Lamb Ragu with Pappardelle

I was having my friend Patti over for dinner last week and wanted to make something really hearty and delicious and came up with this recipe. Portland has been getting quite cold lately and I thought a really yummy pasta and meat dish was in store. I was craving lamb, so I immediately thought of a lamb ragu and then decided to go all out and make my favorite pasta from scratch as well. I hope you enjoy!

Lamb Ragu with Pappardelle

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 carrots, finely diced

1 large sweet onion, finely diced

2 celery ribs, finely diced

2 pounds ground lamb

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon chopped thyme

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup dry red wine

One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes

4 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth

1 pound pappardelle pasta

8 ounces parmesan cheese, shaved

½ bunch parsley chopped

In a large dutch oven, heat the olive oil. Add the carrot, onion and celery and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, 5 minutes. Add the lamb, coriander, cumin, rosemary and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the liquid evaporates, 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Add the wine and cook until evaporated, 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices, along with the stock and bring to a boil. Cover partially and cook over moderately low heat until the liquid is reduced by 2/3rds, 3-4 hours.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, shaking well. Add pasta to the sauce and stir to combine. Place in large serving bowls and top with shaved parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

Beef Ragu with Pappardelle

I was looking through my new Sur la Table catalog a couple weeks ago and stumbled upon the "Wild Boar Ragu Kit" which would set you back $80, yikes!!! This immediately made me curious about a two things...Can I make this with beef instead (yes), and can I make this dinner more amazing for less than $80 (yes)...which led me to this recipe. Then I realized that the "kit" didn't include the fresh veggies, wine, or stock you would actually need to make this amazing dish, adding another $20+ to your meal. Normally I don't squawk at the prices of good ingredients, but I was a little shocked that the kit had so little, at such a large price (and working for Williams Sonoma Inc...I'm used to expensive foods and such).
Ok, I'll get off my soap box now and talk about the important things, like this outstanding recipe! In my attempt at serching the interweb I found many recipes that peaked my interest, but ultimately ended up doing a little of this, and a little of that to create my own "Beef Ragu with Pappardelle." I must admit that it's a time consuming recipe, but if you enjoy puttering in the kitchen on a day off; this is the perfect Fall meal. I almost fainted mid-cooking because the aroma of the dish wafting throughout the house was completely intoxicating! I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

Beef Ragu with Pappardelle

3 Pound Beef Chuck Roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
2 Basil Leaves
2 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary
5 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
2 Sprigs Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley
2 Large Carrots, peeled & diced
2 Stalks Celery, diced
1 Onion, diced
2 Shallots, diced
1 Pound Mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 Tablespoon Flour
4 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
1 16 Ounce Can Crushed Tomatoes
1 Bottle Cabernet Wine
1/2 Head Garlic, cloves peeled and separated
4 Cups Beef Stock
1 Pound Fresh Pappardelle, or other fresh pasta
Chopped Parsley
8 Ounces Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese
8 Ounces Pecorino Romano Cheese Curls

Heat oven to 325 degrees.

Place a large 6-8 Quart Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add oil and heat until it is almost smoking. Season beef generously with salt and pepper. Working in 2 separate batches, add beef to the hot oil cook until browned on all sides. Remove from Dutch oven and transfer to a plate and set aside, continue with next batch, remove from pan.


Place rosemary, thyme, and parsley together and tie with kitchen string, set aside. Add carrots, celery, onion, shallots, and mushrooms to Dutch oven and cook over medium high heat, stirring occasioinally, until vegetables are softened and golden, about 10 minutes. Add flour and tomato paste, and stir to combine. Add wine; stir with wooden spoon until all browned bits have been scraped from the pan. Add tomatoes, garlic, beef stock, herbs, bay leaves, and galic cloves. Return meat to the Dutch oven and bring to a simer over medium-high heat. Cover the dish and place in the oven. Cook until beef is tender, about 3 hours.


Place the Dutch oven on the stove top over medium heat and simmer until reduced by half and thickened. Using a wooden spoon press the meat against the side of the pot to break up into shredded pieces. Remove the herbs and bay leaves and turn to low.

