Pasta sauce gets pleasantly spicy in Shrimp Fra Diavolo

When I saw the recipe’s name, Shrimp Fra Diavolo, I figured “Fra Diavolo” was referring to the sauce of the pasta dish.
   My suspicions were correct. A check of Wikipedia yielded the information that the Italian phrase refers to a spicy sauce for pasta or seafood. Often, the sauce is tomato-based and uses chili peppers for spice. According to chef Mario Batali, the spicy sauce is an Italian-American creation and is rarely served in Italy.
   In Shrimp Fra Diavolo (click for the recipe), a delicious recipe from Food Network Magazine, red pepper flakes provide the spice in the sauce.
   I halved the amount of red pepper flakes called for in the recipe, knowing that I my husband and I can’t hack overly spicy food. Let me tell you, the resulting pasta was just spicy enough. Any more and it would have crossed our heat-tolerance threshold.
   I can’t believe the recipe says to sprinkle more red pepper flakes on top of the finished pasta if desired! This action is only for the hard-core spice junkies among us.
   The heat that was present wasn’t unwelcome, though. The dish is terrific, a perfect blend of shrimp, tomatoes and pasta.
   It whips up quickly on a weeknight but would even work for a casual dinner party. Leftovers warm up beautifully in the microwave.
   The recipe calls for a can of whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand. I bought another brand of canned whole plum tomatoes in juice, and crushed them by squeezing the tomatoes in my hands. The tomatoes and the juice already present in the can are both used in the pasta.
   The first step of making the dish is cooking the shrimp in a skillet, then removing the shrimp and setting it aside.
   Thinly-sliced garlic, chopped anchovy fillets, and red pepper flakes (I used half a teaspoon instead of a full teaspoon as the recipe indicates) are put in the skillet, along with the tomatoes, white wine, fresh oregano and salt. The sauce is brought to a simmer and cooked, stirring occasionally, until thickened (we used slightly greater than medium heat.)
   While the sauce is cooking, linguine or bucatini (I used Catelli Smart linguine) is boiled and drained.
   Fresh parsley, the pasta, and the shrimp are put back in the sauce and stirred.
   The pasta is served. We didn’t bother drizzling the servings with olive oil, and we certainly didn’t top them with more red pepper flakes.

Make me! Penne with Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese Sauce

As I was flipping through one of my new cookbooks, The Best of Chef at Home: Essential Recipes for Today's Kitchen by Chef Michael Smith, the recipe jumped off the page and said: Make me, immediately!
   It was Penne with Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese Sauce (click for the recipe).
   What prompted me most to make it was Smith’s introduction to the recipe, in which he said his friends request this dish all the time.
   This intrigued me – what recipe could be so good that you’d ask a world-renown chef like Smith to make it for you as opposed to letting him surprise you with his latest magical dish?
   The second reason I was prompted to make it was how easy it looked to make.
   I was right about that. I made the dish on my own and it took about 25 minutes without rushing.
   The ingredients were also a draw: Cream cheese, fresh dill and smoked salmon. It sounded as if the dish would be like a yummy bagel in pasta form.
   I’m glad I listened to that “make me” recipe voice, because this was indeed a lovely dish.
   It would work well at a dinner party, which is what Smith suggests in his intro, but it is easy enough to make on a work night.
   We found smoked salmon in the seafood section of a local supermarket. Both fresh and frozen was available; we used fresh.
   Penne pasta (I like Catelli Smart) is boiled until al dente.
   After the pasta is drained, it’s put back in the pot. While the pasta is still steaming hot, softened cream cheese, fresh dill, green onions (scallions), the juice and zest (finely-grated peel) of one lemon, Dijon mustard and capers are stirred in until the cheese melts and forms a creamy sauce.
   After the sauce forms, the smoked salmon, which has been cut into ribbons, is stirred in.
   Serve immediately

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A secret ingredient is behind the goodness of Spaghetti with Asparagus, Shiitake Mushrooms, Lemon and Chives

