... Linguine with Shrimp Scampi

This may be one of the quickest and easiest pasta recipes to make.  And when you have a night full of catching up with an old friend planned, quick and easy is the best way to go.

A little pre-get together prep and you'll be well on your way to getting the scoop on what's been happening over the last couple months.  

Shrimp pasta is the perfect meal for spending the least amount of time in the kitchen possible.  They both cook up very quickly.  Keep your eye on those shrimp, as soon as they're pink, they're ready!

Linguine with Shrimp Scampi

serves 4

vegetable oil

kosher salt

1 1/2 lbs linguine

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

5 tablespoons good olive oil

3 tablespoons minced garlic (9 cloves)

2 lbs large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

grated zest of one lemon

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)

1/2 lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds

1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

Drizzle some oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the linguine, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or according to the directions on the package.

Meanwhile, in another large, heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat.  Add the garlic.  Saute for 1 minute.  Be careful, the garlic burns easily!  Add the shrimp, 1 tablespoon of salt, and the pepper and saute until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often.  Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes.  Toss to combine.

When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and put it back in the pot.  Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve.

Taylor's Notes:

I would add a little salt to this and / or a few more shakes of the red pepper flakes.  But, you know, I like it spicy so proceed at your own risk!  We had this with some crusty French bread and a nice red wine.  Hey, what's girls night without a little vino?  And, in case you were wondering, yes, I found this recipe on Pinterest.  I'm telling you, it's the best site since, well... I don't know what.  But it's good.  If you're on it, check out my 'foodie' board for recipes I'm planning to try and my 'check list' board for recipes I've already tried... and my comments about them :)  

Enjoy!

... Ravioli Gratins with Goat Cheese, Basil Pistou and Pine Nuts

My collection of Le Creuset cookware is growing!  How fantastic are these Mini Cocottes that my dad gave me for Christmas?  He's such a good guy.  He also got me the cookbook to go along with it and I have no doubt he'll be benefiting from this gift often.  He's no fool.

I've flagged nearly all of the recipes in the book, but this one was the winner when my sister and nephew were coming for dinner.  Lucky for me and Kate, Elliott doesn't eat much (he's only 3 months old, after all) which meant leftovers for us.  And those leftovers were just about as good as the first round, which is saying a lot coming from me.

The prep work was easy.  Throw a bunch of fresh basil, some garlic and a little olive oil into a food processor and, voila, you have basil pistou.  Which, we learned, is pesto sans the pine nuts.  You could certainly switch the two out in this recipe, but whatever you do, make it fresh.  I've found some great jarred pestos, but, as with most things, nothing compares to fresh.

The recipe is simple to assemble.  A few layers of four or five items, pop it in the oven, and out comes this...

A perfect single serving of pasta.  Now I'm off to choose a recipe just for Dad.

Ravioli Gratins with Goat Cheese, Basil Pistou and Pine Nuts
serves 4

3/4 cup crumbly fresh goat cheese
2 bunches of fresh basil
4 cloves of garlic
several drops of olive oil
1/4 stick sweet butter
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 lb of fresh cheese ravioli
1/2 cup pine nuts
4 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese

Prepare the basil pitou.  Rinse the basil leaves under cold water.  Gently dry in a clean kitchen towel.  Peel the garlic and take out the inner germ.  With a small mixer, mix the garlic with the basil and a few drops of olive oil.

Precook the ravioli for one minute in salted boiling water, taking care to drain them well.  Add several drops of olive oil to coat them and prevent them from sticking together.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Lightly butter 4 mini cocottes.

Add to each, a layer of ravioli, a spoonful of crumbled goat cheese and one of the basil pistou.  Add one teaspoon of pine nuts and continue with another layer of ravioli, one tablespoon of cream, one of goat cheese and a last one of pistou.  End with a layer of ravioli, a tablespoon of cream and a generous amount of grated Parmesan.

Bake, uncovered, for about 10 minutes until the tops look crunchy and a deep golden brown.

