Gluten Free Angel Hair Pasta with Roasted Garlic & Mushroom Pumpkin Sauce

I could only think of pumpkin on Halloween night which turned out to work in my favor. I had seen a recipe for a pumpkin lasagna that sounded fantastic so I went to the drawing board with what I had in my pantry. The end result was a creamy, well-balanced pumpkin sauce accented with roasted garlic and flecked with roasted mushrooms. I’ll be making this one over and over this fall.

Ingredients:
1 pint crimini mushrooms, sliced
1 head of garlic, still in paper
8 leaves of fresh sage, diced
3 strips of thick cut bacon, diced into bit sized pieces
1 can pumpkin puree or 1 cup fresh puree
1 cup milk
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese and more for topping
1 package brown rice angel hair pasta
4 stems chives, diced for topping

Preperation:
Set oven to 350°. Arrange sliced mushrooms on a baking sheet and toss in 1 tbsp olive oil with 2/3′s of the chopped sage, salt and pepper. Chop the top off of the garlic head, place on roasting pan and then top with about 1 tbsp olive oil. Roast for about 25-30 minutes or until garlic is soft to the touch. Stir mushrooms occasionally.
Meanwhile, pan fry the bacon in a large skillet. Once crisp, transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Leave the drippings and add the pumpkin to the skillet over low heat. Use a wooden spoon to stir and pick up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Next add in the roasted mushrooms, bacon, remaining sage, milk and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Dice up 1-2 cloves of the roasted garlic and add to sauce.
Cook the brown rice pasta to just under al dente. Drain and add directly to skillet with sauce. Add the parmesan cheese and use tongs to combine the pasta and sauce over low heat. Plate in serving bowls, sprinkle with a little extra cheese and the diced chives. Enjoy!

Prosciutto and Spinach Gnocchi

Fluffy, store-bought pillows of potato, slathered in a Parmesan cream sauce and topped with prosciutto and fresh spinach.  It's a delicious Italian dinner in less than 15 minutes, a perfect weeknight meal. Here's how it came together:

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 oz, thick sliced prosciutto, cut into strips
1 clove garlic, diced
2-3 tbsp chicken broth or dry white wine
1/4 cup skim milk
1/4 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
pepper
1 package store bought gnocchi (go gluten free!)
1/4 cup grated parmigiano reggiano
1 tbsp fresh basil chiffonade

Bring salted water to a boil on the stovetop.  While the water is coming up, start the sauce by crisping the prosciutto strips in a little olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-hi heat. Once crisp, add in garlic to saute lightly and reduce heat to medium so as not to burn.  When the mixture becomes fragrant, add the chicken stock to deglaze the pan.  Reduce for 2 minutes and add milk. Mix until it starts to bubble and then add the shredded cheese and stir to melt. Season with pepper (the cheese and pasta will be plenty salty so no need to add additional). Reduce heat to low and then drop the gnocchi to cook for 2 minutes in the salted water.  Once they start to float, strain and transfer into the sauté pan with the sauce.  Add the spinach on top, stir to coat until the spinach is wilted.  Top with the parmigiano reggiano and give a final toss. Plate and top with the basil chiffonade.

Butternut Squash and Ricotta Gnocchi

This past Saturday I picked up a butternut squash from Victory Farms and knew exactly what I wanted to make...warm, fluffy pillows of gnocchi, full of flavor and perfect for a rainy Fall night.  This recipe requires a little prep time but is worth it in the end. Even though there is flour in the recipe, it's especially great for those craving pasta but watching the flour intake since the bulk of the gnocchi is made up of ricotta cheese and butternut squash.  Here's the fix:

1 butternut squash, cubed
1 16 oz. tub of part skim ricotta cheese
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp nutmeg (plus more for roasting the squash)
2 large eggs lightly beaten
1/2 - 1 cup and more for rolling gnocchi
salt & pepper

Start by roasting the squash.  For those of you that haven't worked with it before, I like to peel it first and then cut it in 1/2 lengthwise.  It has seeds just like a pumpkin that need to come out so you can either spoon them out or cut around them.  Cut into equal size cubes, sprinkle with a touch of nutmeg, S & P and a drizzle of olive oil.  Roast in the oven at 425° for about 15 minutes, flipping once or twice to help get the caramel color on all sides. You'll want it a little brown on the edges for great flavor so go longer if necessary. 

