pasta – Page 11 – The Pajama Chef

Chicken, One Tablespoon Testosterone, Recipes

OTT: Chicken Parmesan

March 14, 2011June 13, 2011 Sarah

This is a guest post from my husband, Ben. Periodically, he has agreed to share some of his favorite recipes with you in a guest post column entitled One Tablespoon Testosterone, or OTT for short. Enjoy!

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Ah, Italian food. The stereotypical style for dinner dates. I have no problem with that, and evidently neither does my wife. So on this past Valentine’s Day, I decided to make her some Italian food. For those of you who are regular readers of her blog, you understand that it is no easy task to cook for someone like her. The standards are high, and I have to be at the top of my game to please (okay, that may be an exaggeration, she is pretty appreciative of the mere fact that she doesn’t have to cook for a meal). But I enjoy the occasional kitchen adventure, so rather than just take her out to some overcrowded restaurant, I decided to have one of those adventures.

Chicken Parmesan [from Eat Live Run]

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts halves, beaten into oblivion (okay fine, pounded)
2 c Panko breadcrumbs
2 eggs
1/2 c flour
1/4 c milk
1 c shredded mozzarella
2 oz pepperoni
1/4 c parmesan cheese
1 jar marinara or pasta sauce
1/4 c canola oil
spaghetti or fettuccini noodles, cooked

Directions:

As always, begin by preheating the oven. In this case, to 450 degrees. Combine the eggs and milk in a shallow dish. In another shallow dish, spread out the bread crumbs. In yet another shallow dish, place the flour. Arrange the dishes in a neat little line. After pounding the chicken breasts (don’t go overboard or it’ll break into small pieces), dunk one breast at a time in each dish, starting with the dairy blend (not to be confused with store brand yogurt) and so on and so forth. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the chicken breasts in the oil and fry them until they are delicious-looking golden brown and cooked through. Drain the chicken of any excess moisture (if there is any, I had no need for it). Lay the fried chicken breasts in a greased casserole dish. Smother them in the pasta sauce, parmesan, and mozzarella cheeses. Last, but certainly not least, place the pepperoni on the top. Bake for 15 minutes and serve with spaghetti or fettuccini noodles. Enjoy.

Click here for the printable version: Chicken Parmesan

Main Dishes, Pasta, Recipes

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

February 28, 2011June 11, 2011 Sarah

Poor, poor husband. My poor meat-lovin’ husband has been subjected to meatless recipe after meatless recipe. Last week, I think Ben only got meat for dinner once… and he had to make it himself. See, the more I run as I’m training for this marathon, the more I crave vegetables. [And funfetti frosting and brownies, but that’s another story.]

The good news though, is all these veggie cravings have resulted in some pretty good meals, like this one. I am not one to like mushy, cooked vegetables, which is why I chose to roast sweet bell peppers, savory mushrooms, and luscious, juicy tomatoes. Roasting these veggies adds another level of flavor and texture to this creamy, cheesy lasagna. It’s filling but not heavy, and bakes up bubbly and brown. A perfect dish for a cold Friday night–and a great way to carb-load on the night before an 18 mile run. Or, y’know, do whatever normal folks do on their Saturday mornings.

P.S. And if you’re worried about Ben and his lack of meat, I bought him a big hunk ‘o pork and cooked it in the crock pot yesterday. Recipe to come. For now, enjoy this veggie-friendly dish!

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna [based off of these recipes from Cooking Light and For the Love of Cooking and my mom’s]

Ingredients:

3 bell peppers, diced [I used red, yellow, and orange]
4 roma tomatoes, quartered
12 ounces mushrooms, sliced
5 cloves garlic [keep the skins on for roasting]
black pepper
salt
dried basil
nutmeg
16 ounces fat free cottage cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano + additional for roasting
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups fat free half and half, at room temperature
3 tablespoons flour
9 lasagna noodles
8 ounces Italian cheese blend [I used Sargento’s]
3 ounces shredded Parmesan cheese
olive oil
cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray, then spread peppers, tomatoes, and mushrooms in a single layer. Place the garlic cloves in one corner, for easy access after they are roasted. Drizzle olive oil over vegetables and season as desired with black pepper, a little bit of salt, basil, and oregano. Toss gently to coat. Bake for 20 degrees, flip, and return to oven for another 10 minutes. Let cool.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together flour and half and half. Cook until thickened, about 7-9 minutes, then remove from heat. Stir in a pinch of nutmeg and a generous amount of black pepper. Set aside.

