Confessions of a Foodie

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Tuesday, January 8, 2019

Pasta Party - Double-Post Tuesday

Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday. Today's double post deals with one of my favorite groups of food: pasta (and, therefore, a pasta party). This includes Sun-Dried Tomato Bow Tie Pasta and Triple Tomato Pasta With Spinach and White Beans, as well as other yummy pasta recipes. Enjoy!

TURKEY BOLOGNESE

This comes from Giada De Laurentiis of the Food Network show Everyday Italian.

Total: 50 min; Prep: 20 min; Cook: 30 min; Yield: 6 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

1 pound shredded cooked turkey (preferably dark meat)

3 cups marinara sauce

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound spaghetti

Freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the carrot and celery and saute until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the turkey and saute 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce. Decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend, stirring often. Stir in the basil. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper. (The sauce can be made 1 week ahead. Cool the sauce completely, then transfer it to a container and freeze for future use. Bring the sauce to a simmer before using.)

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to coat, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten as needed. Serve with the Parmesan.

SUN-DRIED TOMATO BOW TIE PASTA

This comes from FamilyTime, and begins, “Creamy, flavorful and comforting, this stove-top pasta dish has it all! The sun-dried tomatoes and basil add fresh flavor to this dish that you can enjoy in just 40 minutes.”

Serves: 4 servings (about 2 1/2 cups each); Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, cut into thin strips

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

6 cups bow tie pasta (farfalle), cooked and drained

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it's tender.

Add the tomatoes and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir the soup, milk and basil in the skillet. Cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling, stirring occasionally.

Place the pasta into a large serving bowl. Pour the soup mixture over the pasta and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the cheese. Season with the black pepper, if desired.

Helper: For a thinner sauce, reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water and add it to the skillet with the soup and milk.

NO-BOIL STUFFED SHELLS

This comes from the Food Network, and begins, “No more wrangling slippery shells. This recipe lets you skip the step of boiling your pasta before stuffing it with cheese. Just fill the shells straight out of the box (it's much easier!) and let the sauce turn them plump and tender in the oven.”

Level: Easy; Total: 1 hr 30 min; Active: 20 min; Yield: 8 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large egg

1 pound ricotta

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

One 8-ounce bag part-skim shredded mozzarella (about 2 cups)

3 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

One 24-ounce jar marinara sauce

One 12-ounce box jumbo pasta shells

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine the garlic, egg, ricotta, Parmesan, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, a large pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large bowl. Fold to combine. Transfer the mixture to a resealable plastic bag and snip a 1/4-inch hole in the corner.

Spread 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Pipe the ricotta mixture into the shells and arrange them opening-side up in the baking dish. Cover with the remaining sauce and 1 1/2 cups water.

Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil, top with the remaining 1 1/2 cups mozzarella and bake until almost all the liquid has evaporated and the cheese is browned, about 10 minutes more. Let cool 10 minutes. Top with the remaining parsley before serving.

VELVEETA ULTIMATE MACARONI & CHEESE

This comes from Kraft Recipes, and begins, “Cheesy and easy, this homemade stove top macaroni and cheese is a big hit with kids.”

Total Time: 20 Minutes;Prep Time: 5 Minutes; Cook Time: 15 Minutes; Makes 4 servings

View this online here.

Ingredients

2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked

3/4 lb. (12 oz.) VELVEETA®, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/3 cup milk

1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions

Cook macaroni in large saucepan as directed on package; drain well. Return to pan.

Stir in remaining ingredients; cook on low heat until VELVEETA is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring frequently.

MACARONI AND CHEESE CARBONARA

This comes from the Food Network kitchen, and begins, “The best parts of the traditional Italian dish Spaghetti Carbonara are found in this baked mac and cheese: richness from the bacon, creaminess from grated cheese and spice from the black pepper.”

Level: Easy; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Inactive Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 45 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes; Yield: 8 to 12 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Kosher salt

1 pound elbow macaroni

8 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Extra-virgin olive oil

2 1/2 cups half-and-half

Freshly ground black pepper

1 pound cream cheese, room temperature

8 ounces sharp Cheddar, shredded (about 3 cups)

3 ounces Gruyere, shredded (about 1 cup)

4 scallions, thinly sliced

1 cup panko bread crumbs

Directions

Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until it is al dente, about 6 minutes. Strain, reserving 1 3/4 cups of the pasta water. Set aside.

Cook the bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until it is crispy and most of the fat has been rendered, about 15 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate. Pour the fat into a small heat-safe measuring cup. Add enough olive oil to total 1/4 cup of fat. Reserve.

Carefully wipe out the saucepan (or give it a quick rinse if it is really dirty). Add the half-and-half and 2 teaspoons pepper and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes. Add the cream cheese and stir until melted. Whisk in the Cheddar and Gruyere until all the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.

Add the macaroni and the reserved pasta water to the saucepan and stir to combine. (It will look very loose, but the pasta will suck up a lot of the sauce as it bakes.) Season to taste with salt if needed. Gently fold in the bacon and 3/4 of the sliced scallions. Pour into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish.

Toss the bread crumbs with the reserved bacon-fat mixture and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the top of the macaroni and cheese and bake until the cheese is bubbly and the bread crumbs are lightly browned and crispy, about 10 minutes. Garnish with the remaining scallions and serve.

TRIPLE TOMATO PASTA WITH SPINACH AND WHITE BEANS

This comes from Molly Cleary, MS, RD, CDN, CNSC on VeryWellFit. Molly wrote, “Tomatoes get their red color from lycopene, an antioxidant that may help to prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease. Cooking tomatoes actually helps to increase lycopene content, therefore potentially boosting its disease-fighting power.

“In addition to lycopene, this recipe also provides great nutritional benefits from the cannellini beans. These beans are full of fiber, at 6 grams per half cup serving. They are also one of the highest potassium beans out there, a micronutrient and electrolyte that can help lower blood pressure.”

Total Time: 30 minutes; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes; Servings: 4

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

8 ounces whole wheat penne pasta

1 can low sodium cannellini beans

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 package baby spinach

2 cups cherry tomatoes, diced

1 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil

1/4 cup sliced/slivered almonds

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

2 cloves garlic (or 1 teaspoon minced)

2 teaspoons dried basil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Combine pesto ingredients (slivered almonds through crushed red pepper) in a food processor and blend until mostly smooth; some small chunks are okay. You may need to a litter water to thin, but do not add more than a few tablespoons since the sauce is meant to be thick.

Drain and rinse cannellini beans.

Add olive oil to a pan and heat to medium high. Add baby spinach and cook until wilted. Remove from heat.

Combine the pasta, beans, spinach, and tomatoes into one large pot. Add the pesto and mix well.

Divide into 4 bowls and serve.

Ingredient Variations and Substitutions

If you cannot find sun-dried tomatoes in oil, then you can substitute 3/4 cup bagged sun-dried tomatoes with 1/4 cup olive oil. It works best if tomatoes are soaked in the oil for at least an hour.

Cooking and Serving Tips

Leftover pesto tastes delicious as a sandwich spread. It also freezes well.

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