Italian

Ricotta Gnocchi with Aspargus and Creamy Pesto

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I have been wanting to make gnocchi for a long time now, so yesterday I gave D his dinner choices – lucky for me he went with gnocchi. I had three potatoes that were leftover from the previous week and needed to use them so I figured – why not try! Luckily I had also bought Ricotta at Whole Foods as a back up in the event the potatoes were not giving the gnocchi the proper texture (freshness, size, type of potato all affects gnocchi texture and I did not want them to be too dense). Glad I had my back up, because come to find out that the potatoes had gone all sorts of bad. Into the trash they went and out came the Ricotta. I really had so much fun making this dish (and the mess that was a side product) and it turned out wonderfully the very first time! Ironically enough, we had just had gnocchi at Sullivan’s – mine was better (we both agreed). It probably could have been a little more light and airy but overall, for the first time, it was light and not rubbery at all. D got seconds of BOTH dishes I served last night – which does not usually happen – so I guess he really, really liked it?

Ricotta Gnocchi
Serves 6 (small portions) or serves 2-3 and leaves half recipe for freezing

  • One 16 Ounce Container of Ricotta (I used Part Skim, feel free to use whole)
  • 1/2 cup flour ( you will likely need more but start with this and add a tablespoon at a time – the idea is to use as little as possible)
  • 1/2 tbsp salt
  • One egg
  • One cup finely grated Parmesan, Pecorino, or Grana Padano

Dough Making
Line a strainer with a cheese cloth. Add the ricotta and let the cheese drain for about an hour. (This can be done several days in advance – this only really needs to be done if you have a particularly watery ricotta – I only needed about five minutes because my ricotta was more firm and I wanted to eat before 10 pm!). In a large bowl, mix the strained ricotta, egg, cheese, and 1/2 cup of the flour until all ingredients are incorporated. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Check the dough by rolling a bit in your hand. If it clings to your fingers, incorporate more flour one tablespoon at a time until you reach a tacky, workable consistency. Refrigerate for another 15 minutes. On the stove, bring water to a boil (salted).

Shaping 
Shaping can be done one of two ways depending on your tools and your preference. Sprinkle a baking sheet with flour and set it close to your work space. Sprinkle your hands and work surface with a little flour.

1) Put dough into a disposable piping bag with 5/8th inch tip (or whatever size that you have or prefer). Pipe out half inch pieces of dough and cut at the top with a sharp knife. To make grooved gnocchi, roll the “Pillow” against the back of a fork with your thumb. Place on a floured surface until all gnocchi are formed.

2) Break off a tennis-ball sized piece of the dough and roll it into a thick log about 3/4-inch thick. Cut the log into 3/4″ pieces. Shape them by rolling the “pillows” off the back of a fork with your thumb.
Transfer this batch to the baking sheet and toss with flour to prevent sticking. Repeat rolling process with the remaining dough.

Cooking
Bring salted water to a rolling boil. Gently drop the gnocchi into the boiling water – they will sink to the bottom. Once they bob to the surface, they are cooked. Remove gnocchi with a slotted spoon and transfer to a colander set over a bowl to finish draining. Repeat with second batch of gnocchi. Toss the gnocchi with sauce and serve immediately.

The Whole Dish – The Sauce from last night was a creamy pesto because I had leftover basil pesto and it is well…divine.

  • 3 cups Ricotta Gnocchi
  • 3/4 pound Fresh asparagus, steamed to slightly undercooked and cut into one inch pieces
  • Handful of Shaved Parmesan Cheese
  • Handful of torn basil (optional)
  • 1/3 cup Basil Pesto (more to taste or quantity available)
  • 2-3 tbsp cream, whole milk or half and half
  • Fresh ground black pepper to taste

In a large skillet, combine cream, pesto, asparagus, and fresh pepper (if you have minced garlic or shallot you need to use throw it in but it is not necessary) and bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes. Gently toss the gnocchi with the sauce, coating well. Remove from heart. Garnish with Cheese, basil, and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

* You can freeze leftover gnocchi for up to a month. Frozen gnocchi can be dropped directly into boiling water for an easy weeknight meal.
**There are so many variations for this dish that I cannot list them. I plan on making different types of gnocchi and experimenting with different sauces and veggies! Will post those as I make them.