Fill a large pot with water and cook pasta until just al-dente, add to ragu and stir with shredded romano cheese to combine. Serve in large bowls with chopped parsley and shaved romano cheese as a garnish.

Beef Stroganoff

For Easter this year I decided to do something a little out of the ordinary…Beef Stroganoff! I have been craving this dish for quite a while now, I saw Tyler make it on the Food Network, and my food-blogger friend Pam made a version recently, which you can read about here. I remember eating this delicious and hearty dish at my grandmother’s house growing up…I don’t know the key to her success, but it was always really good. I have experimented with several recipes, but never got it just right. I did a combination of Pam and Tyler’s recipes and it was pretty darn good. I had 6 people over for Easter lunch and everyone finished their plates, so I guess it was a success, please enjoy.

Beef Stroganoff

3 Pound Beef Chuck Roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
Flour, for coating beef
1 Large Sweet Onion (Walla Walla, or Vidalia), cut into thin strips
2 Carrots, peeled and sliced into ¼ inch-thick slices
1 Stalk Celery, cut into ¼ inch-thick slices
1 Teaspoon Salt & Pepper
¼ Cup Dry Sherry
6 Sprigs Fresh Thyme, stemmed, minced, and divided
1 Sprig Rosemary, stemmed and minced
4 Cups Beef Broth
3 Bay Leaves
1 ½ Pounds Crimini Mushrooms, sliced ¼ inch thick
1 ½ Pounds White Mushrooms, sliced ¼ inch thick
4 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
16 Ounces Sour Cream
½ Cup Parsley, minced and divided
1 Pound Egg Noodles, prepared per package instructions

Season beef with salt & pepper, then dredge in flour to coat. Coat bottom of a large dutch oven with olive oil and heat over high until just smoking, add ½ of the beef and cook until browned on all sides, remove and set aside. Add more oil to just coat bottom of pan and add remaining beef, and cook until browned on all sides, remove and set aside. Turn heat down to medium and add a little more oil if necessary to coat bottom of pan, add onion, carrots, celery, and salt & pepper and cook until onions are just soft. Deglaze the pan with the sherry, scraping the pan with a wooden spoon to bring up all browned bits. Add ½ of the thyme, the rosemary, beef broth and bay leaves, browned beef, and bring to a simmer. Cover and place in a pre-heated 300 degree oven and bake until meat is very tender and almost falling apart, about 3 hours. Remove from oven and place on stove top.
To prepare mushrooms add butter, mushrooms, remaining thyme, and ¼ cup parsley to a large sauté pan and cook over high heat until just tender. Add mushroom mixture to dutch oven along with the dijon mustard and sour cream, adjust seasoning to taste with additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve over egg noodles and garnish with remaining parsley.

Pasta Primavera

I worked a really long day last week and was starving after work. Normally I would just grab something on my way home, but I wanted to be in the kitchen and have a yummy homemade meal and came up with this light pasta dish. I just grabbed all my favorite veggies, some shrimp and fresh pasta and threw it all together. This dish is very quick to make and you can literally use any type of veggies you like. Pasta Primavera simply means Spring Veggies in Italian, so do your own thing and enjoy!

Pasta Primavera

1 Pound Large Shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 Shallots
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
8 Ounces Mushrooms, sliced
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Pound Asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
Handful Fresh Basil, chopped
Handful Fresh Parsley, chopped
1 Pound Fresh Linguini (I used half regular and half spinach linguini)
1 Cup Chicken Stock
Parmesan Cheese, for garnish

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta per the package directions until almost al dente. While pasta is cooking, drizzle a little bit of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, add shallots and garlic and cook until just tender. Next add the mushrooms, bell pepper, and asparagus, and continue cooking until almost tender. Add the basil, parsley, shrimp, pasta and chicken stock. Cook until pasta is al dente and shrimp is cooked through, just a few minutes more. Serve with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.