Once out of the oven, transfer to paper towels to soak out some of the oil.  The squash should be as dry as possible before adding to the dough.  After drying, transfer to a food processor or use a potato masher to blend the squash until smooth.  Place the mixture in the fridge to allow to cool before beginning on dough.

The ricotta will also need to be prepped which can be done the night before by wrapping in a cheesecloth and suspending over a bowl to properly drain or, if you are like me, the 'super-quick because don't always think ahead' way - wrapped in a clean, thin kitchen towel  and squeezed with your hands until every last drop of liquid runs out.  The ricotta needs to be as dry as possible to form a dough that will hold its shape.

In a large mixing bowl, add the 'dried' ricotta, egg, parm, nutmeg and blend together until smooth.  Next add about 3/4 cup of the roasted squash mixture and fold into dough. Add salt & pepper for proper seasoning.  This will loosen it up considerably but the flour will help to bind the dough together again.  Start with 1/4 cup mixed in and slowly add more until the dough can hold it's shape.

At this point, the dough should be refrigerated for about an hour.  Prep a baking sheet with a healthy amount of flour distributed over the pan and a separate pan lined with parchment paper. Once the dough comes out of the refrigerator, form into dough balls by rolling in your hands or roll into a small tube from which to pinch off about one inch sized pieces in the form of traditional gnocchi.  Either shape will then need to be 'rolled' in the flour, sifted of any excess by tossing back and forth in hands and then transferred to the baking sheet lined with paper.  Once formed, the gnocchi will then go back into the refrigerator for at least another hour or longer.

To cook, bring up a pot of salted boiling water and carefully drop the individual pieces into the water. They will cook for approximately 3-5 minutes and are done when they float to the top.  The gnocchi should be scooped out with a mesh strainer and transferred to a paper towel before plating with sauce.

Speaking of sauce...this one goes beautifully with the butternut squash: 1/2 stick unsalted butter browned (over low-medium heat) in a sauté pan with ribbons of sage leaves and a small dice of a cured meat like Pancetta (season with salt and pepper to taste).  Watch the edge of the pan for browning and promptly remove from heat.  Spoon over gnocchi and top with grated Parmesan.

Would love to show you a picture of the finished product but our eyes and stomachs were focused in on the feast and there was no stopping 'em!

Fettucini Pie

Football is back and so is the need for comfort food! This one fits the bill and is an easy use of ingredients you have in your pantry and fresh market finds. We picked up fresh made pasta from the Bombolini stand this past Saturday and Roasted Red Pepper Flake and Parmesan bread from The Norwood Cottage, both of which are the stars in this week’s dish, Fettuccini Pie. Here’s how I put it together:

1 bundle Bombolini Roasted Red Pepper Fettucini noodles*
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
½ medium white onion, diced
1 clove garlic
1 package frozen spinach
10 eggs
3 tbsp whole milk
1 cup part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 thick cut slice (about 2”) slice of Norwood Cottage Red Pepper Flake and Parmesan bread, cubed*
2 tbsp parmesan/asiago/reggiano blend
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400° and start by slightly cooking the pasta. Since it’s fresh it should only take a little over 1 minute in salted boiling water. Be sure to not overcook since it will be baked in the oven also. While the water is coming up to a boil for the pasta, heat the olive oil and butter in a cast iron skillet or one that can be transferred to the oven. Add the onion and garlic to the skillet to sauté until translucent (it helps to add the garlic a little later than the onion because it can burn easily). If using frozen spinach like I did, defrost in the microwave, and drain in a clean kitchen towel by adding to the center of the towel, folding over and twisting until all the liquid runs out. Add to skillet and stir into the onion garlic mixture. If using fresh, add right into skillet and let wilt down.

