What's cookin'? - Pasta with Basil Cream Sauce

I've been on a pasta 'kick' the last two weeks!

When we are not grilling outdoors I've been 'slaving' away over the stove on new recipes I've found and I've wanted to try.

This recipe was actually the third in this series of pasta recipes. I need to take a break for a few days or my family is going to explode!

This recipe was really tasty! They say that "three's a charm"... and in this case, it was! I finally learned not to use a whole pound box of pasta for whatever I am making! Most of these recipes use 12 ounces. That translates into more sauce, and still plenty pasta. (I don't know if I'm trying to feed a whole army or what.) I wonder if the rest of the world sells their pasta in 12 ounce packages?.... (ours is 16 oz.) 

Part of the problem was that some of the recipes I have found use metric measurements. I have truthfully only used the metric system in science classes. I remember learning it for the first time in grade school. Our teacher told us we had to learn it because we were going to soon convert to it.... I think the rest of the world moved on without us!

 So, to those of you who might see this in  future recipes, I say, "400 grams is equal to about 2c". 

You learn something new every day!

Even if you have to search Google for the answer.

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Pasta with Sausage and Basil Cream Sauce

Here are the cast of characters:

Ingredients:

12 ounces rigatoni

2T olive oil

4-5 links Italian sausage (I used sweet)

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1c white wine

1c light cream

1c chicken broth

2 cups (or cans) chickpeas, drained

1 1/4c parmesan cheese

handful of fresh basil, roughly chopped

Salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions:

• Bring pasta pot full of salted water to a boil.

• With 1 T olive oil, cook sausage in skillet until browned and thoroughly cooked. Remove sausages and drain on paper towel.

• In same pan, add second T olive oil. Add chopped onion and garlic, stirring, until they begin to soften (about two minutes)

• Add broth, cream, wine and chickpeas.

Stir and season generously with salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered 10-12 minutes.

• Now is a good time to cook your pasta 'al dente'!

• While sauce is simmering, cuts sausage diagonally into 1/2" slices. Add to cream sauce for the remainder of its simmering time.

• Add cheese and stir.

• Add most of basil, stir, and cook an additional 2 minutes.

• Add cooked, drained pasta to pan. Stir to incorporate sauce.

• Serve with additional cheese, fresh basil, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Mangia!

What's cooking? - Sauce!

A wise Italian man (my father) once said, "Hon, sauce is the key!" 

He said this as we were discussing why Del's Restaurant, in the Bloomfield section of Pittsburgh, has always been our family favorite.

He was right, of course. 

As any Italian knows - the sauce can make or break you!

With that in mind, I do have my tried and true marinara sauce. But, I also serve pastas with many other types of sauces.

Some are creamy white sauces. Others are red. A couple are a combination of the two!

"Variety is the spice of life", they say!

Here are two red sauces with meat that we enjoy (both come from the Quick From Scratch Italian cookbook). Feel free to serve over any type of pasta you wish! 

Sardinian Meat Sauce (served with cavatelli)

• 3T olive oil

• 1 lb. Italian sweet sausage (casings removed)

• 1/4 t dried red-pepper flakes

• 1 onion, chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• one 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes in thick purée 

• 3 T chopped fresh mint

• 1/3 c chopped fresh parsley

• 1/4 c water

• 1 1/4 t salt

• 1/4 c chopped fresh basil

• 3 T grated Parmesan cheese

1) In a large hot heat oil over moderate heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking up with meat, until it is no longer pink (about 5 minutes).

2) Reduce the heat to moderately low and stir in onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent (about 5 minutes).

3) Add: tomatoes, mint, parsley, water and salt. Simmer until thickened (about 15 minutes).

4) Toss your cooked, drained, pasta with meat sauce, the basil and cheese. If sauce is too thick add some of the pasta water (up to 1/2 cup).

Serve with additional Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese.

** The recipe says that the mint is optional. I have made it both ways and I say include it if you can - it makes a difference!

(That's vegetable focaccia bread I bought at a local supermarket bakery - Yum!)

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Here's one that's wonderful on Fridays during Lent!

Arrabbiata Sauce with Tuna (a little spicy!)

(The original recipe calls for 1 pound cod fillet, cut into 1- inch chunks, but I have always used tuna)

• 1/4 c olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• one 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes in thick purée

• 1 large tomato, peeled and chopped (or 1 can diced tomatoes with juices)

• 1 3/4 t salt

• 1/2 t dried red-pepper flakes

• two 6 oz. cans tuna, drained

• 3 T chopped fresh parsley

1) In a large pot, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add: the crushed tomatoes, fresh tomato (or your diced, canned tomatoes), salt and red-pepper flakes. Simmer until sauce is thick (about 30 minutes).

2) Add the tuna and 2 tablespoons of the parsley to the sauce. 

3) Stir tuna into the tomato sauce and warm for about a minute.

4) Toss sauce with your cooked, drained pasta. Top with remaining parsley and Parmesan cheese (if desired).

My picture shows rigatoni, because that's what we had. Sometimes I use penne pasta if we have it , but really, you can use anything!

**note: I do use fresh herbs, if I can, in my cooking. If you don't have fresh, you can substitute dry herbs - but only use 1/3 the amount called for. Dried herbs are more potent!

What's cooking? - Sausage and Artichoke Stew

I have been stamping a lot lately and in fact, I'm getting ready for my stamp clubs. I promise to post lots in the next week!

Of course cooking is something I do on a daily basis so I have lots to post for that!

I want to share with you another recipe from my Quick From Scratch Italian  cookbook that I use often. 

I made this the other night.  My oldest son loves this, So I make it especially with him in mind. We call it sausage and artichoke stew. In the cookbook it's called "sausages, potatoes and artichoke hearts in tomato  broth". That's too long to say! 

This is especially good on a cold, winter's night. Make sure you have some good, crusty Italian bread to soak up the broth that's left in the bowl! 

Sausage and artichoke stew

*olive oil (About 2 T)

*1 1/2 lbs. mild Italian sausages (can   substitute hot if you like it spicy!)

*3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

*About 5 red-skin potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks

*1/2 t dried thyme

*1/3 c white cooking wine

*1 1/4 cups chicken broth

*1 c canned crushed tomatoes

*One 14 ounce canned artichoke hearts- drained, rinsed and halved

*6 T chopped fresh parsley

*1/2 t salt

*1/2 t fresh ground black black pepper

In a large pot, Heat oil over moderately high heat.

Add sausages and brown well (this takes about 10 minutes)

Remove sausages from pot and drain off all but 1 T of fat.

Reduce the heat to moderate. Add the garlic, potatoes and thyme . Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are lightly browned (about five minutes). Add the wine and boil until it's reduced to about 3 T (this will take only 2 to 3 minutes).

Stir in the broth, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, 4 T of the parsley, the salt, & the sausages. 

Simmer and cook, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender (about 30 minutes).

Before serving, add the remaining 2 T of parsley and the black pepper.

Enjoy!