Shrimp Scampi

OK - This is beyond easy and as long as I have lemon juice in the house, I usually have the ingredients on hand.  I mention the lemon juice because apparently I tossed my bottle that I had in the fridge after Superstorm Sandy and I had to run my hubby out to the store to pick up some more.  That's something I ALWAYS have here.  LOL  I got the recipe from our newspaper, Newsday, years ago and I usually triple it just because we're a big family who loves this stuff.

Shrimp Scampi

3 Tbsp. olive oil
4 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. white wine
1 tsp. dried parsley
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 lb. cleaned shrimp

Place oil, butter, wine, parsley, garlic and lemon juice in a large frying pan and cook over medium heat, stirring often for 1-2 minutes.  Add shrimp and cook through until pink, about 3 minutes.  Serve over cooked pasta.

Chicken Florentine Pasta

I got this today from the Pioneer Woman Cooks blog and had to try it since I had nothing planned for tonight.  It was a HUGE hit with the family and will make it into our rotation.  Here is the link http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2012/04/chicken-florentine-pasta/

1 pound penne pasta

1. 5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes

salt and pepper to taste

2 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup dry white wine

3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (more if needed)

1 bag baby spinach

2 cups grape tomatoes, halved

4 oz. parmesan cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler

Cook pasta according to package directions in lightly salted water. Drain and set aside.

Cut chicken breasts into chunks and sprinkle on salt and pepper.

Heat butter and olive oil over high heat in a large skillet. Add chicken chunks in a single layer and do not stir for a minute or two in order to allow the chicken to brown on the first side. Turn the chicken and brown on the other side. Cook until done, then remove chicken from the skillet.

Turn heat to medium. Add garlic and quickly stir to avoid burning. After about 30 seconds, pour in wine and broth, stirring to deglaze the pan. Allow the liquid to bubble up, then continue cooking until it's reduced by at least half (most of the surface of the liquid should be bubbling at this point.)

Turn off the heat. Add spinach, tomatoes, chicken, and cooked pasta to the skillet. Toss to combine; the spinach will wilt as you toss everything. Add plenty of Parmesan shavings and toss to combine.

Serve with extra Parmesan shavings.

Williams Sonoma Baked Ziti

This was delicious!!!  Hubby doesn't like baked ziti because it's just....baked ziti.  This one he loves.  He rated it a 9.5 just because he can't quite get it up to those few things that are his favorite.  :)  The kids all gave it a 9.5 to a 10 so that means it stays in the rotation!!!  I changed the recipe a bit to make sure it was enough for my family so I'll post the link to the original recipe but I'll post what I actually made.

Here's the original recipe:  http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/baked-ziti.html

Here's mine:

Baked Ziti with Eggplant and Sausage

4 tsp. plus 1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup dry red wine
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
1 can (16 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 lb. ziti, cooked until al dente
2 Tbsp. dried basil
1/3 cup rinsed, chopped Kalamata olives
2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1.  In a 10" nonstick fry pan over medium high heat, warm 2 tsp. of the olive oil.  Add the sausage and cook, stirring and crumbling with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

2.  Discard all but 1 Tbsp. of the fat in the pan.  Set the pan over medium-high heat and warm 2 tspl of the olive oil.  Add the eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and browned, about 6 minutes.  Transfer to a large bowl.

3.  Set the pan over medium heat and warm the remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil.  Add the onion and cook until softened, 5-6 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.  Add the wine, increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, stirring to scrape up the browned bits.  Cook until the liquid is almost evaporated, about 3 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and their juices and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.

4.  Add the sausage, basil, olives, 2 cups of the mozzarella and the tomato sauce to the bowl with the eggplant and stir to combine.  Add to the pasta (use a large bowl or the pot the pasta was cooked in).  Season with the salt and pepper.  Transfer the pasta mixture to a large casserole and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and the Parmigiano-Reggiano on top.  Transfer to the oven and bake for 25 -30 minutes.  Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Chicken, Sausage, Asparagus and Mushroom Pasta

Oh my goodness - have we found a winner in our family!!  I saw this recipe on the Pioneer Woman and followed the link (she posted a bunch of links to pasta recipes) and thought it looked really good and something we'd like so I printed it out about a week ago.  I cooked it up last night and the dinner table was SILENT except for the occasional "Oh my gosh, this is so good" and "This is a 10 mama!!"  So try it yourself!  I think you might like it.  :)