In a mixing bowl, lightly beat 10 eggs with 3 tbsp whole milk, a pinch of salt and a few cracks of fresh ground black pepper. Add in 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and the drained pasta. Mix together until all noodles are coated. Transfer to the skillet and toss the mixture together with the spinach, onion and garlic until equally distributed.

Top with the cubed bread and the remaining blended, shredded cheese. Cover with foil to bake for the first 15 minutes and then remove foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the center is set but still moist. Let set for 5 minutes before slicing.

The bread will give it a little extra zing and crunch when baked on top and the ‘pie’ resembles a fresh frittata with a great texture added from the pasta. We served it up alongside a grilled sausage we’d purchased on a previous Farmer’s Market visit and a salad but it is hearty enough to be served on its own while watching a good ole football game, of course!

*For those of you not in the area, a prepackaged fettucini noodle (cooked as instructed for al denté) and a store bought french bread can be used as a substitute. I would also add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the egg mixture to get it a little heat.

Healthy, Hearty Veggie Pasta Casserole - Freezer Friendly

I had a request for this earlier and it's something I've made to take to friends and neighbors in need of a little help.  It is a great casserole style pasta with lots of healthy veggies and protein that feeds a bunch or will freeze well for leftovers.  

1 box whole grain rotini or ziti
1 1b ground chicken
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes with basil
1 zucchini
¼ cup red onion
½ pint button mushrooms
1 package frozen spinach, thawed, drained and dried
1 roasted red pepper (I use the jar version in oil)
1 clove garlic
Basil leaves or basil paste
Tomato paste
Bay leaf
Olive oil
Fennel seed
Red pepper flakes
Salt and white pepper
Shredded mozzarella
Grated aged parmesan

Dice zucchini, onions, garlic, red pepper and quarter mushrooms.

Start by browning the ground chicken in a large skillet with palm full of fennel seeds and shake of red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste. Do not strain. Halfway through browning add zuchinni and mushrooms and let sauté but don’t overcook since the whole dish will be baked.

For sauce: in a medium sauce pan, add enough olive oil to coat bottom of pan.  Add red onion and garlic, sauté until translucent, add a pinch of salt and pepper.  Add tomatoes and begin to simmer.  Add bay leaf, 2-3 chopped basil leaves or 1 tblspn of basil paste and 1 tblespn of tomato paste.  Stir in roasted red pepper.  Let sauce simmer for at least 10 minutes.

Transfer sauce to skillet with chicken and veggies, add spinach to sauce and mix it all well.  Don’t forget to take out the bay leaf!

Cook pasta to al denté.  When done, transfer drained pasta to large casserole dish.  Add sauce over pasta and toss to coat.  Sprinkle mozzarella  over entire top and grate parmesean over.  Bake until bubbly and cheese starts to brown (at 350°). 

I think it would also be really tasty ‘Greek style’ with feta cheese baked in and just the parm on top. Enjoy and make it for someone in need of a helping hand.

Balsamic Glaze Take 2 - Eggplant Topping

I can see this eggplant topping off grilled bread, whole wheat pasta, sticky rice...so many possibilities! Since I had some of the glaze leftover from dessert last night, I took a look in the fridge for a veggie combination that could stand up to the intensity of the vinegar reduction. Only needed 4 fresh ingredients to make this one work and here's what I did:

1 whole eggplant diced

1/2 yellow onion sliced into thin rings

2 garlic cloves minced

1/4 mexibell pepper diced (a medium hot bell pepper to counter the sweetness in the sauce)

salt and pepper

1/2 cup to 1 cup balsamic reduction from last night's recipe

olive oil

In a cast iron skillet, add a few turns of olive oil over medium heat. Start by sauteing the onions until translucent. Next add the diced pepper, garlic cloves and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add in the eggplant and the balsamic reduction, stirring frequently until the eggplant is broken down and the liquid is absorbed.

I topped it off with sweet basil and had a few bites already - sweet and delicious! I can see spooning this over grilled bread with a little prosciutto and gorgonzola later today. My mouth is watering!

