Creamy Mushroom Pasta

Need a quick and easy idea for dinner? Try this recipe for creamy mushroom pasta. I am not a huge pasta eater but I found myself looking forward to eating these leftovers, even sneaking a taste at 9:00 am the next morning. This is one of Rachel Ray's 30 minute meals. The only addition I made was adding in some spinach that I had in my refrigerator.

I used a gluten free brown rice fettuccine pasta for this recipe but you can use regular fettuccine or spaghetti. Hope you enjoy!

Creamy Mushroom Pasta 
4-6 servings

Ingredients:
1 pound of spaghetti or fettuccine
1 1/2 pounds of mixed mushrooms- button or cremini mushrooms
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, eyeball it as Rachel would say
2 leeks
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 cups baby spinach
Fresh ground black pepper
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup cream
Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano cheese, for topping

1. Wipe mushrooms clean with damp towel. Remove larger stems and thinly slice mushrooms.

2. Heat a large deep skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat. Add in mushrooms and cook until deep golden color and tender; about 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, get a large pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente.

4. While the mushrooms are cooking, halve the leeks lengthwise. Cut off a could on inches from the tough tops. Trim the root end. Thinly slice leeks and wash very well in a large bowl of color water. Making sure to rinse off all the sand and grit. Lift the leeks out of the water and let dry on a paper towel (You can do this step ahead of time if you would like)

5. Add the leeks to mushrooms along with garlic and spinach, if using. Season with salt, pepper and fresh thyme. Cook 3-4 minutes. Add in white wine and reduce for 1 minute then stir in cream and heat through. Toss pasta with mushroom sauce and adjust seasoning to taste. Top with grated cheese.

Butternut Squash Lasanga with Pork Ragu

Over the summer I watched an episode of Anne Burrell’s show on the food network, she happened to be cooking a gluten free meal. I knew immediately that I wanted to try the butternut squash lasagna recipe, it looked amazing. At the time squash wasn’t in season so I saved the recipe and waited for a better time to try it.

After hurricane Sandy hit us and left us without power for a week, I was really looking forward to cooking and baking as soon as we got our power back. This recipe was perfect for my first night back in the kitchen for two reasons: my mother-in-law offered me fresh picked butternut squash from their garden and it served enough people to allow me to invite my extended family over for a meal to thank them for all the hot showers and dinners over the past week. (They happened to have hot water and a gas stove top, but no power)

I was so happy with how this recipe came out; I wouldn’t change a single thing about it. I would categorize this recipe under intermediate, unless you have a child under 2 years old, then I was put this under the extremely difficult category. At the very least make this recipe during nap time. Layla tore apart the kitchen as I cooked and when I turned around all my tea bags were opened. I was left with a baby covered in blueberry tea leaves!

My suggestion would be to make the pork ragu (which is amazing on its own) ahead of time or the day before. Then you can finish the other components of the lasagna and assemble in less time. You can prepare the entire recipe the day of but it is just a little time consuming…BUT WELL WORTH IT!! I am definitely going to make this again and again and I would feel very confident serving this dish to any crowd of people that make their way into my dining room.

Please don’t think this recipe is for gluten free eating only. It will impress anyone who loves lasagna. I really hope you try this one out. Enjoy!!!!!

Butternut Squash Lasanga with Pork Ragu (Recipe from Anne Burrell- foodnetwork.com)

Serves 8-10

Butternut Squash Lasanga with Pork Ragu

Ingredients:

Pork Ragu:
4 cloves garlic, smashed
3 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch lengths
1 large Spanish onion, cut into 1-inch dice
1/2 fennel bulb, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Pinch crushed red pepper
2 pounds ground pork
1 cup tomato paste
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups pureed canned tomatoes
4 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
1 fresh thyme bundle

Lasagna:
3 butternut squash, peeled, quartered lengthwise, seeded and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices, preferably on a mandoline
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
4 cloves garlic, smashed
Pinch crushed red pepper
2 pounds assorted wild mushrooms, or any kind you like, stemmed and sliced
2 pounds washed baby spinach (I used a mixture of baby spinach and frozen)
1 1/2 pounds ricotta cheese
1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and finely chopped
2 cups grated Parmesan

For the pork ragu:
1. Place the garlic, celery, onions and fennel in a food processor and puree to a coarse paste.

2. Coat a large, wide pot with olive oil and toss in the pureed veggies. Bring the pan to a medium-high heat and season generously with salt and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Cook the veggies until they start to get brown and form a crust on the bottom of the pan; (be patient...this will take a little time.) Scrape the crud off the bottom of the pan and let it re-form. Stay with it and DO NOT let it burn.

