8-7-17 Penne with chicken and tomatoes

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Patience has been out of town for the past week so hot dogs have replaced pasta.  Well – not completely – but this is my first new pasta dish for the month of August.  And we can thank Rhonda in Maryland for sending some fantastic tomatoes home with Patience.  They were the inspiration for tonight’s dinner.

The plan was to create a light/loose tomato sauce with chicken thighs, using a combination of grape tomatoes and one large over ripe Heritage tomato.

 In the pan

In the dish

INGREDIENTS:

1.     Penne pasta

2.     Boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into bite size pieces

3.     Olive oil

4.     Onion and garlic

5.     Grape tomatoes cut in half

6.     One whole Heritage tomato cut in half and grated on the large opening on a cheese grater.  Skin discarded

7.     Sweet vermouth

8.     Fresh basil

PROCESS:

Brown the chicken in olive oil. Deglaze pan with wine then cook the onion and garlic until soft. Add the tomatoes and basil and simmer while the pasta cooks.  Add the pasta with some pasta water and serve.

COMMENTS:

Very simple and very good, and there is so much more you can do with this recipe: add mushrooms, greens, olives, etc. 

Thank you Rhonda for the delicious tomatoes.

7-4-17 Penne with mixed greens and mushrooms

So far most of the pasta dishes have been dictated by our porch garden and its abundance of greens, fresh herbs, and our one mighty Japanese Eggplant plant. It won’t be long before the tomato plants begin providing a steady supply of fresh fruit, and the opportunity for some fresh tomato sauce.

Tonight’s challenge is to come up with still another way to use the mixed greens from the garden.  The solution is to pair them with mixed mushrooms and a splash of sweet vermouth.

INGREDIENTS:

1.     Penne pasta

2.     Mixed greens – kale, mustard greens, and Chard – coarsely chopped

3.     Mixed mushrooms

4.     Olive oil

5.     Onion and garlic

6.     Sweet vermouth

7.     Fresh lemon juice

PROCESS:

Prepare the onion and garlic in olive oil as usual.  Add the mushrooms and cook over med-high heat.  Add a splash of sweet vermouth – or wine of your choice – when they start to brown.  Add the greens, cover, and cook over low heat.  When they are wilted down add some lemon juice.  Mix in the pasta with some of the pasta water and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Serve with grated Grana Padana or Parmigiano cheese.

COMMENTS:

It’s impossible to go wrong with fresh greens.  This was out 5^th or 6^th dish with them and we have yet to be disappointed.

5-26 -17 Penne with a Bolognese-like sauce (Not Beef Stroganoff)

INGREDIENTS:

1.    Fettuccini

2.    Mixed mushrooms

3.    Ground beef

4.    Olive oil

5.    Garlic

6.    Fresh Basil

7.    Onion

8.    Sundried tomatoes in oil - 3 or 4 coarsely chopped

9.    Sweet Vermouth

10. Salt & pepper

11. Red pepper flakes

12. Heavy whipping cream – about 1/3 cup

PROCESS:

Over high heat cook the mushrooms, onion, and garlic until mushrooms begin to brown.  Add the meat and tomatoes and continue cooking over medium-high heat until the meat is cooked.  About half way through this stage add some wine and the Basil.  Stir occasionally.  Add the cream when about 5 minutes before you anticipate the pasta to be ready. Drain the pasta and mix thoroughly with the sauce.  Serve with a topping of your favorite grated cheese.

COMMENTS:

I was mildly offended when after one bite Patience said, “Beef Stroganoff”. Sputtering to myself, I quickly corrected her, saying this was a variation of a Bolognese sauce. If I must say so myself, it was quite delicious. “Beef Stroganoff…no way”. 

11-29-16 Penne with Zucchini, leeks, and sundried tomatoes

After 4 days of turkey and stuffing, as good as it was I needed some pasta.  But saying I want pasta is like saying I want beef, or vegetables.  There are so many ways they can be prepared.  My first thought was to use some of the porch tomatoes for a sauce, but Patience requested I use them in a salad, which I was happy to do.  There was nothing in the kitchen that inspired me, and since I was planning on a trip to Midtown Market for some Provolone and Mortadella I thought I’d see what I could find there.  And BINGO, as soon as I saw the Leeks in the produce section I knew what I would do, and I did it.

