Pasta! Pasta! Pasta!

Pasta is by far my favorite thing to make, cook, and eat! Cody gave me a pasta machine for my birthday and I have been having so much fun making fresh, homemade pasta. If you ever want to come over and make pasta with me, just let me know. Anyway, here are some of my favorite pasta recipes:

Penne with Italian Sausage and Broccoli (thanks Giada)

Salt
2 bunches of broccoli--cut into florets
12 oz dried penne pasta
3 TBL olive oil
1 lb Italian sausage (as spicy as you like it), casings removed
3 garlic cloves, minced
pinch of dried crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add broccoli florets and cook until crisp-tender (about 2 minute). Strain broccoli, reserving ALL the cooking liquid. Set broccoli aside.
2. Cook the penne in the same pot of boiling salt water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
3. While pasta is cooking, heat oil over medium heat in a large heavy skillet. Add sausage and cook, breaking the sausage up with a spoon (until it resembles ground beef) until sausage is brown and juices form--about 8 minutes.
4. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add broccoli florets and toss to coat.
5. Add pasta and enough reserved cooking liquid, 1/4 cup at a time, to moisten.
6. Stir in Parmesan cheese, salt to taste and pepper into the pasta mixture. Transfer to pasta bowls and serve.


Penne with Vodka Sauce (thanks Giada)

3 cups marinara sauce
1 cup vodka (if you do not feel comfortable cooking with alcohol, you may substitute chicken or vegetable broth)
1/2 cup heavy cream--at room temperature -so it won't curdle when mixed with marinara
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
12 oz dried penne pasta

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Set aside.
2. While pasta is cooking, prepare sauce. In a heavy large skillet, simmer the marinara sauce and vodka over low heat, stirring often, until mixture reduces by one fourth (about 20 minutes).
3. Stir in the cream and continue to simmer over low heat until the sauce is heated through. Remove the skillet form heat and stir in the Parmesan, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper to taste.
4. Pour cooked pasta in skillet and toss to coat.


Venetian "Mac and Cheese" (once again, thanks Giada)

Butter for pan
12 oz wide egg noodles
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
2 tsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cups (packed tightly) grated fontina cheese
3/4 cup (packed tightly) finely grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup (packed tightly) grated mozzarella cheese
4 oz cooked ham, diced (optional)
2 TBL finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Butter 9x13 glass baking dish. Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling salt water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring
frequently, about 5 minutes. Drain well (do not rinse).
2. Whisk milk, cream, flour, salt, and pepper in a large bowl to blend. Stir in 1 cup of the fontina, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella, the ham, and parsley.
3. Add noodles and toss to coat. Transfer noodle mixture to the prepared baking dish.
4. Combine remaining cheese in a small bowl and toss to blend. Sprinkle cheese mixture over the noodle mixture. Bake until sauce bubbles and the cheese melts and begins to brown on top--about 15 minutes.

Rotelli with Walnut Sauce (thanks Giada)

16 oz rotelli or fusili (corkscrew pasta)
2 TBL unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups toasted walnuts (to toast walnuts--spread them on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 5 to 10 minutes--watch and make sure they don't go dark).
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (Italian parsley)

1.Cook the penne in a pot of boiling salt water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
2. In a food processor (or blender) combine the walnuts, butter, salt, and pepper. Pulse to combine. With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil in a steady stream. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and stir in the Parmesan, then the cream.
3. When the pasta is done, place it in a large bowl while still very warm. Stir in the walnut sauce. Add the reserved pasta liquid, 1/4 cup at a time, until the sauce completely coats the pasta, using only as much as needed. Sprinkle with parsley, toss and serve.


Cheese-N-Pasta In A Pot

1 lb ground beef
1 large onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 14 oz jar marinara sauce
1 can (14.5 oz) stewed tomatoes
1 can sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 cup shell macaroni
2 cups sour cream
2 cups shredded Italian blend cheese

1. In a large skillet, brown ground beef with onion and garlic. Drain grease.
2. Meanwhile, cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
3. In a large mixing bowl combine ground beef, macaroni, tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, and mushrooms.
4. Layer half of the mixture in a 9x13 pan. Spread 1 cup sour cream over mixture. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheese. Repeat layer. Cover and bake on 350 degrees for 40 minutes.


