Braised Pork Ribs and Pasta

I made this a while back and posted the photo on Facebook.  It just came around again as a re-post so I decided that maybe this would be a good time to start contributing to this blog again.

I enjoy watching Lidia Bastianich on Create TV (PBS) and she had made Braised Short Ribs with Rigatoni.  here is my version...Photos not as nice as her's, of course.

• 1 rack pork spare ribs, cut into single rib pieces
• Salt and Pepper
• 2 T. Oil
• 2 good sized sweet onion, halved and sliced.
• 6 to 8 peeled cloves of garlic
• 56 oz, canned plumb tomatoes.  O like the oven roasted tomatoes if you can find them
• 6 pickled cherry peppers stemmed and seeded.
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1 t. dried thyme
• Fresh shopped parsley for garnish 
• Grated Parmesan cheese
• Pasta of your choice.  larger pasta holds up better with the heavy ribs.

Salt and pepper the ribs and brown, in a hot pan with the oil.  do this is stages not to crowd the pan, setting the browned ribs aside in a bowl while finishing the rest of the ribs.  

Once all ribs have been browned and removed add the onion to the pan (if there is a lot of oil remove all but a few tablespoons of it before adding the onion.  cook onion until translucent ( to tell the truth I like it better if I take the time to caramelize the onion).

Just before the onions are ready, about 2 minutes, add the garlic.  Once the garlic has cooked for about 2 minutes add in the peppers (chop them a little first) and stir them in with the onion and garlic for a minute and then add the tomatoes, bay, thyme, and return the ribs to the pot.  thurn the pot to medium low and braise the ribs for a couple of hours, until ribs are tender.  add some water if it gets too dry.

Remove the ribs from the sauce 

Cook the pasta until just under done and add them to to the sauce to finish cooking.  add pasta water to the sauce if needed.  once done spoon the sauced pasta into a bowl and set the ribs around the edge.  

Top with parsley and cheese. 

I did find that the ribs were tender but got a little dry with this recipe and I am not sure how to avoid that so I will have to play around with this recipe some more.

Nick Stellino's Pasta Alla Russa

The kids and I like to watch Create TV on PBS and my son, after catching a 13 pound lake trout that we smoked, thought that this dish looked good.  We tried this dish tonight and while my son really liked it the rest of us just kind of tolerated it because the flavor was so strong.  I like my smoked fish on cracker, but this was worth a try and if you are a person who likes a lot of the smoked fish flavor this is a good recipe to try.

Bow tie pasta in boiling water to el dente. 

 I the mean time...

Saute together

Butter

Add finely chopped shallots

Minced garlic

Smoked fish

Vodka

Clam juice or chicken stock & Tomato sauce

Salt & Pepper

Cream

Cook sauce down a little

Add el dente pasta & a few peas.

cook to done

Top with Parmesan cheese 

Serve

Our home smoked Lake Trout

Summer Shrimp Pasta

This pasta dish turned out to be one of the best pasta dishes that I have made is a long time.  the balance of flavors was just  right and I was proud to use many items from my back yard...WOOT! (I know, woot is so dated)

Put a large pot of heavily salted water on to boil for the pasta.  The pasta I used was Barilla Plus curly Q pastas, about half a box.

In a large saute pan I added

1 medium light green zucchini, rough chopped into 1/2" to 1" chunks (from my garden)
1 medium yellow summer squash, rough chopped into 1/2" to 1" chunks (from my garden)
2 medium to large tomatoes, rough chopped into 1/2" to 1" chunks (from my garden)
4 large cloves of garlic, sliced thin or roughly chopped  (from my garden)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
a dash of salt

I sauteed this on low covered for about 5 minutes, until the water boiled.

I dumped the pasta into the boiling water and then quickly cleaned about 1 pound of raw shrimp (took about 3 minutes)

In the saute pan I pushed the softened squash tomato mix to one side and place the cleared side over the burner and added about 1/2 cup white wine and let it cook down a little.  Dump the shrimp into the saucy area, and by now the pasta should be just barely al dente.  Scoop the pasta over the shrimp.  once all the pasta is added stir all together, if more liquid is needed add some pasta water.

season with salt and pepper to taste and add fresh oregano  (from my garden), about 1.5 tablespoons.

Cover pot until done, pasta just the way you like it...for me about 2 minutes.

Dish up into a serving bowl and drizzle with a little olive oil and a squeeze of some fresh lemon.

White Lasagna

I saw a photo, while surfing the web, of what was titled white lasagna.  I thought it looked good; however, there was not a recipe.  I studied the photo and decided to try to make it like this...

