Christmas Pasta

Looking for something to serve on Christmas day? Here's a flavorful sauce with pancetta, Italian sausage, veal, pork and beef!

Cook Time: 20 min
Level: Intermediate
Yield: 4 servings


Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
1/4 pound pancetta, thick cut, chopped into small bits (Italian cured pork, ask at deli counter)
1/2 pound bulk hot Italian sausage
1 pound combined ground beef, pork and veal
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup good quality dry red wine
1 cup prepared beef stock, paper container or canned
2 (32-ounce) cans chunky style crushed tomatoes
A handful chopped flat leaf parsley leaves
1/4 teaspoon (a couple of pinches) allspice or cinnamon
Coarse salt and black pepper
2 pounds penne rigate, cooked to al dente
Grated Pecorino Romano, as an accompaniment
Fresh, crusty bread, for mopping


Directions

Heat a deep pot over medium high heat. Add oil, garlic, bay, and pancetta bits and brown for 1 minute. Add meats and brown and crumble them for 5 minutes.


Chop carrot, celery, and onions near the stove and add to the pot as you work. Cook vegetables with meat 5 minutes and add wine. Cook for 1 minute; add stock and tomatoes to the pot.


Stir in parsley, allspice, or cinnamon and season sauce with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, and cook 10 to 15 minutes minimum before serving. Reheated sauce only improves.


Toss pasta (cook off only as much pasta as you need at the time: half a pound for every 3 people) with a couple of ladles of sauce to coat, then top bowl with extra sauce. Top pasta with lots of cheese and pass bread at the table.


From: foodnetwork.com

Grilled Chicken with Arugula Pesto

Quick, light and delicious pasta!

Cook Time: 10 min

Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings


Ingredients

1/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds or shelled pistachios
1 cup packed fresh arugula leaves
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 clove garlic, grated or minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 small pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast (tenders removed)


Directions

Heat a grill pan to high.

Toast the nuts lightly in small skillet over low heat, then add them to a food processor.

Add the arugula, basil, lemon juice, garlic, and salt and pepper, to taste, and pulse to combine.

With the processor on, stream in the extra-virgin olive oil to form thick pesto.

Lightly pound out the chicken, then rub all sides with the pesto. Spray the grill pan with cooking spray or rub with a little oil and grill the chicken 2 to 4 minutes on each side.

From: foodnetwork.com

Penne-Wise Pumpkin Pasta

Cook Time: 10 min

Level: Easy

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

Salt

1 pound whole-wheat penne

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 shallots, finely chopped

3 to 4 cloves garlic, grated

2 cups chicken stock

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree

1/2 cup cream

1 teaspoon hot sauce, to taste

Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

2 pinches ground cinnamon

Salt and black pepper

7 to 8 leaves fresh sage, thinly sliced plus more, for garnish

Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions

Heat water for pasta, salt it and cook penne to al dente.

Heat the oil, 2 turns of the pan, over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic to the pan, saute 3 minutes. Stir in chicken stock and combine with pumpkin, stir in cream then season sauce with hot sauce, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 5 to 6 minutes more to thicken. Stir in sage, toss with pasta with grated cheese, to taste.

From: foodnetwork.com

Mother's Day Pasta Sampler

Cook Time: 20 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 6 servings


Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds bow tie pasta


Pasta with Peas:

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock, plus more if needed
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 (10-ounce) box frozen peas
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup fresh ricotta cheese
10 leaves fresh basil, torn or shredded
A handful mint leaves, finely chopped


Pasta with Carrots:

1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1 (10-ounce) box frozen cooked carrots or baby carrots
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
A few dashes hot sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped


Pasta with Peppers:

1 (16-ounce) jar roasted yellow or red peppers, drained (about 5 to 6 peppers)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
A handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, to taste


Directions

Heat a large pot of water to a boil, salt liberally and cook pasta to al dente.


While pasta cooks, you will need 3small skillets set up and a food processor near by. Set up 3 serving dishes that would hold half a pound of pasta each on a counter near the stove.


In first skillet, melt butter with olive oil over medium heat, add onion, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and sweat 5 to 6 minutes. Add stock and zest and bring to a boil. Add peas, season with salt and pepper and heat through, about 2 minutes. Put in food processor and process until a smooth sauce forms and transfer to a bowl, fold in fresh ricotta, basil and mint with rubber spatula, adjust seasoning salt. When pasta is ready, add a ladle of pasta water or chicken stock, if needed and 1/3 of the pasta to the bowl. Toss the pasta with sauce.


In the second skillet while peas are cooking, add chicken stock, carrots, curry powder, hot sauce, salt and pepper, to taste, honey and butter. Bring to a boil and let simmer to heat through, 10 minutes.


While carrots are cooking, grind roasted peppers into a paste. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in third pan over medium-low heat and saute the garlic and red pepper, stir in ground peppers and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Rinse processor bowl and return to base to grind the carrots when they are tender. When peppers are hot, stir in balsamic vinegar and parsley and let simmer over low heat. Stir in starchy cooking liquid or stock, scrape sauce into serving dish and coat 1/3 of the pasta and cheese.


Grind carrots into a smooth paste and transfer to a serving dish. Thin carrot sauce with starchy liquid or stock and toss with remaining half pound of pasta and chives.


*Cook's Note: Each of the 3 sauces will require a ladle of starchy cooking liquid taken just before draining pasta or chicken stock, optional.

From: foodnetwork.com

Rice Pilaf

Cook Time: 18 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings


Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup thin spaghetti, broken into 1 inch pieces, about 1/6 of a 1 pound box of dried pasta
3/4 cup white enriched rice
1 1/2 cups chicken broth or water
Salt


Directions

In a medium saucepan melt butter over moderate heat. Add thin spaghetti bits and rice and brown for 3 to 5 minutes. Add broth or water, salt and pepper, and bring liquid to a full boil. Cover pot and reduce heat to simmer and cook rice 18 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

From: foodnetwork.com

Creamy Spaghetti and Beans

Cook Time: 20 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings


Ingredients

5 to 6 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 pound chunk pancetta chopped into small dice
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound spaghetti
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, cut into a small dice
1 fresh bay leaf
5 to 6 sprigs fresh thyme
1 (15-ounce) can Roman beans or small white beans (recommended: Goya brand)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup dry white wine, eyeball it
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
A generous handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped


Directions

Place the stock in a sauce pot and warm it over medium heat then reduce to simmer.


Heat the extra-virgin olive oil and the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the pancetta to brown slightly. Next add the garlic and spaghetti and toast the noodles lightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onions and carrots, bay and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Soften veggies a bit, 5 minutes. Add wine and allow it to be completely absorbed. Add beans then add a few ladles of stock and stir the pasta. Keep adding stock a few ladles at a time allowing liquids to be mostly absorbed before adding more, as if you were preparing a risotto. When liquids are absorbed and spaghetti is cooked to al dente, 12-15 minutes, stir in cheese. Adjust salt and pepper. Turn off heat and stir another minute. Remove the bay and thyme stems. Serve in shallow bowls and garnish with lots of parsley.

From: foodnetwork.com

Reuben Mac and Cheese

Cook Time: 15 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

* Salt
* 1 pound cavatappi, hallow corkscrew shaped pasta or, other short cut
* 2 slices rye bread
* 3 tablespoons butter plus some for buttering toast
* A handful fresh parsley leaves
* 1 teaspoon paprika
* 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 2 cups milk
* 1/4 cup spicy brown deli mustard (recommended: Gulden's)
* 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
* 1 cup shredded Gruyere
* 1 cup shredded yellow Cheddar
* 3/4 pound good quality deli corned beef, sliced as thick as bacon, chopped
* 1 pound sauerkraut, rinsed and well drained

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Salt water and
cook pasta to al dente.

While pasta cooks, toast rye bread in toaster then butter hot bread.
Coarsely chop bread and place in food processor. Add parsley and
paprika to bread and process into bread crumbs, reserve.

Heat a sauce pot over medium heat. Add butter to pot and melt, whisk
in flour 1 minute then milk. Season the sauce with salt and pepper,
thicken sauce 5 to 6 minutes then stir in mustard. Melt 2/3 of the
combined cheeses into the sauce.

Preheat broiler.

Drain pasta and return to hot pot. Toss hot pasta with chopped meat
and sauerkraut to combine, stir in cheese sauce and coat. Transfer mac
n cheese to casserole and top with bread crumbs and remaining cheese.
Brown under broiler 3 to 4 minutes, serve.

From: foodnetwork.com

Orzo with Parsley and Lemon Zest

Cook Time: 12 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

* 1/2 pound orzo
* Coarse salt
* 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it
* 2 large lemons, zested
* Black pepper
* 1/4 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley, a couple of handfuls

Directions

Cook orzo in salted water about 12 minutes, to al dente. Drain orzo
well. Do not run under cold water. You want the cooked pasta to remain
hot. Transfer pasta to a serving bowl. Drizzle orzo with a tablespoon
of extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add lemon
zest and parsley and toss to combine the flavors with the pasta.

