Category Archives: Pasta

Pesto Spaghetti Carbonara

February 26, 2021

This spaghetti carbonara (with pesto!) isn’t exactly a health food but it’s so delicious and makes a perfect special occasional meal. Since we were snowed in and our Valentine’s Day plans for dinner out (or more likely takeout in the car or outside in the cold) were cancelled I decided to bring the Italian restaurant to our home. I made this carbonara alongside tomato bruschetta and roasted asparagus. We even broke out the wine glasses (for the adults) to share a tiny bottle (haha see picture) of sparkling apple cider.

Gwen, who is our most fervent pasta-lover, took a few bites of this carbonara and declared, “this is so good, I could stuff my head in it”! They all ate and ate and licked the pan clean. Dustin loved it too. I thought the addition of pesto (it replaces what is traditionally only garlic) was a fun twist and we’ll definitely be making this one again!

I found Tyler Florence’s instructions on tossing the hot pasta with the bacon (and in this case, peas) and then adding the egg and cheese mixture in off of the heat helpful. I made the mistake of returning my pan to the heat for a few minutes afterwards and my sauce started to clump. So be careful not to overcook yours or the eggs will start to scramble! And don’t forget to reserve some of the water you cooked the pasta in to help thin the sauce. Make sure everything is ready to go (see steps 2 & 3) before the pasta is done boiling so that you can work quickly and your carbonara will be a success!

Pesto Spaghetti Carbonara

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. spaghetti noodles (or another pasta)
6 oz. bacon (6-8 strips) or pancetta, diced
3 large eggs
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano and/or Pecorino Romano + ~1/2 cup extra for serving
3 Tbsp. basil pesto
3/4 cup frozen peas (we like petite peas best)
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

  1. Cook noodles in salted water according to package instructions.
  2. While the pasta is cooking, place the eggs, 1 cup of parmesan, and pesto in a large bowl and whisk until well combined.
  3. Also while the pasta is cooking, render the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Add the frozen peas (carefully, so they don’t splatter), and cook until heated through about 2-3 minutes.
  4. Drain the pasta and reserve 3/4 cup of the liquid (this is important to remember as the pasta water will be added to thin the sauce!).
  5. Add the hot, drained spaghetti to the pan and toss for 2 minutes to coat the strands in the bacon fat. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the egg/cheese/pesto mixture into the pasta, whisking quickly until the eggs thicken, but do not scramble (this is done off the heat to ensure this does not happen.) Thin out the sauce with a bit of the reserved pasta water, until it reaches desired consistency. Season the carbonara with several turns of freshly ground black pepper and salt, to taste. Serve immediately with extra grated cheese.

Serves 4.

(Adapted from I Wash You Dry and Food Network)

Stovetop Shells and Parmesan

January 7, 2021

I’m not a huge fan of boxed mac and cheese but I have 3 kids and a husband who get really excited about it. They especially love Annie’s brand white shells and I’ve been determined to make my own without all that cheese powder. This is Smitten Kitchen‘s version and it’s just perfect! I used a fun twisty pasta I found at Trader Joes but shells or macaroni are totally great here. And I went with a combination of Parmesan and Pecorino but white cheddar would also be delicious and classic. I’ve included ingredient amounts for a single serving (which can be easily doubled, tripled, etc.) and also the quadrupled version to feed a family (as pictured above).

Stovetop Shells and Parmesan

INGREDIENTS

to serve 1-2:
kosher salt
4 oz. dried pasta, such as shells or macaroni or another small twisty shape
2 tsp. salted or unsalted butter
2 tsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 cup low-fat or whole milk
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup (1-oz.) finely grated parmesan or pecorino cheese (I used half of each, white cheddar would also be delicious)

to serve 4-6:
kosher salt
1 lb. (16-oz.) dried pasta, such as shells or macaroni or another small twisty shape
2 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. salted or unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. all-purpose flour (you’ll be fine with 2 Tbsp. if you don’t feel like measuring exactly)
2 cups low-fat or whole milk
freshly ground black pepper
2 cups (1-oz.) finely grated parmesan or pecorino cheese (I used half of each, white cheddar would also be delicious)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Bring a small-to-medium (or large, if you making the quadrupled recipe) pot of very well-salted water to a boil and add your dried pasta. Cook it until firm tender, then drain.
  2. Return pot to stove and melt butter in the bottom. Using a spoon or whisk, add flour and mix until it disappears. Add milk, a tiny splash at a time, stirring constantly so no lumps form. Season with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and many grinds of black pepper. Bring sauce to a simmer. Cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat and stir in grated cheese until combined. Add drained pasta, stir to evenly coat. Scoop into a bowl (okay, I won’t tell anyone if you don’t) and finish it with more black pepper and salt, to taste.

(Adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

Lasagne alla Boscaiola (White Lasagna with Mushrooms, Sausage, and Peas)

December 22, 2020

There is the most delicious little Italian Pasta Shop in Pike’s Place Market called Pasta Casalinga. The 4/5ths of our family that is pasta obsessed has tried many of their dishes, and especially loves their house lasagna. And this is their signature recipe! Or rather I should say, my attempt at recreating their incredible white lasagna. The chef actually shared her recipe on a local news station here and so I had a very reliable source for this one.

“Alla Boscaiola” translates to something like “the woods” so this hearty lasagna is stuffed with mushrooms (any variety will work but I chose cremini), fennel pork sausage, and green peas (don’t skip them! they add just the right amount of sweetness to this dish). Because it’s a white lasagna the noodles and filling are layered with a creamy white sauce called besciamella (made with a butter and flour roux, milk, and a pinch of nutmeg). And there’s no mozzarella or ricotta, just generous amount of Parmesan and/or Pecorino (I recommend using both).

I will always be true to our favorite red sauce lasagna (and thankful to our friends for sharing their amazing recipe). But this one is a little less work (no ragu!) and nothing like it as far as flavors go. This will be the other lasagna our family makes on repeat!

Lasagne alla Boscaiola (White Lasagna with Mushrooms, Sausage, and Peas)

INGREDIENTS

Besciamella:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups whole milk, warmed
1/4 tsp. sea salt
pinch ground nutmeg

1 lb. fennel pork sausage (I used Whole Food’s ground Italian pork sausage that has fennel as an ingredient)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 white onion, diced
8 oz. cremini or mixed mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups frozen peas (I prefer petite peas)
~1/2 tsp. sea salt
~1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Barilla no-baked lasagna noodles (~1 box- I used 12 sheets total, 3 for each layer)
1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano (or a combination of Parmigiano and Pecorino Romano)

DIRECTIONS

  1. To make the besciamella, melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat (being careful not to brown it). Add the flour and cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Slowly pour in the milk, a little bit at a time, while whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Once all of the milk is added, add the nutmeg and salt and bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, still whisking frequently, until thickened. (The besciamella will be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.) Remove from the heat and set aside. (It can be prepared up to several days ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to use.)
  2. Brown the sausage in a large saute pan over medium heat, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks. Once it is just cooked through, drain the grease and set the sausage aside on a plate.
  3. Return the pan to the heat and add the olive oil, onion, and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until tender. Stir in the parsley, oregano, vinegar, water, and peas. Return the sausage to the pan and bring the mixture to a simmer, then cook for about 5 minutes to warm the peas. Season with the salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
  4. To assemble the lasagna, spread a thin layer of besciamella on the bottom of a lightly greased 9×13 baking dish. Then place a single layer of noodles over the sauce. Top with another thin layer of besciamella, 1/4 of the filling, and 1/4 of the cheese. Repeat for the remaining 3 layers (you will have 4 layers in all) adding noodles, sauce, filling, and cheese. The top layer will end with any remaining besciamella and cheese. NOTE: Lasagna can be assembled 1-2 days ahead and refrigerated until ready to bake or frozen and baked at a later time.
  5. Preheat oven to 350 F and bake for approx. 45 minutes (possibly shorter if your lasagna is already warm, or longer if your lasagna has been refrigerated/frozen before baking) until golden brown and bubbling. Let rest 15 minutes before serving.

Makes a 9×13 pan lasagna.

(Adapted from Pasta Casalinga and An Italian in my Kitchen)

Baked Ziti with Spinach, Pesto, and Italian Sausage

November 23, 2020

I’ve been working on this baked ziti recipe for some time. I tried 3 different but similar recipes and took what I liked about each and made my own best baked ziti- featuring spinach, pesto, and Italian sausage. And lots of cheese. Any good baked ziti is cheesy.

