Recipe Tag: Pasta / Pizza

Vegetarian Lasagna

Place the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the onion, carrots and garlic.

Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the onion has softened slightly. Stir frequently.

Add the mushrooms and cook for about 4 minutes. Stir frequently.

Add the vegetable stock, salt, pepper, tarragon, thyme, oregano and sage.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. If the liquid reduces below about 1/2 cup, add water 1/4 cup at a time.

While the sauce is simmering, line a 9 inch square Pyrex dish with foil.

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Place a layer of lasagna noodles in the bottom of the Pyrex dish.

Place 1/3 of the thinly sliced zucchini on top of the lasagna noodles at a 90° angle.

Spread 1/3 of the vegetable sauce mixture over the top of the zucchini.

Add a layer of noodles and then place 1/3 of the thinly sliced zucchini on top of the lasagna noodles at a 90° angle.

Place half of the cheese slices on top of the zucchini.

Add a third layer of the lasagna noodles and top with the remaining vegetable mixture.

Place the remaining 1/3 of the thinly sliced zucchini on top of the lasagna noodles at a 90° angle.

Cover the Pyrex dish with foil and bake for 60 minutes.

Remove the foil from the top of the lasagna and place the remaining sliced cheese across the top of the lasagna.

Bake for about 5 minutes and serve.

Baked Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Place a large skillet in the oven and preheat to 325°F.

When the oven is hot, add the oil to the pan and then add the butternut squash, cut side down.

Roast for 45 minutes.

Remove the squash to a cutting board or plate and let cool.

Cut the squash into 3/4 inch chunks by slicing lengthwise and then crosswise to form a grid. Slice downward but not through the skin. Scoop out the chunks with a spoon. Discard the skin. (The squash can be roasted ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble the mac & cheese for baking.)

Combine the eggs and milk in a large mixing bowl.

Whisk until smooth.

Add 6 ounces of the grated cheese, marjoram, thyme, salt, pepper, and uncooked pasta and fold together until blended. Fold in the squash.

Pour into a 12 x 9 inch oblong Pyrex dish.

Cover with foil and cook for 40 minutes.

Uncover and top with the rest of the cheese.

Cook for another 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, and serve.

Smoky Shrimp Mac & Cheese

Place the water in a medium stock-pot over high heat and bring to a boil.

Add the pasta and cook until just done – about 15 minutes (or according to package directions). Do not overcook: the pasta should be cooked al dente.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the olive oil, and when it is hot, add the diced onion.

Stir the onions frequently and cook slowly, adjusting the heat to keep the onion from burning.

Cook for about 10 minutes until translucent.

Add the smoked paprika and cayenne pepper and cook for another 1 minute.

Add the shrimp and green onions.

Cook for about 5 minutes until the shrimp is just cooked through. Stir frequently.

Reduce the heat to low.

Combine the eggs and milk in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the cheese and mix well.

Add the cheese mixture to the onions and shrimp and fold together.

Cook the mixture over medium heat. Don’t let the mixture boil, and stir continuously.

When the sauce is very thick, remove from the heat.

When the pasta is done, drain well and add to the pan with the shrimp and sauce mixture.

Add fresh ground black pepper to taste, stir, and serve immediately.

Penne with Shrimp and Mustard Sauce

Place the water in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

When the water is boiling, add the pasta and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes until the pasta is al dente.

Place the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the onion and cook slowly for about 10 minutes, adjusting the heat and stirring occasionally so that the onions become soft and translucent but do not brown.

Add the vegetable stock, water, salt, mustard, honey, and the white part of the green onion.

Cook on medium at a slow simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Add the shrimp, goat cheese, and the green part of the green onion and cook for about 5 minutes until the shrimp are cooked and the goat cheese melted.

Drain the pasta and add to the shrimp and sauce.

Toss well and serve.

Linguine with Shrimp in Vodka Tomato Cream Sauce

Heat 3 cups water until boiling and pour over the sun-dried tomatoes.

Allow the sun-dried tomatoes to steep for 15 minutes until soft.

Drain the liquid into a small bowl and set it and the sliced sun-dried tomatoes aside.

Heat 3 cups of water to the shiver stage in a shallow, medium-sized saucepan.

Add the asparagus and blanch for 4 minutes.

Place the cooked asparagus in ice water for 10 minutes.

Remove the asparagus from the water and cut the asparagus in 2-inch segments. Set them aside to dry on a paper towel.

Place the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the onions to the skillet and cook over medium heat until they begin to soften and turn slightly brown (about 7 – 10 minutes).

Reduce the heat to low, add the vodka, and cook for two minutes. Stir frequently.

Add the sun-dried tomato broth, the sun-dried tomatoes, canned tomatoes, and salt.

Simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

When the sauce is almost cooked, place the 4 quarts of water in a large pot.

Add the linguine and cook about 15 minutes until just done (the pasta should have a slightly firm texture)

While the linguine is cooking, add the shrimp and the milk to the gently simmering sauce. Stir occasionally.

After about 10 minutes, add the asparagus to the sauce and fold in gently.

Drain the linguine. Add the pasta to the tomato/shrimp sauce and toss to coat the pasta with the sauce. Season to taste with fresh ground black pepper.

Served topped with the fresh basil.

Pizza with Tomato, Basil and Roasted Garlic with Whole Wheat Dough

For the Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Place the yeast and honey in a large mixing bowl and pour the heated water over the mixture, stirring until well blended. Let the mixture stand for about 5 – 7 minutes until foamy.