From: foodnetwork.com

Big Beef Meatballs with Bucatini

Cook Time: 25 min
Level: Easy
Yield : 4 servings

Ingredients

* 1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
* 2 small to medium yellow onion, 1 grated and 1 finely chopped
* 6 cloves garlic, chopped, divided
* 1 egg
* 1/2 to 2/3 cup Italian bread crumbs, a couple of overflowing handfuls
* 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus some to pass at table
* 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice or nutmeg
* 3 tablespoons capers, drained and chopped
* 2 tablespoons chopped sage leaves, 4 to 6 sprigs
* A couple generous handfuls flat-leaf parsley, chopped, divided
* Salt and pepper
* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling
* 1 pound bucatini (thick, hollow spaghetti)
* 1/4 pound pancetta, chopped
* 12 baby portobello caps, (crimini mushrooms), chopped
* 1/2 cup dry red wine, eyeball it
* 1 cup, (8 ounces), beef stock
* 1 (28-ounce), can crushed tomatoes, San Marzano if available

Directions

Preheat 400 degrees F. Place a large pot of water over high heat and
bring to a boil.

Mix meat with the grated onion, 3 cloves chopped garlic, egg, bread
crumbs, cheese, allspice, capers, sage, a handful of the chopped
parsley, salt and pepper and a healthy drizzle of extra-virgin olive
oil. Mix meat, score the meat into 4 sections and make 3 very large
balls from each section. Arrange the 12 balls on a nonstick cookie
sheet and roast 15 minutes until firm but not hard.

Drop bucatini in salted boiling water to cook off. Drain.

Add another tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil to the skillet and
the pancetta. Cook 3 to 4 minutes then add the remaining garlic and
mushrooms to the pan and cook 5 minutes. Season the mushrooms with
salt and pepper. Add remaining chopped onion and deglaze the pan with
wine, cook off 1 minute, add in stock and whisk up remaining
drippings. Stir in the tomatoes and season sauce with salt and pepper,
if necessary. Stir in parsley. Simmer 5 minutes.

Toss pasta with half the sauce. Remove balls from oven and add to
remaining sauce and turn to coat. Serve large balls, 3 per person,
along side pasta. Spoon any remaining sauce over the pasta. Pass extra
cheese at the tables.

From: foodnetwork.com

Show-Stopper Seared Scallops with Lemon Scented Bread Crumbs and Fettuccine with Saffron and Asparagus

Cook Time: 20 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

* 1 pound asparagus tips
* 1 pound dry fettuccine
* Salt
* Extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons plus some for drizzling
* 2 cloves garlic, chopped
* 1 shallot, thinly sliced
* 1/2 cup dry white wine, eyeball it
* 1/2 cup chicken stock
* 1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
* Pinch saffron or 1 packet saffron powder, available at many
markets on spice aisle
* 1/4 cup heavy cream, eyeball it
* Black pepper
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1 cup bread crumbs
* 1 lemon, zested
* Handful parsley, finely chopped
* 16 sea scallops, trimmed

Directions

Bring 1-inch of water to a boil in a large skillet as well as a large
pot of water, for pasta. When the water in the skillet comes up to a
boil, add salt and asparagus and blanch for 2 minutes, drain and
reserve. When the pasta water comes up to a boil, salt it and cook
fettuccine to al dente.

While the pasta water comes up to a boil, in the pan which you
blanched the asparagus in, heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil,
over medium heat then add garlic and shallot and saute 4 to 5 minutes.
Deglaze with wine, reduce 30 seconds then add stock, tomatoes and a
pinch of saffron or an envelope of saffron powder. Simmer 10 minutes.
Stir in cream then season sauce with salt and pepper, to taste.

While sauce cooks, heat a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add
butter, melt then add the bread crumbs and toast them. Add salt and
pepper, lemon zest and parsley, remove and reserve. Wipe pan clean and
return the skillet to medium-high heat and preheat until very hot.
Drizzle scallops with extra-virgin olive oil and add to hot pan to
caramelize on each side, 3 minutes on the first side 2 on the second.

Chop asparagus into 1-inch pieces on an angle and add to sauce. Drain
pasta and toss with asparagus and sauce. Serve pasta with seared
scallops, 4 per person, alongside and top the scallops with the lemon
scented bread crumbs.

