Pasta with Asparagus and Lemon

From my Simple Seafood Class tonight. A delicious all-in-one side with fish, seafood or chicken. Be sure to serve this while it is warm and the sauce is creamy.

Pasta with Asparagus and Lemon

8 ounces penne pasta
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups whole milk
4 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
4 teaspoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons finely minced garlic
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 3 minutes less than the package directions. Add asparagus, return to a boil and continue cooking until the pasta and asparagus are just tender, 3 minutes more. Drain and return to the pot.

Meanwhile, whisk milk, mustard, flour, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Whisk in the milk mixture. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly, and cook until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in lemon zest and juice.

Stir the sauce into the drained pasta-asparagus mixture. Return pan to medium-low heat, stirring, until the sauce is thick, creamy and coats the pasta, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan. Divide the pasta among 4 plates and top with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.

Serves 4.

Using Dreamfield’s penne: Boil penne for 8 minutes, add asparagus, return to boil and boil 3 minutes.

 

 

Creamy Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese

This mac and cheese can be made as quickly as the "blue box" variety that is so popular with kids. A quick lunch or a side with dinner, use different pasta shapes and cheeses for variety.

Creamy Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese

8 ounces macaroni, shell, penne or other pasta
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste

Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil; cook pasta to al dente according to package directions. Drain well and return to pan.

While the pasta cooks, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat and whisk in flour until no lumps remain. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly, until completely incorporated and smooth. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently until sauce has thickened slightly. Remove from the heat and stir in cheddar, Parmesan, mustard and Worcestershire until cheese is melted and sauce is creamy. Pour sauce over drained pasta and mix well. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Butter and flour mixture cooked with milk until smooth

 

Add cheeses, mustard and Worcestershire

 

Stir until smooth

 

Add to cooked, drained pasta

 

Serve from saucepan

Orecchietti with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

Gina Stipo was at The Cooking School this week for 2 sold out classes. Gina owns Ecco La Cucina, a cooking school and culinary adventure company in Siena, Italy. A few years ago, she led a group from our cooking school through the Tuscan countryside, visiting local wineries, restaurants and regional artisan specialty shops - while teaching us classes in Italian cuisine. It was fun to catch up with Gina while she was here, and our students enjoyed delicious food while learning about Italian culture and cuisine. As promised, Gina left us another recipe to try - this pasta is delicious!



Orecchietti con Salsicce e Cime di Rape
(“little ears” pasta with sausage and rapini)

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes, or to taste
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, broken up
1 bunch rapini, cleaned and chopped (also called cimi di rape or broccoli rabe)
1 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
8 ounces Orecchiette pasta, cooked and drained

Sauté sausage in a large sauté pan, using a small amount of the olive oil. Remove from pan and, adding additional olive oil, sauté garlic and pepper flakes until soft but not browned, just a minute. Add rapini and continue to cook until rapini is cooked through and soft, adding ½ cup water to help steam it. Return the meat to the pan and allow to cook together a couple minutes. Toss with cooked orecchietti and olive oil, tossing with a good amount of grated pecorino romano cheese. Serves 4.

Penne with Shrimp, Mushrooms and Tomatoes

Simple, yet decadent and elegant - this pasta is special enough for guests. Look for shrimp that are already deveined to make this recipe as easy as possible.

Penne with Shrimp, Mushrooms and Tomatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 small shallot, minced
1¼ cup dry white wine
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces large shrimp, peeled, deveined and halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
salt and pepper, to taste
4 ounces penne pasta, cooked al dente and drained

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and edges are browned, about 6-8 minutes. Add shallot and cook 2 minutes, until softened. Add wine and tomatoes to the skillet and simmer until liquid is reduced to ½ cup, about 5 minutes. Stir in cream and bring to a simmer. Add shrimp, return mixture to a simmer, and cook until sauce has thickened, shrimp curls and is just cooked through, about 4 minutes. Stir in parsley and Parmesan, season with salt and pepper and simmer for an additional minute to thicken sauce. Serve sauce over pasta in warmed bowls and garnish with additional Parmesan. Serves 2.

Note shrimp at bottom right that are halved lengthwise

 

Mushrooms are cooked until edges are browned

 

Sauce ingredients simmer together

 

Sauce served over pasta and garnished with Parmesan

 

At The Chef's Table with Domenico Germano

Domenico Germano from Germano's Ristorante Italiano in Montgomery joined us Monday evening for a great evening of Italian food and wine. The class enjoyed a Fennel Salad, Spaghettini Carbonara con Pancetta, Sautéed Sea Bass with Lump Blue Crab, Capers and Artichokes, Sautéed Spinach and Biscotti with Marsala and Cream.

 

Domenico shared two additional recipes that are equally delicious.

Gamberi al Burro Piccante

4 ounces linguine
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 pound raw shrimp (16-20 count), peeled and deveined
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/8 crushed red pepper - or more to taste

Cook linguine according to package directions until al dente.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium skillet. Add garlic and sauté for 15 seconds. Add shrimp and sauté 3-4 minutes, until almost cooked through. Add lemon juice, wine and crushed red pepper and stir to combine. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and stir to combine; simmer and stir sauce until it is creamy and has reduced slightly. Add cooked pasta and toss to combine with shrimp and sauce. Serves 2.

 

Linguine Amatriciana

4 ounces linguine
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 ripe Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
4 slices prosciutto, cut into thin strips
1/8-1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup crushed red tomatoes
salt and pepper, to taste

Cook linguine according to package directions until al dente.

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet and sauté onion until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for a few minutes to reduce slightly. Toss cooked pasta with sauce and serve. Serves 2.

 

Domenico said "the main ingredient in this dish is tomato, the rest of the ingredients are music in the background".

Buon Appetito!

Tapas Class Cancelled Tonight

The weather forecast was right today! It's been snowing since early this morning and the roads are a mess. We decided to cancel class tonight and reschedule for next Thursday, January 14, at 6:00 pm. I hope everyone who was registered will be able to make it next week. We have a few openings in the class, and can take additional students as well. By the way, the classroom was ready on Tuesday for our class. It looks great - we're just waiting on new pictures for the walls.

Jungle (Jim) stopped by the cooking school while we were testing Shrimp and Chorizo with Sherry and Paprika from the tapas class menu. He was happy to serve as an official taste tester and gave us his 'thumbs up' approval.



A cold and snowy day like today just begs for something warm and comforting for lunch or dinner. This recipe is quick, cooks in one pan and I usually have everything in the pantry and freezer to make it. A big plus when the roads are bad and you don't want to venture out.

Stovetop Pasta

2 ounces dry penne pasta (2/3 cup)
1/2 cup marinara sauce
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning
salt and pepper, to taste
3 frozen party size meatballs
Parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)

Combine ingredients (dry pasta - frozen meatballs) in a small (1 quart) saucepan and stir well. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 15-18 minutes, stirring once or twice, until pasta is tender. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve. Serves 1.

To make 2 servings: double all ingredients and prepare in a 1.5 – 2 quart saucepan.