Tag Archives: pasta

Penne Pomodoro Pasta Recipe

Penne pomodoro pasta
Penne Pomodoro Pasta

Ingredients:

1 can (500 gr.) peeled Roma tomatoes in tomato juice,
4 tablespoons olive oil,
1 tablespoon chopped basil,
1 small onion, chopped,
1 tablespoon minced garlic,
2 teaspoons sugar,
1 teaspoon salt,
2 bay leaves,
1 teaspoon dry oregano,
1 tablespoon butter,
1 teaspoon white pepper.

Recipe

1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and sauté the chopped onion and garlic until slightly golden.

2. Blend briefly the tomatoes with a stick blender and pour them in the saucepan. Add the salt, white pepper, oregano and bay leaves.

3. Simmer the tomato sauce over low temperature for about 30 min. (or until the desired consistencyis achieved), stirring occasionally.

3. Add the sugar, chopped basil and butter 10 minutes before the sauce is ready. 

Cooking tip: Make sure you are using real butter, not margarine, in this recipe. Use this Italian tomato sauce for pastas or on top of veal or chicken parmesan.

Rigatoni Melanzane Eggplant Pasta Recipe

Rigatoni melanzane eggplant pasta
Rigatoni Melanzane Pasta (with eggplant)

This recipe serves three or four dinner servings. Rigatoni Melanzane is a very simple and tasty recipe, one of the best ways to enjoy the great taste of the eggplant.

Ingredients:

1 lb. rigatoni pasta,
2 cups tomato pasta sauce,
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil,
2 cups diced eggplant,
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil,
2 garlic cloves, chopped,
1/4 small yellow onion, chopped,
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese,
1/2 teaspoon dry oregano, salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy skillet and saute the eggplant, onion and garlic until the eggplant cubes are soft and nicely browned.
  2. Add the tomato sauce, basil and oregano and reduce the sauce slightly by simmering it at low heat for about 5-10 minutes.
  3. Boil the rigatoni pasta according to the package instruction, usually about 12 minutes. Strain the boiled rigatoni and toss them with the melanzane pasta sauce.
  4. Serve the Rigatoni Melanzana with some grated Pecorino Romano cheese on top.

Gnocchi Arrabbiata Pasta Recipe

Gnocchi arrabbiata pasta image
Gnocchi Arrabbiata

Ingredients:

1 pounds of gnocchi (dry or frozen),
1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes,
3 tablespoons olive oil,
1 teaspoon chili flakes,
1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil,
2 garlic cloves, chopped,
1 teaspoon butter,
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Recipe:

1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a frying pan and saute the garlic until golden.

2.Add the chili flakes 1 minute before the garlic is ready, followed by the crushed tomatoes and basil. (Optional: You can add 1/4 cup of chicken stock to the sauce).

3. Season the Arrabbiata sauce with salt and pepper and cook it for several minutes over meduim heat until the desired consistency.

4. Boil the gnocchi according the package instructions, strain it and toss it with the Arrabbiata sauce. I boil my gnocchi by dropping them in a large pot with boiling water and little salt, then after they have been floating on the surface of the boiling water for 2-3 minutes, I take them out with a collander and mix them with the sauce right away.

This Gnocchi Arrabbiata recipe is for 5 servings of pasta. I served the gnocchi with some freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese on top.

Spaghetti Puttanesca Pasta Recipe

Spaghetti Puttanesca pasta
Pasta Puttanesca

Despite the notorious name and the story of how this name came about, spaghetti puttanesca is a great Italian pasta dish that is easy to make.

Ingredients:

1 lb. package of spaghetti (or linguine),
3 tbsp. EV olive oil,
1/4 cup sliced red onion,
3 garlic cloves, chopped,
5 anchovy fillets,
4 ripe plum tomatoes,
1 sprig of fresh basil,
1 teaspoon sweet paprika,
1 tbsp. capers from a jar,
1/4 cup Kalamata olives,
chili flakes to taste,
freshly grated Parmesan cheese to taste,
salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe: Boil the spaghetti in a large pot of water and a teaspoon of salt until ‘al dente’. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pan and saute the onions and garlic for 3 minutes. Add the anchovies, chili flakes, diced tomatoes, paprika, chopped basil and capers. Stir well, then reduce heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes more. Add the olives, and cook just until heated. Season the putanesca sauce to taste. Strain the boiled spaghetti and toss them in the pan with the sauce. Serve the Spaghetti Puttanesca and sprinkle with some chopped basil and Parmesan cheese. This recipe yields 3 dinner entrees.

Stuffed Conchiglie – seashell pasta recipe

Conchiglie pasta
Stuffed Conchiglie – seashell pasta in spinach-cream sauce

Ingredients:

24 large seashell pasta – conchiglie,
1 cup gourmet mushroom mix, (agaricus, shitake, oyster mushroom)
1/2 package cream cheese,
1 small egg,
2 tablespoons ricotta cheese,
1/2 teaspoon onion powder,
1 cup 18% cream,
1 1/2 tablespoons butter,
2 chopped shallots,
1 garlic clove, chopped,
1 handful fresh baby spinach,
salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe: Boil the conchiglie until slightly al-dente, then train and cool them down in a ice bath. Heat the butter and saute briefly the mushrooms. In a mixing bowl, mix the cream cheese, egg, sautéed mushrooms, onion powder, ricotta cheese, and season the filling with salt and pepper. Stuff all seashells with the cream cheese filling. In a large skillet, heat the rest of the butter and saute the chopped shallots and garlic for 3 minutes, then add the cream. Bring to a boil and add the stuffed seashells. Lower the heat to simmer and cover with lid. Simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the stuffing is cooked. Add the spinach to the sauce 5 minutes before the seashell pasta is ready. If the sauce becomes too thick during the cooking, add some water or chicken stock in the skillet. This recipe is for 4 portions. I have added some asparagus to the sauce, but this is optional. Enjoy.