Orecchiette with Tuscan Kale, Beans, and Mascarpone

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Lattes and Leggings

I woke up this morning to a blanket of white outside and snow blowing sideways. Not what I was expecting at all considering everyday this week has been sunshine and small hints of spring. I had high hopes of going to the farmer’s market, but we can probably scratch that off the list till next weekend. One positive thing about this weekend is spring forward. That means taking advantage of more daylight to capture brighter photos of food. Let’s hope anyways.

Shall we talk about some pasta? Why not. Everybody loves a good pasta. Especially a creamy one that clings to each noodle. In Brock’s eyes, it’s an adult version of hamburger helper. He has a thing for anything with pasta, meat, and cheese. Let’s clear the air. This is not hamburger helper, but orecchiette (known as “little ears”) coated with mascarpone cheese. It’s heavenly.

Lacinato, dinosaur, tuscan, cavolo nero. They’re all names used synonymously to describe this kale. You could use the curly leaved kind if you can’t find it. No biggie. We’re still getting a heavy dose of greens.

Turkey sausage is used to lighten things up a bit. You won’t know the difference. Chicken or pork sausage would work nicely here too.

I’ll let you in on a little secret. It’s a secret find that is. If you have a Whole Foods, they sell their own brand of mascarpone. It’s only $2.99 for an 8oz container. The Italian brand is $6.99. Save yourself four bucks and go for the cheaper option. I don’t normally say that, but when you are on a budget, and it doesn’t compromise the overall taste of the dish, go for it. Go for the $2.99 option. You’re bank account will feel better, and you will feel better about eating it too.

The mascarpone slowly melts to form a creamy sauce. Instead of draining the pasta, I ladle the pasta directly from the pot to the pan with a slotted spoon. This way the glutens from the pasta water allow the sauce to stick and coat the pasta. It also keeps the pasta from drying out instead of draining it.

Adults will love it. Kids will love it. Maybe if it’s a milder sausage for those sensitive tongues, but it’s a sure way to get them to eat their greens.

Orecchiette with Tuscan Kale, Beans, and Mascarpone
adapted from Giada’s Kitchen

serves 2 to 4

Ingredients
3 cups orecchiette pasta
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound hot Italian turkey sausage, casing removed
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bunch lacinato kale, stems removed and chopped
1 (15oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions, stirring occasionally until tender, but still firm to bite. Don’t drain the pasta. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sausage mixture.

In a large, deep-sided saute pan, add the oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, onion, and garlic. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, breaking the sausage into small bits with a wooden spoon until cooked through. Add the kale, beans, and oregano. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until kale is slightly wilted. Turn off the heat. Stir in the mascarpone until melted throughout. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Using a slotted spoon, add the pasta (no water) to the sausage mixture. Toss the pasta until coated with the sauce. Ladle 1/4 cup of the pasta water to moisten the pasta if needed. Serve.

Orecchiette with Sausage, Radicchio, and Asiago

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Lattes and Leggings

I was all excited for some barbecue ribs and fried green tomatoes from Dinosaur BBQ on Superbowl Sunday. After lunch, we called to place our order, and they were so busy they weren’t taking any more orders till 6pm that night. Obviously by then, the game would have already started by the time we got our food so we had to improvise. I made homemade ribs and braised collard greens instead. Luckily, I had come across a ribs recipe in the February issue of Bon Appetit magazine. Saved by the bell.

We rushed to the store and bought a rack of St. Louis style ribs and some store-bought Dinosaur BBQ sauce. If you haven’t tried their bbq sauce, you’re in for a treat. Especially the habanero kind. It’s spiced to perfection and not sweet at all. Not a fan of sweet bbq sauces. Anyways, the ribs were a success, and so were the collard greens. However, I still have my eye on the real thing. If you’re ever in Manhattan, it’s worth the trip to Harlem just for those ribs.

Oh wait we’re whipping up some pasta here. Oops. Sorry. I still had lip smacking bbq ribs on my mind. Brock and I did drink some delicious Italian wine this weekend, and in fact some of that wine ended up in this recipe. It wasn’t an accident. Don’t worry. It was meant to go in the sauce. We drank a bottle of Sardinian wine and a bottle from Sicily. One thing Brock learned from working over in Italy is Sardinia has some of the best wine, and Sicily has some of the strongest wine…alcohol content that is.

This is one of my favorite pasta dishes. It’s fast, full of flavor, and easy. You could consider this a 30 minute meal it’s so quick to make. The sausage is sauteed with fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, and garlic. The radicchio, red onion, and fennel are chopped up to provide an even more depth of flavor. Not to mention the gorgeous color.

Allow the veggies and sausage to cook through and flavors marry. The color does dim down a little, but we’re going for taste here.

I used leftover red wine from the Sicilian bottle of wine and simple canned tomato sauce. Let the sauce simmer and thicken.

Go ahead and make the pasta while the sauce simmers that way the pasta can hit the hot sauce and absorb all of the flavors. I use a slotted spoon and add the pasta directly from the pot to the pan that way the glutens allow the sauce to really stick to the pasta and coat nicely with the sauce.

