure you season with salt and pepper after each step. The original recipe called for 1 pound of lean beef cut in cubes, but I swapped this out for ground beef, or ground turkey, long ago. My toddler is much more likely to eat the "mini meatballs" of cooked ground beef that stick perfectly to the creamy sauce and pasta. And don't be afraid of the deglazing step with the white wine, — use a dry Chardonnay, or even a Sauvignon Blanc will do — it really takes this everyday weeknight meal up a notch to something flavorful and special. Plus, no one is saying you can't enjoy a glass of the wine while you're cooking.
— Lindsey Hollenbaugh, managing editor of features
ONE-POT BEEF STROGANOFF
INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces cremini mushrooms stems trimmed and sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup dry white wine
4 cups low-sodium beef broth or stock
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
8 ounces dried pasta (I used rotini)
3/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
DIRECTIONS:
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter. When the butter has melted, add the onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the ground beef, season with salt and pepper. Cook beef, until it’s just cooked through and no longer pink.
Sprinkle in the flour and paprika, stir to coat the meat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the raw flavor has cooked off the flour, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits that have accumulated on the bottom of the pot, until almost evaporated about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the broth and stir to combine. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer.
Add the pasta and reserved mushrooms, along with their accumulated juices, and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are just cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.
***
I found this recipe after a bored "what's for dinner" Google search last week and it was such a hit we've had it three times since. The recipe is fast and easy, with a lot of wiggle room for ingredients that aren't exactly what's on the list. I replaced the fire-roasted tomatoes the first time with a can of whatever I had in the cupboard; it didn't taste any different when I used the fancy organic fire-roasted tomatoes when I made it again. And my first try was gluten-free as well, and amazing — it truly wasn't any more enjoyable when I switched from red lentil pasta the next time. This has officially replaced spaghetti night as our easy pasta-tomato combo dinner of the week.
— Meggie Baker, calendar clerk
ONE-POT CREAMY CAJUN CHICKEN PASTA
(Courtesy budgetbytes.com)
INGREDIENTS:
Cajun seasoning:
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Chicken pasta:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 yellow onion, diced
1/2 pound penne (or really any short pasta)
One 15-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
2 ounces cream cheese
3 green onions or chives
DIRECTIONS:
Combine the ingredients for the Cajun seasoning, then dredge the chicken. Add the olive oil and butter to a large deep skillet (I recommend nonstick for this recipe.) Heat oil and butter over medium-high until the skillet is very hot and the butter is melted and foamy. Add the chicken and cook for a couple minutes on each side, or just until the outside gets some color, not cooked through.
Add the onion and continue to saute until the onion begins to soften. Next, add the pasta, fire-roasted diced tomatoes (with the juices), and chicken broth to the skillet. Cover and bring to a boil.
Turn the heat down to medium-low and let the pasta simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and the liquid is thick and saucy, stirring every couple of minutes.
Add the cream cheese to the skillet in chunks, then stir until it has melted into the sauce. Top the pasta with sliced green onions and serve.
- By America's Test Kitchen
You'd never know that pasta primavera, a pseudo-Italian dish that appears on virtually every chain restaurant menu, actually has roots in French haute cuisine.
The usual reproduction — a random jumble of produce tossed with noodles in a heavy, flavor-deadening cream sauce — tastes nothing like spring. Surprisingly, when we dug up the original recipe from New York's famed Le Cirque restaurant, our colleagues found it wasn't all that inspiring either, despite taking about 2 hours to prepare and dirtying five pans.
First, the vegetables (which had been painstakingly blanched one by one) were bland. Second, the cream-, butter- and cheese-enriched sauce dulled flavor and didn't really unify the dish.
If we wanted a true spring-vegetable pasta — with a few thoughtfully chosen vegetables and a light, but full-bodied sauce that clung well to the noodles and brought the dish together — we'd have to start from the beginning.
Spring vegetable pasta
Servings: 4-6
Start to finish: 1 hour
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 pounds leeks, white and light green parts halved lengthwise, sliced 1/2 inch thick, and washed thoroughly, plus 3 cups coarsely chopped dark green parts, washed thoroughly
1 pound asparagus, tough ends trimmed, chopped coarse, and reserved; spears cut on bias into 1/2 inch lengths
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup water
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
plus 2 tablespoons juice
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound campanelle (farfalle and penne are acceptable substitutes)
1 cup dry white wine
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup), plus extra for serving
DIRECTIONS:
Bring leek greens, asparagus trimmings, 1 cup peas, broth, water, and half of garlic to boil in large saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 10 minutes. While broth simmers, combine mint, chives, and lemon zest in bowl; set aside.
Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer into 8 cup liquid measuring cup, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible (you should have 5 cups broth; add water as needed to equal 5 cups). Discard solids and return broth to saucepan. Cover and keep warm.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add leeks and pinch salt and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until leeks begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add asparagus spears and cook until asparagus is crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Add pepper flakes and remaining garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add remaining 1 cup peas and continue to cook for 1 minute longer. Transfer vegetables to bowl and set aside. Wipe out pot with paper towels.
Heat remaining 1/4 cup oil in now-empty pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add pasta and cook, stirring often, until just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring constantly, until absorbed, about 2 minutes.
When wine is fully absorbed, add warm broth and bring to boil. Cook, stirring frequently, until most of liquid is absorbed and pasta is al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in Parmesan, lemon juice, vegetables, and half of herb mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve immediately, passing extra Parmesan and remaining herb mixture separately.
Nutrition information per serving: 605 calories; 155 calories from fat; 17 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 4 mg cholesterol; 436 mg sodium; 88 g carbohydrate; 10 g fiber; 13 g sugar; 18 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com . Find more recipes like Spring Vegetable Pasta in "Revolutionary Recipes."
- By America's Test Kitchen
Ragu can be made from any meat or combination of meats, but the earthiness of a pure pork ragu is undeniably attractive — and great comfort food.
Most recipes for traditional pork ragu use pork shoulder and a hard-to-find, bony cut like neck, shank, or feet to give the sauce great body. We were determined to use just one: Quick-cooking pork sausage or lean pork loin were parched after braising.
We needed a collagen-rich cut of pork, which would have deep flavor and a melting texture after long cooking — and the bones included. Baby back ribs fit the bill perfectly. We tried using all baby back ribs and found the resulting ragu rich and meaty with perfect silkiness.
For a classic Italian flavor profile, fennel took the place of celery in the ragu's base and ground fennel rubbed into the ribs echoed the anise flavor. Simmering the garlic head whole right in the sauce yielded sweeter softened cloves that we squeezed back into the sauce when tender.
With fresh herbs and red wine, our ragu tasted balanced and far more complex than its simple preparation would suggest. This recipe makes enough sauce to coat 2 pounds of pasta. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.
PORK RAGU
Servings: 8
Start to finish: 3 hours
INGREDIENTS:
Two 2 1/4-to-2 1/2 pound racks baby back ribs, trimmed and each rack cut into quarters
2 teaspoons ground fennel
Kosher salt and pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped fine
1 large fennel bulb, stalks discarded, bulb halved, cored, and chopped fine
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped fine
1/4 cup minced fresh sage
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons dry red wine
One 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and crushed coarse
3 cups chicken broth
1 garlic head, outer papery skins removed and top quarter of head cut off and discarded
DIRECTIONS:
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 F. Sprinkle ribs with ground fennel and generously season with salt and pepper, pressing on spices to adhere. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of ribs, meat side down, and cook, without moving them, until meat is well browned, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to plate. Repeat with remaining ribs; set aside.
Reduce heat to medium and add onion, fennel, carrots, 2 tablespoons sage, rosemary, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the now-empty pot. Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits until vegetables are well browned and beginning to stick to pot bottom, 12 to 15 minutes.
Add 1 cup wine and cook until evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and broth and bring to simmer. Submerge garlic and ribs, meat side down, in liquid; add any accumulated juices from plate. Cover and transfer to oven. Cook until ribs are fork-tender, about 2 hours.
Remove pot from oven and transfer ribs and garlic to rimmed baking sheet. Using a large spoon, skim any fat from surface of sauce. Once cool enough to handle, shred meat from bones; discard bones and gristle. Return meat to pot. Squeeze garlic from its skin into pot. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons sage and remaining 2 tablespoons wine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Nutrition information per serving: 559 calories; 273 calories from fat; 30 g fat (10 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 168 mg cholesterol; 628 mg sodium; 11 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 56 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com. Find more recipes like Pork Ragu in "How to Braise Everything."
- By Berkshire Eagle Staff
After taking stock of your pantry, you may find you've got a few too many boxes of dry pasta. (Or, at least that's what we're guessing given the many empty shelves of pasta we've been seeing at area grocery stores.) Luckily, there are endless possibilities for ways to dress up those trusty noodles beyond a jar of marina sauce.
Here are a few of our favorite easy weeknight dinners (if that's even a thing anymore ...) that will make you glad you've got those extra boxes.
SPINACH PASTA SALAD
(From Betty Crocker)
I got this recipe in my first-ever vegetarian cookbook when I was 16 and its popular with the family and a potluck favorite.
— Meggie Baker, Eagle calendar clerk.
INGREDIENTS:
3 cups (6 ounces) uncooked bow-tie (farfalle) pasta
1 small tomato, cut into fourths
1/2 cup basil pesto
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 cups bite-size pieces spinach leaves
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced (1 cup)
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
One 14-ounce can quartered artichokes hearts, drained, rinsed
DIRECTIONS:
Cook and drain pasta as directed on package. Rinse with cold water; drain.
While pasta is cooking, place tomato, pesto, salt and pepper in food processor or blender. Cover; process 30 seconds.
Toss pasta, pesto mixture and remaining ingredients.
---
SPAGHETTI ALLA CARBONARA
This has been my go-to pasta recipe ever since I received Rachael Ray's second cookbook. The page it's on is food-stained and has many of my notes including: "Excellent! Wouldn't change a thing!" and "Start pasta way before sauteing pancetta." — good advice since the recipe cooks up really fast. So-o-o-o-o good!
— Margaret Button, associate features editor
INGREDIENTS:
Salt
1 pound spaghetti (or any variety of pasta)
Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan)
1/3 pound pancetta, chopped
4 or 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, a few pinches, crushed in palm of hand
1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken stock
2 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more, for sprinkling
A handful fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
A few grinds black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
Place a large pot of water on the stove to boil. When water is rolling, add salt and pasta and cook to al dente, about 8 minutes, reserving 1/4 cup pasta water. While pasta cooks, heat large skillet over moderate heat. Saute pancetta in a drizzle of oil until it browns, 3 to 5 minutes. Add extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, and crushed pepper flake. Saute garlic 2 minutes. Add wine or stock to the pan and reduce liquid by half, 2 minutes.
Beat together egg yolks, cheese, and while whisking vigorously, stir in a ladle of the boiling pasta water. Beat in parsley and pepper and set aside.
Drain pasta. Add pasta to pan with sauce. Toss pasta with pancetta, then add egg mixture and toss 1 minute, then remove from heat. Continue to toss until sauce is absorbed by and thickly coating the pasta. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper and serve with extra cheese, for passing.
---
SHRIMP WITH PENNE
(Adapted from Ree Drummond)
This is a family favorite that I often make with frozen shrimp for a quick dinner. The smell of the wine cooking with the onions and garlic is just the right thing for a Wednesday night meal to make pasta go from boring to perfection.
— Lindsey Hollenbaugh, managing editor of features
INGREDIENTS:
3/4 pounds penne pasta
1 pound shrimp
3 tablespoon of butter
1 whole onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup of white wine
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
Fresh parsley - to taste
Fresh basil - to taste
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
Cook the penne pasta until al dente. Peel, devein and rinse 1 pound of extra-large shrimp. Heat about 1 tablespoon butter and olive oil in a skillet. Add shrimp and cook for a couple of minutes until just opaque.
Do not overcook shrimp. Remove from heat and let cool. When cool to touch, place on chopping board and cut into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
Finely dice one small onion. Mince two cloves of garlic.
In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add garlic and onion and saute, stirring occasionally.
When the onion is translucent, add the white wine (you can use chicken broth instead).
Add your 8-ounce can of plain tomato sauce. Stir well until combined. Add 1 cup of heavy cream. Continue stirring. Turn heat to low and let simmer for a few minutes.
Chop the parsley and basil (remember the herbs are to taste)
Add herbs and shrimp to tomato cream sauce. Stir and add salt and pepper to taste. Add penne pasta and stir.
QUICK SAUCES:
If you're looking for some just a little different to dress your pasta, try one of these easy sauces and add any vegetables or proteins you've got on hand to use up your refrigerator leftovers.
Garlic Alfredo sauce: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add 3 cloves minced garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in 2 tablespoons flour until lightly browned.
Gradually whisk in 1 cup milk and 1/2 cup half-and-half, and cook, whisking constantly until slightly thickened. Stir in 2 ounces cream cheese, cubed, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese until melted. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add sauce to favorite pasta.
Maple cream sauce: Melt 4 tablespoons butter in large saute pan over medium heat. Add the 1 shallot, diced, and then cook until translucent. Add 2 cups of cream, and allow to simmer for one minute. Add 2 tablespoons maple syrup, stirring to combine; add 1teaspoon thyme, salt and pepper to taste, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add to your favorite ravioli; butternut squash is great with these flavors.
Creamy tomato sauce: Once you cook your favorite pasta and drain, stir in 3 ounces cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups of your favorite pasta sauce. Stir to combine and heat through.
- By America's Test Kitchen
Macaroni and cheese has always been on my "must-explore" list. It's just eaten too often in this country for us to ignore it. Kids in particular say yes to macaroni and cheese when they turn up their noses at everything else. Unfortunately, it's the boxed version, complete with orange cheese powder, that's made most often.
There are two distinct styles of macaroni and cheese: bechamel-based, in which macaroni is blanketed with a cheesy white sauce, usually topped with crumbs, and baked. The other variety, the kind my mother always made, is custard-based. In this style, a mixture of egg and milk is poured over layers of grated cheese and noodles. As the dish bakes, the eggs, milk and cheese set into a custard. It can also be topped with bread crumbs, although my mom always sprinkled crushed saltine crackers over hers.
We preferred the cheesier-flavored custard version and decided to experiment. To our surprise, highly processed cheeses, such as American, performed quite well in this dish. Much like evaporated milk, the more processing, the more stable the cheese and the more creamy the dish. For flavor, use cheddar; for texture, buy American. You can skip the bread crumbs and sprinkle the dish with crumbled common crackers or saltines, if desired.
Stovetop macaroni and cheese
Servings: 4
Start to finish: 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
Bread crumbs:
3 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into quarters
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Salt
Macaroni and cheese:
2 large eggs
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
1 teaspoon dry mustard, dissolved in 1 teaspoon water
Salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
8 ounces elbow macaroni (2 cups)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 ounces sharp cheddar, American, or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (3 cups)
DIRECTIONS:
For the bread crumbs: Pulse bread in food processor to coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses. Melt butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add bread crumbs and cook, stirring often, until beginning to brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Season with salt to taste; set aside.
For the macaroni and cheese: Mix eggs, 1 cup evaporated milk, mustard mixture, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and hot sauce in bowl.
Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven. Add pasta and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Drain pasta and return to pot over low heat. Add butter and toss to melt.
Add egg mixture and three-quarters of cheese to pasta and toss until thoroughly combined and cheese starts to melt. Gradually add remaining evaporated milk and remaining cheese, stirring constantly, until mixture is hot and creamy, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately, sprinkling individual portions with toasted bread crumbs.
