Pappardelle alla Pangratto e Noci (Pasta with Crumbs and Walnuts)

This dish is from the less affluent region of Puglia in the south of Italy, and is also know as Alla Molica.  This peasant-style recipe evolved not doubt, when nothing else could be found in the kitchen cabinets, and is wonderful (Rick loved it so what else can I say?).  In the poorer regions of Italy breadcrumbs would often be used to substitute the more expensive grated cheese. Any type of pasta works well with this dish but I used fresh pappardelle.

Ingredients

5 oz fresh of slightly stale country bread, such as ciabatta

5 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

3 large clove garlic

3/4 cups walnuts, chopped

Handful of fresh parsley, chopped

Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Fresh ground black pepper

1 lb pasta

sea salt

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to boil and add salt (the water should taste salty)

Tear the bread into smallish pieces and place in food processor.  Process until you have light crumbs - you'll need about 2 cups - save to a small bowl. Add garlic and walnuts to food processor. Process for 30 seconds or until you have small pieces.

Heat a large saute pan over low heat and add 4 Tbsp olive oil. Add the breadcrumbs, increase the heat and stir frequently until the crumbs are crisp and golden brown.  Push the breadcrumbs to one side of the pan. Add the remaining oil and the garlic and walnut mixture. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant, then stir through the breadcrumbs.

Cook the pasta in the salted boiling water until al dente. Drain the pasta very thoroughly and lace back in the hot pot that the pasta was cooked in - the heat will help dry the pasta and keep the breadcrumbs crisp. Add the breadcrumb mixture and parsley to the pasta, toss and serve immediately with a big drizzle of olive oil and plenty of grated Parmesan cheese and black pepper.

Serve with roasted asparagus.

Five Cheese Cavatappi

1 pound Cavatappi pasta, penne or rigatoni

2 cups heavy cream 

1 cup marinara 

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan (1 1/2 ounces) 

1/2 cup shredded imported Italian fontina (1 1/2 ounces) 

1/2 cup shredded smoked mozzarella (1 1/2 ounces) 

1/2 cup shredded provolone (1 1/2 ounces) 

1/4 pound fresh mozzarella, cubed

4 - 5 sundried tomato halves chopped small

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp parsley

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp Emeril’s Essence (optional to make it spicy)

pinch red pepper flakes

1/2 cup panko or regular breadcrumbs

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
Kosher salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Bring 5 quarts of salted water to a boil in a stockpot.

Combine all the ingredients except the pasta and butter in a large mixing bowl. reserve a 1/2 c of cheese mix minus fresh mozzarella for the top. Mix well.

Drop the penne into the boiling water and parboil for 4 minutes. Drain well in a colander and add to the ingredients in the mixing bowl, tossing to combine.

Divide the pasta mixture among 6 shallow ceramic gratin dishes (1 1/2 to 2-cup capacity) or large baking dish. Sprinkle reserved cheese and panko on top of pasta. Dot with the butter and bake until bubbly and brown on top, 7 to 10 minutes for small gratin 10 - 15 for large baking dish.

Stuffed Shells with Chicken

1 box jumbo uncooked pasta shells

6 garlic cloves (minced)

2 chicken breasts (cooked and shredded)

1 (30 oz) container ricotta cheese

1/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs

1 ½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1 ½ teaspoons dried parsley

6 basil leaves (torn)

1/3 cup half and half

28 oz pasta sauce

¼ cup parmesan cheese

1 cup mozzarella cheese

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Rinse with cold water, separate and set aside.

Combine garlic, chicken, ricotta cheese, bread crumbs, half and half, salt, pepper, parsley, and basil and parmesan cheese in a food processor. Process until combined. If you don’t have a food processor, mix well with a spoon.

Pour half of the pasta sauce into the bottom of a large baking dish. Stuff shells 1 by 1 with the chicken/cheese mixture and place in rows into the baking dish on top of the sauce. Top the shells with shredded mozzarella and pour the over half of the sauce over the top of shells. Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.