Add the whole wheat flour, all purpose flour and salt and stir with a fork until a coarse dough forms.

Continue to mix by hand until a dough ball forms and all the flour is well blended.

Cover the bowl and place it in a sink with about 4 inches of hot water in the bottom. The heat from the warm water will help the dough rise. The dough will double in size in about 30 – 40 minutes. Punch it a few times with your fingers and let it rise another 30 minutes.

Remove from the bowl and cut the ball into four equal pieces. Cover the dough that you are not going to use immediately in plastic wrap and chill.

For the Pizza

Preheat the oven to 500°F.

Pizza is best baked on a pizza stone but a cookie sheet will work as well. Place the baking stone or cookie sheet in the oven and allow it to heat at least 15 – 20 minutes.

While the baking surface is heating, slice tomato in half vertically. Remove the seeds and slice the tomato into julienne strips.

Gently toss the tomato strips, mozzarella, basil leaves, and garlic together in a small mixing bowl.

Set the tomato mixture close to the oven so that it will be accessible and easy to place on top of the dough. Have the grated parmesan within easy reach.

Using 1/4 of the pizza dough recipe (for each pizza) gently stretch into 8-inch rounds. Don’t work too hard to get a perfectly round shape.

Once the dough is formed, place it on the hot pizza stone and top with the tomato/mozzarella mixture.

Bake for approximately eight minutes, and then top with the Parmesan cheese.

Bake for another 3 – 5 minutes – until the cheese has melted.

Remove from the oven and let it cool for about 90 seconds, slice and serve.

Pepperoni Pizza

For the Pizza Dough

Place the yeast and honey in a large mixing bowl and pour the heated water over the mixture, stirring until well blended. Let the mixture stand for about 5 – 7 minutes until foamy.

Add the whole wheat flour, all purpose flour and salt and stir with a fork until a coarse dough forms.

Continue to mix by hand until a dough ball forms and all the flour is well blended.

Cover the bowl and place it in a sink with about 4 inches of hot water in the bottom. The heat from the warm water will help the dough rise. The dough will double in size in about 30 – 40 minutes. Punch it a few times with your fingers and let it rise another 30 minutes.

Remove from the bowl and cut the ball into four equal pieces. Cover the dough that you are not going to use immediately in plastic wrap and chill.

For the Pizza

Pizza is best baked on a pizza stone but a cookie sheet will work as well.

Place the baking stone or cookie sheet in an oven that has been preheated to 500°F. Allow the baking suface to heat for at least 15-20 minutes.

Using 1/4 of the pizza dough recipe (for each pizza), gently stretch into 8-inch rounds. Don’t work too hard to get a perfectly round shape.

Once the dough is formed, place it on top of the hot pizza stone and top each pizza with 1/4 cup marinara sauce.

Place the pepperoni discs on top of the sauce and top with the shredded mozzarella.

Bake for approximately ten to twelve minutes until the crust is golden brown.

Fusilli with Sausage and Spinach

Place the water in a saucepan over high heat.

When the water boils, add the pasta.

Cook for 12-15 minutes or until al dente.

Place a large skillet over high heat and add the sausage. Stir frequently and reduce the heat to medium, cooking the sausage slowly for about 10 minutes.

Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes. Adjust the heat so that the onions cook slowly and turn a light brown.

Add the tarragon, stock, honey and mustard. Toss well.

Add the cooked pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of the water the pasta was cooked in, and the spinach.

Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently until the spinach is wilted.

While tossing, add 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of the pasta water to the pasta to make a creamy sauce.

Serve immediately topped with the grated parmesan.

Spinach Fettuccine Alfredo

The spinach can be pulled from the freezer and thawed on a plate in the refrigerator for about ten hours. Alternatively, the spinach can be thawed gently in the microwave. Once thawed, place the spinach in a strainer and press out the excess water.

Heat the olive oil in a ten-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat and add the minced garlic. Cook very slowly and stir frequently. Do not allow the garlic to brown or it will become bitter.

Add the spinach and then the flour slowly and cook for about one minute. Stir continuously to blend the spinach and flour. Cook gently so the mixture doesn’t brown.

Slowly add the cold milk, whisking to keep from forming clumps. Blend in all of the milk until the sauce is smooth and begins to thicken.

When the sauce is smooth, add the Parmigiano-Reggiano and whisk as it melts until the sauce is creamy. Reduce the heat to very low.

In a large pot heat the water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook until just tender (about 12 – 15 minutes for dried pasta). Drain well and then add the pasta to the sauce, tossing to coat thoroughly. Sprinkle the minced parsley over the top and serve.

Tarragon Mushroom Orzo with Chicken

Place the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the mushrooms and cook, tossing frequently, until the mushrooms are well browned.

Add the tarragon to the pan just as the mushrooms are finished browning and stir to blend.

Remove the mushrooms to a plate.

Place the water in a medium stock pot or large sauce pan over high heat.

When the water is boiling add the orzo.

While the orzo is cooking place a large skillet over medium high heat.

Add the chicken.

Cook for about 5 minutes until the chicken is browned on all sides. Stir frequently.

Add the pinenuts.

Add the vegetable stock and the salt.

Cover and cook over medium heat for about 7 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Add about 1/4 cup of the pasta water to the skillet along with the yellow squash, peas and the cooked mushrooms.

Cook for another 5 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Drain the orzo and add it to the skillet.

Toss well and serve.