Italian Tomato Gravy

One of the most wonderful things my husband and I received for our wedding (almost five years ago!) was a booklet of recipes compiled by my husband's late grandmother.  Inside, my mother-in-law had placed this sticky note:

By that point, I had already heard a lot about this legendary tomato sauce.  My husband was so in love with it, in fact, that he turned his nose up at every other version.  Our first year of marriage was full of cooking fails- like the time I accidentally melted a nylon spatula into my chicken approximately one hour into my America's Test Kitchen chicken marsala.  But this tomato gravy, complex despite its simplicity, was a sure bet each and every time I whipped up a batch. 

These days, I usually serve it with Italian sausage, but it also makes a great meat sauce base and is fabulous in homemade lasagna. 

INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 6-oz cans tomato paste
3 cans water
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
4 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sweet basil

DIRECTIONS
1.  Saute onions in oil.  Add garlic, then add all other ingredients.  Cook 1 hour on low.

Makes enough to dress 1 lb of spaghetti, noodles, or with lasagna recipes.

Meat Sauces

Using the above recipe, brown 1/2 to 1 lb ground beef or pork and add to gravy, OR, 8 links of browned Italian sausages may be added.  Be sure to prick sausages with fork before browning.

Spicy Crawfish Pasta

I first had this dish many, many years ago at a family gathering deep in the heart of Cajun country.  My mom wrote down the recipe and I always looked forward to its spicy, cheesy goodness when it was on the menu.

Last week, I set out to make crawfish etouffee but found myself fresh out of rice.  The wheels started turning when I spotted an unopened box of spaghetti hiding behind the flour.  I tweaked the original recipe to suit my cooking style, namely swapping a block of Velveeta for my favorite jack cheese.  It was as delicious as I remembered and tasted just as good for lunch the next day.  (Gotta love those dishes!)

Adapted from a family recipe

INGREDIENTS

4 tbsp butter
1 large onion, diced
1 green or red bell pepper, diced
3 stalks celery, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp flour
1 lb peeled crawfish tails (I buy the frozen packages and thaw them in cold water)
8 oz Monterrey jack or jalapeno jack cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
2 tsp Cajun seasoning blend
Cayenne pepper, to taste
1 lb dry pasta (I typically use fettuccine or spaghetti)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
 1.  Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic in butter until onions are tender. Stir in flour, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add crawfish tails. Cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often.

2.  Reduce heat to low. Stir in the half-and-half, Cajun seasonings, and cayenne pepper. Cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add shredded cheese a handful at a time, stirring well after each addition. After all cheese is added, continue to stir until melted.

3.  Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.

4.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Stir noodles into crawfish mixture; pour into prepared dish, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

5.  Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Pappardelle with Roasted Mushrooms in a San Marzano Tomato-Cream Sauce

Every year, my husband and I drive up to the beautiful town of Hot Springs, Arkansas for spring break. We love walking the scenic promenade, antique shopping, and spending a few nights at the historic B Inn. (Hi, Joseph and Armando!) On top of its other virtues, Hot Springs has really great food. We always hit up Central Park Fusion each trip to enjoy some high class eats, Cafe 1217 for frilly lunch fare, and head downtown to the Brau Haus for beer and bratwurst. This year, we broke our routine and tried out Bohemia Continental Cuisine just north of the strip. Despite its unassuming exterior, Bohemia churns out some of the best food I've ever tasted. It's so good, in fact, that I declared my pasta dish the most amazing thing I'd ever put in my mouth and begged to go back again the next day.

True story.

So naturally, the first thing I did when I got home was start wracking my brain to figure out how I was going to replicate that glorious meal. After many late night dates with Google, I finally put together an experimental recipe and busied myself in the kitchen. The trial run was a huge success. My husband even told me that it was a dish he'd have been proud to serve his Sicilian grandmother, which is the biggest compliment he could have given me.  And despite its pretty presentation and complexity of flavor, this is an easy, forgiving recipe- perfect for sending a big fat neener-neener to anyone who's been doubting your cooking ability. :-)

A few notes: My local grocery store carried only whole San Marzano tomatoes. Feel free to use diced tomatoes if they are available. If you'd rather not break out a blender, you can opt to pulse the tomatoes in a food processor a few times or even break them up with a wooden spoon. For a thicker sauce, drain some or all of the tomato juice.

