Segue Pasta

It's time to move on to the hard squashes and root vegetables, and make that transition to heartier fare. Last week I still had a few tomatoes from the garden so I made this gluten-free pasta dish, which combined the tail end of summer with the onset of autumn.

Segue Pasta
1 organic carrot, peeled and diced
1/4 organic butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 small white onion, diced
3 leaves of organic fresh kale, sliced
1 organic boneless chicken breast, sliced (full breast)
2 medium organic tomatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 cup organic chicken broth
Tbsp of white wine

Saute the onion, carrots and squash in about a tsp of olive oil until just tender (about 10-15 minutes). Add the chicken broth, wine, tomatoes and kale and cook for about 5 more minutes. In another saute pan heat a tsp of olive oil, then add the chicken and cook over medium heat until it's cooked through (about 8-10 minutes). Add the chicken to the vegetables and set aside.

Bring a pot of water to boil and cook off 3/4 pound of pasta. I used gluten-free Tinkayada, which works very well if you cook just until al dente. It should be pretty firm when you bite into it. Warm your chicken and veggies, then bring the pasta right from the water to this pan. Toss over medium heat for two minutes to allow the pasta to absorb the sauce. The pasta will continue cooking in the sauce and be a perfect texture when it reaches the table. Sprinkle with your favorite cheese and serve. The combination of flavors really works, and it's a gently segue for your taste buds as we venture into our next season of cooking.

Tuckernuck White Clam Sauce

I just returned from a long weekend on Nantucket visiting my dear friend, Maryanne, and her husband, Michael. They live on the west end of the island in Madaket. It's often referred to as 'old Nantucket' as it consists of fairly small homes and charming cottages. This idyllic location hasn't been turned into a playground for the uber-rich with 5000+ sq ft homes and all the amenities that go along with that lifestyle. It's quiet, peaceful and serene. Let's hope it always stays that way.

The entrance to our Nantucket paradise. 

We stay in the small cottage to the left.

Michael has been on the island for over 40 years now, and much of his career has been in the building business. He built his home and the guest cottage. He's also learned to fish, clam, scallop and run a boat, which provides us with great food from the sea whenever I visit. 

Michael headed out to Tuckernuck, a small island just west of Madaket, and dug a bushel of clams in about a half hour. The shallow clean waters, filled with eel grass, provide a rich supply of little necks and quahogs. With the exchange of water twice a day, and the fact that Nantucket is 35 miles out to sea, they're the best hard clams I've ever tasted, so I was thrilled to bring a large bag home with me.

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Tuckernuck White Clam Sauce (Serves two, or four as a starter)

12-14 little neck clams

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced

Extra virgin olive oil

Tbsp butter

1/4 cup white wine, or dry vermouth

Fresh parsley, chopped

8 oz of pasta, cooked al dente (I used quinoa pasta which is gluten-free)

Put your pan of water on the stove to boil. Cook off the pasta while you prepare the clam sauce.  Rinse your clams in a colander to remove any sand on the outside and set aside.

Add about a tsp of olive oil to a saute pan and heat until warm. Add the garlic and saute just until the garlic starts to brown. Add 1/4 cup white wine and then add the clams to the pan.

Cover the pan and allow the clams to simmer until they open. This should take 5-8 minutes. As they open remove them from the pan and set aside.

Add a tbsp of butter, about another tsp of olive oil, and the parsley to the pan. Saute for a minute.

Add the cooked pasta, turning to coat the pasta. Allow it to simmer until the pasta has absorbed most of the sauce. I used a quinoa gluten-free pasta that was delicious, but any pasta will do.

Place the pasta on a plate and garnish with the clams. The pasta absorbs the rich briny flavor of the clams and it took all of my willpower to just eat my half of this platter. Tuckernuck clams are truly a gift from the sea, and my Nantucket friends are a gift from above. Thank you for a spectacular weekend.

Gluten-Free Pasta Primavera

There seem to be more and more people that are gluten intolerant and suffering from celiac disease. Thankfully there are a host of knowledgeable bloggers out there who provide a wealth of information about the disease, and have developed excellent recipes that cover everything from appetizers to dessert. Shauna Ahern creator of Gluten Free Girl and the Chef is one of the most well-known gluten-free bloggers, and has devoted her life to helping others understand and manage the disease. Her site offers a plethora of information about how to live well, gluten-free. Shauna certainly didn't take her diagnosis lying down. While some might complain about what they can't have, Shauna has worked diligently to develop recipes that would make anyone's mouth water. In fact, I'll jump out on a limb here and say anyone can benefit from eating the way Shauna cooks. Much of what she does reminds me of what I learned when studying macrobiotic cooking—a diet rich in whole grains, fresh vegetables, and healthful desserts.

While I don't suffer from celiac, I'm helping someone I love who is eliminating wheat from their diet so I made a gluten-free version of pasta primavera last night. The pasta is made by Tinkayada and can be purchased at most health food stores. When cooked al dente it is tasty. Yes, the first bite will be a bit different than what you're accustomed to if you eat a lot of wheat pasta, but after a few bites I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. I found it to be more satisfying, and less filling.

