Recipe: Cheesy Orzo with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil

As I've said in some of my past few posts, I've been trying hard to work on planning meals in advance for the week rather than picking recipes throughout the week and shopping along the way. I've already pretty much mastered the art of "Chopped: Refrigerator Edition," or that ability to take random ingredients from the fridge and pull them together to make a meal (like a less intense version of the show, Chopped, where contestants are given a basket of ridiculously mismatched ingredients and asked to make meals). Between work and looking for work (did I mention I'm planning to move to Memphis by the end of the summer?) this week, I only had time to try out two new recipes (and though I planned and shopped accordingly, I still failed at groceries because I went shopping while hungry...Hello, frozen soft pretzels and Ben&Jerry's S'Mores!). Anywho, this orzo recipe was the first I made and I was quite happy with the results. Cheesy and comforting, this dish is a lot like if mac&cheese and rice pilaf had a baby—orzo (a type of pasta that looks an awful lot like big pieces of rice), grated Italian cheeses, fresh basil, and tart cherry tomatoes mix together to create a comforting and delicious side dish (add chicken or even shrimp for a complete meal).

Yields: 4 servings
Prep. time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 20-30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1&1/2 cup orzo
• 3 cups low sodium chicken stock
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
• 1/2 cup Pecorino-Romano cheese, grated or shredded
• 10-15 leaves (large handful; approx. 2 packages of pre-packed) basil, chiffonade cut 
• Butter and olive oil, as needed
• Salt and pepper

Directions

Melt the butter in a medium pot over medium high heat. Add the uncooked orzo and saute in the butter until lightly golden brown, then add the chicken stock. Briefly bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes, until little or no stock is remaining (drain excess stock if necessary; orzo should be al dente/tender yet firm when done). During the last 5-10 minutes the orzo is cooking, add a little butter and olive oil to a small pan over medium heat, then add the tomatoes and cook until their skins start to split a bit (they should be a little soft). When the orzo is done, add the cooked tomatoes, garlic, basil, cheeses, and salt and pepper and gently stir to combine. Serve as a side (top it with chicken or shrimp for a nice meal), or make into a hearty and comforting meal by adding chunks of sauteed chicken to the finished orzo. Or, if you're me, just eat it as is! Who says it can't be a meal in and of itself?

This dish is simple, quick to make, and quite tasty. The cheeses melt into the orzo, making the dish creamy and rich. Fresh basil and cherry tomatoes add a pop of flavor to balance out the creaminess of the cheese. Cooking the orzo in chicken stock rather than water adds great flavor to the dish. This is a perfect side dish, but it can be made into a main meal with the addition of some sort of protein (chicken, shrimp) or simply serve it as is for a comfort dish. 

Recipe: Rotini and Asparagus Tossed with Goat Cheese, Lemon, and Herbs

I came across a recipe for pasta with asparagus, goat cheese, and lemon a few months ago and took a look at it again this weekend. It called for only a handful of ingredients and just a few minutes of my time and it sounded like a delicious mix: perfect for a night at home on my own. The rich, tangy goat cheese, blended with lemon zest and seasonings, melts perfectly to coat the pasta and crispy asparagus—it's the perfect dish for a cool spring day or warm summer evening.

Not gonna lie...I totally forgot to use my nice solid white pasta bowl for the picture. Oh well.

Serves: 4-6
Prep. time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10-15 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 1 lb. rotini (or other short pasta —farfalle, gemelli, or penne would work well)
• 1 bunch of asparagus spears, washed, trimmed, and cut into 1-2 inch long pieces
• Approx. 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp. lemon zest
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• Approx. 5-8 oz. soft fresh goat cheese (by the log of cheese rather than crumbles for better melting)
• 1 tbsp. dried sage
• Garlic powder, to taste
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Parmesan cheese, if desired

Directions

Bring a medium pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the box instructions (approx. 7-10 minutes). During the last few minutes that the pasta is cooking, toss in the asparagus pieces so they cook too. In the meantime, add the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, goat cheese (pull it into pieces as you add it), sage, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to a large bowl and stir to combine. Once the pasta and asparagus have cooked, drain them, reserving about 1/4 cup of the pasta water, and toss the mixture in the bowl with the goat cheese mixture, adding the pasta water too. Toss until the goat cheese has even coated the pasta and asparagus. Serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, if desired.

This dish is fresh, creamy, and very flavorful. The goat cheese and lemon offer tangy flavors, while the salt and sage cut through the tang and create a deeper, richer flavor. To make this meal a little more well-rounded, served with grilled or seared chicken that's been seasoned with salt, pepper, and dried lemon peel.

