Recipe: Hot Sausage and Mushroom Bucatini with a Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

My mother was going to some dinner event with friends tonight and I was instructed to "make something your dad likes...you know, spicy, with mushrooms or peppers or whatever." I took this to heart and made just that: a dish with mushrooms and peppers that was spicy. My dad and I both love heartiness in pasta dishes and red sauces, and this dish offered both. Bucatini, a thick, spaghetti-like pasta noodle with a hole in the center (down its length), is a unique pasta—it's thick, with a bit of a bite or chew to it, and it always make me think that it's more "old school" Italian than some of the other, more common pasta shapes on today's grocery store shelves. My father tells me stories all the time about his Pap making heaping bowls of bucatini for the family and said tonight's dish brought him right back to those dinners. Using roasted red bell peppers as the base of the sauce added a depth of flavor and a little punch that you don't get in a plain tomato sauce and hot Italian sausage paired with meaty baby portobella mushrooms add a both meatiness and earthiness to the dish.

Serves: 4
Prep. time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Special equipment: Food processor or stick blender

Ingredients
For the sauce

• 1, 12 oz. jar roasted red bell peppers, drained
• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 tbsp. red wine (cooking wine is fine)
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• Dash of crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 1 tbsp. dried basil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Garlic powder, to taste
• Cornstarch-and-water mixture, as needed (this can help thicken the sauce just a little bit)

For the rest of the dish

• 3 hot Italian sausage links (about 1/4 lb.), casings removed, pulled into small pieces
• Approx. 1 cup baby portobella mushrooms, cleaned (stems/stalks removed), sliced
• Approx. 10 fresh basil leaves (I ended up using one small packet of fresh basil from the grocery store), chiffonade cut (long, skinny strips)
• 1 tbsp. red wine
• Butter, as needed
• Olive oil, as needed
• 1 lb. (16. oz.) bucatini pasta (any other long noodle, like spaghetti or linguine, would work if you can't find bucatini)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Garlic powder, to taste
• Italian cheese, as desired

Directions

Add the roasted red bell peppers and diced tomatoes to the food processor. Heat a little butter and olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat, then add the onion and cook until tender. Add the garlic and cook for less than a minute, then remove from heat and add the mixture to the food processor. Add the chicken stock, red wine, crushed red pepper flakes, dried basil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to the mixture and blend until fairly smooth and well-blended. Set aside. 

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. 

In the same pan used for the onion and garlic, add a little butter and olive oil and heat over medium high heat. Add the sausage and cook until mostly cooked through, then add the mushrooms and a little more butter, reducing the heat to medium. As soon as you add the mushrooms, add the pasta to the pot of boiling water and cook until al dente (10-13 minutes). While the pasta and the mushroom and sausage mixture are each cooking, pour the red pepper sauce into a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Add the cornstarch-and-water mixture if desired, let thicken a bit, and reduce the heat to medium. Let cook for about 5-10 minutes, then pour it into the mushroom and sausage mixture. Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder, as desired. 

When the pasta is done, drain it and return it to the pot, then stir the fresh basil into the sauce, mushroom, and sausage mixture and add the mixture to the pasta. Toss to coat. Serve topped with more fresh basil and Italian cheese, as desired. 

This dish is hearty, a little spicy, and absolutely delicious. The size and shape of pasta is incredibly important in Italian dishes and this dish screams for bucatini. This noodle's thickness is perfect with this relatively thin sauce, and it pairs well with the chunks of sausage and mushroom slices. Cooking the mushrooms in with the sausage allows them to soak up that oh-so-good sausage grease, giving them exceptional flavor. Using roasted red peppers for the base of the sauce makes for a nice change from a traditional tomato sauce—there is a mild spiciness and smokiness in the sauce that makes it ideal with the heat in the sausage. Overall, very very tasty and definitely fit the bill for a dinner that's "spicy, with peppers and mushrooms and stuff."

Recipe: Pecan-Panko Chicken with Maple Mashed Potatoes and Maple Honey Mustard Sauce

Each time my parents head up to State College, they stop by Wegman's and come home with bags and bags of groceries, and one of those bags always has some interesting new fruit or veggie for me to cook with. They spent part of this past weekend up there and, as usual, brought me a unique food to try: name (pronounced "nah-may"), a root vegetable very much like a potato. I struggled to find any information about this tuber online, but eventually stumbled upon a recipe that involved baking and mashing it. I carefully followed the directions (400*F for 1 hour), but the result was a still-fairly-hard root that ended up getting popped in the microwave until it eventually softened up. I mashed it, I added the maple cream mixture, and we prepared ourselves for our first taste of this new-to-us tuber...and, it tasted a lot like a bland potato. So, for this recipe, I'm just going to substitute in potatoes for the name, because really, the name isn't worth it and making mashed potatoes is super easy.
This dish as a whole is absolutely delicious: nutty, crunchy pecan chicken pairs beautifully with the slight maple flavor in the buttery cream mixture that's blended into the potatoes and a sweet-and-savory maple honey mustard sauce pulls the whole dish together.

