Found in Loose Cannons: Devastating Dish from the World's Wildest Women, complied by Autumn Stephens, page 20
I stumbled across the above quote while looking for quotes for another one of my blogs (Quote of the Day), and figured it fit in perfectly for one of my pasta party posts.
Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday. Today's double post deals with (as you've no doubt already guessed) pasta, and includes Garden Patch Spaghetti & Meatballs and Fettuccine Alfredo with Asparagus. Enjoy!
BAKED ZITI
This is from Alison Roman in The New York Times cooking newsletter. Alison wrote, "This baked ziti is layered almost like a lasagna to ensure every bite has enough creamy ricotta, stringy mozzarella and tangy tomato sauce. But the key to its success comes from undercooking the pasta during the initial boil so it stays perfectly al dente, even after a trip to the oven. Heavy cream is added to prevent the ricotta from becoming grainy or dry during baking, letting it be its most luscious self. While this baked ziti is meatless (there’s plenty of richness from the cheese — three types, to be exact), you could always incorporate a bit of sausage, ground meat or pancetta, if you like. Simply add 1/2 pound to the onions while sautéeing and proceed with the recipe."
Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Time: 1 1/2 hours
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018954-baked-ziti.
Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, packed in juice
1 (28-ounce) can tomato purée or sauce
3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
16 ounces/1 pound ricotta
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan or Pecorino, plus more for grating on top
1 pound ziti, rigatoni, penne, manicotti or other short, tubelike pasta
1 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Preparation
Make the tomato sauce: Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is totally softened and translucent (without letting it brown), 8 to 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring until it has turned a deeper brick-red color, tinting the oil and onions a fiery orange color, about 2 minutes. Crush the whole tomatoes by hand and add them (including the juice) and the tomato purée to the pot, stirring to scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pot. Season with salt and pepper and add red pepper flakes, if using. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomato sauce has thickened and flavors have come together, 20 to 30 minutes.
Prepare the filling: In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, heavy cream and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Prepare the pasta: As the sauce cooks, heat oven to 425 degrees, and place a large pot of salted water to boil on the stove.
Cook pasta until it’s nearly al dente. (You want to undercook the pasta slightly, as it will continue to cook in the oven. A good way to do this is cook it 2 minutes less than you normally would if preparing it al dente.) Reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid, drain pasta and rinse with cool water; set aside while the tomato sauce finishes cooking.
Once tomato sauce is done, stir in reserved pasta water.
Place pasta in a large bowl and add 2 cups sauce. Stir to coat pasta evenly encouraging the sauce to go inside each tube.
Spoon a bit of remaining sauce on the bottom of a 3-quart baking dish and top with 1/3 of the pasta. Spoon 1/3 of the remaining sauce on top, dollop with half the ricotta mixture and scatter 1/3 of the mozzarella on top of that. Repeat, beginning with the pasta, one more time. For the final layer, add the last 1/3 of pasta and the last of the sauce. Dot remaining mozzarella on top and shave a bit more Parmesan on top of that. Place baking dish on top of a sheet pan lined with parchment paper to catch any drips. Place in the oven and bake until the edges are golden brown and bubbling and the top has browned nicely, 30 to 40 minutes.
Let cool slightly before eating with a big green leafy salad.
Tip
Baked ziti can be assembled 2 hours before baking. It can be baked 1 day ahead and rewarmed before serving.
PASTA BOLOGNESE
This is from Anne Burrell on the Food Network.
Prep Time: 45 minutes; Cook Time: 4 hours 30 minutes; Total Time: 5 hours 15 minutes; Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Level: Intermediate
You can view this online at https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/anne-burrell/pasta-bolognese-recipe-1939315.
Ingredients
1 large onion or 2 small, cut into 1-inch dice
2 large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 ribs celery, cut into 1-inch dice
4 cloves garlic
Extra-virgin olive oil, for the pan
Kosher salt
3 pounds ground chuck, brisket or round or combination
2 cups tomato paste
3 cups hearty red wine
Water
3 bay leaves
1 bunch thyme, tied in a bundle
1 pound spaghetti
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
High quality extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing
Directions
In a food processor, puree onion, carrots, celery, and garlic into a coarse paste. In a large pan over medium heat, coat pan with oil. Add the pureed veggies and season generously with salt. Bring the pan to a medium-high heat and cook until all the water has evaporated and they become nice and brown, stirring frequently, about 15 to 20 minutes. Be patient, this is where the big flavors develop.
Add the ground beef and season again generously with salt. BROWN THE BEEF! Brown food tastes good. Don't rush this step. Cook another 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 leaves and the bundle of thyme and stir to combine everything. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally. As the water evaporates you will gradually need to add more, about 2 to 3 cups at a time. Don't be shy about adding water during the cooking process, you can always cook it out. This is a game of reduce and add more water. This is where big rich flavors develop. If you try to add all the water in the beginning you will have boiled meat sauce rather than a rich, thick meaty sauce. Stir and TASTE frequently. Season with salt, if needed (you probably will). Simmer for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
During the last 30 minutes of cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat to cook the spaghetti. Pasta water should ALWAYS be well salted. Salty as the ocean! TASTE IT! If your pasta water is under seasoned it doesn't matter how good your sauce is, your complete dish will always taste under seasoned. When the water is at a rolling boil add the spaghetti and cook for 1 minute less than it calls for on the package. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.
