Penne Alla Vodka

It's anybody's guess whether this dish is really Italian or not. Some claim the dish was invented at Dante's, a restaurant in Bologna, Italy. Luigi Franzese, a chef at New York's Orsini restaurant in the 1970s is also sometimes credited. But other sources relate that a certain James Doty, a graduate of Colombia University, was the originator.
While its origins are murky, the flavor is not.
I've never seen it on a menu in Italy, but it's certainly ubiquitous here in the states and for good reason -- it tastes delicious.
It's also perfect for the home cook owing to its ease of preparation. The whole dish comes together in less than 30 minutes.
It's also perfect for those of you thinking of meatless dishes to prepare for Lent.
So what are you waiting for?
Pour yourself a Bloody Mary, but set aside a little of that vodka for Penne Alla Vodka.

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Penne Alla Vodka

printable recipe here

1 lb. penne pasta

2 T. olive oil

1/2 cup minced onion

3 cloves garlic

4 cups tomato sauce (1 lb. 13 oz. can)

1/2 cup vodka

salt, pepper

red pepper flakes

1/4 cup cream

fresh basil, minced
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for the table.

Sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil until wilted. Add the tomato sauce, vodka, salt, pepper and a little of the basil, saving some whole leaves to decorate with at the end.
Cook the sauce over high heat until it starts to "sputter," then lower immediately to a simmer for about 15 minutes to a half hour, stirring occasionally.

Bring the water for the pasta to a boil, adding salt. Dump the pasta into the boiling water and cook according to package instructions.

While the pasta is cooking, stir the cream into the sauce at low heat. When the pasta is al dente, drain it from the water and add it to the pot with the sauce. (I like to take out a little sauce from the pot in case it is too much sauce for the pasta. I don't like my pasta to be "swimming" in sauce - just dressed lightly. You can always add it back in if it's not enough).
Stir the pasta into the sauce while you have it over a simmer, until the sauce is permeated through the pasta. Turn off the heat and add 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.
Serve with more grated cheese at the table.

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Vegetable Pasta in Spicy Malai Sauce

Now a days pasta is one of the comfortable food for all. A big bowl of pasta with rich creamy sauce and the addition of mixed vegetables is a perfect and easy choice for dinner. Here is a quick and delicious recipe of creamy vegetable pasta in spicy and rich thick coconut milk sauce (malai sauce).

Ingredients:

1. Pasta-1 cup
2. Butter-2 tbsp
3. Thinly chopped garlic-1 tbsp
4. Thinly chopped onion-1 
5. Chilly powder-1 tsp
6. Pepper powder-1/4 tsp
7. Cumin powder-1/4 tsp
8. Salt-to taste
9. Chopped carrot-1/4 cup
10. Green pea-1/4 cup (fresh / or cooked dried)
11. All purpose flour (maida)-1 tbsp
12. Thick coconut milk- 3/4 cup
13. Chopped cilantro/ basil leaves- to garnish

Preparation:

• Cook pasta in enough boiling water by adding salt until done (8-10 minutes).
• Drain it and keep aside.
• Heat butter in a pan; add thinly chopped garlic and onion; saute for a minute.
• Add chilly powder, pepper powder and cumin powder .
• Add chopped carrots and green pea; saute 3-4 minutes.
• Then add all purpose flour and mix well on low flame for two minutes.
• Add thick coconut milk in to it and stir well.
• Cook on medium flame until the mixture starts thickening.
• When it starts thickens; add enough salt and cooked pasta in to it.
• Mix well and switch off the flame.
• Add in to serving plate, garnish on top with chopped cilantro and serve warm.

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Baked Ravioli with a Vodka Cream Sauce

Any kind of creamy vodka sauce is always a good thing in our house. I thought this recipe would be a great and easy twist. Plus it made a huge pan of pasta and that meant leftovers for lunch for a few days, another great bonus! This recipe was adapted from Butter Your Biscuit.

1/4 cup butter
5 cloves garlic (minced)
1 medium onion (diced)
1 cup vodka
2 (28oz) cans tomato sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 cup heavy cream
48oz frozen cheese ravioli
2 cups mozzarella cheese


In a large pot melt the butter. Add the onions and saute for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the vodka and let simmer until it reduces by half, about 6-7 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, sugar, salt, pepper, oregano and red pepper flakes. Let simmer for 15 minutes.  Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the ravioli according to the packaging. Drain the pasta and layer in a greased 9x13 dish. Whisk the cream and basil into the vodka sauce and let cook for 5 minutes. Pour the sauce over the ravioli. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes.