Variation:
"Baked" macaroni and cheese: Add 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese to toasted bread crumbs. Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Transfer macaroni and cheese mixture to a 13-by-9-inch broiler-safe baking dish and sprinkle with bread-crumb mixture. Broil until topping turns deep golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Let casserole cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition information per serving: 880 calories; 463 calories from fat; 52 g fat (32 g saturated; 1 g trans fats); 249 mg cholesterol; 1063 mg sodium; 65 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 11 g sugar; 36 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com. Find more recipes like Macaroni and Cheese in "Revolutionary Recipes ."
- By America's Test Kitchen
A combination of pasta and summer squash results in a light, flavorful dish that's full of color.
We decided against peeling the squash, as the skin helped to keep the pieces intact throughout the cooking process. Because summer squash contains so much liquid, we salted and drained it to keep our sauce from ending up watery and bland.
The salted squash also browned beautifully; just 5 minutes in a hot skillet gave a light char to each batch. To accompany the squash, we chose halved grape tomatoes, fresh basil, and pine nuts.
We finished the sauce with balsamic vinegar to give it a kick and paired the sauce with farfalle, since its nooks and crannies easily trapped the flavor-packed ingredients. A combination of zucchini and summer squash makes for a more colorful dish, but either may be used exclusively if desired. Cherry tomatoes can be substituted for the grape tomatoes.
If farfalle is unavailable, campanelle and fusilli are good substitutes. We prefer using kosher salt because residual grains can be easily wiped away from the squash; if using table salt, be sure to reduce all of the salt amounts in the recipe by half.
FARFALLE WITH ZUCCHINI, TOMATOES AND PINE NUTS
Servings: 6
Start to finish: 1 hour
INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds zucchini and/or summer squash, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/2-inch thick
Kosher salt and pepper
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound farfalle
12 ounces grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Grated Parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS:
Toss squash with 1 tablespoon salt and let drain in colander for 30 minutes. Pat squash dry with paper towels and carefully wipe away any residual salt.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add half of squash and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and slightly charred, 5 to 7 minutes, reducing heat if skillet begins to scorch; transfer to large plate. Repeat with 1 tablespoon oil and remaining squash; transfer to plate.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in squash and cook until heated through, about 30 seconds.
Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot. Add squash mixture, tomatoes, basil, pine nuts, vinegar, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste and adjust consistency with reserved cooking water as needed. Serve with Parmesan.
Nutrition information per serving: 463 calories; 154 calories from fat; 17 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 177 mg sodium; 65 g carbohydrate; 5 g fiber; 9 g sugar; 13 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com . Find more recipes like Farfalle with Zucchini in "The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook ."
- By America's Test Kitchen
The late-night spaghetti monster will be tamed with this flavor-packed pasta that comes together quickly from pantry ingredients. The key here is making the most of the garlic.
We toasted a whopping 2 tablespoons of minced garlic in extra-virgin olive oil over low heat just until it cooked to a sweet and buttery pale golden brown. (Be careful not to let it go any darker or it will be harsh.)
Also, we cooked the spaghetti in just 2 quarts of salted water to ensure that the cooking water ended up loaded with starch; adding some of that starchy water back to the finished spaghetti gave our simple pantry sauce lots of body and texture.
Finally, adding a little minced raw garlic right at the end of the cooking time created a garlicky duality between the buttery sweetness of the toasted garlic and the fire of the raw garlic.
This is endlessly adaptable, depending on what you have in your pantry. (No Parmesan? Toast up some bread crumbs instead. No basil? Try parsley, or leave it out. If you're really hungry, add a can of tuna at the end. And don't forget about the variations that follow.)
GARLICKY SPAGHETTI WITH LEMON AND PINE NUTS
Servings: 4
Start to finish: 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound spaghetti
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons juice
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1 ounce Parmesan, grated (1/2 cup), plus extra for serving
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
DIRECTIONS:
Combine oil and 2 tablespoons garlic in 8-inch nonstick skillet. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until garlic is pale golden brown, 9 to 12 minutes. Off heat, stir in pepper flakes; set aside.
Bring 2 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 2 teaspoons salt and cook, stirring frequently, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon garlic, lemon zest and juice, reserved garlic-oil mixture, and reserved cooking water to pasta in pot. Stir until pasta is well coated with oil and no water remains in bottom of pot. Add basil, Parmesan, and pine nuts and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, passing extra Parmesan separately.
Variations:
- Garlicky spaghetti with capers and currants: Omit lemon zest, basil, and pine nuts. Reduce lemon juice to 1 tablespoon. Stir 3 tablespoons capers, rinsed and minced; 3 tablespoons currants, minced; and 2 anchovy fillets, rinsed, patted dry, and minced, into pasta with lemon juice.
- Garlicky spaghetti with green olives and almonds: Omit lemon zest and reduce lemon juice to 1 tablespoon. Stir 1 cup green olives, chopped fine, into pasta with lemon juice. Substitute Pecorino Romano for Parmesan and toasted sliced almonds for pine nuts.
- Garlicky spaghetti with clams: Omit lemon zest and pine nuts. Reduce lemon juice to 2 teaspoons. Stir 2 (6 1/2 ounce) cans whole clams, drained and chopped, and 4 anchovy fillets, rinsed, patted dry, and minced, into pasta with lemon juice. Increase Parmesan to 3/4 cup and substitute 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for basil.
Nutrition information per serving: 720 calories; 271 calories from fat; 30 g fat (4 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 6 mg cholesterol; 426 mg sodium; 91 g carbohydrate; 5 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 20 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com . Find more recipes like Garlicky Spaghetti with Lemon and Pine Nuts in "Vegetables Illustrated."
- By Judith Monachina, Eagle correspondent
Of the 1,300 names for pasta shapes in the Italian language, most are associated with particular places. All from Umbria: Lumachelle, laianelle, squadrucetti ...
This fact suggests long culinary distances between cities; in this case, between Milan and Mantova. Less than two hours apart by train, these cities became my classroom for a lesson on the endurance of regional cuisine.
It began in Milan. I invited my landlord and his wife to dinner. In the back of my mind lurked an admonition given by a since forgotten acquaintance: never make Italian food for an Italian. After a few menu ideas, dropped because of difficulty or lack of kitchen space, I settled on a hand-made (but not by me) pasta con zucca. These square pillows filled with fragrant, subtly nutmegged squash or pumpkin were found at a fresh pasta shop. I would make a simple butter sage sauce and pass freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
"Tortelli di zucca," Guido announced as he ate. "A specialty of Mantova. My grandmother lived in Mantova and we used to have it when we went to visit her," he remembered. A thirty-something, Guido traveled the world for his work, but he was a proud Milanese. A few weeks earlier, he and his wife Marilena had welcomed my husband and me to Milan with a meal of Risotto Milanese, the local specialty made with saffron.
"Where did you find pasta con zucca?" he asked. I told him about the shop. "Delicious," he said, and complimented my choice of sauce. "But," he added, "I do think it's a little sad that you can find pasta con zucca everywhere now."
And so, Guido initiated the lesson, but it was still vague, waiting for its completion.
As luck would have it, two weeks later I visited a friend in Mantova. A retired teacher of French and Italian, Anna Biasin Zaffanella lives in Stockbridge and each year spends time in Italy. Mantova is her late husband Luciano's home city, and though she grew up in the Veneto region, she has adopted this place. The young couple had moved to the Berkshires when General Electric recruited Luciano, then a young engineer with expertise in the transmission of ultra high voltage electricity.
Anna met me at the station, and whisked me around the city. We visited the 500-room Gonzaga palace and saw its Andrea Mantegna frescoes in the bridal chamber. Mantova was added to the UNESCO World Heritage site list in 2008. We walked through porticoed cobble streets to a little caf . Once inside, she announced we would order a Mantovan specialty, which I had probably never had: tortelli di zucca.
As I ate the fragrant dish, I nodded. Yes, it was a rare treat. Did I dare tell her that I had eaten tortelli di zucca, in Milan? Well, eventually.
A few years later, back in Stockbridge, I told her. She laughed. This year, she invited me to make it with her on Christmas Eve. Family tradition meant a few grandchildren, now adults, might be helping out, and the dish would be served for dinner.
Meanwhile, some research. About the idea of a national cuisine: "Generally speaking, it's an artificial construct," said Darra Goldstein, Williams College professor emeritus, founder of Gastronomica, a scholarly food journal, and author of books on regional cooking. "Most cuisines are regional, but for political purposes, or purposes of marketing or consolidating a larger identity, national cuisines are created. Artusi Pellegrino's 1891 book ['The Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well'], was an important step in the creation of an ostensible national cuisine." That book came 20 years after final unification of Italy. In France, she said, a similar effort was made in the 19th century: "a codifying of haute cuisine that brought regional dishes into the cannon. Cookbooks also play a role in creating a national cuisine."
There were no cookbooks when I met Anna to make the filling as taught to her by her mother-in-law, Anna Marani Zaffanella. We did so ahead of time to make the holiday pasta making easier. Christmas Eve morning, grandson Christopher, who lives in Boston, showed up. It became clear it was not his first time.
We washed our hands and put on our grembiule (aprons), before heading to the finished basement, where the annual ritual is enacted.
Christopher sifted flour into a volcano shape, and the work began. We talked and kneaded, rolled, stuffed, cut and pinched. They didn't know about the 1,300 names, about which I had learned from Oretta Zanina De Vita's Encyclopedia of Pasta. It was fun to have something to teach them. To the already rich traditions, invasions and immigrations, the Angevins, Albanians Muslims, and others brought their pastas to Sicily, Puglia and the Piedmont. And women, there kneading and cutting, gave their edible sculptures names like farfalline (little butterflies), nastrini (little ribbons), galletti, (small roosters), tempestine (little storms). Machinery, Zanini de Vita said, inspired new names, like ruote (wheels), and rotelle (propellers). Pasta was not an everyday staple in the countryside, but rather reserved for feast days, until before WWII. Yet, we have 1,300 names.
TORTELLI DI ZUCCA
(Recipe courtesy of Anna Marani Zaffanella of Mantova)
For the filling: (75 minutes, includes baking the squash)
Ingredients:
Hubbard, similar squash or small green pumpkin, baked/roasted, quartered, flesh scraped out
Mostarda di Mantova or Mostarda di Cremona. 4 pieces of the fruit, not the liquid. (That might be pear, apricot, quince). Chopped very fine. If this product is difficult to find, improvisation may be in order, or convincing your favorite gourmet grocer to stock it.
10 Amaretti cookies (sugar brushed off) pulverized in blender
One egg
Nutmeg, about 1/2 teaspoon
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
In a bowl, add egg and nutmeg to the squash; mix.
Stir in fruit
Blend in Amaretti, then Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper; stir well.
For the pasta: (about one hour)
Sift 2 cups all-purpose flour, with a bit of salt, into a volcano shape
Scoop out a crater, add 4 eggs. This may require some finagling as the eggs, may run out of the crater. Blend with your hands.
Some people add drops of water if more moisture is needed. Knead about 8 minutes.
"When it feels like a ball of dough," or the dough, when pushed in, pushes back; put into a wet kitchen towel, taking only the piece to begin with, about the size of a small child's fist.
Run through the rolling machine several times, each time folding in half, and moving from lower to higher (thinner) settings. They settled on number 8, the second to thinnest. Each dough is a little different. Experience is a guide.
Lay a strip, about 1 1/2 to 2 inches, on the table, sideways, and dot about 1/2 teaspoon of filling all along the strip, imagining that you will fold the pasta strip over the filling. Fold the strip in half, covering the filling with dough. Then, pick up the strip, one end in each hand, and gently bang it two or three times on the table.
Press the spaces between mounds of filling with your finger. Then, cut with pasta cutter where you marked.
You now have pasta squares, one side the fold, and along the other 3 sides, press closed with your fingers.
For the sauce:
Saut quarter pound of butter with fresh sage springs for about 15 minutes, on very low heat. Avoid burning.
Cook pasta in boiling water, about 5 minutes. Taste test one piece. Pour sage butter over tortelli. Pass grated cheese. Serves 6
- By America's Test Kitchen
There's no reason why a vegetable lasagna made with the classic trio of eggplant, zucchini, and summer squash should be any less satisfying than a meat-based casserole, especially when the produce is in season and locally grown.
But we've rarely cooked one that we've been moved to make again. Some versions look tempting enough with a topcoat of bubbly cheese and thick tomato gravy, but cutting out a square of it invariably reveals trouble at the core. Often placed between the pasta sheets raw, the zucchini and squash turn out steamy and limp, flooding the dish with their juices — or, in some instances, undercooked and crunchy.
Then there's the eggplant, which is typically not only soggy, but greasy from pre-frying. Add to that the usual patches of dry, grainy ricotta and it's a wonder this dish ever became an Italian American standard.
So what would it take to make a full-flavored lasagna with vegetables that could stand up to — not wash out — the cheese and sauce? Ridding the produce of some of its moisture and boosting its flavor before adding it to the dish would be steps in the right direction.
VEGETABLE LASAGNA
Servings: 8-10
Start to finish: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Part-skim mozzarella can also be used in this recipe, but avoid pre-shredded cheese, as it does not melt well. We prefer kosher salt because it clings best to the eggplant. If using table salt, reduce the amounts by half.
INGREDIENTS:
Tomato sauce:
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
CREAM SAUCE:
8 ounces (1 cup) whole-milk cottage cheese
4 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (2 cups)
1 cup heavy cream
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
FILLING AND NOODLES:
1 1/2 pounds eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Kosher salt and pepper
1 pound zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 pound yellow summer squash, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
12 ounces (12 cups) baby spinach
12 no-boil lasagna noodles
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, minced
12 ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (3 cups)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
DIRECTIONS:
For the tomato sauce: Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl; set aside.
For the cream sauce: Whisk all ingredients together in the second bowl; set aside.
For the filling and noodles: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 F. Toss eggplant with 1 teaspoon salt in large bowl. Line large plate with double layer of coffee filters and lightly spray with vegetable oil spray. Spread eggplant in even layer over coffee filters; wipe out and reserve bowl. Microwave eggplant until dry to touch and slightly shriveled, about 10 minutes, tossing halfway through microwaving. Let cool slightly. Return eggplant to bowl and toss with zucchini and summer squash.
Combine 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, and thyme in small bowl. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half of eggplant mixture, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Push vegetables to sides of skillet. Add half of garlic mixture to center and cook, mashing mixture into pan, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir garlic mixture into vegetables and transfer to medium bowl. Repeat with 2 tablespoons oil, remaining eggplant mixture, and remaining garlic mixture; transfer to bowl.
Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add spinach and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Transfer spinach to paper towel-lined plate and let drain for 2 minutes. Stir into eggplant mixture. (Filling can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
Grease 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Spread 1 cup tomato sauce evenly over bottom of dish. Arrange 4 noodles on top of sauce (noodles will overlap). Spread half of the vegetable mixture evenly over noodles, followed by 1/4 cup olives. Spoon half of the cream sauce over top and sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella. Repeat layering with 4 noodles, 1 cup tomato sauce, remaining vegetable mixture, remaining 1/4 cup olives, remaining cream sauce, and 1 cup mozzarella. For the final layer, arrange remaining 4 noodles on top and cover completely with remaining tomato sauce. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup mozzarella evenly over tomato sauce.
Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil that has been sprayed with oil spray and bake until edges are just bubbling, about 35 minutes, rotating dish halfway through baking. Let lasagna cool for 25 minutes, sprinkle with basil, and serve.
Nutrition information per serving: 537 calories; 296 calories from fat; 33 g fat (14 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 68 mg cholesterol; 928 mg sodium; 42 g carbohydrate; 6 g fiber; 9 g sugar; 25 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com. Find more recipes like Vegetable Lasagna in "Revolutionary Recipes ."