We’ve made Spaghetti with Asparagus, Shiitake Mushrooms, Lemon and Chives (click for the recipe) for several springs since I first saw the recipe in Bon Appetit magazine five years ago.
   I like it because, not only is it delicious, it has a secret ingredient behind its appeal. For me, this always makes a recipe more fun.
   There is a lovely, light coating on each and every strand of spaghetti. People may wonder what it is as they dig into a plate of this pasta.
   Only you’ll know the secret behind it.
   Gather in close, readers: It’s vegetable broth - the ready-made kind you find in the soup section of supermarkets!
   The broth is simmered down and then whisked with butter, creating a sauce that clings to the spaghetti strands. It adds an extra somethin’-somethin’ to this dish.
   The recipe makes excellent use of several food items that are at their absolute best right now: Asparagus, shiitake mushrooms, chives and lemons.
   It’s very easy to make.
   Spaghetti is cooked in a pot of boiling water (I use Catelli’s Smart Spaghetti), drained, and transferred to a large bowl.
   Shallots and shiitake mushrooms are cooked in a skillet. Fresh lemon juice, vegetable broth and grated lemon peel are added and simmered until the liquid is reduced by half. Chopped asparagus is added, then chives and more butter.
   The sauce is poured over the pasta and the mixture tossed to coat.
   Shaved Asiago cheese (use a vegetable peeler) is placed on top, and the pasta is served.

A sure sign of spring: Making Spaghetti with Bay Scallops, Leeks and Tarragon

Hello, dear spring!
   I think it’s arrived. I don’t have to wear gloves, a hat or winter boots anymore. I can hear birds chirping. It’s not dark as midnight when I get up in the morning. The lot where I park for work is a sinkhole of mud rather than a skating rink.
   And I want to cook nice and bright from now until fall!
   That’s one of my own official signs of spring: I want to crack out goat cheese, dill, chicken, orzo, asparagus, strawberries and lemons and get them to work in cooking and baking.
   A pasta dish that I like to make to welcome spring is Spaghetti with Bay Scallops, Leeks and Tarragon (click for the recipe) from Everyday Food magazine.
   The white and green colors of the dish pay homage to the new and warmer season.
   Most importantly, it’s amazingly delicious and satisfying.
   The scallops make for a meaty texture in the pasta, while the leeks and tarragon add a pleasant oniony flavor.
   The recipe calls for bay scallops, which look like mini scallops. Bay scallops are quite easy to find frozen, but if you can't find them, cutting regular-size scallops in half will work just as well.
   Spaghetti is boiled until al dente, then drained and returned to the pot.
   Thinly-sliced leeks (be sure to wash them well to get out all the dirt in the upper white part) and garlic are cooked in a skillet, and are added to the pasta. The same step is repeated for scallops and lemon zest (finely-grated lemon peel).
   Fresh tarragon, butter and lemon juice are added to the pasta in the pot and tossed until they create a thin sauce that coats the spaghetti.
   Serve and welcome spring.

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Baked Ziti: A crowd-pleasing dish for your next family get-together

Baked pasta can be absolutely horrible.
   Many people have had the experience of being at a brunch or potluck, digging into baked mac and cheese or another type of pasta, and finding their serving is rubbery or mushy.
   These two undesirable traits are what Cook’s Illustrated, a magazine from America’s Test Kitchen, aimed to eradicate with their recipe for Baked Ziti (click for the recipe).
   They did it, and brilliantly.
   The baked ziti that results from their recipe is, for lack of a better word, smooth. There is no mushiness, strings or clumps.
   I’ve never had baked pasta with such a pleasing texture.
   It’s the texture that causes me to recommend this dish the most. While the flavor is absolutely fine, you’re not going to impress your local neighborhood foodie with its mind-bending taste.
   Rather, this is a crowd-pleasing, family-friendly dish that’s ideal for entertaining large groups. Easter, here we come.
   Everyone from ages two to 92 will eat it, and heartily.
   The recipe called for ziti or any other short, tubular pasta. We couldn’t find ziti and so used chifferini rigati, which to us looked short and tubular. To me, though, it sounds as if macaroni would do just fine in this recipe.
   Although the recipe isn’t hard to make, it is a little labor intensive. It took my husband and I about 50 minutes, working together, to do the advance work before putting the pasta in the oven to bake.
   The recipe I linked to above is on a blog, and is identical to the one we used.
   The pasta is boiled until it is al dente, and then drained.
   Garlic is cooked in a skillet or frying pan, then canned tomato sauce, canned diced tomatoes and dry oregano are stirred in and the mixture is simmered until thickened. Off heat, fresh basil and sugar are added.
   In the large soup pot or Dutch oven in which the pasta was cooked, cornstarch and heavy cream are brought to a simmer (this happens quickly. Stir constantly so it doesn’t burn.)
   The pot is removed from the heat, then a mixture of cottage cheese, eggs and Parmesan cheese, one cup of the tomato sauce and cubed mozzarella are stirred into the mixture. The pasta is added and stirred to coat with the sauce.
   The pasta mixture is poured into a 13x9 inch baking dish (we used a glass one), and spread with the remaining tomato sauce. More grated Parmesan and mozzarella is sprinkled on top
   The dish is covered with foil and baked for 30 minutes, then the foil is removed and the dish baked for another 30 minutes.
   After being cooled for 20 minutes, the pasta is sprinkled with fresh basil and served.