From: foodnetwork.com

Three Vegetable Penne with Tarragon-Basil Pesto

Cook Time: 15 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

* 1 pound penne or whole-wheat penne rigate pasta
* Salt
* 1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed of tough ends
* 1 small zucchini
* 2 handfuls, 1/4 pound, haricots verts (thin green beans) trimmed
of stem ends
* 1/4 cup pine nuts
* 1 cup basil, 20 leaves
* 1/2 cup chopped tarragon leaves (10 to 12 stems)
* Handful flat-leaf parsley
* 1 lemon, zested
* 1 clove garlic
* 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, a couple of handfuls, plus
more to pass at table
* Coarse black pepper
* 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it

Directions

Heat a large pot of water to boil for pasta. Salt the water and add
pasta to cook to al dente or, with a bite to it. Cut asparagus spears
into 2 inch pieces on an angle. Cut zucchini into matchstick shapes.
Cut haricots verts or green beans into 2 -nch pieces on an angle. Add
vegetables to pasta after penne has been cooking about 5 minutes. Cook
veggies and pasta together 2 minutes.

While pasta cooks, toast pine nuts in a small pan until golden, then
cool. Place nuts, basil, tarragon, parsley, lemon zest, garlic, cheese
and a little salt and pepper in a food processor. Turn the processor
on and stream in the extra-virgin olive oil until thick sauce forms.

Scrape pesto into large, shallow serving dish. Add a ladle of hot,
starchy pasta water to the pesto. Drain penne and veggies and add
immediately to pesto. Toss to coat pasta and vegetables evenly. Adjust
salt and pepper, to taste. Serve with extra grated cheese to pass at
table.

From: foodnetwork.cm

Pasta del Magnifico alla Garga

Cook Time: 12 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 2 servings


Ingredients

* 1 cup heavy cream
* 2 tablespoons cognac or dry sherry
* 1 lemon, zested
* 1 large navel orange, zested
* 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
* 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped, about 3 sprigs
* 12 leaves fresh basil, shredded or torn
* 1/2 pound linguini, cooked to al dente, or 3/4 pound fresh linguini, cooked to al dente
* 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano


Directions

In a skillet over medium low heat, heat cream. Add cognac or dry sherry, lemon and orange zest and salt. Simmer sauce 7 to 10 minutes. Add mint and basil to the sauce. Toss hot, drained pasta with sauce and grated cheese. Transfer to serving dish or dinner plates.

Super Scampi

Cook Time: 8 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 6 anchovies
* 6 cloves garlic, chopped
* 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
* 2 stems oregano, leaves stripped and finely chopped
* A generous handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
* 1 cup dry white wine
* 3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
* 1 quart chicken stock
* 2 cups water
* 2 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
* 1 pound linguini
* 1 lemon
* 1 cup basil leaves, about 20, torn
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* Crusty bread, torn into pieces

Directions

Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add anchovies, garlic and crushed
pepper to the pan and cook until anchovies melt into oil, a couple of
minutes. Add herbs and wine and reduce for 1 minute then melt butter
into sauce. Add stock and water to the pan and bring to a boil. Stir
in the shrimp and pasta and reduce heat to medium. Simmer uncovered
for 7 to 8 minutes until pasta is al dente and shrimp are firm. Stir
in zest and juice of 1 lemon and basil, season with salt and pepper to
your taste. Serve directly from pan with hot, crusty bread.

Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage

Cook Time: 15 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
* 1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
* 4 cloves garlic, cracked and chopped
* 1 medium onion, finely chopped
* 1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
* 4 to 6 sprigs sage leaves, cut into chiffonade, about 2 tablespoons
* 1 cup dry white wine
* 1 cup chicken stock, canned or paper container
* 1 cup canned pumpkin
* 1/2 cup (3 turns around the pan) heavy cream
* 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, ground or freshly grated
* Coarse salt and black pepper
* 1 pound penne rigate, cooked to al dente
* Romano or Parmigiano, for grating
* Pumpernickel or whole grain bread, as an accompaniment

Directions

Spinach Salad with Apple and Red Onion, as an accompaniment, recipe follows

Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1
tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and brown the sausage in it.
Transfer sausage to paper towel lined plate. Drain fat from skillet
and return pan to the stove. Add the remaining tablespoon oil, and
then the garlic and onion. Saute 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are
tender.

Add bay leaf, sage, and wine to the pan. Reduce wine by half, about 2
minutes. Add stock and pumpkin and stir to combine, stirring sauce
until it comes to a bubble. Return sausage to pan, reduce heat, and
stir in cream. Season the sauce with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and salt
and pepper, to taste. Simmer mixture 5 to 10 minutes to thicken sauce.

