Category Archives: Macaroni Dishes

Fusilli with Italian Tuna, Nduja and Spinach

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Hi Everyone,

Click on photos to ENLARGE and then hit the back arrow to return to the post.

I hope you all enjoyed the weekend and I am back with another recipe I just had to share with all of you. This is a definite keeper…

Back in the day, my grandmother lived with us for a time and it was a feast of Italian food every night. She was a fabulous cook and my mother learned many techniques and recipes from her.

Grandma could make a feast from very few ingredients and everything she made was always delicious.

None of my friends ever ate the food that we ate in our home, but everyone wanted the invitation to come over for dinner. The aromas from grandma’s kitchen were spectacular.

She used one ingredient a lot and it was a staple in our home — we called it “pork paste.” Later on, as I got older, I found out the real name is Nduja– pronounced – en-doo-ya.

Grandma added this to some of her sauces or served it on hot semolina or Barese-style Foccacia bread along with various kinds of cheese.

From Wikipedia, a better definition for Nduja…

“Nduja is a spicy, spreadable pork sausage from the region of Calabria in Southern Italy. ‘Nduja is made using meat from the head (minus the jowls, which are used for guanciale), trimmings from various meat cuts, some clean skin, fatback, and roasted Calabrian chili peppers, which give ‘nduja its characteristic fiery taste. These are all minced together, then stuffed in large sausage casings and smoked, creating a soft large sausage, from where the spicy mixture later is scooped out as needed.[3] ‘Nduja is mainly served with slices of bread or with ripe cheese.“

One of the recipes my grandmother added Nduja to was her bucatini pasta (thick spaghetti with a hole inside) with Italian tuna and she added capers to the dish as well. It was so delicious.

One afternoon I was on Instagram and there was a chef (David Rocco) that made the very same dish I had as a child minus the capers. I had a flashback to grandma and decided I had to find Nduja.

Since I live in the Northeast I headed to Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, NY, a little Italy of sorts, and in one of the Italian meat stores I found Nduja.

You can find Nduja online or at high-end grocery stores like Eataly. This is how it is packaged.

I followed the Instagram recipe from Chef Rocco with some changes of my own and came up with the recipe below. He just used the Nduja with the tuna and spaghetti, very simple, the way most Italian pasta dishes come together.

I didn’t want the capers that grandma used since Bob is not a fan, so I added some fresh spinach for color.

It was quick and easy and when I served it to Bob he gave me the greatest compliment and said, “Grandma would be so proud of you” and that is all I needed to hear.

I wish she was here so I could have made this favorite dish for her to eat, but somehow in my heart, I feel she knows I made this is her honor.

So, I had to share this recipe with all of you and I hope you try it and enjoy it….

Fusilli with Tuna, Nduja, and Spinach– adapted by a recipe from Chef David Rocco

Ingredients:
– 1 package (400g) OR 14 oz of Fusilli
– 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
– 5 garlic cloves, minced
– 1 tsp chili flakes
– 1 tbsp ‘nduja
– 250g or (2) 8 oz cans or jars of Italian tuna
– 1/2 bunch of parsley
– 1/2 cup white wine
– 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino

I added a small bunch of fresh chopped spinach.

I added 1 tsp of Calabrian chili paste and fresh ground black pepper

While your pasta is cooking, make your sauce.

In a large frying pan, add olive oil, garlic, and chili flakes.

I added 1 tsp of Calabrian chili peppers for a little extra spice (optional)

Add in ‘nduja and let it melt.

Then, add in tuna and parsley. Mix well and break up the tuna.

Add a splash of wine and let it reduce.

Mix well and add the fresh spinach (optional)

Add your pasta

Cook together for 30 seconds. Then, turn off the heat. Add in a drizzle of olive oil and pecorino, and toss for 20 seconds.

Plate and add more cheese if you want. Enjoy!

Until my next post, make every day a celebration!

Stay well,

Diane

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Baked Rigatoni- Comfort Food at its Best…

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Hi Everyone,

Click on photos to ENLARGE and then hit the back arrow to return to the post.

I hope your January is going well. I can’t believe we are two weeks into the new year already and time just flies by.

I am enjoying the long holiday weekend with Bob and we are rearranging the kitchen cabinets. I do this every January, especially after the cooking frenzy from the holidays.

I make sure I am fully stocked on dried spices, pasta, and all canned goods that I use often and re-stock my baking supplies.

