a little of each

A family's cookbook

Orzo with Everything March 29, 2013

Filed under: Pasta and Grains — alittlemoreofeach @ 1:44 pm
Tags: , , ,

 

We made this at Jennifer’s house in Rio Rancho. Sadly, we went through a couple of batches of pine nuts when we didn’t supervise the toasting carefully enough. They toast very quickly! From Margaret Ann’s cooking class.

 

3 cups uncooked orzo

2/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped

10 Tbl olive oil

½ cup balsamic vinegar

½ cup black olives, chopped

2 cups radicchio, finely chopped

1 cup pine nuts, toasted

1 cup fresh basil, chopped

1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

4 large cloves garlic, minced

 

Cook orzo as directed on package. Drain well. Add tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar and olives. Toss. Let stand until cool. Mix the remaining ingredients into pasta just before serving. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

 

Tuna Macaroni Salad

Filed under: Pasta and Grains — alittlemoreofeach @ 1:42 pm
Tags: , , , ,

 

I made this  frequently in college. All of my roommates liked it, too, so we’d all eat off it, for lunch and dinner, until it ran out. This recipe is also great with imitation crabmeat.  Simply add about ¾ lb. chopped crabmeat instead of the tuna, and use mayonnaise instead of the Miracle Whip.

 

Ingredients

1 lb box of pasta (shells, spirals, or bowties)

2 cans albacore tuna, drained

2 hardboiled eggs, chopped

½ cucumber, peeled and diced

1 packet Good Seasons Italian dressing, dry

1 tsp dill

1 cup Miracle Whip, give or take

 

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse with cold water, drain and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, mixing well. Refrigerate before serving.

 

Ricotta Gnocchi December 21, 2012

Filed under: Pasta and Grains — alittlemoreofeach @ 1:11 pm
Tags: , , , ,

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients (serves 5)

    For the Gnocchi

    • 1 (8 ounce) container ricotta cheese
    • 2 eggs
    • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon pepper
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 cup all-purpose flour, or as needed

    For the Sauce

    • 3 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
    • 1 (15.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
    • 1 dash crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
    • 6 basil leaves, finely shredded
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    • 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into small chunks

    Instructions

    Stir together the ricotta cheese, eggs, Parmesan Cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a large bowl until evenly combined. Mix in 1 cup of flour. Add additional flour if needed to form a soft dough.

    Divide the dough into 3 or 4 pieces, and roll into 1/2-inch-thick ropes on a floured surface. Cut each rope into 1-inch pieces, and place on a lightly floured baking sheet. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

    Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, and cook until softened and fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in diced tomatoes and red pepper flakes; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in shredded basil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

    While sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Boil the gnocchi until they float to the surface, 1 to 2 minutes, then drain.

    To assemble the dish, stir the cubed mozzarella cheese into the sauce and allow the heat of the sauce to soften, but not melt the cheese. Place gnocchi into a serving bowl, and spoon sauce overtop.

    Powered by Recipage
     

    Spaghetti with Pesto Trapenese December 20, 2012

    Filed under: Pasta and Grains — alittlemoreofeach @ 9:05 pm
    Tags: , , , ,

    Ingredients (serves 4)

    • ¾ pound cherry tomatoes, very ripe and sweet
    • 12 leaves fresh basil
    • ⅓ cup whole almonds, lightly toasted
    • 1 garlic clove, crushed and peeled
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for cooking the pasta
    • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1 pound spaghetti
    • ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated

    Instructions

    Rinse the cherry tomatoes and pat them dry. Rinse the basil leaves and pat dry.

    Drop the tomatoes into the blender jar or food processor bowl followed by the garlic clove, the almonds, basil leaves, and 1/2 tsp salt. Blend for a minute or more to a fine purée; scrape down the bowl and blend again if any large bits or pieces have survived.

    With the machine still running, pour in the olive oil in a steady stream, emulsifying the purée into a thick pesto. Taste and adjust seasoning. (If you’re going to dress the pasta within a couple of hours, leave the pesto at room temperature. Refrigerate for longer storage, up to 2 days, but let it return to room temperature before cooking the pasta.)