Stuffed Pasta Shells

I was trying to think of something different to make for dinner last night and came up with this recipe. I have been craving pasta with tomato sauce lately, but wanted something a little different from my regular linguini with tomato meat sauce, and came up with this recipe. If you want to make this a vegetarian dish, just substitute the hamburger with a pound of mushrooms, it would be just as delicious. This recipe makes a large amount of food, so make sure to invite a couple friends over to help you out, or throw a couple servings in the freezer for a rainy day.

Stuffed Pasta Shells

1 Pound Large Shell Pasta, cooked until just tender and drained
12 Ounces Fresh Spinach
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Pound Lean Ground Beef
8 Ounces Reduced Fat Cream Cheese, at room temperature
15 Ounce Container Ricotta Cheese (I use skim milk ricotta)
2 Large Eggs
½ Cup Parmesan Cheese, Shredded
1 Teaspoon Salt & Pepper
1 Cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 Jar Pasta Sauce (yes I totally cheated here!)

In a large heavy skillet over medium high heat add a tablespoon oil and spinach, sauté until wilted and add to a large mixing bowl. Next add the garlic and ground beef to the pan and cook until browned, breaking up the meat with a spoon. Drain any excess fat from the meat and add to the mixing bowl with the spinach. Next add the cream cheese, ricotta cheese, eggs, parmesan and salt & pepper, stir well to combine.
Lightly coat the bottom of a 9x12 inch baking pan with the pasta sauce. Next spoon heaping tablespoons of the filling into each shell and place into the baking dish continue until the pan is full. Pour remaining pasta sauce over the shells and sprinkle top with cheddar cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until bubbling and cheese on top is melted and golden brown. Let rest for a few minutes and serve.

Hamburger Casserole

I have been a little under the weather this week and just couldn’t make it to the store to get groceries to make dinner the other night, so I took a trip trough the pantry and the freezer and came up with this recipe. My friend Tina used to make this for me when I lived in Boise many years ago and I always enjoyed how simple and flavorful it was, so I thought it would be the perfect recipe for me while I was not feeling well, but still ravenously hungry. I don’t make many casseroles, but always enjoy them when I do because they are so easy and flavorful, I secretly think that the fifties house wives were much smarter than we are now because of their easy all-inclusive casserole recipes. Thanks Tina for this delicious and easy recipe!

Hamburger Casserole

12 Ounces Pasta, penne or egg noodles work the best
1 Pound Ground Beef
1 Small Yellow Onion, chopped
8 Ounces Cream Cheese
3 Tablespoons Sour Cream
1 15 Ounce Can Tomato Sauce
1 Teaspoon Salt & Pepper
1 Cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Cook pasta until almost al dente, drain and reserve. In a large skillet cook the hamburger and onion together until the hamburger is browned, then drain. Next mix together the pasta, ground beef & onion mixture, cream cheese, sour cream, tomato sauce, and salt & pepper until well combined. Place mixture into a medium sized casserole dish and sprinkle the top with the grated cheddar cheese. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes until bubbling and top is golden brown, let rest for a few minutes and serve.

Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce

I am still lucky to have some left over tomatoes and decided to make a version of Pam’s roasted tomato sauce that I saw on her blog a few weeks ago. Can I just tell you how amazing this sauce smelled while roasting in the oven, and then even more amazing reducing on the stove top! I used small tomatoes, that hardly had any seeds in them, so I didn’t go to the trouble of taking the seeds out, but I did remove the skins since they were a little tough. This sauce is so good on its own, and would also be great on pizza, or with some sausage or hamburger added to make it a bit more hearty. I am actually making another batch tomorrow with the rest of my tomatoes!Thanks for this delicious recipe Pam!

Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce

14 Tomatoes
1 Sweet Onion
Dried Thyme
Dried Oregano
Salt & Pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 Cloves Garlic

Start by removing the skin from the tomatoes-Cut an x in the skin at the bottom point of the tomato and then place in boiling water for about 15 seconds, then place in an ice bath to cool, skin will easily pull away from tomato, continue until all tomatoes are peeled.
Cut out stem and quarter tomatoes, place on a large rimmed baking sheet lined with foil, add onion and sprinkle generously with the thyme, oregano, salt & pepper, then drizzle with olive oil. Place in a 350 degree oven for one hour, or until tomatoes are lightly wilted and onions are lightly golden.
Process in batches in a blender or food processor until sauce is fairly smooth, pour into a large sauce pan. Add garlic an additional tablespoon thyme and oregano (or more/less to taste). Bring to a light simmer and let cook until nice and thick, about 1-1 ½ hours. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and a little bit of sugar if too acidic.

