We are creatures of habit. We wake up at our normal time, do the same things, shop at the usual stores, and eat repetitively. When we find a product, whether it be a shirt, a tool, or a food, we tend to stick with it. So it surprised me the other day when D announced that he was sick of our favorite marinara.
What? I thought the sauce was just perfect. Tomato-y, a little oily (but in a good way), perfect on its own or as a base. I'll admit, I was a little sad at the thought of finding another sauce. That is, until I remembered this recipe, which I had bookmarked a few months before. It was easy to make and the ingredients plain; the reviews promised the taste was anything but. I made it one Sunday afternoon along with some homemade ravioli. It was simple enough to complement the fresh noodles and cheeses, but vibrant enough to jazz up the box o' whatever I threw together later that week in a weekday rush. Turns out I didn't miss that old jar of sauce too much!
Marinara Sauce
Adapted from Marcela Hazan’s Essentials of Italian Cooking
28 ounces whole peeled tomatoes
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and halved
Salt to taste
Combine the tomatoes, onion and butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring sauce to a simmer, then lower the heat. The sauce should be at a slow, steady simmer for about 45 minutes, or until droplets of melted butter float. Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon.
Remove and discard the onion. Salt to taste.
Showing posts with label Pasta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pasta. Show all posts
November 28, 2010
Spinach, Chard and Ricotta Tortellini
http://homecooking.about.com/od/pastarecipes/r/blpasta51.htm
http://www.annamariavolpi.com/ravioli.html
http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/11813/ravioli-with-spinach-and-ricotta-filling
http://www.annamariavolpi.com/ravioli.html
http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/11813/ravioli-with-spinach-and-ricotta-filling
September 28, 2010
The Mister's Birthday Meal
D is a simple man. He likes what he likes, dislikes what he doesn't, and has clear lines drawn between the two. He isn't overly excitable and he hardly ever gets mad. He wants very little, and what he does want, he gets. I love him for these qualities, but it sure does make his birthday tough :)
Speaking of birthdays, he recently celebrated his 25th. Between his job being crazy, the new house, life, etc we were pretty busy, but I made sure I had time to make him his birthday meal. Its the same every year - baked ziti for dinner, dirt dessert after. The key to a good baked ziti is a good sauce and this year I was able to make the sauce using tomatoes and herbs from our garden! Needless to say, it tasted better than last year.
Baked Ziti
My momma's recipe
For the sauce:
1 onion
3 celery stalks
2 carrots
1 tbsp garlic
a whole bunch of tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
red wine
salt and pepper
oregano
basil
1 lb ground beef, cooked
turkey sausage, to taste, cooked
Chop the aromatics and saute in olive oil in a large pot - I used my dutch oven. When the carrots are starting to soften add garlic and half of the chopped tomatoes. Cook until carrots are soft and tomatoes are bursting.
Remove from heat. Let cool, then puree in blender. Return the puree to low heat and add tomato paste, wine, and water as needed to get to a saucy consistency. Add remaining chopped tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper, and herbs; add meats. Let simmer for as long as possible to let flavors meld.
For the ziti:
2 boxes ziti, cooked
Parmesan Cheese
Mozzarella Cheese
Combine cooked ziti and sauce in a large, oven safe pan. Stir in a few handfuls of cheese. Top with extra sauce and extra cheese. Bake until pasta is warm throughout, and cheese is melty and bubbly. Serve.
Speaking of birthdays, he recently celebrated his 25th. Between his job being crazy, the new house, life, etc we were pretty busy, but I made sure I had time to make him his birthday meal. Its the same every year - baked ziti for dinner, dirt dessert after. The key to a good baked ziti is a good sauce and this year I was able to make the sauce using tomatoes and herbs from our garden! Needless to say, it tasted better than last year.
