Penne Pasta with Vodka Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp Olive oil
• 1 Tbsp Butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pearl onions, minced
• 3/4 cup vodka
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 32 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 16 oz. penne pasta
• 20 basil leaves, shredded

Instructions:

1. Saute onion and garlic in butter and oil.
2. Add vodka and reduce to half, about 3 minutes.
3. Add chicken stock and tomatoes.  Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
4. Put penne on to cook, when done drain.
5. Stir cream into tomato mixture.  When it bubbles, remove from heat and add basil.

Bruchetta Pasta

Ingredients:
Pasta of your choice
3-4 Roma tomatoes
1/2 cup basil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breats
Parmeasean cheese
Asiago cheese
Salt
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Italian seasoning

Directions:

1. Salt a pot of water and bring to a boil
2. Cook pasta until al dente
3. Heat pan with olive oil
4. Sprinkle italian seasoning on chicken breasts
5. Cook chicken breasts in pan until done, don't over cook. Remove and let rest. 
6. Dice the tomatoes and chiffonade basil
7. When pasta is finished cooking drain and then put back in pot
8. Add about 3 tbs olive oil and 3 tbs balsamic vinegar and 1-2 tsp salt or to taste
9. Add about a 1/2 cup each of Asiago and Parmesan cheese, or to taste
10. Cut chicken chicken breast into finger sized pieces
11. Plate by putting pasta in a bowl, top with chicken, then add the tomatoes, finally the basil. 
12. Grate more cheese over pasta
13. Sprinkle a bit more olive oil and balsamic over pasta and perhaps a pinch more of salt

Tortellini Salad

I got this recipe from my mother; the original recipe actually calls for goat cheese. However the first time I made it, I didn’t have any on hand, but I did have feta. I think you could use either kind and get good results; I’m just used to using feta. I like the flavor combination. 

Ingredients:

1 pound tortellini, cooked, drained and cooled (I use cheese tortellini)

6 sundried tomatoes, diced

6 roasted red peppers, diced

3 T olive oil

5 T balsamic vinegar

1—2 T oil from the sundried tomatoes (optional; I usually add just 1 T for extra flavor)

7 fresh basil leaves, chopped

2 ounces crumbled feta or goat cheese

Parsley to taste

Directions:

• Combine the oils and vinegar and whisk til thoroughly mixed.
• Pour the oil/vinegar mixture over the pasta.
• Mix in the rest of the ingredients.
• Chill before serving.
• Enjoy!

Fra Diavolo Sauce

A week or so ago, Kent enjoyed a Fra Diavolo shrimp dish at a restaurant and decided to create his own version. So he took a basic tomato sauce recipe we love (created by Oyster Evangelist) and tweaked it to come up with his own version.

When I made this the other night, I had some chicken sage sausage on hand so I diced that up and sautéed it and added it in. The sauce is equally good with no meat—it’s got lots of flavor all by itself. Cut down the red pepper flakes and the cayenne if you don’t like things hot.

Ingredients:

4 T (1/2 stick) butter
1 small onion, minced (1 cup)
2 t red pepper flakes
1 t cayenne powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 C water
2 cloves garlic, put through a press
1 32-ounce can crushed tomatoes and their juices

Directions:

1. In a large heavy pan, melt the butter.
2. Add the onion, red pepper flakes, cayenne powder and oregano, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the tomato paste and cook a few minutes until it begins to stick to the bottom of the pan. 
4. Stir in 1/2 cup of water, scraping the bottom of the pan to pick up any cooked-on bits. 
5. Add the tomatoes and the garlic.
6. Simmer for 30 minutes.
7. Put on your favorite pasta.
8. Enjoy!

Macaroni and Cheese

When Ben was little, I bowed to the tyranny of a two year old and made mac & cheese from the blue box. But honestly that stuff is expensive and full of strange ingredients. Plus I dislike using canned soups a great deal. In fact, you could say I downright hate it. Fortunately this mac & cheese recipe doesn’t need any cans of anything.

Ingredients:

2 cups pasta (we prefer gemelli but if you like elbow macaroni, have at it)
4 T butter
¼ C all-purpose flour
3 C milk
2 C shredded semi-hard cheese (cheddar, Gouda, Monterey Jack—whatever you have on hand and feel free to mix it up)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2/3 C freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the broiler.
2. Cook your pasta OR follow my "no humidity added to the house" method below. Drain well.
3. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat.
4. Whisk in the flour until a paste forms.
5. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth.
6. Bring the sauce to the boil over moderately high heat, stirring or whisking constantly, until thickened.
7. Remove the pan from the heat and add in the shredded cheeses until melted (not the Parmigiano-Reggiano just yet).
8. Season with salt and pepper.
9. Stir in the cooked pasta and then put the mixture into a 9 x 13 glass or ceramic baking pan.
10. Top with the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
11. Broil about four inches from the heat for about four minutes or until richly browned.
12. Let the dish sit for about five minutes before serving.
13. Enjoy!

*Bonus no humidity method for cooking pasta:

1. Bring the water to the boil in a covered saucepan.
2. Add the pasta, cover and immediately turn off the heat.
3. Let sit, covered, on the stove for 20 minutes.
4. Drain and enjoy your humidity-free home.

Caveat: Angel hair pasta doesn’t really need the full 20 minutes and gemelli may take up to 25 minutes.

Penne Pasta with Smoked Salmon and Caper Cream Sauce

I love smoking food. One of my favorite thing to smoke is salmon. Something about the fatty fish just is perfect with smokey flavor. Up until recently there was only one dish I would use smoked salmon in; a dip (I'll post a recipe for my irresistible smoked salmon dip soon enough). But this creamy pasta dish works perfect with smoked salmon. Even though this dish breaks a few culinary rules you'll find that it is lip smacking good!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 pound smoked salmon, chopped (I smoke this myself, it is cured before hand as well, but that's another post)
1 cup heavy cream (a.k.a. whipping cream)
1-2 tablespoons capers, drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste (if you smoke your own salmon, I'd skip the salt)
1 pound pasta, cooked al dente, drained (reserving about 1/4 cup of the cooking water)
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 lemon

Directions:

1. Cook your pasta
2. In a large skilled add your olive oil and onions. Cook the onions til they are translucent, but not brown.
3. Pour in the cream and the capers. Heat an additional 1-2 minutes.
4. Combine sauce and pasta.
5. Add the pasta water you reserved.
6. Sprinkle your serving with (gasp!) Parmeasan cheese.
7. Squeeze some lemon juice over the top of your portion.
8. Enjoy!