Tequila Chicken Fettuccine

A California Pizza Kitchen copycat recipe from Chef Tom.
Ok, so I now I want to try this at CPK to see if it's as good as mine. My husband thinks this is a keeper.

Ingredients:

1 lb dry (or 2 lbs fresh) spinach fettuccine
1 1/4 pound chicken breast, diced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro reserved for garnish
2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
2 tablespoons minced jalapeno pepper (seeds and veins removed)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (reserve tablespoon for saute )
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons gold tequila
2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lime juice
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 medium yellow bell pepper thinly sliced
1/2 medium green bell pepper, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Boil salted water to cook pasta; cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes for dry pasta, approximately 3 minutes for fresh. Pasta may be cooked ahead of time, rinsed and oiled and then reheated in boiling water.

2. Cook 1/3 cup cilantro, garlic and jalapeno in 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes.

3. Add stock, tequila and lime juice. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until reduced to a paste like consistency; set aside.

4. Pour soy sauce over diced chicken; set aside for 5 minutes.

5. Meanwhile cook onion and peppers, stirring occasionally, with remaining butter over medium heat. When the vegetables have become limp, add chicken and soy sauce; toss and add reserved tequila/lime paste and cream.

6. Bring the sauce to a boil; boil until chicken is cooked through and sauce is thick (about 3 minutes).

7. Toss with drained spinach fettuccine and reserved cilantro.

Angel Hair with Salmon Lemon Dill Vodka Sauce

I generally have salmon and pasta in the house so ths is an easy one for me.
1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (24 fl oz)
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup vodka
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 cups flaked broiled salmon
10 oz capellini (angel-hair pasta; about two thirds of a 1-lb box)

Cook onion in oil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened (but not browned), about 6 minutes. Add broth, cream, vodka, and salt and boil over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced to 2 cups, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in dill, lemon zest and juice, and pepper. Reserve 1/2 cup sauce, then add salmon to saucepan and cook over moderately low heat until fish is just heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.

While fish is heating, cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta-cooking water, then drain pasta in a colander. Return pasta to pot, then toss with reserved sauce and cooking water. Serve pasta immediately with fish and sauce spooned over the top.

Linguini and Clams

With the exception of the fresh clams, Giada’s recipe is almost identical to my mother-in-law’s Linguini and Clam Sauce.
1 pound dried linguini
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
5 to 7 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 1/2 pounds Manila clams, scrubbed clean
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced into small cubes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, zested, for garnish

Directions
In a large pot, bring to a boil 6 quarts of salted water. Add pasta, stirring constantly in the beginning to prevent it from sticking together. Cook until al dente, about 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan. When almost smoking, add shallots and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the clams and wine. Cover and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes or until most clams have opened.
Add 2 tablespoons chopped parsley. Whisk in butter to thicken sauce slightly.
Drain pasta in a colander. Do not rinse pasta with water - this will remove the pasta's natural starches. Place pasta into the clam saute pan and mix thoroughly. Check seasoning.

Mac and Cheese with Truffle Oil

Talk about comfort food...

Serves 4

3 tablespoons kosher salt
8 ounces penne rigate pasta, dry
1 tablespoon black truffle oil
2 tablespoons shallots, minced
3 ounces applewood smoked bacon, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon minced basil
1/4 teaspoon minced thyme
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups Extra Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup pecan quarters
1 cup Tillamook Vintage White Smoked Extra Sharp Cheddar, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Bring 1 gallon of water to a rapid boil with the kosher salt in an 8-quart pot. Drop pasta into the water and stir. Boil for 5-6 minutes total. Pasta should be slightly undercooked at this point. Drain off all water through a colander, sit one minute and toss in a bowl with the black truffle oil. Reserve.

Combine the shallots, bacon, garlic and olive oil in a 4-quart pot and cook slowly for 10 minutes using low heat. Add in the flour, raise heat to medium and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Temper in the heavy cream and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes on low.

Add in the herbs and seasonings. Stir in 3 cups of the Tillamook Extra Sharp Cheddar cheese until smooth. Add in the truffle-scented pasta and stir until evenly combined. Divide into individual ramekins and top with the pecans and the shredded Tillamook Vintage White Smoked Extra Sharp Cheddar cheese.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until bubbly and slightly browned on top.