Baked Ziti
My momma's recipe
For the sauce:
1 onion
3 celery stalks
2 carrots
1 tbsp garlic
a whole bunch of tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
red wine
salt and pepper
oregano
basil
1 lb ground beef, cooked
turkey sausage, to taste, cooked
Chop the aromatics and saute in olive oil in a large pot - I used my dutch oven. When the carrots are starting to soften add garlic and half of the chopped tomatoes. Cook until carrots are soft and tomatoes are bursting.
Remove from heat. Let cool, then puree in blender. Return the puree to low heat and add tomato paste, wine, and water as needed to get to a saucy consistency. Add remaining chopped tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper, and herbs; add meats. Let simmer for as long as possible to let flavors meld.
For the ziti:
2 boxes ziti, cooked
Parmesan Cheese
Mozzarella Cheese
Combine cooked ziti and sauce in a large, oven safe pan. Stir in a few handfuls of cheese. Top with extra sauce and extra cheese. Bake until pasta is warm throughout, and cheese is melty and bubbly. Serve.
August 7, 2010
Gnocchi
The first time I ever ate gnocchi is one of the most memorable meals of my life. The Mister and I had just moved to New York City, had just moved into our first apartment, and were getting used to our new lives. His parents had come out for a wedding and we went out to dinner with them and his cousins at this little Italian bistro in Brooklyn. It was a beautiful June night and we sat on the patio and talked and drank wine and had a great time. And I ordered gnocchi.
I've spent the two years since that night (two years! holy crap!) working on making gnocchi as light and airy and melt-in-your-mouth delicious as the ones I tasted that night. So far, I haven't gotten it right, but this recipe is the closest I've gotten. I've found that baking the potatoes is the only way to cook them - boiling, while faster, doesn't yield the same fluffy results. I don't have a potato ricer so I've used a hand mixer almost every time with great results.
Gnocchi
Adapted from here
8 medium Russet Potatoes
2 eggs - beaten
1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano - Grated
3-5 cups of flour
handful of fresh basil leaves - roughly chopped
salt/pepper
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Place potatoes into the oven and bake for until fork tender. Rest until cool enough to work with them and then remove skins. Mash with a hand mixer.
Transfer the potatoes to a clean, lightly floured surface and add the eggs, Parmigiano, a pinch of salt, and 1 cup of flour. Begin kneading together, adding more dough until you have a ball of dough.
Cut the dough into small manageable sections and roll each of the sections into logs. Cut the logs into small 1″ sections.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When the water is boiling, place the gnocchi into the water and allow them to cook until they rise to the top and swell up.
When gnocchi are done. Transfer them with a slotted spoon into the sauce pan, toss gently with sauce to combine. Garnish with additional basil and Parmigiano Reggiano if desired.
I've spent the two years since that night (two years! holy crap!) working on making gnocchi as light and airy and melt-in-your-mouth delicious as the ones I tasted that night. So far, I haven't gotten it right, but this recipe is the closest I've gotten. I've found that baking the potatoes is the only way to cook them - boiling, while faster, doesn't yield the same fluffy results. I don't have a potato ricer so I've used a hand mixer almost every time with great results.
Gnocchi
Adapted from here
8 medium Russet Potatoes
2 eggs - beaten
1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano - Grated
3-5 cups of flour
handful of fresh basil leaves - roughly chopped
salt/pepper
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Place potatoes into the oven and bake for until fork tender. Rest until cool enough to work with them and then remove skins. Mash with a hand mixer.
Transfer the potatoes to a clean, lightly floured surface and add the eggs, Parmigiano, a pinch of salt, and 1 cup of flour. Begin kneading together, adding more dough until you have a ball of dough.
Cut the dough into small manageable sections and roll each of the sections into logs. Cut the logs into small 1″ sections.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When the water is boiling, place the gnocchi into the water and allow them to cook until they rise to the top and swell up.
When gnocchi are done. Transfer them with a slotted spoon into the sauce pan, toss gently with sauce to combine. Garnish with additional basil and Parmigiano Reggiano if desired.