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Recipe: Mango Chicken Pasta Salad

Everyone loves convenience meals (especially from Woolworths) but they are DAMN pricey and full of hidden fats and sugar. One of my favs is their mango chicken pasta so I've re-created a (slightly) healthier version at home. This recipe makes one perfect single serving, enjoy! :)

Woolies Copycat Mango Chicken Pasta Salad with sweet curry dressing

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw wholewheat pasta
• 1/2 cup cooked chicken, diced
• 1/2 cup mango, diced
• 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
• 1 tbs pumpkin seeds

For the dressing:

• 2 tbs fat free yogurt
• 1 tbs mayonnaise
• 1 tsp apricot jam
• 1/2 tsp garlic, crushed
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• salt and pepper
• squeeze of lemon juice
  
  
  Method:

1. Cook the pasta according to packet instructions then set aside.
2. Whisk together all the dressing ingredients and mix with pasta once cooled.
3. Mix in remaining ingredients. I served mine alongside rocket and broccoli.

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Christmas Snowflake Pasta

During a recent visit to Williams-Sonoma, I spotted bags filled with this snowflake (fiochi di neve) pasta and knew it would be perfect for this holiday season.
  I have a weakness for pasta shapes, and there are always at least five or six different kinds in my cabinet.
There are umpteen ways you could dress this pasta, but I thought it deserved a festive red and green treatment with Christmas just around the corner. Using just what I had in the fridge and freezer (part of a red pepper, half a bag of peas, some ricotta and parmesan cheese), dinner was on the table in the time it took to boil the pasta.
Of course, you can make this recipe with any pasta shape, but the snowflakes are just so apropos for this time of year. If you do use this snowflake pasta, with this recipe or any other (click here to buy it) take a photo and email it to me. I'd love to see your creation.
Buon Natale!

Christmas Snowflake Pasta
printable recipe here
makes two very generous portions

8 ounces (half a bag) snowflake pasta (available from Williams Sonoma)
1/2 to 3/4 of a red pepper (about 1/2 cup), diced
about 3/4 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
salt, pepper to taste
red pepper flakes (optional)
pasta water
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
minced parsley

Cook the pasta in salted, boiling water until almost done. It will cook a little longer in the sauce. While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce. Sauté the onion and pepper at low to medium heat in the olive oil until softened. Add the frozen peas and stir. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and red pepper flakes, if desired.
Using a slotted spoon or "spider" tool, drain the pasta right into the pan with the peas and red peppers. It's ok if some of the pasta water gets into the pan too. In fact, you'll need to reserve about a cup of the pasta water for this recipe. You may not use all the water - maybe only half of it - but it's good to have it on hand.
After draining the pasta into the red peppers and peas mixture, add spoonfuls of the ricotta cheese and some of the reserved pasta water. Stir and blend everything together. You want it to be moist, not dry, and you may need to add more pasta water as the pasta continues to absorb it. Keep stirring in the rest of the ricotta and pasta water (at low heat)  until you have the desired consistency - not soupy, but not dry either). Turn off the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese, leaving some to serve at the table. Sprinkle with a little minced parsley and serve.

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Cheesy Chicken Lasagna

I put this on them menu because I thought it sounded different and interesting. Then I made it and everyone freaked out over it. It really was so good and different but not so different that my little ones wouldn't eat it. My son took the leftover to school the next two days because he loved it so much. This recipe is adapted from Food Lovin Family.

4 cups finely shredded cooked chicken
2 (8oz) containers chive and onion cream cheese
1 package frozen spinach (thawed and drained
1 tsp garlic salt
1 jar pasta sauce (best to use a red sauce with cheese like parmesan red sauce)
4 cups mozzarella cheese
12 lasagna noodles (cooked according to packaging)

Heat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with baking spray. In a bowl combine the chicken, cream cheese, spinach and garlic salt. Place 1/3 of the sauce in the bottom of the baking dish, top with 4 noodles, 1/3 of the chicken  mixture and 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat two more times ending with the mozzarella layer.  Cover and bake for 40 minutes then uncover and bake for 15 more minutes. Remove and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

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Soy Milk and Whole Wheat Pasta

Last week I made a creamy mushroom pasta with...

Soy milk
Whole wheat pasta
NO butter

Who am I even?!

I never ever thought I'd be that person. I used to love that incredible velvety richness of full fat cream. Recently I've noticed that dairy products aren't agreeing with my body. Maybe they never did. Maybe I'm only noticing now because I'm more aware of what I put in my body.

When I first tasted whole wheat pasta, I loooaaathed the taste. In my eyes, nothing could replace that soft, delicate white linguine. However, in an effort to eat cleaner this year, I decided to ween myself off the white stuff. When I made pasta, I mixed a little whole wheat in with the white noodles. Each time, I added more and more whole wheat... and now I barely notice the difference. For anyone trying to get more fibre in your diet, this is the way to do it. Don't go cold turkey - make the change slowly and it'll stick.

I've never been a fan of brown rice either... challenge accepted :)

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Pasta con le Sarde

I had the pleasure of joining my cousin in Italy again, this time on a 9 day trip to Sicily.  We started in Palermo and made our way in a counter-clockwise tour of the island.  One of my favorite stops was the geological formation known as Scala dei Turchi just to the west of Agrigento.

It looks like a milky-white set of steps rising out of the Mediterranean Sea, and it's completely free to explore.  While I'm really glad I was able to climb it, I do hope that one day soon the government will decide to protect the area since it will likely become quite damaged from all the human activity.  For more pictures of the trip, check out my Instagram feed.

One of my other favorite stops was the UNESCO world heritage Baroque town of Ragusa.  Not only is it absolutely lovely, it has some of the best restaurants on the island including the 2 Michelin-starred Ristorante Duomo.  We were able to have a 7 course lunch there for only 45 euros (that's like $50 with the recent exchange rate)!

The pasta course was their take on a traditional Sicilian dish:  pasta con le sarde.  From what I remember the waiter saying, they used homemade saffron spaghetti with olive oil poached sardines and bread crumbs with wild fennel.  The version I made uses dry spaghetti from a box and canned sardines, but it's still pretty good, especially if you like sardines.

Pasta con le Sarde (adapted from The New York Times Cooking)
serves 2

1/4 cup raisins
A pinch of red pepper flakes
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup olive oil plus 3 tablespoons
1 small fennel bulb, finely chopped, fronds chopped and reserved
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
2 cans sardines in oil
1/2 pound spaghetti or bucatini
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Combine the raisins, red pepper flakes, and wine in a small bowl and set aside.

In a heavy skillet, heat 1/4 cup of olive oil over medium-low heat.  When hot, add the fennel bulb, onion, and garlic.  Season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fennel is tender, about 25 minutes.

In the meantime, melt the butter in a small pan and add 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Add the bread crumbs and cook until golden brown.  Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

When the fennel mixture is ready, add the wine mixture and sardines, breaking them into pieces.  Bring to a boil and gently simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the instructions on the box until al dente.  Strain and return the pasta to the pot set over low heat.  Fold in the fennel-sardine mixture.  Toss in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Add 3/4 of the fennel fronts, the pine nuts, capers, and 1/4 of the bread crumbs.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide the pasta among two plates and sprinkle the remaining bread crumbs and fennel fronds over each.  Serve immediately.

Next:  Mini Homemade Pretzel Dogs
Previously:  Garlic Naan
Last Year:  Cleveland Cassata Cake (Bonus:  In a Jar!)
Two Years Ago:  Backyard Mint Ice Cream with Dark Chocolate Freckles
Five Years Ago:  Coconut Lime Sorbet
Six Years Ago:  Curried Carrot Soup

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Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Shells

This isn't the best picture, it's a picture of the leftovers.  But, I must say, these are just as good the next day.  I made these during the holidays for family and then again for friends this last weekend.  This recipe is a keeper!  I love the cheese filling with spinach, mushrooms, garlic and roasted red peppers. It's packed with flavors I love. The recipe makes two pans (about 50 shells) so it will feed a crowd.  You can always freeze a pan or cut the recipe in half.  

The recipe comes from Tina at Epicuricloud.com.  Check out her blog and recipes, she's one amazing cook!  Also, check out her recipe here as she has step by step instructions with beautiful pictures. 

Tina's recipe is vegetarian and I'm sure it's delicious as is but I made a few changes.  I added Italian Sausage to the marinara sauce,  I used 1/2 ricotta and 1/2 cottage cheese just because my Mom always used cottage cheese in her filling and that's how I like it and I also used more sauce and cheese but that's about it.  Here's the recipe with a few of my changes.  

Makes about 50 stuffed shells- 2 (9" x 13" x 2" inch baking dishes)  - about 12 servings                                                                                                     

INGREDIENTS:

1 (16-ounce) pkg. ground Italian sausage

This is my favorite brand of Italian Sausage

3 (24-ounce) jars marinara sauce, divided -( use one jar to put on         the bottom of the pans before you layer in the stuffed shells)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 sweet onion, chopped

8-ounces crimini (baby bella) mushrooms, diced

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 (12-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained & chopped

2 (10-ounce) boxes frozen chopped spinach, thawed & squeezed dry 

1 (16-ounce) container ricotta cheese

1 (16-ounce) container cottage cheese

3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

2 egg

3 cups mozzarella, shredded & divided

1 1/2 (12-ounce) boxes jumbo shells pasta (You'll only need about 50 shells)

salt & water for boiling pasta

DIRECTIONS: 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.


Heat a large pot of salted water to boil for pasta.
In a large pot brown sausage.  Drain grease and add back to pot.  Add 2 jars of sauce and cook 10 minutes.  Set aside.

Add oil to large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and sauté 3 minutes until softened. Add mushrooms, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to pan.  Cook, stirring frequently, for about 8 minutes or until softened.  Add  roasted red peppers, spinach and stir until well combined.  Turn off heat and allow to cool a bit.

Cook your pasta 2 minutes less than package instructions as they will cook more in the oven.  

Drain your pasta and pour onto a greased rimmed baking sheet to cool.

In large bowl (also mixes well in stand mixer) combine ricotta, cottage cheese, Parmesan, eggs and 1 cup of the mozzarella.  Stir to mix.  Stir in the spinach mixture.

Pour 1/2 of a jar of marinara sauce in bottom of  each 13" x 9" x 2" baking dishes (2) and spread evenly.

Fill each shell with about 2-3 tablespoons filling.  Arrange them in each pan in a single layer.  

Spoon sauce (with Italian sausage) evenly over filled shells and sprinkle each pan with 1 cup cheese.

Cover dish with foil.  Bake covered for about 1 hour. 

NOTES:

To Freeze: assemble, wrap well and freeze. Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight before you bake them. 

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Blueberry Pasta... say wha?!?

Last Christmas I received a pasta attachment for my KitchenAid.  I've been making all sorts of pasta egg pasta, beet pasta, spinach pasta, etc.  I wanted to make a pasta that could somehow incorporate Alaska, therefore tundra blueberry pasta.

To get this vibrant purple color you have to use tundra blueberries also called bilberries similar to huckleberries.  Blueberries from the grocery store just won't cut it.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup semolina flour
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tbs. olive oil
• 1/2 cup tundra blueberry puree
• 2 tbs. sugar
• 1 tbs. lemon juice
• dash cinnamon

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a your Kitchen aid mixer and finish off with your dough hook or used a food processor to blend all ingredients so that it forms into a solid ball.  
2. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface.
3. Roll out dough or wind through your pasta machine.
4. Cut into strips or wind through your pasta machine.
5. Cook the pasta in boiling water until al dente…it will only take 3-4 minutes if the pasta is fresh.

You can use your blueberry pasta in just about any recipe that you would use any other type of pasta.

Here I've made a dessert pasta using my blueberry pie filling recipe.

You will need cooked blueberry pasta, topped with blueberry pie filling and almond flavored whipped cream.  I finished it off by sprinkling some ground cinnamon on top.  I will admit texture was a little weird at first because I was expecting pie crust but it was yummilicious.  The kids scarfed it up.
 
For Pie Filling

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tbs. corn starch
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 cup tundra blueberries
• 1/2 teas. ground cinnamon

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, mix together the water, cornstarch, and sugar.  Add in blueberries and bring to a boil at medium heat, stirring constantly for about two minutes or until mixture is thick.  Remove from heat and stir in cinnamon.  Pour into a pint size jar and set aside.

For Whipped Cream

Ingredients:

1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbs. sugar
1/2 teas. almond extract

Directions:

Chill a medium mixing bowl and the beaters from your electric mixer.  Combine all the ingredients into your chilled mixing bowl, and use chilled beaters to beat the mixture till soft peaks form.


I had so much fun making this blueberry pasta that I even threw it in with some left over garlic shrimp.  All I did was saute some peeled an deveined shrimp with butter, minced garlic,  Johnny's garlic seasoning, dash of salt, and tossed in the pasta.  The blueberry flavor in the pasta is a bit mild so that this pasta could go with just about any pasta dish.  

Enjoy.

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