Recipe: Traditional Red Pizza Sauce

As I shared in my basic pizza dough recipe post, my mom wanted me to help make homemade pizza for a Super Bowl party she's hosting, and I worked off of a recipe from Food.com to create a delicious red sauce. This sauce has a TON of ingredients, which all blend together to create a rich, flavorful sauce perfect for pizza, or even as a pasta sauce. It's easy to pull together and the flavors deepen when you allow the sauce to simmer for a while. Now, because I had to make up a big batch (enough to cover at least four pizzas), and was editing the original recipe as I went along, the amounts listed here are measured for a larger amount and I have not done the math to edit it to work for a single pizza—I trust you can figure this out. This sauce freezes well, and can be stored for a few months, so you can easily make this recipe as is and freeze the excess for future pizzas or for other uses (pasta, dipping sauce for mozzarella sticks or fried eggplant, etc.; we still had left over after making about five or six pizzas).

Yields: Approx. 3.5 quarts
Prep. time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30-60 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Special equipment: Blender, food processor, or immersion/stick blender

Ingredients

• 6-8 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 4 tbsp. butter
• Approx. 2 cups onions, chopped (I used 4 small-to-medium onions)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• Approx. 45 oz. tomato sauce (I used a 29 oz. can, and then added a 15 oz. can when I realized I needed more)
• 1, 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 2, 6 oz. cans tomato paste
• 6-8 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
• 3-4 tsp. dried basil
• 3-4 tsp. dried oregano
• 3-4 tsp. dried fennel seeds
• 1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
• 3 whole bay leaves (remove these from sauce before pureeing)
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• Approx. 1 tsp. black pepper
• Approx. 2 tsp. salt
• Approx. 2 tsp. sugar

Directions

In a large pot, heat the butter and olive oil together over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and slightly transparent. Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste and stir to combine (the paste is thick, so be sure you stir it vigorously to break it down in the sauce). Add in the remaining ingredients (the cheese, herbs, spices, sugar, and salt) and stir to combine. Briefly bring the sauce to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to medium low, cover the pot with a lid, and let it simmer for 30-60 minutes (I cooked it for 30 minutes; the longer you cook it, the more the flavors can blend). Remove the bay leaves from the sauce. 

To blend: If using an immersion/stick blender (this is what I did, because it's the easiest and creates the least amount of dishes to wash), immerse the blender into the sauce in the pot and pulse to blend, stirring as you pulse, until the bigger chunks (onion, diced tomatoes, garlic) are broken up and blended into the sauce and the sauce is smooth. If using a blender or a food processor, pour as much as the sauce as possible (without overloading) into the holder on the unit and blend/pulse until smooth. Pour the smooth sauce into a clean bowl. Repeat this process with the remaining sauce until it's all blended and smooth. Sauce can be kept in the fridge for a few days or frozen for a few months. 

This sauce is a little sweet, a little spicy, a little tangy, and oh-so-good. Fennel and oregano are classic pizza sauce flavors, and the combination of the remaining flavorings is just right. Allowing the sauce to simmer for a while gives it a great depth of flavor, making it the perfect addition to any pizza, pasta, or other Italian-esque dish.

Recipe: Spaghetti and Mozzarella-Stuffed Meatballs

I'm slowly but surely working my way through the recipes in my newest Giada De Laurentiis cookbook, and a recipe for spaghetti and meatballs—with a bit of a twist—was up for dinner on Wednesday night. It seems like every family has their own version of this classic dish—some people use spaghetti, others use a different type of pasta; some use marinara while others make a meat sauce; and everyone has their own opinion on what makes the best meatball (Fresh or dry breadcrumbs? Use a mix of meat or stick to one kind?). My grandmother's recipe included spaghetti with a marinara sauce and these small, tender meatballs that my cousin, Katie, and I have always wanted the recipe for but still haven't gotten. My dad's father's family was Italian and used to make up huge bowls of bucatini (a spaghetti-like pasta with a hole through the middle) with tender meatballs made with a mix of veal, pork, and beef. My mom makes her dish with a tomato sauce with meat, all-beef meatballs, and angel hair pasta. The recipe here, altered slightly, includes a simple tomato sauce with pancetta and a little dried red pepper flakes for a kick, and meatballs made with both veal and beef, stuffed with a tiny cube of mozzarella—it's absolutely delicious. The meatballs are incredibly tender and flavorful, and I absolutely loved cutting into them and seeing the warm, creamy mozzarella ooze out onto my fork. The sauce is simple and it's a nice change from a typical marinara or meat sauce. A sprinkle of Parmesan or Pecorino Romano brings the whole dish together, and it's wonderful paired with a dry red wine.

