Pasta

If you love pasta as much as I do, today's post is sure to please. Check out the Slow-Cooker Spinach-Mushroom Tortellini, the Primavera Pasta with Breadcrumb Topping, and the rest of today's recipes. Enjoy!

ONE-POT PASTA PRIMAVERA

This comes from Vegetarian Times, and begins, "This easy recipe lends itself to endless variations. In place of fresh basil, try 1/4 cup chopped cilantro or parsley, 2 Tbs. chopped fresh tarragon, or 1 Tbs. finely minced fresh rosemary or oregano." Makes 4 servings.

To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/one-pot-pasta-primavera/.

Ingredients

3 Tbs. olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)

1 tsp. grated lemon zest

\8 oz. fusilli pasta

2 small yellow squash, halved and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

1 medium orange bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

8 oz. small broccoli florets (3 cups)

2 cups halved cherry tomatoes

8 green onions, thinly sliced (1/2 cup)

1/2 cup torn fresh basil leaves

Preparation

Combine oil, garlic, and lemon zest in small bowl. Set aside.

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling, salted water according to package directions. Add squash and bell pepper 4 minutes before end of cooking time. Add broccoli 3 minutes before end of cooking time. Drain pasta and vegetables, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water.

Return pasta mixture to pot, and stir in tomatoes, green onions, basil, oil mixture, and reserved cooking water. Heat over medium-low heat until tomatoes are hot. Serve with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

VEGAN LEMON AND ASPARAGUS PASTA

This comes from Vegetarian Times, and begins, "This asparagus pasta recipe serves up spring asparagus two ways: blended into a smooth sauce that’s tossed with fettuccine, and sautéed in bite-size pieces that get stirred into the dish just before serving. It’s an easy and crowd-pleasing way to bring the brightness of lemon and fresh, green asparagus to your table." Makes 4 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/vegan-asparagus-pasta-with-lemon/.

Ingredients

5 Tbs. olive oil, divided

5 cloves garlic, minced (2 Tbs.)

2 lb. asparagus, trimmed and sliced diagonally into 1-inch lengths

3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

8 oz. fettuccine

1 Tbs. grated lemon zest

Preparation

Heat 2 Tbs. oil in skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, and sauté 2 minutes, or until golden. Stir in asparagus, and season with salt, if desired. Sauté 2 minutes, then cover skillet, and cook 5 minutes, or until asparagus is bright green and just tender. Transfer half of asparagus to plate, and set aside.

Cook remaining asparagus 1 minute more, then transfer to bowl of food processor. Add lemon juice, pepper, and remaining 3 Tbs. oil, and blend until sauce is smooth.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water. Return pasta to pot, and toss with asparagus sauce, reserved cooking water, and lemon zest. Stir in reserved asparagus, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

PRIMAVERA PASTA WITH BREADCRUMB TOPPING

This is from the March 2006 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 78. It begins, "Hand-twisted noodles called pinci (also known as pici) are a Tuscan delicacy. Luckily for time-pressed cooks, curly pasta noodles work too." Makes 6 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/primavera-pasta-with-breadcrumb-topping/.

Ingredients

8 oz. fusilli or rotini pasta

3 Tbs. olive oil

1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed

1/2 large yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

3 medium-sized zucchini (about 1/2 lb. total), trimmed and julienned

2 large red bell peppers, julienned

1/4 cup finely chopped basil

1 tsp. chopped fresh oregano

1 cup plain dry breadcrumbs

Preparation

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, bring large pot of salted water to boil; add green beans, and parboil 3 minutes. Transfer beans to colander and rinse under cold running water to stop cooking.

Heat 2 Tbs. oil in very large skillet over medium heat. Add green beans, onion, garlic, and crushed red pepper, and cook, covered, 3 minutes. Add zucchini, peppers, basil, and oregano, and cook, uncovered, 5 minutes, or until vegetables are just al dente; do not overcook. Season with salt to taste.

Warm remaining 1 Tbs. oil in second skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs, and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes.

Add drained pasta to vegetables, and toss to blend; sprinkle with breadcrumbs, cheese, and olive oil, and serve.

SLOW-COOKER SPINACH-MUSHROOM TORTELLINI

This is from Betty Crocker, and begins, "This hearty, creamy vegetarian dinner is easy, cheesy and the best use of the slow cooker since your grandma’s pot roast."

Prep Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 7 hours 50 minutes; Makes 6 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 package (8 oz) white button mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 cup thinly sliced yellow onions

4 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 cups Progresso™ Broth Vegetable(from 32-oz carton)

1 package (20 oz) refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened and cubed

3 cups baby spinach leaves, lightly packed

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (2 oz)

1/4 cup shredded fresh basil leaves

Directions

Spray 4 1/2- to 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Mix mushrooms, onions, melted butter, soy sauce, salt and pepper in cooker. Pour vegetable broth over vegetable mixture.

Cover; cook on Low heat setting 7 to 8 hours or until vegetables are very tender and browned.

Stir in tortellini and cream cheese. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 15 minutes. Cook and stir 14 to 16 minutes longer or until tortellini are tender. Stir in spinach. Let stand 5 minutes. Top with Parmesan cheese and basil.

Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchens

tip 1

Save time by purchasing presliced mushrooms.

tip 2

Sauce will be thin after stirring in spinach, but it will thicken after standing.

SPICY BUTTERNUT SQUASH PASTA WITH SPINACH

This is from Yasmin Fahr on The New York Times cooking enewsletter. Yasmin wrote, "Here’s a vegetable-filled pasta bake that comes together in under an hour. The most time-consuming part of this recipe is prepping the squash. You can buy precut squash, or cut it yourself: Trim the ends so that it can stand up flat. Use a sturdy vegetable peeler to remove the skin. Cut off the bulbous part from the neck. Scoop the seeds out of the bulbous part. Half the squash lengthwise, then cube it. If you’re sensitive to heat, leave out the jalapeños, or remove the seeds before slicing into rounds and placing on top."

Time: 40 minutes; Yield: 4 servings

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021535-spicy-butternut-squash-pasta-with-spinach.

Ingredients

Kosher salt

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving

1 medium butternut squash (about 2-1/2 pounds), peeled, seeds removed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 6 cups)

1 tablespoon ground cumin (see Tip)

1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more as needed

1 pound penne or other tubular pasta

1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth (or water)

3/4 cup grated Parmesan

3 packed cups baby spinach

1 (8-ounce) ball fresh mozzarella, torn into bite-size chunks

1 jalapeño, sliced into rounds

1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley and tender stems, roughly chopped

Preparation

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

Meanwhile, in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet with high sides and a tight-fitting lid (or a Dutch oven), heat the oil over medium-high until shimmering. Add the squash and season with salt, cumin and red-pepper flakes. Cook, stirring every minute, until squash becomes browned in spots and feels just tender, 6 to 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400 degrees. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook, uncovered, until not quite al dente, 3 to 4 minutes less than the package instructions. (It should be a little too firm to the bite.) Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and drain. If the pasta is done before the squash, then stir in a drizzle of olive oil so that it doesn’t stick together.

When the squash is just tender, add the broth. Bring to an active simmer, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash is soft and easily mashable, 10 to 12 minutes. Turn off the heat, then use a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon to crush about half of the butternut squash and leave the rest chunky. Season the squash to taste, keeping in mind that salty Parmesan will be added soon.

Add the cooked pasta to the skillet along with 1 cup reserved pasta water and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, stirring vigorously to combine. Stir in the spinach one handful at a time until it shrinks down a little.

Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan, the mozzarella and jalapeño, then place in the oven, on a sheet pan if you are worried about dripping. Cook until the top is melted and browned in spots, 12 to 15 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil, top with parsley and serve.

Tip

If you have a preferred curry powder, then you can use 1 to 3 teaspoons of that (according to taste) in place of the cumin and red-pepper flakes.

ROSCIOLI ROMAN CACIO E PEPE

This is from Salumeria Roscioli, and adapted by Julia Moskin in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this yummy recipe, Julia wrote, "The Roscioli family has built its own culinary empire in Rome since the 1960s, including bread bakeries, a pastry shop, a wine bar and a salumeria that moonlights as a restaurant. It’s a straight-from-the-airport destination for many American chefs, who go to taste the best food and wine from all over Italy, plus perfected Roman classics like cacio e pepe. The Roscioli method involves making a “crema” of cheese, pepper and water in advance. (It can also be refrigerated for later use.) The cheese needs to be grated until fine and feathery, so that it will melt quickly, and the hot pasta water must be added slowly. Unlike many recipes, the pasta here should be fully cooked, not al dente; it won’t cook any further once it’s added to the cheese."

Time: 30 minutes; Yield: 4 to 6 servings

This was featured in "A Culinary Roman Empire’s Next Conquest? Manhattan." It can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024332-roscioli-roman-cacio-e-pepe.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns

7-1/2 ounces/4-1/2 cups finely grated Pecorino Romano, plus more for serving

3-1/3ounces/1-1/3 cups finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 pound dried tonnarelli, spaghetti (regular or thick) or long fusilli

Preparation

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. (Do not add salt.)

Meanwhile, in a very large nonstick skillet or pot set over high heat, toast the peppercorns just until fragrant. Let cool, then grind or crush very coarsely. Reserve 1 teaspoon for serving.

In the same skillet or pot, combine the cheeses and remaining pepper. Add 1-1/2 cups warm water and stir to make a thick pecorino cream.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and stir. Keep the heat very high until the water returns to a boil, then stir again and adjust the heat as needed to keep the water bubbling. Set a timer for 8 minutes.

Set the pecorino cream over very low heat. When the timer goes off, scoop out about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water and set aside. Taste the pasta and continue cooking until the pasta is done to your liking. Drain pasta very well (this is important, as adding too much hot water can cause the cheese to clump) and add to the pecorino cream.

Use tongs or two forks to stir, turn and toss the pasta in the sauce over low heat until the cheese melts and the sauce becomes sticky. Don’t add any water yet, just keep tossing. To test, squeeze a drop of sauce between your thumb and finger. When the sauce is thick and forms strings like glue, it is ready. If it starts to dry out, add cooking water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and toss thoroughly before adding more.

Divide among 4 bowls, twisting the pasta into a nest, if desired. Dust with additional pecorino and the reserved pepper. Serve immediately.