White Sauce

2 tablespoons Butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup white wine
1.5 - 2 cups milk
2  tablespoons cornstarch mixed with water to make slurry
1/2 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

In a saucepan melt the butter, then add the flour and cook a little to get the raw flour taste out.  add the wine, stir a little, add the milk.  cook, stirring contently, until it is bubbling a little, if the sauce is too thin add the slurry and continue to cook for a few minutes.  turn off the heat and add the rest of the sauce ingredients, mixing them all in well.

Other layers:

-left over chicken pulled apart or cut into cubes.  I had 2 left over baked chicken breast so I cut that into cubes.
-spinach, fresh or frozen.  if fresh cook down and ring out water or if frozen, thaw and ring out water.
-cooked lasagna noodles, follow box directions
-1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

layer in a casserole a small amount of sauce then lasagna noodles, 1/3rd of the chicken, 1/3rd of the spinach and 1/4th of the sauce.  repeat layers ending with a layer of the sauce on top and top with mozzarella.  Bake at 375 degrees for 40 - 45 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Puttanesca - Inspired by Klaus, Violet and Sunny Bouldalare.

2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite size chunks

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon pepper flacks

1 cup katamala olives

1/2 jar capers (about 1/4 cup)

1 28 oz can chunk tomatoes

1 package whole grain angle hair spaghetti

1 teaspoon oregano

a large bunch fresh basil, cut into ribbons

salt and pepper

**Note: if not careful the dish can get over powered with salt so be sure to rinse the oloves before cutting them up and the capers.

Chicken and Mushroom Cream Pasta

This is a dish I made with what I needed to use up in the fridge. Fresh peas, crimini mushrooms and chicken combined with garlic cream sauce and whole grain pasta make a nicely rounded meal.

This dish can easily be made into a vegetarian meal by simply omitting the chicken

• 2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite size chunks


• 1 pound crimini mushrooms, sliced


• 1to 2 tablespoons butter


• garlic, minced


• 1 cup fresh peas


• 1 cup cream


• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese


• 1 box whole grain pasta


• 1 cup pasta water, reserved from cooking the pasta.


• fresh herbs such as basil


• pepper


• salt

Cook the pasta following the directions on the box. While the pasta is cooking brown the chicken in a pan with a little butter. Once chicken is brown place the chicken pieces in a bowl and set aside. In the same pan add the rest of the butter and the mushrooms, cook the mushrooms until soft and a little browned.

Place the chicken back in the pan with the mushrooms and garlic. stir the garlic through the dish and then add the peas and pasta. stir a little and then add the cream and if needed a little pasta water and 1/3 cup of the cheese.

Stir until all is well mixed and bubbly. turn off the heat and add the herbs. season with salt and pepper if needed. top with the rest of the cheese

Mac & Cheese In the Oven

My kids love homemade macaroni and Cheese and I love that I can make it a little better for them then the stuff out of the box. The secret to healthying (is that even a word) up this dish is tomato juice, but it does not just add a touch of healthy goodness but it adds a level of rich goodness and well it adds that orange color that, for some reason, kids want.

1 box pasta - I like Barilla plus penne

large post of boiling salted water

2 eggs

1 5.5 oz can V8

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1.5 cups milk

1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup sour cream

dash of nutmeg

1/4 cup cracker crumbs

Cook the pasta 2 minutes shy of being done. Mean while in a good sized sauce pan over medium heat melt the butter and then add the flour. Cook for 30 seconds to cook the flour taste out of the roux. add in the V8 and the milk, continue to stir the sauce to keep it from burning and getting lumps until it starts to boil. Remove the sauce from the heat and add in 2/3rds of the cheese, sour cream and nutmeg. Mix until all the cheese is melted.

Strain the pasta and stir in 2 beaten eggs then add the sauce and stir until all is well mixed together. Pour the pasta into a baking dish and cover with the remaining cheese and cracker crumbs.

place the mac & cheese in a preheated 400 degree oven and bake until the top is nice a golden anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes.

If you are making this for adults I found that a little hot pepper sauted in the butter before adding the flour adds a wonderful new level to this dish.

Garlic Scape Pesto and Spring Squash

Here I am without my Camera. I don't know what it is but for some reason I do not keep my camera attached to my side anymore. It is not that I don't want to snap at everything that I see I just have not been. Maybe I am too busy talking to the kids about the stuff we see or (which is more the case) I feel up rooted and scatter brained. We have Moved back to Michigan from Mexico in March but we still do not have a place of our own to live in. While I have been staying with my parents and now house sitting for a friend and my dear husband 3 hours away working I just feel discombobulated.