INGREDIENTS:

1.     Penne pasta

2.     Zucchini sliced crosswise

3.     Leeks sliced crosswise

4.     Sun dried tomatoes in olive oil coarsely chopped

5.     Olive oil

6.     Garlic 11or 2 cloves crushed

7.     Fresh Dill

8.     Celery

9.     Chicken broth

10. Sweet Vermouth

11. Parmigiano cheese

PROCESS:

Cook the Leeks and celery in olive oil over medium heat until soft.  Add the zucchini and garlic and cook over high heat until the zucchini is browned on both sides, stirring frequently to prevent burning.  About half way through this I added about ¼ cup of chicken broth and ¼ cup of Sweet Vermouth.  Continue cooking until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Add some finely chopped fresh dill.  When the pasta is ready add it to the pan with the “sauce”.  Add some pasta water if it is too dry.

COMMENTS:

What a sweet dish, literally.  The sundried tomatoes and the sweet vermouth gave it a distinct, and savory flavor.  It was fun to cook, and more fun to eat.

And the tomato salad?

 

PENNE WITH MUSHROOMS AND BROCCOLI

I haven't posted a pasta dish for quite a while, and tonight is a good time to change that routine.

I had fun tonight putting this dish together.  It was late and I had not made any plans for dinner.  While sitting on the porch with a glass of Pinot Grigio I began thinking about what was in the fridge and what I could do with it.

INGREDIENTS:

Penne Pasta

Baby Portobello Mushrooms

Broccoli

Shallots and garlic

Olive oil

Panko

Dill

Chicken Broth

White wine

Anchovies

Butter

Lemon juice

PROCESS:

Cook the thinly slice shallot and one clove of garlic with the mushrooms in olive oil over high heat.  Stir frequently and cook until caramelized.  Remove from heat, cover, and set aside. 

If needed, deglaze the pan with white wine, add olive oil. smashed garlic, and 2-3 finely chopped anchovy filets.  Cook for several minutes then add the broccoli florets.   Cook over medium heat and add about 1/3  cup of chicken broth.  Also add the dill – fresh or a cube of the frozen chopped dill.  After a few minutes add a few sprinkles of panko and cook uncovered, allowing the liquid to slowly evaporate.

Place the pasta in a serving bowl, reserving some of the pasta water.  Mix in the broccoli and the mushrooms, drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice and add some pasta water if needed and serve with grated Parmigiano cheese.

COMMENTS'

Good and good for you.

ONE YEAR OF PASTA...

has quietly come to an end with David and I sharing a dish of Penne with sausage, mushrooms, and whit e beans.  (Patience was working and would join us later.)



The Pasta Quest began May first, one year ago, and during that time I recorded 198 dishes, and estimate another 30 to 40 that were not logged in.  I also gained 5 pounds!

Although the project is officially over I will continue to post recipes when I have something new to share.  In the meantime I will begin to review the results of last year and try to organize everything into a form that could eventually become a book.

I have thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of this year long project, especially the feedback from so many of you.

 Good food, good wine, and good friends...what more can one ask for.

VEGGIES, VEGGIES, & MORE VEGGIES 7-18

I have not actually seen it, but I am absolutely convinced that the zucchini, green beans, and other veggies are propagating in our fridge! Every time I think I’ve used them up more appear. It is becoming a challenge to use them without repeating basic recipes. Sometimes the best I can do is to add a new twist to a previous recipe. Tonight’s dish falls somewhere in between.



INGREDIENTS:

Zucchini and yellow squash, diced
Green beans
Broccoli
Fresh basil, oregano, sage and parsley
Garlic
Onion
Lemon juice or zest
White wine
Olive oil
Heavy cream
Mascarpone cheese

PROCESS:

Sauté the zucchini with green onions and garlic in olive oil. Remove and set ½ aside and puree the other half with Parmesan cheese and 2 chopped sage leaves.



Cook the broccoli and green beans in boiling water for about 5 minutes. In the meantime sauté garlic in olive oil, then add the veggies to the pan, along with the un-blended zucchini and the fresh herbs and lemon juice, plus a splash of white wine. Simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes.



While the pasta is cooking in the water used for the veggies, add the pureed zucchini to the pan with the veggies and mix well. Then add butter and cream, stirring constantly. One or two tablespoons of Mascarpone cheese are optional.

PROCESS:

I hereby proclaim this meal an unqualified success! The flavor of the green beans and broccoli remained intact, enhanced by the Mascarpone cheese. I wonder what a dollop of Gorgonzola or Blue cheese would add. Although I don’t pay too much attention to measurements and time, the veggies were just right, still a bit crunchy, but cooked through. I suspect that was accidental, but I’m willing to take credit for it.