As much as I love Pasta, I figured it would be a great way to start off another week. Today's offerings include Penne with Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes and Baked Spaghetti. Enjoy!
PASTA ALLA TRAPANESE (SICILIAN TOMATO PESTO)
This is from John Mitzewich (aka Chef John) at AllRecipes.
For this recipe, John wrote, "I'm excited to share my version of pasta alla Trapanese, featuring Sicily's amazing tomato pesto. I love the green Genovese-style pesto, but when super-sweet cherry tomatoes are in season, I really believe this is the best pesto."
Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 35 minutes; Yield: 8 servings
To view this yumminess online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/pasta-alla-trapanese-sicilian-tomato-pesto-recipe-7571415.
Ingredients
1/2 cup whole roasted almonds
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese, plus more to taste
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
4 mint leaves (optional)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 pound red cherry tomatoes or red grape tomatoes
1 pound busiate pasta, or other curly shaped pasta, such as fusilli
Directions
Bring about 2 cups of water to a boil, remove from the heat, and stir in almonds; let sit for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain, and once cool enough to handle, rub skins off with your hands; alternately; transfer drained almonds to a kitchen towel, then fold up the towel and rub almonds until skins come off.
Crush sliced garlic with kosher salt in a mortar and pestle into a smooth paste. Alternately, place garlic on a board and sprinkle kosher salt on top; use the flat side of the knife to flatten, mash, and scrape the garlic and salt mixture until it is a smooth paste.
Add peeled almonds to the jar of a blender, followed by the cheese, basil, mint, garlic paste, oil, and tomatoes. Add the ingredients in this order, so that the almonds and cheese have a chance to grind before the wetter ingredients mix in.
Begin to pulse blender on and off until almonds and cheese are ground, then continue to pulse until remaining ingredients are incorporated. Blend on high until the pesto is as coarse or smooth as you like.
Taste for salt, and adjust. Set aside while pasta is cooking.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook busiate pasta in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Transfer pasta into a bowl with a strainer. Reserve starchy cooking liquid.
Add about 1/3 cup of the pasta water into the bowl, and then transfer in the pesto, along with a large pinch of salt, and toss to coat. More pasta water can be added to adjust the texture. Once mixed, add another optional handful of cheese, and toss one last time. Serve immediately.
PASTA WITH SPINACH, CHICKPEAS AND FETA
This is from the May 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times (page 42). It is in an article titled Calci-yum!, and begins, "This quick and easy pasta dish offers a way to add not only calcium to your diet, but also protein and vitamins A and C." Time: 30 minutes or less; Makes 6 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/pasta-with-spinach-chickpeas-and-feta/.
Ingredients
8 oz. uncooked spiral-shaped pasta
4 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach leaves
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 19-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic, minced
Preparation
Bring large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions, or until al dente, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine all other ingredients.
When pasta is done, drain, and transfer to large bowl. Add remaining ingredients, and toss well. Serve right away.
LEMON-GARLIC LINGUINE
This yumminess is from Ali Slagle in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Ali wrote, "This bright and creamy pasta is a weeknight go-to that can be embellished with seared scallops, shrimp or mushrooms to make it something special. Grated garlic, lemon zest and black pepper sizzle and bloom in melted butter to which starchy pasta water is added to create a thick sauce. A hit of lemon juice at the very end keeps it punchy. Linguine, which is not as thin as spaghetti or as thick as fettuccine, works well here, but if you have another pasta shape on-hand, feel free to swap it in."
Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 25 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes; Yield: 4 servings
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1025371-lemon-garlic-linguine. While you're at it, if you haven't already signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter. Why? First off, it makes it easier to view the recipes without worrying about a paywall. Then there's the fact that they have loads of fantastic recipes, great guides, and more. Well worth the price of admission.
Ingredients
Salt
1 pound linguine
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 large lemon
Black pepper
Grated Parmesan, crushed red pepper, parsley or a combination, for garnish (optional)
Preparation
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook until al dente. Reserve 2 cups pasta water, then strain the noodles.
Dry the pot, then return to low heat and add the butter. While the butter melts, grate the garlic over the butter. Stir until the garlic is fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Finely grate the zest of the lemon into the pot to taste, and add a few grinds of black pepper. When the pepper is sizzling, add 1 cup pasta water and the cooked pasta. Increase heat to medium-high and toss vigorously. As the liquid in the pot evaporates, add another few tablespoons of pasta water. Repeat, tossing vigorously and adding pasta water, until the pasta is glossed in a thick sauce, 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove from heat, squeeze in the juice of the whole lemon, and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Optionally, top with Parmesan, more lemon zest (if any remains), crushed red pepper and/or parsley as you like.