- By Robert Luhmann, Eagle correspondent
In so many ways, food defines cultures and brings people together. A well-prepared meal can transport me to its country of origin in much the same way music and art can. However, the elemental effects of food can literally be felt in the gut.
Of all the world’s foods, dishes inspired by Italy’s La Cucina Italiana are my favorites to prepare at home. I like the simplicity of La Cucina Italiana, which tends to focus on allowing a few excellent ingredients to shine, especially produce, in its dishes. Because Italy is a country with long food traditions made up of many regions, which only became unified in 1861, there are many regional differences in its cucina.
I’d like to share a recipe for orecchiette with broccoli, a dish originating in Puglia, which I learned from a marvelous woman, Mary Lovely, who owned a shop I worked in briefly, called Pasta Perfecto.
As you can imagine, she taught me how to make pasta dishes including ravioli and tortellini, but almost as importantly, she described what it was like to be brought up by her mother, who had come directly from Italy. She gave me a feel for old world Italian values and food traditions. Mary described how her mother’s dinners were always made up of several dishes she would make throughout the day, which would keep warm on her stove; a tradition which has been mostly lost in the fast-paced transition to the modern world. Food and shelter were always available to family members in need, but money was never given or lent.
Mary told me stories of how her mother was thoroughly unimpressed with the values of modern American life and one story exemplifying her contempt stood out.
Mary and her husband had just bought their first new car and proudly brought it by her mother’s house to give her a ride in their new prized possession. Mary’s mother sat silently in the front seat as they drove her around, hoping to impress her with its shiny chrome and gentle ride. When they returned to her mother’s home, Mary and her husband asked her what she thought of their brand-new car. Mary’s mother broke her silence and replied disdainfully in her broken English, “It no take me anywhere I can’t go in my car.”
ORECCHIETTE WITH BROCCOLI
(For two ample portions)
This dish Mary taught me originates from Puglia, the boot heel of Italy, where the shaped pasta orecchiette is typical. Orecchiette, “little ears” in English, is cupped-shaped pasta often with ridges in its dried form, which are perfect for a dish such as this with a lighter bodied sauce and small bits of vegetable as it cradles the sauce and vegetable in the pasta’s little cup.
The essential technique for this dish can substitute broccoli with another brassica, such as broccoli rabe or Romanesco. I’ve included cannellini beans, prosciutto, sausage or leftover roast chicken if you're looking for more protein. Anchovy is a fine addition as well.
At first glance, the idea of mushy broccoli with pasta doesn’t sound appealing. In this dish, I prefer the broccoli to be steamed until just soft so that the broccoli will breakdown when mashed, but remain firm enough to maintain some texture and not to compromise the vegetables nutritional value by overcooking. However, it can be a bit more luxurious when the broccoli is cooked further creating a saucier final dish.
You may look at the recipe and exclaim, “Six cloves of garlic!” and it would be too much for most if the cloves were minced or, God forbid, put through a garlic press. The whole garlic cloves are browned over a medium low heat in a nice fruity, peppery Italian extra virgin olive oil producing a similar mellow garlic flavor as roasted garlic. In chemical terms, the more the cell walls of raw garlic are broken, the more of the sulfur-containing molecule called allicin is released, which is the source of the pungent sharpness found in garlic. Heat destroys allicin and is the reason why six cloves of garlic mashed after cooking imparts a mellow richness rather than a sharp pungency. There are times when some of garlic’s sharp pungency is preferred, but I side with Anthony Bourdain’s quote regarding the use of a garlic press, “I don’t know what that junk is that squeezes out the end of those things, but it ain’t garlic.”
A final note about cooking pasta. I always remove a cup or two of the pasta water just before the pasta is finished to add to the pasta sauce for flavor and its ability to thicken the sauce due to the pasta starch released into the water. Add the pasta water until the sauce reaches the desired thickness.
Ingredients:
1 large head of broccoli, about 5 cups, stems peeled and chopped, and the head broken into small florets.
2 cups dried orecchiette pasta
6 medium whole cloves of garlic, peeled
1/4 cup quality Italian extra virgin olive oil
Zest from one lemon
Pinch or two of red pepper flakes
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiana Reggiano
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Cut the broccoli as described and steam for 6 or 7 minutes until soft and set aside.
Put on a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta.
Meanwhile brown the garlic cloves over medium low heat in the olive oil in a pan large enough to be able hold all the ingredients. I use my workhorse 12-inch cast iron fry pan.
Once the water comes to the boil, cook the orecchiette for one minute less than the recommended time for al dente on the package’s instructions.
While the pasta boils add the steamed broccoli to the pan with the garlic and olive oil and begin mashing with a potato masher.
About one minute before the pasta is finished boiling remove about 2 cups of the pasta water.
Add about one cup of the pasta water to the broccoli mixture and continue mashing the broccoli and garlic mixture.
Add the drained cooked pasta, lemon zest, red pepper flakes and continue to cook while adding more pasta water until the pasta reaches desired texture.
Add Parmigiana Reggiano and add more pasta water if necessary, until the sauce reaches the desired thickness. Taste for salt and pepper and serve in a wide bowl with a fork and soup spoon.
All-in-one meals are a popular way to get dinner in the oven quickly. The now ubiquitous sheet-pan suppers provide myriad possibilities for different flavor combinations. However, some all-in-one meals, like lasagna or a shepherd’s pie, take a lot more work.
If you can find some time for a bit of a project, this recipe for stuffed shells can give you one dinner now and you can put enough away for another dinner some other time! In addition, I’ve combined a protein, vegetable and some cheese for a filling that makes a full meal (although, it would be great with a green salad on the side).
This idea came about when I was frustrated with my disorganized freezer and, while reorganizing it, was reminded of the pumpkin purée I had made some months back. I decided to try using it with some cheese and sausage for stuffed shells, and it was quite a success! Now, I am fully aware most people do not have frozen pumpkin purée at the ready, and after the holidays you can’t usually find fresh pumpkin in the stores. Butternut squash purée would certainly work as a substitute, but even easier is a can of pumpkin purée from the supermarket. (Just be sure to buy plain pumpkin and not pie filling.)
Other variations include vegan sausage for a vegetarian version, or even the addition or substitution of other vegetables. I might try adding some chopped mushrooms next time when I’m cooking the sausage. Just be sure whatever vegetables you use are not too wet.
A jarred sauce will be fine here, or if you want to make your own, I’ve blogged about a basic tomato sauce at www.culinursa.com that I’ve made more times than I can count.
For me, the best thing about this is that after I stuffed the shells, we had a great dinner that night, and now I have the rest in the freezer for when it’s been a busy day and I have no time to prepare dinner!
SAUSAGE AND PUMPKIN STUFFED SHELLS
Makes about 32 shells
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 pound loose sweet sausage, approximately 3 large sausages
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 1/2 cup pumpkin or butternut squash purée, or one 15-ounce can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 cup ricotta
3/4 cup grated Parmesan, divided
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
12 ounces (1 box) jumbo shells
2 1/2-3 cups tomato sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 F, if baking immediately. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat until shimmering and fragrant. Add the sausage with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and sauté, breaking up the pieces, until the meat is fully cooked. Let cool, mix with pumpkin purée, ricotta, 1/4 cup Parmesan, remaining salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Boil jumbo shells according to package directions for a recipe to be baked. They should be very much under-done. Gently remove the shells from the water using a spider or a strainer and spread out on a half sheet pan to cool, separating any that became nested together. If you have to drain them in a colander, try to be gentle so they don’t crack.
If baking the stuffed shells immediately, spread about 1/2 cup tomato sauce on bottom of a baking dish just large enough to hold the shells in a single layer. Use a small spoon or soup spoon to fill each jumbo shell with sausage mixture and arrange in the baking dish. (You probably will not use every shell, which is fine, because some will have cracked. Just use the best, most intact ones.) Pour remaining sauce over the shells, sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil, spread mozzarella over the shells, and bake for 10 minutes more. Allow to cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving. If you decide not to bake all the shells at once, adjust the amounts of sauce, Parmesan and mozzarella as necessary.
To freeze some or all, place in a single layer, not touching one another, on a wax or parchment paper-lined half sheet pan. Place the half sheet pan as level as possible into the freezer. Once they are fully frozen, you can place them into a zippered freezer bag for easier storage. To bake, preheat oven to 350 F, and arrange the frozen shells over a thin layer of tomato sauce in the baking dish as described above to cook directly from frozen. Bake covered with foil for 40 minutes, and check to make sure there’s still enough sauce when you remove the foil. If not, add a bit more sauce. Spread the mozzarella over the shells, cook for 10 additional minutes and allow to cool 5-10 minutes before serving.
- By Francecsca Olsen, Eagle Correspondent
The Instagram algorithm knows me. On weekends, bored on my couch, I find myself scrolling through the “explore” section, and the exploration options I’m offered are spot-on: Doughnuts. Charcuterie boards. And photos of pasta, glossy with spicy vodka sauce, covered in cheese, swirled with pesto or peppered with anchovy-laced breadcrumbs.
Lately, red sauce just isn’t doing it for me. Once a staple in my home (I generally buy canned tomatoes in volume, at least 6 to 12 cans at a time), it’s giving me wicked pregnancy heartburn, so I’ve been avoiding it and other acidic foods. I still want to balance my craving for pasta and deep, savory flavor, and these days I’m also looking for something that doesn’t take a lot of active cooking time.
The problem with all this photogenic comfort food is it’s really, really bad for you. While I will never give up pasta (or carbs or gluten, sorry) I also really don’t want cheese tortellini that’s also swimming in a thick, cheesy sauce. I think it’s really easy to overdo it with rich, cheesy pastas, and while they look indulgent on Instagram, there’s just no way I could fathom eating much of something that rich. It’s fun once in a while, but I generally eat for pleasure and nutrition, not as a test of what my body can endure. To balance pregnancy cravings with the safety of my arteries, I’ve been working on simple dishes that still incorporate some indulgence, but don’t drown me in cheese, or cream cheese, or a combination of the two.
This tortellini dish hits all my marks — caramelized onions are still rich and offer some umami, peas provide some fiber, and bacon is fatty and flavorful even in moderation. While this recipe directs you to cook peas in the leftover caramelizing oil, you could also cook them with a tablespoon or so of reserved bacon fat for an even deeper flavor.
Caramelizing onions takes a while, but it’s mostly unattended cook time. I see lots of recipes that assume you can hit caramelization in 15 to 20 minutes; this is a lie. Keep it low and slow, stirring frequently, so you don’t burn the onions or the butter, and you’ll draw out the natural sugars in the onions slowly and gracefully, leaving you with a sweet, buttery flavor and soft texture that’s perfect for tossing with pasta.
If you find yourself with leftover onions, I suggest stirring them into Greek yogurt with a little salt and pepper; this is a great, lower-fat option for sour cream and onion dip and is great with crackers, cut veggies, or on a sandwich.
TORTELLINI WITH BACON, CARAMELIZED ONIONS AND PEAS
Serves 2 to 4
INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds frozen or dried tortellini (I used a dried Trader Joe’s brand that expands quite a bit when cooked; if using frozen tortellini from the frozen aisle, just buy two bags)
8 slices bacon
1 large onion, halved and sliced thin
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup frozen peas
Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
First, caramelize onions: Add olive oil, and butter to a pan and heat on medium-low. Add sliced onion and 1 teaspoon salt, then stir to make sure onion is coated with butter and oil. Let onion cook on medium-low, stirring frequently, until onions are soft and translucent. Turn heat down, then continue to cook on low, stirring frequently, until onions reduce and caramelize, turning dark brown.
This usually takes around 45 minutes to an hour; stop when they’ve reached your desired level of caramelization. I like to go pretty far with this, until onions are mahogany brown. If you want to do the same, I recommend adding a little broth, water, or vinegar (balsamic or apple cider are my picks) near the end of the process to deglaze the pan, ensure the onions don’t burn, and add a little extra depth of flavor.
Once you’ve reached your desired level of caramelization, transfer onions from pan into wire mesh strainer, using a bowl to catch the excess butter/oil. Press down on the onions to release excess oil. Reserve that oil; it’s been infused with lovely onion flavor, and you will use it to cook the peas later.
Cook bacon until nice and crispy, crumble, then set aside. Unless you want to cook with the bacon grease, you can let it solidify and then dispose of it.
Add water to a large pot with an ample amount of salt, then bring to a boil. Cook tortellini until done, 7 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cook peas in the onion oil mixture, adding a little salt.
Drain tortellini and return to pan. Toss with caramelized onions, peas, and bacon, then serve with grated parmesan cheese.
I never understood how my son and daughter-in-law could sit for hours watching videos on their cellphones. And then I downloaded TikTok ... and I no longer have a life.
I downloaded it after seeing the baked feta pasta that went viral last year during the pandemic. When confronted with the categories of videos I could choose to watch, my intention was to just click on Cooking & Recipes. Then greed took over, and my index finger stabbed Entertainment, Dance, Pranks, Home Reno/DIY, Life Hacks, Advice & Wellness, Pets and Oddly Satisfying (which oddly it is).
Cute kids, cute animals, recipes and cringe-worthy pranks all at the touch of a finger and an upward swipe. Best of all, I can do it anywhere — sitting in the living room, on the deck, in a doctor's waiting room ... the possibilities are endless.
But it's the recipes that intrigue me because of their simplicity and uniqueness — after all they are confined to a very short video. The latest one to catch my eye is for Baked Buffalo Mac and Cheese. True confession: I have mixed cooked pasta with leftover Buffalo Chicken Dip before and the recipes are pretty close.
The mac and cheese is easy to assemble — more or less dump all the ingredients in a baking dish and throw it in the oven. After trying this dish, I have some cautionary notes. After baking the dish for 50 minutes, check the doneness of the pasta. If it has a firm bite to it and a white center, it needs a few more minutes in the oven. But don't leave it in the oven too much longer; overcooked noodles turn to mush — as I found out.
The most important thing is to remove any clear, excess liquid trapped beneath the pasta, using a serving spoon, instead of mixing it in with the cheeses. This will ensure the mac and cheese is gooey, and not runny and watery.
BAKED BUFFALO MAC AND CHEESE
(TikTok user @thehungerdiaries)
INGREDIENTS:
One 8-ounce square feta cheese
One 8-ounce block cream cheese
1 pound elbow macaroni
2 to 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
6 cups milk
3 tablespoons minced garlic
A few really good pinches of salt
1/2 cup hot sauce
Fresh-cracked black pepper
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Add a block of feta and a block of cream cheese (feta on the bottom, topped by cream cheese) to the center of a deep baking dish.
Pour raw macaroni, shredded cheese and milk around the cheese in the center, along the perimeter of the dish.
Add garlic and a generous portion of salt.
Gently stir along the perimeter of the dish to mix the pasta, milk and shredded cheese.
Pour hot sauce evenly throughout the dish.
Sprinkle with pepper.
Place in the oven, and bake for 50 minutes.
Remove from the oven, and stir to combine until the cheeses from the center are evenly incorporated throughout the mac and cheese. Season to taste.
Add shredded chicken, and stir.
Serve and garnish with additional shredded cheese and a drizzle of hot sauce.
- By J.M. Hirsch, Associated Press
For a wonderful side, sauté several cloves of minced garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes in olive oil for a minute. Add a large bag of spinach and continue cooking until wilted, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Zest a lemon into the pan and stir well. Grate Parmesan cheese over the greens, then season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Transfer the greens to a serving platter, then drizzle the juice of half of the lemon over it.
Or consider these recipes for simple, savory uses for spinach.
