recipephile

Easy Penne With Cream, Kalamatas and Reggiano Cheese

After a nice long hike this afternoon I came home hungry.  My fridge was a mish-mash of ingredients and my body was telling me that I needed pasta.  So I grabbed penne pasta from the pantry and set it to boil. In the meantime, I grabbed butter, onions, garlic, white wine, veggie broth, cream, kalamatas and some parmaggiano reggiano cheese for my sauce. The resulting dish netted me much more than I needed to fill my stomach.  It will make a great snack for later this evening.

Here is what you will need:

- 1/2 lb. of penne pasta 

- 2 tbsp butter

- 3 cloves of garlic (abotu a tsp) of minced garlic

- 1/2 medium sized onion, chopped (about a 1/2 cup)

- 1/4 cup white wine

- 1/4 cup veggie broth

- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

- 1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives

- 2-3 tbsps of parmaggiano reggiano cheese

- 1 tsp of kosher salt

- 1/2 tsp of freshly ground black pepper

Boil the pasta and set aside. In a sauce pan melt the butter and sautee the garlic and onions over medium heat for about 3 minutes stirring constantly so the garlic does not burn.  Turn the heat up to high and add in the wine and veggie broth and let it cook down by about 3/4.  Add in the cream and olives and let cook down by 1/2.  Toss in the cooked pasta, cheese and salt and pepper and let cook for another minute or two.   Taste and add more salt if needed.

Serve with a piece of crusty bread.

 

 

Pumpkin Ravioli With Sage Butter

Raviolis have always been a favorite dish of mine. I grew up in a family that insisted on making homemade ravioli and serving it as a tradition during the holiday season.  The making of the raviolis usually happened a few weeks after Thanksgiving and when I announced that I would be coming home a week before Christmas my mother asked if I would assist with the "rav" preparation.

A few days after my announcement she called to tell me that they had been made. She could not handle not having the task completed as my mother is always UBER prepared for any holiday (the woman sets the table for Thanksgiving weeks before the dinner and covers it with a cloth so it won't get dusty).

So when my friend Jeffrey and I were shopping at the farmer's market a few weeks ago we decided to buy a whole pumpkin, roast it and harvest the "meat" for delicious pumpkin ravioli. They were amazing and so when Courtney and I were planning our menu for New Year's Eve we decided that pumkin ravioli with sage butter should be one of the dishes we prepare.

You DO NOT have to roast and harvest pumpkin meat for your ravioli.  Simplify the process and buy canned pumpkin.  Keep in mind that making ravioli is a time consuming process and not something you want to do on your own. Make the process fun and invite a few friends over to help.

Here is what you will need:

For the pasta
- 3 cups of flour
- 4 eggs
- 1 tbsp of cold water
- 2 tsps of Kosher salt
- A hand crank pasta machine

Combine all of the ingredients into a food processor and process until the dough forms into a ball. Remove from the processor bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Place in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.  This will allow the gluten to settle.

For the filling:

- 1 tbsp of butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 sage leaves finely chopped
- 2 cups of pumpkin
- 1 cup of ricotta cheese -- make sure you do your best to squeeze out the water -- use a cheesecloth or think towel to do this
- 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a sautee pan over medium heat and sautee the onions and sage until the onions are translucent.  Place into a mixing bowl, add the remaining ingredients and mix well.  Taste and add salt and pepper to your liking.  You may also decide to add more Parmesan cheese at this point.

Remove your pasta from the refrigerator, remove plastic and cut off a ball of pasta (about a handful). Begin feeding it into the hand cranked pasta machine, starting at 1 and ending at the second to last setting.  You may want to flour the pasta a few times while rolling it out.

Lay the rolled pasta on the table and cut 3.5 x 3.5 squares. Place about 1 tsp of filling in the center, lightly brush the dough around the edges with a little bit of water (I use my fingers to do this) and then fold the dough over.  Using your fingers make sure that there is no air around the filling and press the dough together to seal.  Repeat this process until your filling or pasta is gone.