ROAST VEGGIE PASTA
This comes from Bob McDonald at AllRecipes, and begins, "Wonderful rustic Italian style pasta dish! Meal can be dressed up or down with accompaniments to this tasty pasta."
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes: Servings: 3
To view this online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/45644/roasted-veggie-pasta/.
Ingredients
1/4 pound fresh asparagus
2 red bell pepper, sliced
1/4 pound crimini mushrooms, sliced
10 cloves roasted garlic, chopped
1/2 tomato, quartered
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces dry fettuccini noodles
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons tapenade
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare asparagus by trimming woody base and cutting diagonally into 4 inch pieces.
In a roasting pan, combine asparagus, bell pepper, mushrooms, roasted garlic and tomato. Sprinkle with rosemary and oregano, then drizzle with olive oil. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Toss with Parmesan cheese, tapenade and roasted vegetables.
BAKED SPAGHETTI
This is from Lidey Heuck in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this yummy recipe, Lidey wrote, "This comforting baked pasta feeds a crowd and is an easy way to upgrade everyday spaghetti with meat sauce. Once baked, the spaghetti casserole slices into neat squares, and the layer of ricotta and Parmesan filling give it the rich flavor of a lasagna. Feel free to play around with the recipe, swapping in Italian sausage or ground turkey for the ground beef and sautéing leftover vegetables and adding them to the sauce. If you’re planning in advance, you can assemble the casserole (through the end of Step 5) and store in the refrigerator, covered, until ready to bake."
Time: 1-1/2 hours, plus cooling; Yield: 8 servings
To view this yumminess online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024351-baked-spaghetti. While you're at it, please sign up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, if you haven't already.
Ingredients
Unsalted butter, for greasing the pan
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
1 pound spaghetti
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 5 cloves)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, plus more for serving
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste
1 pound ground beef (at least 85-percent lean)
1 (32- to 35-ounce) jar marinara sauce
1/2 cup fresh basil or parsley leaves, chopped, plus more for serving
1 cup/8 ounces ricotta cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 large egg
2 cups/8 ounces shredded low-moisture mozzarella
Preparation
Step 1
Heat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the package directions until 1 minute shy of al dente.
Step 2
While the water comes to a boil, heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, oregano, red-pepper flakes, 1-1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of black pepper, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Step 3
Add the beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the marinara sauce and basil. Drain the spaghetti, add it to the sauce and toss well.
Step 4
In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, the egg and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix with a fork until smooth.
Step 5
Transfer half the pasta and sauce to the prepared baking dish and smooth it into an even layer. Dollop the ricotta mixture onto the pasta in large spoonfuls, then sprinkle 1 cup of the mozzarella on top. Add the rest of the pasta and sauce to the pan, again smoothing it into an even layer.
Step 6
Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan on top, then bake, uncovered, until the mozzarella has melted, 5 to 10 minutes more.
Step 7
Cool for 5 minutes, then serve with more chopped basil, a pinch of dried oregano and more red-pepper flakes, if desired. Slice the baked spaghetti into large squares and serve hot or warm.
PENNE WITH ASPARAGUS AND CHERRY TOMATOES
This is from Giada De Laurentiis on the Food Network's website, and from Everyday Italian. Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 15 minutes; Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Level: Easy
To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/penne-with-asparagus-and-cherry-tomatoes-spring-recipe-1939598.
Note This recipe originally called for chicken stock. However, since I'm posting this in a vegetarian blog, I've exchanged the chicken stock with vegetable stock.
Ingredients
8 ounces penne pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups (about 9 ounces) cherry tomatoes
1 cup shelled fresh peas
1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable stock
1 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the asparagus, season with the salt and pepper, and cook for 3 minutes until slightly soft. Add the cherry tomatoes and peas. Cook for 2 minutes. Pour the chicken stock into the pan and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook until the tomatoes start to burst and the stock is reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
Transfer the asparagus mixture to a large serving bowl. Add the cooked pasta and 1/2 of the Parmesan. Toss well, adding reserved pasta water, if needed, to loosen the pasta. Garnish with the remaining Parmesan and chopped basil.
