Homegrown Gourmet 9 - Celtics Win!

Homegrown Gourmet, my precious little blogging event, is celebrating round 9 with a delightful theme of PASTA! Fabulous!

My friend Megan at Joy Through Cooking is hosting this round. I was really excited at the idea of basing a recipe on pasta- we eat lots of spaghetti and ziti and all that great stuff.

But as I got thinking about it more, well, what the heck is a New England pasta recipe!? I mean, sure, my husband and I have our favorite restaurant in the North End of Boston, but that's just Italian. And my Italian grandmother makes stuffed shells for many holiday meals, but what's so special about that?

There was always lobster ravioli, but I am not fan of dealing with ravioli and lobster isn't on the top of my list. My mom always made American Chop Suey but I also always hated it. What to do, what to make?

Then it hit me... I wanted to celebrate the Boston Celtics recent NBA Championship win with a gorgeous green and white dish! Adam and I hadn't made fresh pasta in ages, so a lovely batch of spinach pasta was whipped up. Then to top it, I chose a very New England choice of a white clam sauce.

I've got to say, this was delicious. Adam thought the sauce was buttery (only 3 Tbsp!)and flavorful, and I thought it was tender and just the right amount of seafood. We devoured the entire batch in one night and I thought it was a great tribute and a fun Homegrown Gourmet entry!


Champion Celtics Spinach Pasta with White Clam Sauce
Spinach Pasta based on MangiaBenePasta.com

• 1+ C. Fresh Spinach
  
• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
  
• 2 Eggs
  
• 2 C. Flour
  
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
  
• 1 Tbsp. Warm Water

1. Bring a few cups of water to a boil in a small pot. While the water heats up, remove any stems from the spinach leaves, leaving just the smooth flesh.
   
2. Blanch the spinach in the boiling water for just 1-3 minutes, until it is bright green.
   
3. Quickly remove the spinach from the water with a slotted spoon or similar utensil and rinse it with cold water.
   
4. Squeeze the spinach in your hands, getting as much moisture out as possible. I also gave it a quick run through a paper towel. You should have about a 1/2 cup of cooked spinach in that mushy ball.
   
5. Put the spinach in a food processor with the olive oil and puree into a smooth consistency. Add in the two eggs and blend it up again.
   
6. Now here is where I wish I had gone with my gut instead of the instructions. The original recipe calls for you to add the salt and flour into the food processor to work the dough. I put in the salt and some flour and mostly ended up with a gooey mess. My processor wasn't big enough for all the flour, so I had to attempt to get the dough out and then work in the remaining flour- what a pain! When I do this again, I will mound up the flour on a clean surface and make a bowl in the center of the flour. I will pour in the egg mixture and slowly work it into the flour to make the dough. Or I'll just use my Kitchen Aid stand mixer.
   
7. Regardless, you need to work in the flour gradually to form a solid ball of dough. Knead the dough until it is firm, yet springs back to the touch. I let my dough rest for 30 minutes only to start extruding it from the machine to find it was way too soft. We added more flour (getting up to 2 cups total) and then went right into making the pasta. If your dough is too dry, use little splashes of the warm water until the dough softens up.
   
8. Use your Kitchen Aid pasta attachment or other pasta maker to form the fettuccine. Let it sit, separated, and dry for 10-15 minutes.
   
9. Get a large pot of water boiling. Cook the fresh pasta for 3-5 minutes until it is just al dente. Drain and serve topped liberally with clam sauce below.

White Clam Sauce based on AllRecipes.com

• 3 Tbsp. Butter
  
• 3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
  
• 1 Small Onion, chopped
  
• 3 Large Garlic Cloves, minced
  
• 1/2+ C. White Wine
  
• 2 (6.5 ounce) Cans Chopped Clams, with Juice

1. In a small saucepan, heat the butter and oil over medium-high heat.
   
2. Saute the onions and garlic until translucent and delicious smelling!
   
3. Pour in the white wine and simmer until reduced by about half.
   
4. Pour in the clams with all the juice and continue to simmer, until slightly reduced. Serve hot over pasta.

Bland with Bacon?