Pappardelle with a San Marzano Tomato-Cream Sauce

Serves 8

Sauce recipe based on the Prince George Citizen

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp olive oil

3 oz diced pancetta

2 shallots, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

28 oz can whole San Marzano tomatoes

½ tsp white sugar

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp dried pepper flakes

2/3 cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper

1 lb pappardelle or other wide pasta, cooked according to package directions

Shredded Parmesan, romano, or asiago cheese

Roasted mushrooms, recipe follows

DIRECTIONS

1. Place tomatoes in a blender and pulse until only fine chunks remain. Set aside.

2. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat until shimmering. Swirl to coat bottom of skillet. Add pancetta and shallots and saute until prosciutto begins to brown, about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.

3. Add garlic, tomatoes, and sugar to the skillet and bring mixture to a boil. Scrape the bottom of the skillet to loosen any browned bits. Lower heat and simmer until color darkens and sauce thickens, approximately 15-20 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes.

4. Add basil, thyme, oregano, dried pepper flakes, and heavy cream. Stir to combine. Allow mixture to come to a simmer. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

5. Toss pasta with sauce. Top with roasted mushrooms (recipe below) and shredded cheese of choice.

Roasted Mushrooms

INGREDIENTS

1 lb cremini mushrooms

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400. Wash mushrooms and dry well. Trim stems and halve mushrooms. Place mushroom pieces in a gallon-size Ziploc bag and drizzle with olive oil. Close bag and shake vigorously to coat. Place pieces in a single layer on a nonstick cookie sheet. Season well with salt and pepper.

2. Place pan in the preheated oven and roast for 30 minutes, flipping mushrooms every 10 minutes.

Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta

First of all, I apologize again for neglecting my dear blog.  I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, as I just turned in a paper/project that are worth 40% of my grade in one of my masters classes.  (EEK!)  Suffice it to say that take-out and frozen pizza have graced our table a lot more frequently than home-cooked goodness in the past few weeks.

Now, onto this delicious butternut squash pasta... 

I wouldn't exactly call Mr. Ommy Noms a "meat and potatoes" guy, but it's safe to say that vegetarian dishes usually aren't his bag.  So when I set a plate of butternut squash pasta in front of him, I expected a lukewarm reception at best.  Oh, but I was surprised!  My husband RAVED about this dish, going back for seconds and insisting we reserve some for leftovers.  It paired beautifully with a fresh green salad.  Despite its fancy taste, this was a very low-effort dish.  Shredding the cheese and squash ahead of time would make this a great after-work meal.

Serves 4-6
Adapted from A Little Bit of Everything

INGREDIENTS
9 oz spaghetti or fettuccine
1 butternut squash, peeled and seeds removed
10 oz blend of hard cheeses (I took the easy way out and used a bag of shredded Italian)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups cream (I used light cream)

DIRECTIONS
1.  Preheat oven to 400.  Boil the pasta until al dente.  Drain and set aside to cool.
2.  Shred the squash flesh using a cheese grater.
3.  In a large bowl, combine the pasta, shredded squash, half the cheese, garlic, and parsley.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
4.  Transfer pasta mixture to a buttered baking dish.  Pour cream over pasta.  Top with remaining cheese.
5.  Bake until cream is absorbed and squash is cooked, about 30 minutes.

Fannie Farmer Macaroni and Cheese

I've been feeling under the weather the past few days, and Mr. Ommy Noms has been taking great care of me.  He's been requesting homemade macaroni & cheese for awhile, and I made it tonight as a "thank you" for all the medicine- and blanket-fetching he's done.  I found this recipe on Mocha Me, but it actually hails from a 1946 Fannie Farmer cookbook.  I enjoy trying old recipes, so I decided to give it a go.  It turned out so good!  I'm looking forward to having it again tomorrow night with some seared tilapia!

I didn't really know what "buttered breadcrumbs" was supposed to mean, so I just double-toasted a couple slices of bread and crunched them into crumbs.

As seen on Mocha Me; originally from the Fannie Farmer Boston Cooking-School Cookbook, 1946 edition

INGREDIENTS
1 (8 ounce) package macaroni

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

1 cup cream (I used half & half)

1/2 teaspoon salt

fresh ground pepper, to taste

2 cups cheddar cheese (buy the block and shred it yourself)

1/2 cup breadcrumbs, buttered

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cook and drain macaroni according to package directions; set aside. In a large saucepan, melt butter. Add flour mixed with salt and pepper, using a whisk to stir until well blended.

Pour milk and cream in gradually; stirring constantly. Bring to boiling point and boil 2 minutes (stirring constantly).

Reduce heat and cook (stirring constantly) 10 minutes.

Add shredded cheese little by little and simmer an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese melts.

Turn off flame. Add macaroni to the saucepan and toss to coat with the cheese sauce. Transfer macaroni to a buttered baking dish. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs.

