orzo salad

I once made a fantastic orzo salad. I wrote down the recipe as I was adding ingredients. And I lost it. This was my quest to figure it out. It's not exactly the same, but it's close to fantastic (and super easy).

Source: Me

Orzo Salad
Serves two

Ingredients
2/3 cup dry orzo
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon minced shallot
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
2 oz feta, crumbled or cubed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
Cook orzo according to package directions. Meanwhile, mix oregano, shallot, tomatoes, olive oil and lemon juice in a bowl and allow to marinate until orzo is cooked. Drain orzo and rinse under cold water to cool. Mix all ingredients in with the orzo, salt and pepper to taste, and chill in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

baked ravioli

I finally transferred all the photos off of my camera after, oh, months of not doing so! Hey, at least you get the occasional blog post. I don't remember when I made this, but I remember it being amazing. How can anything in a ramekin (with lots of cheese) be bad?

You can also make this with regular pasta if you're not feeling ravioli. The sauce is fantastic enough on it's own! Thanks Martha.

Source: Martha Stewart

Baked Ravioli
Serves four to six

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme, or oregano
1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
2 pounds store-bought ravioli
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add thyme and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, breaking up tomatoes with spoon, until sauce is thickened and reduced to about 5 1/2 cups, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook ravioli in a large pot of boiling salted water just until they float to the top (pasta will continue to cook in oven). Drain pasta; return to pot.

Toss sauce with pasta. Pour pasta into a large gratin dish or 9-by-13-inch baking dish, and sprinkle with cheeses. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

broccoli with orecchiette

I've made this several times, but never posted! It's become one of our weeknight go to dinners when I don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Most of these ingredients you probably already have on hand.

I found the original recipe, from Gourmet magazine, to be a bit fussy and time consuming. So I simplified - using the same broccoli-pasta cooking method that I would normally use for my Velveeta macaroni and cheese.

Adapted from: Gourmet via Epicurious.com

Broccoli with Orecchiette

Ingredients
5 garlic cloves, smashed
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 (10-ounces) packages frozen chopped broccoli (do not thaw)
1/4 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and/or Romano plus additional for serving
1 pound dried orecchiette pasta

Instructions
Cook orecchiette in a large pot of boiling, salted water. With 8 minutes of cooking time to spare, add broccoli to the pot and boil until pasta is al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking water.

Meanwhile, saute garlic in olive oil in saucepan until golden. Add red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and saute about 30 seconds more. Be careful not to burn the garlic or red pepper. Add broccoli, pasta, and reserved cooking water and stir to combine. When water has just about evaporated, add the cheese and stir until cheese has melted.

Serve and top with more cheese.

pesto lasagna

I'm going to start this post out with the fact that I don't even like pesto - well, I didn't like pesto until now. This lasagna just looked so yummy on TV that I had to try it. It was definitely as good as the picture suggested. Yum!

I cut the original recipe in half and also added some thinly sliced fresh mozzarella in one layer. I also still used an 8 x 8 pan, which yielded a thinner lasagna, but you really can get away with stacking a few pieces on top of each other. ;)

I will warn you, as it was suggested in the comments, the end result can get pretty oily. I cut my oil in half and I still could have done with even less. The best thing to do is blend/process the rest of the pesto ingredients together and add the oil a tiny bit at a time. Also, add garlic to taste (as it could be too garlicky for some).

Source: Aida Mollenkamp ("Ask Aida") on foodnetwork.com.

Pesto Lasagna
Serves 4-5

Pesto Ingredients
1 cup basil leaves, loosely packed, washed and tough stems trimmed and roughly torn
1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (I used shredded)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3/8 cup heavy cream
1/6 cup toasted pine nuts
4 medium garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Lasagna Ingredients
1/2 pound fresh lasagna noodles, cooked and drained (I used dry noodles)
1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (I used shredded)
1 large ball fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

Instructions
For the pesto: Combine half pesto ingredients in a blender or food processor, and process until evenly combined, about 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients and process until evenly blended, about 1 more minute. Taste and adjust seasoning, as desired.

For the lasagna: Heat oven to 375 degrees F and arrange rack in upper third.

Meanwhile, alternatively layer a scant 1/4 cup pesto and 1 sheet of fresh lasagna noodles in an 8 by 8-inch baking dish, trimming noodles, as needed, to fit. Add layer of fresh mozzarella in between two of the inner layers. There should be about 5 to 6 layers. Top lasagna with cheese and bake until bubbly around edges and cheese is melted, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let sit at least 20 minutes before serving.

creamy chicken pasta with spinach + tomatoes

A new school semester has started and so has my blog slacking! I'm going to try really hard to keep it going while I get used to my new schedule... not that it's a crazy schedule, just different!