SPINACH & RICOTTA
CHEESE PASTA
Start to finish: 15 minutes
Servings: 4 to 6
8 ounces penne or ziti pasta
12-ounce bag baby spinach
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente.
Reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the spinach, ricotta and just enough of the water to create a smooth sauce. Toss until the spinach wilts. Season with salt and pepper.
(Recipe from Sara Foster's "Sara Foster's Casual Cooking," Clarkson Potter, 2007, $35)
This easy Indian dish makes a great dip with triangles of toasted pita bread. Cumin seeds are widely available at natural foods stores or any grocer with a large spice section.
About 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin could be substituted.
SPINACH RAITA
WITH TOASTED CUMIN
Start to finish: 1 hour
Servings: 4
4 ounces baby spinach
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 cup plain whole- or low-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons minced red onion
3/4 to 1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
Rinse the spinach, but do not dry it. Place it in a small saucepan, cover and set over medium heat. Steam the spinach until tender, but still bright green, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small, dry skillet toast the cumin seeds until they turn dark and fragrant. Set aside to cool, then grind them in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle.
In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, onion, salt, ginger and cumin.
Squeeze the cooled spinach to remove any excess water, then finely chop it. Add this to the yogurt mixture and stir well. Chill until reader to serve.
(Recipe from Ruta Kahate's "5 Spices, 50 Dishes," Chronicle Books, 2007, $19.95)
Copyright © 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
- By Berkshire Eagle staff
We're headed into the dog days of summer ... temperatures this weekend are predicted to be near 90 degrees. In that type of heat, no one wants to heat up their house by using the oven and even getting a meal together can seem like too much of an effort.
When it comes to a quick, easy-to-make pasta salad, usually, the only cooking required is boiling water for the pasta. And, if something else needed to be cooked, like bacon, many times it can be bought already cooked so all you have to do is chop it up for the salad. Heck, there are even pre-cooked pouches of pasta you microwave for only a couple of minutes.
Plus, when building a pasta salad, you can use any pasta shape or variety, fresh and frozen vegetables, mayonnaise or a vinaigrette dressing, and any type of meat and cheese. Throw any combination of ingredients together and the odds are your pasta salad will come out great.
Beat the heat this summer with these tried-and-true pasta recipes from members of The Berkshire Eagle staff.
---
This zippy pasta salad can be made with most things you probably already have in your pantry. I often skip the ground beef mixture all together, to further cut down on cooking time. Sometimes, I'll add a few springs of cilantro from my herb garden to freshen the salad up. This is best eaten the same day right after mixing at room temperature, since the tomatoes will continue to break down. But leftovers the next day (after chilling in the refrigerator) are also good. You may need to whip up a little more sauce to keep the zesty zing fresh, however.
— Lindsey Hollenbaugh, managing editor of features
COWBOY PASTA SALAD
(Courtesy bellyfull.net)
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Servings: 12
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound dried mini pasta shells
1 pound hickory smoked bacon, diced
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1 teaspoon cumin
pinch red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 1/2 teaspoons hot chili sauce
1 can (15 ounce) whole kernel sweet corn, drained
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
5 scallions, diced
DIRECTIONS:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil; cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drizzle with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.
In the meantime, saute bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crispy, about 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain off grease. Wipeout skillet, leaving a little of the bacon grease. Add the ground beef; cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until cooked through and no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Season with the cumin, red pepper flakes, and with a pinch of salt and pepper. Drain off fat. Set aside to cool completely.
In an extra-large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and hot chili sauce until combined and smooth. Add in the cooked pasta, bacon, beef, corn, tomatoes, cheese, and scallions; toss to combine and coat.
Enjoy right away or refrigerate until ready to serve.
---
I love making this BLT macaroni salad recipe because it is so easy. I don't use the spinach in it but use green onions instead. You can buy the already-cooked bacon if you are in a rush. I usually put a tablespoon of bacon grease in the ingredients to add flavor. You can line the bowl with some leaf lettuce to make a nice presentation. I also add chopped chives on the top for color.
— Nancy McLean, public notices coordinator
BLT MACARONI SALAD
Prep time: 15 minutes
Additional time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
16 ounces elbow macaroni, uncooked
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
8 pieces of bacon, crumbled
1 cup seeded and diced tomato
1 cup roughly chopped baby spinach
DIRECTIONS:
Cook macaroni according to package instructions. Drain.
Mix together remaining ingredients, and toss with macaroni until combined.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
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This is another favorite macaroni salad. You can use any kind of pickles. Get the ones in the deli section, they have a better crunch.
— Nancy McLean
DILL PICKLE PASTA SALAD
(Courtesy spendwithpennies.com)
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 pound dry shell pasta (about 3 cups)
3/4 cup sliced pickles
2/3 cup cheddar cheese diced
3 tablespoons finely diced white onion
2 tablespoons fresh dill
1/2 cup pickle juice
Dressing:
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 tablespoons pickle juice
Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
Boil pasta al dente according to package directions. Run under cold water to stop cooking. Toss cold pasta with about 1/2 cup of pickle juice and set aside for about 5 minutes. Drain & discard pickle juice. Combine all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Toss all ingredients in a large bowl. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
---
This is one of my favorite go-to pasta salads. I always have several types of pasta in my pantry, and I've used medium shells, spirals and bowties in place of the spaghetti. I've also sometimes added shredded mozzarella and fresh basil. It's perfect as a main course on those really hot summer nights when you don't want a hot meal. Especially when served with a nice crusty loaf of bread or homemade garlic bread — heated up on the grill instead of the oven!
— Margaret Button, associate features editor
SUMMER ITALIAN SPAGHETTI SALAD
(Courtesy reluctant entertainer.com)
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Servings: 8
INGREDIENTS:
1 package (16 ounces) thin spaghetti, halved
1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
1 cup cucumber diced
1 cup (5 ounces) thin salami slices, cut into small pieces (or pepperoni)
1 medium green pepper diced
1/2 small red onion diced
1/2 cup black olives thinly sliced
1 bottle (8 ounces) Italian salad dressing
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
Cook spaghetti according to package directions, usually 1 minute less in time (el dente); drain and rinse. Place spaghetti in a large bowl and add a drizzle of olive oil so pasta does not stick together. Refrigerate until cool. To the cooled spaghetti add tomatoes, cucumber, salami, pepper, red onion, and olives. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over salad and toss to coat. Add the Parmesan cheese; gently stir together. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours; serve.
- By America's Test Kitchen
It's hard to find anyone who doesn't love a bowl of spaghetti topped with meatballs and marinara, but stovetop versions are often messy (between the spattering oil from frying the meatballs and the sputtering tomato sauce), and the sauce requires a long simmering time to develop rich, deep flavor.
We turned to the multicooker for the neatest and most efficient method for making classic meatballs in marinara. Meatloaf mix provided a combination of ground beef, pork, and veal all in one, making our grocery list short without sacrificing flavor.
The meatballs were a bit dry, so we added an egg and a panade — a paste of bread and milk — for the moisture the meatballs needed, creating tender meatballs that would also hold their shape.
We seared the meatballs until they were crisp and brown; the deep pot of the multicooker kept spattering to a minimum, and the fond made a flavorful foundation for our marinara. We cooked some aromatics, added crushed tomatoes and tomato puree, and returned the meatballs to the pot.
From there, we could either briefly pressure cook the mixture, or leave it unattended to gently cook for the next few hours on the slow cook setting. Either way, we never had to worry about splattering grease or sauce.
The final product was a pot full of flavorful and tender yet firm meatballs in a robust, savory tomato sauce. If you cannot find meatloaf mix, substitute 8 ounces 85 percent lean ground beef and 8 ounces ground pork.
Meatballs and marinara
Servings: 4-6
Pressure cook total time: 1 hour
Show cook total time: 4 hours 30 minutes
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 cup whole milk
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 large egg, lightly beaten
6 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper
1 pound meatloaf mix
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano or 2 teaspoons dried
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (28 ounce) can tomato puree
1 pound spaghetti
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Using fork, mash bread and milk into paste in large bowl. Stir in Parmesan, parsley, egg, half of garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add meatloaf mix and knead with hands until thoroughly combined. Pinch off and roll mixture into 12 meatballs (about 1/4 cup each).
Using highest saute or browning function, heat oil in multicooker for 5 minutes (or until just smoking). Brown meatballs on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to plate.
Add oregano, tomato paste, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining garlic to fat left in multicooker and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and tomato puree, scraping up any browned bits. Gently nestle meatballs into sauce, adding any accumulated juices.
To pressure cook: Lock lid in place and close pressure release valve. Select high pressure cook function and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off multicooker and quick-release pressure. Carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.
To slow cook: Lock lid in place and open pressure release valve. Select low slow cook function and cook until meatballs are tender, 3 to 4 hours. (If using Instant Pot, select high slow cook function and increase cooking range to 4 to 5 hours.) Turn off multicooker and carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.
Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot. Add several spoonfuls of sauce (without meatballs) and basil and toss to combine. Add reserved cooking water as needed to adjust consistency. Serve pasta with remaining sauce and meatballs.
Nutrition information per serving: 593 calories; 173 calories from fat; 19 g fat (6 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 93 mg cholesterol; 667 mg sodium; 77 g carbohydrate; 5 g fiber; 10 g sugar; 28 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com. Find more recipes like Meatballs and Marinara in "Multicooker Perfection ."
- By America's Test Kitchen
Much like a Chinese finger trap that lures by appearing to be a toy, sesame noodles are not what they seem. You may think of them as merely a humble bowl of cold noodles, but don't be fooled — just one bite and you're hooked on these toothsome noodles with shreds of tender chicken, all tossed with the fresh sesame sauce.
The real problem is, good versions of this dish can be hard to find. The cold noodles have a habit of turning gummy, the chicken often dries out, and the sauce is notorious for turning bland and pasty. We wanted a recipe that could not only quell a serious craving but could do it fast.
Though drawn to the softer texture of fresh Asian-style noodles, we conceded that dried spaghetti could serve as a second-string substitute. The trouble with both types of noodle, however, was that after being cooked and chilled, they gelled into a rubbery skein. After trying a number of ways to avoid this, we found it necessary to rinse the noodles under cold tap water directly after cooking. This not only cooled the hot noodles immediately but also washed away much of their sticky starch. To further forestall any clumping, we tossed the rinsed noodles with a little oil.
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are quick to cook and easy to shred; the real question is how to cook them. The microwave seemed easy in theory, but we found the rate of cooking difficult to monitor_30 seconds meant the difference between underdone and overdone. Many recipes suggested poaching the chicken in water or broth, but this chicken had a washed-out flavor. Nor was roasting the answer; it caused the outer meat to dry out before the interior was fully cooked. Cooking under both gas and electric broilers, however, worked perfectly. The chicken cooked through in minutes, retaining much of its moisture and flavor.
To be authentic, the sesame sauce should be made with an Asian sesame paste (not to be confused with Middle Eastern tahini), but most recipes substitute peanut butter because it's easier to find. Somewhat surprisingly, tasters preferred chunky peanut butter over smooth, describing its flavor as fresh and more peanutty. We had been making the sauce in a blender and realized that the chunky bits of peanuts were being freshly ground into the sauce, producing a cleaner, stronger flavor. We found the flavors of both fresh garlic and ginger necessary, along with soy sauce, rice vinegar, hot sauce, and brown sugar. We then stumbled on the obvious way to keep the sauce from being too thick or pasty: Thin it out with water.
Although the sauce was tasting pretty good, tasters still complained that there was not enough sesame flavor. Tossing the rinsed pasta with toasted sesame oil helped a bit, as did garnishing the noodles with toasted sesame seeds. But tasters were still not satisfied; they wanted more. Finally, we tried adding some of the toasted sesame seeds to the sauce. Blended into the sauce along with the chunky peanut butter, the sesame seeds added the final kick of authentic sesame flavor we were all hankering for.
SESAME NOODLES WITH CHICKEN
Servings: 4
Start to finish: 1 hour
INGREDIENTS:
5 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 cup hot water
4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
Salt and pepper
1 pound fresh Chinese noodles
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
4 scallions, sliced thin on bias
1 carrot, peeled and grated
DIRECTIONS:
Puree soy sauce, peanut butter, 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, vinegar, sugar, ginger, garlic, and hot sauce in blender until smooth, about 30 seconds. With machine running, add hot water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until sauce has consistency of heavy cream (you may not need entire amount of water).
Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Spray broiler pan top with vegetable oil spray. Pat chicken dry with paper towels, season with salt and pepper, and lay on prepared pan. Broil chicken until lightly browned and registers 160 F, 10 to 15 minutes, flipping chicken over halfway through broiling time. Transfer chicken to cutting board, let cool slightly, then shred into bite-size pieces.
Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add noodles and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until tender. Drain noodles, rinse with cold water, and drain again, leaving noodles slightly wet. Transfer to large bowl and toss with oil. Add shredded chicken, scallions, carrot, and sauce and toss to combine. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sesame seeds and serve.
Nutrition information per serving: 700 calories; 194 calories from fat; 22 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 101 mg cholesterol; 2205 mg sodium; 79 g carbohydrate; 6 g fiber; 12 g sugar; 45 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com . Find more recipes like Sesame Noodles with Chicken in "Revolutionary Recipes."
- By Francesca Olsen, Eagle correspondent
Most nights, as many people do, my partner and I discuss dinner options. We have some different opinions about what's tasty, and we sometimes have to meet in the middle.
"What about a pasta bake with, like, a bechamel sauce instead of red?" I asked. He rolled his eyes; he hates creamy sauce.
"Why can't we just use red sauce?" he asked.
"Red sauce takes too long. It's already 5:30," I said.
So, no bechamel, no red sauce, but plenty of sausage in the fridge. What to do? Compromise.
This recipe is an altered version of a casserole I often prep in advance and store in the freezer for a desperate weeknight, but it can be made pretty simply as a regular dinner. Because it lacks sauce of any kind, but doesn't lack on cheese, the binding liquid is a simple pan sauce made with sherry vinegar and some starchy, salty pasta water.
That liquid commingles with the sausage and veggies, then slicks itself over the nearly al dente pasta, creating just enough moisture to allow it to fully cook in the oven, and enough moisture for the cheese to do its job, which is to create a creamy and crunchy assemblage of delicious edible textures. The bread crumbs call back to more creamy/traditional casseroles, which are often heavy on dairy.
This got the vote of approval from Mr. No Creamy Sauces — and from me. It's drier than it would be with a bechamel, but it's lovely, and it hits all the high points — a little spicy and fatty from the sausage, nice and starchy, perfect for a cool rainy night. However, next time he's away for dinnertime, I'll be making myself the creamiest mac and cheese I can as an act of protest.
NOT-SAUCY PASTA AND SAUSAGE BAKE
INGREDIENTS:
6 sausages or 1 pound ground sausage (I used a sweet/hot combo — highly recommend!)
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon dried sage
Salt and pepper
1 pound bag of spinach
1 pound pasta
2 tablespoons butter
Sherry vinegar
1/4 cup reserved pasta water
3 cups shredded cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan and Gouda (or whatever other shredded cheese you would like to use)
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 425 F. Heat large saucepan to high. Remove sausage from casings and mash into small bits, allowing sausage to fully cook and brown (skip the casings part if you're using ground sausage). Remove sausage and set aside. Turn heat to medium low.
Chop onion and garlic and add onion to pan, cooking 3 to 5 minutes until soft and beginning to brown. Add sage, spinach and garlic, and cook about five minutes longer.
Salt and boil a large pot of water, then cook pasta about 5 to 6 minutes until just approaching al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water, then drain pasta.