Enchilada Calzone

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I am pretty sure this Calzone is THE reason why you should experiment with food. This came about after I had made homemade pizzas and my sister was about to make enchiladas. Somehow, Aly and I came up with a plan to have an transcontinental enchilada pizza cook-off. I ended up making a calzone because it was what I felt like doing. It was fantastic and made more food than you can imagine – maybe next time I will make individual calzones. Either way – enchilada calzone is here to stay. This is very closely tied to my enchilada recipe (which unfortunately will not be going onto my blog because well – I want to be the only one besides my mom – and now Dalton – who knows the secret) and tastes just as good which is saying something. One tip – to save on time I generally buy my dough during the week and make it one the weekends if I plan on making pizzas. You can use Pillsbury Pizza Dough – I use this for other calzones or foccacia. If you have a favorite pizza place, I highly recommend buying the dough from there – they should sell it in ball form and all you have to do is roll it. If you live in Austin, buy your dough from Rounders. It is incredible and four bucks gets you a ridiculously large pie – I think the small is something like 14 inches.

Enchilada Calzone – serves at least 6

Pizza Dough (recipe is based on 14 in)
1.5 – 2 cups Rotisserie Chicken, shredded (any shredded chicken will do – if you have leftover breast – go for it)
Black Bean-Corn Salsa, about 1.5 cups plus more for servingGreen Chile Pork Enchilada Sauce
Sour cream, about 1/5 cup to one can sauce
2 cups Jack and Cheddar Cheese mixed

Serve with Brilliantly Garlicky Guac

Roll pizza dough into a triangular or half moon shape. Place half of dough onto cooking apparatus (ie stone or baking sheet) with other half hanging off.
Combine chicken, cheese, and salsa in a large bowl and mix well. Spoon some of the sauce onto the Calzone face. All over, cover the surface with a layer of the sauce. Then mix sour cream with remainder of sauce and mix into chicken mixture. Spoon chicken mixture onto one half of the calzone surface. Once finished, fold the empty portion of dough over the mixture and smush the edges together. If you want to make it pretty, you can go around the edges with a fork, mashing with the prongs to give it lines. Bake on 400 for about 20 minutes or until the dough looks finished. If possible bake on a pizza stone or a pizza maker with hole in the bottom (the latter is my preference as it gets the bottom of the crust crunchy as well).

Remove and sprinkle with a little extra shredded cheese. Serve with Guac.

Chicken meatballs with the best Pasta ever

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So D’s brother asked for a meatball recipe last week at dinner…I did not have one as I had never made meatballs before. Ergo, a search was conducted (he had chicken sausage so I devised based on that plan) and then decided that I needed to try my hand at meatballs. I diverged from my original recipe and was pleased with the outcome. You can use any sausage that you want – I just bought ready made CM sausage hoping they had basil, garlic, chicken sausage but settling for Roma Sausage plus one link of Italian Turkey sausage for contrast.

The pasta is a variation of one of my absolute favorites (which – just because I love it so much – will be added at a  later date). It was different than the one I usually make but was still excellent and actually a little lighter. My only suggestion after eating (technically I wanted to make it this way but forgot to purchase the ingredient…sort of essential when cooking) is to add sun dried tomato (either reconstituted or paste) for a little but of a kick. I plan to next time.

Chicken meatballs with the best Pasta ever

3 slices Italian or other white bread, torn into small bits (1 cup) – I used Ciabatta this time around
1/3 cup milk (whole)
3 ounces sliced pancetta, finely chopped (you can swap in Bacon or prosciutto if you can’t find pancetta – I used prosciutto because CM was out of pancetta)
1 small onion, finely chopped (can also use shallot but double amount) – I used yellow because I had it and needed to use it up – white is fine as well
3 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 large egg
1 pound chicken sausage removed from casing (I used 2 links Central Market Chicken Roma Sausage and One link Medium Italian sausage also Central market)
2 tablespoons tomato paste, divided*
Sriracha to taste
Parmesan Cheese shredded (or grated)
Garlic Powder
Fresh Ground Pepper
3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 400°F with a rack in the upper third of the oven. Soak bread in milk in a small bowl until softened, about four minutes.

