Shells a' Lasagna

No recipe today. Just an impromptu idea about lasagna in a different form.  Giant pasta shells. Isn't this fun?  It was tasty, easy, and good enough for a company dinner.  I put it together using my favorite lasagna techniques which include mixing pesto, an egg, salt, pepper, and spinach into ricotta cheese for the stuffing.  I also parboiled the shells so they were far easier to stuff than uncooked or overcooked shells.  Put a little sauce (I cheated with the jarred stuff) on the bottom of the pan, layer the noodles, cover with sauce and then top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or so and serve.  A salad, some bread, and a light dessert and you have dinner with leftovers if you're lucky.

Shells a'Lasagna

No recipe. See above!

Homemade vs. Store Bought

A quick blog entry today to expound on the cost savings in most cases between homemade and store bought products.  Last weekend The Husband requested one of his favorite dinners, Fettuccine Alfredo and Caesar Salad.  As we were grocery shopping I went to the fresh pasta section of the refrigerator case and picked up a 12 oz. pack of fettuccine. I was so startled at the price, $5.95, I put it right back on the shelf.

We are lucky enough that we can usually purchase whatever we like, though I do compare prices, utilize coupons, and look for sales items.  But really, $5.95 for 12 oz. of flour and egg?? Ridiculous considering I have a manual pasta maker at home and know that the quality of homemade pasta is light years ahead of anything purchased, both in taste and in texture.

So home we went pastaless for the time being. 

Upstairs from the basement came my tried and true Italian made Atlas pasta maker purchased at a garage sale for just a few dollars.  In a matter of minutes I had mixed 2 cups of flour, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a sprinkle of water to make my pasta dough.  In came The Husband who did the cranking and we had a pound of pasta made within one half hour.  Not only was it a great activity for the two of us (come on, we've been together 17 years, it doesn't take much to excite us), but it was an amazing cost savings.

Here is the breakdown:  Store bought fettuccine $5.95 for 12 oz or .50 cents per ounce  versus Homemade fettuccine   $  .96 for 12 oz. or .08 cents per ounce

Consider cooking from scratch more often for great cost savings and healthier, better food.

Homemade Cannelloni

Here is a divine recipe for that special occasion when you have a lot of time for cooking and you want to make an impressive, delicious dish for a crowd.  The beauty of this recipe is that all of the components can be made in advance, the dish can even be assembled the day before one's dinner and the last minute kitchen preparation time is avoided. 

If there is one thing I can't stand about entertaining, it's being stuck in the kitchen slaving over the oven while my guests are all having fun without me.  I often look for recipes just like this one that can be done ahead of time when I am going to entertain a group.  An unstressed hostess is a good hostess!

This is such a sublime dish.  The crepe "noodles" are the most delicate of creations.  I suppose those no-bake lasagna noodles could be cooked up in a pinch and used as a substitute but oh, they just wouldn't have the consistency that these had.  It's a great recipe for the vegetarians in the crowd too.  Be sure and let this sit after taking out of the oven for at least 15 minutes before cutting into it so the cheeses congeal a little bit before serving.

Homemade Cannelloni

For sauce

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 (28- to 32-oz) cans Italian tomatoes in juice, drained, reserving juice, and finely chopped
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

For crêpes
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

For filling
2 lb fresh ricotta (3 cups)
2 large eggs
1 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/2 cup)
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 lb fresh mozzarella  (I used small, fresh mozzarella balls)

Special equipment: 2 glass or ceramic baking dishes, one 13 by 9 inches and one 8 inches square

Make sauce:
Heat oil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and sauté, stirring, until golden, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes with juice, water, sugar, and salt and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 30 minutes. Stir in basil and remove from heat.

Make crêpes:
Break up eggs with a wooden spoon in a medium bowl and stir in water until combined (don't beat). Sift in flour and salt, then stir batter until just combined. Force through a medium-mesh sieve into another bowl.

Lightly brush an 8-inch nonstick skillet with melted butter and heat over moderate heat until hot. Ladle about 1/4 cup batter into skillet, tilting and rotating skillet to coat bottom, then pour excess batter back into bowl. (If batter sets before skillet is coated, reduce heat slightly for next crêpe.) Cook until underside is just set and lightly browned, about 30 seconds, then invert crêpe onto a clean kitchen towel to cool completely. Make at least 11 more crêpes in same manner, brushing skillet with butter as needed and stacking crêpes in 3 piles.