Veggie Pesto

Non-traditional pesto has become one of my favorite go-to foods especially when trying to get in my daily 5.  Using veggies along with herbs, nuts, olive oil and good cheese, you can create a lot of different tasty combinations that are flavorful and healthy.  My favorite, as of late, is pea pesto and it whips up in a heartbeat so it's a great quick grab.  I blend it all using my Cuisinart hand blender with the processor attachment and I usually vary the ingredients each time.  However, here's one that is pretty standard:

1 can sweet young peas or 8 oz. frozen peas, thawed and rinsed

olive oil (about 2-3 tbsp)

walnuts (between 1/4 to 1/2 cup depending on how much crunch you like)

parmesan cheese (about 3-4 oz)

a few basil leaves to taste (optional)

1 garlic clove (optional)

salt & pepper

Blend away!  Once it's whipped up, I use it as a sandwich spread (this morning I made an egg salad using 1 hardboiled egg and a tbsp pesto), a dip with crudite, a pasta sauce, a salad topper and occasionally just a bite by itself.  I feel okay about that though...it's a veggie pesto after all!

Homemade Ravioli…What what??

I having been itching to make homemade pasta for some time now but kept putting it off because I thought it would be too complicated.  Um, hello?  Can you say easy and scrumptious?  Fuhgettaboudit.

Tonight's dinner:  whole wheat ravioli stuffed with a blend of italian sausage, roasted asparagus and cheeses and topped with homemade marinara.

Pasta first:

In a food processor, blend 2 cups whole wheat flour and 2 cups white flour.  In a separate bowl, blend 6 eggs and 3 tbsp olive oil.  With the processor on, slowly pour in the egg mixture and process until a ball is formed.   Add a little bit of room temperature water if needed.  Once the dough ball is formed, transfer to a greased bowl and cover with a clean dishtowel.  Let rest for 30-60 minutes.

While the pasta dough is doin' its thing, get your filling going - my filling tonight was a mild italian sausage with cheese and roasted asparagus.  I started by sauteing one minced shallot in a little bit of olive oil and then added the italian sausage to brown (be sure not to overcook since it will be boiled with the pasta). I drained the sausage on a paper towel and then transferred to a mixing bowl, added about 5 ounces of marscapone cheese and 3 ounces shredded parmesan. I had leftover roasted asparagus so I chopped the stalks and added that in also.

Let the fun begin! To make the dough manageable, cut into quarters.  Dust your countertop with flour, grab your rolling-pin and have at it.  As Ina says, "Always keep the dough moving on your board."  I found out the hard way when I tried to move my first batch of cut ravioli and it wouldn't budge off of my counter.  Roll the dough out pretty thin but still thick enough to handle a stuffing.  To stuff the pasta, mound spoonfuls of the mixture onto the dough a few inches apart.  You can either then fold the dough over to seal or add a 2nd rolled out pasta sheet over the first.  Once covered, push down around each mound to remove as much air as possible.  I used a Pampered Chef sandwich cutter/sealer to make large ravioli but you can always cut each piece out and then use a fork to seal the edges.

Once you have formed your pasta, let it rest for about 10 minutes.  Bring water to a boil, salt it up and drop a few in at a time.  They only need about 4-6 minutes to cook depending on how thick you rolled out the dough.  The ravioli will start to float to the top when they are about ready.

Tonight's ravioli was topped with homemade marinara which is also as easy as 1-2-3:

1 diced shallot

2 cloves garlic minced

1 can San Marzano tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato paste

fresh herbs - thyme, oregano, parsley, basil

1 large bay leaf

red pepper flakes

s & p

Start by sweating out the onion and garlic in a sauce pan with a little extra virgin olive oil and over medium heat.  Add the can tomatoes, tomato paste, chopped herbs, red pepper flakes and season with s & p.  I use my Cuisinart hand blender to mash the tomatoes and blend everything right in the sauce pan.  Lower the heat and let the sauce simmer for at least 30 minutes with the bay leaf.  That's it!

The whole wheat pasta is very hardy with a slightly nutty flavor.  I reserved the other half of our dough to try a stuffing of sautéed mushrooms or roasted butternut squash...I think I'll be dreaming of stuffed pillows of pasta tonight!