Category Archives: Pasta

Bacon, Main Dish, Pasta

Pasta with Spinach, Mushrooms & Bacon

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12 oz fettucine pasta
Sauce:
4 strips bacon, cut in 2-in. pieces
1 medium onion, cut in thin wedges
1 pkg (8 oz) presliced mushrooms
1 large clove garlic, cut in slivers
1 bag (10 oz) prewashed fresh baby spinach
Nice to add:
Diced tomato and grated Parmesan cheese
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook as package directs.2. Meanwhile cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Place on a paper towel to drain. Remove all but 1 Tbsp fat from skillet. Add onion and mushrooms to skillet. Sauté 4 minutes or until onion has browned. Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add spinach; cook until wilted. Scoop 1/2 cup cooking water from pasta pot; stir into spinach mixture. Drain pasta; return to pot. Add Sauce and bacon; toss to mix. Sprinkle with tomato and cheese.
4  Servings
Ham, Italian, Main Dish, Pasta, Spinach

Pasta Florentine

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1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chicken broth
12 oz sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 oz ham (Black Forest if possible), julienned
1/4 cup chopped parsley
8 oz pasta (your favorite shape), cooked according to package directions
Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped
Heat extra virgin olive oil and garlic in a sauté pan over medium-low heat. Once garlic starts to sizzle, add mushrooms. Sauté 2-3 minutes. Add heavy cream and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Allow to slightly reduce, for about 10 minutes. Add ham, peas and parsley and cook 4 minutes.  Return cooked, drained pasta to pot and add sauce. Cook until sauce simmers and coats the pasta.  Remove pot from heat and stir in grated Parmesan. Toss gently to combine.  Transfer to large serving platter. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve. 
Chef’s Tip: Use a small amount of salt. The parmesan cheese naturally contains salt.
4  Servings
Chicken, Italian, Pasta

Olive Garden’s Chicken Milanese

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Sauce & Pasta:
1/2 cup butter, unsalted
4 garlic cloves, minced (or 1 Tbsp)
1 cup white wine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 tsp black pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp salt
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup spinach, chopped
8 roasted garlic cloves, minced (or 4 Tbsp)
1 20-oz package tortelloni or tortellini, cooked according to package directions
Chicken:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup flour
3 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
3 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 Tbsp garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 Tbsp Colavita Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
4 lemon wedges
Flatten chicken breasts between 2 sheets of plastic wrap by pounding gently until chicken is approximately ½” thick.
Whisk eggs and milk together in a flat-bottom bowl.  Mix breadcrumbs, cheese, fresh parsley, Italian seasoning, garlic and pepper. Transfer to a flat plate.  Dredge chicken in flour, coating both sides. Dip chicken pieces in egg mixture, coating both sides. Dredge in breadcrumb mixture, coating completely on both sides. Set aside.  Melt butter in sauce pan over medium heat.  Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add flour and stir well until well-blended. Add white wine, chicken broth, heavy cream and cheese. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until mixture starts to thicken.  Add roasted garlic, pepper and salt. Stir until well blended.  Add tomatoes and spinach to sauce and allow to simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Heat olive oil in frying pan over medium-high heat. Add breaded chicken to pan and cook until both sides are golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165ºF.  Add cooked, drained tortelloni pasta to sauce and blend well.  Transfer chicken to a large platter and serve with hot, creamy tortelloni.  Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon wedges.

4  Servings

Main Dish, Pasta, Vegetarian

Meatless Stroganoff

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1 (10 oz) pkg No Yolks cholesterol free noodles
4 Veggie Burgers (The ones that look like real hamburgers)
1 Tbs. margarine or butter
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cup skim milk
2 Tbs. flour
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs ketchup
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried dill weed
1/2 cup light sour cream

Cook noodles to desired doneness as directed on package.  Drain, keep warm.
Meanwhile, spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray.  Cook burgers as directed on package.  Remove from skillet.  Cut into 3/4 inch pieces; set aside.

In the same skillet, melt the margarine or butter.  Add mushrooms, onion and garlic; cook and stir over medium-high heat for 4-6 minutes or until mushrooms and onions are crisp tender.  Remove from heat.

In small bowl with wire whisk, combine 1/4 cup of the milk, flour, lemon juice, ketchup, salt and dill; blend well.  Stir in remaining milk.  Stir into mushroom mixture in skillet; cook over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly.  Boil and stir 1 minute.  Reduce heat to low; stir in burger pieces and sour cream.  Cook until thoroughly heated.  DO NOT BOIL!  (it will curdle)  Serve over hot cooked noodles.

Asian, Chicken, Main Dish, Pasta

Hot-as-Heck Chicken on Chinese Noodles With Peanut Sauce

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Peanut Sauce:
2 tsp. peeled, chopped fresh ginger
2 tsp. chopped cilantro
2 cloves garlic
2 fresh jalapeno peppers
1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1/2 c. soy sauce
1 heaping cup creamy peanut butter
2 tsp. curry powder, toasted
1/4 c. honey
2 tsp. dark sesame oil
1 tbs. olive oil
4 (6 oz.) chicken breast halves
1/2 c. dry sherry
1 c. sweet hot chili sauce
1/2 lb. dried Chinese egg noodles, cooked al dente and tossed with a dash of vegetable oil
1/2 c. dry-roasted peanuts or cashews
3 to 4 green onions, minced
To prepare the peanut sauce, combine the ginger, cilantro, garlic, jalapenos, vinegar, soy sauce and peanut butter in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the curry powder, honey and sesame oil; process until smooth. Set aside.
Fill a pasta pot or medium stock pot with 8 to 10 cups of salted water and bring to a boil over high heat.
Meanwhile, in a very large sauté pan, heat the oil over high heat until smoking hot. Put the chicken breasts in the pan and brown them well, about 2 minutes on each side. Decrease the heat to medium and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sherry, increase the heat to high, and cook until about half of the sherry remains, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chili sauce and turn the breasts to coat them well. Decrease the heat to low and slowly simmer while you prepare the noodles.
Put the noodles in the pasta insert and set in the pot of boiling water or in the stock pot and cook for about 2 minutes to heat through. Strain the noodles and place in a large bowl. Toss them with 1/2 cup of the peanut sauce and place on a serving platter. Remove the chicken breasts from the sauce and slice. Place the chicken slices on the noodles and pour some of the remaining sauce over the top. Sprinkle with the roasted peanuts and scallions. Serve hot.