Today my new neighbor and friend to the friend I am house setting for stopped by to pick me up and take me to the local farm market. the Rockford Michigan farm market is really nice, I enjoyed it so (still no camera) and while there I picked up garlic scapes, honey sticks (the kids were with me you know), zucchini & baby summer squash and young potatoes.

The woman that was selling the garlic scapes was giving a garlic scape recipe with ever purchase, I thought that was very nice and thoughtful of her. once I got home I looked at the recipe and did not have but only half of what the recipe called for. It went something like this...9 cut up garlic scapes (she was selling in bunches of 10, so this was good) pecans (hummm what does my friend have...oh look pine nuts (that is pestoy) Parmesan cheese, nope not that but look feta, ok lets try that then olive oil and salt and pepper. I ended up with a bright green gem all made in the vita-mix smoothy (nope my friend does not have a food processor, but the vita-mix worked well)

Garlic Scape Pesto
10 garlic scapes cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup feta cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup of olive oil
salt
pepper
lemon juice

ok these measurements are approximate because I was just kinda dumping the stuff into the vita-mix but it turned out great.

Zucchini and Summer Squash

5 baby zucchinis
5 baby summer squashes
1T. olive oil
salt

wash the squashes and cut in half. heat a pan, once hot ad 1 tablespoon olive oil place zucchini and summer squash cut side down on hot oil, cook until browned, salt. set aside covers to let them soften just a little.

Cook while wheat spaghetti once done (take some pasta water and set aside) drain and toss pasta with the pesto (if dry add some pasta water) serve with cooked squash

Week One on the Weight Program

while it is not fancy it is a good diet meal. Whole Wheat Spaghetti with ground turkey spaghetti sauce, simple salad with light balsamic dressing and balsamic strawberries.
1 small package cooked spaghetti (serving on 1 cup per person)
8 oz ground lean turkey
1 med onion
jar of your favorite low cal spaghetti sauce

1.5 cups cleaned and quartered strawberries
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tomato, chopped
4 cups lettuce, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
4 tablespoons light balsamic salad dressing

meal serves 4 (with extra pasta for the growing, hungry kids) the meal equals...lets not call them points...9 zucchinis

Wheat Germ Pasta with Mushrooms

I picked up some wheat germ pasta at the store, not because I was planning a meal but because it was there and I had never tried it. After thinking about what the pasta might taste like I figured it would go well with onions and mushrooms so that is what I did. In the end the dish tasted ok but it really didn't look very good so it took a lot to get the kids to try it. They picked the pasta out and ate that and left the rest so that tells me to try the past again with another condiment

1 onion diced
1 package mushrooms, sliced
1 red pepper, diced
1/2 cup white wine
salt and pepper
olive oil
wheat germ pasta
chopped parsley

start the pasta cooking in a large pot of salted boiling water
caramelize onion in oil then add the mushrooms and brown them a little, add the peppers and seasoning. add in the wine and cooked pasta with a little pasta water to make a sauce. top with chopped parley

Chicken in a Cream Wine Sauce over Fettuccine

Chicken breasts, thin. get scallopini at the store or cut it yourself.
flour
salt
pepper
oil
mixed mushrooms (portobello , oyster, and button)
good white wine
cream
1 clove minced garlic
parsley
fettuccine

clean and slice mushrooms, set aside. mix a good amount of salt and pepper in a cup of flour. Set a large pan of water to boil for pasta.

Once water is boiling add pasta.

Heat a frying pan (I use cast iron) with vegetable oil. Dredge the chicken in the flour and when oil is hot (looks like it ripples in the pan) lay the floured chicken in the oil. As you lay the chicken in the oik place the chicken in the edge of the pan closest to you and and down away from you to avoid getting burned.

Brown the chicken on both sides (being sure it is done through but not over cooked). set the cooked chicken on a plate and set aside.

Drain the oil from the pan but do not clean off all the drippings in the pan. add about a tablespoon of oil to the pan and the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms the way you like them, personally I like them browned. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and add them to the chicken.

pour 1 cup wine in the hot pan and let it cook down while scrapping the bits up into the sauce. If sauce is looking too dry add more wine or water but you have to be sure the wine cooks a little to get the alcohol taste out. add the cream a half cup to a cut, you be the judge.

Once sauce comes up to just a boil add in the mushrooms and chicken to coat and heat up, finish with chopped parsley and serve with fettuccine.

Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna - Daring Bakers March 2009 Challenge

ok, I know that I have been missing in action on the Daring Baker circuit for far too long. I have good reason though, we moved. We did not just find a new house we moved from Detroit Michigan to Mexico City. Moving to a new country takes a lot of time, effort and focus leaving very little time for such things as the monthly Daring Baker Challenges.

I am happy to be back this month with Lasagna. Yes The month of March was dedicated, in the Daring Baker world, to Lasagna made with fresh pasta, regu and bechamel. To tell the truth this is very close to the Lasagna that I make on a regular basis so there was not a lot new for me but it was still very fun. One new thing was making spinach pasta by hand. I have made pasta lots of times but always in my KitchenAid, sadly my kitchenaid is taking a vacation in a storage unit in Michigan so my little man Luka and I had ourselves an afternoon of kneading green dough and taking photos...and, well, having a blast.

I made my own standard ragu because I could not bear the idea of going to the market and trying to figure out how to tell the butcher that I need veal shoulder, pork loin, and beef chuck steak all ground up. No Hablo Español here, at least not yet.

My Ragu

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot grated
1 pound ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
28 oz crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
salt and pepper

In a medium to large sauce pan over medium low heat add olive oil and onions, slowly cook onions until they are light brown and very sweet.
Add the ground beef to brown. As the beef is browning break it up into little pieces with a spoon. When the been if about half browned add the carrot.

once the beef is brown move it to one side of the pan and add the garlic and tomato paste to the cleared area in pan. cook until the paste develops a dark color, maybe about 1 minute then add the tomatoes and water (use the water to rinse the rest of the tomato sauce out of the jar). use the tomatoes and water to deglaze the bottom of the pan.

cook the sauce for about 5 minutes then add the garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and cook for another 10 minutes. Taste to be sure that the sour, sweet salt in the sauce is balanced. At times, if the onions or carrots are not very sweet, a teaspoon of sugar may be added to the sauce to offset the acid of the tomatoes.

this was the Regu that was posted for the Daring Bakers. I am very happy that there was an option to create our own sauce, as mentioned before...

Country Style Ragu’ (Ragu alla Contadina)

Preparation Time: Ingredient Preparation Time 30 minutes and Cooking time 2 hours

Makes enough sauce for 1 recipe fresh pasta or 1 pound/450g dried pasta)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (45 mL)
2 ounces/60g pancetta, finely chopped
1 medium onion, minced
1 medium stalk celery with leaves, minced
1 small carrot, minced
4 ounces/125g boneless veal shoulder or round
4 ounces/125g pork loin, trimmed of fat, or 4 ounces/125g mild Italian sausage (made without fennel)
8 ounces/250g beef skirt steak, hanging tender, or boneless chuck blade or chuck center cut (in order of preference)
1 ounce/30g thinly sliced Prosciutto di Parma
2/3 cup (5 ounces/160ml) dry red wine
1 &1/2 cups (12 ounces/375ml) chicken or beef stock (homemade if possible)
2 cups (16 ounces/500ml) milk
3 canned plum tomatoes, drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Working Ahead:
The ragu can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. It also freezes well for up to 1 month. Skim the fat from the ragu’ before using it.

Browning the Ragu Base:
Heat the olive oil in a 12 inch (30cm) skillet (frying pan) over medium-high heat. Have a large saucepan handy to use once browning is complete. Add the pancetta and minced vegetables and sauté, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, 10 minutes, or until the onions barely begin to color. Coarsely grind all the meats together, including the prosciutto, in a food processor or meat grinder. Stir into the pan and slowly brown over medium heat. First the meats will give off a liquid and turn dull grey but, as the liquid evaporates, browning will begin. Stir often, scooping under the meats with the wooden spatula. Protect the brown glaze forming on the bottom of the pan by turning the heat down. Cook 15 minutes, or until the meats are a deep brown. Turn the contents of the skillet into a strainer and shake out the fat. Turn them into the saucepan and set over medium heat.

Reducing and Simmering: Add the wine to the skillet, lowering the heat so the sauce bubbles quietly. Stir occasionally until the wine has reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Scrape up the brown glaze as the wine bubbles. Then pour the reduced wine into the saucepan and set the skillet aside.

Stir ½ cup stock into the saucepan and let it bubble slowly, 10 minutes, or until totally evaporated. Repeat with another ½ cup stock. Stir in the last 1/2 cup stock along with the milk. Adjust heat so the liquid bubbles very slowly. Partially cover the pot, and cook 1 hour. Stir frequently to check for sticking.

Add the tomatoes, crushing them as they go into the pot. Cook uncovered, at a very slow bubble for another 45 minutes, or until the sauce resembles a thick, meaty stew. Season with salt and pepper.

