Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 pound pasta (I prefer smaller pasta for dishes that need stirring.)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds sweet italian sausage, casings removed
• 4 cups frozen peas
• 1 cup cream or half and half
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 6 egg yolks
• ¹⁄₃ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Bring large pot of salted water to boil.  
2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add sausage and cook, stirring, until browned and cooked through.  Break up sausage pieces apart if necessary.  Add peas and garlic and continue cooking 1 minute.  Add cream, parsley, and red pepper flakes.  Cook 1 minute, stirring.  
3. In a large bowl, beat eggs yolks.  Add parmesan cheese to yolks and stir to combine.  
4. Cook pasta to al dente as directed by packaging.  Before draining pasta, remove and reserve ¹⁄₂ cup cooking liquid.  
5. Add pasta to egg mixture and stir to coat.  Stir in sausage and pea mixture.  Continue stirring and add pasta cooking liquid if necessary to loosen sauce.  Serve with extra parmesan cheese.  

Comments

This recipe is from Drizzle and Dip.  I love carbonara and this was a great spin on the standard.  The sausage added a lot of exciting flavors and we all enjoyed this quite a bit.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bottle dry white wine
• 1 pound linguine or fettucine, broken in half
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
• 6 ounces parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• ¹⁄₄ cup heavy cream
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Melt butter in large pot over medium heat.  Add garlic and sauté until fragrant.  Add wine and bring to a boil.  Add pasta and salt and cook as instructed by package.  Pasta will absorb most of the wine.  
2. Once pasta is tender, reduce heat to low.  Add cheese and cream and cook, stirring until cheese has melted.  Season with pepper and serve.  

Comments

Oh pasta.  I love you so.  This recipe is from Heather’s French Press and it was delicious.  Very simple, super flavorful.  You could easily sprinkle fresh herbs over top if you desire, pick ones that compliment whatever you’re serving this dish with.

Ingredients

• 1 cup short pasta
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cups scalded milk
• 1 cup soft bread cubes
• 2 tablespoons onion, grated or minced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 ³⁄₄ cups sharp chedder, shredded
• ³⁄₄ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 eggs, beaten
• ¹⁄₈ teaspoon paprika

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 325*F.  
2. Cook pasta 1 minute less than instructed by packaging.  
3. Combine all ingredients except pasta and eggs.  Stir in pasta and eggs then pour into buttered baking dish.  
4. Bake 35 minutes or until set and starting to brown around edges.  

Comments

This is the Mac and Cheese Art grew up eating and I recently realized that I had never posted the recipe to the blog.  I don’t make it often since it’s not the type of Mac and Cheese I most prefer, but it’s super tasty regardless and delicious.  It’s less cheesy than standard mac and cheese which also means that Lance likes it better.  It’s easy to turn into a more complete meal with the addition of ham cubes and broccoli pieces.

Ingredients

• 2-4 patty pan squash
• Olive oil
• 1 cup orzo, cooked and cooled
• 2 tablespoons whole milk ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons Romano cheese, grated
• 6 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• ¹⁄₄ tsp sea salt
• ¹⁄₈ tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 400*F.  
2. Trim stem off squash to create a flat bottom surface.  Rub with olive oil then place in baking dish, stem side down.  Bake until tender, about 30-60 minutes depending on size of squash.  Remove from oven and cool until ready to handle.  
3. Mix together orzo, cheeses, basil, salt and pepper in bowl.  
4. Using a small paring knife, but the top off each squash.  Gently scrape out the seeds to create a small bowl.  Divide orzo filling evenly between squash, return to baking sheet and oven and bake 5-7 minutes longer or until everything is heated through.  

Comments

This recipe is from Fake Food Free and I made it a very long time ago.  It was a big finicky and I ended up with way more filling than squash.  It might work well with zucchini boats instead, or larger patty pans, or any other type of summer squash.

