Pasta | Simple By Cindy

Sheet -Pan Spicy Roasted Broccoli Pasta

Oct. 28
2019

Twice a year, my OCD gets the best of me: Spring and Fall. Fall brings out the necessity to clean and organize, since I know I will be hosting 50 (or more!) people in my home for Thanksgiving dinner, as well as assorted family members who stay with me for a few days. This year is especially stressful because I have some weekend weddings, rehearsal dinners, and brunches. And to top it off, I am hosting a bridal shower too. With all this going on, it will certainly be a challenge to prepare my house.

In addition to tidying up the more public rooms, I need to make sure that all the bedrooms and bathrooms have everything they need for my full-time guests: clean linens, towels, blankets, and pillows. I will freshen up the bathrooms with clean towels, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, and hand soap.

I am particularly excited that my great-nephew and niece will be staying over. They love my three dogs, and while the dogs provide them with much-needed entertainment, I also make sure there are games, crayons, markers, and toys to occupy them. I love having everyone stay over, but those two little ones are my greatest joy. It is so nice to have children in the house, with their shrieks of laughter and tiny footsteps echoing down the halls.

While I would love to prepare this recipe for Thanksgiving, I would have to make way too much pasta for all 50 people. I don’t think I even own enough pots to make that much! If you are expecting a reasonable amount of guests, I would definitely add this to your menu.

The pasta is combined with the lemon zest which adds a little tang. The parmesan and ricotta are creamy and oh so cheesy gooey delish. The cumin is savory perfection and the panko and broccoli add a yummy, crunchy texture. The red pepper flakes bring the perfect amount of heat, so that even those who don’t like spicy foods can have a taste.

This recipe is courtesy of The New York Times and will serve 4-6 people, gathered around your Thanksgiving table.

Ingredients for Sheet-Pan Roasted Broccoli Pasta:

2 ½ pounds broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (optional)
¾ teaspoon kosher salt, more as needed
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
12 ounces chiocciole or other tube-shaped pasta
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
⅓ cup panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 ounces best-quality, whole milk ricotta
Fresh lemon juice, for serving (optional)

Heat oven to 425 degrees.

On a rimmed baking sheet, toss together broccoli, oil, cumin (if using), 3/4 teaspoon salt, and the red pepper flakes.

Roast until tender and browned at the edges, 18 to 25 minutes, tossing halfway through.

Remove from oven and set oven to broil.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil.

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

In a small bowl, stir together Parmesan, panko, lemon zest, a pinch of salt and the black pepper.

Toss cooked pasta with broccoli on baking sheet.

Season with salt and pepper to taste, then dollop with ricotta. Sprinkle with Parmesan mix, drizzle generously with oil, and broil until topping is crisped and golden, 2 to 3 minutes.

Sprinkle with lemon juice to taste, and serve.

It’s that simple!

Happy Puppy!

Pasta Carbonara Torte

Aug. 1
2019

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a chef in possession of a good main course must be in want of a side dish. It is especially difficult in the summer, when one must find something that can pair with beloved summer standards like barbecued chicken or ribs that have a heavy sauce. If you think back to any cookout, you’ll come up with potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans or grilled corn. While there is nothing wrong with any of these quintessential dishes, I think it’s time to mix it up.

Coleslaw and potato salad can be heavy with the mayo. Why not try lightening them by using less mayo and whole grain mustard or apple cider vinegar? These ingredients will provide a refreshing twist to an otherwise heavy dish. If you do use mayo, remember to put it in the refrigerator before you use it. If not refrigerated, mayonnaise will not keep. This has nothing to do with bacteria growth, since the acids in lemon juice and vinegar actually make the mayonnaise an unfavorable place for bacteria to grow. Rather, if you leave commercial mayonnaise unrefrigerated, its taste suffers and it will start to turn brown.

For the incredibly health-conscious (or lazy!) among us, another great option is to grill some vegetables with a little olive oil, lemon juice and zest, salt and pepper. Make a vinaigrette to toss it in, and top it off with a little feta, Parmesan, or Asiago cheese.

Or you can make this pasta dish because it just THAT good. The three cheeses are really the key to the flavor here. The bacon, sage and chives add that oh-so-good savory depth. The eggs bind it together to make this dish luscious and sensational. This is a “must try” and a keeper.

