Pasta with Goat Cheese and Roasted Asparagus

I just saw this recipe in the new Everyday Food cookbook Fresh Flavor Fast. I love goat cheese and asparagus, so I knew I would have to make this dish. It was a perfect spring dish that came together quickly.

Pasta with Goat Cheese and Roasted Asparagus
from Fresh Flavor Fast from Everyday Food

2 bunches asparagus (2 pounds), tough ends removed
5 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
salt and pepper
12 oz cavatappi or other short pasta
5 oz fresh goat cheese, crumbled
2 to 3 tablespoons snipped fresh chives, for garnish (omitted)
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (added)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Place asparagus on large baking sheet.
Dot with 2 tbsp butter and season with salt and pepper.
Roast until tender, tossing occasionally, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and cut into 2 inch pieces.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Cook pasta until al dente according to package directions.
Reserve 1 & 1/2 cups of pasta water, drain pasta, and return to pot.
In a bowl, combine goat cheese, remaining 3 tbsp butter, red pepper flakes, and 1/2 cup pasta water.
Season with salt and pepper, and whisk until smooth.
Add goat cheese mixture and asparagus to pot, toss with pasta to combine.
Add pasta water to create a thin sauce to coat pasta.
Serve in shallow bowls and garnish with chives.

Lemon Pepper Shrimp Scampi

This recipe is from my summer cooking group. The theme for the summer is light and healthy dishes. I used this dish to throw together a quick dinner for 11 people. This was a very fast meal to put together, and was enjoyed by all. I was in such a hurry that I just looked at the ingredients and didn't measure anything. I also tripled the recipe to make sure we had enough for 11 people. I will post the original recipe even though I improvised.


Lemon Pepper Shrimp Scampi
from Cooking Light

• 1 cup uncooked orzo
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 7 teaspoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp
• 2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Cook orzo according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. Place orzo in a medium bowl. Stir in parsley and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cover and keep warm.

2. While orzo cooks, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle shrimp with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add half of shrimp to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until almost done. Transfer shrimp to a plate. Melt 1 teaspoon butter in pan. Add remaining shrimp to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until almost done. Transfer to plate.

3. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in pan. Add garlic to pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in shrimp, juice, and pepper; cook 1 minute or until shrimp are done.

Fennel-Pepper Spaghetti

This recipe was my pick for our cooking group. It is a quick meatless meal that can be vegetarian if you use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock. The fennel in the dish made me think of sausage. The dish tasted like sausage, peppers, and onions.

Fennel-Pepper Spaghetti
from the Rachael Ray Show
http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/fennel-pepper-spaghetti/

• Salt
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 1/4 cup EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 1 red onion, quartered then sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, quartered lengthwise, seeded and sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, quartered lengthwise, seeded and sliced
• 1 cubanelle pepper, quartered lengthwise, seeded and sliced
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 28-ounce can crushed or whole tomatoes, such as San Marzano
• Ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup basil, chopped
• 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Yields: 4 servings

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Preparation

Place a large pot of water over high heat to boil the pasta. When the water reaches a boil, add some salt and drop in the pasta. Cook to al dente according to package directions and drain. Return pasta to the pot it was cooked in and reserve.

While the pasta is cooking, place a large skillet over medium-high heat with 4 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 1/4 cup. Add garlic and fennel seeds to the pan while you cut the rest of the vegetables. Add in the onion, peppers and red pepper flakes to the pan and cook until the veggies are tender, 6-7 minutes.

Add the chicken stock and tomatoes to the pan (if using whole tomatoes, break them up using a wooden spoon or potato masher). Bring the sauce up to a bubble, season with salt and pepper and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the basil and parsley.

Toss the butter and cheese with the cooked pasta, then add the tomato sauce and toss well to combine.

Macaroni and Cheese

Mac and cheese is one of my favorite comfort foods!! Every winter I make macaroni and cheese at least twice to get us through the cold dreary climate in Ohio. This is a quick stove top mac and cheese that goes into the oven for about 15 minutes for a nice crust on top.