On days like this when the kitchen will be turned upside down, I like to have an easy meal to prepare that won’t take too much of my time. And that meal would be my Crusty Baked Rigatoni. Always a crowd pleaser.

This is my son’s favorite dish and he always requests this when he comes home for a visit.

It is also a good potluck meal and my official “New Mom” meal. I can’t tell you how many times I have dropped off a baked rigatoni, tossed salad and a loaf of Italian bread along with a baby gift for a new mom that comes home from the hospital and the last thing they need is to cook dinner. (PS- it freezes well too).

So, I wanted to re-post this recipe in case you have one of those days when you want something simple or even a lazy Sunday where you don’t want to fuss too much with dinner and have nice delicious comfort food.

I hope you try the recipe and enjoy it……

CRUSTY BAKED RIGATONI

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 lb rigatoni
  • Olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 ½ lb. ground beef or ground turkey
  • ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 TBSP dried oregano
  • 1 TBSP Italian seasonings
  • 1 large can (28 oz) peeled tomatoes
  • 1 8 oz can of “no salt added” tomato sauce
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 Cups whole milk mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the rigatoni, stir well, and cook according to package directions. Drain the rigatoni, place in a large bowl, and toss with a little olive oil to prevent sticking. Set it aside.

In the same pot, heat approx 2 TBSP olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, and garlic and cook, stirring until soft (approx. 5 minutes)

Add the meat and cook stirring to break up the meat, until no pink remains (approx 10 minutes). Drain off all of the fat (I use a large colander and then return to the pot).

Add the parsley, oregano, Italian seasoning and tomatoes, and tomato sauce and stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the tomatoes break down (approx 20 minutes)

Stir in the heavy cream, raise the heat, and return to a boil. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Return the rigatoni to the pot and toss well.

Oil the bottom of a shallow 3 qt baking dish. Spread half of the pasta mixture on the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle half the mozzarella. Top with the remaining pasta, the remaining mozzarella, and all of the Parmesan cheese.

Bake until the pasta is crusty and golden brown (approx 30 minutes). Remove from the oven, let stand for 5 minutes and serve. (Serves 6).

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Until my next post, make every day a celebration!

Stay well,

Diane

I

Fusilli with Cauliflower & Roasted Chickpeas

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Hi Everyone,

Welcome to OCTOBER!

This year is just flying by. I can’t believe it is October already. I guess I better start digging in the archives for some pumpkin recipes….

Well, once October sets in and the chill is in the air, I either bake or make stews and casseroles.

I will definitely bake this weekend but last night Bob and I had another tried and true recipe- Mom’s cauliflower with macaroni and roasted chickpeas.

A simple dish that was once considered a peasant meal and now gaining popularity in many restaurants. I have made this in the past with tri-colored cauliflower in a garlic and anchovy sauce (see pic below), which is also very tasty.

But tonight, I decided on the traditional recipe. Simple ingredients of the best quality is a winning combination. Plus, this meal doesn’t take that long to come together so it’s a great weeknight meal when you don’t have that much time to prepare.

I hope you try this “Italian peasant dish” and enjoy!

Fusilli with Cauliflower and Roasted Chickpeas

Ingredients

1 (28 oz) can of peeled tomatoes- diced

1/3 cup of olive oil

3 cloves of minced garlic

1/2 cup low sodium vegetable or chicken broth

1 head of cauliflower- broken into florets

1/4 cup fresh parsley

1/2 cup (or more) grated cheese

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. oregano

torn basil leaves

Salt & pepper

red pepper chili flakes (optional)

1 lb fusilli or pasta of your choice

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the diced tomatoes, basil leaves and the cauliflower- mix to combine….

Add the broth, reduce the heat and cover to steam the cauliflower. Cooked covered for 20 minutes, and then uncovered for 10 minutes to thicken the sauce….. That is it, simple and delicious.

Cook penne in salted boiling water- drain and add to the skillet along with the parsley, salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano. Cook for 1 minute and then add grated cheese.

I roasted a can of drained chick peas in a little olive oil on a low flame with salt, pepper and red chili flakes for some heat ( this addition is optional) and added the chick peas to the pasta right before serving.

I hope you give this recipe a try. Have fun cooking !

Until my next post, make every day a celebration !

