Category: Pasta

Sautéed Fennel & Tomato Sauce



Ingredients

  • 2 small fennel bulbs (about 1 1/2 lbs)
  • 1/4 c olive oil
  • 4 medium cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 c drained canned whole tomatoes, juice reserved
  • 1 t salt
  • 1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 lb pasta (fusilli or other short, curly shape)
  • freshly grated Parmesan cheese to taste

Directions


Bring 4 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot for cooking the
pasta.

Remove the green stems and the fronds from the fennel. Discard the
stems. Chop the feathery fronds and reserve at least 1 T. Remove any
blemished or tough layers from the fennel bulb and trim a thin slice
from the base. Cut the bulb in half lengthwise through the base. Lay
each half cut side down on a work surface and cut it into very thin
slices. Set the fennel aside.

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan. Add the garlic and sauté over medium
heat until lightly colored, about 1 minute. Stir in the sliced fennel
and continue cooking until the fennel has softened slightly and is just
starting to become golden, about 8 minutes.

Coarsely chop the tomatoes and add them to the pan along with 1/2 cup of
their packing juice, the salt, and the pepper. Use the back of a spoon
to break apart the tomatoes. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally and
continuing to break apart the tomatoes, until the fennel has softened
completely and the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes. Taste for salt
and pepper and adjust seasonings if necessary.

While preparing the sauce, cool and drain the pasta. Toss the hot pasta
with the fennel sauce and the chopped fennel fronds. Mix well and
transfer portions to warm pasta bowls. Serve immediately with grated
cheese passed separately.


Spinach Lasagna



Ingredients

    * 1 T salt * 2 10 oz. spinach, steamed
  1. Béchamel:

    2. * Cheese & Pasta * 5 T butter * 8 oz. cottage cheese * 5 shallots, minced, 1 c * 1 large egg * 4 med. garlic cloves, 1 T * 1/4 t salt * 1/4 c flour * 12 lasagna (box) * 3 1/2 c milk * 1 T butter * 2 bay leaves * 2 oz. (1 c) parmesan * 1/2 t nutmeg * 8 oz. (2 c) fontina or * 1/2 t salt; 1/4 T pepper, 1 oz. (1/2 c) mozzarella * parmesan


Directions

  1. Spinach

    2. Boil 4 qts. water + salt + spinach (about 5 sec.). Put spinach in ice water, cool, dry, chop.

  2. Béchamel

    3. Melt butter till foaming; add shallots, garlic & heat 4 min. Add flour & cook 1 1/2 min. (not brown). Add milk & boil, whisk in bay leaves & parmesan. Transfer to bowl & cover with plastic.

  3. Cheeses/Pasta/Assembly

    4. Blend cottage cheese through salt, in blender. In middle oven, heat to 425 F. Put noodles in pan with hot tap water for 5 min., agitate, place single layer on towel. Wipe pan dry & butter.

    * 1/2 c béchamel sauce; * noodles; * add spinach to b. sauce * 1 c spinach/ cheese sauce * parmesan; * noodles; * 1 c spinach s * 1 c fontina * noodles; * 1 c spinach s; * cottage cheese * noodles * spinach * fontina. Spray alum & cover and cook 20 min. * remove foil * upper oven to broil 6-8 min. Cool 10 minutes, eat!!


White Bean and Chard Pasta


Serves 4-6. Prep Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

    * 1/2 lb orecchiette (or other small shell- or tube-shaped pasta) * 2 T olive oil * 1/2 small yellow onion, diced * 1 T minced garlic (about 3 cloves) * 1/4 lb carrots, diced * 1 lb chard, washed and roughly chopped, with any tough stems removed * 1 15-ounce can cannellini or Navy beans, drained and rinsed
  1. Dressing

    2. * 1/2 c lemon juice (about 2 lemons) * 2 T olive oil * 1 t dried dill * 1 T Dijon mustard * 1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese * salt and pepper to taste


Directions

Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, rinse, and set aside.