Serves: 4
Prep. time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25-35 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

For the chicken

• 2-4 chicken breasts, pounded out to 1/2 inch thickness 
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped (a food processor is best for this)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 to 1 cup flour

For the potatoes

• 4-8 Idaho or russet potatoes, peeled and cut into similarly sized chunks (you can use red/new potatoes or Yukon gold if desired)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 stick (4 tbsp.) unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp. pure/real maple syrup
• Salt and pepper

Sauce

• 2 tbsp. pure/real maple syrup
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp. spicy brown mustard
• 2 tsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• Salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400*F. Place the potato chunks in a large pot and add just enough water to cover them, then set aside. Pour the panko and finely chopped pecans into a large bowl, season with salt and pepper, and set aside. Put the egg and flour into separate bowls. Dredge the chicken breasts in the flour, then the egg, and then the pecan-panko mixture—be sure to completely coat the chicken in each thing (there should be no raw chicken visible through the coating). Set the chicken breasts on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until cooked through, but tender. Once the chicken is in the oven, bring the pot of water and potatoes to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15-20 minutes, until cooked through and tender. While the chicken and potatoes are cooking, add all of the ingredients for the sauce, except the heavy cream, together in a small saucepan and bring briefly to a boil. Reduce the heat, gradually whisk in the heavy cream, and reduce the heat all the way to low. In a different sauce pan, melt the butter for the potatoes and set aside. When the potatoes are done, drain them in a colander, return them to the pot, and mash them. Add the melted butter, heavy cream, maple syrup, and salt and pepper (add more cream or butter, as needed—some people like really buttery potatoes, others like them less wet) and mash to combine the ingredients—don't over-mash them, because they will get gluey. When the chicken is done, plate each piece along side a big dollop of mashed potatoes and serve with the maple honey mustard sauce. For some added health, add roasted vegetables (I roasted broccoli with olive oil, salt, and pepper for 10 minutes in the oven, alongside the chicken).

This dish is the perfect meeting of savory and sweet. The pecans, heavy cream, and copious amounts of butter make this dish decadent and comforting all at once, while the flavors of the maple syrup and honey add sweetness to the dish. The sauce could easily work as a dip for chicken tenders, but for this dish, it's perfect as a sort of gravy for the potatoes and chicken breast.

Recipe: Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli Pasta with a Lemon Butter Sauce

First things first: If you don't like lemons, you will not like this dish, so turn away now. Now, for those of you still with me, I'll tell you why you will like it: it's creamy, buttery, and oh-so-lemony. Rich, roasted vegetables and pasta come together in a bright, summery sauce that's perfect for you lemon-lovers. Toss in some chicken or shrimp for protein or add a side salad with a lemony vinaigrette to add a little oomph to this dish.

Serves: 4
Prep. time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 8 oz. pasta of your choice (farfalle, penne, or medium shells would be a good choice—I used farfalle)
• 2-3 cups cauliflower florets
• 2-3 cups broccoli florets
• Approx. 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (just enough to lightly coat the broccoli and cauliflower)
• Zest and juice from 1 lemon
• Approx. 1/2 stick butter
• 2 tbsp. chicken broth
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp. garlic powder, or more to taste
• 1 tsp. thyme, or more to taste
• 1 tsp. white pepper, or more to taste
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350*F. Spread the cauliflower and broccoli florets on an ungreased baking sheet, toss with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for at least 15 minutes. In the meantime, bring a medium pot of water to a boil, then add the pasta and cook according to package instructions (about 8-11 minutes). While the pasta is cooking and the veggies are roasting, heat the butter and garlic in a small pot over medium heat. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, chicken broth, and seasonings to the pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Slowly add the heavy cream, whisking it in. Add more heavy cream, butter, or seasonings as desired and reduce to a simmer. If you'd like to thicken the sauce, add a mixture of 1 tsp. cornstarch and 1/4 cup water to it. The sauce, as is, will taste very lemony, but once it's tossed with the pasta and veggies, it will get toned down. When the pasta is done, drain it and return it to the pot. Add the roasted veggies and toss with the lemon butter sauce. Serve with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino-Romano cheese as desired.

This dish is very light, with a clean, bright flavor that's perfect combined with the rich taste of the roasted broccoli and cauliflower. This is the sort of meal that you should enjoy while sitting out on the porch on a warm summer evening.