Add sausage, sherry vinegar and pasta water to the pan with onions and spinach. Adjust heat to medium and simmer until liquid is reduced by half. Add pasta and stir until well combined. Add half the cheese and stir, then once cheese is incorporated well, add the rest to the top and top with bread crumbs. Bake 30 minutes or until cheese on top is brown. Wait at least 10 minutes before serving.
- By Francesca Olsen, Eagle correspondent
Your average grocery store now has tons of non-semolina flour/gluten-free options, from chickpeas to hemp (really!) — and if you're lucky, unexpected varieties like black bean.
As a onetime vegetarian, I have an enduring love of black beans. They're a common dinner protein in my house. They're heart-healthy and are a good source of fiber. But when I was assigned this story, I initially balked at the idea of turning them into pasta. What else is in that pasta besides black beans? And more importantly ... is this pasta variant any good?
What's in it
The only ingredient listed in the black bean pasta I purchased was organic black beans. One serving — a quarter of the box — will cost you 180 calories and contains a whopping 25 grams of protein, half the daily recommended amount, along with 1,098 milligrams of potassium (31 percent); and 11 grams of fiber (44 percent). For comparison, a serving of canned black beans (half a cup) is 109 calories and contains 7 grams of protein, 8.3 grams of fiber, and 800 milligrams of potassium.
Tasting notes
I did not have any expectations about how this stuff would taste. I feared it would be cardboardesque, like so much well-intentioned health food, but no! It tastes very similar to whole wheat pasta, with a little bit of black bean aftertaste. I don't recommend using this in a traditional red sauce, but I think it'd be great with mussels and butter, or with a spicy peanut sauce and some crunchy cucumber. I elected to pair it with some fall flavors and healthy vegetables to bring out the whole wheat flavor and play down the bean flavor.
Where to find it
I went to four grocery stores in the Northern Berkshires and couldn't find any black bean pasta (though there were plenty of other non-semolina pasta varieties). Managing Editor of Features Lindsey Hollenbaugh found hers at Aldi; if you're making a trip to Albany or the Pioneer Valley, you can find it at Trader Joe's. Amazon also has several black bean pasta brands (including the Trader Joe's variety).
The verdict
Gluten-free people, I see you, and I appreciate you. It's great that we have so many non-grain options now. I'm never giving up pasta, but its black bean cousin is a legitimately good alternative, and is surprisingly reminiscent of whole grain. I've had some other gluten-free pastas (my mom is off gluten) made with things like corn flour, and the black bean one is healthier, more filling and has a more interesting flavor. If you can find it in the store, grab it!
BLACK BEAN PASTA WITH SWEET POTATOES, SAGE AND VEGETABLES
Serves 3-4
INGREDIENTS:
1 box black bean pasta
1/2 onion, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes (approximate to reduce food waste)
4 tablespoons butter, divided into two 2 tablespoon chunks
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tablespoon dried sage
1 cup frozen green peas
1 pound bag spinach
DIRECTIONS:
Heat saucepan to medium and add 2 tablespoons of butter and sweet potatoes. Season with salt and pepper and saute 10 to 12 minutes, until sweet potatoes get soft. Add onion, garlic, sage and more butter, then saute until onion is soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add spinach and peas, and cook about five minutes longer, until spinach wilts.
Meanwhile, fill a large sauce pot with water and a liberal amount of salt. Boil and add black bean pasta; cook 4 to 6 minutes until soft/al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water and drain pasta.
Add 1/3 cup pasta water to pan with sweet potatoes and cook until liquid reduces, then add black bean pasta and another splash of pasta water to help you toss it all together. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.
BLACK BEAN SPAGHETTI WITH VEGETABLES AND LIME MAYO
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 lb (250 gr) black bean spaghetti
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 yellow onion diced
1 garlic clove pressed
2 cups chopped bell peppers
2 cups sliced white mushrooms
1 cup (1 medium) diced zucchini
8 small sun dried tomatoes sliced lengthwise
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoon chopped green onions
lime juice for drizzling
Lime mayo:
1 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
juice from 1 lime
zest from 1 lime
splash of Tabasco
DIRECTIONS:
Prepare lime mayo by mixing 1 cup mayonnaise, zest and juice from 1 lime, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper and a splash of Tabasco.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add spaghetti. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes, then drain water.
Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet on medium heat and add onion. Saut for 2 to 3 minutes, until translucent.
Add peppers and cook for 2 minutes, then add mushrooms and zucchini and cook until mushrooms begin to sweat. Them add garlic.
Add paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, cayenne, oregano and stir. Add sun dried tomatoes and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until vegetables are cooked.
Divide spaghetti between 4 plates and top with vegetables. Drizzle lime mayo on top. Sprinkle green onions and squeeze some lime juice on top.
- By Margaret Button, The Berkshire Eagle
While driving down Route 7 Tuesday morning , I was amazed at how the trees had turned colors, almost overnight it seems. Did they know Monday was the official start to autumn and an alarm went off for their leaves to change?
OK, I'll admit it — I'm in fall denial. I've overlooked the cooler nights, my dog glued to me in bed at night to keep warm and the invasion of pumpkin-spice into everything imaginable. I'm a spring and summer junkie, give me those hot humid days and nights. Fall means winter is coming — and winter means boots, heavy sweaters and jackets, snow and ice, and praying to the MassHighway Gods I don't get stuck or spin out of control on Route 7. (I owe my undying love and gratitude to the crews that keep Route 7 open.)
So, with fall's arrival, I unearthed my crockpot, soup pot and electric frying pan in anticipation of making all of my fall and winter comfort foods — chili, soup, meatloaf and mac and cheese. And speaking of comfort foods ...
When a reader spotted me at the supermarket last week, she asked if I had a recipe for Fettuccine Alfredo. I do — one that has withstood the annals of time. A co-worker shared it with me literally decades ago when I needed a dish to impress a boyfriend. It did impress him, as it did the next man in my life, who liked it so much he married me! (Although, I think my mom's whoopie pies helped seal the deal.)
When I make this, I usually double the recipe because although the original claims to feed two people, it's never enough. I use fettuccine noodles in place of the egg noodles, light cream and the best Parmesan I can find — and afford. Have everything ready in advance, the dish moves along quickly and is ready in well under 15 minutes from start to finish.
FETTUCCINE ALFREDO
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups 1/2-inch-wide egg noodles
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter
1 egg
1/2 cup light cream or half-and-half
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
Bring 3 quarts of water, with the salt added, to a full boil in a saucepan.
Throw in the noodles and boil for exactly 8 minutes, then remove from heat and pour into a colander to drain.
Melt the butter over low heat in a medium-sized heavy skillet. As soon as the butter is melted (do not let it brown!), add the drained noodles to the skillet, then stir in the cream.
Beat the egg separately in a small bowl, then stir the beaten egg into the noodles. Add the grated Parmesan by sprinkling it over the surface of the noodles and stirring. Cover the skillet and allow the noodles to heat through without boiling.
Just before serving, sprinkle with black pepper. Serve on warm plates.
- By Katie Workman, The Associated Press
In the quest for Big Crowd Food, lasagna reigns supreme. And at this time of year, you may find yourself entertaining a big crowd for a basketball game party or just because it's cold out and it's nice to put together a cozy gathering.
This lasagna is rich and creamy, absent the tomato sauce that anchors many lasagnas, filled with sauteed spinach folded into fluffy ricotta and a very simple b chamel sauce, rich with melty cheeses. The nutmeg is optional — a little can add a nice flavor, but too much can overpower.
A few more notes on the ingredients: You may think that 2 pounds of spinach looks like an awful lot for one lasagna, but it cooks down to just a few cups. No-boil, or oven-ready, lasagna noodles are a gift to the busy cook, and the reason I make lasagna more often. I have also made this recipe in a super-large lasagna pan and increased the quantities by half again. Then it will serve 12 to 16.
It is tempting to dig into a bubbling lasagna, but resist the urge. Letting it sit for at least 10 minutes will reward you with slices that hold together, and it will still be perfectly warm — in fact, just the right temperature for you to enjoy the flavors without the pieces sliding apart on the plates.
This can also be assembled a day ahead, held in the fridge and baked before dinner. Or it can be baked up to two days ahead and reheated for about 20 minutes in a 375 F oven.
Cheesy white and green spinach lasagna
Serves 10 to 12
Start to finish: 2 hours
INGREDIENTS:
Spinach-basil-ricotta filling:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup minced shallots
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 pounds baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
2 pounds ricotta, preferably fresh
2 large eggs
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus 1/3 cup for sprinkling the top
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
B chamel-cheese sauce:
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups (1 quart) whole milk
Pinch ground nutmeg (optional)
1 pound fresh mozzarella, shredded
8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 (8 ounce) package no-boil lasagna noodles (containing 12 noodles)
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Make the spinach-basil-ricotta Filling: Heat the tablespoon butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until melted. Add the shallots and garlic, season with salt and pepper and saute for 2 minutes until tender. Add the spinach in batches and saute, adding more spinach as each batch wilts down, about 6 minutes in all, until all of the spinach is added and wilted. Adjust the seasoning, transfer to a strainer over a bowl, press down with a spoon to release excess liquid, and set aside to cool slightly.
In a large bowl combine the ricotta, eggs, 1 cup Parmesan, and the basil. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
Make the b chamel-cheese sauce: Heat the 4 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until melted. Whisk in the flour until the mixture turns a light golden color, about 3 minutes. While whisking constantly, slowly pour in the milk. Continue to cook and whisk until the mixture thickens and bubbles, about 4 minutes, adding the nutmeg, if using. Whisk in the mozzarella and Monterey Jack cheeses until they are melted, and season with salt and pepper.
If the spinach still seems wet, give it a squeeze with your hands. Stir the drained spinach into the reserved ricotta mixture.
Lay out all of the lasagna noodles on a clean counter top. Spread the spinach-ricotta filling evenly over all of the noodles, so that each is topped with about a 1/2-inch-thick layer of the spinach-ricotta mixture.
Pour a small amount of bechamel sauce into the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch pan and spread it out. Place four ricotta-covered noodles in the bottom of the pan to cover it in a single layer. Drizzle 1/3 of the white sauce over the noodles. Place another layer of the ricotta-covered noodles over the top, drizzle with another third of the sauce, and then repeat the layers once more. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake for about 40 minutes until the top is golden and the lasagna is bubbling. If you want a more browned top, run it under the broiler for 1 or 2 minutes, watching it carefully.
Let the lasagna rest for at least 10 to 15 minutes before cutting into squares and serving warm.
Nutrition information per serving: 674 calories; 383 calories from fat; 43 g fat (25 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 174 mg cholesterol; 871 mg sodium; 35 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 6 g sugar; 38 g protein.
Katie Workman has written two cookbooks focused on easy, family-friendly cooking, "Dinner Solved!" and "The Mom 100 Cookbook." She blogs at http://www.themom100.com/about-katie-workman
- By Margaret Button, The Berkshire Eagle
The baking bread impulse hit me again two weekends ago. I spotted a post on the New York Times Cooking Community on Facebook — a great group for all you fellow foodies to check out — for sammoun bread, an Iraqi bread similar to ciabatta bread. What the heck? I still had flour and yeast left. It was awesome — and so easy to make.
Last week, while scrolling through the New York Times own food group page, I came across this recipe for this linguine. I looked in the pantry and, miracle of miracles, I had all the ingredients, including a still-viable lemon in the refrigerator. The dish is incredible! It took about 10 minutes to boil the pasta and another two to make the sauce. A word of warning, it makes four servings — just like a pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream serves four, and we all know that isn't true! Four servings from a half-pound of linguine? No way ...
LINGUINE WITH LEMON SAUCE
(Courtesy Pierre Franey, The New York Times)
Yield: 4 servings
Time: About 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest, plus more for serving
1/2 pound fresh or dried linguine
4 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra cheese to serve on the side
DIRECTIONS:
Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Heat the butter in a skillet and add the lemon zest.
Drop the linguine into the boiling water. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.
Add the cream to the butter and lemon zest mixture. Add the pasta and lemon juice and stir until just heated through. Add the Parmesan and toss. Serve with additional Parmesan and lemon zest on the side.
Tip: If fresh linguine is purchased in 9-ounce weight, use this in lieu of the half pound.
- Berkshire Eagle Staff
It's 5:30 p.m. on a Wednesday, you're staring down the empty stomachs of hungry family members and it's just too darn cold out to make that poor pizza delivery driver make a stop at your unshoveled driveway. What's a home cook to do?
Don't panic, just grab your large deep-fry pan or a Dutch oven because that's all you'll need for these one-pot comfort meals that are proven winners at our tables. What's great about these dishes is they're not only easy to make in under 45 minutes with minimal cleanup, but they're also flexible. Swap out proteins, choose a different pasta, add more vegetables — the choice is yours to make.
***
Using only one pan, and under 30 minutes to create, there is nothing to not love about this recipe for sweet-and-sour chicken. I used to make it for tailgating when my son was playing college football. I served the lightly sweet and tangy chicken in sub rolls, making for easy eating while standing up. It works just as well over noodles, wrapped in a flour tortilla or over rice.
For sweet and sour beef or pork, use an equivalent amount of sirloin or pork tenderloin. For a vegetarian version, substitute cubes of extra-firm water-packed tofu.
For a spicier dish, add some additional hot sauce, a pinch of red pepper flakes or some finely diced jalapeno peppers.
— Margaret Button, associate features editor
SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN
Start to finish: 25 minutes
Servings: 4
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon hot sauce
2 tablespoons apricot or peach jam
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 large red bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
1 large green bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
1 cup chunk pineapple, and 1/2 cup of the canning juice
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS:
In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, hot sauce, jam and cornstarch. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour and chicken, tossing to coat. Set aside.
In a large saute pan over medium-high, combine the butter and oil. Heat until the butter has melted. Add the chicken, and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes.
Add the onion, both peppers and the pineapple juice. Saute until the chicken is cooked through and the onions are tender, about another 4 minutes. Add the pineapple, then cook until heated.
Stir in the soy sauce mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Spoon chicken, vegetables and sauce into each sub roll or flour tortilla, or serve over rice or noodles.
***
This one-pot, creamy pasta dish is a winter favorite in our house, where even my non-mushroom loving husband can't get enough. This recipe is simple to make, but does require a lot of layering of flavors, so make sure you season with salt and pepper after each step. The original recipe called for 1 pound of lean beef cut in cubes, but I swapped this out for ground beef, or ground turkey, long ago. My toddler is much more likely to eat the "mini meatballs" of cooked ground beef that stick perfectly to the creamy sauce and pasta. And don't be afraid of the deglazing step with the white wine, — use a dry Chardonnay, or even a Sauvignon Blanc will do — it really takes this everyday weeknight meal up a notch to something flavorful and special. Plus, no one is saying you can't enjoy a glass of the wine while you're cooking.
— Lindsey Hollenbaugh, managing editor of features
ONE-POT BEEF STROGANOFF
INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces cremini mushrooms stems trimmed and sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup dry white wine
4 cups low-sodium beef broth or stock
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
8 ounces dried pasta (I used rotini)
3/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
DIRECTIONS:
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter. When the butter has melted, add the onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the ground beef, season with salt and pepper. Cook beef, until it’s just cooked through and no longer pink.
Sprinkle in the flour and paprika, stir to coat the meat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the raw flavor has cooked off the flour, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits that have accumulated on the bottom of the pot, until almost evaporated about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the broth and stir to combine. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer.
Add the pasta and reserved mushrooms, along with their accumulated juices, and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are just cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.