Just before serving, add several fresh, roughly chopped basil leaves and a teaspoon of pine nuts scattered on top.

Taylor's Notes:
There really isn't much to say about this.  It's as simple as it seems and as good as it looks.  I'll definitely keep this one towards the top of the pile.  It's perfect for a small dinner party and ideal for people who only like leftovers one more time (ahem).  

Enjoy!

... Risotto with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Cremini Mushrooms

I think we've established how much I love risotto and what a fan I am of Mark Bittman.  Seriously, there's nothing you can't learn from the man and risotto is just, well, perfect for anything you need it to be.  Tonight I needed it to be comfort food on a cold night and a perfect partner to a good glass of red and Florence's Lungs.  

As always, it didn't disappoint.

Simple Risotto
serves 4 to 6

2 tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil, to taste
1 medium onion, chopped
large pinch saffron threads (optional)
1 1/2 cups arborio or other short- or medium-grain rice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine or water
4 to 6 cups chicken, beef, or vegetable stock
2 to 4 tablespoons softened butter or extra virgin olive oil
freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Put the 2 tablespoons butter or oil in a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium heat.  (Allow the remaining butter to soften while you cook).  When the butter is melted or the oil is hot, add the oil and saffron and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is glossy and coated with butter or oil, 2 to 3 minutes.  Add a little salt and pepper, then the white wine.  Stir and let the liquid bubble away.

Use a ladle to begin adding the stock, 1/2 cup or so at a time, stirring after each addition.  When the stock is just about evaporated, add more.  The mixture should be neither soupy nor dry.  Keep the heat at medium to medium-high and stir frequently.

Begin tasting the rice 20 minutes after you add it; you want it to be tender but still with a tiny bit of crunch; it could take as long as 30 minutes to reach this stage.  When it does, stir in the softened butter or oil (more is better, at least from the perspective of taste!) and at least 1/2 cup of parmesan if you're using it.  Taste, adjust the seasoning, and serve immediately, passing additional parmesan at the table if you like.

Taylor's Notes:
Yes and Yes.  Follow this recipe and you'll be golden.  As I mentioned, I roasted a sweet potato and cremini mushrooms to add to the risotto.  Here's how...


Heat your oven to 400 degrees.  Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over a rimmed baking sheet.  Add cubed sweet potato (washed, skin on or off), drizzle a little more oil over the potato and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Roast in the oven for 20 minutes (time will depend on the size of your potato cubes.)  After 20 minutes, I tossed the potatoes, added the cremini mushrooms (some halved, some not, depending on size), drizzled a little more olive oil and popped it back in the oven for 10 minutes.  By this time, you should be adding your butter and parmesan to your risotto.  Toss the potatoes and mushrooms one more time and add a tablespoon or so of chopped fresh rosemary.  Roast for 5 more minutes and then pull it out of the oven and stir into the risotto.  


Top your amazing dish with a little more parmesan if you'd like (and who wouldn't?) and a sprig of rosemary if you want to be all fancy and stuff.


Enjoy!

... Risotto with Mushrooms and Asparagus

Risotto is something that, if it's on the menu, I'm ordering it.  I love it and I've been saying for a couple of years now that "this is the year I'm going to learn to make risotto."  And now, like most times, I'm wondering what took me so long.  It's really not difficult, just a little time consuming.  So pour a glass of wine, prep your ingredients, and get ready to enjoy a restaurant-quality meal right at home. 

You know me and my love of veggies.  Add anything you want to this, though.  Risotto is so versatile!

Risotto with Dried and Fresh Mushrooms

serves 4-6

1/2 cup dried procini mushrooms

4 to 6 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion

1 1/2 cups Arborio or other short- or medium-grain rice

salt and pepper

1/2 cup dry white wine

4 to 5 cups chicken, beef, or vegetable stock

1 cup sliced shiitake or portobello mushroom caps

freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Rinse the dried mushrooms one or twice, then soak them in hot water to cover.  Put 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium heat.  When the butter is melted, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it softens, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is glossy and coated with butter, 2 to 3 minutes.  Add a little salt and pepper, then the white wine.  Stir and let the liquid bubble away.  Drain the porcini and chop them, then stir them in, along with about half of their soaking liquid.