I made this last week after drooling over the picture in Molly's blog for some time now. I can't believe I waited so long to make this! It was super yummy and extremely simple to make. It is now on our list of favorites. Thanks Molly! 

Creamy Chicken Pasta with Spinach + Tomatoes

Ingredients
2 cups uncooked pasta (penne)
4 boneless chicken breasts
1 can of chicken broth
1 package of cream cheese (I used 1/3 less fat)
1 package frozen spinach (thawed and drained)
1 tsp garlic, chopped (I minced mine)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
15 cherry tomatoes, halved (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

Instructions
Cook pasta and drain. Cube chicken breast (1" cubes), heat half the chicken broth in a large skillet and add chicken. Cook until no longer pink (5-7 minutes). Add cream cheese, spinach, remaining chicken broth, garlic, salt and pepper. Heat for 3-5 minutes until cheese melts. Add tomatoes. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes until tomatoes are soft. Toss with pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese.

penne alfredo with spinach

Freddy and I went grocery shopping one day and picked up a jar of Alfredo sauce for dinner. Out of curiosity, I peeked in my Everyday Italian cookbook to see how difficult it would be to make my own sauce. It really didn't seem that bad and I loved the results! I halved her recipe to serve just the two of us, of course. Everyday Italian is quickly becoming one of my favorite cookbooks. The sauce was nice and creamy and not overwhelmingly thick. I also loved the lemon in this recipe, especially since I added a couple of handfuls of spinach. If you're not into lemon, I suggest decreasing or omitting that ingredient entirely. Also, Giada highly suggests using fresh pasta. I didn't have fresh and just used dry penne.

Penne Alfredo with Spinach
Serves two
(if you make enough pasta)

Ingredients
3/4 cups heavy cream
1/8 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 1/2 lemon)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 to 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (from about 1/2 lemon)
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Salt
4.5 oz fresh pasta (or two servings of dry pasta, penne in this case)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper, plus more to taste
A couple of handfuls of spinach, to taste, fresh or frozen (thawed and drained)

Instructions
In a large, heavy skillet, stir 1/2 cup of the cream and the lemon juice to blend. Add the butter and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, just until the butter melts, about 3 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest, spinach and nutmeg. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain. Add the pasta, the remaining cream, the Parmesan, and 1/8 each of salt and pepper to the cream sauce in the skillet. Toss over low heat until the sauce thickens slightly, about 1 minute. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the pasta to wide, shallow serving bowls and serve immediately.

pasta with peppers + fresh mozzarella

Molly, here's another one for you! I made this on Monday after seeing the recipe in a magazine at the dentist office. I thought it had Freddy's name written all over it! I thought it was yummy (though I'm not generally a huge pepper fan) and Freddy was practically drooling. I'd definitely make it again (even though I personally didn't think that the leftovers were quite as good). From Real Simple magazine.

Pasta with Peppers + Fresh Mozzarella
Serves four

12 ounces short pasta (such as gemelli or penne; about 4 cups)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 bunches arugula (I used baby spinach), thick stems removed (about 6 cups)
12 ounces bocconcini (small balls of fresh mozzarella), cut in half, or fresh mozzarella, cut into bite-size pieces
Kosher salt and pepper

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta, and set aside. Wipe out the pot.

Heat the oil in the pasta pot over medium heat. Add the bell peppers and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the arugula, bocconcini, the cooked pasta, the reserved pasta water, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring, until the arugula is just wilted, about 1 minute.

chicken picatta

Finally! I feel like I've been planning on making this for weeks. I adore chicken piccata - and this recipe from Giada De Laurentiis's Everyday Italian. It's very yummy! I added a couple of artichoke hearts from a jar and served it over thin spaghetti.

Just a forewarning: if you don't care for capers, I'd cut the amount in the recipe. We love capers, so we thought it was perfect. But, I can see how it may be an issue for some.


Chicken Piccata
4 servings

Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, halved crosswise
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
1/4 cup drained capers, rinsed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions
Sprinkle the chicken with the salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour to coat lightly. In a large saute pan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter with the 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook just until brown, about 3 minutes per side. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a plate.

Add the broth, lemon juice, and capers to the same pan. Bring the broth mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan for extra flavor. Return the chicken to the pan and simmer until just cooked through, about 5 minutes (this is also where I added the artichoke hearts as well as thin slices of lemon). Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a platter. Whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into the sauce. Pour the sauce over the chicken, garnish with the parsley, and serve.

cavatappi amatriciana

After complaining about the overabundance of chain restaurants in the downriver area, Freddy and I headed to Carrabba's for dinner. Yes, another chain. But, a bearable one. I ordered the chicken marsala and chose the cavatappi amatriciana as my side - because I didn't know what the heck it was. Once the meal came, I found myself eating all of it and almost forgetting about my chicken marsala. It was just wonderful!