***
I found this recipe after a bored "what's for dinner" Google search last week and it was such a hit we've had it three times since. The recipe is fast and easy, with a lot of wiggle room for ingredients that aren't exactly what's on the list. I replaced the fire-roasted tomatoes the first time with a can of whatever I had in the cupboard; it didn't taste any different when I used the fancy organic fire-roasted tomatoes when I made it again. And my first try was gluten-free as well, and amazing — it truly wasn't any more enjoyable when I switched from red lentil pasta the next time. This has officially replaced spaghetti night as our easy pasta-tomato combo dinner of the week.
— Meggie Baker, calendar clerk
ONE-POT CREAMY CAJUN CHICKEN PASTA
(Courtesy budgetbytes.com)
INGREDIENTS:
Cajun seasoning:
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Chicken pasta:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 yellow onion, diced
1/2 pound penne (or really any short pasta)
One 15-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
2 ounces cream cheese
3 green onions or chives
DIRECTIONS:
Combine the ingredients for the Cajun seasoning, then dredge the chicken. Add the olive oil and butter to a large deep skillet (I recommend nonstick for this recipe.) Heat oil and butter over medium-high until the skillet is very hot and the butter is melted and foamy. Add the chicken and cook for a couple minutes on each side, or just until the outside gets some color, not cooked through.
Add the onion and continue to saute until the onion begins to soften. Next, add the pasta, fire-roasted diced tomatoes (with the juices), and chicken broth to the skillet. Cover and bring to a boil.
Turn the heat down to medium-low and let the pasta simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and the liquid is thick and saucy, stirring every couple of minutes.
Add the cream cheese to the skillet in chunks, then stir until it has melted into the sauce. Top the pasta with sliced green onions and serve.
- By America's Test Kitchen
You'd never know that pasta primavera, a pseudo-Italian dish that appears on virtually every chain restaurant menu, actually has roots in French haute cuisine.
The usual reproduction — a random jumble of produce tossed with noodles in a heavy, flavor-deadening cream sauce — tastes nothing like spring. Surprisingly, when we dug up the original recipe from New York's famed Le Cirque restaurant, our colleagues found it wasn't all that inspiring either, despite taking about 2 hours to prepare and dirtying five pans.
First, the vegetables (which had been painstakingly blanched one by one) were bland. Second, the cream-, butter- and cheese-enriched sauce dulled flavor and didn't really unify the dish.
If we wanted a true spring-vegetable pasta — with a few thoughtfully chosen vegetables and a light, but full-bodied sauce that clung well to the noodles and brought the dish together — we'd have to start from the beginning.
Spring vegetable pasta
Servings: 4-6
Start to finish: 1 hour
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 pounds leeks, white and light green parts halved lengthwise, sliced 1/2 inch thick, and washed thoroughly, plus 3 cups coarsely chopped dark green parts, washed thoroughly
1 pound asparagus, tough ends trimmed, chopped coarse, and reserved; spears cut on bias into 1/2 inch lengths
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup water
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
plus 2 tablespoons juice
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound campanelle (farfalle and penne are acceptable substitutes)
1 cup dry white wine
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup), plus extra for serving
DIRECTIONS:
Bring leek greens, asparagus trimmings, 1 cup peas, broth, water, and half of garlic to boil in large saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 10 minutes. While broth simmers, combine mint, chives, and lemon zest in bowl; set aside.
Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer into 8 cup liquid measuring cup, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible (you should have 5 cups broth; add water as needed to equal 5 cups). Discard solids and return broth to saucepan. Cover and keep warm.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add leeks and pinch salt and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until leeks begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add asparagus spears and cook until asparagus is crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Add pepper flakes and remaining garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add remaining 1 cup peas and continue to cook for 1 minute longer. Transfer vegetables to bowl and set aside. Wipe out pot with paper towels.
Heat remaining 1/4 cup oil in now-empty pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add pasta and cook, stirring often, until just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring constantly, until absorbed, about 2 minutes.
When wine is fully absorbed, add warm broth and bring to boil. Cook, stirring frequently, until most of liquid is absorbed and pasta is al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in Parmesan, lemon juice, vegetables, and half of herb mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve immediately, passing extra Parmesan and remaining herb mixture separately.
Nutrition information per serving: 605 calories; 155 calories from fat; 17 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 4 mg cholesterol; 436 mg sodium; 88 g carbohydrate; 10 g fiber; 13 g sugar; 18 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com . Find more recipes like Spring Vegetable Pasta in "Revolutionary Recipes."
- By America's Test Kitchen
Ragu can be made from any meat or combination of meats, but the earthiness of a pure pork ragu is undeniably attractive — and great comfort food.
Most recipes for traditional pork ragu use pork shoulder and a hard-to-find, bony cut like neck, shank, or feet to give the sauce great body. We were determined to use just one: Quick-cooking pork sausage or lean pork loin were parched after braising.
We needed a collagen-rich cut of pork, which would have deep flavor and a melting texture after long cooking — and the bones included. Baby back ribs fit the bill perfectly. We tried using all baby back ribs and found the resulting ragu rich and meaty with perfect silkiness.
For a classic Italian flavor profile, fennel took the place of celery in the ragu's base and ground fennel rubbed into the ribs echoed the anise flavor. Simmering the garlic head whole right in the sauce yielded sweeter softened cloves that we squeezed back into the sauce when tender.
With fresh herbs and red wine, our ragu tasted balanced and far more complex than its simple preparation would suggest. This recipe makes enough sauce to coat 2 pounds of pasta. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.
PORK RAGU
Servings: 8
Start to finish: 3 hours
INGREDIENTS:
Two 2 1/4-to-2 1/2 pound racks baby back ribs, trimmed and each rack cut into quarters
2 teaspoons ground fennel
Kosher salt and pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped fine
1 large fennel bulb, stalks discarded, bulb halved, cored, and chopped fine
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped fine
1/4 cup minced fresh sage
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons dry red wine
One 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and crushed coarse
3 cups chicken broth
1 garlic head, outer papery skins removed and top quarter of head cut off and discarded
DIRECTIONS:
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 F. Sprinkle ribs with ground fennel and generously season with salt and pepper, pressing on spices to adhere. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of ribs, meat side down, and cook, without moving them, until meat is well browned, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to plate. Repeat with remaining ribs; set aside.
Reduce heat to medium and add onion, fennel, carrots, 2 tablespoons sage, rosemary, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the now-empty pot. Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits until vegetables are well browned and beginning to stick to pot bottom, 12 to 15 minutes.
Add 1 cup wine and cook until evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and broth and bring to simmer. Submerge garlic and ribs, meat side down, in liquid; add any accumulated juices from plate. Cover and transfer to oven. Cook until ribs are fork-tender, about 2 hours.
Remove pot from oven and transfer ribs and garlic to rimmed baking sheet. Using a large spoon, skim any fat from surface of sauce. Once cool enough to handle, shred meat from bones; discard bones and gristle. Return meat to pot. Squeeze garlic from its skin into pot. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons sage and remaining 2 tablespoons wine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Nutrition information per serving: 559 calories; 273 calories from fat; 30 g fat (10 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 168 mg cholesterol; 628 mg sodium; 11 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 56 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com. Find more recipes like Pork Ragu in "How to Braise Everything."
- By Berkshire Eagle Staff
After taking stock of your pantry, you may find you've got a few too many boxes of dry pasta. (Or, at least that's what we're guessing given the many empty shelves of pasta we've been seeing at area grocery stores.) Luckily, there are endless possibilities for ways to dress up those trusty noodles beyond a jar of marina sauce.
Here are a few of our favorite easy weeknight dinners (if that's even a thing anymore ...) that will make you glad you've got those extra boxes.
SPINACH PASTA SALAD
(From Betty Crocker)
I got this recipe in my first-ever vegetarian cookbook when I was 16 and its popular with the family and a potluck favorite.
— Meggie Baker, Eagle calendar clerk.
INGREDIENTS:
3 cups (6 ounces) uncooked bow-tie (farfalle) pasta
1 small tomato, cut into fourths
1/2 cup basil pesto
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 cups bite-size pieces spinach leaves
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced (1 cup)
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
One 14-ounce can quartered artichokes hearts, drained, rinsed
DIRECTIONS:
Cook and drain pasta as directed on package. Rinse with cold water; drain.
While pasta is cooking, place tomato, pesto, salt and pepper in food processor or blender. Cover; process 30 seconds.
Toss pasta, pesto mixture and remaining ingredients.
---
SPAGHETTI ALLA CARBONARA
This has been my go-to pasta recipe ever since I received Rachael Ray's second cookbook. The page it's on is food-stained and has many of my notes including: "Excellent! Wouldn't change a thing!" and "Start pasta way before sauteing pancetta." — good advice since the recipe cooks up really fast. So-o-o-o-o good!
— Margaret Button, associate features editor
INGREDIENTS:
Salt
1 pound spaghetti (or any variety of pasta)
Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan)
1/3 pound pancetta, chopped
4 or 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, a few pinches, crushed in palm of hand
1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken stock
2 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more, for sprinkling
A handful fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
A few grinds black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
Place a large pot of water on the stove to boil. When water is rolling, add salt and pasta and cook to al dente, about 8 minutes, reserving 1/4 cup pasta water. While pasta cooks, heat large skillet over moderate heat. Saute pancetta in a drizzle of oil until it browns, 3 to 5 minutes. Add extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, and crushed pepper flake. Saute garlic 2 minutes. Add wine or stock to the pan and reduce liquid by half, 2 minutes.
Beat together egg yolks, cheese, and while whisking vigorously, stir in a ladle of the boiling pasta water. Beat in parsley and pepper and set aside.
Drain pasta. Add pasta to pan with sauce. Toss pasta with pancetta, then add egg mixture and toss 1 minute, then remove from heat. Continue to toss until sauce is absorbed by and thickly coating the pasta. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper and serve with extra cheese, for passing.
---
SHRIMP WITH PENNE
(Adapted from Ree Drummond)
This is a family favorite that I often make with frozen shrimp for a quick dinner. The smell of the wine cooking with the onions and garlic is just the right thing for a Wednesday night meal to make pasta go from boring to perfection.
— Lindsey Hollenbaugh, managing editor of features
INGREDIENTS:
3/4 pounds penne pasta
1 pound shrimp
3 tablespoon of butter
1 whole onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup of white wine
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
Fresh parsley - to taste
Fresh basil - to taste
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
Cook the penne pasta until al dente. Peel, devein and rinse 1 pound of extra-large shrimp. Heat about 1 tablespoon butter and olive oil in a skillet. Add shrimp and cook for a couple of minutes until just opaque.
Do not overcook shrimp. Remove from heat and let cool. When cool to touch, place on chopping board and cut into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
Finely dice one small onion. Mince two cloves of garlic.
In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add garlic and onion and saute, stirring occasionally.
When the onion is translucent, add the white wine (you can use chicken broth instead).
Add your 8-ounce can of plain tomato sauce. Stir well until combined. Add 1 cup of heavy cream. Continue stirring. Turn heat to low and let simmer for a few minutes.
Chop the parsley and basil (remember the herbs are to taste)
Add herbs and shrimp to tomato cream sauce. Stir and add salt and pepper to taste. Add penne pasta and stir.
QUICK SAUCES:
If you're looking for some just a little different to dress your pasta, try one of these easy sauces and add any vegetables or proteins you've got on hand to use up your refrigerator leftovers.
Garlic Alfredo sauce: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add 3 cloves minced garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in 2 tablespoons flour until lightly browned.
Gradually whisk in 1 cup milk and 1/2 cup half-and-half, and cook, whisking constantly until slightly thickened. Stir in 2 ounces cream cheese, cubed, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese until melted. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add sauce to favorite pasta.
Maple cream sauce: Melt 4 tablespoons butter in large saute pan over medium heat. Add the 1 shallot, diced, and then cook until translucent. Add 2 cups of cream, and allow to simmer for one minute. Add 2 tablespoons maple syrup, stirring to combine; add 1teaspoon thyme, salt and pepper to taste, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add to your favorite ravioli; butternut squash is great with these flavors.
Creamy tomato sauce: Once you cook your favorite pasta and drain, stir in 3 ounces cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups of your favorite pasta sauce. Stir to combine and heat through.
- By America's Test Kitchen
Macaroni and cheese has always been on my "must-explore" list. It's just eaten too often in this country for us to ignore it. Kids in particular say yes to macaroni and cheese when they turn up their noses at everything else. Unfortunately, it's the boxed version, complete with orange cheese powder, that's made most often.
There are two distinct styles of macaroni and cheese: bechamel-based, in which macaroni is blanketed with a cheesy white sauce, usually topped with crumbs, and baked. The other variety, the kind my mother always made, is custard-based. In this style, a mixture of egg and milk is poured over layers of grated cheese and noodles. As the dish bakes, the eggs, milk and cheese set into a custard. It can also be topped with bread crumbs, although my mom always sprinkled crushed saltine crackers over hers.
We preferred the cheesier-flavored custard version and decided to experiment. To our surprise, highly processed cheeses, such as American, performed quite well in this dish. Much like evaporated milk, the more processing, the more stable the cheese and the more creamy the dish. For flavor, use cheddar; for texture, buy American. You can skip the bread crumbs and sprinkle the dish with crumbled common crackers or saltines, if desired.
Stovetop macaroni and cheese
Servings: 4
Start to finish: 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
Bread crumbs:
3 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into quarters
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Salt
Macaroni and cheese:
2 large eggs
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
1 teaspoon dry mustard, dissolved in 1 teaspoon water
Salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
8 ounces elbow macaroni (2 cups)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 ounces sharp cheddar, American, or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (3 cups)
DIRECTIONS:
For the bread crumbs: Pulse bread in food processor to coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses. Melt butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add bread crumbs and cook, stirring often, until beginning to brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Season with salt to taste; set aside.
For the macaroni and cheese: Mix eggs, 1 cup evaporated milk, mustard mixture, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and hot sauce in bowl.
Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven. Add pasta and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Drain pasta and return to pot over low heat. Add butter and toss to melt.
Add egg mixture and three-quarters of cheese to pasta and toss until thoroughly combined and cheese starts to melt. Gradually add remaining evaporated milk and remaining cheese, stirring constantly, until mixture is hot and creamy, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately, sprinkling individual portions with toasted bread crumbs.
Variation:
"Baked" macaroni and cheese: Add 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese to toasted bread crumbs. Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Transfer macaroni and cheese mixture to a 13-by-9-inch broiler-safe baking dish and sprinkle with bread-crumb mixture. Broil until topping turns deep golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Let casserole cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition information per serving: 880 calories; 463 calories from fat; 52 g fat (32 g saturated; 1 g trans fats); 249 mg cholesterol; 1063 mg sodium; 65 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 11 g sugar; 36 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com. Find more recipes like Macaroni and Cheese in "Revolutionary Recipes ."
- By America's Test Kitchen
A combination of pasta and summer squash results in a light, flavorful dish that's full of color.
We decided against peeling the squash, as the skin helped to keep the pieces intact throughout the cooking process. Because summer squash contains so much liquid, we salted and drained it to keep our sauce from ending up watery and bland.
The salted squash also browned beautifully; just 5 minutes in a hot skillet gave a light char to each batch. To accompany the squash, we chose halved grape tomatoes, fresh basil, and pine nuts.
We finished the sauce with balsamic vinegar to give it a kick and paired the sauce with farfalle, since its nooks and crannies easily trapped the flavor-packed ingredients. A combination of zucchini and summer squash makes for a more colorful dish, but either may be used exclusively if desired. Cherry tomatoes can be substituted for the grape tomatoes.
If farfalle is unavailable, campanelle and fusilli are good substitutes. We prefer using kosher salt because residual grains can be easily wiped away from the squash; if using table salt, be sure to reduce all of the salt amounts in the recipe by half.