While the pasta is cooking remove 1/2 of the ragu from the pot and reserve.
Drain the pasta and add to the pot with the remaining ragu. Stir or toss the pasta to coat with the sauce. Add some of the reserved sauce, if needed, to make it about an even ratio between pasta and sauce. Add the reserved pasta cooking water and cook the pasta and sauce together over a medium heat until the water has reduced. Turn off the heat and give a big sprinkle of Parmigiano and a generous drizzle of the high quality finishing olive oil. Toss or stir vigorously. Divide the pasta and sauce into serving bowls or 1 big pasta bowl. Top with remaining grated Parmigiano. Serve immediately.
FETTUCCINE ALFREDO WITH ASPARAGUS
This recipe is from FamilyTime, and begins, “Ready to go at a moment’s notice, this asparagus-embellished classic is not only creamy, quick, and delicious, but it dirties only one pot.”
Serves: 4; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 12 minutes
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 pound asparagus
3/4 pound fettuccine
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1 cup heavy cream
pinch ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Directions
Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard them. Cut the asparagus spears into 1-inch pieces. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the fettuccine until almost done, about 8 minutes. Add the asparagus; cook until it and the pasta are just done, about 4 minutes longer.
Drain the pasta and asparagus. Toss with the butter, cream, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and Parmesan. Serve with additional Parmesan.
PESTO PASTA SALAD WITH SUN DRIED TOMATOES
This is from Cara Harbstreet on Fruits & Veggies, a website I recently stumbled across. This salad can be served hot or cold, whichever strikes your fancy.
Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Servings: 8
To view this online, go to https://fruitsandveggies.org/recipes/pesto-pasta-salad-with-sun-dried-tomatoes/.
Ingredients
1 16 oz box cellentani, rotini, or bowtie pasta
1 cup pesto sauce
1 can chickpeas
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 head broccoli florets
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 lemon (optional)
Directions
Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Wash and dry the broccoli, then cut into small florets. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Roast 10 minutes on high heat or until the edges begin to brown and the broccoli is cooked to your preference.
While the oven is preheating, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 8-10 minutes depending on your pasta shape.
Meanwhile, chop the sun-dried tomatoes and drain and rinse the chickpeas. Set aside until ready to combine.
Once pasta is cooked, drain and add to a large mixing bowl. Remove the broccoli from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Add to the mixing bowl with the pesto sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, and chickpeas. If using lemon, squeeze over the top, being careful not to include the seeds. Gently fold together to combine all ingredients.
Top with parmesan cheese just before serving. Serve warm, or chill until ready to serve.
GARDEN PATCH SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS
This comes from FamilyTime, and begins, “Enhance a favored meal with some extra nutritional boost - veggies almost hidden from view but a delicious addition.”
Serves: 4 servings; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 25 minutes
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
1 egg
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 jar (25 ounces) Prego® Marinara Italian Sauce
2 cups frozen peas and carrots
1 package (16 ounces) spaghetti, cooked and drained (about 8 cups)
Grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Mix thoroughly the beef, bread crumbs and egg in a medium bowl. Shape the mixture into 16 (1 1/2-inch) meatballs.
Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook until they're well browned. Remove the meatballs from the skillet. Pour off any fat.
Stir the sauce and vegetables in the skillet and heat to a boil. Return the meatballs to the skillet. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.
Serve the meatballs with the sauce over the pasta. Sprinkle with the cheese.
CHICKEN SPAGHETTI
Is it a chicken dish? Spaghetti? Both! This yummy recipes is from Ree Drummond of The Food Network’s The Pioneer Woman, and begins, “With spaghetti and mushroom sauce, and light and dark meat chicken with bell peppers, Ree Drummond's casserole is like two meals in one. Cooking the spaghetti in the same liquid as the chicken infuses it with flavor, and the Cheddar thickens the sauce so it coats each piece of meat.”
Total: 1 hr 40 min; Active: 20 min; Yield: 8 servings; Level: Easy
To view this online, go to http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/chicken-spaghetti-recipe.
Ingredients
1 whole raw chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1 pound thin spaghetti, broken into 2-inch pieces
2 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar
1/4 cup finely diced green bell pepper
1/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Two 10 3/4-ounce cans cream of mushroom soup
1 medium onion, finely diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the chicken pieces to the boiling water and boil for a few minutes, then return the heat to medium-low and simmer, 30 to 45 minutes.
Remove the chicken and 2 cups of the chicken cooking broth from the pot. When the chicken is cool, remove the skin and pick out the meat (a mix of dark and white) to make 2 generous cups.
Cook the spaghetti in the same chicken cooking broth until al dente. Do not overcook. When the spaghetti is cooked, combine with the chicken, mushroom soup, 1 1/2 cups cheese, the green peppers, red peppers, onions, seasoned salt, cayenne, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir in 1 cup of the reserved chicken cooking broth, adding an additional cup if needed.
Place the mixture in a casserole pan and top with the remaining 1 cup cheese. Cover and freeze up to 6 months, cover and refrigerate up to 2 days or bake immediately until bubbly, about 45 minutes. (If the cheese on top starts to get too cooked, cover with foil).