I had some uncooked, opened bacon in my fridge last week. Mmmmm, bacon... I wanted to make a dinner to use them, but I didn't want to just wrap the bacon around something and slap it in the oven. Sure, that's tasty, but not very creative.

We hadn't been eating much of one of my husband's favorite foods lately- pasta. Okay, so why not whip up something with bacon for some spaghetti- not a carbonara, but something delicious.

I had lots of great things to work with- bacon, sun dried tomatoes, regular tomatoes, and great spices. I combined all these lovely flavors together and ended up with... a decidedly dull meal. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad and we ate it all, but it was *nothing* to write home about. In other words, we won't be having this again.

What a waste of perfectly wonderful bacon. The picture at least came out lovely!


Sun-Dried Tomato & Bacon Pasta
Modified from AllRecipes.com

• 1 Box Long Pasta (spaghetti, angel hair, etc.)
  
• 4-5 Sliced Bacon, cooked and crumbled
  
• 1 Onion, chopped
  
• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
  
• 1 14.5 Can Diced Cooked Tomatoes
  
• 1/2 C. Red Wine
  
• 1/2 C. Julienne-Cut Sun-Dried Tomato
  
• 2 tsp. Fresh Rosemary, chopped
  
• 1 tsp. Dried Basil
  
• 1 tsp. Dried Oregano

1. Cook the pasta according to the package.
   
2. Fry the bacon, allowing to cool on paper towels to drain. Will be used later in crumbled form.
   
3. In a large pan, cook the onion and garlic over medium heat, using 1 Tbsp. of olive oil.
   
4. When the onion is soft, add in the tomatoes, wine, bacon, and spices. Simmer over medium-high heat, allowing to simmer for 5-10 minutes.
   
5. Serve over the hot, drained pasta with grated Parmesan or Romano. Or don't serve it at all since it was only mediocre!!!

Greek Inspired Orzo

I bought a whole bunch of feta recently for a nice salad, and had a bunch left over. What to do, what to make? Stuffed chicken? Nah. A salad? Too wimpy for this night. Regular pasta with yummy toppings? Boring. Something with lamb or another red meat? I didn't have those things. Hmmmm....

I did a little poking around on the ol' Internet to see what I could find. I borrowed from a whole gaggle of recipes and came up with a Greek inspired smorsgabord that was tasty and filling. It was simple and easy and was a really good leftover dish. Yum!


Greek Inspired Orzo

• 1/2 Box Orzo pasta
  
• 1 Garlic Clove, minced
  
• 1/4 C. Chopped Onion
  
• 1 Large Tomato, chopped
  
• 1 Small Can Sliced Olive
  
• 4-5 Artichoke Hearts, quartered
  
• 2-3 Small Cooked Mild Italian Sausages, sliced
  
• Olive Oil
  
• 1/2 to 1 C. Crumbled Feta Cheese

1. In a medium pot, cook the orzo according to the package.
   
2. In a separate medium saute pan, put in a little olive oil and saute the onions and garlic.
   
3. Add in the tomato and cook over medium to reduce it down.
   
4. Pour in some water if it is getting too dry in the pan. Add the olives, artichokes, and sausage and heat through.
   
5. At the end of cooking, pour in any desired olive oil to moisten the mixture. This is totally subjective to your tastes.
   
6. Crumble in the feta and give it a stir to get it a little melty.
   
7. At this point, your orzo should be drained and put back into its original sauce pot. Pour in the sausage mixture to the orzo pot and mix well. Serve warm with extra feta on top!

Smoked Salmon Fettuccine

Mmmmm, smoked salmon is such a delicious treat to eat now and again! It's something that we can't have in the house too often because it lasts about 2 minutes once opened. And it's not like it's bargain priced either!

But oh how tasty to enjoy! And when I'm going to splurge on smoked salmon, it has to star in the show. I searched around- yeah, my normal neighborhood of Allrecipes.com- and found something that had so many wonderful ingredients.

It was in fact wonderful! And the salmon did shine...


