Category Archives: PASTA

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Quick Pasta


  • 1 Boursin cheese (feta can also be used
  • 2 pints cherry tomatoes
  • Basil or any other herb
  • Olive oil
  • Pasta
  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  2. Set cheese on an oven safe pan. Add the tomatoes around it. Sprinkle with basil. Drizzle with olive oil.
  3. Cook in the oven for approximately 30 minutes.
  4. Separately cook the pasta and mix it in with the cheese and tomatoes when they are done cooking in the oven
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Shrimp Scallop and Artichoke Lasagna


Seafood Lasagna
  • 1 jar (24-ounce) Marinara with Italian Herbs and Fresh Garlic
  • 1 jar (15-ounce) Alfredo Sauce With Aged Parmesan Cheese
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for baking dish
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 ounces sea scallops
  • 10 ounces large shrimp peeled and deveined (without the tail)
  • 12 lasagna noodles
  • 1 can (14-ounce) artichoke hearts, drained, and chopped
  • 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Combine Marinara with Alfredo Sauce in a saucepan to make the Rosa Sauce and bring to a low simmer. Remove from heat.
  3. Lightly oil a rectangular baking dish. Set aside.
  4. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season the sea scallops with salt and black pepper. Place the scallops in the pan and sear 2 minutes. Flip the scallops and sear 1 minute on the other side. Transfer to a plate.When scallops have cooled to the touch, cut into quarters.
  5. Season the shrimp with salt and black pepper. Place the shrimp in the skillet and sear 1 minute or until edges start to turn pink. Flip the shrimp and sear 30 seconds on the other side. Transfer to a plate.When the shrimp have cooled to the touch, cut in half widthwise.
  6. Spread approximately 1/2 cup of the Rosa sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish then layer as follows: 4 lasagna noodles, Pasta Sauce, 1/3 of the shrimp, 1/3 of the scallops, 1/3 of the artichokes, 1/3 of Parmesan cheese, 1/3 of mozzarella cheee and a sprinkling of parsley.
  7. Repeat the layering process and make sure the final layer is sauce covered by cheese and parsley
  8. —

Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake 30-40 minutes.

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Tomato-Rich Lasagna


  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • ½ cup minced onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
  • 2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons dried basil leaves
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons dried parsley
  • 12 lasagna noodles
  • 16 ounces ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • ¾ pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • ¾ cup Parmesan cheese
  1. Cook ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
  2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water.
  3. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
  4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  5. To assemble, spread sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over sauce. Spread with ricotta cheese mixture. Top with mozzarella cheese and a little parmesan cheese. Repeat layers to finish with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil.
  6. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.
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Spaghetti alla Carbonara


  • 2 tsp. Olive Oil
  • 8-10 oz bacon cut into small pieces
  • 1 package of spaghetti (16 oz)
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper
  1. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add bacon and stir occasionally until browned and crispy. Transfer to paper towels to dry
  2. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of water.  Drain spaghetti and return to pot.
  3. Whisk eggs, half of cheese, salt and pepper in a bowl until smooth. Whisk in 1/2 cup of reserved water. Adding water avoids eggs from turning into scrambled eggs when mixing with the spaghetti.
  4. Stir egg mixture into pasta until creamy and slightly cooled. Stir in bacon. Top with remaining cheese.
  5. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup water.
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Spaghetti with Lemon and Basil


 

Ingredients

  • 10 oz spaguetti
  • 2/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 tsp lemon zest, 1/2 cup lemon fresh juice
  • 5 oz parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Preparation

  • Cook spaghetti in salted water until al dente. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water
  • Mix oil, lemon juice, and reserved water in a bowl. Add cheese, until mix is thick and creamy. Add salt and pepper
  • Add the sauce to the spaghetti and toss until pasta is completely covered with the sauce. Stir in basil and lemon zest. Serve right away.

 

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Pasta Bolognese


  • 1/3 large onion
  • 1 medium carrot
  • 1 clove garlic
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for the pan
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
  • 1 cup red wine
  • Water
  • 1 bay leave
  • 1 teaspoon dry thyme
  • Spaghetti
  • Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • Salt

In a food processor, puree onion, carrots, and garlic into a coarse paste (add a little water if necessary). In a large pan over medium heat, coat pan with oil. Add the pureed veggies and season with salt. Bring the pan to a medium-high heat and cook until all the water has evaporated.

Add ground beef and season again  with salt. Brown the beef. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

Add the tomato paste and cook until brown about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the red wine. Cook until the wine has reduced by half, another 4 to 5 minutes.

Add water to the pan until the water is about 1 inch above the meat. Toss in the bay leave and the thyme and stir to combine everything. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally. As the water evaporates, gradually add more, about 2 to 3 cups at a time. Stir frequently. Season with salt, if needed. Simmer for approx. 2 hours.

