Caramelized Onion, Mushroom And Chicken Penne

Caramelized Onion, Mushroom 

And Chicken Penne

Directions:

2 cups uncooked penne pasta 
1 tablespoon unsalted butter 
1 teaspoon neutral flavored oil (such as vegetable oil) 
1 cup sliced white onion 
2 cups diced portobello mushrooms 
salt and pepper to taste 
1 cup heavy cream 
4-5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs 
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley 
Grated Parmesan to serve 

Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook penne according to package directions.

Meanwhile, heat butter and oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onions for 10-15 minutes, stirring often. Once they’ve become caramelized, add the mushrooms and cook another 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the pan, and set aside.

In the same pan, add the chicken thighs. (If needed, add another drizzle of oil.) Cook for 7-10 minutes, or until golden brown on both sides and cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside.

Return onion and mushroom mixture to the skillet. Add heavy cream, and stir well, scraping all the bits from the bottom the pan. Simmer on medium-low for 2-3 minutes, or until cream has reduced slightly. Taste for seasoning, and adjust as needed. Slice the chicken into large pieces.

Add the cooked, drained pasta to the sauce, along with the sliced chicken and parsley. Toss well, and serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Penne Pasta with Fresh Asparagus Sauce

Penne Pasta With Fresh Asparagus Sauce

Ingredients:

12 ounces Penne Pasta

! pound Asparagus

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 Classico boullion cube

Directions:

Cut asparagus into 1/4 " slices, reserving the tips.  Saute the asparagus in the olive oil, butter, and "Classico" bullion cube (Knorr).  Stir frequently to prevent browning.  

Puree asparagus in food processor to make a smooth sauce.  Return to pan, add tips and continue to cook for 10 minutes (or less).  When tips are cooked, add about 2 tablespoons cream and white pepper to taste.

Penne Tossed With Ricotta Cheese And Sausage

Penne Tossed With Ricotta Cheese And Sausage

Serves 2 as a main dish and 4 as a side dish.
Ingredients:
1 T. olive oil
1/2 lb. spicy or mild Italian sausages
1/2 lb. penne pasta
1/2 lb. whole milk ricotta cheese
2 T. chopped Italian parsley
Pinch red pepper flakes
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Remove sausage casings and break into 1 inch pieces into the skillet. Cook, stirring often, for 8 to 10 minutes or until sausage is cooked through; set aside.

2. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid

3. To the hot pasta cooking pot add the ricotta, 3/4 cup pasta cooking liquid, parsley, red pepper flakes and nutmeg. Stir to combine and stir in cooked sausage and then the pasta. Mix in remaining cooking liquid if necessary to thin sauce further. Stir in half the Romano and serve pasta immediately topped with remaining cheese. 

Garlicky Shrimp Pasta

Ingredients:

10 oz. penne
3 tbsp. butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. medium or large shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. milk
1/4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1 c. shredded mozzarella
1/4 c. plus 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper

2 large tomatoes, chopped (about 1 cup)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook penne according to package directions until al dente. Drain and return to pot.

Meanwhile, in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add garlic, shrimp, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Season with salt Cook until shrimp is pink and no longer opaque, 2 minutes per side. Transfer shrimp to a plate. (Keep juices in skillet.)

Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to skillet to let melt, then add flour and whisk until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add milk and chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Stir in 3/4 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan until creamy. Season with salt and pepper.

Return shrimp to skillet. Add tomatoes and cooked penne and toss until combined. (Add more milk if mixture is too thick.)

Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella and 2 tablespoons Parm and bake until melty, 5 to 7 minutes. Broil 2 to 3 more minutes until top is golden (watch it carefully so it doesn't burn!).

Garnish with remaining tablespoon parsley and serve.

Broccoli And Sweet Corn Pasta Bake

Broccoli And Sweet Corn Pasta Bake

Ingredients
2 large heads of broccoli
16 ounces of penne pasta
2 tablespoons butter
1 8 ounce can of sweet corn
1 10 ounce can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 pound shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

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Directions
Preheat the oven to 350° F and grease a 4 X 12 casserole dish.

Begin by chopping your heads of broccoli into individual florets.

In a stock pot, boil 6 cups of water. Add your penne pasta and boil for 10 minutes, adding in your broccoli for the last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain water from the pot.

In a medium saucepan, combine butter, garlic salt, cayenne, and sweet corn. Sauté on medium heat for 5 minutes.

Add cream of mushroom soup and sauté for an additional 5 minutes then remove from heat.

Add pasta and broccoli to your casserole dish, making sure to spread them out evenly.

Pour the corn and mushroom mixture over the broccoli and pasta and mix them together so everything is coated. Top generously with the mozzarella.

Cook for 20-22 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and begins to turn golden.

Let cool 5 minutes before serving.  Serves 5

Recipe adapted from Paula Deen

Pasta Florentine

Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
8-10 oz. penne pasta
3 cups medium mushrooms (shitake or porcini), stems removed, sliced
3 cups spinach
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

*

Directions:

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to boil.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pan or skillet over medium heat and sauté mushrooms, seasoned with salt and covered, for 15-20 minutes, or until softened.