Summer Pasta Salad

I just can’t get enough fresh veggies during the summer and thought I would throw all my favorites into a pasta salad. I almost named this Ratatouille Pasta Salad but Summer Pasta Salad seemed to fit better. This is such an easy recipe to whip up for a picnic, dinner, or a barbecue, you must try it out. I usually make my more traditional pasta salad with the mayonnaise based dressing, but thought I would change it up a bit this time.

Summer Pasta Salad

1 Package Tri-Colored Rotelli Pasta, cooked, drained, and cooled
2 Yellow Summer Squash
2 Small Zucchini
1 Cucumber, peeled and seeded
4 Roma Tomatoes
1 Red & Yellow Bell Pepper, seeded
½ Red Onion
8 Ounces Fetta
1 Bottle Italian Dressing (yes I cheated a bit here)

Cut all veggies into similar sized pieces, toss with pasta, cheese, and dressing and let sit for a couple hours for the flavors to meld together. You will probably need to add more dressing before serving, the pasta soaks it up very quickly.

Linguini Carbonara

This is a recipe that I only make about once a year because I feel immediately guilty after eating it, but it’s just so darn good! I love bacon in anything and could eat it every day, and with the addition of a rich cream sauce and pasta, I’m in heaven. I usually use bacon in my Carbonara because I like the flavor so much, but you can definitely substitute prosciutto as this is the traditional meat in this dish.

Linguini Carbonara

1 Pound Bacon, cut into small pieces
2 Cups Half & Half
6 Egg Yolks
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Pepper
8 Ounces Parmesan Cheese, divided
16 Ounces Linguini, or any other pasta of your choice

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta per the instructions on the package. In the mean time brown the bacon until golden and crisp in a large skillet, remove bacon from pan and drain all but 3 tablespoons of the fat. Next add the half & half, egg yolks, salt, and pepper and heat over medium while constantly beating with a whisk. Continue cooking until sauce just starts to simmer and thicken, about 5 minutes. Next add all but a handful of the parmesan cheese and continue stirring until melted and well incorporated. Add the bacon back to the pan and the cooked pasta, toss to coat. If the sauce is too thick just add a few tablespoons pasta water. Serve with a generous serving of grated parmesan cheese over the top.

Tomato Meat Sauce

There is nothing more comforting than a rich hearty tomato meat sauce with my pasta. I had this craving the other day and whipped this dish up for a few friends that came over. It was unusually cold out so this really hit the spot. I love how easy pasta sauce is to make and it’s even better the next day for left-over’s. This is a standby for me if I need to feed a lot of people and don’t have a ton of time to cook. Feel free to add bell peppers, roasted red peppers, basil, or anything else to this sauce to make it your own!

Tomato Meat Sauce

1 Pound Ground Beef
1 Pound Ground Italian Sausage (I like to use spicy)
1 Teaspoon Salt & Pepper
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
4 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1 Large Onion, chopped
5 Stalks Celery, chopped
1 Pound Mushrooms, chopped
1 28-Ounce Can Diced Tomatoes
1 28-Ounce Can Tomato Sauce
2 Bay Leaves
Small Handful Italian Parsley, chopped

In a large stock pot, over medium high heat cook ground beef and Italian sausage with salt and pepper until browned, remove and drain grease. Next add 2 Tablespoons Olive oil, chili powder, and oregano to the pan and sauté the onion, garlic and celery until just translucent, then add mushrooms and continue to cook until mushrooms soften up a bit. Add the Meat back to the pan and the rest of the ingredients. Turn heat to a simmer and cook for at least an hour, stirring occasionally until all flavors are well blended and sauce is thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve over your favorite pasta along with a lot of freshly grated parmesan cheese and a little sprinkle of parsley.

Pesto Pasta

Pesto has such amazing flavor and a beautiful green color. I love to make my own, but this time of year it is too expensive to buy fresh basil to do so, so I used a canned pesto sauce. If you are buying a pre-made pesto sauce, just be sure it is made with basil and pine nuts, as a lot of pesto’s are made with walnuts and spinach as a filler. This is also good with a little heavy cream stirred in to make it a little more rich, but definitely not necessary. I made this for dinner the other night because I was having company over after work and didn’t have a lot of time. It literally cooks in the time that the pasta takes to boil, so it’s a good meal for during the week or for a last minute dinner party.

Pesto Pasta

1 Pound Pasta
4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into cubes
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Pound Mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 Cup Sundried Tomatoes, chopped (reconstituted dried, or oil packed)
2-8 oz Jars Pesto Sauce, or homemade
Parmesan Cheese, for serving
Oil

Cook pasta per directions on package. While pasta is cooking sauté chicken in large skillet until golden brown and just cooked through, about 5 minutes, remove and set aside. Add a little more oil to the pan add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, then add mushrooms and sauté until tender, 3-4 minutes. Next add sundried tomatoes, chicken, cooked pasta and pesto sauce, stir to combine. If sauce is too thick add a little pasta water. Serve immediately with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese on top.

Macaroni and Cheese

I apologize I haven’t been posting a lot lately, I have been working non-stop the last few weeks and haven’t hardly had time to spend in the kitchen. I think you will enjoy this comforting recipe though, it’s perfect for the dreary rainy cold days we have been having in Portland lately.

I had a friend ask me for my macaroni and cheese recipe recently and I realized that I had never made it before. My grandmother makes a killer macaroni and cheese, but I have never gotten the recipe, so I decided to venture and make my own version. That’s when I ran into the debate…white sauce or custard style, or should I do the southern version and just add Velveeta and heavy cream? I decided to go with the white sauce, what sold me on that is the fact that you are using copious amounts of butter cooked with flour, how could that not be the best base for mac & cheese?
I was very satisfied with my results and got rave reviews from my friends and co-workers as I fed everyone my left-over’s so I wouldn’t become morbidly obese by eating the entire pan of deliciousness.

Macaroni and Cheese

1 22-Ounce Bag Macaroni
1 Small Onion, finely diced
1 Stick Butter, divided
½ Cup Flour
3 ½ Cups Whole Milk, warmed up in the microwave
1 Teaspoon Garlic Salt
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Pepper
4 Cups Shredded Sharp Cheese, about one pound, divided
1 Cups Homemade Breadcrumbs (please don’t substitute store bought!)*

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Cook macaroni in boiling water until al-dente and drain, do not over-cook as it will cook more in the oven. In large sauce pan add 1 tablespoon of the butter and sauté onion over medium heat until tender, about 10 minutes. Add remaining butter and melt, then add flour and cook over medium high heat for about 1 minute or until fragrant. Add milk while whisking and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and continue to cook until thickened, five minutes or so.
Add garlic salt, salt, pepper and 3 cups of the cheese and stir until cheese is melted. Stir pasta and sauce together and place into a 9x13-inch greased baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and top with breadcrumbs. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until bubbling around the edges and top is light golden brown.

Breadcrumbs
Toast 4 slices of bread in the oven at 375-degrees until golden brown and very crisp, about 10 minutes. Break into quarters and place into the bowl of a food processer, pulse until fine crumbs form. Add a couple tablespoons butter and pulse until incorporated. That was easy right?

Pasta Salad

Pasta salad is one of my favorite things to eat. It is such an easy side dish to make and who doesn’t love pasta salad? I made this for Christmas, although it seemed strange eating pasta salad during winter, everyone absolutely loved it, I finished the rest for lunch today.

Pasta Salad

1-16 Ounce Bag Shell Pasta, cooked and cooled
2 Pounds Purple Grapes, cleaned and cut in half
6 Stalks Celery, sliced thin
½ Purple Onion, minced
2 Carrots, peeled and julienned
1 Cup Sliced Almonds
Dressing

Dressing

1 ½ Cups Mayonnaise
½ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
6 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
¼-½ Cups Sugar, Depends on how sweet you like your dressing
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Pepper

Make dressing by whisking all ingredients until well combined. Mix all ingredients and pour dressing over top, adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. You can add a shredded rotisserie chicken if desired.

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter

This is a pretty involved recipe, but well worth the effort. I usually double the recipe and freeze half the ravioli just in case I need to make a last minute dinner.

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter

1 small to medium butternut squash (about 2 1/2 pounds)
2 tablespoons dark molasses
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Ravioli dough or 3/4 pound sheet pasta purchased from local Italian delicatessen
Flour, for dusting board
4 tablespoons sweet butter
8 fresh sage leaves
2 ounces Parmesan, for grating

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Cut squash in 1/2 and scrape out seeds. Spread 1 tablespoon molasses in the cavity. Season with salt and pepper. Place on a cookie sheed and cover with foil. Cook in the oven until very soft, about 1 hour. Let cool slightly and scrape out flesh into large mixing bowl and mash with large whisk or electric mixer.
Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it begins to brown. Immediately remove from heat and add remaining 1 tablespoon molasses and all the vinegar. Add to squash with mascarpone, Parmesan, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper and mix well. The recipe can be made ahead to this point (makes 2 cups filling,) Cover well and refrigerate 4 hours or up to 2 days.
To fill the raviolis: Lay out a sheet of pasta dough on a lightly floured board. Cut into circles with a 3 1/2 inch pastry cutter. Put 1 tablespoon squash filling in the center of 1/2 the rounds using either a pastry bag or a small spoon. Leave a 1/2-inch border all around the filling. Moisten borders with water and top with remaining rounds of dough. Press all the air out and seal firmly by pressing all around with fingertips. Lay raviolis out to dry on a lightly floured board or baking sheet and lightly flour the tops. Repeat until you run out of dough and/or filling. To cook, boil in lightly salted water until tender, about 3 minutes. Reserve 2 ounces of the cooking water.
Uncooked, filled raviolis may be used immediately or frozen for 2 months. Lay them out on sheet pans and place in freezer until frozen. Transfer to plastic bag.

Sage Brown Butter

While raviolis are cooking, in a large saute pan, melt the butter with the sage and a pinch of salt until it foams and becomes light brown. Reserve. On medium heat toss the cooked raviolis in the sage butter then transfer to a serving platter or dishes. Add 2 ounces of the cooking water to the pan and swirl with any residual butter. Spoon the butter sauce over the raviolis, then finish with a generous grating of Parmesan.

*Recipe from Food Network, Michael Chiarello

Pasta with Spinach Pesto Sauce

I was at my friends watching Food Network and immediately had to try this recipe. I love spinach and how could a sauce made with spinach, goat cheese and cream cheese not be amazing? This would be a great dish to whip up for a last minute dinner party; it literally took 10 minutes from start to finish!

Pasta with Spinach Pesto Sauce

10 Ounce Bag Baby Spinach
2 Cloves Garlic, peeled
2 Ounces Goat Cheese, at room temperature
2 Ounces Cream Cheese, at room temperature
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Pepper
1 Pound Pasta
2 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese

Cook pasta according to directions, reserve some of the pasta water.
While pasta is cooking you can make your sauce. In bowl of food processor mince garlic. Add half of the spinach, goat cheese, cream cheese, salt and pepper and process until smooth and creamy, place in large bowl or serving dish. Roughly chop the remaining spinach and add to bowl. Drain pasta and place into bowl with the pesto sauce and stir to combine, add a little reserved pasta water if sauce it too dry. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve.

Fresh Pasta

I never make pasta without semolina flour. The dough is a little tougher to work with, but the nice bite and additional flavor more than compensate.

