Broccoli Rabe Pesto with Turkey Meatballs

Healthy and satisfying.  That's how I would describe this dish.  It's easy and it has all the components, noodles, veggies, and meat. My husband loved this because he loves broccoli and he doesn't get it very often. 

Buying frozen turkey meatballs and keeping them in the freezer makes it easy to whip up a quick meal on busy nights.  I buy mine at either Trader Joe's or Mother's Market.  Make sure they are all natural and don't contain and bunch of artificial ingredients. 

I used soba noodles for this dish, which is buckwheat, but you could certainly use a whole wheat pasta.

Ingredients:
1 bunch broccoli rabe 
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted 
1/3 cup Parmesan, freshly grated
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes 
3 garlic cloves
Salt and Pepper 
1/3 olive oil 
1 package turkey meatballs 
1 lb Soba noodles

Bring a large pot of water to the boil.  Blanch the broccoli rabe  for a couple of minutes.  Remove and drain well, reserving the water to cook the soba noodles.  Chop coarsely and add to a food processor.  To the processor add the pine nuts, Parmesan, red pepper flakes, garlic, salt and pepper, and pulse until it's a large mince. Add the olive oil and pulse for a second. I like to leave a little bit of chunk to the pesto and not blend it until smooth but you can make it however you like it. 

In a large skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil.  If you bought fully cooked meatballs heat through for a few minutes.  If you bought raw, cook them according to package directions.  Then add the pesto and heat through. 

Meanwhile cook the soba noodles in the reserved pot of water according to the package directions.  Reserve 1/2 cup of the water.  When the soba noodles are done add to the skillet and toss all ingredients together.  If needed add a little of the reserved water to loosen up the sauce. Serve warm garnished with a little more grated Parmesan. 

Squash Carbonara with Pancetta and Sage

I have to say I don't make pasta much anymore but this one was calling my name. I try not to eat gluten very often so I made this with pasta made from quinoa. There are lots of options available these days so choose a pasta that works for your family.

Secondly anything made with winter squash interests me. Using it to make a sauce for pasta seemed like a healthy idea. This is creamy without cream, it's only squash and broth.

Prepare all your ingredients.  Wash and chop everything so that you are ready to cook without interruption.  This process is called mise en place.  Its the process of organizing and arranging ingredients in the kitchen for the cook. Its much easier to cook a recipe when you have everything at ready, in front of you. I didn't always practice this, and I'd get in the middle of a recipe and then have to stop to chop something and it was much for difficult, and often frustrating, to get something prepared.   Once I took cooking classes this was required and I quickly learned how beneficial it was, so now I do it every time. It saves time and my sanity in the kitchen.   My husband is great at this. He's my sous chef and he's always up for what we call "slicing and dicing" to help get the ingredients ready.

Both kabocha and butternut squash are perfect for purees, they cook up soft and smooth, so choose the one you prefer or can find easily.  

Ingredients: 
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 oz pancetta or bacon, chopped small  
1 Tbsp fresh sage, finely minced 
3 cups kabocha or butternut squash, cut into 1/2 inch pieces   
1 small onion, chopped 
2 cloves garlic, minced
Sea Salt 
Freshly cracked Pepper 
2 cups chicken stock 
12 ounces fettucine or linguine
1/4 cup pecorino, finely grated 

Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet on medium high heat.  Add the pancetta and cook until crisp.  Add the sage and toss to coat.  Using a slotted spoon remove the pancetta from the skillet and set aside. 

Add the squash and onion to the skillet, salt and pepper, and cook until slightly brown about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute more. Then add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and allow to cook and reduce about 15 to 20 minutes until the squash is soft. Allow to cool slightly, then puree.  Add the puree back to the skillet and add in the pancetta back in. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. 

Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente.  Reserve one cup of pasta water.  Add the pasta to the skillet with the squash, add a little pasta water at a time until you get a nicely coated pasta.  Add the grated pecorino and toss well. 

To serve, mound in a bowl or plate, grind a little freshly cracked pepper over it and slice a few pieces of pecorino on top using a vegetable peeler.   


Note:  I found that I had more squash then I needed so the next time I make this I might remove a little of the squash and keep it for another meal.  This squash is very rich so you need to determine how much of it you want on your pasta. I prefer mine a little lighter, but you may like using it all so experiment. 

This puree would also be good to use in a risotto or as a sauce for grilled foods. 

Pasta with Salmon and Peas

This pasta came out of one of those nights when I was searching the kitchen for something to cook so I would not have to go to the store. You know how that goes, we've all had them. I would have eaten just about anything because I was in my pj's and was NOT going to get dressed no matter what. 

I found a really sad piece of salmon in the freezer, along with some peas, and a box of gluten free pasta in the pantry.  I figured I could make something happen with that. I mean if you have pasta in the house you have a meal. 

The surprising thing is that it turned out so good my husband kept asking me if I wrote down the recipe.  Of course I had not, but figured I better do so right away before I forget what I did. Now it is one of our favorite quick night meals. 

Ingredients: 
Shallots 
Stock 
Butter
Cream 
Salt and Pepper 
Peas 
Salmon 
Cheese 
Pasta (use regular or gluten free)

Cook the salmon in a saute pan for a couple minutes per side, then set aside to cool. Break up into bite size pieces. 

Cook the pasta while you are making the sauce. 

In the same saute pan you cooked the salmon in cook the minced shallots, then add some chicken or vegetable stock, reduce slightly, add some butter and cream and continue to cook for a few minutes. Add the peas and cook until just heated through. Season with salt and pepper, add the salmon. Add the pasta to the pan and toss gently.  Add some cheese and serve.    

Baked Penne with Butternut Squash and Four Cheeses

Can you say comfort food?  While this recipe uses penne pasta it's kind of like mac and cheese when you think about it.  Designer mac and cheese.  

There are a few layers to this dish.  You roast the squash, make the bread crumbs, make the cheese sauce, then put it all together. It does take a little time, as all good things do.  You can use gluten free pasta if you like, or whole wheat, whatever your preference.  

This is great for a pot luck, or if you're having family over. You can make one large pan full, or make it in small pans so that you have leftovers to freeze. I use 3 gratin pans when I make it so I have one for now, one for a few days later, and one to freeze.  Or one to give to a friend. 

About the cheese. The amounts below are approximate.  Don't sweat the exact amounts. Any combination of cheeses is going to taste great. 

Ingredients: 
1 pound butternut squash
2 tbsp olive oil 
1 tbsp fresh sage, chopped 
1 pound penne pasta 
Sea Salt  
Pepper, freshly ground 

Cheese sauce: 
3 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp flour 
2 cups organic heavy whipping cream 
2 cups water 
1 1/2 cups fontina cheese, grated 
3/4 cup blue cheese 
1/2 cup Pecorino
3/4 cup Parmesan 
Pinch of nutmeg 
Salt and pepper

Topping: 
3 slices bread 
1/2 cup Parmesan
1 tbsp sage, chopped
2 tbsp butter, melted 
Salt and pepper 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

Peel the squash, then cut into approximately 1 inch cubes. Place the cubed squash in a bowl.  Add olive oil, salt and pepper, sage and toss well to coat. Place on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes. The squash should be soft and cooked through. 

To make the topping: cut off the crusts of the bread, then cut bread into cubes. Put in a food processor and pulse until fine. Transfer to a bowl. Add the melted butter, salt and pepper, Parmesan and sage.  Set aside. 

To make the cheese sauce: Pour the cream into a container and add 2 cups of water to it and mix.  In a medium saucepan melt the butter over low heat. Add the flour, stirring constantly, making a rue. Cook 3 to 4 minutes then slowly start adding the cream and whisking to prevent any lumps.  Slowly turn the heat up and allow to cook for about 10 to 15 minutes then add the cheeses, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Remove from the heat. 

In the meantime cook the pasta according to package directions.

Mix together the pasta, butternut squash, and cheese sauce. Pour into a 9 x 13 baking dish, sprinkle the bread crumb topping over the top. 

Bake for 30 minutes.