Pasta - Double-Post Monday

Besides being Meatless Monday, it's also Double-Post Monday. Today's double post deals with pasta, and includes Ham and Asparagus Fettuccine and Slow Cooker Chicken Ragu with Herbed Ricotta. Enjoy!

BAKED SPAGHETTI

This is from Lidey Heuck in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this yummy recipe, Lidey wrote, "This comforting baked pasta feeds a crowd and is an easy way to upgrade everyday spaghetti with meat sauce. Once baked, the spaghetti casserole slices into neat squares, and the layer of ricotta and Parmesan filling give it the rich flavor of a lasagna. Feel free to play around with the recipe, swapping in Italian sausage or ground turkey for the ground beef and sautéing leftover vegetables and adding them to the sauce. If you’re planning in advance, you can assemble the casserole (through the end of Step 5) and store in the refrigerator, covered, until ready to bake."

Time: 1-1/2 hours, plus cooling; Yield: 8 servings

To view this yumminess online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024351-baked-spaghetti. While you're at it, please sign up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, if you haven't already.

Ingredients

Unsalted butter, for greasing the pan

Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper

1 pound spaghetti

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 5 cloves)

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried

1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, plus more for serving

1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste

1 pound ground beef (at least 85-percent lean)

1 (32- to 35-ounce) jar marinara sauce

1/2 cup fresh basil or parsley leaves, chopped, plus more for serving

1 cup/8 ounces ricotta cheese

3/4 cup grated Parmesan

1 large egg

2 cups/8 ounces shredded low-moisture mozzarella

Preparation

Step 1

Heat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the package directions until 1 minute shy of al dente.

Step 2

While the water comes to a boil, heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, oregano, red-pepper flakes, 1-1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of black pepper, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Step 3

Add the beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the marinara sauce and basil. Drain the spaghetti, add it to the sauce and toss well.

Step 4

In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, the egg and ¼ teaspoon salt. Mix with a fork until smooth.

Step 5

Transfer half the pasta and sauce to the prepared baking dish and smooth it into an even layer. Dollop the ricotta mixture onto the pasta in large spoonfuls, then sprinkle 1 cup of the mozzarella on top. Add the rest of the pasta and sauce to the pan, again smoothing it into an even layer.

Step 6

Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan on top, then bake, uncovered, until the mozzarella has melted, 5 to 10 minutes more.

Step 7

Cool for 5 minutes, then serve with more chopped basil, a pinch of dried oregano and more red-pepper flakes, if desired. Slice the baked spaghetti into large squares and serve hot or warm.

INSTANT POT CHEESY TACO PASTA

This yummy recipe is from Christin Mahrlig on her very cool site, Spicy Southern Kitchen. If you’ve never heard of her site (or you have, but never checked it out), I suggest you check it out ASAP. Go ahead, I’ll wait…(Tap, tap, tap…).

Anyway, the recipe begins, “Instant Pot Cheesy Taco Pasta is creamy, cheesy, and full of Tex-Mex flavor No need to precook the pasta. This easy recipe can be on the table in under 30 minutes.”

Prep Time: 20 mins; Cook Time: 4 mins; Total Time: 24 mins; Servings: 6

To view this recipe online, go to https://spicysouthernkitchen.com/instant-pot-cheesy-taco-pasta/.

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef

1/2 cup diced onion

1 packet taco seasoning

2 cups low sodium beef broth

1 cup salsa

1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles

8 ounces uncooked pasta shells

2 cups shredded Mexican cheese

2 ounces cream cheese, cut into pieces

sour cream, olives, red onion, cilantro for serving

Instructions

Lightly spray the Instant Pot with cooking spray and set to "Saute" mode. When hot add the ground beef and onion. Break the meat apart with a wooden spoon as it cooks.

When meat is almost cooked through, add taco seasoning. Stir it in and continue to cook until the meat is cooked. Turn Instant Pot off.

Add beef broth and scrape the bottom of the pot to make sure nothing is stuck on the bottom.

Add salsa, green chilies, and pasta shells. Press pasta down in the liquid as much as you can. Place the lid on and set to "Pressure Cook" for 4 minutes.

Once time is up, open up the valve to release the pressure. Once the pin drops, remove the lid. Add shredded cheese and cream cheese and stir it in. Place lid back on for a minute or two to help melt the cheese.

Stir well and serve with toppings.

Recipe Notes

If you want your pasta extra meaty, use 1.5 pounds of ground beef.

I find 4 minutes of pressure cooking is perfect for al dente pasta. If you want your pasta softer, try 5 minutes.

ONE-POT PASTA BOLOGNESE

This is from Betty Crocker, and begins, "This flavorful one-pot pasta is rich, meaty and filling--perfect for a fast weeknight dinner the whole family will enjoy."