Serves: 4-6
Prep. time: 15-20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 8-16 oz. angel hair, spaghetti, or other long pasta
  

For the sauce:

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 6 oz. pancetta, diced (prosciutto can work in a pinch, but pancetta really should be used)
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1, 14 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

For the meatballs:

• 1 small onion, grated (I used a cheese grater, and it worked quite well)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I used shredded and simply cut it up finer with a knife)
• 1/3 cup Italian-style seasoned dry breadcrumbs
• 1 large egg
• 2 tbsp. ketchup
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• About 1 tsp. each salt and pepper
• 8 oz. ground beef
• 8 oz. ground veal
• 2 oz. mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (if you can find smoked mozzarella, use that instead)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400*F and place one of the oven racks in the lower third of the oven. In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the meatballs except the meat, then lightly mix. Add the beef and veal and, using your hands, gently "knead" and mix the ingredients together until well-blended. Shape the meat into 1&1/2 inch round balls and place on a baking sheet covered with a piece of parchment paper (or, if you don't have parchment paper, spray the cooking sheet with cooking spray)—you should be able to make at least 16 meatballs (I ended up with 21). Make a small depression in each meatball and place a cube of mozzarella inside, then re-roll the meatball so that the mozzarella is completely encased inside. Bake the meatballs for about 15 minutes (put them on that lower oven rack), until cooked through and fork-tender (meaning they can be cut easily with a fork). Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until slightly golden brown (about 5-7 minutes), then, using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta from the pan and set aside. Add the onion to the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for another 30 seconds or so. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper, and pancetta and simmer over medium-low heat, uncovered, for about 15 minutes. While the sauce is cooking, bring a medium-to-large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions (about 4-5 minutes). Drain the pasta, return to the pot, and toss with a little olive oil to keep the strands from sticking together.
Serve the pasta with a spoonful or more of sauce on top (or mix the sauce in with all of the pasta in the pot and serve), and place a few meatballs on top. Garnish with Italian cheese, like Parmesan or Pecorino-Romano, if desired.

This is a great version of "spaghetti-and-meatballs" that's well-worth trying. It's incredibly easy to make, packed with flavor, and, like any good pasta dish, both the sauce and meatballs can be frozen and thawed out later for an easy weeknight meal. I know many people take issue with eating veal, and though it is the major reason these meatballs are so tender, if you're totally against using it in the meatballs, try using a mix of beef and pork. Using more than one meat in the meatball adds flavor and enhances the texture of the meatballs.

Recipe: Sun-dried Tomato Pesto

After dinner last night, my dad and I lounged around the kitchen table and discussed what I should make for dinner tonight. Unfortunately, the ensuing conversation was not exactly the most enlightening:

Me: Chicken, beef, pork...?
Dad: Chicken.
Me: Pasta, potatoes, or rice?
Dad: How about just veggies? Like cauliflower or peas or something!
Me: Um...okay. So, you want chicken and vegetables...what an exciting meal, dad! *Sarcasm*

So, the combination of chicken and vegetables gave me endless options, but I wanted to keep it really simple, so I decided to jazz up the chicken with some sort of sauce and pair it with vegetables roasted in a little extra virgin olive oil, sprinkled with some salt and pepper. I had a jar of sun-dried tomatoes in the pantry just begging to be put to good use, so I came up with a quick and easy recipe for sun-dried tomato pesto to top the chicken with. With just a handful of ingredients, I got a cup of bright, intensely flavorful pesto that was perfect with the sautéed chicken.

Serves: Makes approx. 1 cup
Prep. time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: No cooking required
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 1 small jar (approx. 7 fl. oz.) sun-dried tomatoes (I use Alessi brand, packed in olive oil)
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• A few leaves of fresh flat leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste (this helps thicken the mixture)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until the mixture is well blended, with no large chunks. Refrigerate any leftovers.

This pesto is packed with flavor and is perfect tossed with pasta, dolloped on top of chicken, or spread on a crusty piece of Italian bread as a crostini appetizer. It would also make a great sauce for a pizza or a spread for a sandwich.