This dish is courtesy of Dinner and will serve 6 people who will forgo ribs and barbeque in favor of this cheesy dish.

Ingredients for Pasta Carbonara Torte:

Kosher salt, as needed
1 pound spaghetti
8 ounces pancetta or thick-cut bacon
2 tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves
1 1/2 cups whole milk
7 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (1 3/4 cups)
7 ounces young pecorino cheese such as Pecorino Toscano, grated (1 3/4 cups)
3 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (3/4 cup)
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
3 large eggs, beaten
2 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Fresh chopped chives, for garnish

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.

Add the spaghetti and cook until it is just shy of al dente, usually about 2 minutes less than the package directions (it should be slightly underdone to your taste because you’ll finish cooking it in the oven).

Drain well.

While pasta is cooking, heat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In a 10-inch oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat, cook the pancetta until it is crisp and golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes.

Stir in the sage and cook for another minute.

Take the the skillet off the heat.

Remove the bacon from the skillet.

Set skillet aside.

Crumble bacon in bite size pieces.

In a largebowl, toss in the pasta, milk, 1 1/2 cups of the Gruyere, 1 1/2 cups of the pecorino, the Parmigiano-Reggiano, and the tomatoes, eggs, pepper, bacon and 2 teaspoons salt.

Transfer mixture to the skillet.

Scatter the remaining Gruyere and pecorino over the top.

Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the pasta is bubbling and golden brown on top, about 40 minutes.

Let the torte cool slightly before serving.

Garnish with chopped chives.

It’s that simple!

Basil Pesto Pasta with a Twist

Jul. 25
2019

There are a few things I truly cherish about the summer. One of them is spending days on the beach. My hubby and I try to go at least once a week, as well as take a longer vacation on the beach. I love the smell of the ocean air. I love to marvel at the beauty of the coastline as it recedes into the distance. Feeling the warmth of the sun on my skin is comforting and calming. Walking on the beach to collect shells and sea rocks offers a chance to find beautiful little surprises. But truly, there is nothing better than listening to the waves breaking on the shore and feeling the cool sea breeze.

For all my love of the ocean, I must admit that I do not venture into any water (except the Carribean kind). I respect the power of the water on the East coast, and let’s face it, it’s just too cold. My feet barely make it into the water here, but I do love just being on the beach and looking out over the sea.

The other part of the summer that I love so much is my herb garden. I am so excited when I plant it in the spring and I nurture it carefully as it grows. I get so much gratification and enjoyment when I use the matured herbs in my recipes. In the past years, I have had to carefully tend to the basil which, for me was always the hardest to grow.

But this year was different. To my complete delight, my basil is big, exquisite and bountiful. It is growing like crazy and I am so thrilled! So what does one do with too much basil? Well, pesto would be the easy answer. I wanted to change it up a bit, so my love of citrus kicked in and I tossed in some lime juice, and it came out great.

Is this crazy beautiful or what?

This dish really gives the pesto a new twist. The lime juice adds just a little bit of pucker and freshness. The pine nuts give it a crunchy texture and of course, the basil is the star of the show here. If you are growing your own herbs, make this recipe. If not go out and get yourself some freshly grown local basil and start cooking. This is such an easy recipe that has huge flavor and presents so elegantly.

This recipe will serve 4-6 people who will certainly want to plant their own herb gardens next year.

Ingredients for Basil Pesto Pasta:

2 ½ cups fresh basil leaves, washed and dried thoroughly
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 Tablespoons pine nuts, toasted and cooled
Juice of half a lime
½ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup very good extra virgin olive oil

Place the basil leaves, Parmesan cheese, toasted pine nuts, garlic, lime juice, salt, and pepper into a food processor.

Pulse it about 10 times, until they are well blended.

While the food processor is running, drizzle in the olive oil and continue to combine.

You may need to stop and scrape down the sides a few times.

Keep running the processor until the pesto is pureed.

Taste it, make sure it is well seasoned and serve immediately or store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it.

It’s that simple!

Mac and Cheese with Crispy Breadcrumbs

Jan. 28
2019

I am a self-taught cook and I still make little mistakes from time to time. Sometimes I miss a step or two but the dish turns out okay. Other times, I do everything right, following each and every direction but the dish doesn’t turn out like the picture. I am okay admitting these things and if this resonates with you – you should be too!