Macaroni and Cheese
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
3 cups skim milk, heated
6 oz mild shredded cheddar cheese
6 oz sharp shredded cheddar cheese
4 oz 6 cheese Italian blend (mozz, provolone, Asiago, Fontina, & Romano)
16 oz elbow macaroni
pinch of cayenne pepper
pinch of nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions.
Heat oil and butter in dutch oven until melted.
Stir in flour and let cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
Heat the milk until warm.
Whisk the milk into the flour mixture.
Bring milk to a boil and cook for 4-5 minutes until sauce thickens.
Add cayenne pepper, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Add cheddar cheeses, and Italian cheese mixture until melted.
Drain the pasta well, and add to the cheese sauce.
Pour macaroni into a 9x13 baking dish, and sprinkle with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes until the top gets slightly brown.

Penne with Chicken, Artichokes, and Peppers

This is a pasta dish that I used to make all the time, but I had forgotten about it. It is quick and easy for a weeknight and makes great leftover for lunch the next day.

Penne with Chicken, Artichokes, and Peppers

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
1 lb penne noodles
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 red onion
3 cloves garlic
14oz can artichokes hearts
12oz jar roasted red peppers
1 & 1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat 1 tbsp oil in skillet on medium high.
Dice chicken into 1 inch chunks and saute for about 5 minutes and set aside.
Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in same skillet.
Dice onion and mince garlic and add to skillet.
Saute for 3-4 minutes.
Drain red peppers, dice and add to skillet.
Saute for 1 minute.
Add chicken broth to skillet and cook for 2 minutes.
Add pasta, chicken, salt, and pepper and cook for 2 more minutes.
Remove from heat and add cheese.

Spaghetti Carbonara

I was in need of quick dinner option to make on an evening when I had to work late. This meal can be made in 15 minutes. I had made carbonara before, but made a few adjustments to make the sauce creamier.

Spaghetti Carbonara

1 lb spaghetti

1 clove garlic

1/4 red onion

8 slices turkey bacon

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp black pepper

1 cup Parmesan Reggiano cheese

4 eggs

Cook spaghetti according to package directions.
Finely dice onion and garlic and add to a skillet on medium heat.
Chop bacon and add to onion.
Saute for 5-6 minutes until the bacon is slightly crispy.
In a large bowl combine eggs, cheese, pepper, and milk and whisk until combined.
As soon as the pasta is done, drain and add to the egg mixture.
Stir bacon and onions into the pasta and serve.

Lasagna

It has been so long since I updated my blog (might have something to do with the fact that I haven't cooked in weeks-no joke). My husband and I went on a great vacation to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and I haven't felt up to cooking since we returned. Somehow I managed to get sick, but my husband was fine (I must not have drank enough beer!).

I am working evenings this week and on call, so I wanted to have something that my husband could heat up and eat before I got home. A nice big tray of lasagna fit perfectly. I used a recipe on the back of the Barilla no boil noodles.

Lasagna

from Barilla

1 9 oz package no boil Barilla lasagna noodles

2 eggs

15oz ricotta cheese (used part skim)

4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (only used 3 cups)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (used Pecorino Romano)

1 lb Italian sausage

2 jars spaghetti sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Spray 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray.

In medium bowl mix eggs, ricotta, Romano, and 1 cup mozzarella cheese.

Brown sausage in skillet until cooked through, and drain any excess grease.

Spread 1 cup of pasta sauce in pan.

Layer 4 uncooked pasta sheets (overlapping if needed), 1/3 ricotta mixture, half of meat, 1 cup mozzarella, and 1 cup sauce.

Layer 4 sheets pasta, 1/3 ricotta mixture, and 1 & 1/2 cup sauce.

Layer 4 more sheets, the remaining ricotta, the remaining meat, and 1 cup of sauce.