In a medium-sized skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions, garlic, and carrots for a few minutes, then add the chard and cook a few minutes more until it is tender. Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in the white beans and set aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the lemon juice, olive oil, dried dill, and mustard together. Toss with the pasta and beans and chard mixture. Season with salt and pepper, and gently stir in the grated Parmesan cheese. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Optional: Add sun-dried tomatoes, pesto, and small pieces of lox or chopped Kalamata olives for an additional flavor boost.


Roasted Acorn Squash Macaroni and Cheese



Ingredients

  • 1 lb rigatoni (penne, or elbows)
  • 1 lb acorn squash
  • 4 c lowfat milk
  • 6 T flour
  • 5 T unsalted butter
  • 1 t smoked paprika
  • kosher salt, sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
  • 8 oz aged white cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the acorn squash into 2 halves. Remove the seeds and membrane. Divide 1 tablespoon of the butter and set inside each cavity. Rub the cavities with a spot of sea salt and place into the oven to roast for about 45 minutes or until tender.

Remove the squash from the oven. Set aside to cool. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook at a rolling boil until just tender. Drain. Rinse. Set aside.

Chop the squash into bite size pieces being careful to avoid any skin. Bring the milk to just a boil in a heavy saucepan. Set aside.

Melt the butter mixture to the milk and whisk well to get rid of lumps. Add 1/2 t of paprika. Season with salt and pepper. Return to heat. Cook the mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly until it’s smooth and it thickens, about 5 minutes.

Add milk mixture to the pasta and coat. Mix in squash pieces as well. Pour into a 9 x 12 baking dish. Spread the grated cheese over the top of the pasta mixture. Sprinkle the top with the remaining paprika.

Bake for 25 minutes. Then, place the dish under the broiler (about 4 inches away from heat) and cook for another 3-4 minutes until slightly golden.


Macaroni Salad



Ingredients

  • 4c elbow macaroni
  • 3 whole roasted red peppers, chopped
  • 1/2c black olives, chopped fine
  • 6 whole sweet/spicy pickle slices, diced
  • 3 whole scallions, sliced
  • 1/2c mayonnaise
  • 1T red wine or distilled vinegar
  • 3t sugar, more or less to taste
  • 1/4t salt, more to taste
  • black pepper to taste
  • 1/4c milk (more if needed)
  • splash of pickle juice (spicy sweet pickles), more to taste

Directions

Cook the macaroni in lightly salted water. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool. Set aside.

Mix together mayo, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Splash in enough milk to make it pourable. Splash in pickle juice for extra flavor. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Set aside.

Place cooled macaroni in a large bowl and pour 3/4 of the dressing. Toss and add more dressing if you’d like. (Dressing will seem a little thin, but it will thicken up as salad chills). Stir in olives, roasted red peppers, pickles, and scallions. Add more of any ingredient if you’d like more stuff going on. At the end, splash in a little more pickle juice and stir.

Chill for a least 2 hours before serving. Sprinkle with sliced green onions to serve.


Pasta with Tomatoes, Capers, Olives, and Breadcrumbs



Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 3 T extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, 2 sliced, 1 minced
  • 1/2 c fresh bread crumbs
  • 1/4 t hot red pepper flakes
  • 1 14-oz can chopped tomatoes, with juice
  • 2 T capers, rinsed and coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 c green or black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped (2 ounces)
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 3/4 lb spaghetti, preferably a good whole-wheat brand
  • 1/4 c chopped fresh parsley (optional)
  • 1/4 c freshly grated Parmesan (optional)

Directions

Begin heating a large pot of water for the pasta. Meanwhile, combine 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the sliced garlic over medium-low heat in a medium saucepan or skillet. Cook, stirring often, until the garlic turns golden, about two minutes. Do not let it take on any more color than this. Remove the garlic slices with a slotted spoon and discard, then add the bread crumbs to the pan. Turn the heat to medium, and cook, stirring, until the bread crumbs are crisp. Remove from the heat, and set aside.

Return the pan to medium heat, and add the remaining olive oil, the red pepper flakes and the minced garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds until the garlic smells fragrant, and add the tomatoes, capers and olives. Bring to a simmer, and simmer until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant, 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

When the water comes to a boil, salt generously and add the spaghetti. Cook al dente, following the cooking recommendations on the package but checking about a minute before the suggested time. Drain, and toss with the tomato sauce. Sprinkle the bread crumbs and parsley on top, toss again briefly and serve, passing the Parmesan at the table.