Use a ladle to begin adding the stock, 1/2 cup or so at a time, stirring after each addition.  When the stock is just about evaporated, add more.  The mixture should be neither soupy nor dry.  Stir frequently, keeping the heat at medium to medium-high.  Meanwhile, put the remaining butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat.  When the butter is melted, add the fresh mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and almost crisp, about 10 minutes, then remove from the heat.

Begin tasting the rice 20 minutes after you add it; you want it to be tender but still with a tiny bit of crunch; it could take as long as 30 minutes to reach this stage.  When it does, stir in the cooked mushrooms, with their butter, and at least 1/2 cup of Parmesan if you're using it.  Taste, adjust the seasoning, and serve immediately, passing additional Parmesan at the table.

Taylor's Notes:

This is another recipe from my main man, Mark Bittman.  This time, though, I used his awesome iPad app (oh, did I mention i got an iPad? love it.  seriously.  and this app is absolutely worth the $9.99 it costs.  so if you, too, have an iPad, buy it.  like now.)  Ok, anyhoo... Mark is awesome and so are his apps, obviously.  

I followed his recipe for the most part, but as you can tell from the recipe titles, I changed just a few things along the way.  I didn't use the dried mushrooms, instead adding fresh asparagus along with the fresh (baby bella) mushrooms.  I cooked them in the skillet along with the mushrooms - for about 10 minutes or until everything was tender.  

I set out to halve the recipe, so guesstimated the amount of most of the ingredients.  I ended up using just under a cup of rice and about 3 cups of chicken stock.  I think the key to risotto is adding liquid as needed and stirring it often.  I cooked it for 20 minutes and it was perfect.  I bet I used 6 oz of mushrooms and 8 stalks of asparagus.  And, let's be honest, who wouldn't add the Parmesan?  

As with most things, add the ingredients that you like and chances are, you'll like it in the end.  If not, tweak it next time... it's all about adventure!

Enjoy!

... Tortellini, Spinach and Basil Soup

With the exception of the stewed tomatoes, there are a lot of my favorite things in this soup.  Mushrooms, spinach, basil, cheese tortellini... yes, please!  And, as much of a fan that I'm not, the tomatoes add so much flavor to the soup that I definitely wouldn't leave them out.

I love the addition of the red pepper flakes.  I love it so much that I doubled the amount.  Spicy?  Yes.  A good decision?  Absolutely.

The bright color that the spinach and basil add is great.  Don't be afraid to bump up the amount of them either.  I did.

Freshly grated Parm is a must and, you know me, soup is always better with warm, crusty bread along side.

Tortellini, Spinach and Basil Soup
serves 8


1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
3 (15 ounce) cans chicken stock
1 (15 ounce) can stewed Italian-style tomatoes, undrained
1 (9 ounce) package cheese tortellini (fresh or frozen)
1 to 2 cups thinly sliced fresh spinach leaves
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil (or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
garnish: freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

In a large heavy pan over medium heat, heat oil.  Add onion, garlic and mushrooms.  Saute until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.  Add crushed red pepper and saute for a few seconds until fragrant.  Add chicken stock and tomatoes; bring to a boil.  Add tortellini then return to a low boil and cook 5 minutes or until pasta is done.  Stir in spinach, and cook 1 to 2 minutes, then add fresh basil and simmer for a minute or two.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with freshly shredded Parmesan cheese.

Variation: It is nice to add 3/4 pound of Italian sausage, casings removed, crumbled, browned and drained.  Add to the soup when adding the vegetables.

Taylor's Notes:
This is one tasty soup!  And quick and easy, to boot!  I don't have much to note - just follow the directions and you'll be enjoying it in no time!


