5-22…Fettuccine with chicken, broccoli, and zucchini

I’ve succumbed to the magic of the merry month of May and the green produce in the markets with the promise of so much more to come.  So, tonight’s dinner is Fettuccine with Broccoli, Zucchini, and a little bit of chicken, all of it enhanced by herbs now available in our small herb garden (well protected from the whippets).

INGREDIENTS:

Fettuccine

Skinless, boneless, organic chicken thighs

Broccoli florets

Zucchini

Olive oil

Garlic and onion

Fresh basil and parsley

Red pepper flakes

Sweet vermouth

Grape tomatoes, sliced

PROCESS:

Brown the chicken in olive oil, remove and deglaze pan with the wine, saving the residue with the chicken.  Add fresh oil to the pan and begin cooking the garlic and onion until soft, then add the zucchini and half of the herbs.  You have to judge when to add the broccoli and the rest of the herbs so it doesn’t get over cooked.  I add it about 5 minutes before I expect the past to be ready.  Add the pasta, and the tomatoes and mix well and enjoy.

COMMENTS:

Patience had seconds…that’s better then anything I can say about this dish.

5-21…Fettuccine with Scallops and Asparagus

I was impressed with the produce selection in Paducah’s newest food market, the Midtown Market but a little disappointed in the absence of any organic products.  However that did not stop me from leaving with some good looking asparagus, broccoli, tomatoes, and a package of sea scallops I could not resist.  I had one of the tomatoes for lunch today and it was quite good…better than the winter tomatoes at the other supermarkets.

Tonight I’ll work with the scallops and asparagus.

INGREDIENTS:

Fettuccine - Sea & Land from Al Dente Pasta

Sea scallops, cut crosswise into discs about ½ inch thick

Asparagus

Olive oil

Garlic minced

Fresh oregano and parsley, chopped

Red pepper flakes

Lemon juice

PROCESS:

While waiting for the pasta water to boil remove the dense lower portion of the asparagus spears.  Place them in a shallow bowl with a drizzle of water, cover with plastic wrap and microwave for about 2-3 minutes.  Remove and cool with cold water, cut diagonally into 2-3” pieces and set aside.

Cook the garlic and red pepper flakes in olive oil until it begins to turn color, add the herbs and cook for 2-3 minutes before adding the scallops and asparagus. cook until the scallops become opaque.

Add the pasta to the pan, mix well and add the lemon juice.  Serve with a grated cheese of your own choice.  We are currently working on a wedge of Grana Padana.

COMMENTS:

This was wonderful, easy to prepare and open to a lot of variations.  The scallops were very good; I will go back to the midtown market for more.

4-13…Fettuccine with Chicken and diced tomatoes

Every once in awhile I hit one out of the park…and did so tonight with this simple but scrumptious dish.

Breaking from my usual routine I used Muir Glen organic diced tomatoes (available at Krogers).

INGREDIENTS:

Al Dente Fiesta fettucine

Diced Tomatoes

Organic boneless chicken thighs

Olive oil

Garlic and onion

Penzy’s pasta seasoning

Sweet Vermouth…always adds a special touch to the sauce

Grated Grana Padano cheese

PROCESS:

Brown the chicken, remove and set aside.  Cook the garlic and onion in olive oil until soft, then add the tomatoes and seasoning and cook for about 5 minutes before adding the chicken to the pan along with the sweet vermouth. Cover and simmer for 30 – 60 minutes.  Add the cooked pasta, mix well, and enjoy with grated cheese.

COMMENTS:

The pasta gods smiled on me tonight because this was heavenly and all the credit belongs to the ingredients.

3-24…Dinner from heaven…no humility here!

If you have been a regular, or semi regular reader of my pasta blogs you know by now that I have a complete lack of humility when it comes to the meals I prepare.  Tonight is no exception.  I will tell you right now, this was delicious, scrumptious, over the top good.  The only reason there are a few leftovers is because Patience jumped across the counter to stop me from a third helping.