Gluten-Free Pasta Primavera (serves 4)
1 lb gluten-free pasta (Tinkayada)
1/4 sweet white onion (slicd into crescents)
12 cherries tomatoes (sliced in half lengthwise)
1 cup snap peas (cut into thirds)
8-10 leaves of fresh basil
1/2 lemon
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Grated cheese

 

Bring a pot of water to boil for the pasta. While the onions are cooking add the pasta to the water.

Saute the onions in olive oil until just golden brown. Add the cherry tomatoes and snap peas and saute until just tender. Add the basil leaves and cook for 30 seconds. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Remove from heat until the pasta is ready.

 

Once the pasta is cooked to al dente (just a little resistance when you bite into it) use a slotted spoon to add the pasta to the sauteed vegetables. Add a few spoonfuls of the pasta water, and saute for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and squeeze the juice from the lemon over the pasta. Sprinkle with your favorite grated cheese, I used Pecorino Romano, and enjoy!

Lasagna made with leftover sauce

Remember the sauce we made last Sunday? Well the meatballs and sausage are long gone, but I had enough sauce left, and the additional requisite ingredients, to make lasagna for dinner. I found some fresh spinach, and the whole onion I'd cooked in the sauce still had some life left in it. There was a pint of ricotta in the freezer, and a box of lasagna noodles in the pantry, so I was good to go. Plus, my hubby LOVES lasagna, so he'll be thrilled. What cook doesn't like satisfied customers?

Lasagna:

One box of smooth lasagna noodles

4 cups of sauce

1 bag of baby spinach

1 pint of ricotta cheese

Tbsp fresh parsely

1 egg

Grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan Reggiano cheese

Fresh or shredded mozzarella

Mix the pint of ricotta with 1 egg, fresh parsley, salt, pepper, and a handful of Pecorino or Parmesan cheese:

Add some olive oil to a saute pan. Add one clove of sliced garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the bag of fresh baby spinach, salt and pepper, and saute until tender. About 3 minutes:

I uses two small loaf pans (8" x 3.5"), which are the exact size of the lasagna noodles, so it was very easy to put together. Start by putting a layer of sauce in the bottom of the pan, then place a noodle over it.  There's no need to cook them ahead of time:

Add a layer of ricotta and some spinach. You can also sprinkle a little grated cheese. Cover with a noodle and repeat the process (2 layers of ricotta and spinach):

Now make a layer with sauce and the sliced onion. You can also use sauteed onions, or just the spinach again, if you'd prefer:

 

After you finish that final layer cover with a noodle and sauce. Sprinkle with a little grated cheese. It should come almost to the top of the pan. Cover loosely with foil, so the foil doesn't touch the tomatoes. Bake in a 325 oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes. 

Remove the foil, sprinkle with grated, or fresh, mozzarella cheese then place under the broiler until the cheese starts to brown:

Remove from the oven and let it sit for at least 20 minutes before serving.  The lasagna needs to set up. If you cut it too soon it will fall apart, and that's not pretty. Plus, like most food it tastes better when it sits for a while. The secret to a delicious lasagna is a good sauce, fresh vegetables and good quality cheeses. Serve with a green salad and enjoy!

Note: Try other veggies,and you can also add a layer of sliced sausage or crushed meatballs.

Italian Sauce with Meatballs and Sausage

Making sauce on Sunday is a tradition in my big Italian family, and I can't think of anything more satisfying to my palate, or my soul. My grandmother made sauce every Sunday, one only had to show up and she happily fed you her homemade macaroni of the day. It was always a treat, and a great way to catch up with relatives that I didn't see on a daily basis. Oh how I loved gathering around the table, eating delicious homemade food, and listening to the wisdom of a woman who raised fifteen children.  Grandma was pragmatic and she had a great sense of humor. Yes, she was a bit loud, as Italians can sometimes be, but she was also kind, thoughtful, and very generous with the little that she had. I'm pretty sure that nothing made her happier than serving her family a delicious meal. You felt the love in every bite, and the memory of that happy, boisterous voice coming from the kitchen continues to inspire me.

My mother, who married into the Italian family, took to the weekly ritual and it's her sauce (or a slight variation of) that I make today. We always had meatballs, and sometimes she threw in a pork chop. She added a whole onion, which adds a wonderful flavor, and if you're an onion lover it's quite tasty to eat along with your pasta. While my mother never had any fresh basil lying around in those days, we both use it now. We also like to add some good Italian sausage, as it adds more flavor, and you'll have a variety of things to pick at while the sauce is cooking. The evolution of the sauce, which happens over a 4.5 hour period, offers several opportunities to sample a meatball, or a piece of sausage, and enjoy the unique tastes that occur at each stage of the cooking process. Stay tuned and I'll point them out as we make the sauce.

