Penne Pasta with a Vodka Clam Sauce

 I tried this recipe the other day when I was in a big hurry.  Even thought I am a die hard (make it from scratch person) it was actually pretty good.  This is now a go to recipe that will be in my book of fast meals.  I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

1 pound Penne Pasta

2 slices of day old white bread

2 TBS snipped fresh parsley

2 TBS butter

2 cans minced clams, undrained

2 1/2 cups jarred vodka marinara sauce

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 lemon

slices of fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Bring salted water to a boil in 4-qt.Casserole. Cook pasta according to package directions.

Drain using large Colander; set aside.

2. As pasta cooks, prepare topping. Chop bread into small pieces. Snip Parsley. 
 Place butter into Saute Pan; melt over medium heat. Add bread crumbs;

stir for 2-3 minutes or until bread crumbs are crisp and golden. Remove pan

from heat. cool slightly. Stir in parsley.

3. In a saucepan strain clam juice. Add vodka sauce and pressed

garlic. Juice lemon to measure 1 tbsp juice; stir into sauce. Bring to a 
simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and stir in pasta and clams; cover 
and let stand 3-5 minutes or until heated through.

4. To serve, divide pasta among serving plates; sprinkle with bread crumb mixture
 and top with thin slices of Parmesan cheese.

Chicken Parmesan

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
• 1/2 bunch fresh basil leaves
• 2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, drained and hand-crushed
• 1 small can tomato sauce
• 1/4 tsp. sugar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts 
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 cup dried bread crumbs
• 1 (8-ounce) ball fresh mozzerella cheese
• Freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 pound spaghetti, cooked al dente

DIRECTIONS

Coat a saute pan with olive oil and place over medium heat. When the oil gets hot, add the onions, garlic, and bay leaves; cook and stir for 5 minutes until fragrant and soft. Add the olives and some hand-torn basil. Carefully add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, cook and stir until the liquid is cooked down and the sauce is thick, about 15 minutes; season with sugar, salt and pepper. Lower the heat, cover, and keep warm.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Get the ingredients together for the chicken so you have an assembly line. Put the chicken breasts side by side on a cutting board and lay a piece of plastic wrap over them. Pound the chicken breasts with a flat meat mallet, until they are about 1/2-inch thick. Put the flour in a shallow platter and season with a fair amount of salt and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly. In a wide bowl, combine the eggs and water, beat. Put the bread crumbs on a plate, season with salt and pepper.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high flame in a large oven-proof skillet. Lightly dredge both sides of the chicken cutlets in the seasoned flour, and then dip them in the egg wash to coat completely, letting the excess drip off, then dredge in the bread crumbs. When the oil is nice and hot, add the cutlets and fry for 4 minutes on each side until golden and crusty, turning once.

Ladle the tomato-olive sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with mozzarella, Parmesan, and basil. Bake the Chicken Parmesan for 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and the chicken is cooked through. Serve hot with spaghetti or linguine.  

Baked Tortellini

I first found a recipe for baked tortellini about three years ago.  Since then I have modified and changed the original into this one.  If you are in the mood for good old comfort food, this is one you need to try!  Don't let the many steps scare you off.  You won't regret it!

1 pounds chicken (cooked and shredded)

1 TBS beef bouillon

1 TBS chicken bouillon

1 tsp dried onion flakes

1 1/2 pounds cheese tortellini (dry or fresh)

1 quart Alfredo sauce (recipe below)

1 TBS olive oil

1/2 onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup frozen peas

3/4 cup dried bread crumbs

1/4 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, grated

3 TBS melted butter

I start by cooking my chicken.  I like to boil my chicken for this recipe.  Place your chicken breast in a sauce pan and cover with water.  Let the water come to a boil and skim off the white foam from the top of the water.  Then add the beef bouillon, chicken bouillon and dried onion.  Cover, turn to low and simmer for about 30-40 minutes.  Once done remove form water, shred the chicken and set aside.

I have used several different types of tortellini.  My favorite is fresh, cheese filled, spinach tortellini.  Whatever you can find will be fine as long as it is cheese filled.  Cook the pasta according to the packaging.  30 second before it is done pour the frozen peas directly into the pasta water.  Then drain with the pasta.

ALFREDO 

1 quart heavy cream

1 cube of butter

1 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp pepper

About 10 minutes before the chicken is done start the Alfredo sauce.  In a saute pan melt the butter.  While continually stirring, slowly add the cream. (You will want to have your cream be room temperature or it will turn your butter hard and won't mix well)  Then add your Parmesan cheese and pepper.  Stir until the cheese is completely melted.  

In a small saute pan heat the olive oil,  add the onions and garlic and saute for about 3-5 minutes.  Add the sauteed onions and garlic into the Alfredo sauce.

In a large bowl combine the pasta, Alfredo mixture, chicken and peas.  Pour into a 9x13 pan.  

