Tag: pasta

Penne with Cauliflower Ragu

When there’s a chill in the air I tend to crave hearty meals and pasta automatically comes to mind. One of my favorite pasta dishes is Penne with Cauliflower Ragu. I love this pasta dish because it is a simple preparation with very few ingredients (only six!). The “sauce” essentially is a delicious cooked down mixture of cauliflower, garlic, shallot and olive oil. How can that not be amazing?

Cauliflower is only just coming into its own as people explore new ways to prepare this cruciferous vegetable. It’s not uncommon to find Cauliflower Mash on a menu or to run into riced cauliflower at your local market. It’s even used to make pizza “dough”.

It’s super versatile, and it’s a surprisingly delicious addition to pasta. In fact, it’s so good, I think you will find that this pasta dish becomes a staple in your house — as it has in mine. It’s frequently on the menu – especially as the cold weather sets in and all I want to do is make a simple pasta dinner.

Penne with Cauliflower Ragu
Serves 6

Ingredients:

2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic (sliced thin)
2 shallots
1 head of cauliflower, cut into bite sized pieces
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of red pepper
1 cup of reserved pasta water
1 pound of penne pasta (whole wheat, brown rice, whatever works with your diet)
grated parmiggiano-reggiano

Directions:

Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the base of a heavy pan over medium heat. Let the oil come to temperature and add the garlic and shallots. Cook until soft (7-10 minutes) and then add the cauliflower, season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook on medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes. I like to get some good color on the cauliflower at this point. Then reduce the heat to low and cook for another 15-20 minutes until the cauliflower softens.

In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water an add to the cauliflower mixture (this helps to create the ragu). Combine the pasta and cauliflower mixture — along with another 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil (more olive oil helps bring it together but is not necessary). Top with grated parmiggiano cheese. Serve immediately.

October 28, 2016
Recipe on the Go: Arugula Pesto

If you are like us, you are always on the go! Whether you are a working mom or a stay-at-home mom, you are all too familiar with having no time to spare. Being able to rely on quick and nutritious recipes are key (especially if you can make them ahead of time!). That being said, we are here to help.

I want to share one of my favorite on the go meals. It’s Arugula Pesto.

I’m a big fan of pesto. You can make it many ways — with different greens (maybe fresh spinach?) and herbs (think basil, parsley) and nuts and cheeses. I like arugula. I prefer the taste, and I can also always find a pre-washed bag of arugula in the grocery store, so it works for me.

Generally, pesto will involve nuts. This version does not. I actually prefer the arugula on it’s own. So, it’s super easy. Arugula, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and parmigiano-reggiano cheese. That’s it.

This recipe is sufficient for one pound of pasta — any kind your heart desires — and, in a pinch you have a healthy pasta dinner.

Arugula Pesto
Yields approximately 1.5 cups, which is enough for a pound of pasta

4 cups of arugula (if not using pre-washed, make sure the arugula is dry)
3/4 cup of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper (plus more to taste)
3/4 cup of grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

In the bowl of a food processor, add the arugula, chopped garlic, salt and pepper. Turn the food processor on and begin to stream in the olive oil. Mix until combined. Remove mixture to a separate bowl, and fold the grated cheese into the mixture. Do not process it. The heat from the food processor may change the consistency.

Helpful Hint: You can make the pesto in advance, either keeping it in your refrigerator (up to a week) or freezing it in ice cube trays. In addition to being the perfect pasta topping, it’s also ideal for marinating meat and fish and for spreading on sandwiches.

April 14, 2015
Meatless Bolognese

Who doesn’t love a hearty bowl of pasta — especially during the winter months when comfort food is on our minds? One of my go-to comfort meals is Penne Bolognese.

Bolognese is a traditional Italian meat sauce. While my family eats meat, I was convinced I could make a meatless version of my Bolognese sauce, which would be altogether healthier, as well as something that I could share with my non-meat eating friends.

My Bolognese sauce always includes carrots, celery, onion, garlic and a large can of crushed tomatoes. However, I replaced the ground meat with baby bella mushrooms which are known for their meaty taste and texture. I individually food processed each vegetable in order to cut down on the chopping! Plus, my kids don’t like big chunks of vegetables in their pasta sauce.

Aside from the mushrooms, everything is the same. I incorporated a little cream and topped the sauce with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese — but you can skip these steps if you are not into dairy.

I used my sauce on top of whole grain pasta, and I like penne (or rigatoni which I featured in the photo) because the shape of the pasta scoops up the sauce. That being said, any pasta would work – you could even use cooked spaghetti squash or some spiralized veggies!

So, the verdict? It was da bomb! We all loved it. Even my kids! They did notice a slightly sweeter tasting sauce, but they devoured it. NO questions asked!

This recipe totally qualifies as healthy comfort food, and, as far as I’m concerned, this recipe was a success. I hope you think so too!

Meatless Bolognese
Yields one pot of sauce, enough for 1 lb of pasta

2 carrots
2 stalks of celery
1 medium onion
1 clove of garlic, crushed
10 oz of baby bella mushrooms
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup of water (or more depending on the thickness of your sauce)
1, 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
1 tablespoon of chopped basil
1/4 cup of half and half or heavy cream (optional)
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (optional)
1 lb of penne or rigatoni or any shaped pasta you like!

In the base of a food processor, chop the carrots, celery, onion. Reserve vegetables. Then, in a large pot over medium heat, add 1/4 cup of olive oil. This may seem like a lot of olive oil, but the vegetables will soak it up. Once the oil comes to temperature, add the chopped vegetables and the crushed garlic; cook until they soften 7-10 minutes. Then, add the chopped mushrooms, salt and pepper, to taste, and one bay leaf. Cook until the mushrooms soften and all of the vegetables are combined. Keep in mind that the mushrooms will release some much needed water. Once all the vegetables are softened, add the crushed tomatoes and the 1/2 cup of water or more, depending on the desired thickness of sauce. Simmer the sauce for approximately 20 minutes. If you decide to add the cream, you will do so just before dressing the pasta.

In a large pot of salted water, cook your pasta until it’s al dente. Drain the pasta and top with the Bolognese sauce. Top with the parsley, basil and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Serve and enjoy!

Helpful hints: You can use white mushrooms if you have them on hand, but I tried it both ways, and we definitely preferred the baby portobello mushroom version.

February 24, 2015
Zucchini and Summer Squash Pappardelle

This dish is amazing. It looks like pasta, and you want to believe you are eating pasta, but it doesn’t taste like pasta. It just tastes really good.

I think it’s the combination of textures — the thinly cut — almost twirl-able squash — the carmelized garlic, the nutty cheese and the herbs. Whatever it is, it’s divine.

You have probably noticed all of these nifty gadgets that cut the zucchini and other vegetables into spiral shapes that resemble spaghetti. I don’t have any of these tools, but I do have a mandolin which I used in our Shaved Fennel Salad.

In fact, this recipe is a play on one that my brother recently concocted — what he calls “Zucchini Pappardelle” — which is a flat and wide pasta shape — and totally achievable with a mandolin. I made a garlic and olive oil based sauce with some red pepper flakes and fresh herbs. If you eat dairy, you must add parmigiano-reggiano cheese to this dish.

You can also top the blanched squash with other sauces — including a fresh tomato sauce. However, I think you will really enjoy this recipe — it’s a surprisingly delicious and healthy dish that can be served alone, as an entree (along with a salad), or as a side dish with chicken or fish or anything else you may have on your table this summer. Aside from tasting great, it just looks gorgeous!

If you can’t eat pasta, or if you are looking for a new recipe for all that squash in your garden, this recipe is for you.

Enjoy!

Zucchini and Summer Squash Pappardelle with Garlic & Olive Oil
Serves 4 people

3 medium sized zucchini
3 medium sized summer squash
1/4 cup olive oil
4 large cloves of garlic
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup of shaved parmigiano-reggiano cheese
1 tablespoon chopped basil
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
salt to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

In the meantime, with a mandolin, slice the zucchini and summer squash about 1/16th of an inch thick. Blanch the zucchini for approximately one minute, or until the squash is tender. Remove the squash and submerge into ice water to stop the cooking. Drain the squash and set aside in a large serving bowl.

In a pan over medium-low heat, add the olive oil, sliced garlic and crushed red pepper. Allow the garlic to brown slowly, and once it does, turn off the heat.

Add the olive oil mixture, the chopped basil, parsley and parmigiano-reggiano over the blanched zucchini. Toss and serve.

Helpful hint: Do NOT overcook the squash during the blanching stage. It will fall completely apart when you toss it! And, do NOT burn the garlic. If you do, start over!

August 15, 2014
Summer Pasta with Fresh Tomato & Arugula

No one wants to turn on the stove to make tomato sauce in the summer. And, while the tomatoes are ripe, it’s the best time to try your hand at a fresh, uncooked tomato sauce. All of the ingredients in this sauce are raw. The only thing you need to cook is the pasta — the heat of which will help bring these raw ingredients to life and create a “sauce”!

The beauty of this dish is that it can be made in less than 30 minutes. And, you can decide what type of pasta works for your diet. I used a multi-grain pasta, but you can use any type of pasta that meets your family’s needs (just be mindful that not all pastas will translate well once cooled, such as corn pasta which may get gummy).

That being said, you can serve this pasta hot or cold — although I prefer eating it warm.

Summer Pasta with Fresh Tomato & Arugula

Serves 4-6 people, dinner portion

3 cups of chopped tomatoes (I used three medium-sized vine tomatoes)
2 cups of arugula, chopped
10 basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup of olive oil
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
salt and pepper, to taste
1, 1 lb box of penne pasta (my box was just under 1 lb and it worked perfectly fine!)

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.

In the meantime, chop the tomatoes, arugula and basil and add to a large serving bowl. Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar and crushed garlic in a separate small bowl, creating a dressing.

Cook pasta according to directions, remove once it is cooked al dente and drain in a colander. Add cooked pasta, while still warm, to large serving bowl with tomatoes, arugula and basil. Top with dressing and toss to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Enjoy!

June 25, 2014