Layer 4 more sheets, the remaining sauce, and 1 cup mozzarella.

Cover with foil and bake for 55 minutes.

Remove foil and bake for 10 more minutes.

Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.

Spaghetti Carbonara

This week it as my turn to pick a recipe for my cooking group. I have always wanted to make spaghetti carbonara. I have enjoyed it in restaurants, but have always been afraid of making it at home for some reason. I chose a recipe from the "bible of Italian cooking". The cookbook is The Silver Spoon. It is such a great reference for cooking Italian dishes. The carbonara turned out great. It was a quick and easy weeknight meal. I served it with grilled chicken.

Spaghetti Carbonara

from The Silver Spoon

Serves 4

2 tbsp butter

1/2 cup pancetta, diced

1 clove garlic

12 oz spaghetti

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

1/2 cup romano cheese, freshly grated

salt and pepper

1/4 cup pasta cooking water

Melt the butter in a pan, add the pancetta and garlic and cook until the garlic turns brown.

Remove and discard the garlic.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pan of salted boiling water until al dente, then drain and add to the pancetta.

Remove the pan from the heat, pour in the eggs, add half the cheese and salt and pepper.

Mix well so that the egg coats the pasta.

Add the remaining cheese and 1/4 cup pasta cooking water, and mix again and serve.

Shrimp Lemon Pepper Linguine and Chateau Ste Michelle Riesling

This is another recipe from my cooking group. This pasta dish turned out great. It had such a nice lemon flavor that was perfect for a hot summer night. I served this with a great Riesling. The wine was Chateau Ste Michelle from Columbia Valley Washington. Many Rieslings that I have tried recently have been too sweet. I felt that this wine had just a hint of sweetness, and wasn't too dry. It might become my favorite summer wine. It's also great that it was inexpensive!!

The pasta dish was from allrecipes.com. My changes are in blue.

For the wine in the dish I used a Pinot Grigio.

Shrimp Lemon Pepper Linguine

1 (8 ounce) package linguine pasta (used 16oz)
1 tablespoon olive oil (2 tbsp)
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth (1 cup)
1/4 cup white wine (1/2 cup Pinot Grigio)
1 lemon, juiced (1 & 1/2)
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (1tsp)
salt to taste
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper (3 tsp)
1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup butter (1/2 cup)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (4tbsp)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil (used dried)

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add linguine, and cook for 9 to 13 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, and saute garlic about 1 minute. Mix in chicken broth, wine, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat, and simmer until liquid is reduced by about 1/2.
Mix shrimp, butter, parsley, and basil into the saucepan. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, until shrimp is opaque. Stir in the cooked linguine, and continue cooking 2 minutes, until well coated.

Turkey Sausage & Arugula Pasta

This is another recipe from my cooking group Weekend Wizards. I really liked this pasta dish. It was from Eating Well. Here is the original recipe with my changes noted.

I have submitted this recipe to Presto Pasta Nights at http://www.prestopastanights.com/

Turkey Sausage & Arugula Pasta

12 oz whole-wheat short pasta (I used 13 oz Rotini)
8 oz hot Italian turkey sausage links, removed from casings (I used 19 oz package)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
8 cups arugula, or baby spinach (I used 5 oz arugula)
2 cups halved cherry tomatoes (used grape tomatoes)
1/2 cup finely shredded Pecorino Romano or Parmesean cheese, plus more to taste
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (I omitted this)


Cook pasta according to pasta directions (mine was 14 minutes).
Keep 1/2 cup pasta water.
Cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until cooked for about 7 minutes. (I drained most of the grease).
Stir in garlic, tomatoes, and arugula and cook for about 3 minutes.
Whisk together the cheese, salt, and pepper with 1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water.
Toss mixture with pasta and sausage mixture.
Sprinkle with additional cheese and serve.