Make filling and assemble cannelloni:
Stir together ricotta, eggs, Parmigiano-Reggiano, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.

Cut mozzarella lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick sticks.

Spread 2 cups sauce in larger baking dish and 1 cup in smaller one. Arrange 1 crêpe, browned side up, on a work surface, then spread about 1/4 cup filling in a line across center and top with a mozzarella strip. Fold in sides to enclose filling, leaving ends open, and transfer, seam side down, to either baking dish. Fill 11 more crêpes in same manner, arranging snugly in 1 layer in both dishes (8 in larger dish and 4 in smaller).

Spread 1 cup sauce over cannelloni in larger dish and 1/2 cup in smaller dish. Tightly cover dishes with foil and bake until sauce is bubbling and filling is hot, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve remaining sauce on the side.

 

Cannelloni can be assembled (but not baked) 1 day ahead and chilled, covered with foil. Chill remaining sauce, covered, separately. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before baking, covered with foil. Reheat sauce, thinning slightly with water.

A Summer Salad

As mentioned previously, the poor garden is not fairing well this year due to our long, cold late spring/early summer and the tomatoes are yet to ripen.  I do have basil though, so pesto has been on my mind.  A cold pesto pasta salad screams of summer to me so I am not going to let the fact that there are no ripe tomatoes in the garden stop me.  Off to the store I go for some very nice tomatoes called Romanescas, a variety I had never heard of before.  They are a bit bigger than a cherry tomato and in a kind of oblong shape.  Perfect!

This is one of those recipes where I just clean out the cupboards, adding to the salad as my mood suits me and today this included 1 jar of marinated artichoke hearts, 1 small can of diced black olives, cubes of fresh mozzarella cheese, and some peas along with the pesto and some mayonnaise. It's the kind of non-recipe I love to make.

Pesto Pasta Salad

1/2 cup pesto, fresh or homemade  (My pesto recipe can be found here).
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 lb. pasta (any shape you want but I like Rotini)
1/4 shredded Parmesan cheese
8 oz. chopped tomatoes
4 oz. fresh Mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes
1 small jar drained marinated artichoke hearts
1 small can sliced black olives
3/4 cup frozen green peas
2 green onions, finely sliced
salt and pepper to taste

Bring to boil 5 quarts of salted water.  Add pasta and cook until al dente.  Drain and run under cold water until pasta is cooled.  In a small bowl, mix pesto, mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese together.  Add to pasta along with the rest of the ingredients and toss all until well mixed.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Breakfast For Dinner

No, I'm not talking waffles and bacon or scrambled eggs and sausage, though those are perfectly acceptable.  I'm talking Pasta Carbonara, a Roman classic.  Bacon and eggs in the form of a pasta dish.  A simpler pasta recipe you'd be hard pressed to find, yet the end results are sublime.

A total of four main ingredients are all it takes to make this comforting dish - eggs, bacon, pasta and Parmesan cheese.  If you are looking for a quick afterwork meal, this will do it.  Add a veggie or salad and a hunk of bread and you'll be sitting down to dinner in 20 minutes, no kidding!

Pasta Carbonara
(Serves 4, though easily cut in half for 2 servings as I did when I made it)

4 tbsp olive oil
4 ounces bacon or pancetta, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 egg yolks and 1 whole egg
2 tsp black pepper
1 lb. spaghetti noodles

Heat olive oil in frying pan.  Cook bacon until it is crispy.  Add pepper.  Drain all but 2 Tbsp. oil out of pan and put bacon and remaining oil in a bowl and let cool.

When bacon is cool, mix in eggs and cheese until a thick sauce is made.  In the meantime, cook the pasta until al dente, approximately 8-9 minutes.  Drain, reserving approximately 1/4 cup of pasta water.  Put drained pasta on top of sauce and mix all together, adding enough pasta water to make a creamy sauce.  Season with salt to taste and serve immediately.

Fettucini Alfredo

Some time ago I talked about my wonderful Atlas pasta maker that I found at a garage sale for the amazing price of $5.00.  Recently I found an attachement for making pappardelle pasta which makes the wide ribbons that can be used for lasagne or topped with a thick bolgnese sauce.  I purchased this attachment at a thrift store for the same price and it was clearly marked as shown in the picture below an original price of $20. 

