11-22-17 Angel Hair pasta with a creamy tomato-lobster sauce

So simple, but oh so good.

The inspiration for this dinner began when Patience pointed out that there was a healthy crop of Dill still in the porch garden.  Knowing it would be several days before we would run out of Thanksgiving leftovers I decided we needed pasta tonight.

INGREDIENTS:

1.     Angel hair pasta

2.     Onion and garlic

3.     Olive oil

4.     Del Monte diced tomatoes with basil and oregano

5.     Heavy whipping cream

6.     Basil and fresh dill

7.     Lobster meat (lump crab meat will also work.)

PROCESS:

Prepare the onion and garlic in olive oil, cooking until soft, then add the diced tomatoes and the basil. After 5-10 minutes blend the sauce in a food processor or use a hand held processor, then add the lobster and some fresh dill and continue cooking over low heat. Several minutes before the pasta is ready stir in the cream.

Mix the sauce with the pasta and garnish with fresh dill.

COMMENTS:

Patience and I both gave this a ten-plus plus-plus. The sauce was light, with a gentle sweetness that comes with the Del Monte tomatoes. Fortunately there was enough sauce left over so we will be enjoying this again in the not so distant future.

Last Minute Pasta for One

Fusilli longhi with assorted tomato sauce

Patience is out, and I was faced with a choice: a Tuna salad sandwich, or pasta for one with a hodgepodge sauce.  After a careful 3 seconds of consideration I chose the pasta.  For today's lunch I made  bruschetta with some Del Monte diced tomatoes and thought what remained could be the basis of good and quick ssuce.  I checked the pantry for some left over uncooked pasta that always seemed to accumulate, and found the perfect amount of long fussilli, a little less than 1/4 lb..

INGREDIENTS:
1. Diced tomatoes
2. Pasta
3. Olive oil
4. garlic, chopped onion and celery
5. Basil, Oregano
6. Kalamata olives  chopped
7. Red pepper flakes
8. Sweet Vermouth or dry white wine
9. Padana Grana cheese for grating

PROCESS:
Prepare the Sophritto in olive oil - onion, celery, and garlic, then add the tomatoes and cook over low heat.  Add the tomatoes, herbs, seasoning, and cook while waiting for the pasta to cook.  About 5-10 minutes later add the olives and the wine.  Toss well with the pasta and serve with Gran Padana and red wine of choice.

Note - the timing of adding the various ingredients to the sauce is purely arbitrary and when I'm cooking it varies every time, as does the amount.

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.

3-27…Pasta with sausage, arugula, and tomato salad

 What to do for dinner?  I have some homemade sausage from Chicago that I have to use, as well as arugula and the usual assortment of tomatoes, fresh and canned.  This is what I decided to do.

INGREDIENTS:

  

Shells and fusilli (I cleaned up the pasta pantry)

Arugula, coarsely chopped

Diced tomatoes with their juice

Olive oil

Garlic and onion

Dry basil and oregano

Celery

Red pepper flakes

Mozzarella cheese cut into small cubes

Italian sausage in ¼” slices

PROCESS:

Place the tomatoes in a bowl and add olive oil, seasoning, finely chopped garlic and onion and mix well and set aside.

Cook or grill the sausage and slice into bite size pieces.  When the pasta is done place in a serving bowl and mix in the arugula, tomatoes and cheese.  The sausage can be added to the pasta or served separately.

COMMENTS:

The dinner tasted as good as it looked.  The only complaint from my lovely wife was there was too much garlic, and I have agree with her.  One small clove of raw garlic would have been sufficient.

3-12…Penne with mushrooms in a simple but rustic tomato sauce.

Tonight was one of those meals when you use what  is available in the fridge and pantry.

INGREDIENTS:

Penne pasta

Olive oil

Garlic and onion

Anchovy fillets

White mushrooms

Bacon

Petite diced tomatoes

Sweet Vermouth

Dried basil and oregano

PROCESS:

Co0k the chopped bacon, remove, and set aside to drain.  Pour off the bacon fat, then cook the garlic, onion, and the finely chopped anchovy fillets in olive oil before adding the mushrooms.  Then add the tomatoes, herbs, and a splash of wine and cook over low heat.

When the pasta is ready, add it to the sauce, along with the bacon, mix well, and serve.

COMMENTS:

I don’t think I can be very objective about this (I haven’t had any pasta all day!), but I’ll try.  It was scrumptious, and it tasted good!  I have no reservations recommending it, or your own variation of it.