Chicken, Sausage, Asparagus and Mushroom Pasta from http://cookandbemerry.com/chicken-sausage-asparagus-and-mushroom-pasta-from-grace-marie’s-kitchen-at-bristol-farms/


3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 lbs. chicken breasts, boneless, skinless and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 lb. Italian sausage (any variety), removed from casing
1 Tbsp. dry Italian herb mix
to season - kosher or sea salt and ground black pepper

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 cups yellow, brown or red onion, medium diced
3 Tbsp. garlic, minced
to season, kosher or sea salt and ground black pepper

1 lb. asparagus, ends trimmed then angle-sliced into 1" pieces
1 lb. crimini mushrooms, quartered
1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
1/2 cup Marsala wine

2 cups Parmigiano cheese, shredded or flaked
1/2 cup Mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1 cup basil, thinly sliced

1.  Warm the oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the chicken and sausage.  Season with the dry herbs, salt and pepper.  Once browned, remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl.  Cover to keep warm.

2.  Using the same skillet (do not clean), warm the butter over medium-high heat.  Stir in the onions and garlic.  Saute just until the onions are tender (2 minutes).  Season lightly with salt and pepper.

3.  Add the asparagus, mushrooms and tomatoes to the skillet.  Continue to cook just until the asparagus is crisp tender, the mushrooms are soft and the tomatoes barely cooked (3-4 minutes).

4.  Off the heat, add the wine, return the skillet to the heat, scraping up any browned portions, cook until it is nearly absorbed.  Stir in the precooked chicken and sausage.  Cook, stirring, just until warmed through.

5.  Just before serving, stir the parmesan, mascarpone and basil into the ragu.

1+ lb. favorite pasta, cooked in salt water to al dente
1/4 cup purchased basil pesto

1.  Toss the cooked pasta with the pesto.  Serve on individual plates or a platter topped with a generous serving of ragu.  Garnish with more parmesan cheese if desired.

Penne a la Vodka

I got this recipe from a little tear-out recipe book from Family Circle back in '99.  We love this!

Penne a la Vodka

2 tbsp. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
6 oz. sliced prosciutto or Canadian bacon, chopped
3 green onions, trimmed, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. ground red pepper (cayenne), optional
1/4 cup vodka
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. salt
1 lb. penne pasta

1.  Heat oil in medium-sized saucepan over low heat.  Add garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes, making sure the garlic doesn't burn.  Add prosciutto, green onion, ground red pepper and vodka; cook for 4 minutes over medium heat.  Add tomatoes; cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.  Add cream and salt; cook 3 minutes.

2.  Meanwhile, cook penne in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water until al dente, firm but tender.  Drain well.  Toss penne with vodka sauce to coat evenly.

Wine Braised Italian Sausages with Penne

When I asked my daughter what she wanted for dinner for her 8th birthday, this is the recipe she wanted.  Of course friends laughed but hey, she loves pasta!!

1 1/2 lbs. mild Italian sausage, cut into 1/2" pieces
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
1 small carrot, minced
6 sprigs parsley, minced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large clove garlic, minced
3 fresh sage leaves, torn
generous pinch ground cloves
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 lb. pasta (penne, fusilli or ziti) cooked al dente and drained
1 1/2 cups fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Asiago cheese

1.  In a 12" saute pan over medium heat, slowly cook the sausage in the olive oil until it's well browned. Remove the sausage from the pan, add the onion, carrot, and parsley to the pan.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Saute over medium heat until golden.

2.  Add the sausages, garlic, sage, cloves and tomato paste, along with 1/2 cup of the wine.  Simmer while you scrape up all the brown glaze from the bottom of the pan.  Once the wine is evaporated, add the rest of it and cook very slowly, about 10 minutes.  Sauce will be clinging to the sausage.  **At this point, you could refrigerate the sauce for up to three days.**  Add the tomatoes and cook at a slow bubble for 5 minutes.

3.  Toss in the pasta to thoroughly coat.  Blend in half the cheese.  Serve hot, passing the cheese separately.  Makes 4-6 servings as a main dish.