Stay well,

Diane

Please ask your family and friends to follow DishingwithDiane.com either on facebook or sign up for emails directly from the web page.

And share this post with your family and friends.

Once you become a member, you’ll never miss a post…

Also, continue to send me your comments, I love hearing from you.

Tri-Color Tortellini with Trapanese Sauce

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Hi Everyone,

Hope you are all well. Today I wanted to share with you a secret weapon I have in my freezer at all times- and that for me is “Trapanese Sauce”. If you love pesto, you will love this sauce. Similar to pesto with a few additions.

I always like to have a “stand by” recipe available for those nights when you just don’t feel like spending time cooking dinner but don’t want to order take-out. I always keep a bag of frozen tortellini or cavatelli and a pesto or trapanese sauce in the freezer.

Last night was one of those nights. I had taken meat out to defrost in the morning but by the time dinner came around, that was not what I was in the mood for so I boiled the frozen pasta and added some of the frozen trapanese sauce, a little grated cheese and within 20 minutes, dinner was on the table- hot and delicious. I served the pasta with homemade garlic bread and that completed the meal.Whenever I have an abundance of fresh, beautiful basil, I make pesto and trapanese sauce and put it in zip-lock bags laying flat (to save space) in the freezer for those no cook nights.

The trapanese sauce has almonds, grape tomatoes, and sun-dried tomatoes added to the basil. Here is the recipe, enjoy….

Ingredients:

1 pint of cherry tomatoes

2 cups packed fresh basil

1/3 cup of whole almonds, lightly toasted – the skin can be on or off

2 – 3 garlic cloves

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper – to taste

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil

1/2 cup grated cheese

1 lb any pasta of your choice

Directions:

Toast the almonds in a dry pan or on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees between 5-10 minutes, until just lightly toasted. Watch carefully, they can burn easily. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Rinse and pat dry the tomatoes and basil.

In a food processor, ADD the tomatoes, garlic, cooled almonds, basil, sun-dried tomatoes, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and use short pulses until mixed well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

While the food processor is still running, add the olive oil and form a creamy paste- Do not puree. 

Put the pesto in a large bowl and taste for seasoning.

Generously salt the pasta water. Cook pasta 2 minutes under al dente as per package directions.

Save 1 cup of pasta water. 

Drain the pasta and toss into the pesto. Toss quickly to coat, ADD the grated cheese and toss again. Add pasta water, 1 tbsp at a time to adjust consistency so that the pesto coats the pasta and is not too dry or too thick. 

I serve the pasta immediately, but in can be served at room temperature.

Additional grated cheese can be added at the table. Garnish with fresh basil leaves.

Until my next post, make every day a celebration!

Stay well,

Diane

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Ask your family and friends to share, like, comment and join DishingwithDiane.com and become part of the family!

Once you become a member, you’ll never miss a post.

Also, continue to send me your comments and emails, I Love hearing from you.

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Pumpkin Fettucine Alfredo

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Hi Everyone,

Hope you are all fine, turned your clocks back for that extra hour of sleep on this lazy Sunday and had a wonderful Halloween yesterday!

We had a total of 75 trick or treaters (much lower than years before). I just love to see the toddlers in their costumes. This year for the first time as per doctors orders I wasn’t allowed to open the door to greet the children so I had to leave a bowl of candy outside on the steps, but watched them through the window. So cute. Some costumes are so clever and this year we saw a lot more parents and guardians in costume.

Bob and I made the traditional Turkey and 3-bean chili to keep our Halloween tradition alive and served it with whole grain cornbread …. (recipe on blog)

I am still cooking today, which brings me to todays post…….

Today I made a pumpkin alfredo pasta dish and posted it on my personal timeline. I thought I had included it on the blog once before and today I received so many requests for the recipe from friends that couldn’t find it via the blog index so I decided to post it again.

The original recipe calls for fettuccine but you can use any pasta of your liking. Today I used pappardelle, a large, flat & broad pasta noodle.

The secret ingredient for me is sprinkling the pasta with amaretti cookies before serving. The flavor between the amaretti, pumpkin and sage are fabulous.

These are my favorite amaretti cookies but there are many brands on the market … These can be ordered on Amazon or found in Italian delis.

They are wrapped 2 mini cookies to a package.

Lazzaroni Amaretti, 16-Ounce Tin

I hope you try this recipe and enjoy it as much as we do.