Crab and Shirmp Pasta

I had some leftover imitation crab to use up from making sushi. I added it to my standard garlic shrimp pasta that we have at least twice a month.

Crab and Shrimp Pasta

1 lb spaghetti
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp butter
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbsp tuscan spice blend
3/4 of package of imitation crab meat
1 lb shrimp
Pecorino Romano cheese to garnish


Prepare pasta as directed on package.
Add oil and butter to large saute pan.
Finely dice garlic, and add with red pepper flakes and spice blend.
Saute for 2-3 minutes.
Dice the crab and add with shrimp to saute pan.
Cook until the shrimp turn pink and curl up looking like the shape of a C.
Drain pasta and add to saute pan.
Combine pasta and sauce.
Serve with freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese.

Cold Sesame Noodles

These noodles turned out way too rich to eat very much at a time, but that didn't stop my husband and I from finishing off the leftovers another day. Next time I will cut down on some of the peanut butter. This recipe was based off of one by Tyler Florence, but I added and changed things to make it faster and with the ingredients I had on hand.

Cold Sesame Noodles

1 lb cooked spaghetti
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp ginger powder
2 cloves of garlic, mashed
2 tsp chili sauce
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
6 tbsp hot water
cucumber slices for garnish

Combine oil, ginger, garlic, chili sauce, peanut butter, vinegar, and soy sauce and microwave for about 30 seconds to loosen up peanut butter. Mix until combined. Toss with cooked pasta, and hot water. Garnish with cucumber slices.

I served this with a grilled chicken breast.

Couscous with Grilled Vegetables

I wanted to use up some grilled vegetables, and thought adding them to couscous would be a good idea. It just turned out dry and boring. I tried adding balsamic vinaigrette, but it didn't help much. Any ideas??? Thanks!


Couscous with Grilled Vegetables

1 medium vidalia onion
1 red bell pepper
1 zucchini
2 summer squash
1 box plain couscous
olive oil
salt, pepper
balsamic vinaigrette

Preheat grill to medium high. Wash all vegetables, and cut into large pieces so they don't fall through the grill. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Grill for about 4 minutes per side. Meanwhile cook couscous according to package directions (boil water, remove from heat, add couscous, cover and let set for 5 minutes). When couscous is done, combine with diced grilled vegetables. I then added some more olive oil, and the balsamic vinaigrette to liven it up, but it was still blah.

Rigatoni with Cannellini Beans & Spinach

I wanted to try to use up some of the items I have in my pantry. This dish was a great way to use up some items that I keep meaning to use, but never make it on a menu.

Rigatoni with Cannellini Beans & Spinach
Source:ME

1 lb rigatoni
2 shallots, minced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 tsp tuscan spice blend
1/2 lb fresh spinach
15 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 roma tomatoes, diced
pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions. Saute shallots, garlic, red pepper flakes, and spice blend in oil for 2-3 minutes. Add beans, spinach, and 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid. When pasta is done, add back into pan with diced tomato. Toss and serve.

Valentine's Day

I forgot to take any pictures of the appetizers and main course of the meal.

My husband brought me a beautiful boquet of flowers. This was the best lasagna I have ever had. It has a mixture of sausage and beef that I think made it work.

Menu

Roasted red pepper and tomato bruschetta

Romaine salad

Garlic mozzarella cheese bread

Lasagna

2003 Lemelson Vineyard Thea's Selection Pinot Noir

Red Velvet Cake

Korbel Rouge Champagne

The bruschetta was sliced and toasted Itailan bread. Out of the oven I rubbed it with a garlic clove. It was topped with diced tomato and roasted red pepper and mozzarella cheese and placed back in the oven to melt the cheese.

The salad was nothing special just bagged salad and bottled dressing.

The rest of the Italian bread was toasted and rubbed with a garlic clove, then topped with mozzarella chesse. It was placed back in the oven to melt the cheese.