You can freeze leftover filling or pasta for use later.

For the sauce:

- 1.5 sticks of butter
- 10 sage leaves
- 1/4 cup of cream
- Grated parmesan cheese

Place the butter and the sage into a sautee pan and turn heat to medium.  Once the butter has melted turn off the heat and then heat the cream in a microwave for about 10-15 seconds.  Add this to the butter mixture and sert aside. You may have to warm it up before serving the ravs.  Just be sure that it does not boil.

Cook the ravioli in chicken or vegetable broth for more flavor and drizzle with the sage butter.  Then top with some grated parmesan cheese for a little extra flavor.

Adventures in Cheesemaking - Fettucine with Cherry Tomatoes, Basil and Homemade Mozzarella

Jeffrey and I continue to experiment with making cheese.  On Sunday we unsuccessfully tried our hands at goat's milk mozzarella.  It was a total flop.  Our curds did not marry with one another and so we were unable to form the stretchy, taffy-like ball of tasty cheese.  The curds tasted amazing however, so I am sure that once we figure it out the goat's milk mozzarella will be a welcome treat.

We of course made cow's milk mozzarella and I used it in a dish prepared for my friends Scotty, Chris, Erika and Kate.  Scotty wanted something simple and specifically asked for pasta.  My goal was to do a variation on a Caprese salad, which is basically tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella.  I decided to use cherry tomatoes for their uber sweetness and cook them with extra virgin olive oil and garlic.  The dish was finished off with fresh mozzarella, freshly chopped basil, salt and pepper and sprinkle of Parmigiano cheese.  It was truly simple and absolutely delicious.

Here is how this dish is prepared:

- 1 lb. of Fettuccine and a big pot of boiling water
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil, about 2 or 3 tbsps
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 packets of cherry tomatoes
- 1 handful of fresh basil, chopped
- 2 cups fresh mozzarella , cut into bite sized pieces
- Grated Parmigiano cheese
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Boil water and cook the Fettuccine.  While the Fettuccine is cooking, cover the bottom of a sauce pan with about 2 or 3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil.  Over medium heat saute the garlic for about 1 or 2 minutes (being careful not to burn) and toss in the cherry tomatoes.  Cover and let cook for about 5 minutes.  Remove lid. Once the lid is off immediately take a potato masher and carefully mash the tomatoes so they release their juices ad continue cooking for an 5 additional minutes.  The juice from the tomatoes will slightly thicken.

Drain the pasta and toss into a warm bowl.  Add the basil and mozzarella cheese to the sauce and toss with the pasta.  Add Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and serve with a sprinkling of Parmigiano cheese.

Chemistry, The Making of Cheese and Pumpkin Ravioli

During high school there are always one or two classes that you take and tell yourself... "I am never going to use this when I get older so why in the world are they making me take this now?" That thought came racing back to me as Jeffrey and I continued our adventures in cheesemaking last Sunday.  Never EVER did I think chemistry would play a role in my adult life, but it is now rearing its ugly head in some of the tastiest ways.

Making cheese is part art, part science and lots of passion.  The science part is probably the most challenging for a person of many words (and few numbers and periodic tables) like myself.  A few weeks ago I attempted cheesemaking in Sonoma only to learn that the combination of everything from the water to the milk, citric acid, rennet and heat all play a vital role in product perfection.  My results were rubbery and tasted a little strange.

So of course Jeffrey, my fellow urban artisan, and I tried again and followed the process to the letter.  Our mozzarella was perfect and we decided to use the leftover whey to make ricotta cheese.  The ricotta cheese would be used in the pumpkin ravioli that we were planning to prepare for our friends Jaiden, Christopher and Jim.

We wanted to ensure that practically everything in the ravioli was made from scratch.  We made the cheese, the pasta dough and roasted a pumpkin so we could harvest the flesh for the filling.  The entire process, from shopping to preparing the ingredients, assembling the ravioloi and enjoying the tasty pasta took about 3 hours.