Stir occasionally and reduce heat if mushrooms start to burn.

Add spinach to mushrooms and pour in lemon juice. Cook until wilted, then add walnuts.

Cook pasta according to packaging directions, or until al dente. Drain (reserving 1/2 cup pasta water) and set aside.

Add heavy cream to the spinach and mushrooms, stirring well, and mix in Parmesan cheese. If sauce is too thick, add pasta water one tablespoon at a time.

Taste and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.

Pour drained pasta into the sauce and toss well to coat thoroughly. Cook on low heat for 5 minutes, or until sauce thickens and sticks to pasta.

Transfer to serving plates, garnish with more Parmesan and serve hot.

Italian Sausage Patties with Peppers, Pesto, and Penne

Italian Sausage Patties with

Peppers, Pesto, and Penne

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These burgers have terrific texture. The secret? Mixing lean ground pork with the sausage. Since basil is a luxury in the winter, and as these are burgers after all, purchase bottled pesto—Classico makes an excellent one.

*

Burgers

1 lb. uncooked hot or sweet Italian
sausage, preferably with fennel  

8 oz. lean ground pork
1 large garlic clove, minced
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 to 2 tbsp. olive oil (for frying)

6 ciabatta or other buns

Peppers

2 medium sweet peppers, preferably
different colors
½ medium sweet onion
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. pesto

Penne

8 oz. penne rigate
1½ cups homemade or purchased
tomato sauce for pasta
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp. pesto*

*

1. Remove sausage’s casing; crumble sausage into a bowl. Crumble in pork; sprinkle with garlic and parsley. Using hands, toss until well mixed. Divide and form into 6 patties, each about ¾ inch (2 cm) thick. (Burgers can be covered and refrigerated for up to a day.) 

*

2. Seed peppers; slice into strips about ¼ inch (5 mm) wide. Likewise slice onion. (Peppers and onions can be covered and refrigerated for up to a day.) When ready to sauté, heat 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat; add peppers and onions. Sauté, turning occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes or until softened. Then stir in pesto; reduce heat to low to keep warm while frying burgers. 

*

3. Meanwhile bring a large saucepan or pot half-filled with salted water to a boil; cook penne according to package directions, usually about 10 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold running water. (Penne can be covered and refrigerated for up to a day.) Heat tomato sauce in medium saucepan over medium heat until hot. Stir in cooled penne. When hot, spoon onto one side of warmed large serving plates; garnish with cheese and a dollop of pesto. 

*

4. Simultaneously, cook burgers, frying in batches or in 2 pans as needed. Heat 1 to 2 tbsp (15 to 25 mL) oil in a large frying pan sprayed with high-heat cooking spray (or a nonstick pan) over medium heat until very hot. Add burgers without crowding; sauté 8 to 10 minutes per side or until crusty and cooked through. Slide into buns, top with peppers and serve with penne. 

Makes 4 generous servings

Penne Pasta With Shrimp

Penne Pasta With Shrimp

This is a nice time of year to gather with friends and family to reminisce of the year past over a meal of seafood pasta, a nice spinach salad, and a warm crusty loaf of bread slathered with melting butter.  This is a quick to fix and a very satisfying meal.  Serves four.

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Ingredients:

8 ounces Penne Pasta

2 teaspoons butter

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 pound shrimp

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 1/2 cups half + half

1 roasted red pepper

2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning

shredded Parmesan cheese

flat leaf Italian parsley

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Directions:

Cook pasta 9 to 11 minutes or according to package directions.

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Melt butter and olive oil in skillet, add chopped onion and sliced mushrooms.  Saute until onion is tender.   Add shrimp and stir to cook 3 or 4 minutes or until shrimp turn pink.  Add peas and half and half, cook until sauce thickens.  Add diced red pepper and Old Bay seasoning.  Stir until well mixed.

***

Place drained pasta in serving bowls, add sauce.  Garnish with chopped flat leaf parsley and serve with grated parmesan cheese.  In Italy cheese is not served with seafood pasta.  It is an individual choice or taste.

Fresh Herb Penne With Chicken And Tomatoes ..... Pasta made so easy!

Fresh Herb Pasta With Chicken And Tomatoes

I subscribe to Cooks Magazine. With each edition a product or a kitchen tool is evaluated. One month it was pasta. They used expensive pasta as well as the easily available and inexpensive pasta. Much to any one's surprise, Mueller's pasta was rated as the best product on the market. Today I am offering the recipe from the Mueller's box which results in a tasty dish and an easy to prepare recipe.

Ingredients:

16 oz. Mueller's Penne Rigate

4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon fresh chopped garlic

1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes OR

2 cups fresh diced tomatoes cooked just to soft

1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped or cut into thin strips

10-12 ounces cooked chicken breast cut in strips

1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Mozzarella cheese OR

I prefer grated Parmesan cheese to taste

Instructions:

Cook and drain Penne Rigate according to package directions. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes anad basil and cook for 2 minutes. Add chicken; simmer for 5 minutes. Toss pasta with cheese. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Serve immediately. Serves 4