Ingredients:

12 ounces fettuccine (or pasta of your choice)

2 tablespoons butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin puree– NOT PURE PUMPKIN

2 cups heavy cream

Freshly ground nutmeg

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

4-5 fresh sage leaves, chopped

Additional Parmesan cheese for serving

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat.

Cook the pasta according to package directions.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion; sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring, until softened.  Stir in the pumpkin puree and a few leaves of sage.  Add the heavy cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper.  Reduce the heat to medium-low.  Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce is slightly thickened.  Stir in the Parmesan cheese.

Drain the pasta and add to the sauce.  Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl.

Sprinkle the chopped sage over the top.  Serve with additional grated

Cooks Note: Feel free to toss some toasted, chopped walnuts or crushed amaretti cookies on top. 

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Until my next post, make every day a celebration!

Stay well,

Diane

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Ask your family and friends to share, like, comment, and join DishingwithDiane.com and become part of the family!

Once you become a member, you’ll never miss a post.

Also, continue to send me your comments and emails, 

I Love hearing from you.

See you soon with the gumbo recipe…..

Back in the Kitchen…..Diane 2.0

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Photo Apr 15, 7 45 23 PM Farfalle with prosciutto and chicken

Click on the photo to enlarge and then the back arrow to return to the original size

Hi Everyone,

I hope this post finds you well. I want to thank all of you for the warm emails and comments that I have been receiving regarding my heart transplant and recovery- thank you so much.

I have missed all of you tremendously. I can’t wait until I can come back to the blog full time and set a few new tablescapes. My head is spinning with new ideas.

I am in my fourth month post heart transplant and I am feeling much stronger. It has been a roller coaster recovery so far. Some weeks are great and then there are weeks that a few set backs show up here and there that stops me in my tracks. I will not give up or give in to pain or difficult situations that arise, so I will continue to follow all the rules and the restrictions to get myself back to being me.

My husband calls me Diane 2.0, the new and improved.

Speaking of my husband or should I say angel on earth, he has been doing everything while I recover. He is dusting, cleaning the house, doing laundry, making beds, food shopping and cooking three meals a day and continuing to work full time. He is truly a gift from God.

I have more good days than bad lately and one day a few weeks ago, I decided that I was going to cook dinner. I didn’t know what we had in the refrigerator or pantry since I haven’t been shopping so I decided to check out the situation. As I was poking around I felt like a contestant on the Food Network show, “Chopped” where you make a meal from odd ingredients.

Well, I found pasta of course (and one of my favorites, farfalle or the bow ties), prosciutto, frozen peas, chicken breast and half a container of mascarpone (Italian cream cheese). I could do something with that and pasta is always an easy dish. I announced to Bob that I was going to cook and he really wasn’t on board with it at first because I was still not allowed to lift a lot of weight and I have awful tremors from the medication and my hands shake 24/7, but I told him I would start and if I couldn’t do it, he would have to take over. So he agreed. He put the water up for the pasta and I was ready.

Although my body wasn’t as ready as my mind. Because I had just started walking, I still had the walker at all times so I had the walker set up in front of me at the counter and a kitchen chair behind me in case I needed to take breaks and sit. I should have had Bob take a picture of that but at the time I was too focused on being able to make dinner.

I had to sit and think of a plan because I couldn’t move around the kitchen freely and I was basically stationary in front of the cabinets and next to the stove. Bob was a call away, and he had to put the chicken in the oven for me.

I finally completed dinner and I considered it a success when Bob told me how much he missed my cooking. He needed a break from cooking and I needed to get back in the kitchen- my happy place.

The following is a list of ingredients and directions for this first meal I prepared post transplant. I hope you give it a try and enjoy. 

I will be posting more and more recipes that I have been preparing while recovering. I don’t have enough strength to cook every night but I am working on that and getting stronger for a tablescape.

Until my next post, make every day a celebration!

Stay well,

Diane

Thank you for visiting my blog

Ask your family and friends to share, like, comment and join DishingwithDiane.com and become part of the family!

Once you become a member, you’ll never miss a post.

Also, continue to send me your comments and emails, I LOVE hearing from you.