In purusing the Internet today I see the original machines go for $75-$99 new and the attachments start at $35.  I love a good bargain!!  But what good is a bargain if one never uses it, so fresh made pasta was in order today.  The Husband requested Fettucini Alfredo and so I used the pappardelle pasta instead.  Italians would have a fit I'm sure if they saw this, as they are very particular about which pastas go best with which sauces.  We'll never tell though.

Fresh  Egg Pasta Dough

2 cups all purpose flour
2 eggs
2 Tbsp olive oil
Ice water

Put flour in a bowl and make a well.  Add the two eggs and olive oil.  Pinch with your fingers or stir with a fork (my method) until the flour is blended with the eggs and oil.  Add ice water tablespoon by tablespoon until you get a very firm dough.  Knead the dough on a board until elastic and smooth, approximately 2-3 minutes.  Let rest, covered for 30 minutes.  Roll out to the desired shape.  To cook, add to salted, rapidly boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes only.

Fettucini Sauce
(enough for 4 servings)

2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)
2 Tbsp butter
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a heated deep saute pan, heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the white wine and reduce by one half.  Add the cream and boil gently until it has reduced by approximately one half and it coats the back of a spoon.  Turn heat down to low.   Add the cheese in small portions allowing it to melt before adding the next addition.  Add the butter and swirl the pan until butter is melted.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add the cooked noodles to the sauce and combine.  Serve with some additional cheese if desired.

Orrechiette with Sausage, Garlic and Rapini

My quarterly  shopping trip to Portland took place recently so I could get my big city fix.  This usually consists of going to Whole Foods Market to shop amongst the aisles of wonderful produce and products not readily available in my town of Salem, Oregon.  On my trip I actually had this recipe in mind to prepare for the weekend.  The ingredient not easily available in my supermarket is the rapini, also called broccoli rabe.  I also found some wonderful bulk Italian sausage.

Broccoli rabe is a cousin of our familiar broccoli but it is has very thin stalks, many more leaves and small, less densly clumped flowerettes.  It also has a slightly bitter taste compared to broccoli.  To prepare, the thick ends are cut off (approximately two inches) and then it is cut into two inch sections, parpoiled for 2-3 minutes then drained and immediately placed in ice water to stop the cooking and retain its bright, vibrant green color.

The pasta used is the shape called  orrechiette which means " little ears" in Italian.  This is a great recipe as it is relatively quick to make and extremely flavorful.  You can increase the red pepper flakes to taste.  My "pinch" made a fairly spicy dish and really woke up the taste buds!

Orrechiette with Sausage, Garlic and Rapini

1 bunch of broccoli rabe, trimmed and washed
Kosher salt to taste
1/2 lb. bulk Italian sausage (mild or hot to your liking)
1-2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Pinch red pepper flakes or to taste
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 pound orrechiette pasta
1/2 cup dried, seasoned bread crumbs
3/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reiggiano or Romano cheese

Bring large pot of water to boil. Add salt and cook the broccoli rabe until just beginning to be tender, about 2-3 minutes. Drain immediately then rinse under cold running water.  Chop into bite size pieces and put in ice water and hold aside.

Rinse out pot, fill with water and bring to a boil again.

Meanwhile, bron the sausage in a large skillet set on medium-high heat.  Pour off half the sausage fat and add the olive oil and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and parsley and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the broccoli rabe, turn the heat to low and barely simmer while you cook the pasta.

Add a generous pinch of salt to the boiling water and cook the orrechiette until tender.  Reserve 1-2 cups of pasta water.  Drain the pasta well and add to the simmering sausage mixture.  Add just enough reserved pasta water to make a sauce.  Raise the heat and cook until the sauce has thickened, adding more water if needed.  Toss in the breadcrumbs to help the sauce adhere to the pasta.  Taste for salt.  Toss in the Parmesan cheese.  Serve immediately with plenty of grated Parmesan cheese on the side. Serves 4-6.

Cold Noodle Chicken Salad with Sesame/Peanut Sauce

It was a hot weekend and perfect for cold pasta salads. They can be so versatile and easy to throw together, either improvisationally or following a new recipe. I did both and made two salads which lasted for a few meals. It's always nice to have leftovers!