FARFALLE WITH ZUCCHINI, TOMATOES AND PINE NUTS
Servings: 6
Start to finish: 1 hour
INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds zucchini and/or summer squash, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/2-inch thick
Kosher salt and pepper
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound farfalle
12 ounces grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Grated Parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS:
Toss squash with 1 tablespoon salt and let drain in colander for 30 minutes. Pat squash dry with paper towels and carefully wipe away any residual salt.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add half of squash and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and slightly charred, 5 to 7 minutes, reducing heat if skillet begins to scorch; transfer to large plate. Repeat with 1 tablespoon oil and remaining squash; transfer to plate.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in squash and cook until heated through, about 30 seconds.
Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot. Add squash mixture, tomatoes, basil, pine nuts, vinegar, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste and adjust consistency with reserved cooking water as needed. Serve with Parmesan.
Nutrition information per serving: 463 calories; 154 calories from fat; 17 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 177 mg sodium; 65 g carbohydrate; 5 g fiber; 9 g sugar; 13 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com . Find more recipes like Farfalle with Zucchini in "The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook ."
- By America's Test Kitchen
The late-night spaghetti monster will be tamed with this flavor-packed pasta that comes together quickly from pantry ingredients. The key here is making the most of the garlic.
We toasted a whopping 2 tablespoons of minced garlic in extra-virgin olive oil over low heat just until it cooked to a sweet and buttery pale golden brown. (Be careful not to let it go any darker or it will be harsh.)
Also, we cooked the spaghetti in just 2 quarts of salted water to ensure that the cooking water ended up loaded with starch; adding some of that starchy water back to the finished spaghetti gave our simple pantry sauce lots of body and texture.
Finally, adding a little minced raw garlic right at the end of the cooking time created a garlicky duality between the buttery sweetness of the toasted garlic and the fire of the raw garlic.
This is endlessly adaptable, depending on what you have in your pantry. (No Parmesan? Toast up some bread crumbs instead. No basil? Try parsley, or leave it out. If you're really hungry, add a can of tuna at the end. And don't forget about the variations that follow.)
GARLICKY SPAGHETTI WITH LEMON AND PINE NUTS
Servings: 4
Start to finish: 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound spaghetti
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons juice
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1 ounce Parmesan, grated (1/2 cup), plus extra for serving
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
DIRECTIONS:
Combine oil and 2 tablespoons garlic in 8-inch nonstick skillet. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until garlic is pale golden brown, 9 to 12 minutes. Off heat, stir in pepper flakes; set aside.
Bring 2 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 2 teaspoons salt and cook, stirring frequently, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon garlic, lemon zest and juice, reserved garlic-oil mixture, and reserved cooking water to pasta in pot. Stir until pasta is well coated with oil and no water remains in bottom of pot. Add basil, Parmesan, and pine nuts and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, passing extra Parmesan separately.
Variations:
- Garlicky spaghetti with capers and currants: Omit lemon zest, basil, and pine nuts. Reduce lemon juice to 1 tablespoon. Stir 3 tablespoons capers, rinsed and minced; 3 tablespoons currants, minced; and 2 anchovy fillets, rinsed, patted dry, and minced, into pasta with lemon juice.
- Garlicky spaghetti with green olives and almonds: Omit lemon zest and reduce lemon juice to 1 tablespoon. Stir 1 cup green olives, chopped fine, into pasta with lemon juice. Substitute Pecorino Romano for Parmesan and toasted sliced almonds for pine nuts.
- Garlicky spaghetti with clams: Omit lemon zest and pine nuts. Reduce lemon juice to 2 teaspoons. Stir 2 (6 1/2 ounce) cans whole clams, drained and chopped, and 4 anchovy fillets, rinsed, patted dry, and minced, into pasta with lemon juice. Increase Parmesan to 3/4 cup and substitute 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for basil.
Nutrition information per serving: 720 calories; 271 calories from fat; 30 g fat (4 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 6 mg cholesterol; 426 mg sodium; 91 g carbohydrate; 5 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 20 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com . Find more recipes like Garlicky Spaghetti with Lemon and Pine Nuts in "Vegetables Illustrated."
- By Judith Monachina, Eagle correspondent
Of the 1,300 names for pasta shapes in the Italian language, most are associated with particular places. All from Umbria: Lumachelle, laianelle, squadrucetti ...
This fact suggests long culinary distances between cities; in this case, between Milan and Mantova. Less than two hours apart by train, these cities became my classroom for a lesson on the endurance of regional cuisine.
It began in Milan. I invited my landlord and his wife to dinner. In the back of my mind lurked an admonition given by a since forgotten acquaintance: never make Italian food for an Italian. After a few menu ideas, dropped because of difficulty or lack of kitchen space, I settled on a hand-made (but not by me) pasta con zucca. These square pillows filled with fragrant, subtly nutmegged squash or pumpkin were found at a fresh pasta shop. I would make a simple butter sage sauce and pass freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
"Tortelli di zucca," Guido announced as he ate. "A specialty of Mantova. My grandmother lived in Mantova and we used to have it when we went to visit her," he remembered. A thirty-something, Guido traveled the world for his work, but he was a proud Milanese. A few weeks earlier, he and his wife Marilena had welcomed my husband and me to Milan with a meal of Risotto Milanese, the local specialty made with saffron.
"Where did you find pasta con zucca?" he asked. I told him about the shop. "Delicious," he said, and complimented my choice of sauce. "But," he added, "I do think it's a little sad that you can find pasta con zucca everywhere now."
And so, Guido initiated the lesson, but it was still vague, waiting for its completion.
As luck would have it, two weeks later I visited a friend in Mantova. A retired teacher of French and Italian, Anna Biasin Zaffanella lives in Stockbridge and each year spends time in Italy. Mantova is her late husband Luciano's home city, and though she grew up in the Veneto region, she has adopted this place. The young couple had moved to the Berkshires when General Electric recruited Luciano, then a young engineer with expertise in the transmission of ultra high voltage electricity.
Anna met me at the station, and whisked me around the city. We visited the 500-room Gonzaga palace and saw its Andrea Mantegna frescoes in the bridal chamber. Mantova was added to the UNESCO World Heritage site list in 2008. We walked through porticoed cobble streets to a little caf . Once inside, she announced we would order a Mantovan specialty, which I had probably never had: tortelli di zucca.
As I ate the fragrant dish, I nodded. Yes, it was a rare treat. Did I dare tell her that I had eaten tortelli di zucca, in Milan? Well, eventually.
A few years later, back in Stockbridge, I told her. She laughed. This year, she invited me to make it with her on Christmas Eve. Family tradition meant a few grandchildren, now adults, might be helping out, and the dish would be served for dinner.
Meanwhile, some research. About the idea of a national cuisine: "Generally speaking, it's an artificial construct," said Darra Goldstein, Williams College professor emeritus, founder of Gastronomica, a scholarly food journal, and author of books on regional cooking. "Most cuisines are regional, but for political purposes, or purposes of marketing or consolidating a larger identity, national cuisines are created. Artusi Pellegrino's 1891 book ['The Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well'], was an important step in the creation of an ostensible national cuisine." That book came 20 years after final unification of Italy. In France, she said, a similar effort was made in the 19th century: "a codifying of haute cuisine that brought regional dishes into the cannon. Cookbooks also play a role in creating a national cuisine."
There were no cookbooks when I met Anna to make the filling as taught to her by her mother-in-law, Anna Marani Zaffanella. We did so ahead of time to make the holiday pasta making easier. Christmas Eve morning, grandson Christopher, who lives in Boston, showed up. It became clear it was not his first time.
We washed our hands and put on our grembiule (aprons), before heading to the finished basement, where the annual ritual is enacted.
Christopher sifted flour into a volcano shape, and the work began. We talked and kneaded, rolled, stuffed, cut and pinched. They didn't know about the 1,300 names, about which I had learned from Oretta Zanina De Vita's Encyclopedia of Pasta. It was fun to have something to teach them. To the already rich traditions, invasions and immigrations, the Angevins, Albanians Muslims, and others brought their pastas to Sicily, Puglia and the Piedmont. And women, there kneading and cutting, gave their edible sculptures names like farfalline (little butterflies), nastrini (little ribbons), galletti, (small roosters), tempestine (little storms). Machinery, Zanini de Vita said, inspired new names, like ruote (wheels), and rotelle (propellers). Pasta was not an everyday staple in the countryside, but rather reserved for feast days, until before WWII. Yet, we have 1,300 names.
TORTELLI DI ZUCCA
(Recipe courtesy of Anna Marani Zaffanella of Mantova)
For the filling: (75 minutes, includes baking the squash)
Ingredients:
Hubbard, similar squash or small green pumpkin, baked/roasted, quartered, flesh scraped out
Mostarda di Mantova or Mostarda di Cremona. 4 pieces of the fruit, not the liquid. (That might be pear, apricot, quince). Chopped very fine. If this product is difficult to find, improvisation may be in order, or convincing your favorite gourmet grocer to stock it.
10 Amaretti cookies (sugar brushed off) pulverized in blender
One egg
Nutmeg, about 1/2 teaspoon
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
In a bowl, add egg and nutmeg to the squash; mix.
Stir in fruit
Blend in Amaretti, then Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper; stir well.
For the pasta: (about one hour)
Sift 2 cups all-purpose flour, with a bit of salt, into a volcano shape
Scoop out a crater, add 4 eggs. This may require some finagling as the eggs, may run out of the crater. Blend with your hands.
Some people add drops of water if more moisture is needed. Knead about 8 minutes.
"When it feels like a ball of dough," or the dough, when pushed in, pushes back; put into a wet kitchen towel, taking only the piece to begin with, about the size of a small child's fist.
Run through the rolling machine several times, each time folding in half, and moving from lower to higher (thinner) settings. They settled on number 8, the second to thinnest. Each dough is a little different. Experience is a guide.
Lay a strip, about 1 1/2 to 2 inches, on the table, sideways, and dot about 1/2 teaspoon of filling all along the strip, imagining that you will fold the pasta strip over the filling. Fold the strip in half, covering the filling with dough. Then, pick up the strip, one end in each hand, and gently bang it two or three times on the table.
Press the spaces between mounds of filling with your finger. Then, cut with pasta cutter where you marked.
You now have pasta squares, one side the fold, and along the other 3 sides, press closed with your fingers.
For the sauce:
Saut quarter pound of butter with fresh sage springs for about 15 minutes, on very low heat. Avoid burning.
Cook pasta in boiling water, about 5 minutes. Taste test one piece. Pour sage butter over tortelli. Pass grated cheese. Serves 6
- By America's Test Kitchen
There's no reason why a vegetable lasagna made with the classic trio of eggplant, zucchini, and summer squash should be any less satisfying than a meat-based casserole, especially when the produce is in season and locally grown.
But we've rarely cooked one that we've been moved to make again. Some versions look tempting enough with a topcoat of bubbly cheese and thick tomato gravy, but cutting out a square of it invariably reveals trouble at the core. Often placed between the pasta sheets raw, the zucchini and squash turn out steamy and limp, flooding the dish with their juices — or, in some instances, undercooked and crunchy.
Then there's the eggplant, which is typically not only soggy, but greasy from pre-frying. Add to that the usual patches of dry, grainy ricotta and it's a wonder this dish ever became an Italian American standard.
So what would it take to make a full-flavored lasagna with vegetables that could stand up to — not wash out — the cheese and sauce? Ridding the produce of some of its moisture and boosting its flavor before adding it to the dish would be steps in the right direction.
VEGETABLE LASAGNA
Servings: 8-10
Start to finish: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Part-skim mozzarella can also be used in this recipe, but avoid pre-shredded cheese, as it does not melt well. We prefer kosher salt because it clings best to the eggplant. If using table salt, reduce the amounts by half.
INGREDIENTS:
Tomato sauce:
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
CREAM SAUCE:
8 ounces (1 cup) whole-milk cottage cheese
4 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (2 cups)
1 cup heavy cream
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
FILLING AND NOODLES:
1 1/2 pounds eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Kosher salt and pepper
1 pound zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 pound yellow summer squash, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
12 ounces (12 cups) baby spinach
12 no-boil lasagna noodles
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, minced
12 ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (3 cups)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
DIRECTIONS:
For the tomato sauce: Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl; set aside.
For the cream sauce: Whisk all ingredients together in the second bowl; set aside.
For the filling and noodles: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 F. Toss eggplant with 1 teaspoon salt in large bowl. Line large plate with double layer of coffee filters and lightly spray with vegetable oil spray. Spread eggplant in even layer over coffee filters; wipe out and reserve bowl. Microwave eggplant until dry to touch and slightly shriveled, about 10 minutes, tossing halfway through microwaving. Let cool slightly. Return eggplant to bowl and toss with zucchini and summer squash.
Combine 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, and thyme in small bowl. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half of eggplant mixture, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Push vegetables to sides of skillet. Add half of garlic mixture to center and cook, mashing mixture into pan, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir garlic mixture into vegetables and transfer to medium bowl. Repeat with 2 tablespoons oil, remaining eggplant mixture, and remaining garlic mixture; transfer to bowl.
Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add spinach and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Transfer spinach to paper towel-lined plate and let drain for 2 minutes. Stir into eggplant mixture. (Filling can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
Grease 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Spread 1 cup tomato sauce evenly over bottom of dish. Arrange 4 noodles on top of sauce (noodles will overlap). Spread half of the vegetable mixture evenly over noodles, followed by 1/4 cup olives. Spoon half of the cream sauce over top and sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella. Repeat layering with 4 noodles, 1 cup tomato sauce, remaining vegetable mixture, remaining 1/4 cup olives, remaining cream sauce, and 1 cup mozzarella. For the final layer, arrange remaining 4 noodles on top and cover completely with remaining tomato sauce. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup mozzarella evenly over tomato sauce.
Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil that has been sprayed with oil spray and bake until edges are just bubbling, about 35 minutes, rotating dish halfway through baking. Let lasagna cool for 25 minutes, sprinkle with basil, and serve.
Nutrition information per serving: 537 calories; 296 calories from fat; 33 g fat (14 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 68 mg cholesterol; 928 mg sodium; 42 g carbohydrate; 6 g fiber; 9 g sugar; 25 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com. Find more recipes like Vegetable Lasagna in "Revolutionary Recipes ."
- By Robert Luhmann, Eagle correspondent
In so many ways, food defines cultures and brings people together. A well-prepared meal can transport me to its country of origin in much the same way music and art can. However, the elemental effects of food can literally be felt in the gut.
Of all the world’s foods, dishes inspired by Italy’s La Cucina Italiana are my favorites to prepare at home. I like the simplicity of La Cucina Italiana, which tends to focus on allowing a few excellent ingredients to shine, especially produce, in its dishes. Because Italy is a country with long food traditions made up of many regions, which only became unified in 1861, there are many regional differences in its cucina.
I’d like to share a recipe for orecchiette with broccoli, a dish originating in Puglia, which I learned from a marvelous woman, Mary Lovely, who owned a shop I worked in briefly, called Pasta Perfecto.
As you can imagine, she taught me how to make pasta dishes including ravioli and tortellini, but almost as importantly, she described what it was like to be brought up by her mother, who had come directly from Italy. She gave me a feel for old world Italian values and food traditions. Mary described how her mother’s dinners were always made up of several dishes she would make throughout the day, which would keep warm on her stove; a tradition which has been mostly lost in the fast-paced transition to the modern world. Food and shelter were always available to family members in need, but money was never given or lent.
Mary told me stories of how her mother was thoroughly unimpressed with the values of modern American life and one story exemplifying her contempt stood out.