Ok I will let you catch your breath now..........

Spinach Egg Pasta (Pasta Verde)

Preparation: 45 minutes

Makes enough for 6 to 8 first course servings or 4 to 6 main course servings, equivalent to 1 pound (450g) dried boxed pasta.

2 jumbo eggs (2 ounces/60g or more)
10 ounces (300g) fresh spinach, rinsed dry, and finely chopped; or 6 ounces (170g) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
3&1/2 cups (14 ounces/400g) all purpose unbleached (plain) flour (organic stone ground preferred)

Working by Hand:

Equipment

A roomy work surface, 24 to 30 inches deep by 30 to 36 inches (60cm to 77cm deep by 60cm to 92cm). Any smooth surface will do, but marble cools dough slightly, making it less flexible than desired.

A pastry scraper and a small wooden spoon for blending the dough.

A wooden dowel-style rolling pin. In Italy, pasta makers use one about 35 inches long and 2 inches thick (89cm long and 5cm thick). The shorter American-style pin with handles at either end can be used, but the longer it is, the easier it is to roll the pasta.
Note: although it is not traditional, Enza has successfully made pasta with a marble rolling pin, and this can be substituted for the wooden pin, if you have one.

Plastic wrap to wrap the resting dough and to cover rolled-out pasta waiting to be filled. It protects the pasta from drying out too quickly.

A sharp chef’s knife for cutting pasta sheets.

Cloth-covered chair backs, broom handles, or specially designed pasta racks found in cookware shops for draping the pasta.

Mixing the dough:
Mound the flour in the center of your work surface and make a well in the middle. Add the eggs and spinach. Use a wooden spoon to beat together the eggs and spinach. Then gradually start incorporating shallow scrapings of flour from the sides of the well into the liquid. As you work more and more flour into the liquid, the well’s sides may collapse. Use a pastry scraper to keep the liquids from running off and to incorporate the last bits of flour into the dough. Don’t worry if it looks like a hopelessly rough and messy lump.

Kneading:
With the aid of the scraper to scoop up unruly pieces, start kneading the dough. Once it becomes a cohesive mass, use the scraper to remove any bits of hard flour on the work surface – these will make the dough lumpy. Knead the dough for about 3 minutes. Its consistency should be elastic and a little sticky. If it is too sticky to move easily, knead in a few more tablespoons of flour. Continue kneading about 10 minutes, or until the dough has become satiny, smooth, and very elastic. It will feel alive under your hands. Do not shortcut this step. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and let it relax at room temperature 30 minutes to 3 hours.

Stretching and Thinning:
If using an extra-long rolling pin work with half the dough at a time. With a regular-length rolling pin, roll out a quarter of the dough at a time and keep the rest of the dough wrapped. Lightly sprinkle a large work surface with flour. The idea is to stretch the dough rather than press down and push it. Shape it into a ball and begin rolling out to form a circle, frequently turning the disc of dough a quarter turn. As it thins outs, start rolling the disc back on the pin a quarter of the way toward the center and stretching it gently sideways by running the palms of your hands over the rolled-up dough from the center of the pin outward. Unroll, turn the disc a quarter turn, and repeat. Do twice more.

Stretch and even out the center of the disc by rolling the dough a quarter of the way back on the pin. Then gently push the rolling pin away from you with one hand while holding the sheet in place on the work surface with the other hand. Repeat three more times, turning the dough a quarter turn each time.

Repeat the two processes as the disc becomes larger and thinner. The goal is a sheet of even thickness. For lasagne, the sheet should be so thin that you can clearly see your hand through it and see colours. Cut into rectangles about 4 by 8 inches (10 x 20 cm). Note: Enza says that transparency is a crucial element of lasagne pasta and the dough should be rolled as thinly as possible. She says this is why her housekeeper has such strong arms!

Dry the pasta at room temperature and store in a sealed container or bag.

Bechamel

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60g) unsalted butter
4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60g) all purpose unbleached (plain) flour, organic stone ground preferred
2&2/3 cups (approx 570ml) milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste

Using a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over low to medium heat. Sift over the flour, whisk until smooth, and then stir (without stopping) for about 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk a little at a time and keep the mixture smooth. Bring to a slow simmer, and stir 3 to 4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Season with salt, pepper, and a hint of nutmeg.

Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna (Lasagne Verdi al Forno)
(Serves 8 to 10 as a first course, 6 to 8 as a main dish)

Preparation Time: 15 minutes to assemble and 40 minutes cooking time

10 quarts (9 litres) salted water
1 recipe Spinach Pasta cut for lasagna (recipe follows)#1
1 recipe Bechamel Sauce (recipe follows)#2
1 recipe Country Style Ragu (recipe follows)#3
1 cup (4 ounces/125g) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Method
Working Ahead:
The ragu and the béchamel sauce can be made up to three days ahead. The ragu can also be frozen for up to one month. The pasta can be rolled out, cut and dried up to 24 hours before cooking. The assembled lasagne can wait at room temperature (20 degrees Celsius/68 degrees Fahrenheit) about 1 hour before baking. Do not refrigerate it before baking, as the topping of bé

chamel and cheese will overcook by the time the center is hot.

Assembling the Ingredients:
Have all the sauces, rewarmed gently over a medium heat, and the pasta at hand. Have a large perforated skimmer and a large bowl of cold water next to the stove. Spread a double thickness of paper towels over a large counter space. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Oil or butter a 3 quart (approx 3 litre) shallow baking dish.

Cooking the Pasta:
Bring the salted water to a boil. Drop about four pieces of pasta in the water at a time. Cook about 2 minutes. If you are using dried pasta, cook about 4 minutes, taste, and cook longer if necessary. The pasta will continue cooking during baking, so make sure it is only barely tender. Lift the lasagne from the water with a skimmer, drain, and then slip into the bowl of cold water to stop cooking. When cool, lift out and dry on the paper towels. Repeat until all the pasta is cooked.

Assembling the Lasagne:

Spread a thin layer of béchamel over the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange a layer of about four overlapping sheets of pasta over the béchamel. Spread a thin layer of béchamel (about 3 or 4 spoonfuls) over the pasta, and then an equally thin layer of the ragu. Sprinkle with about 1&1/2 tablespoons of the béchamel and about 1/3 cup of the cheese. Repeat the layers until all ingredients are used, finishing with béchamel sauce and topping with a generous dusting of cheese.

Baking and Serving the Lasagne:
Cover the baking dish lightly with foil, taking care not to let it touch the top of the lasagne. Bake 40 minutes, or until almost heated through. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, or until hot in the center (test by inserting a knife – if it comes out very warm, the dish is ready). Take care not to brown the cheese topping. It should be melted, creamy looking and barely

tinged with a little gold. Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar and let the lasagne rest for about 10 minutes. Then serve. This is not a solid lasagne, but a moist one that slips a bit when it is cut and served.

Thank you to Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge for hosting this month

Pasta Making

A few years ago I decided that I wanted to make pasta. I read up on it and decided that before I could make it I had to have the latest equipment, like a pasta roller. My New Husband thought that I was NUTS for purchasing a $129.00 set of pasta rollers for my kitchenaid and he insisted that I return them and after a lot of discussion he was right and reluctantly returned the rollers unused. A few week later there is a fairly heavy package in the mail. yes he had found a set of pasta rollers on ebay for a fraction of the price that I had spent. I was geeked and set off and made my first batch of pasta. Thinking now that I have the equipment I will produce raviolis like a pro.

Well raviolis like a pro was not quite what happened. I proceeded to make my pile of flour, create a nice little well in the center and dump in 3 large eggs. 3 eggs was about one and a half eggs too many to fit in that nice neat well that I made in the center of my flour. The eggs burst though and over the walls of the flour and start to run every where. In desperation I start pushing the eggs back to the four with the fork I had in my had, the directions told me to slowly incorporate the four into the eggs with a fork, this fork was really not helping me keep the egg from continuing to spread so I drop it and start pushing the egg into the flour all the while the paste like dough that was forming is crating layer after layer of goo onto my had. Once I had about an inch of goo on my hands the egg flour mass was under control and I was able to start kneading. Oh yes did I tell you that I didn't bake back then and therefore I had no clue as to what dough was supposed to feel like when kneading it and I really had no clue what pasta was supposed to feel like. Here I am trying to kneed all 3 cups of flour into these 3 little eggs, yes the eggs did not seam so large anymore. once I was done fighting to get as much of the flour into the dough as I could, there was about one and a quarter cups of flour left over, I let the dough rest while I get out the magic pasta rollers that is going to make this pasta fantastic!

I cut my mass of very stiff dough into quarters, just as the directions tell me, and set the pasta roller to 1 and the speed of the kitchen aid to 2 and start to force the pasta through the rollers. The pasta reluctantly squishes though the rollers and comes out the other side all tore to shreds. Hummmmmmm ok, I fold the pasta dough into 3rds and try again, hummmm the same thing. I proceeded to do this and after a good longs time I had a sheet of what looked like lasagna noodles.