Pastelón (Sweet Plantain Lasagna)



Ingredients

  • 1 boullion
  • 1 t dried cilantro
  • 1/4 c sofrito
  • 1/8 c tomato sauce
  • shredded parmesan cheese
  • 7 ripe plantains (can’t be unripe!)
  • ~3 lb ground beef
  • 3 spoons of butter

Directions

Cook the ground beef with the sofrito, dried cilantro, tomato sauce and bouillon until meat is not longer raw (~35 min).

Boil the sweet plantains and peel after boiling (~30 min). Smash the plantains and add 1/4 cup of the warm water (used to boil the plantains), butter and mix well.

Get an aluminum foil pan and add the following layers of ingredients in the order listed and then place in the oven for about 20 minutes at 300 degrees.

-mashed plantains -cook ground beef -shredded cheese -mashed plantains -shredded cheese


Bangkok Street Cart Noodles



Ingredients

  • 1 8-oz package dried rice noodles
  • 1 t toasted sesame oil
  • 1 t sweet chili sauce
  • 1 t hoisin sauce
  • 1/2 t red pepper flakes
  • 1 t tomato paste
  • 2 t cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 T sugar
  • 2 T rice vinegar
  • 2 T fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 c soy sauce
  • 1/2 c vegetable broth
  • 1 T vegetable oil
  • 1 12-oz package extra firm tofu, drained, pressed, and cut into 1/2″ cubes
  • 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
  • 1 c snow peas, cut into thirds
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 scallions, diced
  • 2 t grated fresh ginger
  • 1 c bean sprouts
  • 1/2 c roasted peanuts, chopped
  • 1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Cook noodles according to package. Toss noodles with sesame oil and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine chili sauce, hoisin sauce, red pepper flakes, tomato paste, cornstarch, and sugar. Stir in vinegar, lime juice, soy sauce, and broth, mix well, and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add tofu and stir-fry until browned. Remove from skillet and set aside. Add bell pepper, peas, garlic, scallions, and ginger and stir fry 1 minute.

To reserved sauce mixture, add noodles, tofu, and stir-fried veggies and toss until coasted with sauce, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately, topped with bean sprouts, peanuts, and cilantro.


Bowties with Zucchinis and Tofutti Cream Cheese



Total prep and cooking time: 35 minutes

Serves 4


Ingredients

  • 2 T margarine
  • 2 T garlic, sliced
  • 2 T basil, chopped
  • 1 lb bowties
  • 2 c tomato sauce
  • 1 medium zucchini, sliced thin
  • 3 T tofutti cream cheese
  • 1/2 t salt
  • 1/2 t pepper, ground
  • 1 dash parmesan cheese, optional

Directions


Cook pasta. Melt margarine in sauté pan and add garlic and zucchini. Add
sauce, basil, seasoning and tofutti cream cheese. Cook to dissolve and
mix together in sauce. Add al dente pasta and toss. Add parmesan if
desired.

Easy Whole Wheat Vegetarian Lasagna



Ingredients

  • 1 8 ounce package whole wheat lasagna noodles, cooked slightly (al dente)
  • 1 9 ounce package frozen raw spinach
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 c low-fat cottage cheese
  • 3 c pre-made or store-bought pasta sauce
  • 3 c grated low-moisture part skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.

In medium mixing bowl, beat eggs; add cottage cheese and Parmesan cheese. Spray a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Put one layer of slightly cooked lasagna noodles flat across the bottom of the baking dish. Add 1/2 the leaf spinach, pressing down lightly and evenly over noodles. Top with another layer of lasagna noodles. Top this layer of noodles with the cottage cheese mixture; add the remaining spinach. Then add the last of the lasagna noodles laid evenly on top of spinach. Spread pasta sauce evenly over the top; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Press down lightly.

Cover baking dish with foil, using foil sprayed with cooking spray and keeping foil off the center of the lasagna. Secure sides tightly over baking dish.

Bake about 1 hour 15 minutes in oven. To lightly brown the top, remove foil for a few minutes at the end of baking time.

Allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.