____________________________________________________________________________

Farfalle with Prosciutto, Peas and Chicken in a Creamy Red Sauce

Ingredients:

3/4 lb pasta

1 lb chicken breast

1/2 cup chicken broth or water

1 can whole plum tomatoes – crushed by hand or food processor

2 shallots – diced

1-2 garlic cloves – minced

olive oil

garlic

prosciutto

basil, parsley & oregano (1 tsp. of each dried or fresh herbs)

8 oz mascarpone cheese

grated cheese to garnish

frozen peas

salt and pepper – to taste

Directions:

Place chicken breast in a small roasting pan and add 1/2 cup of broth or water and bake for 25 minutes COVERED on 350 degrees.  Remove from poaching liquid, let it cool and dice into cubes

Start to boil your water w/salt for the pasta

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and saute diced prosciutto until it starts to get crispy and remove to a paper towel.

To the same skillet add shallots and 1- 2 cloves of minced garlic (more olive oil can be added if needed) and saute for 1-2 minutes 

Add the crushed tomatoes and herbs, simmer for 10 minutes on medium and add the mascarpone cheese, frozen peas and simmer for 10-25 minutes while the pasta cooks.

When the sauce is done, add the pasta, chicken, prosciutto and some grated cheese. Season with salt & pepper.

 

Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce …

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Photo Jun 28, 9 16 36 PM CAPELLINI WITH FRESH TOMATOES

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Hi Everyone, 

Very busy since my last post and the time is flying by. I can’t believe that we are at the end of June already. Wasn’t it just Easter?

I have received several emails regarding a recipe that I had posted on Instagram and I wanted to share it with all of my DishingwithDiane members. The recipe is for a tomato sauce that takes less than 20 minutes and is made with fresh tomatoes. I use cherry tomatoes.

Sounds to good to be true, but it is.

With all of our gardens that are bountiful this time of year with tomatoes and basil (one of my favorite combinations), this recipe is perfect.

It is a go to recipe of mine for the summer months. 

It is much quicker than ordering take out and much healthier.

I hope you give it a try and let me know what you think.

Fresh Tomato Sauce with Garden Tomatoes

Photo Jun 28, 7 30 40 PM INGREDIENTS

Ingredients

3 pints of cherry tomatoes – washed and sliced in half — ( Roma or vine tomatoes can be used as well- your choice.)

1/3 cup olive oil

3 cloves of sliced garlic (or more)

Red pepper flakes

1 tbsp. of tomato paste

Salt and pepper

1 tsp. dried oregano

Fresh basil leaves

Fresh thyme

1 tbsp. butter

Pasta of your choice

½ to 1 cup of white wine (optional)

1 cup frozen or fresh peas (optional)

Diane’s tips: 

Dry herbs are stronger than fresh herbs so you need to use a smaller amount.

Don’t just sprinkle dried herbs in your pot, instead rub dried herbs between your fingers to crush the herb. This releases the oils that are left in the leaves which adds more flavor.

Directions:

Wash and slice 3 pints of cherry tomatoes in half, set aside

In a large skillet, add 1/3 cup olive oil, 3 cloves (or more) of sliced garlic and red pepper flakes (the desired amount you want).

Once the garlic starts to turn golden, add the tomato paste and saute for a few minutes to toast the tomato paste and blend it well with the garlic.

Next, add all of your tomatoes and season with salt, pepper, dried oregano, some fresh basil leaves and a few sprigs of fresh thyme.  I added 1 cup white wine (optional).

Simmer for approx. 15- 20 minutes on medium heat partially covered. Stir occasionally and crush the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher to release their juices.

Add peas now if using (optional)

In the meantime, make your pasta per directions, two minutes shy of al dente.  Reserve 1-2 cups of pasta water and add the drained pasta to the skillet to finish cooking.

If pasta sauce is too thick or too dry, add some pasta water- ( a tbsp. at a time).

Off heat, I finish the sauce with 1 tbsp of butter, grated cheese and a few fresh basil leaves.  Serve and enjoy!

Slideshow of steps starting with ingredients…

 

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Until my next post, make every day a celebration!

Stay well,

Diane

Thank you for visiting my blog and please spread the word to your family and friends to join DishingwithDiane. 

Once you become a member, you’ll never miss a post.

Also, continue to send me your comments, I LOVE to hear from you.

 

Saffron Fregola with Clams, Shrimp & Scallops

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Photo Dec 11, 8 57 17 PM FREGOLA

(Click PHOTO to enlarge and then back arrow to return to original size).

Hi Everyone,

I found another recipe I wanted to share.

If you are Italian, like me, then you know that Christmas Eve is a big culinary feast for all Italian families.

It is the Feast of the Seven Fishes or La Viglia.  Personally my favorite meal of the year.

La Viglia was held until the midnight hour when baby Jesus was born. It is an extensive seafood dinner and there has to be seven varieties of fish.

Every year I basically prepare the same menu……

  • linguine with crab sauce
  • shrimp cocktail
  • fried calamari
  • fried shrimp
  • fried eel
  • coconut shrimp
  • stuffed calamari
  • baked clams
  • crab cakes
  • baccala (cod) with tomatoes and potatoes
  • cold seafood salad (shrimp, squid, scallops, scungilli, celery, olives in a lemon olive oil dressing)
  • stuffed shrimp
  • scungilli in hot sauce
  • cold broccoli salad

This year I wanted to add something different to the menu and I started searching for recipes. I finally found a recipe that looked interesting that was on the Williams Sonoma website and decided to give it a test run. It was made with fregola pasta which I haven’t had in years so I was all excited.

WE LOVED IT and I want to share it with you today. Easy to prepare too.

It will definitely be on my table Christmas Eve.

Saffron Fregola with Seafood

A bit of culinary exotica, fregola is a type of pasta from the Italian island of Sardinia. The more common Israeli couscous may be substituted. Serve this hearty stew with a refreshing butter lettuce and pear salad and plenty of crusty bread for dipping.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tsp. saffron threads
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 2 Tbs. olive oil
  • 1/2 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1/2 lb. medium scallops, tough muscles removed
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup fregola (Sardinian couscous) or Israeli couscous
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 lb. clams, scrubbed
  • 2 Tbs. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

Crush the saffron in a small bowl and add the wine. Set aside.

In a large, heavy pot over high heat, warm 1 Tbs. of the olive oil. When the pan is very hot, add the shrimp and sear for 1 minute per side (do not cook all the way through). Transfer to a bowl. Add the scallops to the pot and sear for 1 minute per side, also without cooking all the way through. Transfer to the bowl with the shrimp.

Add the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil, the onion and garlic to the pot and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the saffron mixture and cook for 2 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the fregola and stir to combine, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the clams, discarding any that do not close to the touch. Cover the pot tightly and steam for 3 minutes. Remove the lid and quickly add the shrimp and scallops. Cover the pot tightly again and continue to cook just until the clams open and the shrimp and scallops are cooked through, about 3 minutes. Discard any clams that failed to open. Ladle the stew into warmed bowls, sprinkle with the parsley and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Soup of the Day, by Kate McMillan (Weldon Owen, 2011).

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I hope you try this dish and enjoy it as much as we did.

 

Until my next post, make every day a celebration!

Stay well,

Diane

Thank you for visiting my blog.

If you enjoy the posts, please spread the word and ask your family and friends to subscribe to DishingwithDiane.com 

Once you subscribe, you’ll never miss a post…

Also, continue to send me your comments, I love hearing from you.

 

 

Roses…Sweet and Savory

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Photo Dec 03, 2 09 55 AM SWEET AND SAVORY

(Click PHOTO to enlarge and then back arrow to return to original size).

Hi Everyone,

Well, I am back from my mini vacation visiting my son in upstate NY. In between going out and about on my visit, I spent my time cooking my son’s favorite foods along with a Thanksgiving dinner.

His refrigerator and freezer are stocked and now I am a happy mom.

He doesn’t have time to cook for himself with his work schedule and I feel better knowing that he is eating a home cooked meal instead of fast food.

While upstate, I had to visit my favorite grocery store, Wegmans. You all know by now that I just love that store. I am waiting for the day that they build one where I live.

Bob calls it Diane’s Disney for good reason. (I even went during snow flurries. Nothing was going to stop me.)

Anyway, we bought the most delicious (& huge) apples in Wegmans. On the way home, Bob asked if I wouldn’t mind making a dessert with them even though I had been cooking all week. So in the car, (I had eight hours to think driving home) I was trying to think of something to make with the apples. The usual apple pie and apple turnovers came to mind and then I thought about apple roses. They look beautiful and can be served warm with vanilla ice cream.

I always have puff pastry in the house and I had the other ingredients as well, so apple roses it is.

I had this recipe for a long time. I copied it from a post in Pinterest and I really don’t remember the original site I was on to tell you.

In addition, I have the perfect apple shaped dishes to serve them on.

I bought the apple dishes in Sur La Table when I went in to shop for a cast iron pan and found the dishes instead, along with an apple platter.

Here is a pic of my apple roses. They are Huge!

I told you the apples were big. Normally, I would serve 2, but with this size I chose to serve only one per plate. (Recipe will be at the end of the post.)

Photo Dec 03, 2 00 41 AM APPLE -CLOSE

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Since I was making a sweet “rose”, I decided I should make a savory rose and complete the meal. I had the perfect entree in mind too.

On our last trip to Boston, Bob and I ate in a great restaurant in the North End of Boston on the Freedom Trail called “Restaurante Limoncello” and I highly recommend it. I loved everything about this restaurant.

I had the best mussels and clams Calabrese style (spicy) appetizer I ever had. No other restaurant ever came close to the taste of that dish.

On the menu, their signature dish was “Rosette Limoncello”,  rosette means rose. Pasta roses? I had to order it and a beautiful plate of pasta shaped like roses in a cream sauce filled with ham and fontina cheese came to the table-  just delicious.

One day while browsing the “Chowhound” website, there was an article by “farmersdaughter” about pasta roses using the renowned Italian cookbook author, Marcella Hazan’s recipe. I finally had my recipe.

All in all they didn’t look too difficult. Much easier than I had imagined, but time consuming. Of course I had to make a little tweak. Her recipe calls for ham and Fontina cheese; I made mine with prosciutto and Asiago cheese. A combination that Bob and I like a little better.

The roses make a beautiful presentation for a primo piatto (first course) for a dinner party or the holidays.

Two or three roses with some basil for a garnish and you are done.

Here is the pic of my Rosette di Pasta (Recipe at the end of the post)

Photo Dec 02, 7 14 00 PM CLOSE UP

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I hope you try either of these recipes and add them to your holiday menu.

Until my next post, make every day a celebration!

Stay well,

Diane

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RECIPES

Apple Roses

Photo Dec 03, 2 00 06 AM APPLE ROSES

serves 6

Ingredients:

2 apples (pink lady, braeburn, or honeycrisp)
Juice of half a lemon
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
Flour, for dusting
3 tablespoons apricot or strawberry preserves
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a standard muffin tin.

Core the apples and slice in half. Using a very sharp knife or mandolin on the second setting, slice paper thin 1/8-inch slices and immediately sprinkle and toss in lemon juice prevent browning.

Toss in the butter, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Microwave the slices for 45 seconds, or until soft and pliable enough to mold.

Place the puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface. Roll out into a 9 by 12-inch rectangle. Cut six 2-inch wide strips of dough.

In a small bowl, combine the preserves with 2 tablespoons of water. Microwave for 30 seconds if it was refrigerated. Spread evenly over each strip of dough.

Arrange about 10 apple slices lengthwise in a straight line, overlapping slightly, on a strip of dough.

Fold up the bottom part of the dough and begin tightly rolling the dough to form the rose shape. Press the edge to seal. Repeat for all the pies and place in the muffin tin.

Make ahead: at this point the unbaked assembled roses can be covered and stored in the fridge for up to 1 day before baking as directed.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

Pastries are best served the day they are baked but can be stored in an airtight container and rewarmed in a 300°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until warmed through and flaky again.

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Pasta Roses

Photo Dec 02, 7 14 00 PM ROSES 2

Recipe for Roselline di Pasta alla Romagnola (Pasta Roses with Ham and Fontina) from the Chowhound article…

Serves 6

Ingredients:

about 1 pound fresh pasta sheets, cut about 4″ wide and 10″ long
salt
4 T unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 T tomato paste
1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
1 1/2 lbs boiled, unsmoked ham, sliced very thin
1 pound fontina, shredded
about 3 T grated parmigiano-reggiano

Cook the pasta strips 2 or 3 at a time in boiling salted water for a few seconds, then remove from the water with a spider and shock in ice water. Rinse each pasta strip well in cold water and rub together to remove as much starch as possible—as Marcella says, “as if you are doing a fine laundry.” Lay the strips out on the counter on a towel and repeat with the remaining strips.

Preheat the oven to 450. Put butter and cream in a small saucepan and heat to medium and reduce the cream a bit, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and the nutmeg and whisk lightly to dissolve the tomato paste, continuing to cook to thicken the sauce to about buttermilk consistency, about another 5 minutes. Spread a thin layer of the sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 pan.