Cook pancetta in a dab of oil rendering the fat. Add onion and garlic with salt and pepper in a large skillet over medium heat until onion is softened, about 6 minutes. Reserve.

Squeeze bread to remove excess milk, then discard milk. Lightly beat egg in a large bowl, then combine with chicken, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, pancetta mixture, bread, parmesan, black pepper, and parsley. Be gentle when mixing. Form meatballs and place on greased baking sheet.

Stir together remaining tablespoons of tomato paste and sriracha and brush over meatballs, sprinkle garlic powder and fresh ground black pepper, then bake in upper third of oven until meatballs are just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

Arrange with pasta. Recipe as follows:

Little Ears, One Version

Rustichella d’abruzzo Orecchiette (YES IT MATTERS)
One pint cherry tomatoes, halved and seeded
Pecorino Romano cheese grated
1 cup chopped fresh basil
Fresh ground pepper 
Salt to taste
One Shallot-White Wine Sauce Recipe + some flour to thicken (add flour in with the shallots at the beginning so that the flour taste cooks out) 

Boil salted water and cook pasta to instructions. 

Begin making shallot white wine sauce (make enough for the amount of sauce that you want). After reducing add halved tomatoes and cook until the skins loosen and tomatoes lose their shape slightly. Combine with pasta and allow to cook a few more minutes. Add half of the basil, salt to taste, add pepper and cheese and stir gently but well. Garnish with remaining basil and some shaved Parmesan cheese then arrange meatballs as desired and EAT!





Scallop-Pesto Pasta

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Maybe this deserves a better name, but ever since I have started making it this, it’s been called Scallop-Pesto Pasta. It is pretty straight forward and makes me happy when I say it. I dare say this is one of my signatures…it is wonderful and incredibly easy for a weeknight. This can also be a cupboard meal fairly easily. I buy scallops by the pound when they are on sale and throw them in the freezer. Pesto can be bought up to a week in advance and everything else is pretty much in my pantry or fridge at all times. Ergo, as long as you take the scallops out of the freezer you can whip this up without going to the store! FYI, in case you are budget shopping, Whole foods (even though I don’t love their fish) has scallops that are cheaper than Central Market’s. They should be $7.99 per pound at WF and Central Market is at least $9.99 (the price changes with the type of scallops being offered at that time).

This should serve four with leftovers adjust amounts to taste or quantity needed.

Approx. a cup of Central Market Basil Pesto
One pound bay scallops
one pound mushrooms
3-4 garlic cloves
3 medium shallots
about a tablespoon of cream or half and half (full fat or fat free) mixed with about a tablespoon of regular milk (if you do not care about fat content feel free to double up on the cream) – if you would like a thinner sauce feel free to add more cream or milk
Pepper/Salt
Pecorino or Parmesan Cheese (grated) to taste
One package linguine or fettuccine (whole wheat, regular, fresh or dried – go crazy)

Scallops can be fairly watery if they are frozen – to reduce this I put mine in between paper towels for about 20 minutes before I cook them and throw them in a strainer after I sear them.

Boil pasta water, cook about ten minutes (to package instructions – if using fresh pasta cook 3-6 minutes).

Whilst waiting for the pasta water to boil, saute shallots and garlic – in oil or butter – (with pinch of salt) until glassy. Add mushrooms and saute until brown (if the pan gets dry feel free to add a cap full of white wine). Remove mushroom mixture to a strainer. Heat a bit of oil in the same pan and once hot, sear scallops (about three minutes) and remove to same strainer as mushrooms. Return the pan to the stove and heat the pesto and cream together, salt and pepper to taste. Add mushroom mix and scallops to the warm pesto and simmer. Strain pasta and return to pan. Combine Scallop Pesto with Pasta, fresh ground black pepper and cheese and proceed to eat entirely too much (expect to sneak to the fridge for a midnight snack)!