When Jeffrey and I make ricotta we always make mozzarella first.  Our goal is to get the most from that one gallon of milk. It is all about yield my friends.  So you can learn about making mozzarella here and making ricotta cheese here.  Note that you can also make ricotta cheese from whole milk.

The rest of the ravioli is pretty easy.

Before you make your cheese begin preparing the pumpkin and make the pasta.

You can always use canned pumpkin, but there is something extra special about roasting your own pumpkin.  So if you choose this route, heat the oven to 375 degrees and roast for about 75 - 90 minutes.  Cool, cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds (set aside to roast the seeds if you want) and then remove the flesh from the skin of the pumpkin. If the flesh still feels as though it need to cook more, then place back into the oven for 15-20 more minutes.  You will know this by the feel of the pumpkin flesh against the knife.  If it slides easily it is done, if there is some pressure then you need to cook it more. Once it is ready, transfer the flesh to a food processor and process until smooth.

To make the pasta you will need 3 cups of flour, 3 eggs, 2 tsps of Kosher salt and 1 tbsp of water.  Place all of the ingredients into a food processor and process until the dough forms into a ball.  Remove from the bowl, roll into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and place into the fridge until ready to use.

For the filling:

- 2 cups of pumpkin (fresh or from the can)
- 2 cups of ricotta cheese (fresh from your kitchen or store bought -- drained well, very well -- you can use a cheesecloth to do this)
- 1 small onion chopped very fine and sauteed with 1 tbsp of butter and 2 or 3 sprigs of sage
- 2 tsp of nutmeg
- 2 tsp of allspice
- 1 tsp of kosher salt
- 2 tsp of freshly ground black pepper

Melt butter over medium heat and sautee onions and sage until translucent.  Let cool, combine with the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Roll out the dough (we go to the number six -- you want it to be thin, but not too thin that it falls apart when cooking) and cut into 3x3 pieces. Lightly wet the edges with water and add about 1/2 tbsp of filling in the center of the dough.  Fold over and crimp with your fingers making sure to remove all of the air from the center with the filling. Repeat until all of the dough is gone or until all of the filling has disappeared. You can freeze the leftover dough or filling for another time.

When you cook the pasta you should use veggie broth, chicken broth or the leftover whey from your cheesemaking. It should only take about 5-8 minutes to cook through.

For the sauce -- melt one stick of butter with a few cloves of minced garlic and 5 or 6 sage leaves.  Remove the cooked pasta, plate and spoon the sauce over the pasta.  Top off with some freshly grated parmesan cheese and serve.

Taglierini with Mushroom in Orange Ginger Tarragon Sauce

Okay, so I cannot take credit for this recipe. It was created by my dear friend Jonathan, an incredible cook and a great person.  It is so delicious and was served at my birthday party last week.

Bring 3 Quarts of water to a boil.  Add one teaspoon of vegetable stock seasoning.  I prefer Marigold Swiss Vegetable Bouillon powder, but you can use any vegetable bouillon powder.  Add your Taglierini after it has come to a rolling boil.  Cook until al dente.  Rinse, Strain and set aside.

- 16 oz Taglierini or Linguini (two 16oz boxes)
- 4 oz Shitake mushrooms (finely sliced and de-stemmed)
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- 1 tbsp tarragon (fresh, de-stalked and chopped)
- 1 tbsp ginger Zest
- 1 tsp crushed Red Pepper
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 Serano green chili (de-seeded and minced)
- 16oz heavy cream
- 4 tbsp butter (unsalted)
- ½ cup flour
- 1tsp cracked Black Pepper

Over moderate heat, melt butter, being careful not to burn it.  Add the minced chili and garlic.  Saute until garlic is slightly brown.  Add mushrooms and ginger.  Saute, stiring often for 4 minutes.  Add flour in two parts.  The flour and butter should combine and make a sizzling roux.  Be careful not to burn the roux.  When the flour and butter turn a nice light golden brown (approx. 5-7 minutes), add your heavy cream in two parts.  Stir often to prevent burning. The cream will thicken gradually. As you add your last part of cream, drop in your tarragon, orange zest, crushed red peppers and black pepper.  Salt to taste.
Re-heat pasta by adding the pasta back to the sauce mixture.  Fold pasta onto a serving platter and garnish with an orange slice and chopped fresh tarragon and chives.