Bake for 20 minutes until the top is golden brown.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

After a long day of studying, this was the perfect 20-minute entree.  It was so rich and spicy- we loved it!  In the future, I would probably stir a teaspoon of cornstarch into the half-and-half to thicken the sauce up a bit.

Adapted from Allrecipes
Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

4 ounces linguine pasta

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning

2 tablespoons butter

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1/2 large sweet onion, thinly sliced

4 large button mushrooms, sliced

1 cup half-and-half
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
Additional Cajun seasoning to taste 

DIRECTIONS

1.  Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

2.  Meanwhile, dry chicken with paper towel and season with Cajun seasoning. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the chicken in butter or margarine until almost done (5 to 7 minutes).

3.  Add the red bell pepper, green bell pepper, mushrooms and onion. Saute and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat.

 

4.  Add the half-and-half and basil. Heat through. Add the cooked linguine, toss and heat through. Add additional Cajun seasoning to taste.

Corn-Fettuccine Salad

Souper Salad is definitely my favorite lunch spot.  I always enjoy nomming down on their crunchy chow mein noodles, gingerbread cake, blueberry bread, and complimentary soft-serve ice cream - uh... lettuce.  But my absolute MOST favorite thing to pile on my plate at Souper Salad is definitely the fettuccine pasta salad.  It's got sweet corn and parmesan, all wrapped up in tasty pasta goodness.

I came across a copycat recipe for that glorious salad awhile back and had to try it out.  Copycat recipes often miss the mark, but this one is a definite keeper.  It went well with leftover blackened chicken.

Adapted from Copykat.com

8 oz. Fettuccine
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1 cup corn kernels
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
1.  Prepare fettuccine according to package directions.  Drain.
2.  In a large bowl, combine the pasta, mayonnaise, corn, parmesan, and garlic powder.  Stir well, and add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve chilled.

Shrimp Pasta Salad

It's funny how the simplest dishes are often the most enjoyable.  As a child, I was always so excited to come home and find a big bowl of this shrimp pasta salad chilling in the refrigerator.  A couple decades later, it's my husband's number one most requested meal.

I'm not complaining.  :-)

From Mom
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
2 cups small pasta of your choice
3/4 pound shrimp, boiled
3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and diced
1 medium tomato, chopped
3 green onions, finely sliced
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Mayonnaise to coat, about 3/4 cup

DIRECTIONS
1.  Prepare pasta according to package directions, and drain well.  Place in a large bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and toss to coat.  Chill for at least one hour prior to serving.

Tortellini and Proscuitto Salad

Don't you love tortellini drenched in a rich, buttery alfredo sauce?  Yeah, me too.  But tonight, I wanted to enjoy tortellini in a way that was a little less, well... rich and buttery.

This salad lets the beloved tortellini share the spotlight with fresh veggies.  It can be made ahead and refrigerated overnight or served at room temperature.  Yum!

An Ommy Noms original
Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

1 9 oz pkg refrigerated cheese tortellini
6 button mushrooms, sliced thinly
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 roasted red pepper, cut into small pieces
3 bunches green onions, sliced thinly
2 slices prosciutto, cut into small pieces
Handful of baby spinach or spring mix (optional)
Parmesan Cheese
Dried basil
Vinaigrette to coat

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and set aside to cool.

2. Mix tortellini, vegetables, and prosciutto in a large bowl. Top with parmesan and dried basil. Add Italian dressing until lightly coated.

3. Refrigerate.

Springtime Shrimp Linguine

There's only one thing more awesome about this dish than its tastiness, and that's its speed of preparation.  This recipe took about 25 minutes from first chop to first bite, making it the perfect after work dish. I altered the recipe to suit our tastes by adding chopped tomato and green onions.

Quick tip:  We're not wine drinkers.  I always keep mini bottles of white wine on-hand for cooking so that it's always available but won't go to waste.

Adapted from Allrecipes

INGREDIENTS

4 oz linguine
1 tsp olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
4 mushrooms, sliced thin
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 lb shrimp
2 tbs butter
1 small greenhouse or roma tomato, squeezed to remove seeds and juice, diced
1 bunch green onions, cut finely
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
Dash red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Boil and drain linguine.

2. Saute garlic and mushrooms in oil over medium heat for about a minute. Mix in broth, lemon juice, and spices. Simmer until reduced by 1/2.

3. Add shrimp and butter. Cook until shrimp is done. Add tomato and green onions; stir to combine.  Add salt and pepper if necessary.  Serve over the linguine.