Fettuccine with Prosciutto and Orange

I adapted this recipe from Bon Appetit, the last issue. I was a bit skeptical of the orange flavor, but this was EXCELLENT. I very highly recommend it! I would also recommend not using tomato/spinach pasta (like I did) and just use egg pasta. Even though it looks pretty. I will be making this again!

Kosher salt
12 oz. fettuccine (preferably fresh, but can use dried)
2 Tbsp. (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
4 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto, torn into 1" pieces
Zest and juice of 1 orange
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with salt; add pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup pasta water.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add prosciutto; sauté until browned, about 3 minutes.

Add reserved pasta water, orange juice, half of zest, and cream; bring to a boil. Add pasta; cook, stirring, until sauce coats pasta and pasta is al dente, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in cheese and divide among warm bowls. Sprinkle remaining orange zest over pasta.

Patitsio

Recipe #2 from Vefa's Kitchen. 

A traditional greek pasta dish, patitsio. Patitsio is a cheesy pasta bake with a layer of meat sauce, topped with a layer of bechamel sauce (white sauce). I would not say it is the best-for-you recipe. Lots of cheese, milk, carbs, and butter. Tough to lighten up without losing all the flavor! But so delicious. I have made a few changes to the original recipe.

White Sauce adapted from Vefa's Kitchen:
I made this first and let it sit on the stovetop while I cooked the rest.
3 cup milk (I used 2%)
3 T butter
3 T flour
1/8 t nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
3 egg yolks, beaten
1/2 c white cheddar, shredded

Heat milk in microwave until warm but not boiling. Melt butter in saucepan, stir in flour, cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Gradually pour in milk, whisking constantly. Continue to simmer over medium heat until thickened. This will take about 15 minutes, and it won't be super thick. Remove from heat, stir in nutmeg, salt, pepper. Once slightly cooler, fold in 3 beaten egg yolks and 1/2 cup white cheddar cheese.

folding in cheese

Pastitsio adapted from Vefa's Kitchen:
2 T olive oil
1 yellow onion, grated
1 lb ground beef (can also use lamb)
1 cup canned pureed tomatoes
1 T tomato paste
pinch of cinnamon
1/2 t sugar
3 T finely chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1/2 cup white cheddar, shredded
12 oz Ziti
4 Y melted butter
2 T bread crumbs
2 cup (8 oz) Gruyere cheese, shredded
White Sauce (above)
cooking spray

Heat oven to 350.

Heat 2 T olive oil in pan. Add onion, cook over medium until soft, about 5 minutes. Add beef, cook until no longer pink. Drain.

Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, cinnamon, sugar, parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, cool 5 minutes. Add egg whites and cheddar.

Meanwhile, boil pasta according to package. Drain. Toss with melted butter, cool. Stir in Gruyere.

Spray 13x9 baking dish (or 10x14) with cooking spray. Add breadcrumbs to the bottom of dish. Spread 1/2 pasta mixture in dish. Top with meat sauce. Cover with remaining pasta. Pour white sauce over the top. Bake about 1 hour, until golden brown and set. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Her recipe says it serves 4. I got at least 6 meals out of this.

Yum!

Cajun Pasta

Let me preface this post with some facts. P has a sensitive stomach and a picky palette. Therefore when he doesn't like something, that does not mean that millions-perhaps billions-of people will agree. He also asked me to announce in the blog that turkey sausage is not sausage and does not count as sausage. He disapproves.

Now onto the recipe. I got this recipe from The Rookie Baker, and adapted it a bit. Added peppers, reduced the amount of half and half, used whole wheat pasta, etc.

Cajun Pasta with Turkey Sausage

1 box of whole wheat penne pasta
1/2 cup half and half
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped red and green bell pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 (16-ounce) package turkey kielbasa, cut into bite-size pieces

In a large pot, boil water for pasta.

Brown kielbasa over medium heat in a large skillet. Once browned, transfer to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.

In the same large skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and saute for approximately 2 minutes. Add peppers and saute 1-2 minutes until soft. Add garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds or until fragrant. Meanwhile, boil pasta and cook until al dente.

Add white wine and chicken broth to skillet and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom. Let wine or broth reduce by half, about 5 minutes. Stir in Cajun seasoning, paprika, pepper, salt, and tomato paste.

Add half and half and heat to almost bubbling, then reduce heat to low. Allow the cream mixture to reduce, approximately 5 minutes. I added the sausage back to the pan here to reheat.

Drain pasta and add to skillet, toss.

The verdict: Tasty, quick and easy weeknight meal. P did not care for the turkey sausage, the Cajun seasoning, or the cream sauce. (basically the whole dish) More leftovers for me! This dish is not AMAZING, but better than out-of-a-box and not labor intensive.

Baked Spaghetti

I had a craving for cheese, pasta, and tomato sauce. Who doesn't? I mean, really?? I didn't help that I came across this post from Jessica at How Sweet It Is. I have made Baked Ziti countless times, but never even tasted Baked Spaghetti. I adapted the recipe slightly. I would highly recommend using fresh mozzarella instead of the pre-shredded version. It is not that much more expensive, and tastes so much better. The only downside is that it doesn't come in low fat. :) Same goes for parmesan. Buy a block, don't use the Kraft version-cheese that doesn't have to be refrigerated weirds me out (think Velveeta, Cheese Whiz, etc)!

I went a bit heavy on the cheese. You could use less to lighten this up. 

3/4 pound whole wheat spaghetti
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound lean ground beef
salt and pepper, to taste
10-12 fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 cups pasta sauce
8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

And what pasta dish is complete without garlic bread?

Garlic Bread:

1/2 baguette, split lengthwise

3 tablespoons butter, softened

3 cloves garlic, minced

350 oven.

Boil and drain spaghetti.

Add olive oil to skillet over medium heat. Cook onions until soft (about 5-6 min), add garlic, cook another minute. 

Add ground beef, cool until no longer pink. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add basil, cook until wilted.

Add cooked spaghetti and 1 cup sauce, stir to combine.

 

Spray 13x9 pan with cooking spray. Add 1/2 spaghetti mixture, top with 1/2 cup sauce and 1/2 cheese. 

Repeat, topping with remaining cheese.

Bake 20 minutes, until cheese is lightly browned. 

For garlic bread: Combine butter and garlic. Schmear over bread. set oven to broil, broil 2-3 minutes until browned.

Yum! This was really very good, and the leftovers are amazing!