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Recipe suggestions for Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is on Monday. For those of you thinking of making dinner for your sweetie that night, here are my suggestions, in blog entries, for recipes that will make the occasion a truly special one.

For starters
Champagne Cosmo
Garlic and Cheese Crostini

Mains
Linguine with Lemon-Garlic Shrimp
Orecchiette with Fennel, Sausage & Tomatoes
Pistachio-Crusted Rack of Lamb
Braised Chicken with Dates and Moroccan Spices

Sides
Warm Spinach, Mushroom and Goat Cheese Salad
Celery Root and Apple Salad with Hazelnut Vinaigrette

For dessert
Caramelized Banana Splits with Hot Chocolate Sauce
One-Bowl Chocolate Cake (or Cupcakes)
Tunnel of Fudge Cake
Sunken Chocolate-Orange Cupcakes


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Mascarpone cheese produces a lovely, light sauce for Linguine with Lemon-Garlic Shrimp

Cream sauces for pasta can sometimes be a little tricky. You’ve got to make sure the milk or cream doesn’t burn or that the sauce doesn’t get lumpy.
   I’ve happened across a recipe that produces a light, lovely sauce for linguine in a simple, foolproof way.
   The secret ingredient in Linguine with Lemon-Garlic Shrimp (click for the recipe) from Fine Cooking magazine is mascarpone cheese, a soft Italian cream cheese.
   Adding mascarpone to cooked linguine produces a soft, slightly sweet creaminess that doesn’t overwhelm. It’s a stroke-of-genius tactic created by Melissa Gaman, the recipe’s developer.
   Linguine with Lemon-Garlic Shrimp is an outstanding dish – incredibly delicious and very easy to make.
   When my husband and I tried it for the first time recently, we both ranted and raved about how good it was. It immediately became a top addition to my collection of make-again recipes.
   Make this for your sweetie on Valentine’s Day, and he or she will be impressed with your culinary skills and very appreciative of the lovely, satisfying meal you made.
   Linguine is boiled until it is al dente.
   Meanwhile, peeled and deveined shrimp is tossed with lemon zest, salt and pepper.
   Thinly-sliced garlic and red pepper flakes are cooked in butter in a skillet, and the shrimp is added and cooked until just opaque. Dry white wine and lemon juice are added and the mixture boiled until reduced, about one minute.
   The drained pasta, mascarpone, and ½ cup of the water the pasta was boiled in are added to the skillet and tossed until the pasta and shrimp is coated with the cheese. More lemon zest and fresh chives are stirred in.
   Serve.

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Peperoncini + pasta = delicious