Enjoy!

... Pasta with Asparagus, Pancetta, and Pine Nuts

Sisters... I'm lucky enough to have three of them.  Ok, so only one is technically my real sister, but the other two may as well be.  And I'm even luckier that two of the three live right here in KC.  (miss you, Ash!)  We decided to get together for a little vino, some food, and a lot of girl talk.  

I've had this recipe on my must-try list for a while now and decided now was the perfect time to try it out.  All signs led to very good things: pine nuts, pancetta, asparagus, cheese, pasta.  Why it took me so long to make, I don't know.  

With just a bit of easy prep, we had a great pasta meal to soak up all that wine enjoy with each other.  Aren't sisters the best?!

Pasta with Asparagus, Pancetta, and Pine Nuts
serves 4

8 ounces uncooked cavatappi pasta
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons pine nuts
2 ounces diced pancetta
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; add asparagus to pan during last 3 minutes of cooking.  Drain.  Sprinkle pasta mixture with garlic; return to pan, and toss well.

Arrange pine nuts in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan.  Bake at 400 degrees for 3 minutes or until golden and fragrant, stirring occasionally.  Place in a small bowl.

Increase oven temperature to 475 degrees.

Arrange pancetta on jelly-roll pan.  Bake at 475 degrees for 6 minutes or until crisp.

Combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper, stirring with a whisk.  Drizzle over pasta mixture; toss well to coat.  Sprinkle with pine nuts, pancetta, and cheese.

Taylor's Notes:
This recipe was really 'by the book'.  Not much deviation here, except I may or may not have bumped the amount of pancetta to twice the requirement and it's very possible I just eye-balled the lemon juice - olive oil dressing mixture.  But isn't that what cooking is all about?  Enjoying the moment, doing what feels right, and reaping the benefits at the end?  I'd say so!


Enjoy!

... Baked Ziti (or Penne, as the case may be)

If you're in the Kansas City area, which I'm pretty sure the majority of my whopping nine readers are (love you all!) you know how cold it was today.  Snow?  Seriously?  I guess it's about time, but I think I'd rather it be December before we start getting the white stuff.  Regardless, the cold called for something warm for dinner.  And what better reason than to pull out my new Real Simple cookbook Best Recipes: Easy, Delicious Meals... (I was a lucky one who received it for free in the giveaway, but it's a great Christmas gift idea if you ask me!)

The recipe was really easy and pretty darn inexpensive, too.  And, as you'll see below, it'll feed an army.

Pair the Baked Ziti with a nice red wine and some crusty, roasted garlic bread and you've got the makings for a warm, cozy meal on a cold, snowy night.

Lasagna-style Baked Ziti

serves 4 (yeah right!)

12 ounces ziti (about 4 cups) (or penne if you can't find ziti)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 pound lean ground beef

kosher salt and black pepper

1 26-ounce jar marinara sauce

1 bunch spinach, thick stems removed (about 4 cups)

1/2 cup ricotta

1/2 cup grated Parmesan (2 ounces)

1 cup grated mozzarella (4 ounces)

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Cook the pasta according to the package directions.  Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, 4 to 5 minutes.  Add the meat, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon until it's no longer pink, 5 to 6 minutes.

Toss the pasta with the meat mixture, marinara sauce, spinach, ricotta, and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan.  Transfer to a 9x13 baking dish or 4 large ramekins.  Sprinkle with the mozzarella and the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan and bake until the cheese melts, 12 to 15 minutes.

Taylor's Notes:

I used ground turkey instead of ground beef and ended up using about 3/4 pounds.  I also used reduced fat ricotta and mozzarella cheeses.  The recipe says that this serves four, but in reality it's more like 6 or 8 servings... at least.  As Rich said, "that might be four servings if you're feeding an offensive line."  Since we aren't, we'll be having delicious leftovers to keep us warm all week long.   

Enjoy!