Category Archives: Pasta

Alfredo Sauce from Olive Garden

This starts with a stick of butter and real cream.  Diet disaster!  Use at own risk.

1/2 cup butter 
2 cups heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the cream, garlic powder, and pepper and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until thick.  When the Alfredo sauce has reached your desired consistency, stir in the Parmesan cheese.  Remove from heat.  Serve over cooked pasta.

Light Alfredo Sauce

2 cups nonfat cottage cheese
1/2 cup evaporated skimmed milk 
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter-flavored granules
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Dash of ground red pepper
Combine all ingredients in container of an electric blender; cover and process until smooth, stopping once to scrape down sides.  Pour mixture into a small saucepan; cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thoroughly heated.

Makes 2-3/4 cups.

Alfredo Sauce

1 1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup imported Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup imported Romano cheese, grated
6 egg yolks from fresh jumbo eggs
Salt and black pepper to taste 
Heat milk and cream in a heavy bottom saucepan until it begins to simmer. Turn off heat. Slowly whip in cheese, then remove from heat.  Place egg yolks in a separate bowl and slowly whip in a portion of the hot milk and cream mixture. Slowly add egg yolk mixture back into remaining cream mixture. Place back on very low heat and continually stir until simmering. Take sauce off heat so it thickens. (This will increase temperature of egg yolks, known as tempering).  Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve over your favorite pasta.

Pasta Salad

1 pound rotini, tricolor pasta, cooked and drained
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 to 2 tomatoes, pulp and seeds removed, finely diced
green onion tops, sliced thinly
1/4 cup cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced finely
salt
VINAGRETTE DRESSING
Toss pasta with oil, chill in refrigerator at least 30 minutes.
Add vegetables and season with salt to taste.  Serve with vinagrette on side or add to pasta immediately before serving.
4  Servings

Pumpkin Ravioli with Gorgonzola Sauce

I found this recipe on Cooking Light’s website. Perfect for a romantic fall dinner!

For a new way to enjoy pumpkin this season, try these pumpkin ravioli with a rich yet mellow Gorgonzola sauce.

You can assemble the ravioli a day ahead, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. The ravioli will float when they are perfectly cooked. Pour a chilled chardonnay.

Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients

* 1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin
* 2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
* 2 tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan cheese
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh sage
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 30 round won-ton wrappers
* 1 tablespoon cornstarch
* Cooking spray
* 1 cup fat-free milk
* 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
* 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
* 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
* 3 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts, toasted

Preparation

Spoon pumpkin onto several layers of heavy-duty paper towels, and spread to 1/2-inch thickness. Cover with additional paper towels; let stand 5 minutes. Scrape into a medium bowl using a rubber spatula. Stir in breadcrumbs, Parmesan, salt, minced sage, pepper, and nutmeg.

Working with 1 won-ton wrapper at a time (cover remaining wrappers with a damp towel to keep from drying), spoon 2 teaspoons pumpkin mixture into the center of wrapper. Brush edges of wrapper with water and fold in half, pressing edges firmly with fingers to form a half-moon. Place on a large baking sheet sprinkled with cornstarch. Repeat procedure with remaining won-ton wrappers and pumpkin mixture.

Fill a large Dutch oven with water; bring to a simmer. Add half of ravioli to pan (cover remaining ravioli with a damp towel to keep from drying). Cook 4 minutes or until done (do not boil), stirring gently. Remove ravioli with a slotted spoon; lightly coat with cooking spray, and keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining ravioli.

Combine milk and flour in a saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil; cook for 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add butter, stirring until butter melts. Gently stir in Gorgonzola.

Place 5 ravioli in each of 6 shallow bowls, and drizzle each serving with 3 tablespoons Gorgonzola mixture. Sprinkle each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons hazelnuts. Serve immediately.
Nutritional Information

Calories: 250 (33% from fat)
Fat: 9.1g (sat 4.5g,mono 2.7g,poly 0.7g)
Protein: 9.5g
Carbohydrate: 33g
Fiber: 3.1g
Cholesterol: 22mg
Iron: 2.4mg
Sodium: 636mg
Calcium: 162mg