Ingredients

For the bread crumb topping

• 6 slices white sandwich bread, torn into rough pieces
• 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces

For the pasta and cheese

• 1 pound elbow macaroni
• 1 tablespoon table salt
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons powdered mustard
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 5 cups milk
• 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 teaspoon table salt

Instructions

1. For the bread crumbs: Pulse bread and butter in food processor until crumbs are no larger than ¹⁄₈ inch, ten to fifteen 1-second pulses. Set aside.
2. For the pasta and cheese: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat broiler. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven over high heat. Add macaroni and 1 tablespoon salt; cook until pasta is tender. Drain pasta and set aside in colander.
3. In now-empty Dutch oven, heat butter over medium-high heat until foaming. Add flour, mustard, and cayenne (if using) and whisk well to combine. Continue whisking until mixture becomes fragrant and deepens in color, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk; bring mixture to boil, whisking constantly (mixture must reach full boil to fully thicken). Reduce heat to medium and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened to consistency of heavy cream, about 5 minutes. Off heat, whisk in cheeses and 1 teaspoon salt until cheeses are fully melted. Add pasta and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is steaming and heated through, about 6 minutes.
4. Sprinkle casserole evenly with bread crumbs. Broil until crumbs are deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes, rotating pan if necessary for even browning. Cool about 5 minutes, then serve.

Comments

This recipe is from Cook’s Illustrated.  Sadly I made it so long ago that I don’t remember anything about it.  But I’m sure it was tasty since Cook’s Illustrated recipes are pretty much always spot on.

Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter
¹⁄₃ cup carrot, minced
¹⁄₃ cup celery, minced
¹⁄₃ cup onion, minced
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 ¹⁄₂ tablespoons paprika
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup white wine
3 stems parsley
1 bay leaf
1 pinch dried thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, halved and cut into half moons
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
Juice of 1 lemon
¹⁄₂ cup heavy cream or half and half
12 ounces egg noodles, cooked as directed by package and drained
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Instructions
1. Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add minced carrot, celery, and onion and sauté 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Push vegetables to the side and add chicken to the middle of pot.  Cook 4 to 5 minutes, flipping breasts halfway through.  Sprinkle paprika over chicken, reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook for 10 minutes. 

2. Add flour to pot and stir vegetables and to form paste. Increase heat to medium and cook 3 to 4 minutes. 

3. Add broth, wine, parsley stems, bay leaf, and thyme to pot.  Bring to boil over high heat then reduce to low.  Cover and cook 25 to 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. 

4. While chicken is cooking, heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add onions and mushrooms and sauté until softened, about 15 to 20 minutes.  Add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.  Remove from heat. 

5. Remove chicken from pot and slice or shred.  Remove parsley and bay leaves from pot and discard. 

6.  Increase heat under Dutch oven to high and bring cooking liquid to boil.  Reduce mixture by half then stir in cream and continue reducing until sauce has reached desired consistency.  Stir in chicken, egg noodles, and onion-mushroom mixture.  Garnish with parsley before serving. 

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Comments
This recipe is from Feeding Andy.  I’m not sure I remember it very well, but I don’t remember it being bad so I’m sure it was tasty enough.  Clearly I should make it again so I can add better notes!

Ingredients
1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage
16 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (12 ounces) can tomato paste
32 ounces chicken or beef broth
3 cups water
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons sugar
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 pound short pasta
Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded, for serving

Instructions
1. Heat Dutch oven over medium heat and brown sausage.  Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic.  Cook, stirring often, about 5 to 10 minutes or until onions and mushrooms are tender.  Stir in tomato paste. 

2.  Add broth, water, vinegar, Italian seasoning, salt, sugar, and red pepper flakes.  Bring to boil.  Add pasta and stir to submerge pasta in liquid.  Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 17 to 20 minutes or until pasta is tender and sauce reaches desired consistency, stirring occasionally. 

3. Season with salt and pepper and serve with Parmesan cheese. 

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Comments
This recipe is from Alaska from Scratch.  Sadly, it’s too far in my memory for me to remember.

Ingredients
16 ounces short pasta (I used elbows.)
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 ¹⁄₂ cups warm milk
¹⁄₂ teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
¹⁄₂ cup Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
2 tablespoons truffle oil

Instructions
1. Bring large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta as instructed by packaging.  Drain. 

2. In large Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat.  Stir in flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute.  Slowly add milk, stirring constantly, and continue cooking until sauce begins to thicken and bubble, 5 to 6 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Decrease heat to low and add cheddar cheese and goat cheese.  Continue stirring until cheese is completely melted and sauce is smooth. 