Cavatappi is a corkscrew-shaped pasta. And (as I'm learning now), amatriciana is a sauce made of chopped tomatoes, pancetta, hot pepper and Pecorino Romano cheese. Now, I find it odd that I loved this pasta so much considering that I generally hate any type of red sauce. Though, I do love tomatoes. Maybe that's why.

Unfortunately, I only searched for a Carrabba's knock-off recipe because I had no idea that it was actually a traditional dish. Yes, I know, I thought Carrabba's made it up. And in my ignorance, I failed to realize that pancetta is an important part of this dish! Next time I will include it for sure, and I'll also be sure to mix in all of the shredded cheese.

So, make this dish, but add pancetta and all of the shredded cheese. It is very good without, but that will be sure to knock it out of the park!

Cavatappi Amatriciana

Ingredients
3/4 of a 16 oz. box of Cavatappi pasta
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 cans (14 ounce each) diced tomatoes in tomato juice
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Romano cheese

Instructions
Cook cavatappi according to package directions; drain.

Saute onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes in olive oil over medium heat till onions are soft and translucent.

Add white wine and cook till nearly evaporated. Stir in tomatoes with their juice till slightly thickened (3-5 minutes).

Taste, and add salt and pepper as desired. Mix into cooked cavatappi. Toss with Romano (we just sprinkled the Romano on top - and not nearly that amount).

gouda macaroni

I love Gouda! But, I had a wedge of it sitting in the fridge for just about forever (it was vacuum sealed, so it didn't go bad). So, I decided to try it in some baked mac and cheese. And, well, I think I found a new favorite! This is just your basic mac and cheese. I think that next time I'll add more gouda - maybe try to add as much cheese as the sauce will allow? And if I'm ever in the mood, I'll add process cheese to make it creamier. Oh, this is the recipe that I copied. Except I used regular Gouda.


Gouda Macaroni

Ingredients
6 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 penne (or your favorite mac and cheese pasta)
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons bleached all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 pound Gouda cheese, grated
1/8 pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Italian bread crumbs

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Put the water and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt in a large, heavy saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes.

In a small, heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly. Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper and continue whisking until the sauce is smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 8 minutes. Remove the white sauce from the heat and stir in the cheese. Continue stirring until the cheese melts.

Lightly grease a 6 1/2 by 10-inch casserole dish with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon butter. Combine the cheese sauce and macaroni in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Pour into the prepared casserole, sprinkle with breadcrumbs, and bake until lightly golden on top, about 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and serve hot.

leek + ricotta ravioli

During our honeymoon, Freddy and I made a new vacation rule: the last night spent in any city will include a fabulous meal to punctuate our visit. During our last night in Barcelona, before heading to Ibiza, we did just that. We headed to a very hip restaurant called Bestiari that serves contemporary cuisine. I ordered the pine nut and leek ravioli (which was amazing) and I couldn’t wait to eat something like it again. Unfortunately, when I got home, I could find no such recipe. So, I decided to make one myself. I had some ricotta and a leek in the fridge that I wanted to use up. Freddy doesn’t like pine nuts as much as I do so I had to leave them out. But, I’ll sneak them in next time. They turned out fantastic regardless!

If you’re afraid of attempting ravioli, don’t be! Just cheat like I did and use wonton wrappers. Everyone is doing it. Oh, and the white sauce that I was attempting didn’t work out that well, so I just used a packaged alfredo. I think the raviolis would have been very good simply tossed in some olive oil.

I also have to give Freddy props for the asparagus, they were delish!


Leek + Ricotta Ravioli

1 leek, white part only, sliced thin
1 cup ricotta
1 egg
1 package of wonton wrappers
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
Salt
Pepper

Start heating water in a large pot. Meanwhile, sauté the leek in a pan with the butter or margarine until it softens. The white parts will start to become translucent. Remove from the pan, blot the excess butter/margarine with paper towel, and cool in the fridge for a few minutes.

Mix the ricotta, egg, cooled leek, and a dash of pepper in a bowl. Working with one or two wonton wrappers at a time, spoon ½ teaspoon of the filling into the middle of each wrapper. Brush water over two edges of the wrapper, and fold over, forming a triangle. Seal the edges with your fingers. Place on a floured baking sheet and cover with a damp towel.

Salt the water once its begun boiling. Add ravioli, 4-5 at a time, in the boiling water, making sure they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot, or to each other. They will float to the top when they’re done. Top with your favorite sauce or olive oil.

Serves 4 (but we froze half of them for next time).