Angel Hair With Sage and Lemon Chicken Sauce

Within the many pages of this site you'll often read about one of my favorite foodies, Janet Conomos.  She has inspired me in so many way and whenever I am home visiting my parents in Pittsburgh I head over to her kitchen to see and taste the food she making.  When I was younger it seems that every time I would go over to the Conomos house there would be lemon chicken in the oven.  The use of lemons is a key element in Greek cooking and Mrs. C utilized them often.

Over the summer I was visiting in New York and prepared a dinner for Kate, my business partner, and some other friends.  One of the dishes, which was inspired by Mrs. Conomos and love of lemons, was a pasta dish with sage and lemon chicken sauce.  So when Kate and I decided to prepare a meal for our clients Jess and Kenny she insisted that I make the pasta again.

This is easy to make and absolutely delicious.

For 1.5  pounds of fresh angel hair pasta:

- 1 stick of butter + 2 tbsp of butter
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 sweet onion, chopped
- 8 sage leaves
- The juice of 1 lemon
- 1.5 cups of chicken broth
- 1 cup of dry white wine or dry vermouth
- 1.5 tbsps of flour
- 6 boneless and skinless chicken thighs
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Start by baking the chicken thighs at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes. While the chicken is cooking you can start making the sauce.  Once the chicken is done let cook for about 15 minutes and then chop into small pieces.

Make sure you start your water to cook the pasta.  Add salt to the water and begin cooking the pasta about 5-10 minutes before your sauce is done.  If you are using fresh pasta it should not take too long to cook.

To prepare the sauce melt the butter (do not include the 2 tbsp as these will be used later) and sautee garlic over medium heat, being sure not to brown.  Add the sage and onions and continue to cook until the onions are translucent.  Add the lemon juice and then jack up the heat to high and once the pan is very hot add your wine or vermouth to the mixture and let cook down by half.  Then add the chicken broth and let that cook down by half. As the liquid is cooking down melt the 2 tbsp of butter and then mix with the flour in a small bowl until combined and smooth. Whisk this mixture into the sauce and continue to cook.  This will help to thicken the sauce a little.  Turn down the heat to medium, add your chicken and let cook for a few more minutes.  Taste the sauce and then add salt and pepper to your liking.  If you think it is too lemony you can add a little sugar (about 2 tsps) to cut the bite.

When the pasta is ready, strain it well and then add it to the pan with the sauce.  Let cook for a few minutes, tossing frequently, so that the flavors meld. Serve and enjoy.

Linguine With Clam Sauce

A few weeks ago I was in DC for a client meeting and had the opportunity to spend time with my cousins, who are all pretty much into cooking and eating great food.  My cousin Carol is especially proficient in all things culinary-related.  So during my stay I asked Carol to teach me how to make her delicious linguine with clam sauce.  She did and it was amazing, as usual.

A few weeks ago I tweaked it a little to give it my own personal signature. Carol and I made fresh pasta for our version, but if you do not have a pasta maker or the desire to make your own, store-bought will work fine.

For one pound of pasta:

- 1/2 stick of butter
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 sweet onion chopped
- 1 cup of white wine or vermouth
- 1 jar of clam juice
- 1/2 tbsp of flour
- 1 can of clams - reserve the juice
- 15-20 fresh littleneck clams

To prepare the clam sauce melt the butter and sautee garlic over medium heat, being sure not to brown.  Add the onions and continue to cook until translucent.  Jack up the  heat to high and once the pan is very hot add your wine or vermouth and clam juice (including the juice in the can) to the mixture and let cook down by 1/2.  As the liquid is cooking down remove a few tablespoons and mix with the flour in a small bowl until the the liquid and the flour are combined without any lumps. Whisk this mixture into the sauce and continue to cook.  This will help to thicken the sauce a little.  Turn down the heat to medium, add your canned and fresh clams and cover for a few minutes.  The sauce is ready when the shells have opened up.  Toss with cooked linguine and serve.