Creamy Smoked Salmon Fettuccine
Based from AllRecipes.com

• Box of Fettuccine Pasta
  
• 2 Tbsp. Butter
  
• 2 Tbsp. Flour
  
• 2/3 C. Milk
  
• 1/3 C. Cream
  
• 1/2 C. Grated Parmesan Cheese
  
• 1/2+ C. Smoked Salmon, roughly chopped
  
• 1/2 C. Fresh Spinach, chopped into strips
  
• 1 Tbsp. Capers
  
• 3+ Tbsp. Sun-dried Tomatoes, chopped
  
• 1 tsp. Dried Oregano
  
• Heavy hand of pepper

1. Cook and drain the pasta according to package.
   
2. In a separate sauce pot, melt the butter.
   
3. Blend in the flour until a smooth paste forms. Whisk in milk to make a thick sauce.
   
4. Stir in cream and parmesan cheese until cheese is melted.
   
5. Add in the salmon, spinach, capers, tomatoes, and oregano.
   
6. Pour in delicious sauce onto the warm, drained pasta and mix until fettuccine is coated.
   
7. Serve in a nice big bowl with a solid grating of fresh black pepper on top- yum!

Ultimate Comfort Food

Who doesn't like Macaroni and Cheese? I mean really, it's like a slice of heaven! Warm, gooey, and filling with a crunchy crust. Aaaah...

Sorry, I just don't have anything more to say about Mac N Cheese- it's that good that it needs no commentary!

I will say that I served this comforting dish with a lovely salad of fresh spinach, sliced dried apricots, almond slices, and a dash of olive oil.


Homemade Mac N Cheese
With help from Boss Leslie

• 1 Box Elbow Macaroni, I think 8 oz, but maybe more
  
• 1/2 Stick Butter
  
• 2+/- Tbsp. Flour
  
• 1 1/2 C. Milk
  
• 1/4 C. Cream
  
• 1-2 tsp. Dry Mustard
  
• Salt & Pepper to Taste
  
• 2 C. Shredded White Cheddar
  
• 1/2 C. Grated Parmesan Cheese
  
• 1/4 C. Grated Romano Cheese
  
• Panko breadcrumbs, enough to coat top

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees.
   
2. Cook macaroni according to package and drain. Pour into a large casserole dish and set aside.
   
3. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
   
4. Stir in the flour, adding slowly until mixture is smooth and a little thick.
   
5. Slowly whisk in the milk, bringing to a gentle boil, thickening the sauce. When it is smooth and creamy, mix in the cream.
   
6. Stir in the mustard and salt and pepper to your tastes.
   
7. Stir in the cheeses until melted.
   
8. Pour the cheese sauce over the cooked macaroni in the casserole pan. Sprinkle panko on the top of the mac n cheese until a you get a nice coating.
   
9. Bake in oven until hot and bubbly, about 20 minutes.

Fake Spinach Alfredo

Mmmm, alfredo sauce... so tasty, so bad for you! Cream, cheese, pasta- quite the indulgent meal. And I just can't justify making it for an average Tuesday night! I had a plan to make soup mid-week this week, but hubby groaned at the notion. He was slaving over a school project and I could tell soup just wasn't going to motivate him into the wee hours as he continued working.

The man loves pasta, so I went out to the web for a pasta recipe with the stuff on hand. That would be no tomatoes, no tomato sauce, not a lot of meat, and most importantly not a lot of time to whip something up before it would be 10 PM! I did however have ricotta cheese, fresh spinach, an abundance of cans of mushroom pieces, and pasta.

This meal was really tasty! Adam liked it more than I, but I would certainly make it again given it's relative health and the closeness to true alfredo. Some grilled chicken slices would have really capped this meal off! And the best was that Adam was thrilled at the last minute change- I love keeping my man full and happy.