Mary and her husband had just bought their first new car and proudly brought it by her mother’s house to give her a ride in their new prized possession. Mary’s mother sat silently in the front seat as they drove her around, hoping to impress her with its shiny chrome and gentle ride. When they returned to her mother’s home, Mary and her husband asked her what she thought of their brand-new car. Mary’s mother broke her silence and replied disdainfully in her broken English, “It no take me anywhere I can’t go in my car.”
ORECCHIETTE WITH BROCCOLI
(For two ample portions)
This dish Mary taught me originates from Puglia, the boot heel of Italy, where the shaped pasta orecchiette is typical. Orecchiette, “little ears” in English, is cupped-shaped pasta often with ridges in its dried form, which are perfect for a dish such as this with a lighter bodied sauce and small bits of vegetable as it cradles the sauce and vegetable in the pasta’s little cup.
The essential technique for this dish can substitute broccoli with another brassica, such as broccoli rabe or Romanesco. I’ve included cannellini beans, prosciutto, sausage or leftover roast chicken if you're looking for more protein. Anchovy is a fine addition as well.
At first glance, the idea of mushy broccoli with pasta doesn’t sound appealing. In this dish, I prefer the broccoli to be steamed until just soft so that the broccoli will breakdown when mashed, but remain firm enough to maintain some texture and not to compromise the vegetables nutritional value by overcooking. However, it can be a bit more luxurious when the broccoli is cooked further creating a saucier final dish.
You may look at the recipe and exclaim, “Six cloves of garlic!” and it would be too much for most if the cloves were minced or, God forbid, put through a garlic press. The whole garlic cloves are browned over a medium low heat in a nice fruity, peppery Italian extra virgin olive oil producing a similar mellow garlic flavor as roasted garlic. In chemical terms, the more the cell walls of raw garlic are broken, the more of the sulfur-containing molecule called allicin is released, which is the source of the pungent sharpness found in garlic. Heat destroys allicin and is the reason why six cloves of garlic mashed after cooking imparts a mellow richness rather than a sharp pungency. There are times when some of garlic’s sharp pungency is preferred, but I side with Anthony Bourdain’s quote regarding the use of a garlic press, “I don’t know what that junk is that squeezes out the end of those things, but it ain’t garlic.”
A final note about cooking pasta. I always remove a cup or two of the pasta water just before the pasta is finished to add to the pasta sauce for flavor and its ability to thicken the sauce due to the pasta starch released into the water. Add the pasta water until the sauce reaches the desired thickness.
Ingredients:
1 large head of broccoli, about 5 cups, stems peeled and chopped, and the head broken into small florets.
2 cups dried orecchiette pasta
6 medium whole cloves of garlic, peeled
1/4 cup quality Italian extra virgin olive oil
Zest from one lemon
Pinch or two of red pepper flakes
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiana Reggiano
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Cut the broccoli as described and steam for 6 or 7 minutes until soft and set aside.
Put on a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta.
Meanwhile brown the garlic cloves over medium low heat in the olive oil in a pan large enough to be able hold all the ingredients. I use my workhorse 12-inch cast iron fry pan.
Once the water comes to the boil, cook the orecchiette for one minute less than the recommended time for al dente on the package’s instructions.
While the pasta boils add the steamed broccoli to the pan with the garlic and olive oil and begin mashing with a potato masher.
About one minute before the pasta is finished boiling remove about 2 cups of the pasta water.
Add about one cup of the pasta water to the broccoli mixture and continue mashing the broccoli and garlic mixture.
Add the drained cooked pasta, lemon zest, red pepper flakes and continue to cook while adding more pasta water until the pasta reaches desired texture.
Add Parmigiana Reggiano and add more pasta water if necessary, until the sauce reaches the desired thickness. Taste for salt and pepper and serve in a wide bowl with a fork and soup spoon.
All-in-one meals are a popular way to get dinner in the oven quickly. The now ubiquitous sheet-pan suppers provide myriad possibilities for different flavor combinations. However, some all-in-one meals, like lasagna or a shepherd’s pie, take a lot more work.
If you can find some time for a bit of a project, this recipe for stuffed shells can give you one dinner now and you can put enough away for another dinner some other time! In addition, I’ve combined a protein, vegetable and some cheese for a filling that makes a full meal (although, it would be great with a green salad on the side).
This idea came about when I was frustrated with my disorganized freezer and, while reorganizing it, was reminded of the pumpkin purée I had made some months back. I decided to try using it with some cheese and sausage for stuffed shells, and it was quite a success! Now, I am fully aware most people do not have frozen pumpkin purée at the ready, and after the holidays you can’t usually find fresh pumpkin in the stores. Butternut squash purée would certainly work as a substitute, but even easier is a can of pumpkin purée from the supermarket. (Just be sure to buy plain pumpkin and not pie filling.)
Other variations include vegan sausage for a vegetarian version, or even the addition or substitution of other vegetables. I might try adding some chopped mushrooms next time when I’m cooking the sausage. Just be sure whatever vegetables you use are not too wet.
A jarred sauce will be fine here, or if you want to make your own, I’ve blogged about a basic tomato sauce at www.culinursa.com that I’ve made more times than I can count.
For me, the best thing about this is that after I stuffed the shells, we had a great dinner that night, and now I have the rest in the freezer for when it’s been a busy day and I have no time to prepare dinner!
SAUSAGE AND PUMPKIN STUFFED SHELLS
Makes about 32 shells
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 pound loose sweet sausage, approximately 3 large sausages
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 1/2 cup pumpkin or butternut squash purée, or one 15-ounce can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 cup ricotta
3/4 cup grated Parmesan, divided
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
12 ounces (1 box) jumbo shells
2 1/2-3 cups tomato sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 F, if baking immediately. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat until shimmering and fragrant. Add the sausage with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and sauté, breaking up the pieces, until the meat is fully cooked. Let cool, mix with pumpkin purée, ricotta, 1/4 cup Parmesan, remaining salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Boil jumbo shells according to package directions for a recipe to be baked. They should be very much under-done. Gently remove the shells from the water using a spider or a strainer and spread out on a half sheet pan to cool, separating any that became nested together. If you have to drain them in a colander, try to be gentle so they don’t crack.
If baking the stuffed shells immediately, spread about 1/2 cup tomato sauce on bottom of a baking dish just large enough to hold the shells in a single layer. Use a small spoon or soup spoon to fill each jumbo shell with sausage mixture and arrange in the baking dish. (You probably will not use every shell, which is fine, because some will have cracked. Just use the best, most intact ones.) Pour remaining sauce over the shells, sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil, spread mozzarella over the shells, and bake for 10 minutes more. Allow to cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving. If you decide not to bake all the shells at once, adjust the amounts of sauce, Parmesan and mozzarella as necessary.
To freeze some or all, place in a single layer, not touching one another, on a wax or parchment paper-lined half sheet pan. Place the half sheet pan as level as possible into the freezer. Once they are fully frozen, you can place them into a zippered freezer bag for easier storage. To bake, preheat oven to 350 F, and arrange the frozen shells over a thin layer of tomato sauce in the baking dish as described above to cook directly from frozen. Bake covered with foil for 40 minutes, and check to make sure there’s still enough sauce when you remove the foil. If not, add a bit more sauce. Spread the mozzarella over the shells, cook for 10 additional minutes and allow to cool 5-10 minutes before serving.
- By Francecsca Olsen, Eagle Correspondent
The Instagram algorithm knows me. On weekends, bored on my couch, I find myself scrolling through the “explore” section, and the exploration options I’m offered are spot-on: Doughnuts. Charcuterie boards. And photos of pasta, glossy with spicy vodka sauce, covered in cheese, swirled with pesto or peppered with anchovy-laced breadcrumbs.
Lately, red sauce just isn’t doing it for me. Once a staple in my home (I generally buy canned tomatoes in volume, at least 6 to 12 cans at a time), it’s giving me wicked pregnancy heartburn, so I’ve been avoiding it and other acidic foods. I still want to balance my craving for pasta and deep, savory flavor, and these days I’m also looking for something that doesn’t take a lot of active cooking time.
The problem with all this photogenic comfort food is it’s really, really bad for you. While I will never give up pasta (or carbs or gluten, sorry) I also really don’t want cheese tortellini that’s also swimming in a thick, cheesy sauce. I think it’s really easy to overdo it with rich, cheesy pastas, and while they look indulgent on Instagram, there’s just no way I could fathom eating much of something that rich. It’s fun once in a while, but I generally eat for pleasure and nutrition, not as a test of what my body can endure. To balance pregnancy cravings with the safety of my arteries, I’ve been working on simple dishes that still incorporate some indulgence, but don’t drown me in cheese, or cream cheese, or a combination of the two.
This tortellini dish hits all my marks — caramelized onions are still rich and offer some umami, peas provide some fiber, and bacon is fatty and flavorful even in moderation. While this recipe directs you to cook peas in the leftover caramelizing oil, you could also cook them with a tablespoon or so of reserved bacon fat for an even deeper flavor.
Caramelizing onions takes a while, but it’s mostly unattended cook time. I see lots of recipes that assume you can hit caramelization in 15 to 20 minutes; this is a lie. Keep it low and slow, stirring frequently, so you don’t burn the onions or the butter, and you’ll draw out the natural sugars in the onions slowly and gracefully, leaving you with a sweet, buttery flavor and soft texture that’s perfect for tossing with pasta.
If you find yourself with leftover onions, I suggest stirring them into Greek yogurt with a little salt and pepper; this is a great, lower-fat option for sour cream and onion dip and is great with crackers, cut veggies, or on a sandwich.
TORTELLINI WITH BACON, CARAMELIZED ONIONS AND PEAS
Serves 2 to 4
INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds frozen or dried tortellini (I used a dried Trader Joe’s brand that expands quite a bit when cooked; if using frozen tortellini from the frozen aisle, just buy two bags)
8 slices bacon
1 large onion, halved and sliced thin
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup frozen peas
Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
First, caramelize onions: Add olive oil, and butter to a pan and heat on medium-low. Add sliced onion and 1 teaspoon salt, then stir to make sure onion is coated with butter and oil. Let onion cook on medium-low, stirring frequently, until onions are soft and translucent. Turn heat down, then continue to cook on low, stirring frequently, until onions reduce and caramelize, turning dark brown.
This usually takes around 45 minutes to an hour; stop when they’ve reached your desired level of caramelization. I like to go pretty far with this, until onions are mahogany brown. If you want to do the same, I recommend adding a little broth, water, or vinegar (balsamic or apple cider are my picks) near the end of the process to deglaze the pan, ensure the onions don’t burn, and add a little extra depth of flavor.
Once you’ve reached your desired level of caramelization, transfer onions from pan into wire mesh strainer, using a bowl to catch the excess butter/oil. Press down on the onions to release excess oil. Reserve that oil; it’s been infused with lovely onion flavor, and you will use it to cook the peas later.
Cook bacon until nice and crispy, crumble, then set aside. Unless you want to cook with the bacon grease, you can let it solidify and then dispose of it.
Add water to a large pot with an ample amount of salt, then bring to a boil. Cook tortellini until done, 7 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cook peas in the onion oil mixture, adding a little salt.
Drain tortellini and return to pan. Toss with caramelized onions, peas, and bacon, then serve with grated parmesan cheese.
I never understood how my son and daughter-in-law could sit for hours watching videos on their cellphones. And then I downloaded TikTok ... and I no longer have a life.
I downloaded it after seeing the baked feta pasta that went viral last year during the pandemic. When confronted with the categories of videos I could choose to watch, my intention was to just click on Cooking & Recipes. Then greed took over, and my index finger stabbed Entertainment, Dance, Pranks, Home Reno/DIY, Life Hacks, Advice & Wellness, Pets and Oddly Satisfying (which oddly it is).
Cute kids, cute animals, recipes and cringe-worthy pranks all at the touch of a finger and an upward swipe. Best of all, I can do it anywhere — sitting in the living room, on the deck, in a doctor's waiting room ... the possibilities are endless.
But it's the recipes that intrigue me because of their simplicity and uniqueness — after all they are confined to a very short video. The latest one to catch my eye is for Baked Buffalo Mac and Cheese. True confession: I have mixed cooked pasta with leftover Buffalo Chicken Dip before and the recipes are pretty close.
The mac and cheese is easy to assemble — more or less dump all the ingredients in a baking dish and throw it in the oven. After trying this dish, I have some cautionary notes. After baking the dish for 50 minutes, check the doneness of the pasta. If it has a firm bite to it and a white center, it needs a few more minutes in the oven. But don't leave it in the oven too much longer; overcooked noodles turn to mush — as I found out.
The most important thing is to remove any clear, excess liquid trapped beneath the pasta, using a serving spoon, instead of mixing it in with the cheeses. This will ensure the mac and cheese is gooey, and not runny and watery.
BAKED BUFFALO MAC AND CHEESE
(TikTok user @thehungerdiaries)
INGREDIENTS:
One 8-ounce square feta cheese
One 8-ounce block cream cheese
1 pound elbow macaroni
2 to 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
6 cups milk
3 tablespoons minced garlic
A few really good pinches of salt
1/2 cup hot sauce
Fresh-cracked black pepper
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Add a block of feta and a block of cream cheese (feta on the bottom, topped by cream cheese) to the center of a deep baking dish.
Pour raw macaroni, shredded cheese and milk around the cheese in the center, along the perimeter of the dish.
Add garlic and a generous portion of salt.
Gently stir along the perimeter of the dish to mix the pasta, milk and shredded cheese.
Pour hot sauce evenly throughout the dish.
Sprinkle with pepper.
Place in the oven, and bake for 50 minutes.
Remove from the oven, and stir to combine until the cheeses from the center are evenly incorporated throughout the mac and cheese. Season to taste.
Add shredded chicken, and stir.
Serve and garnish with additional shredded cheese and a drizzle of hot sauce.
- By J.M. Hirsch, Associated Press
For a wonderful side, sauté several cloves of minced garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes in olive oil for a minute. Add a large bag of spinach and continue cooking until wilted, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Zest a lemon into the pan and stir well. Grate Parmesan cheese over the greens, then season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Transfer the greens to a serving platter, then drizzle the juice of half of the lemon over it.
Or consider these recipes for simple, savory uses for spinach.
SPINACH & RICOTTA
CHEESE PASTA
Start to finish: 15 minutes
Servings: 4 to 6
8 ounces penne or ziti pasta
12-ounce bag baby spinach
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente.
Reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the spinach, ricotta and just enough of the water to create a smooth sauce. Toss until the spinach wilts. Season with salt and pepper.
(Recipe from Sara Foster's "Sara Foster's Casual Cooking," Clarkson Potter, 2007, $35)
This easy Indian dish makes a great dip with triangles of toasted pita bread. Cumin seeds are widely available at natural foods stores or any grocer with a large spice section.
About 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin could be substituted.
SPINACH RAITA
WITH TOASTED CUMIN
Start to finish: 1 hour
Servings: 4
4 ounces baby spinach
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 cup plain whole- or low-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons minced red onion
3/4 to 1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
Rinse the spinach, but do not dry it. Place it in a small saucepan, cover and set over medium heat. Steam the spinach until tender, but still bright green, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small, dry skillet toast the cumin seeds until they turn dark and fragrant. Set aside to cool, then grind them in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle.
In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, onion, salt, ginger and cumin.
Squeeze the cooled spinach to remove any excess water, then finely chop it. Add this to the yogurt mixture and stir well. Chill until reader to serve.
(Recipe from Ruta Kahate's "5 Spices, 50 Dishes," Chronicle Books, 2007, $19.95)
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