Meanwhile, cook lasagna noodles according to package directions.

When vegetables are cool enough to handle, crush tomatoes and cut into bite size pieces. Then, peel skin off garlic cloves and dice. Return vegetables to pan and stir together.

Finally, in a medium bowl, stir together cottage cheese, eggs, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

In a 9×13 casserole dish, layer a 1/3 of the white sauce, 1/3 of the vegetables, 3 noodles, 2 ounces Italian cheese, and 1 ounce Parmesan cheese. Repeat twice, then top with remaining cheese. Sprinkle basil on top. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 5 more minutes, then turn on broiler and bake for another 2-3 minutes until cheese is golden brown and bubbly. Let stand at least 10 minutes before serving.

Click here for the printable version: Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Main Dishes, Pasta, Recipes

Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel Sauce

January 18, 2011February 1, 2016 Sarah

This Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel Sauce has been a family favorite for many years now. My mom first made this dish after watching an episode of Everyday Italian with Giada De Laurentiis. Now we’ve made it many a times and absolutely love the rich, creamy, cheesy pasta. Though the recipe seems a bit intimidating [bechamel sauce… what?], it’s really quite simple.

Though we don’t make it exactly like Giada all of the time, our substitutions are few and equally tasty, usually adding a bit of health and cost benefits. We use turkey smoked sausage for the prosciutto, fat free half and half for the whole milk, and less butter than suggested. One area that I would not recommend a substitution is with the cheese. Yes, fontina is a little expensive… but it is without a doubt worth it. I’ve tried using mozzarella and the rich taste of the dish is lost with a milder cheese.

However you try this pasta, like Giada, like me, or in a new way, you’re sure to enjoy the rich, smooth, luscious taste of this fabulous baked pasta. But as a warning… it is highly addictive. Especially cold out of the fridge at odd hours of the day or night. Not that I know or anything though…

Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel Sauce

Servings: 12
Time: 60 minutes
Print

from Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 quart half and half, at room temperature [really important to be at room temperature, it makes the sauce stellar!]
pinch of nutmeg
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grated fontina, divided
1/2 pound smoked turkey sausage, julienned
1 pound dried rigatoni

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

First, make the bechamel sauce. Melt the butter in the saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth, approximately 2 minutes. Gradually add the half and half and stir constantly until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. This should take about 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat, then stir in nutmeg, 1/2 cup fontina, and smoked sausage. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the rigatoni and cook for about 5 minutes. The pasta will be cooking further in the oven so it’s important to make sure the inside is still slightly hard. Drain pasta and return to pot. Stir in bechamel sauce and mix well to coat. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Top with remaining fontina. Bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.

Can be made up to a day ahead, refrigerated, and then baked right before serving—just leave out at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes before baking or add a few minutes on to the baking time.

Question of the Day: What food do you sneak out of the fridge at odd hours?

Main Dishes, Pasta, Recipes

Spinach Mushroom Cream Sauce with Spaghetti

November 22, 2010June 13, 2011 Sarah

Need a quick, light dinner? Well, have I got the masterpiece for you then! This Spinach Mushroom Cream Sauce served over spaghetti can be prepared in less than 30 minutes… and it’s not from Rachael Ray! I whipped up this pasta on a whim last Monday night after our other dinner plans were scrapped, and I absolutely cannot stop thinking about it. Spinach. Mushrooms. Sweet peppers. Italian seasonings. All melded together with a light cream sauce. I haven’t tried this, but I bet subbing some white wine for the cream would be fantastic. Not much else to say about this dinner because I know you’ll love it!