I am so excited because all I have to do now is fill the pasta. Rrrriiighhhtt, fill the pasta. I has mushroom filling, squash filling, and ricotta cheese filling. what a mess trying to put little dollops on the long sheet of pasta, fold it over, seam it, and cut it. I manages and in the end we had very messy, very tough ravioli.

Today i can whip out a batch of pasta in no time. I know that the well must me large and that I should not use all the flour or even pile up that much flour for 3 eggs in the first place, and that the speed on my kitchenaid needs to be more like 6 not 2 and most important, ravioli is over rated, rolling up manicotti with the same fillings and baking is wonderful. from time to time I will make ravioli but not in a long fancy line like in the books but I cut individual squares of pasta and fill them that way.

First for good pasta one must have good eggs. My Husband gets eggs from a man at work that has chickens and his eggs are great. here is a photo of a free range organic egg from the store, Left, and an egg from my egg man, right.















First, place 3 cups all purpose flour on the counter and make a large well in the center with nice high walls. Then crack 4 eggs into the well and add about 1 teaspoon of salt to the eggs.


Secondly I beat the eggs with a fork and slowly incorporate the flour into the egg being careful not to break the flour wall.
Once I have incorporated as much egg as I can with the fork I start to knead the flour into the egg by hand until a nice elastic dough is formed. Note that all the flour will most likely not be used.
cut the dough into quarters and let it rest for 5 minutes. Flatten the dough slightly and dust both sides with flour, set the pasta roller to 1 and turn the speed up to 6 or 7 and start to run the pasta through being sure to but the pasta through several time with each setting.
I made 3 kinds of manicotti, one set stuffed with meat filling, one with sweet potato and one with ricotta cheese and spinach filling or you can fill how you like or cut into fettuccini.

For Meat filling:

saute on medium onion, chopped with 8 oz ground round, 4 oz sausage, a carrot, and some mushrooms that have been chopped. Season with Italian seasoning and fresh chopped parsley. Let cool and mix in 1 large egg.

For Sweet potato filling:

peel, cube and steam a large sweet potato. once the potato is tender mash it with a tablespoon of brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of butter then add 1/4 cup chopped nuts.

For Ricotta cheese spinach filling:

mix 1 cup ricotta cheese with 1/3 cut grated mozzarella, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 cup frozen spinach that has been sauteed in olive oil and garlic and 1 large egg.

Roll the filling into the pasta place in a baking dish that has a thin layer of marinara sauce int he bottom. Fill the dish with the manicotti cover with a little bechamel, marinara, and grated mozzarella cheese and bake, covered, in a 375F oven for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10 minutes at 450F or until the cheese is lightly browned.

Sausage Lasagna

Ok so this one is not that healthy but sometimes one just has to splurge and this is a splurge.

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 pounds Italian sausage

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small can tomato paste

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

pinch nutmeg

1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

1 cup smoked cheese, grated (almost any smoked cheese will work, I use a Colby jack)

Lasagna noodles (this one I made my own, it is worth it because homemade is richer)

In a Large sauce pan, over medium heat, add oil and chopped onion and saute for about 5 minutes. Add in the pork and brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for a few more minutes, scoop in the past and stir it into the meat and let it darken just a little. Add in the tomatoes and simmer the sauce on low while making the Béchamel

In another pan met butter, add flour and cook until it smells nutty. Add milk and cook until it comes to a boil and think. Remove from heat and add nutmeg.

Preheat oven to 375F

Layer: place a small amount of sauce in bottom of a baking dish to keep pasta from sticking then layer uncooked noodles, meat sauce, Béchamel , cheese and keep this order until pan is full or all the elements are gone ending with cheese. Bake for about 1 hour. if lasagna gets dry add a little milk. If using wheat noodles precook the noodles.

Pumpkin Blossoms in October

In early October my Daughter's school went on a field trip to the pumpkin farm. it was very warm that day, well above average, and the field was not just covered in orange pumpkins but in beautiful yellow blossoms. I asked the hay ride driver if I could have some and he said I could help myself.

I love zucchini flowers and I wanted some all summer and never once found any but pumpkin flowers, how different could they be. I always batter and fry my blossoms tempura style and this time I wanted to try something new. I had found a recipe on the William-Sonoma website for spaghetti with zucchini blossoms and saffron and I thought that this would be perfect because I could make a new dish with the blossoms and enter the spice of the month on Sunita's blog, which is saffron for the month of October.