August 28, 2009
Thai part 2 - Spicy Peanut Noodles
These were SO good. I mean it. Craving good. I don't have to develop a Thai takeout addiction because I can whip up a batch of this for next-to-nothing good. The recipe I found came from allrecipies, but I played with it a bit to suite my tastes... meaning, I added more peanut butter and made it much spicier... can't go wrong there!
Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles
1/2 c chicken broth
1/2 c creamy peanut butter
3 tbsp Sriracha
1 tbsp honey
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp fresh minced ginger
1 tbsp fresh minced garlic
8 oz udon noodles
chopped green onions
chopped cilantro
2 limes
2 cups random veggies
Cook noodles as directed. Boil or steam veggies.
While the noodles are cooking, combine the chicken broth, peanut butter, chili sauce, honey, soy sauce, ginger, juice of 1 lime and garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until smooth and uniform.
Toss the noodles and veggies with warm sauce. Garnish with green onions, cilantro, and lime.
Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles
1/2 c chicken broth
1/2 c creamy peanut butter
3 tbsp Sriracha
1 tbsp honey
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp fresh minced ginger
1 tbsp fresh minced garlic
8 oz udon noodles
chopped green onions
chopped cilantro
2 limes
2 cups random veggies
Cook noodles as directed. Boil or steam veggies.
While the noodles are cooking, combine the chicken broth, peanut butter, chili sauce, honey, soy sauce, ginger, juice of 1 lime and garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until smooth and uniform.
Toss the noodles and veggies with warm sauce. Garnish with green onions, cilantro, and lime.
March 23, 2009
Gnocchi with Pesto
Gnocchi and pesto are two of my favorite recent discoveries. I had gnocchi for the first time last summer at a little cafe in Brooklyn - unbelievable. How had I never tried them before is beyond me. A few months later I decided to try to make them on my own with pesto, and now I can't imagine my life without pesto. I seriously can eat it by the forkful. It grosses the boyfriend out, but yummmm. I kinda wing it when I make gnocchi and pesto. The recipes are pretty easy and very very tasty - and I love eating the leftovers for the next few days!
Gnocchi
Adapted from Martha Stewart's recipe
4 big potatoes
2 eggs
Flour
Wash the potatoes and chop into big pieces so they will cook faster. Bring enough water to cover the potatoes to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender. Drain and let cool. Once cool, the potato skins should peel off easily.
After the skins have been removed, mash the potatoes however works best. I use my hand mixer but if you have a ricer or a masher that should work too, as long as you get rid of all the chunks you possibly can.
When the potatoes are smooth, crack in 2 eggs and some flour (I start with a cup or so). Knead until everything is incorporated. The mixture needs to get to the point that its not sticky any more, so keep adding flour by the cupful and kneading in until your mixture is not sticky.
When the mixture is smooth, grab a big handful and roll into a rope just like you used to to with Play Doh when you were a kid. I like big fat gnocchi so i roll big fat ropes - but not too big, because you want them to cook through. Cut into bite sized pieces. Drop by the batch into a pot of boiling water; the gnocchi will sink. When they rise to the top they are done; remove with a slotted spoon.
This recipe makes a LOT - enough for dinner and 2 lunches for the 2 of us PLUS more to freeze. Adjust accordingly.
Pesto
1 pack basil
Garlic (I used the chopped stuff)
Olive oil
Parmesan Reggiano cheese
I don't use pine nuts because they are too expensive. I grab a big sharp knife and chop everything together until its a nice paste. Garlic to your taste; I like lots of it. Add enough olive oil so that you form a coherent paste, but not so much that its oozy. Enjoy!!
Gnocchi
Adapted from Martha Stewart's recipe
4 big potatoes
2 eggs
Flour
Wash the potatoes and chop into big pieces so they will cook faster. Bring enough water to cover the potatoes to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender. Drain and let cool. Once cool, the potato skins should peel off easily.
After the skins have been removed, mash the potatoes however works best. I use my hand mixer but if you have a ricer or a masher that should work too, as long as you get rid of all the chunks you possibly can.