Sauce with Meatballs and Sausage:
1.5 lbs of good ground beef, or sirloin (naturally raised meat is best)
1/2 lb ground pork
1 cup grated Pecorino Romano Cheese
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
2 eggs
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 cloves of chopped garlic
2-3 tbs of water
salt and pepper

1.5 lbs of high quality Italian sausage
3 cans of San Marzano tomatoes (28 oz)
1 whole sweet white onion (peeled)
1 can tomato paste
Fresh basil leaves (8)

Saute the sausage in a little bit of olive oil until browned on both sides. Then set aside.

Place the ground beef, pecorino cheese, breadcrumbs, chopped parsley, chopped garlic, eggs, water, and salt and pepper (about a tsp of each) into a bowl, and mix well. Roll into meatballs, then saute in olive oil until golden brown on all sides. Set aside with the cooked sausage.

 

Add the canned tomatoes to a heavy pan and crush with a potato masher, or your hands. Rinse the cans with a little bit of water to collect the remnants of tomatoes from the sides and bottom. Add this to the pan.

Add the onion, meatballs, and sausage (cut them in half) to the tomatoes.

Gently stir the sauce using a wooden spoon, as this will prevent the meatballs and sausage from breaking apart. Cook, covered, over medium to low heat (a nice gentle simmer) for 3.5 hours. Stirring occasionally, with the wooden spoon.

Here's the first taste of a meatball that's cooked in the sauce for about an hour. The sauce is still young and the meatballs have not quite absorbed the tomatoes, but it's tasty, and confirms that we're heading in the right direction.

Oh, I forgot to mention the smell. If you want to have dinner guests swooning the minute they walk into your house, then make this sauce. While I offer you pictures that I hope whet your appetite, you'll have to make it to experience this olfactory bonanza. Believe me, it's worth it.

At about 2 hours you might want to taste a sausage. Be sure to sprinkle with your favorite grated cheese.

Once the sauce has cooked for 3.5 hours, add the can of tomato paste. Use a rubber spatula (this prevents the meat from breaking apart) to mix it into the sauce, then simmer, covered, for one more hour.

Add the basil leaves, salt and pepper to taste, and let it sit for 1/2 hour. Serve with your favorite pasta.

 Couple of important things to note:

1. We NEVER put oregano in our sauce. While I know it's common in store bought sauces, most Italians don't use it in their homemade sauce. My family is from Abruzzo, and for them it's a big no-no. Personally, I think the taste of oregano is too strong when paired with cooked tomatoes. Basil is much better.
2. Sauce should always be a bright, vibrant red color. If your sauce is dark red, bordering on maroon, then you've overcooked it and the taste will be bitter. Just because Nonni was in the kitchen all day, doesn't mean that the sauce was cooking the whole time. A good sauce is a red sauce, so be sure that if you are taking on this labor of love that you don't over do it.
3.  And that brings me to the love part. That comes from you, the cook. Putting your heart into what you cook for family and friends is what touches their soul when they devour every delicious bite. Make a sauce, invite some family and/or friends over, and let me know what happens.

Buon Appetito!

Pan to Table Tortellini...it's quick and delicious!

Yes, sometimes I want a quick dinner that tastes great, all the ingredients are of good quality, and they can be purchased at the store. This dish is proof that no matter how tired, lazy, or time challenged you are, you can still put a satisfying meal on the table in less that 30 minutes. It's REAL food, and it got rave reviews at my house last night.

Pan to Table Tortellini (suggestions for a more catchy name are always encouraged)

Here's what you'll need, plus a few more ingredients which are listed below:

 

2 boxes of Buitoni Whole Wheat Cheese Tortellini
1/2 sweet white onion
1 red pepper
1 cup good quality marina sauce (look near the fresh pasta as the better brands are usually there)
1/2 pint of Cibo Natural Artichoke Lemon Pesto
1/4 cup frozen organic green peas
6 pitted Kalamata olives sliced in half lengthwise
5-6 small tomatoes quartered and peeled

Ricotta Salata Cheese 

Dice the onion and red pepper, set aside. Slice the olives and measure out the peas, then set those aside.

Add a tbsp of olive oil to a saute pan. Add the onions and pepper. Saute over medium heat until onions start to brown.

Place a pan of water on the stove and heat until it boils. Add a healthy pinch of sea salt, then let it simmer over low heat, covered, while you continue to prepare the sauce.

Add the quartered tomatoes and saute for about 3 minutes. Add the lemon pesto sauce, marinara sauce, frozen peas and olives. I use olives sparingly as I love the flavor, but too many is overpowering and makes your sauce too salty. Let this simmer for 15 minutes.

While the sauce is simmering, bring your pasta water back up to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for about 6 minutes, or to your liking. Using a small strainer, or slotted spoon, take the tortellini right from the pasta water to the sauce. This is the authentic Italian way. The starch from the pasta thickens your sauce a bit:

Gently toss the tortellini into the sauce. Shave ricotta salata cheese over the top, and if you want to keep it simple, bring the pan right to the table and dive in. I served a small green salad on the side, which we like to eat after the pasta as a brush for the tummy. Enjoy!