I have to say that I should have looked at the recipe closer because the flavor was lacking, and blossoms were slimy, and the cheese was clumpy. I have a few William-Sonoma cookbooks and I have enjoyed the recipes very much but this was an absolute bomb, how disappointing.

Olive Tapenade Pasta in 12 Minutes

You can't really see the olive tapenade in the pictures but the flavor really came through and it was Delicious, the kids ate 3 helpings each and would have eaten more if there was any left.
A dish this fast and flavorful I will be making this recipe again!

1/2 a package of Pasta to your liking
1 cup (or more) tomatoes, cut into wedges
1/4 cup (a handful) of chopped basil
1/4 cup (a handful) of chopped parsley
1/3 cup of store bought mixed olive tapenade (I got mine at Trader Joe's)
Parmesan cheese
Pepper

Cook pasta according to package direction. Drain Pasta and place in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, stir, serve and enjoy

I am sending this dish in for Presto Pasta Nights #33 at Once Upon a Feast.

Seafood Pesto Pasta

This dish is so easy and Delicious. I first made it from Ingredients only purchased from Trader Joe's. Trader Joe's has a seafood medley with shrimp, scallops and calamari in their frozen food section (about $6.00 for the bag) that is so easy to use and I also purchase a bag of Trottole, zucchini, garlic and olive oil and this time I added some home made pesto and WOW was it great.

Start a pot of water to boil. season with salt. Once boiling add pasta

Mince garlic and place in a large cold pan with 2 or 3 T of Olive oil

Slice zucchini and add to garlic and saute for about 3 -4 minutes. Add the seafood and cook until it is opaque.

drain pasta (follow package directions for cookign time)

Mix cooked pasta, seafood and about 1/3 of a cup of pesto, squeeze of lemon (lemon is a must) and serve.

Tortellini in Ratatouille Marinara

I had some leftovers piling up in my refrigerator. A little left over ratatouille, tomato sauce and some mozzarella fortunately I also had some mushroom tortellini in the pantry and so came tonight's dinner. I heated up the tomato sauce with the ratatouille while I cooked the tortellini in salted boiling water. once the pasta was done I mixed it with the ratatouille marinara and covered with the mozzarella and placed all of it under the broiler until it was all melty and a little browned. yummy, yummy it was good served with a little garlic bread.

Fettuccini with Bread Crumbs & Walnuts

About a year ago I made a recipe with fettuccini and bread crumbs and it was wonderful; however, I have know idea what recipe I made and I have been trying to figure it out ever since. This was good, but was not "the recipe"; however, it is worth a post.


1 pound dried fettuccini pasta
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup dried bread crumbs
1/3 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

In a large pot, bring to a boil 6 quarts of salted water. Cook pasta until al dente.

Meanwhile, in a medium-sized sauté pan, heat garlic in the oil until warm. Since the bread crumbs will cook quickly, you don't want to add them into a hot pan, otherwise they can burn. Add the breadcrumbs, walnuts and stir constantly. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Drain pasta in a colander. Working quickly, add pasta to the sauté pan and stir to combine. Add Parmesan and mix thoroughly. Pour into large serving bowl and garnish with chopped parsley.

I had picked up some fava beans at the market because they looked good. I took the beans out of the pods, blanched them in boiling salted water for about 1 minute. Stopped the cooking with an ice bath. Peeled the beans out of the outer shell and added them to this dish with the parmesan cheese.

Pepradelle with braised pork, asparagus and bread crumbs

I had some left over braised pork in the freezer that I needed to use so I thought that it would be nice with some Pappardelle, outside of that I had no idea what I was going to make.
Tonight was the night to figure out what to do so I look in the refrigerator and see a whole lot of asparagus that I bought (my kids love the stuff) so I thought ok lets do it and when I was done this is what I had...


I first put a large pot of salted water on to boil for the Pappardelle. I then took some bread that I had and put it in my blender and ground it to crumbs, laid the crumbs out on a baking pan and broiled until lightly browned and a little crunchy, then pull the pork apart with a fork and added it to a frying pan with some olive oil over low the med low heat. I cleaned and cut my asparagus to size and blanched it in the water for the Pappardelle for 2 minutes and pulled it out and put it into an ice bath and set it aside. Next add the pasta to the water and cook according to package directions. Once the pasta is cooked pull it out of the water and put it in the pan with the pork, add in the asparagus and some pasta water to help make a sauce. Remove the pan from the heat, add in some olive oil, salt and pepper to teast, the toasted bread crumbs and serve with fresh parmesan cheese.

I will make this again; however, it was a little dry so I will make more of a sauce with more olive oil, garlic and some wine.