Since we are being totally honest here, Grandma Julia’s cheesecake from my last post took 4 tries before I got it right. And even then, the top cracked. Why it took me four tries will always be a mystery to me because I am pretty sure I carefully followed the directions each time. The first two times, it didn’t cook through, and I kept returning it to the oven so many times, I finally gave up. The third time, the cake would not come out of the pan, it was a total mess. I carefully went over the instructions with Shelley, and she couldn’t figure out why either!

In addition to making mistakes that I am unaware of, sometimes I also deliberately change ingredients in a recipe. For example, while this recipe calls for Velveeta cheese which is a processed cheese, I just couldn’t bring myself to add it in. I changed it to a fresh cheese, Fontina.

There is something so comforting about a warm bowl of creamy, cheesy pasta. This mac and cheese is by far the best I have had. It has a few surprising ingredients in it that makes it so delectable. This was the first recipe I have made that included mayonnaise and ricotta cheese. The béchamel sauce, combined with the 3 different kinds of cheese and mayonnaise make it creamy, sweet and flavorful. The cheese was gooey in the middle and crisp at the top. The panko is crisped to perfection, making this dish amazingly decadent.

This recipe is courtesy of Southern Living and will serve 6-8 people who will savour each warm gooey bite.

Ingredients for Mac and Cheese with Crispy Breadcrumbs:

12 ounces uncooked large elbow macaroni
1/4 cup salted butter
3/4 cup yellow onion, chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped (2 to 3 garlic cloves)
2 cups whole milk
8 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
6 ounces Fontina cheese, shredded
1 cup mayonnaise (such as Dukes)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided
3/4 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1 large egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups panko
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Prepare pasta according to package directions; set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.

Add onion and cook, stirring until just beginning to turn brown, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add flour and garlic to skillet; cook, stirring until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add milk; bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low.

Gradually add Cheddar and Fontina cheese, whisking until melted.

Remove from the heat.

Stir in cooked pasta, mayonnaise, salt and 1/2 of the parsley.

Ina small bowl, stir together the ricotta and egg.

Gently stir ricotta mixture into pasta mixture, leaving large swirls.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir together panko, melted butter, and remaining parsley until blended.

Top pasta with prepared panko mixture and bake until top is lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

It’s that simple!

Blushing Penne Pasta

Nov. 1
2018

I have commenced my countdown to Thanksgiving. Readying a house for a 50 guest sit-down dinner is really like preparing for an event. Having done it for so many years, I have this process down to a science. I have to-do lists which include deadlines for each individual task (there are a lot)! I keep a large notebook for each year, documenting my progress, this way I can refer to last year’s book to make sure I am on pace.

I give out tee-shirts each year that are themed by the charity we are giving to. I am grateful I have a close friend who can help me create the design we email to the company that prints on the shirts. My guest list is always changing, usually up to the week of Thanksgiving, which makes it difficult to order the correct amount each year.

Like the ever-changing guest list, table colors and flower arrangements change, so I begin thinking about the layouts very early. Believe it or not, the menu is the last thing I plan for Thanksgiving.Because the menu is most important, I save it for last. I need time to really think about what I am going to prepare, so I try to get the other things done first. Of course, my blog comes in handy for picking out recipes. I hope it helps all of you too.

This is a recipe I would love to prepare for Thanksgiving, but I just have way too many people, and I would have to make so much pasta! I don’t even think I own enough pots to make all of it. If you are expecting a reasonable amount of guests, I would definitely add this to your menu.

This pasta is accompanied with a heavenly sauce that is thickened with flour, creating a “roux” and a creamy texture. The herbs and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese add a savory perfection. This is one lip-smacking good dish!

By the way, I obviously did not use penne pasta. It was some other shape, and I forgot to write down the name of it. If anyone recognizes this shape, please let me know. So, feel free to use whatever shape you would like, just make sure it has ridges that the delicious sauce can creep into.

This recipe is courtesy of Taste of Home and will serve 8 people who will want you to prepare it for Thanksgiving year after year.

Ingredients for Blushing Penne Pasta:

1 package (16 ounces) penne pasta
2 tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, halved or thinly sliced
2 tbsp. minced fresh thyme or 2 tsp. dried thyme
2 tbsp. minced fresh basil or 2 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups half-and-half cream, divided
1/2 cup white wine or reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp. tomato paste
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided