Recipes : Pasta

For the Love of Kale!

For the Love of Kale!

Ingredients:

  • 1 bunch of kale
  • ½ lb pasta (skinny rice noodles, thin whole wheat spaghetti or whatever you have)
  • 4 Tablespoons peanut butter (thick or crunchy all natural kind is best)
  • 4 Tablespoons sweet chili sauce
  • 3 Tablespoons tamari
  • A splash of water

Make It:

Remove stems from kale and chop into bite-sized pieces. Rinse, but do not dry leaves. Wilt kale until tender in a hot frying pan. No oil or additional water is needed if the kale is wet from rinsing. It may take several batches depending on the size of your frying pan.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and toss with kale in a large bowl.

Gently heat sauce ingredients in the frying pan until smooth and warm. Add to pasta and kale and toss again.

This dish is even yummier when eaten with chopsticks! (I’m sort of kidding, but somehow that’s the only way I like to eat it...)

Sometimes I add leftover chicken or sausage (if so I make extra sauce), but this dish is totally satisfying by itself.

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Pasta with Mesclun

Adapted from Lorna Sass’s book Short-Cut Vegetarian

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz spaghetti or other pasta
  • 3/4 bag (6 ounces) mesclun, washed
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1-2 tablespoons tamari or other soy sauce
  • fresh ground black pepper
  • parmesan cheese

Make It:

Heat the garlic and olive oil gently, just until warm.

Cook the pasta, drain. While its still warm, mix with the mesclun, warm oil and garlic, and tamari. Toss to mix until greens wilt slightly. Season with black pepper. Serve immediately, topped with grated parmesan cheese.

A lot of the meals in our house consist of various combinations of pasta and veggies. This is one of my favorites. It is adapted from Lorna Sass’s book Short-Cut Vegetarian. You can add pan fried tempeh or chicken to make it a complete meal.

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Buttercup Pasta

Adapted from the Minimalist Cooks at Home, by Mark Bittman.
Buttercup Pasta

Ingredients:

  • 1 buttercup squash
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup chicken stock (or other stock or water)
  • 1 pound fusilli or other pasta
  • 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
  • 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
  • 5-6 leaves sage
  • ½ cup fresh grated parmesan plus more for on top

Make It:

The hardest part of the recipe is preparing the squash. You need to peel it. The easiest way I think is to cut the squash in half, scrape out the seed, cut into sections, then slice off the peel with a knife. Then, using a food processor, finely grate all the squash. After this the recipe is easy.

Melt the butter in the bottom of heavy bottomed pot. Add the squash, ½ cup stock, and the garlic. Stir occasionally. As it dries out and threatens to stick, add another ¼ cup stock. Repeat as needed, but don’t thin it any more than necessary. Chop the sage and add it midway through the cooking. When the squash begins to fall apart and get soft (about 10-15 minutes), put the pasta in to cook. Taste the squash and add salt and pepper and sugar to taste. When the pasta is done, drain it and add it to the sauce with the cheese. Mix it all up. Serve topped with more parmesan and fresh ground pepper.

Cornelia and I made this Tuesday night, and it was awesome. It is pictured above with the collard green ribbons.

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Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Submitted by Mimi
Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium or two small eggplants
  • 3 medium yellow zucchini
  • 2 pounds tomatoes
  • olive oil
  • ½ pound ricotta
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan
  • ½ pound mozzarella cheese, grated
  • ½ pound lasagna noodles
  • ½ cup bread crumbs
  • salt and pepper

Make It:

Slice the eggplant and zucchini into rounds ½ inch thick. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Slice the tomatoes in half crosswise, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and put in a separate pan. Roast the two pans of veggies for 45 minutes or so at 450 till the eggplant and zukes are browned and soft and the tomatoes are soft and slightly golden. Mix all the veggies, including any tomato juice and oil, in a bowl.

Stir together ricottta, eggs, half the parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Boil the lasagna noodles until barely tender.

Layer as follows: noodles, 1/3 ricotta mixture, 1/4 mozzarella, 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, 1/3 roasted veggies. Repeat until all used. Sprinkle top with remaining parmesan and mozzarella cheeses and then sprinkle on breadcrumbs.

Cover with aluminum foil, bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden and bubbly, about 15 more minutes. Let sit before 15 minutes (if you can stand it) before eating.

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Easy Raw Tomato Spaghetti

Submitted by Sarah Frederick
Adapted from Adapted from The Silver Spoon by CSAer

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb 2 oz ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped (if a wetter type drain a bit)
  • 4 Tb olive oil
  • 10 fresh basil leaves
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 12 oz spaghetti
  • Salt and pepper

Make It:

Put tomatoes in salad bowl with oil, basil, and garlic, season w/ salt and pepper. Mix and let sit 30 minutes. Remove garlic. Cook spaghetti in salted water, drain, and mix with tomatoes. Also nice with additions of garlicky croutons added right before eating and/or mozzarella chunks.

Also, the same book had the idea of adding green beans and "batons" of small potatoes (like chunky fries shape) right to the water when boiling pasta for pasta with pesto and tossing them in. Just a change and nutritional add on to the usual pasta with pesto.

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Fettuccine with Marinated Tomatoes, Basil & Cream

Submitted by Janet McConnell
Adapted from It's from the Fields of Green

Ingredients:

  • 1 /2 pounds ripe tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/3 cup coarsely chopped basil.....20-25 leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • pepper
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 pound pasta ('tho it can easily be more)
  • 2/3 cup grated Parmesan
  • 2-3 ounces Gorgonzola (or feta) cheese

Make It:

Cut the tomatoes into large chunks and toss with the oil, garlic, basil 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper (I add lots more).

Heat the cream in a large skillet...reduce to about 1/2 cup (give or take). Lower the heat and add the tomatoes...cook together 3-4 minutes gently.

Add drained pasta and cheeses to the cream..toss together and serve.

I never have Gorgonzola on hand...have substituted feta with great results! (add it to the cream first and let it begin to melt (stirring) before adding the pasta.

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Tomato and Eggplant with Pasta

Submitted by Anna

Ingredients:

  • Two or three tomatoes
  • One or two eggplant
  • One onion or a bunch of scallions
  • A handful of basil
  • Olive oil

Make It:

Chop the tomatoes and the scallions and put them into a pan with a fair amount of olive oil. Gently mash the tomatoes once they have begun to simmer. Chop the eggplant into small pieces and add it to the tomato and scallion sauce. Cook over a medium heat for several minutes, or until the eggplant is soft. Turn off the heat and add a handful of fresh chopped basil.

Note: for a thicker sauce, mash the tomatoes and pour off extra liquid before cooking them.

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Tortellini with Eggplant and Peppers

Submitted by Grandma
Adapted from From Real Simple, September 2008

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium eggplant, cut into ½ inch pieces
  • 2 bell peppers, cut into ½ inch pieces
  • Salt and pepper
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 pound cheese tortellini (fresh or frozen)
  • ½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan (2 ounces)

Make It:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant, bell peppers, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Cook stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, 6 to 8 minutes.
Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Add broth and tortellini. Cover and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the tortellini are cooked through and most of the broth is absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes.
Fold in the parsley and ¼ cup of the Parmesan. Spoon into bowls and sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup of Parmesan.
 

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Pasta with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage

Adapted from Courtesy of Frank DeCarlo of Peasant via Martha Stewart via Stephanie Giese

Ingredients:

  • Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 pound broccoli rabe, trimmed and washed
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
  • 2 shallots, crushed and peeled
  • 8 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casing removed
  • 1-1/2 cups canned low-sodium chicken stock
  • 1/2 pound pasta, such as campanelle
  • 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Grana Padana cheese (parmesan...)

Make It:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Add salt and broccoli rabe to the boiling water. Cook until just tender. Drain, and transfer to ice bath. When cool, drain and set aside.

2. Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and shallots; cook until just golden. Add sausage; sauté, breaking up with the back of a spoon, until cooked through. Add broccoli rabe and stock. Cook until heated through.

3. Into the same large pot, add pasta; cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain.

4. Add pasta to skillet; toss to combine. Season with salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper. Sprinkle with cheese; toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Couple of notes: We’ve made this a lot and have used spinach or broccoli or whatever other green we had. If using spinach, for example, I don’t cook it before adding to the skillet, I just put it in the skillet and let it wilt. We also use cheese liberally. Yummy.

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Winter Squash Lasagna

Submitted by Lisa Emerson

Ingredients:

  • 1 T olive oil
  • 2 lb (at least) butternut or other winter squash
  • Salt and pepper
  • ½ c water
  • 1 or 2 almond biscotti
  • ¼ c butter
  • ¼ c flour
  • 3 ½ c whole milk
  • Pinch nutmeg
  • 1c fresh basil leaves
  • 12 no boil lasagna noodles
  • 2 ½ c shredded whole-milk mozzarella
  • 1/3 grated parmesan

Make It:

Bake the squash and scoop out flesh. Put oil in large skillet, add the squash and salt and pepper. Add to food processor with cookies/biscotti and puree.

Melt butter in heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce thickens slightly (about 5 mins), whisking often. Whisk in nutmeg. Cool slightly. Transfer half this mixture to the food processor. Add basil leaves; blend until smooth. Return this basil sauce to the saucepan and stir. Season with salt and pepper.

Position rack in middle of oven at 375. Lightly butter a 13x9x2 glass baking dish. Spread about half the basil sauce in baking dish. Arrange 3 uncooked lasagna noodles on bottom. Spread with 1/3 squash puree. Sprinkle with ½ c mozzarella. Drizzle sauce over noodles. Repeat layering about 3 more times. Cover with remaining sauce.

Tightly cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and parmesan. Bake about 15 minutes more until sauce bubbles and top is golden. Let lasagna stand for 15 minutes before serving.

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