Pasta
This week is all about seafood! Living in N.H. we have some of the best and freshest seafood available and I love taking advantage of that. With summer just around the corner, well…we hope anyway, the weather has not cooperated at all this spring! The seafood dish I am starting with is this Seafood Carbonara. It takes your average carbonara dish to an entirely new level. Although this dish has a number of steps, many ingredients, and more pans than I usually use for dinner, it was worth all the extra effort as we loved it.
NOTE – You can change the seafood to what you and your family like.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
8 large scallops
1 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails off
3 lobster tails, steamed and chopped or 1/2 pound cooked lobster meat, chopped
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
6 slices of bacon
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup gruyere cheese
14 oz. linguine
3 Tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped for garnish-optional
DIRECTIONS
Place a large pot of water on the stovetop on high to boil the pasta. Starting with the seafood, chop the cooked lobster into large pieces and set aside. For the shrimp, place the raw deveined, tails off shrimp. On a baking sheet drizzle a small amount of olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix to coat the shrimp with the oil and seasoning. Place in the oven on broil (leaving the oven door slightly open) and let roast until the shrimp just turns pink being careful not to overcook. Remove from oven and set aside with the cooked lobster.
Meanwhile, in a medium hot skillet, chop the bacon into pieces, add to the skillet and cook until crisp. When the bacon is cooked, add the minced garlic and cook for just a minute. Remove from heat and drain bacon fat.
In a large non-stick pan add the olive oil and heat to medium-high heat. Dry the scallops with a paper towel, season the top side with salt and pepper. When the skillet is hot add the scallops to the pan, seasoned side down. Add salt and pepper to the top side of the scallops. When the scallops have a nice brown seat on the bottom side turn the scallops over and sear the second side.
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al Dante, about 8 minutes, stirring as you go.
In a bowl add the heavy cream, egg yolks, both kinds of cheese and mix to combine.
Add the shrimp, lobster, bacon and garlic mixture to the large pan with the scallops when the scallops have cooked through.
Add the drained pasta and remove from the heat. Add the cream and egg mixture stirring to combine, add tarragon and serve warm.
Enjoy!
This dish is delicious. You can make this for breakfast or dinner. A word of caution it’s not a light dish as it has heavy cream and of course parmesan cheese not to mention some delicious salty pancetta! I saw Clinton Kelly make this recipe and I could not wait to try it. Although I won’t make this dish every week it will find its way into my dinner rotation often! This dish was made in a springform pan. I was slightly worried about some of the liquid running out from the bottom, so I placed a cookie sheet under the pan and baked as directed. I did have a small amount of liquid run out but nothing crazy! This can all be made the night before if you are having it for breakfast, make as directed until it’s time to bake. Place in the fridge for the night and bake in the morning.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 pound penne rigate
1/2 pound pancetta, diced
1 1/4 cups milk
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
10 eggs
1 cup Parmesan, grated
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 Tablespoons parsley, chopped
3/4 cup large breadcrumbs
1/4 cup breadcrumbs, finely ground
Pinch of salt
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 1/2 inch springform pan with no. Stick spray and wrap the bottom and sides of the pan tightly with foil. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add penne noodles and cook 2 minutes less than al Dante according to the package directions. Drain and remove noodles to a large bowl and set aside.
In a medium sauté pan over medium heat add the pancetta and cook until the fat has been rendered and the pancetta is almost crisp about 5 – 6 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
In a medium bowl whisk together the milk, heavy cream, eggs, 3/4 cup of parmesan cheese, pepper and parsley. Season with salt. Pour the egg mixture into the noodle mixture stirring to coat. Stir in the pancetta and large breadcrumbs. Pour into the prepared pan and top with remaining cheese and breadcrumbs.
Place in the center of the oven (on a baking sheet if desired) and bake until golden brown and bubbling about 15 – 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
Remove the pasta casserole from the springform pan and slice into wedges. Serve warm.
Enjoy!