Fresh Pasta

1 Cup Semolina Flour
1 ½ Cups All-Purpose Flour
4 Eggs
2 Teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Add all ingredients to bowl of food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process about 30 seconds or until dough forms a ball. Knead the dough for a few minutes on a lightly floured surface. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rest for 30-45 minutes.
Process dough through pasta machine, adding additional four as necessary to make desired consistency. Cut pasta dough into desired shape.

Thai Noodles with Shrimp

I love how easy this dish is to make. You can really add any vegetables you like to make it your own recipe. I must say that the first time I heard of oyster sauce it freaked me out a little bit, what the heck is in oyster sauce, and what does it taste like? Then I got over my apprehension and was pleasantly surprised by a rich, non-fishy, almost teriyaki type of flavor. It’s now a staple ingredient in all my stir fry recipes.

Thai Noodles with Shrimp

8 Ounces Rice Noodles
1 Pound Shrimp, cleaned, shelled, and deveined
1 Carrot, julienned
1 Small Green Zucchini, julienned
6 Scallions, chopped (divided)
Sesame Oil
1 Tablespoon Sugar
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
1/2 -3/4 Cups Oyster Sauce

Bring 6-8 cups water to boil in large pot, remove from heat add rice noodles and let sit for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
In a large non-stick frying pan over medium high heat, add one teaspoon sesame oil and sauté shrimp until cooked through, 3-5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
Add another teaspoon sesame oil to pan along with carrot, zucchini and 4 of the scallions, sauté for about 2-3 minutes until slightly softened.
Add sugar, soy sauce, ½ cup oyster sauce, rice noodles, and shrimp. Sauté for 2 minutes stirring to coat the noodles completely with sauce. Add more oyster sauce if necessary. Sprinkle with remaining scallions and serve.

Zucchini Lasagna

Yet another zucchini recipe! It has been unusually cold this summer so I keep making heavy savory dishes, and this hit the spot. I took the left-overs to work and everyone loved it. I got the recipe from Williams Sonoma, but changed a few things.

Zucchini Lasagna

Olive oil for cooking
4 lb. zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1-15 ounce container ricotta cheese
3 eggs
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
5 cups milk, warmed
1 lb. lasagna noodles, cooked until just tender
1-28 ounce can crushed tomatoes (italian style or with basil is great too!)
1 lb. mozzarella cheese, shredded
Preheat an oven to 375ºF.
Butter a lasagna pan.In a large sauté pan over medium heat, warm 1 Tbs. of the olive oil. Working in batches, add the zucchini, season with salt and pepper and cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter and repeat with the remaining zucchini; set aside.
In a bowl, combine the ricotta, eggs, salt and pepper and stir to combine; set aside.
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk until smooth, then cook until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk until smooth. Cook, whisking occasionally, until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper; set aside.
Cover the bottom of the prepared lasagna pan with a layer of lasagna noodles. Spread one-third of the ricotta mixture over the noodles. Spread one-third of the tomatoes over the ricotta mixture, then top with one-third of the zucchini. Pour one-third of the sauce over the zucchini. Repeat the layering twice. Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese. Bake until the lasagna is golden and bubbling, about 50 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Serves 10 to 12.

Orzo Salad

This is one of my favorite salads and has so much flavor. This recipe makes a huge bowl full, so it's a great side dish if you are having a lot of people over. I just had 10 people over for dinner the other night and still had plenty left over. It's also great as a meal on it's own.

Orzo Salad

1 Pound Orzo Pasta
3 Bell Peppers, sliced into thin strips (I like to use red, yellow, and orange for color)
1 Small Red Onion, sliced into thin strips
1 Cucumber, sliced into ¼ inch pieces
4 Plum Tomatoes, cut into ½ inch pieces
Handful Baby Spinach Leaves
8 Ounces Feta Cheese, crumbled
1 Bottle Greek Feta Salad Dressing (I like to use Girard’s)

Cook pasta according to manufactures directions, then drain in colander and run cold water over pasta until completely cooled. In large bowl mix all ingredients and until well blended. This recipe works best if the dressing is mixed in just before serving, as it will soak up all the dressing as it sits.