Fake Spinach & Mushroom Alfredo Fettuccine
Inspired by AllRecipes.com

• 1 Box Fettuccine Pasta
  
• 2 Cloves of Garlic, minced
  
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. Butter
  
• 2 Tbsp. Flour
  
• 1-2 C. Milk
  
• 1+ C. Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
  
• 1/2 C. Grated Parmesan Cheese
  
• 1/2 C. Grated Romano Cheese
  
• 1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
  
• 1 C. Fresh Spinach, chopped
  
• 1 Small Can Mushroom Stems and Pieces, drained

1. Boil up a pot of water and cook pasta. When done, drain and keep warm for serving.
   
2. In a large straight sided saute pan, melt butter and saute garlic over medium heat.
   
3. Mix in flour and stir until smooth and bubbly. Be sure not to burn the flour mixture.
   
4. Slowly pour in the milk and whisk. Bring to a boil, continuing to stir until the white sauce thickens.
   
5. Add in ricotta cheese and stir until cheese melts into sauce and becomes smooth. Stir in Parmesan and Romano cheese.
   
6. Add black pepper to taste. Stir in spinach and mushrooms. Heat through.
   
7. Spoon hot alfredo sauce mixture over pasta and enjoy!

Something with Shrimp

If you happen to be reading these posts in succession, you will see in an earlier post that I've been slacking on keeping the blog up to date and have subsequently forgotten a lot of the details of some of these recipes. Although it says I posted this on the 21st, it is actually the 28th. (I like to keep the dates close to the eating date so I can go back and find things better. Sorry.)

So I found pictures of this recipe on the camera. Ummmm, it looks tasty, but I'll be damned if I know what went into it! I think it was something lemon-y but I can't be sure. But I figure I took pretty pictures, so I'll post it and just make something up.


Mystery Shrimp

• Shrimp
  
• Pasta
  
• Cilantro
  
• Parmesan Cheese?
  
• Juice of one Lemon
  
• Lemon Zest from one Lemon
  
• Maybe I used garlic too- we like it a lot, so maybe this was another use.
  
• I very well might have used white wine, olive oil, and/ or cream too.

1. Cook and drain pasta, returning to pot when done.
   
2. If I used garlic, saute garlic in olive oil.
   
3. Cook shrimp in with garlic.
   
4. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, and whatever that green leaved herb is. Stir to coat.
   
5. If I used some other liquid, throw that in too and maybe reduce it?
   
6. Pour shrimp and mystery sauce into cooked pasta. (I know I actually did that!)
   
7. Serve with grated Parmesan.

Sorry. I know that was not the world's best recipe. Consider it an opportunity to improve on the given base though, right!!!

Ziti, Chicken, & Broccoli with Cheddar Wine Sauce

I admit it- I was wrong.

Broccoli is pretty tasty.

I know, it's crazy, I was convinced it was disgusting and yet I made it two nights in a row and it was darn good! Monday I had a simply delicious meal that I got from Katie's blog, Good Things Catered. It involved all sorts of yummy things- pasta, cheese, wine, and yes, broccoli. This really came together beautifully, and quickly too! With Adam's help getting the water steaming for veggies, water boiling for pasta, and the chicken defrosting in the microwave, I whipped this up in under 30 minutes. It took as long as pasta- water heating and cooking time! And yet so gourmet tasting!

The only improvements that we could come up with (and this was hubby's suggestion) is to used grilled chicken, rather than boiled. The chicken was the weakest part of our dinner- although it was still good. I think a simple salt & pepper grilling would be so tasty. It would just add such a nice depth to this already delicious meal.

So thanks to Katie!


Ziti, Chicken, & Broccoli with Cheddar Wine Sauce

• 1 Box Ziti
  
• 1 Breast of Chicken
  
• 2 Stalks of Broccoli
  
• 3 Tbsp. Butter
  
• 2 Cloves of Garlic, finely minced
  
• 2 Tbsp. Flour
  
• 1/2 C. White Wine
  
• 1/4 C. Dry Vermouth
  
• 2 C. Chicken Broth
  
• 1 C. White Cheddar, shredded
  
• Salt & Pepper to taste

1. Get a large pot of water boiling. Cook the ziti according to directions. Drain and set aside.
   
2. Meanwhile, cut the florets off the broccoli stalks and steam in a steamer pan. Do not over steam- they should be tender, but still have some crunch to them. Set aside when ready.
   