4. Add pasta to pot and stir well to coat.  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top. 

5. Heat broiler.  Transfer Dutch oven to broiler and broil until top is crusty and golden brown, about 6 to 10 minutes.  Serve with truffle oil to taste. 

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Comments
This recipe is from Cristina Ferrare Cooks.  And we don’t like truffle oil.  I’ve tried, but I just can’t dig it.  I’m glad I went with my gut instinct and served the oil at the table instead of mixing it into the cheese sauce, since that would have been a disaster.  We did enjoy this recipe but, really, without the oil it’s just a typical, basic Mac and Cheese recipe.  I like to cook up leftovers in a layer in a skillet until they’re super crispy on one side.  So delicious.

Ingredients
1 pound linguine, or other pasta
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
¹⁄₂ teaspoon paprika
1 ¹⁄₂ tablespoons olive oil
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, halved and sliced
16 ounces mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 ¹⁄₂ cups white wine
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded

Instructions
1. Bring large pot of salted water to boil and cook according to package instructions.  Drain well. 

2. Heat large skillet with olive oil over medium heat.  Toss chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika.  Add to skillet and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes total.  Remove chicken from skillet and set aside. 

3. Turn heat on skillet to low and add 1 tablespoon butter.  Add onions and cook, stirring often, until caramelized, about 30 to 45 minutes.  Add water by the tablespoon if onions get to dry.  Once caramelized remove from skillet and place in bowl. 

4. While the onions are caramelizing, melt 8 tablespoons butter in small saucepan over medium heat.  Whisk constantly while the butter melts, foams, and then forms brown bits on the bottom of the pan.  Once butter browns, immediately remove from saucepan and set aside. 

5. Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter to the skillet. Add mushrooms and cook until liquid has evaporated and mushrooms are browned, 10 to 15 minutes. 

6. Add onions and garlic to skillet.  Cook 30 seconds or until garlic becomes fragrant.  Add wine and increase heat to medium until simmering.  Simmer 4 to 5 minutes then add chicken and pasta.  Toss well to coat. 

7. Remove from heat and toss with Parmesan cheese and brown butter. 

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Comments
This recipe is from Juanita’s Cocina.  I thought it was tasty but I made it with the linguine the original recipe called for and I would have preferred a shorter pasta.  With the long noodles, all of the ingredients sank to the bottom instead of being well distributed throughout.

Ingredients
16 ounces button mushrooms, quartered
Olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
8 slices thick cut bacon, cut into pieces
2 yellow onions, halved and sliced
5 tablespoons butter, plus more for buttering the pan
¹⁄₂ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
¹⁄₂ cup gruyere cheese, shredded
¹⁄₂ cup fontina cheese, shredded
8 ounces goat cheese
1 ¹⁄₂ pound elbow pasta
¹⁄₄ cup all purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
¹⁄₂ cup half and half
2 eggs
 
Instructions
1. Heat oven to 425*F.  Spread mushrooms on baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and toss with salt and pepper.  Roast until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350*F.  Butter 9 by 13-inch baking dish. 

2. Heat large skillet over medium heat and cook bacon until just starting to crisp.  Drain well. 

3. Bring large pot of water to boil and cook pasta 2 minutes less than package instructs.  Drain well. 

4. In now empty bacon skillet, melt butter over medium heat.  Add onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, until starting to brown, about 15 minutes.  Add flour and stir to coat onions.  Continue cooking, stirring, for 1 minute.  Pour in milk, stirring constantly, then cook sauce for 3 to 5 minutes or until thick and bubbly. 

5.  Add half and half, 1 teaspoon salt, and black pepper.  Stir to combine. 

6. Beat eggs in small bowl.  Spoon ¹⁄₄ cup of white sauce into bowl, stirring egg constantly.  Once combined, pour egg mixture into pot with white sauce, stirring constantly.  Add Parmesan, gruyere, and 4 ounces goat cheese.  Stir until cheese is completely melted. 

7. Add pasta, bacon, and mushrooms, and stir to combine.  Pour pasta mixture into baking dish then crumble remaining goat cheese over top.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbling and hot. 

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Comments
This recipe is from The Pioneer Woman.  It was very tasty, but I think I’d have liked twice as many mushrooms.  I, however, love mushrooms.  Lance thought it was fine as is.  This makes quite a lot of food and I enjoyed having the leftovers for a few days afterward!