My husband and I got hooked on the wonders of peperoncini peppers over the summer when I tried a recipe for hot dogs that used them as a topping.
   We loved the pickled version of this small yellow pepper. They weren’t at all hot.
   Recently I spotted a pasta recipe from Fine Cooking magazine that used peperoncini, and knew immediately I wanted to try it.
  Spicy Capellini (click for the recipe) is a recipe developed by cookbook author and TV host Lidia Bastianich.
   The recipe was a delicious and quick and easy to make – terrific for a weeknight.
   But there was something about the resulting dish that was curious.
   Although my husband and I didn’t find the peperoncini to be too spicy on the hot dogs, they definitely packed a spicy punch once cooked.
   Whatever the science is behind this curiosity is really no matter, though. The heat was at a deliciously tolerable level in the pasta, and my husband and I are wimps when it comes to overly hot or spicy dishes. However, I wouldn’t serve this dish to children or tweens.
   There was another part of the recipe that puzzled us.
   The recipe calls for three cups of crushed peeled Italian tomatoes.
   I scribbled this ingredient down on my grocery shopping list, and so we came home with cans of crushed tomatoes – as in, tomato mush.
   I’m not sure this is what the recipe needs, though. Although the crushed tomatoes worked fine and coated the capellini strands in a lovely oily tomato sauce, my gut feeling is that the recipe really wants is a can of peeled tomatoes.
   You can find pickled peperoncini in the aisle of the supermarket that has pickles and relishes.
   Working together, my husband and I had this dish together in about 40 minutes.
   Eight slices of chopped bacon and thinly sliced onions are cooked. The peperoncini and tomatoes are added and the sauce simmered.
   Meanwhile, capellini or angel hair pasta (we used whole wheat spaghetti instead) is cooked, drained, and tossed with olive oil and the sauce.
   Grated Parmigianio-Reggiano cheese and optional parsley is stirred in.

Another terrific pasta dish for fall: Orecchiette with Fennel, Sausage and Tomatoes

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Perfect Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce is pretty darn good

Martha Stewart Living calls the spaghetti recipe I’m writing about “perfect.”
   I don’t know about perfect, simply because the possibility of a better recipe for any dish always exists somewhere else in the world.
   But there’s no denying Perfect Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce is pretty darn good.
   Very good, in fact, and that’s why my husband and I have made it many, many times.
   The recipe’s ingredient list is simple, another thing I like about it. No frills, no fuss, just a good dish of pasta.
   No fuss, that is, if you skip the step of blanching fresh tomatoes for the sauce.
   The recipe says you can use a 28-ounce can of Italian plum tomatoes for the sauce instead, and this is what my husband and I have always done. The tomatoes are passed through a food mill (or put ‘em in the blender!) before being added to browned garlic and red pepper flakes for the sauce.
   Though the recipe calls for fresh basil or parsley, we find parsley creates the best taste.
   The recipe directs to cook the boiled spaghetti and sauce together for about three to four minutes in a sauté pan.
   Be warned: You need a big pan! We have a large pan with high sides, and this works well.
   While the spaghetti is boiling, sliced garlic and crushed red-pepper flakes are cooked in the pan. The tomatoes are added and the sauce thickened.
   The drained spaghetti is added and tossed with the sauce. The two are cooked together for a few minutes, and the basil or parsley stirred in.
   The spaghetti is served with optional grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese on top – I recommend it.
   The result is (nearly) perfection.

The best pasta dish I've ever made is Orecchiette with Fennel, Sausage & Tomatoes

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More great recipes for fall

The best pasta we've ever made -- so far

Orecchiette with Fennel, Sausage & Tomatoes from Fine Cooking magazine is so amazingly delicious, I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.
   At the time of writing, this pasta recipe is officially the best my husband and I have ever made.
   The sweet sausage and its oils blend beautifully with the fennel, tomatoes, basil and orecchiette pasta.
   Orecchiette means “little ears” in Italian. I haven’t been able to find this type of pasta around here, and so use any disc- or seashell-shaped pasta as a substitute. It works fine.
   The recipe calls for sweet Italian sausage, casings removed. You can find sausage without casings (it looks like ground chicken or turkey) in the meat sections of many supermarkets.
   Make sure to buy “sweet” or “mild.”
   You can use fresh or canned diced tomatoes. We often used canned diced in order to shorten things up just a bit.
   This recipe is quite easy to make.
   The sausage is browned, then transferred to a paper towel-lined plate.
   Finely-chopped fennel is cooked in the same pan. White wine, sausage, tomatoes, fresh basil and red pepper flakes are added and the sauce is cooked.
   Meanwhile, the orecchiette is boiled.
   After the pasta is drained, it’s returned to the pot, the sauce is added, and the mixture is cooked briefly. Freshly-grated Pecorino Romano cheese is stirred in.
   The pasta is served with more fresh basil and cheese sprinkled on top.