Prep Time: 25 minutes; Total Time: 35 minutes; Makes 6 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions, diced (about 3 cups)

2 carrots, diced (about 1 cup)

1 teaspoon salt

1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef

1/4 cup canned Muir Glen™ organic tomato paste

1 can (28 oz) Muir Glen™ organic fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained

1 carton (32 oz) Progresso™ beef broth

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 lb uncooked spaghetti

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

Directions

In Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot. Cook onions, carrots and salt in oil 5 to 8 minutes or until softened. Add beef; cook 5 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until browned.

Stir in tomato paste and tomatoes. Stir in broth, pepper flakes and Italian seasoning; heat to simmering. Break pasta in half, then thoroughly rinse under cold water. Tuck pasta into simmering liquid, covering completely. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 13 to 15 minutes or until pasta is soft and sauce is reduced slightly.

Top with Parmesan cheese and basil.

Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchens

tip 1

Mix up this dish with different shapes of pasta, like penne or fusilli.

Tip 2

For an extra veggie boost, stir in a couple of cups of spinach or baby kale just before serving.

BASIC BAKED SPAGHETTI

This is from Wendy at AllRecipes. It begins, "Easy baked spaghetti made quickly in the oven. Use different cheeses to create your signature dish."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 50 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour; Makes 6 servings; Yield: 1 9X13-inch dish

To view this online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/18440/basic-baked-spaghetti/.

Ingredients

3/4 pound lean ground beef

1 (16 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce

1 pound spaghetti

1 cup shredded mild Cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Cook beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crumbly and brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir spaghetti sauce into beef. Reduce heat and simmer.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Stir in spaghetti; cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain.

Add spaghetti to meat mixture; mix well. Transfer to a 9x13-inch dish. Top with Cheddar cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven until heated through and cheese is bubbly, about 30 minutes.

HAM AND ASPARAGUS FETTUCCINE

This is from StephnDon at AllRecipes, who wrote, "I LOVE fettuccine, and when made with a bit of leftover ham it takes on a heartiness and richness so filling there isn't room for dessert!"

Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Yield: 6 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/21452/ham-and-asparagus-fettuccine/.

Ingredients

12 ounces dry fettuccini noodles

8 ounces fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces

1/2 cup butter

2 cups heavy cream

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 pinch cayenne pepper

1/2 pound cooked ham, diced

Dirctions

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Stir asparagus into pot in the last five minutes of cooking; drain.

While pasta is cooking, heat butter and cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When mixture begins to bubble, stir in Parmesan, garlic powder, pepper and cayenne. Continue cooking until mixture thickens, stirring occasionally. Stir in ham and heat through.

Toss pasta and asparagus with sauce and serve immediately.

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN RAGU WITH HERBED RICOTTA

This is from Sarah DiGregorio on The New York Times cooking site. Sarah wrote, "This recipe has a comforting lasagna vibe, as the spicy chicken-and-tomato sauce mingles with the rich, herby ricotta. Make the sauce as hot as you like: Begin with 1 1/2 teaspoons red-pepper flakes for a fairly mild spice level, then add more at the end if you want more heat. You’ll notice there isn’t much liquid when the chicken and vegetables go into the slow cooker, but have faith: The juices released during cooking end up making a not-too-thick ragù that is perfect for saucing pasta. In fact, because some chicken has more moisture than others, you may end up with more liquid than you’d like. If that happens, turn off the heat so the sauce cools a bit and is not bubbling, then vigorously stir in two egg yolks before you add the pasta. This adds glossy thickening power, just like it does in carbonara."

Yield: 4 servings; Time: 6 1/2 hours

This can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022080-slow-cooker-chicken-ragu-with-herbed-ricotta.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 small carrot, peeled and chopped

1/2 yellow or red onion, finely minced (about 1 cup)

4 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 sprig fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)

1 sprig fresh oregano (or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano)

1-1/2 teaspoons red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon onion powder

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 (14-ounce) can whole tomatoes or crushed tomatoes

8 ounces pappardelle, tagliatelle, fettuccine or other long, thick pasta

1 cup whole-milk or part-skim ricotta

Heaping 1/4 cup chopped soft fresh herbs, such as chives, oregano, parsley or basil, or a mix

Juice of 1/4 lemon (1 to 2 teaspoons)

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1 handful torn fresh basil leaves

Preparation

In a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker, combine the chicken, carrot, onion, garlic, tomato paste, olive oil, thyme, oregano, red-pepper flakes and onion powder. Add 2 teaspoons kosher salt and a couple grinds of pepper.

Pour the tomatoes and their juices into the slow cooker, crushing the tomatoes with your hands, if using whole. Stir to combine.

Cover and cook on low until the chicken is very tender, about 6 hours. The ragù will hold well on warm for an additional 1 to 2 hours.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. While the pasta cooks, in a small bowl, combine the ricotta with the chopped herbs, lemon juice and a pinch of salt; set aside.

Coarsely shred the cooked chicken with two forks. Remove and discard the herb sprigs and add the vinegar and the basil leaves. Taste the sauce, adding more red-pepper flakes, if you like. Turn off the slow cooker. Pour the drained pasta into the slow cooker and toss to combine.

Divide among bowls and top with the ricotta mixture.