On each pasta strip, place a single layer of sliced ham and then cover with a layer of cheese. My ham slices were exactly 4″ wide so no trimming was necessary, but the ham should fit the slice without overlapping it on the sides. Roll up the pasta like a jelly roll and place seam-side down on the towel while you do the other rolls. After you have done all the rolls, cut them in half so they are about 2″ thick. Then with a paring knife on one side of each ring, make an “X” about 1/2″ deep. This will help the roses “bloom.” (Mine didn’t bloom as much as I wanted, but they still looked very pretty.)

Put the roses in the baking dish with the cross cuts face up and distribute the remaining sauce over them with a pastry brush. Press down a bit on the roses to help them open slightly. Sprinkle with the parmigiano-reggiano and bake for about 15 minutes, until a light crust forms on top. Let them sit for about 5 minutes before serving. (Everything but the baking can be done in advance, just make sure that if you make it ahead and refrigerate it that it’s at room temperature before you put it in the oven.)

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Give these recipes a try and let me know what you think.

Photo Dec 03, 2 09 55 AM SWEET AND SAVORY

Thank you for visiting my blog.

If you enjoy the posts, please spread the word and ask your family and friends to subscribe to DishingwithDiane.com 

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Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Sage

6 Replies

Photo Oct 09, 8 02 56 PM sweet potato gnocchi

(Click PHOTO to enlarge and then back arrow to return to original size).

Hi Everyone, 

Here is another recipe that was requested from DishingwithDiane’s Instagram page.

Welcome to Fall!

My husband LOVES gnocchi and he loves anything that is made with sweet potatoes. He will always be the one to order the sweet potato fries or the sweet potato pie.

When I found this recipe on Epicurious for sweet potato gnocchi, I knew it would be a match made in heaven for Bob to have two of his favorites combined together.

The recipe called for a brown butter sage sauce and I just added some toasted walnuts (toasted pecans would be good also). 

The end result was a delicious Autumn meal even though it has been 80 degrees here on the Northeast (which I personally LOVE).

Give the recipe a try and let me know what you think.

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Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Sage

Epicurious recipe…

Makes 10 to 12 servings

Ingredients:

  • (2) 1-pound red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams), rinsed, patted dry, pierced all over with fork
  • (1) 12-ounce container fresh ricotta cheese, drained in sieve 2 hours
  • 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
  • 2 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
  • 2- 3/4 cups (about) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 6 tablespoons chopped fresh sage plus whole leaves for garnish

Cooks note: I added toasted walnuts.

Preparation:

  1. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Place sweet potatoes on plate; microwave on high until tender, about 5 minutes per side. Cut in half and cool. Scrape sweet potato flesh into medium bowl and mash; transfer 3 cups to large bowl. Add ricotta cheese; blend well. Add Parmesan cheese, brown sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, and nutmeg; mash to blend. Mix in flour, about 1/2 cup at a time, until soft dough forms.
  3. Turn dough out onto floured surface; divide into 6 equal pieces. Rolling between palms and floured work surface, form each piece into 20-inch-long rope (about 1 inch in diameter), sprinkling with flour as needed if sticky. Cut each rope into 20 pieces. Roll each piece over tines of fork to indent. Transfer to baking sheet.
  4. Bring large pot of water to boil; add 2 tablespoons salt and return to boil. Working in batches, boil gnocchi until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer gnocchi to clean rimmed baking sheet. Cool completely. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)
  5. Preheat oven to 300°F. Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until butter solids are brown and have toasty aroma, swirling pan occasionally, about 5 minutes.  (I added the walnuts at this point and let them cook for the 5 minutes).
  6. Add chopped sage (mixture will bubble up). Turn off heat. Season sage butter generously with salt and pepper.
  7. Transfer half of sage butter to large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add half of gnocchi. Sauté until gnocchi are heated through, about 6 minutes. Empty skillet onto rimmed baking sheet; place in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining sage butter and gnocchi.
  8. Divide gnocchi and sauce among shallow bowls. Garnish with sage leaves.

Until my next post, make every day a celebration!

Stay well,

Diane

Thank you for visiting my blog.

If you enjoy the posts, please spread the word and ask your family and friends to subscribe to DishingwithDiane.com 

Once you subscribe, you’ll never miss a post…

Also, continue to send me your comments, I love hearing from you.