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Tarragon and tomatoes are a terrific match in this pasta dish

I like simple, easy and delicious recipes. And if they’re a bit unusual, too, I’ll be hooked on them for life.
   Spaghetti with Tomatoes and Tarragon (click here for the Everyday Food recipe) fits that bill.
   The tarragon adds a fresh, unexpected note to the dish, but it doesn’t seem out of place – in fact, it appears that tomatoes and tarragon were always meant to be together.
   The recipe says you can also use fresh basil, but if you make this, I strongly suggest waiting until you get your hands on some fresh tarragon and use that instead. It should be readily available this time of year in any supermarket that has a well-stocked fresh herb section.
   This is a great dish for a weeknight. It whips up quickly and makes a lot.
   I think kids and teens may just go for it, too, especially those that have been known to like something beyond the realm of mac and cheese and hot dogs.
   While the spaghetti is boiling, finely-chopped shallots are cooked in oil, and chopped beefsteak or roma tomatoes are added when the pan is taken off the heat.
   The tomato mixture is poured over the drained pasta, and chopped tarragon and Parmesan cheese are added.
   Everything is tossed together, and the pasta is served.

Zucchini and mint take centre stage in pasta dish

Recently on Recipes That Worked, I wrote about a terrific pasta recipe that uses summer produce and herbs – Summer Garden Tortelloni.
   Here’s another excellent pasta recipe that takes advantage of the best summer has to offer: Penne with Zucchini, Fresh Herbs and Lemon Zest (click here for the recipe at the Fine Cooking magazine website).
   The recipe was created by Ellie Krieger, a registered dietitian, cookbook author and TV host.
   I made this pasta dish by myself one evening, and didn’t find it at all taxing.
   It would work for a weeknight, or even a small relaxed dinner with friends.
   The zucchini, cut into half moons and cooked with chopped garlic, takes on a velvety, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
   The recipe’s secret ingredient is the fresh mint that’s added. It supplies a bright hit of taste to every bite.
   I raided my herb garden for the mint, fresh basil and fresh flat-leaf parsley that the recipe asks for, but all of these can easily be found in a supermarket that keeps a well-stocked fresh herb section.
   Whole wheat penne is boiled to al dente.
   Meanwhile, chopped zucchini and garlic are cooked in a skillet, removed from heat, and lemon zest added.
   The pasta is added, and tossed with the zucchini mixture, fresh mint, basil and parsley, and freshly-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Fresh produce meets pasta with Summer Garden Tortelloni

This time of year, I’m always on the lookout for quick, easy, and delicious ways to use summer produce such as corn, tomatoes, zucchini and cucumbers.
   And if the recipes I find use fresh herbs, that’s a bonus!
   My husband and I have a favorite recipe that fits the bill in all respects: it’s quick, easy, delicious, and uses fresh vegetables and an herb: fresh basil.
   It’s Summer Garden Tortelloni (click here for the recipe at the epicurious.com website), and we make it several times a year.
   The dish is terrific for a weeknight, and is definitely family-friendly.
   The recipe calls for dried cheese tortelloni, which, you are reading correctly, is slightly different from tortellini. Tortelloni, apparently, is the same size as tortellini, but larger.
   Naturally, then, dried cheese tortellini is a perfect substitute to tortelloni.
   (There's a Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers joke in here somewhere.)
   You’ll find dried cheese tortellini in the fresh, ready-to-go pasta section of the supermarket that often lurks near the deli meats. Olivieri is a popular brand of fresh pasta. We always use the whole wheat variety, which works wonderfully.
   Speaking of the deli, this is the best place to find prosciutto (called for in the recipe), which you may find pre-packaged with other fancy meats, or behind the deli counter.
   The recipe also calls for fresh corn, and here’s my no-fail way to de-cob corn. Place the cob (de-husked, of course!), narrower side down, in the middle tube of an angel-food cake pan. Using a knife, scrape downwards on the cob to release the kernels into the pan.
   Here’s how the dish is made.
   The tortelloni (or tortellini!) is boiled and drained.
   Proscuitto, a finely chopped garlic clove, and corn are cooked in a skillet. Two medium tomatoes are chopped.
   The pasta, corn mixture, tomatoes and fresh basil are combined and tossed.
   Voila – a garden in a dish!