Spinach Mushroom Cream Sauce with Spaghetti

Ingredients:

8 ounces mushrooms, chopped
olive oil
salt
pepper
~1 cup heavy cream or half and half
~2 tablespoons Parmesan
~1 teaspoon oregano
~2 teaspoons garlic
1/3 cup roasted peppers, roughly chopped [I used roasted Piquillo peppers from Trader Joe’s–they are sweet, but if you wanted to use hot peppers that would work too!]
9 ounces frozen spinach, cooked [don’t drain]
1/2 pound spaghetti noodles

Directions:

Prepare spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat up a little olive oil in a skillet and then sautee the mushrooms over medium-high heat until soft, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste [for me, this is a teeny bit of salt with a lot of freshly ground pepper]. Stir in the cream, then add the Parmesan, oregano, and garlic. [I just eyeballed all the amounts.] Add the peppers and spinach, toss, and then simmer for about 5 minutes. When the spaghetti is cooked, return to pan and add sauce. Serve and enjoy!

Click here for the printable version: Spinach Mushroom Cream Sauce with Spaghetti

Question of the Day: Rachael Ray–yea or nay?

Main Dishes, Pasta, Recipes

Stovetop Mac & Cheese with Broccoli

November 8, 2010June 13, 2011 Sarah

Mac and cheese. This mainstream dish is truly a staple in the diet of American children [and adults… let’s be real here]. Many of us grew up eating this out of a blue box [hello, Kraft!] and then later enjoyed baked macaroni and cheese and wondered what we’d been missing all our lives. Well, at least that’s been my experience.

A few weeks ago I was sitting in class, outlining a meal plan in my head… whoops… and I began to wonder if I could create a stovetop mac and cheese that tastes just as good as Kraft’s, and just as good as baked mac and cheese, but without the processing and without the long baking time. I felt up to the challenge one night last week and embarked on a journey that has changed my perception of stovetop mac and cheese–forever. I hope it will change yours too!

This stovetop macaroni and cheese boasts a variety of flavors that meld together in mere minutes [scarcely more than it takes to make a box of Kraft] to make a rustic, home-cooked comfort dish, perfect for a relaxing night at home. The aged Wisconsin cheddar meets the sharpness of mustard, the spiciness of nutmeg, the richness of cream, and the tang of Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce to have a party in the pan… and then in your mouth. Just add some broccoli for texture and a boost of veggies, and a delicious dinner is ready in no time at all.

And in case you’re interested, and in need of some reading material, be sure to click here to read about the history of macaroni and cheese in America! It all began with Thomas Jefferson and his love of cheese and Italian food. This influenced American colonists’ meal preparation in the early days of limited food choice. In 1896, a recipe appeared for macaroni in cheese in the cookbook for the Boston Cooking School and by 1937, Kraft marketed a boxed version. Now, versions spring up all over America. Here’s the latest!

Stovetop Mac & Cheese with Broccoli

Ingredients:

1/2 pound small pasta [macaroni, mini penne, etc. I used mini bowties.]
2 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream [to lighten it up use half and half]
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
few dashes freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon dried mustard
10 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 small bunches broccoli, chopped into florets

Directions:

In a large stock pot, prepare pasta according to package directions. [If you haven’t yet checked out these instructions for best pasta preparation, do it! They are so helpful!] Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, cream, milk, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, nutmeg, and mustard in a small bowl. In a separate pot or the microwave, steam broccoli for a few minutes, but don’t let it get completely tender as it will cook more in the pasta.

Once pasta is cooked and drained, toss butter with pasta until it melts. Then pour in egg mixture and stir to combine. Fold in cheese and broccoli, cover, and cook for about 3-4 minutes on low-medium heat or until cheese is melted. Top with freshly ground black pepper and enjoy!

Click here for the printable version: Stovetop Mac & Cheese

Question of the Day: Were you a Kraft kid? Are you still? I was. I think we tried other boxed mac & cheeses but nothing compared to the blue box! Now, I still like it occasionally but my tastes have changed somewhat.