Lasagna

1 box lasagna noodles

1 lb spicy Italian turkey sausage

1 lb lean ground beef

30 oz ricotta cheese

16 oz mozzarella cheese

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 eggs

2 jars pasta sauce

olive oil

Preaheat oven to 350. Cook pasta according to package directions. Remove sausage from casing and brown with ground beef until cooked. Drain any excess grease from meat. Drain noodles and sprinkle with olive oil to prevent them from sticking together. Mix eggs, ricotta cheese, and parmesan cheese together. Add pasta sauce to meat mixture. Into a 9 x 13 dish begin the layering process starting with a layer of sauce. Next layer noodles, then ricotta cheese mixture, then meat mixture, then mozzarella cheese. Repeat until only noodles remain on top, then cover with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake covered in aluminum foil for 35 minutes, then remove foil and cook another 30 minutes.

The red velvet cake was going to be made from scratch, but I didn't realize it called for cake flour. I made it from a box (sorry WC girls), and I used store bought cream cheese frosting.

The champagne came from a vacation we took to the Napa Valley. We did a champagne tasting at Korbel. We brought back this wonderful Rouge Champagne. It had a great deep red color, and was the best tasting champagne I have ever had. It was full bodied like a wine, but still crisp and bubbly like a champagne.

Baked Pasta with Spicy Sausage

It has been cold here in Ohio, and I was craving some nice comfort food. I threw together this baked ziti recipe, and it really hit the spot.

1 lb medium shell pasta

1 lb spicy italian turkey sausage

15 oz ricotta cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 jar pasta sauce (I used a tomato basil variety)

Cook pasta accorining to package directions. I went a couple minutes shorter because I knew it would be going into the oven. Remove sausage from casing and saute until cooked through. Drain any excess grease off sausage. Add pasta sauce to sausage until warm. Drain pasta and mix with ricotta cheese. Combine sausage mixture and pasta. Place into 9 x 13 dish and cover with the mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 about 20 minutes until cheese on top melts and gets bubbly.

Caprese Salad and Summer Shrimp Pasta

I still have plenty of nice tomatoes to use up, so I created this meal to use some of the ingredients that I had purchased for other meals this week.

Caprese Salad

2 beefsteak tomatoes (sliced)

4 slices of fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese

8 fresh basil leaves

extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

Layer tomato, mozzarella, then basil and repeat until finished. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

This was SO GOOD! My husband kept looking at mine, to see if I was going to finish what I had!!!

Summer Shrimp Pasta

1 lb peeled, deveined shrimp

4 slices lemon

3 cloves of garlic

3 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

salt pepper

1 lb spaghetti

2 tsp butter

2 roma tomatoes

handful of fresh basil leaves

grated Parmesan cheese

Marinade shrimp with lemon, 1 tsp olive oil, and 3 minced cloves of garlic for 30 minutes. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile saute shrimp mixture over medium heat with 2 tsp olive oil, 2 tsp butter, and red pepper flakes for approx 5 min (depends on the size of shrimp). Just until the shrimp turn pink. Dice the tomatoes and add to shrimp. Also add basil leaves (you can tear the leaves or julienne them). Grate 1/2 cup cheese and add to the mixture. Combine shrimp, tomato mixture and toss with pasta.

Mac & Cheese

I made this mac & cheese to take to a potluck lunch at work. We don't have an oven to heat anything up, so I will put it in my crockpot to stay warm until lunchtime!!

Ingredients
1 tbsp EVOO
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
3 cups skim milk, heated
4 oz mild shredded cheddar cheese
4 oz sharp shredded cheddar cheese
8 oz 6 cheese Italian blend (mozz, provolone, Asiago, Fontina, & Romano)
16 oz elbow macaroni
pinch of cayenne pepper
pinch of nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook macaroni according to package directions and drain well.
In a saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Whisk in flour and cook the mixture for 3 min. Whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in spices and cheeses and cook until melted. Combine cheese mixture and macaroni.