During the last 30 minutes of cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat to cook the spaghetti.

 

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Lasagna Bolognese


lasagna

  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 2/3 cup finely chopped onion
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes (or 2 large fresh tomatoes)
  • 1 15-oz can tomato sauce
  • 12 dried lasagna noodles
  • 1 15-oz container whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • 1 cup shredded cheese
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 3/4 Tbsp parsley
  • 3/4 Tbsp basil
  • 3/4 Tbsp oregano

In a dutch oven, cook beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until beef is browned; drain fat. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, and 3/4 tsp salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and let it cook for 30 minutes. Uncover it and cook 15 more minutes.

Cook noodles according to package directions.

In a medium bowl, mix ricotta, egg, 1/4 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, milk, parsley, basil, oregano, and 1/4 tsp salt. Combine well and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drizzle bottom of a baking dish with olive oil. Arrange 3 noodles in a single layer. Spread with 1/4 of the filling. Top of 1/4 of the sauce and 1/4 of the shredded cheese. Repeat layers. Sprinkle top with remaining Parmigianio-Reggiano.

Bake covered for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

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Spaguetti Carbonara


Prep Time: 5 minutes. Cooking time: 15 minutes. 4 Servings.

  • 1/2 pound (8 ounces) uncooked spaguetti
  • 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/4 pound pancetta or bacon (diced)
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Cook spaguetti until al dente
  2. Heat the olive oil in a pan and saute the pancetta for 3 to 4 minutes (until browned)
  3. In a bow whick together cream, egg yolks, parmesan, salt and pepper
  4. Drain the pasta and return to the saucepan. Stir in the egg and cheese mixture until well combined. Add the pancetta, toss with the sauce and heat through gently. If necessary to thin the sauce, add more cream
  5. Serve with fresh parmesan

 

 

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Spaguetti with Scallops in a Lemon Butter Sauce


I found this recipe yesterday at

http://www.examiner.com/easy-meals-in-san-jose/on-tonight-s-easy-menu-scallops-piccata-with-angel-hair-and-roasted-asparagus?cid=parsely#parsely#ixzz1EzJ79M1J

I tried it last night and found it to be extremelly delicious and easy to make.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound dry angel hair or vermicelli pasta
2 pounds fresh bay or diver scallops (Make sure the little foot muscle has been removed as they are tough. The fishmonger will do this for you.)
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup capers, drained
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons butter
handful fresh parsley, leaves chopped

• Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat.
• When the pot of water comes to a boil, add 1 teaspoon salt and the pasta. Set the timer for the appropriate number of minutes according to the package directions. When the pasta is done, drain well in a colander.
• Rinse the scallops under cold running water and pat dry thoroughly with a paper towel. Sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper.
• Place 2 tablespoons flour on a plate or shallow dish. Lightly dip the top and bottom of each scallop in the flour, shaking off any excess.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is shimmering hot, place the scallops into the skillet a single layer. Let them sear on one side without trying to move them for 2 – 3 minutes until a brown crust has developed. Turn each scallop over and let sear on the other side for 2 – 3 minutes until it browns on that side as well. Remove the scallops from the skillet and set aside.
• Add 1 tablespoon butter to the skillet. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
• Add the dry white wine, capers, lemon zest and lemon juice. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan (these add flavor!). Boil until the sauce is reduced, about 4 minutes. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter and chopped parsley.
• Add the cooked, drained pasta to the sauce in the skillet and toss well with tongs to coat the pasta.
• Return the seared scallops to skillet by placing them on top of the pasta. Place the lid on the skillet and heat through for 1 – 2 minutes.

Pair with Roasted Asparagus and glasses of white wine for an easy, delicious meal.

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QUICK AND DELICIOUS PASTA FOR TWO


This is one of my favorite recipes for a quick and delicious meal.  It takes less than 5 minutes to gather the ingredients and it's ready in 10 to 15 minutes.  Add a glass of white wine and it becomes a perfect meal.  Yes….  in 15 minutes!

QUICK AND DELICIOUS PASTA FOR TWO

6 slices of bacon

1 small can of mushrooms

¼ cup chopped onion

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

2 tbsp flour

1.5 cups of milk (or enough to cover all ingredients in the sauce).

Oregano, salt

PREPARATION

Select type of pasta and cook in water, 1 tbsp olive oil, and salt until al dente. (I usually make it with spaghetti)

Sauce:

Cut bacon in small squares. Set in a pan on the stove for a couple of minutes.  Add onions and garlic and mix well.  Leave for a few minutes until the onions become transparent.  Add flour. Mix well. Add milk, mushrooms, oregano and salt. Wait for the sauce to thicken (3 to 5 minutes).

 Serve pasta with sauce, and parmesan cheese if desired.