Recipe: Spaghetti al Melone

Hopefully I don't sound like a broken record, but once again, I made a Giada De Laurentiis recipe tonight: Spaghetti al Melone. Sometimes I think I should just follow in the footsteps of the blogger that inspired the Julie and Julia movie and work my way through all of Giada's cookbooks—Haha! Anywho, a few days ago on her show, Giada at Home, Giada and her aunt pulled some recipes from her grandmother's cookbook and made them for a sort of "comfort food/blast from the past" meal (original recipe can be found here). The recipe I'm sharing tonight caught my eye because it was so different from other pasta-with-sauce dishes that I've seen and made. The sauce is made with cantaloupe, which may seem a little odd, but the saltiness of that particular melon makes it perfect for certain savory dishes. I remember having melon wrapped in prosciutto as an appetizer during my homestay in Italy in high school, when I traveled with People to People International, and the combination of sweet and salty was perfect. Though the recipe doesn't call for it, I used that Italian appetizer as an inspiration and added crispy crumbles of prosciutto to the dish and the meal turned out great.

Serves: 4-6
Prep. time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 1 lb. spaghetti pasta
• 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan
• 1 (2 lb.) cantaloupe, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces (if you're feeling lazy, just buy a few packs of already-sliced cantaloupe)
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 stick (4 tbsp.) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup whiskey
• 2 tbsp. fresh or bottled lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4-6 slices of prosciutto, chopped into small pieces

Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente (8-10 minutes). Drain and return it to the pot. Add the Parmesan and toss well. In the meantime, place the melon in a food processor and blend until chunky, then set aside. In a medium saucepan, heat the heavy cream and butter over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the butter melts and the mixture is smooth (about 2 minutes). Add the melon, lemon juice, and whiskey to the cream and butter mixture. Simmer until the mixture thickens (about 10 minutes; it did not thicken much when I made it, but it worked out just fine). Stir in the salt and pepper. Pour the melon sauce over the pasta and toss until it's coated. In another medium saucepan, sauté the prosciutto pieces in a little butter or olive oil until slightly crispy. Plate the pasta and top it with a sprinkle of crispy prosciutto and grated Parmesan cheese, and serve.

I absolutely LOVED this meal—by far my favorite dish of all the new dishes I've made in the past few weeks. It's light, buttery, creamy, salty, and so delicious! The melon adds a slight sweetness to the dish, while the Parmesan brings out the saltiness of the melon. Crispy prosciutto and a little extra Parmesan on top make this dish perfect. Giada's grandmother had the right idea when she decided to mix melon and pasta!

Recipe: Prosciutto and Spinach Ravioli

I made this recipe for my dad and myself a few weeks ago, while my mother was on vacation at the beach with her mother, and we both loved it. My mom heated up some of the leftovers when she got home a day or so later and really enjoyed the ravioli too, so she asked if I'd make the recipe again, and that's what was on the menu tonight. This recipe comes from my Giada De Laurentiis Everday Pasta cookbook (recipe is originally called Prosciutto Ravioli; I've made slight changes) and what I love about it is that you don't have to make fresh pasta to make the ravioli—wonton wrappers take the place of pasta sheets and they are perfectly tender when you bite into them. They cook quickly too!

Serves: 4
Prep. time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: Approx. 4 minutes per batch
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 1 (15 oz.) container whole-milk ricotta (I use a lite/skim ricotta to make the meal a little less fattening)
• 1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 4 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
• 2 large egg yolks
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 48 square wonton wrappers
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (I use a little less to make the dish a little healthier)
• 1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• Grated Parmesan cheese
• Extra virgin olive oil

Directions
Whisk or stir the spinach, prosciutto, ricotta, egg yolks, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend. Place approx. 1 tbsp. of the mixture in the center of a wonton wrapper. Brush the edge of the wrapper lightly with water, then fold the wrapper in half, point to point, closing the wrapper completely and forming a triangle. Pinch the edges together to seal, then transfer the ravioli to a baking sheet. Repeat until all the wrappers and/or filling is gone, placing each ravioli on the baking sheet as you go along.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Working in batches, cook ravioli until tender (about 4 minutes per batch), stirring occasionally. Place cooked ravioli in a large shallow dish. Drizzle them with a little olive oil and toss them gently every so often to keep them from sticking to each other. Cover the dish as you go along adding to it so the ravioli stays warm.
Melt the stick of butter in a small skillet over medium heat, then add the oregano, stirring to blend. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Pour the mixture over the ravioli and toss them gently so they're all coated. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

These ravioli are packed with flavor and very filling! The wonton wrappers are tender, the prosciutto adds a delicious saltiness to the dish, and the oregano-butter sauce is light and doesn't overpower the other flavors in the dish. The ravioli reheats wonderfully and you could easily substitute in beef, chicken, or other meat (though you'll need to cook it a little first) in place of the prosciutto and try a different sauce, like pesto or marinara.