Top with some asiago cheese and pour yourself a glass of wine for a simple, elegant dinner.

PS: Not sure if you guys had trouble with your posts showing up in your newsfeed last Friday, but for some reason this roasted broccoli and quinoa gratin never made it to you guys. If you’re feeling something cheesy, but still healthy this recipe is for you.

Orecchiette with Sausage, Radicchio, and Asiago
adapted from Molto Batali

serves 4

Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 pound hot Italian pork sausage, casings removed
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 small red onion, chopped
1 fennel bulb, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 radicchio head, cored and chopped
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 cup tomato sauce
kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
3 to 4 cups orecchiette pasta
grated asiago cheese, for serving

Directions
In a large, deep-sided saute pan, add the oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook for 3 minutes, breaking the sausage into small bits with a wooden spoon. Add the fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, onion, fennel, garlic, and radicchio. Saute for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally until veggies are softened and sausage is cooked through. Stir in the wine and tomato sauce. Reduce to a simmer over low heat. Simmer for about 10 minutes until sauce has thickened. Turn off the heat. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the orecchiette and cook according to the package instructions, stirring occasionally until tender, but still firm to bite. Using a slotted spoon, add the pasta (no water) to the sausage mixture. Toss the pasta to combine. Ladle 1/4 cup of the pasta water to moisten the pasta if needed. Sprinkle with asiago cheese and serve.

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Lattes and Leggings

The first time I made this lasagna, I made it exactly the way the recipe was written and thought it was one-dimensional and needed texture and more substance to be a complete meal. Otherwise it was a great first entree or side dish. The second time I decided to add sweet sausage, but still thought it needed more flavors and a wow pizzazz. Third time is a charm, right? So this time, I decided to add mushrooms and switch out the basil for sage to add a warmth of fall flavor. Now we’re talking.

Again I used organic pre-cut squash that comes in this 20oz package. It’s the same squash used in this pasta dish I made a couple of weeks ago. It comes out to 5 cups of squash or about 1 1/4 pounds. Give or take a few pounds.

The squash is sauteed in olive oil and steamed which adds lots of flavor.

I decided to splurge and use shiitake mushrooms. Cremini mushrooms would be a great second option.

Make sure to remove the stems before slicing. The stems become tough and almost inedible when cooked.

Pureeing the squash will add a creamy texture to the lasagna. Similar to what ricotta would do in a classic lasagna.

The sweet sausage and mushrooms add a hearty substance and pairs nicely with the squash and sage flavors. You need that texture contrast against the squash puree.

The sage and a pinch of nutmeg season the sauce beautifully.

The sage sauce is almost like making a béchamel. The key to making this sauce is not to let the sauce become too thick. I have made that mistake, and the lasagna will become a tad dry when baked.

These by far are my favorite no-boil lasagna sheets. They’re whole wheat. Yes. But they provide a flaky and nutty flavor like no other lasagna noodles I’ve tasted. I also used them for the corn basil lasagna I made this past summer.

A lasagna full of fall flavors, you’ll want seconds.

Butternut Squash Lasagna
adapted from Giada’s Family Dinners

serves 4 to 6

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
5 cups butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup water
1/2 pound sweet Italian pork sausage, casings removed
1/4 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour
1 3/4 cups lowfat milk
pinch of nutmeg
2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
8 no-boil whole wheat lasagna sheets (such as Delallo)
1 1/4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions
In a large saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the squash and coat with the oil. Season the squash with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the water to the pan. Cover and simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until squash is tender. Remove pan from heat. Allow the squash to cool slightly. Transfer the squash to the bowl of a food processor. Blend until smooth. Season the puree with salt and pepper to taste.

Using the same saute pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, breaking the sausage into small bits with a wooden spoon. Add the mushrooms and saute for 3 to 5 minutes until mushrooms are softened and sausage is cooked through. Remove pan from heat.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Bring the liquid to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, whisking frequently until sauce slightly thickens. (Don’t let the sauce get too thick.) Turn off the heat. Whisk in the nutmeg and sage. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat the oven to 375 degree F. Spray an 8×8 baking dish with olive oil cooking spray.

Spread 1/3 cup of the sage sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Place 2 lasagna sheets on top of the sauce. Spoon 1/3 of the squash puree over the lasagna sheets. Spoon 1/3 of the sausage and mushrooms over the squash puree. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Drizzle some of the sage sauce over the mozzarella. Layer 2 more lasagna sheets, 1/3 of the squash puree, 1/3 of the sausage and mushrooms, 1/4 cup of mozzarella, and drizzle some of the sage sauce. Layer 2 more lasagna sheets, the remaining squash puree, the remaining sausage and mushrooms, 1/4 cup of mozzarella, and some of the sage sauce. Top with the 2 remaining lasagna sheets. Drizzle remaining sage sauce on top.

Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover the lasagna. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Cover with foil tightly and continue baking for 10 minutes. Remove foil and finish baking under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes until cheese is golden. Allow the lasagna to cool for 10 minutes. Cut into 4 to 6 squares and serve.