Return drained pasta to the pot you cooked it in. Remove the bay leaf
from sauce and pour the sausage pumpkin sauce over pasta. Combine
sauce and pasta and toss over low heat for 1 minute. Garnish the pasta
with lots of shaved cheese and sage leaves.

Serve pumpkin sausage pasta with pumpernickel or whole grain bread and
Spinach Salad with Apple and Red Onion.

Spinach Salad with Apple and Red Onion:

* 1 pound triple-washed spinach, de-stemmed
* 1 small Golden Delicious apple, quartered, cored, and sliced
* 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 1 1/2 tablespoons (a couple of splashes) apple cider vinegar
* 1 teaspoon grain mustard
* 1 tablespoon (a good drizzle) honey
* Coarse salt and black pepper

Place spinach, apple, and onion in a salad bowl. Place oil, vinegar,
mustard and honey in a small plastic container and fit lid on
container. Shake dressing to combine, 1 minute. Pour dressing over
salad, toss, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Yield: 4 servings

Pasta al Forno

Cook Time: 25 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

* 1 pound ziti rigate
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
* 1 small onion, finely chopped
* 3 cloves garlic, chopped
* 1 (15-ounce) can, crushed tomatoes
* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* 2 pinches ground cinnamon
* Salt and pepper
* 3 ounces prosciutto, 1 thick slice from deli, chopped
* 1/4 to 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
* Softened butter to coat a medium casserole or baking dish

Directions

Bring large pot of water to boil, then salt and cook pasta to al dente
on the chewy side, 7 minutes. Once your pasta water comes to a boil to
cook ziti, preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

To medium skillet over medium heat add extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns
of the pan. Cook onions and garlic in oil 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in
tomatoes and bring to a bubble. Add cream and season sauce with
cinnamon, salt and pepper. Add chopped prosciutto to sauce and stir
with cooked pasta to combine. Coat a medium casserole with the butter.
Adjust seasonings and transfer pasta to casserole. Cover pasta with
Parmigiano-Reggiano and place in the oven for 10 minutes. Serve hot
from oven.

Beef Stroganoff

Cook Time: 10 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

* 1 1/2 pounds beef tenderloin fillet
* Salt and pepper
* 3 tablespoons butter, divided
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 2 cups beef consomme, available on soup aisle
* 2 teaspoons prepared Dijon style mustard
* 1/4 cup sour cream, eyeball it
* 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or vegetable oil, 1 turn of
the pan in a slow stream
* 1/2 small onion, sliced
* 1/3 cup coarsely chopped cornichons
* 1 pound extra wide egg noodles, cooked to package directions
* Chopped parsley leaves, garnish
* Thickly sliced pumpernickel bread, optional

Directions

Slice meat into 1/2-thick by 2 -inch long very thin strips and season
with salt and pepper. Set in freezer.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Melt 2 tablespoons butter and cook
with flour 1 minute. Whisk in consomme. Thicken 1 minute. Stir in
mustard and sour cream, thicken 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and
season sauce with salt and pepper.

Heat a second skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil and 1
tablespoon butter, then add the meat and onion and cook over high heat
until brown on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes total. Then add the chopped
cornichons and stir to combine.

Arrange meat on a bed of egg noodles and top with Stroganoff sauce and
parsley. Serve with thickly sliced pumpernickel bread.

Quick Chicken Cacciatore

Cook Time: 20 min
Level: Intermediate
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

* 1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast (3 pieces) or, 1
package boneless, skinless chicken thighs, if you prefer dark meat
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan) extra-virgin olive oil
* 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
* 2 portobello mushroom caps, halved crosswise and thinly sliced
* 4 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
* 1/2 cup beef broth or stock
* 1 (28-ounces) can crushed tomatoes
* A handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
* 1 pound egg ribbons or egg fettuccini, cooked to al dente
* Crusty bread and grated Parmigiano or Romano, for passing

Directions

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add half of the
extra-virgin olive oil and brown chicken breasts or thighs for 3 or 4
minutes on each side. Remove chicken from pan and season with salt and
pepper.