Pasta Primavera

1 large carrot
1 small onion
2 stalks celery
1 large red pepper
1 bunch (6 oz) asparagus
1/4 cup butter (1/2 of a stick)
3/4 lb fettuccine
1/4 lb sugar peas, halved
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup heavy cream
1 tBL chopped fresh dill or 1 1/2 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

1. Peel and finely chop the carrot and onion; trim and finely chop celery. De seed and slide the red pepper into thin strips. Trim and cut the asparagus into 2-inch pieces.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over low heat. Saute the carrot, onion, and celery, stirring occasionally until softened, 8-10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Add the red pepper, sugar peas, and asparagus 4 minutes before the end of cooking time. Drain well and return to the pot.
4. Stir in the carrot mixture, cream, Parmesan and dill. Cook over low heat for 2-3 minutes, tossing ingredients until well coated. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.


Warming Spaghetti Bake

12 oz spaghetti
1 oz butter
1 onion, finely chopped
8 slices of bacon, chopped
4 TBL all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1 TBL Dijon-style mustard
5 1/2 oz Parmesan Cheese, grated
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook the spaghetti in a large saucepan of salted water according to the package directions. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Drain the spaghetti in a colander and keep warm.
2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat, add the onion and fry for 3 minutes. Add the chopped bacon and fry for 6 minutes.
3. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually stir in the milk, then the mustard. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring for 1 minute. Add the reserved pasta water, 1 TBL at a time, if the sauce gets too thick. Season with the salt and pepper.
4. Combine spaghetti with the sauce. Place in a large ovenproof dish. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the spaghetti mixture. Bake until golden and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Lasagna Roll-Ups

12 lasagna noodles
2 cups ricotta cheese or cottage cheese
1 egg
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or 1 1/2 TBL dried parsley
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
8 oz Italian sausage, casings removed or 1/2 lb ground beef
1 28 oz jar marinara sauce

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook noodles according to the package directions. Drain noodles and rinse with cold water. Mix ricotta, egg, parsley, and 1 cup mozzarella cheese in a bowl; set aside.
2. Cook sausage in a skillet over medium heat until browned and crumble, breaking up large pieces with a spoon, until it resembles ground beef. Drain fat.
3. Spread 1/2 cup marinara sauce in a 9x13 baking dish. Spread 3 TBL ricotta mixture on each noodle; top with some sausage. Roll up each noodle. Arrange seam sides down in baking dish.
4. Top roll-ups with remaining sauce and mozzarella. Bake, loosely covered, for 15 minutes. Remove cover; bake for 10 minutes longer or until brown and bubbly.

Smokey Chicken Fettuccine

6 slices of bacon
½ cup diced onions
6 large garlic cloves, peeled
½ cup coarsely chopped red bell pepper
½ cup (about 2 oz) grated smoked Provolone cheese
8 oz uncooked fettuccini noodles, broken in half
1 cup frozen peas
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 cup half and half
½ tsp coarsely ground black pepper
¼ tsp salt
2 TBL snipped fresh parsley

1. Bring water to a boil in a pot. Meanwhile, cut bacon into ½ inch pieces. Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon, drain on paper towels. Drain grease from skillet (do not wipe out).
2. Thinly slice garlic cloves. Add onion, garlic and bell pepper to skillet. Cook over medium heat 2-3 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove skillet form heat; set aside.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package direction in the pot of boiling water. Add peas to pot; carefully drain peas and pasta using drainer. Add pasta and peas to skillet. Add bacon, cheese, chicken, half and half, black pepper and salt; toss mess to coat. Cook and stir over medium heat until sauce is slightly thickened and mixture is hot. Sprinkle with parsley; serve immediately.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese (thank you Ben and Lydia)

8 oz elbow macaroni
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 (12 oz) cotainer curd cottage cheese
1 (8oz) container sour cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, add pasta and cook until done; drain.
2. In 9x13 baking dish, stir together macaroni, shredded cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
3. In a small bowl, mix together bread crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle topping over macaroni mixture. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until top is golden.