3.Add the ground pork, sprinkle with salt and repeat this process. This takes patience...accept it and move on. THIS is where BIG flavors are formed.

4. When the meat is nice and brown, add in the tomato paste, stir to combine and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the white wine and let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Toss in the pureed tomatoes, bay, cinnamon stick, thyme and 2 cups water. Taste and season with salt if needed. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer until the liquid has reduced by half, add more water and reduce again. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Turn off the heat and use immediately or store for future use.

For the lasagna: 

1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Working in batches, toss the butternut squash slices with olive oil and salt. Lay the squash slices on sheet trays and bake until the squash is tender but still holds its shape, about 20 minutes. Repeat until all the squash is roasted.

2.Coat a large saute pan with olive oil, toss in 2 of the garlic cloves and a pinch of crushed red pepper and bring the pan to a medium-high heat. When the garlic is golden and very aromatic, remove it and toss it in the "thank you for coming bowl". Add half of the mushrooms to the pan, season with salt and cook until they are soft and wilted. Remove from the pan and reserve. Repeat this whole process--starting with the oil and garlic--with the remaining mushrooms, followed by the spinach in 2 batches. Drain and cool the cooked spinach in a colander or mesh strainer.

3. In a large bowl combine the ricotta and parsley.

4. To assemble: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place a ladleful of the pork ragu in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and spread it around to LIGHTLY cover the bottom of the dish.

5. Arrange an even layer of the roasted squash on top of the ragu; be sure the squash completely covers the surface of the baking dish--this acts as the "pasta". Cover the squash layer generously with more ragu. Spoon 1-tablespoon scoops of the ricotta mixture over the ragu. Arrange an even layer of spinach and mushrooms over the ricotta. Sprinkle with the grated Parmesan. Lay another layer of squash over the Parmesan and repeat the process until the baking dish is full, ending with a top layer of squash topped with a little ragu and Parmesan.

6. Cover the baking dish with foil, place on a sheet tray and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes more. Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

Summer Pasta with Tomatoes and Corn

Tom and I are not big pasta eaters on a weekly basis but every once in a while we crave a good fresh pasta dish. This is a quick meal for any night of the week. It's best in the summer time when the tomatoes are ripe and the local corn is sweet. I made Tom tortellini pasta and for myself I made brown rice pasta (gluten free). I find the brand Tinkyada to be really delicious!

Summer Pasta with Tomatoes and Corn
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 lb dry cheese tortellini pasta or any of your favorite dry pasta
1 pint cherry tomatoes-cut in half
2 ears of corn- husks removed
Good olive oil
Salt
Pepper
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup feta cheese
1/4 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
1 bunch of fresh basil-chopped


1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil, place tomatoes and drizzle with olive oil. Season with a little salt, pepper and 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes. Mix together and bake for 15-20 mins until very soft.

2. Meanwhile, place the corn cobs in a pot of boiling water, cover and cook 10 mins. Remove from heat. When the corn is cool enough to handle, remove the kernels from the cob. Set aside.

3. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta according to package instructions to al dente. Drain the pasta (reserving 1/4 cup pasta water) Add tomatoes, corn, reserved liquid and chopped basil. Top with grated Pecorino Romano cheese and crumbled feta cheese. Season with addition salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste. Drizzle with a bit of finishing olive oil and enjoy!

Butternut Squash Risotto and butternut squash baby food

This is a healthy version of risotto. It came out extremely creamy and delicious. It's perfect for the fall/winter when squash and sage are in season.

This recipe works perfectly if you are making food for your baby too. The recipe calls for butternut squash puree. One squash is enough for the risotto and 6-8 jars of baby food. Winter squash, such as butternut squash or acron squash are great foods to introduce at 4-6 months. They are very packed with viatmins, beta-carotene and calcium. If you are not planning on making baby food, you can freeze the remainder for another time.

Below are some pictures of Layla eating butternut squash for the first time. Although the pictures do not look like it, she really did love it!