Return pan to stove, reduce heat to medium and add the remaining. Add
crushed pepper, sliced mushrooms, and garlic. Season with salt (salt
is a magnet for drawing out liquid). Cover and cook mushrooms 5
minutes or until mushrooms are dark, tender and have given off their
juices. Add about 1/2 cup of beef broth to intensify the wild mushroom
flavor, then stir in the tomatoes and parsley. Cut the chicken into
bite-size chunks or slices and add to sauce. Simmer sauce 5 minutes to
finish cooking chicken pieces and to allow the flavors to combine.
Toss pasta with cacciatore and serve with crusty bread and grated
cheese.

Tidbits: Beef broth and stock is now available in resealable paper
containers, which can be found on the soup aisle of your market. These
paper containers make storage of remaining broth easier; keep some on
hand in your refrigerator. Beef broth is used instead of chicken broth
in this recipe because it pairs better with the beefy taste of
portobello mushrooms. The broth will make your cacciatore taste as if
it simmered all day because it accents the mushroom taste well.

Depending on your brand, 1 large can of tomatoes can vary in weight
from 28 to 32 ounces. Use your favorite, but check to make sure the
product is sugar free.

From: foodnetwork.com

Greek Style Shrimp Scampi and Linguini

Cook Time: 15 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

* 1 pound linguini
* Salt
* 1 pound medium to large shrimp deveined and peeled, tails removed
* Pepper
* 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
* Couple pinches red pepper flakes
* 1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
* 2 sprigs oregano, finely chopped
* Handful pitted kalamata olives, chopped
* 1/2 cup white wine, eyeball it
* 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
* 1 cup feta cheese crumbles

Directions

Place a large pot of water on the stove to boil. Salt water and cook
pasta to al dente.

Season the shrimp with salt and pepper.

While the pasta water comes to a boil, heat extra-virgin olive oil in
a deep skillet with garlic. When garlic is brown, remove and reserve.
Add shrimp and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Add red pepper flakes, lemon zest,
oregano, olives, and wine and cook together a couple of minutes more.
Remove from heat. Add a ladle of starchy pasta cooking water to sauce
and some lemon juice. Remove the sauce from the heat. Drain pasta and
add to the skillet. Let pasta soak in juices for a minute then toss
with parsley and feta. Use tongs to pull pasta from skillet, giving it
a turn to twist in as many ingredients as possible. Then, use the
tongs to remove and arrange the shrimp and ingredients that may remain
in the pan, distributing them evenly among the portions.

Cowboy Spaghetti

Cook Time: 12 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

* 1 pound spaghetti
* Salt
* 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
* 3 slices smoky bacon, chopped
* 1 pound ground sirloin
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 3 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped
* Ground black pepper
* 2 teaspoons hot sauce, eyeball it
* 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
* 1/2 cup beer
* 1 (14-ounce) can, chopped or crushed fire roasted tomatoes
* 1 (8-ounces) can, tomato sauce
* 8 ounces sharp Cheddar
* 4 scallions, chopped

Directions

Heat a pot of water to a boil. Add spaghetti and salt the water. Cook
to al dente or with a bite to it.

Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil
and bacon. Brown and crisp bacon, 5 minutes, remove with a slotted
spoon. Drain off a little excess fat if necessary. Leave just enough
to coat the bottom of the skillet. Add beef and crumble it as it
browns, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onions, garlic and stir into meat. Season
the meat with salt and pepper, hot sauce and Worcestershire. Add 1/2
cup beer and deglaze the pan. Cook 5 to 6 minutes more then stir in
tomatoes and tomato sauce.

Add hot spaghetti to meat and sauce and combine. Adjust seasonings and
serve up pasta in shallow bowls. Grate some cheese over the pasta and
sprinkle with scallions. Garnish with crisp bacon

That's Shallota Flavor Spaghetti

Cook Time: 22 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings

Directions

Made with 10 shallots per pound of whole wheat spaghetti, you cannot
believe the flavor of this pasta dish. It's like a bowl of French
Onion Soup, hold the broth. It's a knockout.

Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
* 10 shallots, halved then thinly sliced
* Salt and black pepper
* 1 pound whole-wheat spaghetti
* A generous handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
* 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Heat the extra-virgin olive oil with the butter over medium-low heat
in a skillet with high sides. Add garlic and shallots and season with
salt and pepper then cook gently until caramelized about 20 minutes,
stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile heat a large pot of water to boil for pasta, salt the water
very liberally then add spaghetti and bring to a rolling boil. Cook to
al dente. Add 2 ladles of starchy cooking water, about 1 cup, to the
shallots and stir. Drain pasta and add to shallots. Add the parsley
and cheese and more black pepper, to taste. Toss 1 to 2 minutes for
liquid to absorb and serve. WOW! Talk about yum-o!