    To cook the spaghetti, heat 6 quarts of water, with 1 tablespoon salt to the boil in the large pot. Scrape all the pesto into a big warm bowl.

    Cook the spaghetti al dente, lift it from the cooking pot, drain briefly, and drop onto the pesto. Toss quickly to coat the spaghetti, sprinkle the cheese all over, and toss again. Serve immediately in warm bowls

    Powered by Recipage
     

    Pasta with Fresh Spinach and Feta

    Filed under: Main Dishes,Pasta and Grains — alittlemoreofeach @ 8:45 pm
    Tags: , , , ,

    Ingredients

    • 1 box of penne pasta
    • 3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped small
    • 3 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 can of diced tomatoes
    • 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
    • zest of 1 lemon
    • 4-6 oz fresh spinach
    • 4 oz feta cheese

    Instructions

    Cook pasta.

    Drain the pasta and use the same pot to heat oil and cook garlic until the garlic is softened.

    Add a can of diced tomatoes, basil and lemon zest and cook a few minutes longer, stirring often.

    Add the pasta back in. Stir in some fresh spinach (I used almost a full bag, but I really like spinach). Stir until warmed through. Salt and pepper to taste.

    Serve on plates with feta cheese sprinkled on top.

    Powered by Recipage
     

    Butternut Squash Ziti

    Filed under: Pasta and Grains — alittlemoreofeach @ 8:40 pm
    Tags: , , , ,

    Prep Time: 1 hour

    Cook Time: 45 minutes

    Ingredients

    • 1 butternut squash
    • 1 pound ziti
    • 1 cup half & half (or cream)
    • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (fresh grated is best)
    • 8 ounces Gruyere cheese
    • 1 tablespoon butter
    • Salt and pepper

    Instructions

    Place halved squashes cut-side down on a cookie sheet. Poke repeatedly with a fork.

    Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes until the squash are super-tender. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the squash.

    When the squash are cool enough to handle, scoop all the meat out with a spoon and add it to your food processor bowl, or just a big bowl for mashing.

    Combine the half and half (or cream), cayenne pepper, nutmeg, and about half of the cheese with the butternut squash. Puree it until smooth and season with a good pinch of salt and pepper.

    If it’s not really creamy, add a bit more Half & Half or cream. Also, give it a taste at this point. It should be really smooth and flavorful with just a tiny amount of spice.

    Cook the ziti and then mix the butternut squash mixture and the ziti noodles together. Butter a 9×13 baking dish well. Add all the ziti and smooth it out, then sprinkle on the rest of the cheese.

    Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is really melted and the ziti is slightly browned around the edges. Let it cool for a few minutes before eating/serving.

    Powered by Recipage
     

    Baked Ziti

    Filed under: Pasta and Grains — alittlemoreofeach @ 8:08 pm
    Tags: , ,

    Ingredients (serves 8 to 10)

    • 1 pound cottage cheese (not fat-free)
    • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
    • 3 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)
    • Table salt
    • 1 pound ziti or other short, tubular pasta
    • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • 5 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 5 teaspoons)
    • 1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce
    • 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
    • 1 teaspoon sugar
    • Ground black pepper
    • 3/4 teaspoon cornstarch
    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • 8 ounces low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella cheese , cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)

    Instructions

    Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk cottage cheese, eggs, and 1 cup Parmesan together in medium bowl; set aside. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon salt and pasta; cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta begins to soften but is not yet cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain pasta and leave in colander (do not wash Dutch oven).

    Meanwhile, heat oil and garlic in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until garlic is fragrant but not brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and oregano; simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in ½ cup basil and sugar, then season with salt and pepper.

    Stir cornstarch into heavy cream in small bowl; transfer mixture to now-empty Dutch oven set over medium heat. Bring to simmer and cook until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove pot from heat and add cottage cheese mixture, 1 cup tomato sauce, and ¾ cup mozzarella, then stir to combine. Add pasta and stir to coat thoroughly with sauce.

    Transfer pasta mixture to 13- by 9-inch baking dish and spread remaining tomato sauce evenly over pasta. Sprinkle remaining ¾ cup mozzarella and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan over top. Cover baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

    Remove foil and continue to cook until cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes longer. Cool for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons basil and serve.

    Powered by Recipage