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.

Pasta Shells with Mixed Greens and Italian Cheese

After eating hotdogs and french fries at the PennState game on Saturday, and spending Sunday evening lounging at a restaurant in the mountains, eating lightly fried goat cheese, filet migon with tomato beurre blanc, and decadent triple chocolate mousse, I wanted a light meal for dinner tonight. Now, while some might not consider any pasta dish a light meal, I think a pasta dish with little or no sauce, lots of veggies, and just a sprinkling of cheese is filling, without making you feel heavy and lethargic later. This is a variation on a Giada De Laurentiis recipe, and it's quite possibly the quickest, easiest meal you'll ever make—it's so light and delicious too!

Serves: 4
Prep. time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking time: 11-14 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. (8 oz.) medium pasta shells
• Approx. 4 oz. mixed baby greens, washed and left whole (I used 2-3 big handfuls)
• 8-10 basil leaves, washed and left whole
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (packed in olive oil), chopped
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese (I used a mix of Pecorino-Romano and Parmigiano-Reggiano)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Garlic powder, to taste
• Approx. 1/4 cup olive oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes (it's infused with the flavor of the tomatoes and it adds a delicious flavor to the dish)

Directions
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions (approx. 13 minutes). Drain the pasta, but reserve about 1/3 cup of the pasta water. Place the salad greens on the bottom of the pot that you used to cook the pasta in, then put the drained pasta back on top. Toss to combine, pour the reserved cooking liquid over the mixture, then place the lid on the pot and let the heat from the pasta help wilt the greens. After a minute or two, toss in the sun-dried tomatoes and cheese, and add some salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Drizzle the sun-dried tomato olive oil over the mixture and toss to completely combine. Serve topped with more cheese if desired.

This dish is so simple and light, but the sweet, tangy sun-dried tomatoes and nutty, salty Italian cheeses add a ton of flavor to the dish without adding a ton of calories. The wilted greens add color and a fresh taste, while the sun-dried tomato oil lightly coats all of the tender pasta shells and creates a delicate sauce. We ate dinner out on the back porch, enjoying the cool evening air and some white wine from a favorite vineyard in North Carolina and it was perfect.

Recipe: Italian Chicken Strips

While trying out new recipes is a ton of fun and making complex dishes is exciting, it's always good to have a few easy weeknight recipes in your back pocket, so on those nights (like tonight, in my case) when you don't have the time or the ingredients to make a fancy dish, you can still make something delicious. I love this chicken strip dish because you more than likely have all of the ingredients in your kitchen already, and you can cheat and use jarred tomato sauce or marinara if you don't have the time or supplies to make your own. I plate my version with pasta topped with the chicken strips and a splash of marinara. Another great way to serve the chicken strips is to plate them like chicken fingers, using the marinara in place of ketchup or your usual condiment of choice, and serve potato wedges seasoned with Italian herbs (essentially, a play on french fries) as a side. These chicken strips would even be good between two slices of crusty Italian bread, topped with marinara and melted provolone (like a variation on a meatball sub).

Serves: 4
Prep. time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10-15 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 2-4 chicken breasts, sliced into strips (I used two to serve 3 people and we had some left over)
• 1/2 cup seasoned, dry bread crumbs (Italian seasoning)
• 2 tsp. dry basil
• 1 tsp. dry parsley
• 1 tsp. dry Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• Salt and pepper
• 1 egg, beaten
• Margarine or butter (at least 2 tbsp.)
• Tomato or marinara sauce of your choice (I use Bertolli brand)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 200*F. In a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs, basil, parsley, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and a little bit of salt and pepper. Whisk together with a fork until well blended. Put the beaten egg in a slightly smaller bowl. Dip the chicken strips into the egg, then dip them in the bowl with the crumb mixture, coating them completely. Set the strips aside on a plate to prepare for cooking. Heat a medium skillet over medium high heat and add a little butter. Cook the chicken strips in batches, being sure to flip them over in the pan so they get golden brown on eat side (add more butter to the pan as you go along). Put cooked chicken strips in an oven-safe dish and put them in the oven to keep warm while you cook the remaining strips. In a small microwaveable pot with a lid, add the desired amount of tomato or marinara sauce and heat in the microwave until hot, about 2-4 minutes. Once the last batch of chicken is cooked and added to the dish with the other chicken, remove from the oven and serve the strips with the warm sauce.

This dish is incredibly easy and quick to make, and you probably won't have to go grocery shopping to make it because the ingredients should be readily available in your kitchen. Whether served atop pasta, alongside herb-crusted potato wedges, or in another way, these flavorful Italian-style chicken strips are sure to please.