This hamburger casserole was so easy and you can add whatever condiments you want just as you would a hamburger. I added some pickles and both Jim and I thought it was just what this dish needed for that little extra flavor. I also added dairy free cheese for Robby because of his ongoing belly issues as he is currently not eating gluten or dairy. You can add whatever cheese you like. And use any gluten free pasta you like. If I did not tell anyone this was gluten free, I’m not sure anyone would have known.
INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground beef
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 small white onions, chopped
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
8 ounces tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes (15 ounce)
3-4 cups gluten free pasta, cooked al dente
2-4 Tablespoons yellow mustard
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
1/4 cup cheddar cheese or your choice of cheese
Any condiments of your choice
Pickles
Additional cheese
Tomato
DIRECTIONS
In a large saucepan on medium heat add olive oil, brown the onion and garlic. Add ground beef and cook until ground beef if cooked through. Drain any grease from pan. Add tomato paste, diced tomatoes, cooked pasta and stir until heated through. Stir in mustard, cheese, salt and pepper. Add your topping and serve warm.
Enjoy!
This recipe can be found at www.veggiebalance.com
Summer is getting started and all of the amazing fresh vegetables are starting to show up at all of the grocery stores and farmers markets! This was a simple fresh pasta dish using using some of those amazing veggies with a little bit of heat coming from the jalapeño! I don’t make many of Rachael Ray’s recipes, but I have to say I enjoyed this pasta dish, it was something totally different for us.
INGREDIENTS
3 ears of fresh corn
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 jalapeño pepper, chopped
1 bunch of scallions, white and light green parts, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
Salt
Pepper
2 pints cherry tomatoes, I used heirloom tomatoes
Hand full of basil leaves, torn
1/2 cup Mascarpone cheese
1 pound penne pasta
Juice of 1/2 lemon or lime, I used lemon
Grated Parmesan cheese, I used about a cup to a cup and a half
DIRECTIONS
Bring six quarts of water to a boil for pasta. Invert a small bowl into a large bowl and stand the corn on its end on the small bowl and scrape kernels from the cob with a knife, repeat with the remaining corn. Heat a large skillet with a lid over medium high heat with extra virgin olive oil. Add corn, jalapeño peppers, scallions,garlic, salt and pepper. Sauté 3 – 4 minutes, add tomatoes and basil, cover pan and cook 7 – 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While the tomatoes cook, cook pasta in liberally salted water for 1 minute less that the package directions call for. Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.
Stir in the Mascarpone into the sauce, then add the pasta, the reserved pasta water and a couple handfuls of grated Parmesan. Toss and serve warm.
Enjoy!
This is a great Taste of Home recipe, but guess what? I did not make it. My Mom, Lydia, made it! We were lucky enough to get some of it for dinner one night! How lucky are we?! She made a couple small changes but otherwise followed the recipe as written below! I especially enjoyed how flavorful the broth was, not to mention all of those delicious vegetables. Perfect on a cold New Hampshire day!
LYDIA’S CHANGES TO THE RECIPE
Lydia used elbow pasta, packaged slaw (for shredded cabbage) and added shredded zucchini.
INGREDIENTS (Serves 11)
2 large carrots, diced
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (14.5 ounces each)reduced sodium chicken broth
2 cans (8 ounces each) no salt added tomato sauce
1 can (15 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 oz.)chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups shredded cabbage
1 Tablespoon dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup uncooked whole wheat elbow macaroni
1/2 cup or so of grated Parmesan, to top soup
DIRECTIONS
In a large saucepan sauté the carrots, celery and onion in oil and butter until tender. Add garlic and cook one minute longer. Stir in the broth, tomato sauce, beans, cabbage, basil, parsley, oregano,and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add macaroni and continue to cook uncovered for 6-8 minutes or until macaroni and vegetables are tender. Ladle soup into bowls, sprinkle with cheese and serve.
FREEZER OPTION
Before adding cheese, freeze cooled soup in containers. When ready to use-partially thaw in refrigerator over night. Heat through in a saucepan stirring occasionally adding a little broth if needed.
Enjoy!