When the potatoes are smooth, crack in 2 eggs and some flour (I start with a cup or so). Knead until everything is incorporated. The mixture needs to get to the point that its not sticky any more, so keep adding flour by the cupful and kneading in until your mixture is not sticky.
When the mixture is smooth, grab a big handful and roll into a rope just like you used to to with Play Doh when you were a kid. I like big fat gnocchi so i roll big fat ropes - but not too big, because you want them to cook through. Cut into bite sized pieces. Drop by the batch into a pot of boiling water; the gnocchi will sink. When they rise to the top they are done; remove with a slotted spoon.
This recipe makes a LOT - enough for dinner and 2 lunches for the 2 of us PLUS more to freeze. Adjust accordingly.
Pesto
1 pack basil
Garlic (I used the chopped stuff)
Olive oil
Parmesan Reggiano cheese
I don't use pine nuts because they are too expensive. I grab a big sharp knife and chop everything together until its a nice paste. Garlic to your taste; I like lots of it. Add enough olive oil so that you form a coherent paste, but not so much that its oozy. Enjoy!!
February 20, 2009
Fettuccine Alfredo
I'm a little nervous about starting out with this. Fettuccine Alfredo isn't exactly considered a 'healthy' meal, and with what I know what the next few posts will be already, I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea!
So, first, a little about me and my theories. I like to eat... obviously. I like almost all foods, with the main exception being seafood (but I'm working on it!) When I cook I try to create healthy, balanced meals. I eat lots of fruits and veggies, try to keep my red meat intake reasonable, etc etc etc. That being said, I love to indulge! I love desserts. I have no remorse about an occasional artery-clogging meal, like this one. I only try to keep myself and my eating habits balanced and easy.
Now, on to the food...
I must admit, I was a little disappointed with this recipe. It was too buttery and not creamy or cheesy enough. It was delicious though, and the boyfriend and I polished off 1lb between dinner last night and today's lunch. I don't even want to think about how many calories that is :)
Fettuccine Alfredo
Original Recipe found here
1 pound fettuccine pasta
1/4 cup butter (half a stick)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Bring a pot of water to boil, liberally salt the water and add pasta. Cook about 7-9 minutes. Strain, rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. The pasta will be slightly underdone but it will finish cooking in the sauce.
Meanwhile, melt butter over medium heat in a pan large enough to fit the pasta once cooked.
Add the garlic and cook for about 3 minutes.
Add the pasta to the pan. Pour cream and cheese over the pasta. Toss to completely coat the pasta. Cook 2-3 minutes. Add the parsley.
Reduce heat to low, let pasta stand 5 minutes until sauce thickens. Toss just before serving.
So, first, a little about me and my theories. I like to eat... obviously. I like almost all foods, with the main exception being seafood (but I'm working on it!) When I cook I try to create healthy, balanced meals. I eat lots of fruits and veggies, try to keep my red meat intake reasonable, etc etc etc. That being said, I love to indulge! I love desserts. I have no remorse about an occasional artery-clogging meal, like this one. I only try to keep myself and my eating habits balanced and easy.
Now, on to the food...
I must admit, I was a little disappointed with this recipe. It was too buttery and not creamy or cheesy enough. It was delicious though, and the boyfriend and I polished off 1lb between dinner last night and today's lunch. I don't even want to think about how many calories that is :)
Fettuccine Alfredo
Original Recipe found here
1 pound fettuccine pasta
1/4 cup butter (half a stick)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Bring a pot of water to boil, liberally salt the water and add pasta. Cook about 7-9 minutes. Strain, rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. The pasta will be slightly underdone but it will finish cooking in the sauce.
Meanwhile, melt butter over medium heat in a pan large enough to fit the pasta once cooked.
Add the garlic and cook for about 3 minutes.
Add the pasta to the pan. Pour cream and cheese over the pasta. Toss to completely coat the pasta. Cook 2-3 minutes. Add the parsley.
Reduce heat to low, let pasta stand 5 minutes until sauce thickens. Toss just before serving.
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