The first salad I made was my standard pesto bow tie pasta salad which included petite peas, grape tomatoes and marinated artichoke hearts. The dressing included prepared pesto, some mayonnaise and sour cream, salt and pepper. This is one my standards where I sometimes will throw in some leftover chicken or some olives, whatever strikes my fancy at the time.

The second salad was a new one I found on a great food site at the New York Times by Mark Bittman, who has written a number of great cookbooks. His latest endeavor was a travel/cooking show on PBS called Spain-On The Road Again, with Mario Battelli where they traveled all around Spain along with Gwenyth Paltrow and a Spanish actress. It was very entertaining and educational. I want to go to Spain now.

The salad is a cold noodle salad with sesame sauce, chicken and cucumbers. I forgot the cucumbers while shopping so mine was minus that component. I also used 1/4 cup tahini sauce and 1/4 cup peanut butter, whereas Mr. Bittman calls for 1/2 cup tahini. I just thought peanut butter would bolster the flavor a bit more. I also added about 1/2 tsp. of chili flakes along with the hot sauce he calls for. So, those are my modifications to this delicious cold main course salad.

I also experimented with making green onion garnishes just for fun and they turned out very well.Cold Noodles with Sesame/Peanut Sauce, Chicken and Cucumbers

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 lb. sliced cucumber, with the seeds removed

12 oz. long pasta, like linguine or fresh Chinese egg noodles

2 Tbsp. dark sesame oil

1/2 cup sesame paste or peanut butter

2 Tbsp sugar

3 Tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp minced ginger

1 Tbsp rice or wine vinegar

Hot sauce to taste

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup minced scallions for garnish.Cook pasta until tender but not mushy. Strain and run cold water over them. In a large bowl, whisk together sesame oil and sesame paste, sugar, soy, ginger, vinegar, hot sauce and pepper. Thin the sauce with hot water so that it is about the consistency of heavy cream, you will need approximately 1/4 to 1/2 cup. Stir in cucumber, pasta and chicken. Toss everything together well and garnish with minced scallions.

30 Minute Pasta

Pasta can be such a quick and easy way to make a luxurious dinner. This dish is one that can be put together in no time with just a little prep work and pre-planning to make sure you have the all the ingredients on hand. One thing needed is creme fraiche, which is an unctuous sour cream kind of sauce. This can be purchased at bigger grocery stores or you can make your own which I did. Chop and grate a few things, cook the pasta, saute the scallops, combine it all together and voila, dinner is ready.Fettuccine with Lemon, Parmesan and Scallops

1 lb. fresh fettuccine (dry can also be used)

2 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. lemon zest

1 cup creme fraiche, at room temperature (to make your own, combine 1 cup heavy cream with 1/3 cup sour cream and leave at room temperature up to 6 hours then refrigerate)

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 lb. medium scallops (16-20 per lb)

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Coat saute pan with 1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil and heat until very hot then add scallops and cook 2 1/2 to 3 minutes on each side. Take scallops out and put on a plate, drizzle with 2 Tbsp. lemon juice and lightly season with salt and pepper. Set aside.Cook fettuccine in a large pot of boiling salted water and cook until pasta is al dente. Drain pasta well and return to the pot. Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in the microwave and then add the lemon zest. Pour this over the pasta and toss to mix well. Add the creme fraiche, half of the Parmesan and half of the dill.

To serve, mound some pasta into 4 shallow bowls. Top each serving with 4-5 scallops and then sprinkle each bowl with remaining cheese and dill. Serves 4.

Lemon Shrimp Linguine

Last night's dinner along with the previously posted Risotto filled baked tomatoes included a lemon shrimp linguine dish which was fast, easy and very flavorful. I adapted this recipe from one I saw on an Ina Garten episode on Food Network. To make things quicker, I purchased cooked, peeled and deveined prawns. There are times when I don't mind making the effort and doing all that prep work but we have a wonderful fish store in town, Fitts Seafood, who will do all of that for you (for a price of course).

If you are looking for a quick dinner involving pasta and prawns, this one fits the bill.