3. Cut up the chicken breast into small bite-sized pieces. Place in a microwave safe bowl and cover with water. Microwave on high for 3-5 minutes until cooked through. Drain and set aside. (Next time we'll use leftover grilled chicken for more flavor rather than boiling it for the recipe.)
   
4. As all these other things are cooking, heat a large pot over medium high heat. Melt butter in this pan.
   
5. When butter is melted, add in garlic and cook until aromatic.
   
6. Stir in flour and mix until smooth and bubbly.
   
7. Pour in wine and vermouth and stir. When the liquid has reduced by about half, add in chicken stock.
   
8. Heat stock until boiling, stirring often so it will thicken.
   
9. Add in cheese and stir until melted. Taste sauce and add salt and pepper as desired.
   
10. Pour in pasta, chicken, and broccoli one at a time, stirring to coat with the sauce each time. Serve hot.

Another Borrowed Recipe - Florentine Fettuccine Carbonara

As I did the previous evening, Thursday night I finally made another recipe from my starred Google Reader list. There are lots of interesting meals that I see from other Nestie ladies, but a lot of them are desserts, casseroles, or pork/ beef dishes I'm just not inclined to make. (For the record, I love pork, but hubby Adam thinks he doesn't so I get an earful any time I make it and it's just not worth the effort to hear all that complaining. As for beef, it's my nemesis; I stink at cooking it and usually it comes out like shoe leather. Ick. I avoid it usually.)

So one of the recipes that caught my eye and made it to the reserved list was Michelle's Pasta Carbonara. Now I have to laugh because Michelle got this recipe from Cooking Light. I don't know what they are smoking over there at Cooking Light, but bacon, cheese, and egg do NOT a light and healthy meal make! I mean, I doubled the pasta from the original (see Michelle's post of the original recipe) and I did not double the bacon but it was still plenty good. I can't even imagine doubling the bacon and expecting this to be considered health food! But I digress...

Don't let the seemingly raw egg scare you away from this recipe. When you add the cheese and egg sauce into the hot pasta, it cooks up and creates a delicious creamy coating that matches perfectly with the bacon. And the wilted spinach really adds a nice tang to the dish that might otherwise be just too much richness.


Florentine Fettuccine Carbonara

• 16 oz. Package Dried Fettuccine
  
• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
  
• 1 1/2 - 2 C. Coarsely Chopped Raw Spinach
  
• 6 Slices of Bacon (should be pancetta, but that wasn't in my fridge)
  
• 1 Med Onion, chopped
  
• 2-3 Tbsp. White Cooking Wine
  
• 1 C. Parmesan Cheese, finely grated
  
• 2 Eggs
  
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. Dried Parsley (fresh would have been better)
  
• 1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
  
• 2 Dashes Salt

1. Prepare pasta according to directions. I started the water boiling right when I started the rest of this meal and the timing was perfect to drop the pasta in the other pan while freshly drained and still plenty wet. If pasta is ready far in advance, reserve 1-2 Tbsp. of the cooking liquid and keep drained pasta warm.
   
2. In a very large skillet or a stock pot (large to mix the pasta in), heat the olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add in the spinach and 1 dash of salt. Cook until just wilted then remove to a bowl and set aside.
   
3. Place chopped bacon into the pot and cook until crisp, about 5-7 minutes. Stir the meat occasionally to ensure even crisping. When cooked, remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside in the same bowl as the spinach. Dispose of all but 2 tsp of the bacon fat from the pot.
   
4. Saute the onions in the remaining bacon fat until soft, stirring often. As onions are cooking, add in the dried parsley.
   
5. Add in the white wine and cook the onions for another minute.
   
6. As the onions cook, whisk together the Parmesan, eggs, pepper and dash of salt to create your sauce.
   
7. At this point hopefully your pasta is cooked and ready to go! Bring the heat on the onion pot to low. First add the spinach and bacon back into the pot with the onions. Next add in the wet pasta or the drained pasta and reserved liquid. Stir the pasta to mix in the onions, bacon, and spinach.
   