In a small microwaveable safe bowl melt 3 TBS of butter.  Add the bread crumbs and 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese.  Sprinkle over the top of the tortellini and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.        

Whole Wheat Spaghetti

Spaghetti Sauce

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes, drained and crushed by hand, liquid reserved

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the vegetables are soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully add the tomato and about 1/2 cup of the reserved liquid and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the sauce is thick, about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring for a few minutes with a wooden spoon to further break up the tomatoes. Reduce the heat and let simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in the fresh basil and season again.

1 pound wheat spaghetti

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 can of mushrooms

(You can substitute for fresh mushrooms, I grew up with canned in my spaghetti and I really like it)

While the sauce is reducing, brown 1 pound of lean hamburger.  Season with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.  Once the hamburger is cooked through add mushrooms and heat through. By this time your sauce should almost be ready.  Add it to the meat mixture and simmer over low heat.

Prepare spaghetti to al dente according to package.  Mix the sauce with the spaghetti noodles and enjoy.  Serve with warm french bread. (This recipe can be found under the bread section) 

Vegetable Lasagna

1 package lasagna noodles

8 oz. frozen spinach (thawed and well drained)

1 TBS olive oil

1 small zucchini, sliced

1 small yellow squash, sliced

5 mushrooms, sliced

1 large container of ricotta cheese

1 egg

3/4 cup fresh Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese

2 TBS fresh basil

2 tsp. fresh oregano

3 TBS softened butter

1 quart of your favorite spaghetti sauce

Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package.  Make sure you do not over cook. 

In a bowl combine ricotta cheese, egg, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 1 TBS basil, 1 tsp oregano and spinach. (Drain as much water as you can out of the spinach.  I take a paper towel and blot it until it is dry.  If you do not do this your lasagna will be runny!) Set aside.

In a saute pan put the olive oil.  When the oil is hot saute the squash and zucchini for about 3-5 minutes.  Then add mushrooms and saute for another 3 minutes.  Then add the spaghetti sauce and warm through.  Set aside.

Once the noodles are done, drain and rinse with cool water.  In a 9x13 pan spread 1/2 cup of the spaghetti mixture.  Then put down a layer of the lasagna noodles.  Followed by a layer of the cheese mixture and then start over with the spaghetti sauce.  Finish the top layer with the lasagna noodles and top with the remaining spaghetti sauce.  Then top with the remaining Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, basil and oregano.  Once this is drop small pieces of butter over the top of the lasagna.  This makes the cheese topping really yummy. Cover with tinfoil and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.  Remove the tinfoil and bake uncovered for another 15 minutes.  Let sit for at least 20 minutes.  If you don't do this your lasagna will fall apart.

Smoky Chicken Fettuccine

6 slices of bacon

1/2 cup diced onion

6 large garlic cloves, peeled

1/2 cup chopped bell pepper

1/2 cup smoked provolone cheese, grated

8 ounces fettuccine noodles

1 cup frozen peas

2 cups diced cooked chicken

1 cup half and half

1/2 tsp salt

2 TBS snipped parsley

In an 8 quart stockpot bring water to boil for pasta.  While the water is heating cut bacon into 1/2 inch pieces and cook in a large skillet until crisp.  Drain the bacon on a paper towel and set aside.  Drain the grease from the bacon but do not wipe clean.

Dice the onion and thinly slice the garlic cloves.  A mandolin is great for this if you have one.  Coarsely chop the pepper and grate the cheese.  In the skillet you cooked the bacon, add the onion, garlic and bell peppers.  cook for 2-3 minutes or until tender.  Remove skillet from heat and set aside. 

Now, cook the pasta according to the package.  Add peas to the stockpot for the last 30 seconds of cooking the pasta.  Carefully drain the peas and pasta in a drainer.  Add the pasta and peas to the skillet.  Then add bacon, cheese, chicken, half and half, black pepper and salt.  Toss well to coat the pasta.  Cook and stir until sauce is slightly thickened.  Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

TIPS:  If your pasta sauce gets too thick, save some pasta water to add to it as needed.

Shrimp Scampi

This pasta dish is one that I do when I am short on time.  It is super easy but will be sure to wow whomever you serve it to.  I hope you enjoy it!

1 lb. pasta (your choice)

2 TBS olive oil

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

6 TBS butter

6 TBS chicken broth

1/2 tsp black pepper

6 TBS freshly grated Parmesan cheese

4 TBS fresh chopped parsley

Prepare pasta al dente as directed on the box.  While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  When oil is hot add garlic and cook over medium heat for about 1-2 minutes.  Add shrimp to skillet and cook for about 2 minutes stirring frequently.  Add 3 TBS of butter and chicken broth to the skillet .  Saute about 2 more minutes or until shrimp turns pink.  

When your pasta is done, drain well and add to your shrimp mixture.  Add the remaining butter and black pepper.  Mix gently.  Top with your freshly grated Parmesan cheese and parley.  Serve immediately.