Butternut Squash Ravioli

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Butternut Squash Ravioli is not a new concept, but it is a good one. There are lots of versions that you can make. You can make a cream sauce to toss the ravioli with if you prefer. I prefer a white wine sauce fortified by a dab of cream and butter. These can be made ahead or frozen.
Filling

Butternut Squash, at least a pound cubed (I like to buy butternut squash already cut up and cubed – it really makes life so much easier, you can also buy frozen if you choose).
3 large Shallots, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Herbs de Provence or other herb combination
Either fresh homemade pasta dough (in ravioli shapes) or store-bought ravioli pasta wrappers – you can also use Gyoza wrappers (in frozen Asian section at Central Market).
One egg and pastry brush for binding
Parmesan, Pecorino, Fontina, or Goat Cheese
Cream
Ground white pepper

Toss butternut squash with about 2 or the shallots sliced and 2 garlic cloves minced, herbs de provence, salt, pepper, and basil/garlic/olive oil. Place on a baking sheet and bake until fork tender. Bake until fork tender. Once done, remove from baking sheet and toss in a bowl with cheese, dab of cream, and [optional] ground sage. Puree (using a bit of chicken broth if necessary for texture).
WITH DOUGH: Line up on a floured surface. Place a spoonful of filling inside every other round. Brush the edges of the ravioli with egg and secure top piece of dough pressing together gently with a fork. Boil in salted water for a few minutes, strain and reserve.
Sauce – choose from either Brown Butter – Sage Sauce or Shallot-White Wine

Shaved Parmesan
Ground Black Pepper

If using Brown Butter-Sage Sauce: melt 7-8 tablespoons of butter in a pan, adding to it 10-15 fresh sage leaves, sauté with sliced shallots until brown. Remove sage leave before serving and toss with ravioli, dried cranberries, shaved Parmesan Cheese, and ground black pepper. Grated nutmeg optional. If using Shallot-White Wine sauce, add in a dash of cream and make sure to use flour to thicken the sauce, top with some freshly grated cheese and black pepper and parsley if you desire. This can also be made with a cream-based sauce and is excellent but is a bit to heavy for me.

Butternut Squash and Melted Leek Risotto

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>This risotto came about because JMac needed a Halloween-themed pot luck dish, so I promptly got to work trying out recipes. I am so happy I did. Ironically enough I saw a version of this in  Bon Appetit in November of last year, naturally I decided that I had to make my version to compete. I prefer mine=) This dish has several different cooking components but once you get them started you can pretty much do everything simultaneously. This is much better as a Sunday dinner dish because of the amount of time it takes to cook risotto (completely worth it though).

Makes about 4 large servings, plus leftovers

  • Butternut Squash, at least a pound cubed (I like to buy butternut squash already cut up and cubed – it really makes life so much easier, you can also buy frozen if you choose).
  • 4-6+ large Shallots, thinly sliced
  • 4-5 garlic cloves, minced
  • Herbs de Provence
  • 1-2 bunches of leeks – white part only, sliced into rings and throughout cleaned of dirt (it is easiest to clean them after slicing by placing the rings into a strainer and running water over them – dry and reserve)
  • 7 tablespoons butter
  • white cooking wine (about a half cup for leeks and between 1 -2 cups for risotto depending on taste
  • 1 cup Arborio rice
  • at least 3 cups of chicken broth – probably more – warm on low heat throughout
  • Parmesan or Pecorino Cheese – to taste – about a half cup shredded
  • Fresh torn basil

Preheat oven to 400

Toss butternut squash with about 2 or the shallots sliced and 2 garlic cloves minced, herbs de provence, salt, pepper, and basil/garlic/olive oil. Place on a baking sheet and bake until fork tender.

In a small saucepan, combine 5.5 tablespoons butter and about a half cup of wine over a medium heat. Add leeks and simmer for about an hour (the longer the better). Season as appropriate.

In a large skillet prepare the risotto. Melt remaining butter and a little olive oil in pan add in remaining shallots and garlic. Sprinkle with a touch of salt and cook until glassy.  Add the rice and toast, stirring until it is translucent.  Add about a cup and a half of the wine and stir until absorbed.  Then add the simmering chicken broth in half cup portions, stirring until absorbed, then adding more.  Once it gets a little more done I usually taste it and add more wine or chicken broth accordingly.Once the risotto has reached the desired texture – add salt and pepper to taste and add cheese. Add butternut squash (I usually add it whole but you can puree it with a little bit of broth if you prefer) and leek mixture and mix well. Garnish with basil and pepper to taste.