8. With the temperature of the pot cooled to warm, add in the well mixed egg sauce and stir it quickly to coat the pasta. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Mushroom & Goat Cheese Raviolis

As I mentioned in the previous post, we are going to be eating a lot of chicken this week- and a lot of Mexican style meals as well. Tuesday's dinner needed to be something non-poultry to break up the week's relative monotony! I had some time to make something interesting and I had purchased some goat cheese without any particular recipe in mind.

All of this culminated in deciding to make homemade raviolis for dinner. Of course, I kind of killed my own plan of using things in my kitchen since I ended up at the store to buy wonton wrappers, sage, portabello mushrooms, and ricotta cheese. (I didn't end up using the ricotta and I probably could have stuck with just plain mushrooms, but that's a whole other sidetrack!)

The meal was very rich and the flavors were good. It took about an hour for it to come together- so not the fastest in the world! However, my butter sauce went from brown to black when I over cooked it, and the raviolis I'm sure would have been better with fresh pasta. The wontons are just too thick and chewy for a meal intended to be delicate. I would make this again, but in the sake of my expanding thighs, I would find another sauce (maybe something white wine based?) and skip the portabellos.


Mushroom & Goat Cheese Raviolis with Browned Butter Sage Sauce
Raviolis

• Wonton Wrappers
  
• Olive Oil
  
• 2 Cloves of Garlic, chopped
  
• 1-2 Tbsp. Chopped Onion
  
• 1 1/2 C. Portabello Mushrooms, finely chopped
  
• 1 C. White Mushrooms, finely choppes
  
• 1 tsp. Fresh Sage, chopped
  
• 3 oz. Goat Cheese, crumbled
  
• Egg White of 1 Egg

1. In a medium saute pan, saute garlic and onion over medium heat until translucent.
   
2. Add in all of the mushroom and increase heat to medium-high. Cook mixture, stirring occasionally, until most of the moisture is removed. The mushrooms will shrink significantly. Once cooked, turn off heat and allow mixture to cool down some.
   
3. In a medium bowl, mix together goat cheese, fresh sage, and warm/ cool mushroom mixture.
   
4. In a small bowl, whip egg white and 1 tsp of water until frothy.
   
5. On a dry cutting board, spread out some wontons. (I did 6 at a time.) Brush the facing side of the wrapper with the egg white mixture and then place a small dollop of the mushroom filling in the middle. Depending on the size of your wonton wrappers, this can be as little as 1/2 tsp and as much as 1 Tbsp. I used about 1 tsp. per ravioli.
   
6. Fold the wonton in half, gently squeezing out any air and sealing the wet sides together. If desired, press the sides together on one side and then flip the ravioli and repeat on the other side. I did this to make them more symmetrical, but it is not necessary. Also, because my raviolis had an excess of pasta along the corners due to the rectangular shape of the wrappers, I sliced off the corner, creating a rounded crescent shape. This again is optional.
   
7. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a gentle boil. Carefully drop in the raviolis, using either a slotted spoon or wire ladle. You can also drop them in manually, but beware of splashing, scalding water!
   
8. Cook pasta about 3-5 minutes until wontons become somewhat translucent and the raviolis float. Drain in a colander and serve hot with a light sauce.

Browned Butter Sage Sauce
Inspired by recipes from FoodNetwork.com

• 3-4 Tbsp. Butter
  
• 1-2 tsp. Fresh Sage, chopped
  
• 1-2 Tbsp. White Wine

1. In the pan where mushrooms were cooked, melt the butter over medium heat and allow it to brown slightly.
   
2. Add in sage and allow it to get browned.
   
3. Splash in white wine and stir in. Serve immediately so sauce does not burn!

Dijon Pasta Salad

I went to a lovely bachelorette party (for my guest chef Dianna Lee) this weekend and had a decadent dinner of Crispy Pressed Duck, followed by a jelly donut breakfast and BK Whopper Jr. lunch. I needed something light and relatively healthy for dinner or else I thought I might explode. But after such an exciting weekend, I had no energy to put in any effort. I searched my recipe box, but nothing in the Entree section suited me. I took a chance on the random papers in the back, expecting nothing.