Fettuccine con Fichi e Pancetta - Fettuccine with Figs and Pancetta

3 slices firm white sandwich bread
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 oz sliced pancetta
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary, or to taste
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
3/4 lb firm-ripe fresh figs, trimmed and quartered lengthwise
2 tablespoons finely choppedfresh parsley
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste
3/4 lb dried egg fettuccine
Parmesan cheese

Tear bread into pieces and pulse in a blender or food processor until reduced to coarse crumbs.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook bread crumbs with salt and pepper to taste, stirring constantly, until golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.

Heat remaining tablespoon oil in cleaned skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook pancetta, stirring, until golden brown and crisp. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Add onion to skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and rosemary and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in wine and boil, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to about 1 tablespoon. Remove from heat and stir in broth, figs, parsley, half of pancetta, and lemon juice.

Cook fettuccine in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain pasta in a colander.

Add fettuccine to fig mixture with 1/4 cup reserved cooking water and salt and pepper to taste. Heat over low heat, tossing gently and adding more cooking water if mixture becomes dry, until just heated through.

Serve pasta topped with bread crumbs, remaining pancetta and parmesan cheese.

Spaghetti con Pomodorini e Basilico - Spaghetti with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil

1 lb. spaghetti

1-1/2 lbs. cherry tomatoes

4/5 fresh basil leaves

4-5 Tbsp. olive oil

fresh ground parmesan

salt to taste

Halve the tomatoes and cook them for 3 or 4 minutes in a a large nonstick skillet with the olive oil and chopped basil, salt to taste.
 In the mean time prepare the spaghetti as directed. 

Once the tomatoes start to soften remove them from the heat and set aside until the pasta is ready.

When the pasta is ready strain it and add it to the tomatoes. 
Mix it in well and cook for a couple of minutes in the skillet. 
Serve hot with fresh ground parmesan.

Salsa di Pomodoro - Tomato Sauce

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
4 to 6 basil leaves
2 dried bay leaves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional

In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are brown, about 7-8 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and simmer covered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.

Add half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.

Pasta col Ragù alla Bolognese - Pasta with Meat Sauce

Here in the US we always seem to drown our pasta in sauce, but in Italy hey use just enough to cover the pasta lightly.

1 to 2 lbs. pasta

1 lb. extra lean ground beef

7 oz. ground pork

1/4 cup finely chopped pancetta (or bacon)

3/4 cup white onion finely chopped

1/3 cup finely chopped carrots

1 celery stalk finely chopped

1 cup dry white wine
 (red will also work well)
1/4 cup tomato sauce

4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp butter

salt to taste

pinch of pepper

In a pan heat the olive oil and add the vegetables (onions, carrots and celery). Cook for a about 20 minutes.

Raise the temperature to a high heat and add the beef, pork and pancetta. Stir often for about 30 minutes.
Add 1 cup wine and continue cooking at a high heat mixing often.

Continue cooking until the wine evaporates and then add the tomato sauce, a pinch of salt and a very light pinch of pepper. Mix well. 

Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and let it cook slowly for about 2 1/2 hours. Check it occasional to be sure it doesn't get to dry. If it does add a cup of broth. 

When the sauce about done add the butter.

Cajun Chicken Alfredo

This is a favorite, it's a slightly spicy pasta dish that is very simple and quick.

4 ounces pasta - any favorite, bow tie, penne, linguini, etc...
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
2 teaspoons cajun seasoning
2 tablespoons butter
1 thinly sliced green onion
1 to 2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons chopped sun dried tomatoes.
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
grated parmesan cheese
Fresh basil for garnish, chopped or torn

Cook pasta as directed and drain.

Meanwhile, place chicken and cajun seasoning in a bowl and toss to coat.

In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté chicken in butter or margarine until chicken is tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Reduce heat and green onion, heavy cream, tomatoes, basil, salt, garlic powder, black pepper and heat through.

Pour over linguini and toss.
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.