Lemon Shrimp Linguine

3/4 lb linguine (fettuccine or spaghetti noodles would also work)

3 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced (more garlic to taste)

1 pound of large shrimp/prawns -peeled and deveined if purchased raw

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/3 cup fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

Zest of 1/2 lemon

salt to taste

1/8 tsp hot red pepper flakes (or more to taste)

Heat a big pot of water with 2 Tbsp salt for linguine. Once boiling add noodles and cook until done according to package directions.

Heat butter and olive oil together in a skillet. Add minced garlic and saute just until you can start to smell garlic. Add the salt, pepper, shrimp and saute until shrimp just turn pink. If shrimp are already cooked, just heat through. Remove from heat and add parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice and red pepper flakes. Drain pasta and put back in pan. Pour sauce and shrimp over pasta and toss well. Serve immediately.

Cheesy Pesto Lasagna

I made a totally lazy version of lasagna using prepared tomato sauce and fresh lasagna sheets and it turned out quite well. Here is what made it a step above Costco's frozen lasagna (which isn't half bad). I mixed some of my homemade pesto in with the ricotta cheese and it really gave it a great basil/garlic taste. I also used some Paul Newman's Marinara Sauce and it too was fairly tasty. Putting together the whole thing couldn't have been easier.

This size lasagna would easily serve a family of four as opposed to how I usually make my lasagnas; big enough to feed a small army. Sometimes I forget that I am only cooking for two and I overdo it on size. Leftovers are great but not for 5 days in a row!

Cheesy Pesto Lasagna

4 sheets of fresh lasagna sheets

1 16 oz jar of marinara sauce

1 cup of pesto

1 1/2 cups of ricotta

1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

2 cups of grated mozzarella cheese

Grease an 8 inch square baking pan. Mix ricotta cheese and pesto together until blended. Pour enough marinara sauce over the bottom of pan to cover. Place lasagna sheet over sauce. Cover sheet with ricotta/pesto mixture, dollop marina sauce over ricotta then sprinkle with both mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Continue layering in this manner ending with pasta covered with marinara sauce and mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes. Remove foil and place under broiler until cheeses are brown and bubbly. Watch carefully as cheeses can burn quickly. Let sit for 15 minutes before cutting to ensure everything holds together nicely.

A Super Garage Sale Buy

Sometime in the last 18 years since I moved to Salem, I purchased an Italian Atlas hand crank pasta maker for the phenomenal price of $5.00. Currently they range in price from $40-$100 according to my Internet search today. At the time I made this bargain buy, I had never even attempted making homemade pasta. I bought it on an impulse and thought it was something I couldn't pass up. I have used it many times since.

I have made linguini, spaghetti and lasagna noodles but something I have never attempted is ravioli and today was the day for that culinary challenge. It was certainly time consuming but a very satisfying experience. I started by making the pasta dough which consisted of 2 cups of flour and 3 eggs processed in the food processor until it came together in a ball. It rested for a few minutes after kneading until smooth. I then made the filling. The filling consisted of 1 cup of ricotta cheese, 2 eggs, salt and pepper to taste, 2 tablespoons of tomato puree and 2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil thoroughly mixed together. Once the filling was done, I rolled out the pasta sheets and set them on flour covered towels. I then took one sheet, placed it on my flour covered granite counter, put a teaspoon of filling approximately 1 1/2 inches apart, painted the dough sides and in between the filling with water than placed a second sheet on top. I pushed around the filling gently with my fingers to get out any air bubbles then around the sides to seal the two pieces of dough together. I tried at first to cut the ravioli with a biscuit cutter but I found it cut too close to the filling so I opted to use a knife to trim around the excess dough and then cut each ravioli to the size of approximately 2 inches by 2 inches. These precious pillows were then placed on a flour covered towel on a cookie sheet where they rested in the refrigerator until time to cook. They cooked in gently simmering water for approximately 10 minutes.

To dress the ravioli I made a tomato alfredo sauce consisting of heavy cream gently boiled until it coated the back of a spoon, added a couple of tablespoons of butter, a tablespoon of tomato puree and approximately 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese.

My assessment of this dish was just so-so. The ravioli filling was rather bland and there was just too much dough around the filling. From now on I will leave the stuffed pasta making to the pros. The sauce was pretty good though. You can't go wrong with cream, butter and parmesan cheese, now can you?