It was so good that Patience did not complain about the mess I left and the dishes that had to be washed.  (I’m usually VERY neat while cooking)

 INGREDIENTS:

Al Dente Pasta -  Fiesta Fettuccine

Tuna in oil

Olive oil

Celery

Garlic and onions

White wine

Butter

Penzy Pasta seasoning

Cherry tomatoes, quartered

Fresh lemon juice

Anchovies, 2 fillets finely chopped

PROCESS:

Saute the garlic, onion, celery, and anchovies is the olive oil.  Add white wine and allow it to cook off then add butter.

Add the cooked pasta and the tuna to the pan and mix thoroughly.  Add the lemon juice and tomatoes and drizzle with olive oil.  Add pasta water if needed

COMMENTS:

I have nothing more to say.

3-7..I died and went to pasta heaven tonight!

An old friend with a new twist.  Al Dente pasta with shrimp and sea scallops in a wine - butter-lemon sauce with just a touch of blue cheese and cream.

INGREDIENTS:

Fettuccine
Sea Scallops
Shrimp
Sun dried cherry tomatoes
Olive oil
Garlic and Shallots
Red pepper flakes
Fresh lemon juice
Dry white wine
Butter
Blue cheese
Parsley
Dill, oregano, dill,  and basil

PROCESS:

Saute the garlic and shallots in olive oil with red pepper flakes and some coarsely chopped sun dried tomatoes.  Add the shrimp, scallops, parsley and cook for several minutes before adding the seasoning, and butter.  Continue cooking over low-medium heat then add a splash of wine and lemon juice.  About 5 minutes before the pasta is ready mix in about 1/4 cup of cream or whole milk and about one tablespoon of blue cheese.  Add the pasta to the sauce, mix well, and enjoy a feast from the pasta gods.

2-24..DON'T FORGET THE ARUGULA!

I forgot it last night, but not tonight.   Looking for a flavor with a bite I decided to try combining arugula and kalamata olives with my favorite dish, Aglio Olio crudo.  For the pasta I selected the Al Dente brand garlic and parsley fettuccine.

INGREDIENTS:

Fettuccine
Olive oil
Fresh parsley finely chopped
Garlic, finely chopped
Arugula, coarsely chopped
Pitted kalamata olives coarsely chopped

PROCESS:

While the pasta is cooking prepare the rest of the ingredients.  Place the pasta in a large serving bowl, drizzle with olive oil and mix in the remaining ingredients.  Add some pasta water as needed to keep things from getting to "dry".

COMMENTS:

WOW!!!   Ok, I'm calmed down.  This was really good...a new twist to an old favorite.  And I know I've said this before, but it bears repeating.  If you like pasta you have to try the Al Dente brand; you will not be disappointed.

2-21...spinach fettuccine w mushrooms, baby broccoli, and chicken

This was one of those "cook what's in the fridge" dinners.

INGREDIENTS:

Fettuccine
Baby broccoli
Portabello mushrooms
Chicken breast
Olive oil
Garlic and onion
Celery
Dry white win
Lemon juice
Tomatoes
Dry basil, oregano,

PROCESS:

Brown the chicken and remove.  Saute the garlic, onion, and celery until soft, then add the mushrooms and cook for about 5- 10 minutes before adding the broccoli.  Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and add to the pan, along with the seasoning and several splashes of wine.  About 4-5 minutess before the pasta is ready add some lemon juice and several slices of small fresh tomatoes (more for coloring than anything else).



COMMENTS:

This made good use of the ingredients on hand.  Bacon would have added another dimension, but the chicken breast was thawed and had to be used.

2-17...Fettuccine florentine

The evening had an unremarkable beginning; I began prepping for dinner while Patience attended a civic/dog related meeting.  It was not very long before she called to say it was a dinner meeting, and I would be on my own.  So, at six o'clock I called Keyth and Elaine to see if they had dinner plans (that is what I love about Lowertown), and to my delight they accepted my invitation to share the pasta dinner I was preparing.  But the real treat was the salmon that Keyth had on the grill; it was a perfect match to the pasta, and the result was a delightful dinner with 2 great people.