Surprise, surprise, I found a nice little recipe I came up with in 2002. And it fit the bill. Now I followed my recipe to a T, but next time I would double the dressing. Subsequently, the dressing recipe below is doubled!


Dijon Pasta Salad
Salad

• 1 Box of Small Pasta
  
• 1 Cucumber, quartered and sliced
  
• 2 Tomatoes, seeded and diced
  
• 1 or 2 Cans Tuna, drained

Dressing

• 5-6 Tbsp. Olive Oil
  
• 2-3 Tbsp. Sesame Oil
  
• 2 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
  
• 2 Tbsp. White Wine
  
• 1 tsp. Fresh Rosemary, chopped (or 1/2 tsp. Dried)

1. Cook pasta as directed, being sure not to overcook. You want it good and al dente. Drain and cool pasta when cooked and put into large serving bowl.
   
2. Add in sliced cucumber quarters, diced tomatoes, and flaked tuna to the pasta. Stir to mix thoroughly.
   
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Let sit for a few minutes for flavors to blend. Pour over salad and toss to coat.

Homemade Pasta and Rustic Tomato Sauce

[scene opens to a candlelit table with a rose lovingly laid in front of my pistachio Kitchen Aid] Bean, serenading mixer, "Have I told you lately... that I love you?"

Ok, so although I don't use it that often, I in fact love my Kitchen Aid. And my husband loves the pasta extruder attachment! Tonight we used our fancy kitchen power tool to make some yummy fresh pasta from scratch. It's a two man operation; he runs the machine, feeding it dough and cutting off the strands, while I separate the bits and lay them on out the damp paper towels. It's good for a laugh- very similar to the classic 'I Love Lucy' in the candy factory! But Adam did a great job making the dough- I was busy, um, being on the Nest while he got the operation running.

And of course, when having fresh pasta, you can't just slap some jar sauce on it. It's like, sacrilege or something! So while the pasta squeezed out, I simmered a quick and rustic sauce. Slap some fresh Romano cheese on there and you've got a meal. It was all quite delicious!


Fresh Pasta
Basic Egg Noodle recipe from Kitchen Aid pasta manual

• 3 Eggs
  
• Water
  
• 2 3/4 C. Flour

1. Crack the 3 eggs into a glass measuring pitcher, filling with water until you have it 3/4 C. full.
   
2. With your wonderful Kitchen Aid with dough hook attachment, put the flour into the bowl. Get the dough hook rotating on speed 2 and slowly pour in the egg/ water.
   
3. Mix for 30 seconds and then switch over to the flat mixer blade and mix on 2 for another 2 minutes until you get a thick dough when you squeeze a handful of the mixture. (It will look crumbly in the bowl.) Add more water in very small quantities if your dough does not feel elastic-y enough.
   
4. Gather up the dough and knead it by hand on a cutting board for a minute or two. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it sit for 15 minutes.
   
5. Get your pasta parts hooked up and then start extruding! If you've got this attachment, take this moment to follow the manual instructions. It works real good.
   
6. Boil up a large pot of water and dump the pasta in. It only takes about 60 seconds to cook, so be ready to drain it quickly. Moisten with oil and eat warm.

Freshly made pasta hanging out on damp paper towels


The man behind the plan (who says "Don't put me in your blog!!!!")


Rustic Tomato Sauce

• 1 28 oz. Can of Diced Tomatoes
  
• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
  
• 1 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
  
• 1 Tbsp. Red Wine
  
• 1/2 - 1 C. Sliced White Mushrooms
  
• 1 Bay Leaf, roughly chopped
  
• 2 Tbsp. Sugar
  
• Dashes of Oregano, Pepper, Salt, Garlic Powder (too lazy to chop some), and Hot Pepper Flakes

1. Put all the ingredients in a sauce pan, stir, and simmer for about 20 minutes.
   
2. Remove the bay leaf before using on fresh pasta.

Creamy Creole Shrimp & Pasta

Sometimes you just have to eat unhealthy food. I mean, who can rely on veggies and spices all the time- sometimes the old standbys of cream and butter just need to shine!!! This is one of those times. I had made this a couple of years ago and my husband Adam begged me to actually write it down. And for once I listened to him- stranger than fiction! But due to all the cream and my already expanding waistline, I haven't actually made it in forever. Adam didn't even remember it- so much for all that begging! It is delicious though, and don't be deceived, it's got a Cajun Kick!