I found pork sausage to be too heavy/greasy and was happiest with the results when I swapped it for ground Italian chicken sausage (I used mild sausage plus a pinch of crushed red pepper, but spicy would be even better!). The pesto adds richness and flavor to the crushed tomato sauce. As for the cheese, I stuck with freshly grated Parmesan and Mozzarella but you can switch up the cheese if you want- Provolone, Pecorino, Asiago, and/or Fontina would all be delicious additions. And go ahead and throw in some more veggies if you wish- extra spinach, some sautéed mushrooms or squash. (Just don’t tell my kids!)

Baked Ziti with Spinach, Pesto, and Italian Sausage

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. ziti pasta (or penne, rigatoni, etc.)
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 -1 lb. mild or spicy Italian turkey or chicken sausage (I used mild chicken sausage and added a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes)
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup prepared basil pesto
5 oz. fresh baby spinach, chopped
2 1/2 cups (10 oz.) shredded mozzarella, divided (1/2 cup set aside for topping)
1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan, divided (1/4 cup set aside for topping)
kosher salt, to taste (I used ~3/4 tsp.)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

  1. Heat a heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, onion and garlic and sauté until the sausage is cooked through, breaking up the meat as it cooks, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes to the pan. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in the pesto. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. (Sauce can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing.)
  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain in colander. 
  3. Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Combine pasta, spinach, 2 cups mozzarella and 1 cup Parmesan cheese in large bowl. Stir in hot tomato sauce. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese over top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until sauce bubbles and cheeses melt, about 30 minutes (uncovering for the last 10 minutes or so to brown the top).

Makes a 9×13 pan.

(Adapted from Epicurious and Mel’s Kitchen Cafe)

Bacon, Corn, and Parmesan Pasta

October 2, 2020

I had this recipe bookmarked all summer and just never got around to making it. But fresh corn is still popping up my local stores so I grabbed some and we had this pasta dish just last night! And I’m sharing it with you the very next day because it was that delicious! My 4 year old cried this morning when she learned daddy finished the rest of the pasta last night and there wasn’t any left-over for her lunch. That girls LOVES pasta.

I love the combo of bacon and sweet corn. I’ve put it on pizza before and it’s amazing. Instead of milk or cream, this recipe uses some of the pasta cooking water (IMPORTANT: don’t forget to set some aside before you drain the pot) to create the sauce. The bacon is cooked first and then the corn is essentially fried in some of the bacon grease before being tossed with the pasta and cheese (I used both Parmesan and Romano), so the flavor is reminiscent of a carbonara. If you can, it’s worth getting your hands on some fresh basil and chives to top it off.

Bacon, Corn, and Parmesan Pasta

INGREDIENTS

8 oz. dried pasta (I used gemelli)
8 oz. bacon, diced
4 ears corn, shucked and kernels cut from cob
Salt and freshly ground black pepper and/or red pepper flakes, to taste
3-4 scallions, thinly sliced
2/3 cup finely grated parmesan (and/or Pecorino Romano) + extra for serving
Fistful of fresh basil and chives, chopped

DIRECTIONS

  1. If you’re hoping to pull this all off in one pan, cook your pasta in a large deep saute pan or pot according to package directions. If you want the pasta al dente, cook it 1-2 minutes less than directed. Reserve a cup or two of pasta cooking water and drain. Wipe pan dry if using for the next steps, otherwise, you can get started in a large frying pan.
  2. Scatter bacon in pan over medium-high heat, no need to heat the pan first. Cook, stirring, until evenly browned and crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer bacon bits to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons bacon fat from pan and add corn to it. Season corn with salt and pepper and cook, stirring for 1 to 2 minutes, until crisp-tender. Add pasta and a couple splashes of the cooking water and half the parmesan and toss, toss, toss the pasta with the corn, seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed and adding more cooking water if it doesn’t feel loose enough. Add scallions and other half of cheese and stir to warm. Stir in bacon and transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and additional cheese to taste. Dig in.

Serves 4-6.

(Adapted from Smitten Kitchen)