Butternut Squash Risotto
Serves 4 ( 1 1/2 cups each)

Ingredients:
5 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 ½ cups Arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine
1 butternut sqaush, boiled and pureed (1 cup purée)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Peel and dice butternut squash and place in a pot of boiling water. Cook until tender about 25-30 mins. Remove squash and place in blender (or baby bullet), blend until a smooth puree. Add a little water at a time to help blend the squash. Set aside and reserve 1 cup for the risotto. (The remainder can be refrigerated or frozen for baby food)

2. To make the risotto: heat broth in a sauce pan until it is hot but not boiling. Reduce heat to low and cover to keep warm. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened but not browned, 6 to 8 minutes; stirring frequently. Add the rice and stir for 1 minute. Add the wine and simmer until it is absorbed into the rice, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes.

3. Add ½ cup of hot broth and simmer over medium/low heat, stirring frequently, until it is absorbed. Repeat with remaining broth, ½ cup at a time, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding more, about 30 minutes total.

4. When all the broth is incorporated and the rice is tender and creamy, add squash, sage, all but 2 tablespoons of cheese, salt and peppee to taste. Serve immediately, garnished with remaining cheese.
(Recipe for risotto adapted from Ellie Kreiger's cookbook: Comfort Food Fix)

Thin Crust Pizza Margarita

This is my version of Thin Crust Pizza Margarita. This can be a really quick and simple dinner if you make the dough ahead of time or buy pizza dough in the grocery store or from your local pizzeria. Try to find thin crust dough, if possible,

I like to roast the tomatoes so they become a soft, sweet, roasted tomato spread for the top of the pizza dough. Roasting the tomatoes is especially good to do if it is not tomato season.

If you end up making the dough yourself you can freeze any extra dough for another time. I have also added another one of my favorite topping combinations below.

Thin Crust Pizza Margartia
Makes Three 12" Crusts and serves 4 people ( 3 slices each)

For the dough:
Ingredients:
1 package of active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 cup of warm water
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 cups flour, plus more for dusting

1. Prepare the pizza dough: In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine yeast, sugar and warm water, stir gently to dissolve. Let the mixture stand 5- 10 mins until it starts to foam.
2. Turn the mixer on low and add the salt and 2 tbsps of olive oil. Add in the flour a little at a time, mixing on lowest speed, until flour is incorporated. Keep mixing on medium speed, if it feels really sticky add a little more flour, if it is dry and crumbly add a little more water.Keep mixing for 5 minutes until the dough comes to a ball and become elastic.
3. Coat the dough with a little oil and place it back in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a damp towel and let it rise in a warm spot for 1 hour.
4. Once the dough has doubled in size, divide into 3 even balls. Cover and let rest for 10 mins to make it easy to roll out. (If the dough is not rolling easily, let it rest a little while longer.)
5. At this point you can use the dough immediately, wrap the balls of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use, or you can freeze the dough for later use.
6. When you are ready to use the dough, preheat the oven to 500 degrees with baking sheet in the oven.
7. Roll each section out into a 12" circle or oval shape. Place the dough on parchment paper.
8.Place the toppings on the dough (all the way to the edge) and brush crust with a little olive oil
9. Once the baking sheets are preheated place the parchment paper on the sheet (one pizza per baking sheet) and bake for 10-15 mins. Check at 10 mins and make sure it is not burning on the bottom.  You can serve one pizza while the others are baking in the oven, or bake all the pizzas and reheat before serving.

For the topping:
Ingredients:
15 large roma tomatoes
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Herbs of choice (thyme, rosemary, oregano)
8 oz Fresh Mozzerlla
Basil

1. Cut 15 roma tomatoes in half or in quarters and place on a baking sheet. Coat with oil, salt, pepper and herbs. Roast at 350 degrees for 40-45 mins, until soft. You can make this ahead of time and set aside until ready to use. (You can prepare this as the dough is rising)
2. Once the tomatoes are soft, spread them on the pizza dough, covering as much as possible and top with slices of fresh mozzarella and chopped basil. Use 5 large tomatoes per pizza or 6-7 if they are smaller.
3. Bake pizza at 500 degrees for 10-15 mins, checking at 10 mins to make sure bottom is not burning.

Prosciutto, Asparagus, Fresh Mozzarella and Lemon:

Ingredients:

4 oz thin slices prosciutto 

1 bundle asparagus

2 Lemons

8 oz fresh mozzarella

1. Chop the asparagus into 1 inch pieces; discarding the tough bottoms of the stalks.

2, Sautee the asparagus in a little olive oil salt and pepper for 5-8 mins, until soft. 

3. Brush the pizza dough with a little oil and place slices of prosciutto and mozzeralla on top. Top with asparagus and slices of lemon. 

4. Bake 10-15 mins at 500 degrees, checking at 10 mins to make sure bottom is not burning.