Creamy Creole Shrimp & Pasta

• 1 Box of Small Pasta
  
• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
  
• 1-2 Tbsp. Butter
  
• 1/4 C. Green Onions, chopped
  
• 1/4 C. Red (or Orange or Yellow) Pepper, chopped
  
• 1 Plum Tomato, chopped
  
• 1 Tsp.+ Chili Powder
  
• 1/2 Tsp. Garlic Powder
  
• Dashes of Parsley, Chipotle Seasoning, Basil, and Cayenne
  
• 1/2 Lb. of more Raw Shrimp, cleaned and shelled (about 12 shrimp)
  
• 1 Small Can of Mushroom pieces, drained
  
• Splash of White Wine
  
• 1 to 1/5 C. Heavy Cream
  
• Salt & Black Pepper to taste

1. Boil a pot of water and cook pasta until al dente. When cooked, drain and return to pot, keeping warm.
   
2. In a large skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium-high heat. Saute green onions, pepper, and tomato for about 5 minutes.
   
3. Add the spices and continue to simmer over medium heat. The tomato will break down and turn into more of a sauce.
   
4. Add the shrimp and cook until mostly cooked, turning occasionally.
   
5. Add mushrooms and simmer until shrimp are completely cooked through.
   
6. Pour in the white wine, enough that the pan bottom is covered in liquid. Simmer until wine reduces some.
   
7. Pour in the cream and stir. Simmer over medium high heat until the sauce thickens. This is up to your discretion. Taste, add any salt & pepper, and then serve shrimp and sauce over the cooked pasta.

Pesto Penne

It's been a busy week at work and the weather tonight is crummy. I should have been at the grocery store right after work, but oh, I just couldn't bring myself to do it- too tired! So once I arrive home, what's a "chef" to do when the pantry is getting bare and the will to cook is lacking? Well, I made do with the good stuff I had- namely the staples of pasta, garlic, olive oil and then add in the fresh basil I bought at the store and we successfully planted!

Aside from the insane amount of delicious garlic, the best part of this recipe is that is it insanely quick! I put the water on and in the time it took to get it boiling and cook the pasta, I picked the basil, washed it, and leisurely made the pesto. Throw a little Parmesan on that bad boy and it's a gourmet delight for a lazy gourmand!


Pesto Penne

• 1 16 oz. Box Penne (or any small pasta)
  
• 1 to 1 1/2 C. Fresh Basil
  
• 1 Large Clove of Garlic
  
• 1/3 to 1/2 C. Olive Oil
  
• 1/3 C. Parmesan Cheese, finely grated
  
• 1 Tbls. Butter

1. Get a pot of water boiling. When the time comes, put the pasta in and cook it.
   
2. While things get going with the pasta, wash the basil and dry it. (A salad spinner is great for this if you have it. I love my salad spinner.)
   
3. Peel the garlic clove. I give it a good whack (with a metal tenderizer, side of a chefs knife, wooden spoon)to both remove the peel and to break it into multiple pieces.
   
4. Put the basil, garlic, and olive oil in a food processor. Pulse the ingredients to get a smooth, well chopped mixture. The key it to make sure the garlic is well broken up- no one wants giant chunks of raw garlic!
   
5. Add the pat of butter and then drizzle around 2 Tbsp. of the boiling pasta water over it to melt it a little. Pulse the pesto to break up the butter.
   
6. In a small to medium bowl, stir together the pesto mixture and the grated Parmesan cheese.
   
7. When the pasta is ready (al dente), drain it, put it back in the pot, and pour in the pesto. Mix it up and serve hot.

Now technically, pesto is supposed to have pine nuts, but I never have that on hand. Nor do I have romano cheese to add in. But I promise, this is still yummy- and garlicky!