INGREDIENTS:

Al Dente spinach fettuccine
Peeled, whole, San Marzano tomatoes
Olive oil
Garlic, onion
Red pepper flakes
Penzy Italian seasoning (Basil, oreganor)
Baby spinach
Sweet vermouth









PROCESS:

Cook the garlic and onion in the olive oil until soft, then add the tomatoes and seasoning plus a splash of wine an simmer.

While the pasta is cooking add the spinach to the pan.  Then add the pasta and mix well.

COMMENTS:

I very comforting dish, made even better with Keyth's salmon as a side.

Love that Al Dente pasta.

2-6...Fettuccine with endive and ground pork

I bought a bunch of endive several days ago thinking I would make wedding soup, but subsequently lost interest.  However the endive is sitting there, looking at me every time I open the refrigerator, and I'm sure if it could talk it would be saying..."hey, it's cold in here, what in the hell are you waiting for?"

So, tonight the endive gets cooked.  The question is...if not soup or beans and greens, how?  After checking the freezer and realizing I had two packages of ground pork, I found tonight's dinner.



INGREDIENTS:

Fettuccine (al dente brand "straw and hay", a combination of egg and spinach fettuccine)
Ground pork
Celery, chopped
Carrots, chopped
Endive
Olive oil
Sweet vermouth
Garlic, onion
Lemon juice
Penzy's Italtian seasoning, or dry basil, oregano, and thyme
Cumin
Red pepper flakes

PROCESS:

Brown the pork and remove.  Cook the garlic, onion, carrots and celery in olive oil with the red pepper flakes and seasoning until soft.  Add the pork and juice from a half of lemon, wait for about 5 minutes and add the wine and simmer.

Blanch the endive in the pasta water for about 3-4 minutes and add to the pan.

Add the cooked pasta to the pan, mix well, and drizzle with olive oil and serve.



Waiting for the pasta...

COMMENTS:

This dish merits a 3D!  Delightful, delectable, and delicious.  There is a lot of room for varying the ingredients and spices, but the basic combination of the pork, and endive, with a touch of sweet vermouth is essential.  All that is lacking is a good name for the dish.

The joy of broccoli rabe

I realize that I can be "over the top" in my comments and descriptions of the pasta we've been eating, but sometimes it simply can't be helped because the food is so damn good.  That was the case last night when I prepared fettuccine with the Broccoli Rabe from Whole Foods brought to us by Elliot and Tom. 
Patience and I both thought this was the best BR we had ever had.

I have posted the recipe on several occasions and will not repeat it here, but there were two variations in last night's dish; I added sweet onions with the garlic, and bacon bits to the final dish.  I don't know if it was this, or simply the broccoli rabe itself, but the result was the wonderful flavor of the greens, without the bitterness, plus an element of sweetness (I hate trying to describe flavors) that combined to create a memorable meal.

I think the most important thing is not to overcook the broccoli rabe.  It should be blanched for 3-4 minutes in boiling water, then sauteed with the garlic and olive oil for about 5 more minutes, allowing it to retain it's bright green color.  This means timing the pasta so it is ready when the broccoli rabe is.

12-19…FETTUCCINI WITH OLIVE OIL AND BLACK PEPPER

Since I will be dining alone tonight I thought I would try a pasta dish I’ve read about repeatedly and have never had…pasta with olive oil, cheese, and black pepper. I enjoy simple, rustic dishes, and this is as simple as it can get.

INGREDIENTS:

Fettuccine
Olive oil
Black pepper corns coarsely ground
Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

PROCESS:

Place the cooked pasta in a serving dish, drizzle with olive oil, add the cheese and pepper and mix well.

COMMENTS:

I LOVED IT, and can’t believe I have not tried this sooner. It was delicious, and the only prep was cooking the pasta.

I used the Al Dente brand I mentioned previously, and I believe this added to the quality of the dish. Homemade pasta would be great, but probably any pasta would do. I will definitely do this again…and again. The wheels in my head are already spinning, thinking about the many variations that are possible with this dish. But I don't know if anything could improve it.