Cheesy Marsala Orzo

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My version of mac and cheese. Adapted from a Giada recipe, this pasta is just incredible. I cannot keep myself away from this stuff for some reason. It is a bit more healthy than regular mac and cheese and it goes with a large array of proteins. You can serve this with steak, chicken or fish or on its own with a side of steamed veggies for a vegetarian option. This is also a great potluck dish and it is fairly easy to make large portions – I have made it at least three times for 15 or more. It can be prepared one day ahead and baked on the day of. Good luck trying to resist eating the leftover ten minutes after you are finished with dinner.

Serves about Six adapted from Giada de Laurentiis

One Pound Orzo pasta (you can use whole wheat or regular semolina orzo)
1.5 boxes of Central Market of Pacific chicken broth
Frozen Peas (at least a half bag – more to preference)
Shallots – 6 large, thinly sliced (or more if desired)
4-6 garlic cloves, minced
Butter, 2-3 tablespoons
Cream, 2 tablespoons
Marsala (I use Holland House – I cannot stand any others for some reason) – at least half a bottle, 3/4’s – one whole bottle is better
About a cup of shredded Fontina
about a cup of shredded mozzarella (or diced fresh mozzarella – whichever you have on hand)
Italian style breadcrumbs or panko mixed with thyme

Preheat oven to 350

Fill a stockpot with chicken broth and bring to boil. Once boiling, add orzo and cook per instructions. (The idea is to cook the orzo in the broth and then reserve all liquid for casserole – fill enough to allow the pasta to absorb the broth and have a little extra, but not so much that the orzo is swimming in the broth after being cooked. Should be a thick, stew like substance).

It a large skillet, add a couple tablespoons butter (and a dab of truffle or olive oil to keep from browning) over medium-low heat. Then add shallots, garlic (properly seasoned) and saute until glassy. Increase heat and add Marsala and reduce only to the point the alcohol is cooked off. Once reduced add remaining butter and cream, and more Marsala to taste.

Once Orzo is cooked pour into a greased casserole, add the wine sauce once finished. Stir in freshly ground black pepper, cheeses, and peas (you could also add spinach and/or mushrooms to this dish if you like). If more liquid is needed adjust at this point (add any combination of cream, Marsala, or chicken broth). top with bread crumbs and bake for about 30 minutes or until done.

One Version of Spinach Pasta with Veggies

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I love Hill Country Gourmet Pasta that I buy in farmers markets. My favorite is Spinach, Garlic, and Basil Linguine. The beauty of this pasta is that you can throw anything in there that you are craving or need to use up. I usually make this when I need to save money, have leftovers I need to use up, or am sick and don’t want to spend a lot of time cooking. You can make this as complicated or simple as you want! My favorite version is just spinach, peas, cranberries, and butter – it takes about 6 minutes, has little no mess, and is healthy and satisfying. Here, I give you the version that I will be making tonight because I have stuff I need to use up.

Serves 2, plus leftovers

Spinach pasta (homemade or other) – enough for two plus leftovers
Fresh Spinach – as much as you have (cannot have enough spinach!)
Frozen Peas – quarter to half a bag
Zucchini – I will be using two
Chicken (I use leftover roasted chicken in this – if I have none then I omit chicken)
Parmesan or Pecorino Cheese – just a small amount grated
Basil Pesto – 1-2 tablespoons
1/4 tbsp butter (optional)
drizzle of olive or truffle oil
Salt – to taste
Fresh Pepper – to taste
Fresh Basil if you have any
reserve pasta water
Cranberries (optional but I love them)

Make pasta according to instructions (undercook by two minutes, then add pasta to saute pan to finish cooking in sauce). Strain and reserve about a half cup of the pasta water.

In a skillet, saute garlic, shallots, and zucchini. Once done cooking, combine with pasta, spinach and peas. Add butter, pesto, salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive or truffle oil, cheese and a little bit of the pasta water (amount depends on thinness of sauce that you want) and mix well. Top with warmed chicken and cranberries and cheese and enjoy!