Fancy Mac and Cheese

For the next two weeks I will be out on Fire Island and cooking up a storm. On the first evening I had to decide what to make and so my friend Chip suggested we have Mac and Cheese, but not just any Mac nd Cheese. This one needed to be fancy and so it was. We caramelized onions, added proscuitto used ementhaler and made a bread crumb base with parmigiano reggiano. It was so very delicious and tasted great with the roasted chicken and wedge salad with thousand island dressing.

Here is what you will need...

Mac and Cheese
- 1 lb box of rotini pasta (I use DiCecco)
- 1 lb block of ementhaler cheese (grated)
- 2 medium vidalia onions
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 lb of deomstic proscuitto

Breadcrumb Crust
- 3/4 can of bread crumbs
- 4 garlic cloves chopped
- 2 sticks of butter
- 2 cups of grated parmigiano reggiano

First prepare the breadcrumb crust. Preheat the oven to 350. Melt the butter and saute the garlic. Add the breadcrumbs and the cheese and mix well. Evenly spread breadcrumbs on the bottom of a 12x14 pan. Place in the oven on the top rack for about 8-10 minutes.

Boil the water and par cook the pasta until al dente (see box for cooking times). When finished drain and set aside. Chop onions into half moons (about 1/8 inch thick) and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring constantly until caramelized. Set aside. Chop the proscuitto into small pieces and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes. Set aside. Place 2 tbsp of butter into a frying pan, add the flour and mix well until a roux is formed and is golden in color (be sure to stir constantly to avoid burning the flour). Add the whipping cream and stir well until slightly thick. Add the cheese and stir until melted. Add the onions and the prosucitto and stir until mixed well. Remove from the heat and add the pasta. Mix well.

Place in the oven and cook for about 15 minutes and golden brown on the top. I actually topped off with about 1/2 cup of cream to keep it from drying out.

Serve and enjoy.

For the next two weeks I will be out on Fire Island and cooking up a storm. On the first evening I had to decide what to make and so my friend Chip suggested we have Mac and Cheese, but not just any Mac nd Cheese. This one needed to be fancy and so it was. We caramelized onions, added proscuitto used ementhaler and made a bread crumb base with parmigiano reggiano. It was so very delicious and tasted great with the roasted chicken and wedge salad with thousand island dressing.

Here is what you will need...

Mac and Cheese
- 1 lb box of rotini pasta (I use DiCecco)
- 1 lb block of ementhaler cheese (grated)
- 2 medium vidalia onions
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 lb of deomstic proscuitto

Breadcrumb Crust
- 3/4 can of bread crumbs
- 4 garlic cloves chopped
- 2 sticks of butter
- 2 cups of grated parmigiano reggiano

First prepare the breadcrumb crust. Preheat the oven to 350. Melt the butter and saute the garlic. Add the breadcrumbs and the cheese and mix well. Evenly spread breadcrumbs on the bottom of a 12x14 pan. Place in the oven on the top rack for about 8-10 minutes.

Boil the water and par cook the pasta until al dente (see box for cooking times). When finished drain and set aside. Chop onions into half moons (about 1/8 inch thick) and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring constantly until caramelized. Set aside. Chop the proscuitto into small pieces and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes. Set aside. Place 2 tbsp of butter into a frying pan, add the flour and mix well until a roux is formed and is golden in color (be sure to stir constantly to avoid burning the flour). Add the whipping cream and stir well until slightly thick. Add the cheese and stir until melted. Add the onions and the prosucitto and stir until mixed well. Remove from the heat and add the pasta. Mix well.

Place in the oven and cook for about 15 minutes and golden brown on the top. I actually topped off with about 1/2 cup of cream to keep it from drying out.

Serve and enjoy.