Fresh Semolina Egg Pasta

Fresh pasta is so easy with the right machine. By hand it can be laborious and tiresome. But with a machine roller and cutter (via KitchenAid), it is a relative breeze. Either way it takes a long time to mix the eggs into the flour though, so be prepared. Enjoy!

Fresh Semolina Egg Pasta

Yield: 16 servings
Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups semolina flour
• 6 eggs
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pinch salt

Cooking Directions

1. Thoroughly sift together all-purpose flour, semolina flour, and pinch of salt. On a clean surface, make a deep well in center of the flour.
2. Crack the eggs into the well and add the olive oil.
3. Whisk eggs very gently with a fork, gradually incorporating flour from the sides of the well. This will take a long time! When mixture becomes too thick to mix with a fork, begin kneading with your hands.
4. Knead dough for 8 to 12 minutes, until it is smooth and supple. Dust dough and work surface with either flour as needed to keep dough from becoming sticky.
5. Wrap dough tightly in plastic and allow it to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
6. Roll out dough with a pasta machine or a rolling pin to desired thickness. Cut into your favorite style of noodle. Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Cook pasta until tender but not mushy, 2 to 6 minutes, based on thickness. Drain immediately and toss with your favorite sauce.

Sinful Baked Mac and Cheese

Deliciously sinful baked mac and cheese is a luxury. A luxury in that it's so rich, you should probably only have a small portion and have a large salad and steamed veggies with it. It's not, however, a luxury in time or cost. Extremely easy and simple, this will fulfill any mac and cheese craving you're likely to have for a long time. Enjoy!

Sinful Baked Mac and Cheese

Yield: 8-12 servings
Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 3/4 cups milk
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 cups (8 ounces) sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 cup (4 ounces) Gruyere, grated OR
• 1/2 cup parmesan, grated
• 1/2 pound macaroni or similar

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside.
2. Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
3. Melt the remaining butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When it bubbles, add the flour. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
4. While whisking, slowly pour in the hot milk a little at a time to keep the mixture smooth. Continue whisking constantly until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick, 8 to 12 minutes.
5. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, and 3/4 cups Gruyère (or 1/4 cup parmesan). Set the cheese sauce aside.
6. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the macaroni until the outside of is cooked and the inside is underdone, 2 to 3 minutes. Rinse under cold water and drain the macaroni. Stir the macaroni into the cheese sauce.
7. Pour the mixture into the baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheeses over the top. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Transfer the dish to a wire rack for 5 minutes to set, then serve.

Couscous Tabbouleh

Traditionally, tabbouleh is made with bulgur, a "cereal food made from the groats of several different wheat species, most often from durum wheat." Sounds so dry and boring. So jazz up your tabbouleh with a happy helping of couscous instead. It'll feel lighter and most likely will soak up the flavors better.

Serve on a bed of lettuce or next to a beautiful piece of moussaka. Enjoy!

Couscous Tabbouleh

Yield: 5 servings
Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cup dry couscous
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 4 tablespoons fresh parsley
• salt and pepper

Cooking Directions

1. Mix boiling water with dry couscous.
2. Add olive oil and lemon juice. Stir well.
3. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes.
4. Fluff with a fork. Add diced tomato, chopped onion, and fresh parsley. Add Salt and pepper to taste.
5. Toss lightly. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
6. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Pasta Puttanesca

Pasta Puttanesca, or Pasta alla Puttanesca, literally means "whore's-style pasta." You may think that ladies of the night would whip this up to lure customers to them, but that isn't true.

Now if that doesn't make you want to chow down, I don't know what will. Well, maybe the following description will help. Puttanesca is a tangy, slightly salty sauce that gets its flavor and aroma from the combination of capers, olives, and anchovies.

It's simple and takes only about as long as it does to cook the pasta. You can easily omit the anchovies, but they add such a great depth of flavor. Enjoy!

Pasta Puttanesca

Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients

• 16 ounces pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup strong-tasting olives, chopped
• 3 tablespoons capers
• 1 tin anchovy fillets
• 14 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
• 32 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• black pepper, to taste
• parmesan, shredded (optional)

Cooking Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain.
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic, anchovies, and red pepper until anchovies dissolve, about 3 minutes. Stir in capers, olives, parsley, oregano. Saute 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
3. Add tomatoes and simmer 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until desired thickness.
4. Toss pasta with sauce, and serve. Top with optional parmesan cheese.

Pasta and Eggs

This was just phenomenal. Take pasta, take chicken, take frozen veggies, add egg at the end, and you have a hell of an unusual and surprisingly tasty dinner.

You might not think it if you look at it, but damn, that's one hell of a combination. Playing around in the experimental kitchen is one of my favorite things, and sometimes it even works out well! Enjoy!

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 servings cooked pasta, al dente
1 chicken breast, cubed and cooked
1 cup frozen veggies
2 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Combine chicken, pasta, and veggies in a pan on medium heat.

2. Once heated, add beaten egg, salt, and pepper, and scramble.

3. Turn heat to low and let sit after a minute. Scramble again until eggs are done. Add more salt and pepper as needed.

Healthy Eggplant-and-More Pasta

Look at that. That is beautiful.

I have a challenge for you today. Just looking at this eggplant and pasta dish, I want you to guess what's in it. Also, why do I call it healthy? My hope is that you'll be able to tell just from the pictures.

Bonus points to anyone who makes this dish as well!

Free-Form Vegan Lasanga

Lasagna can be a huge pain in the butt sometimes, right? Not when you do it this way!

Take all the wonderful tastes you love from lasagna and have them in no time by creating a free-form lasagna. And our version is even vegan. Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 zucchini, sliced
1 squash, sliced
1 tomato, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 red pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups pasta sauce
6 sheets of lasagna, broken in half

Directions

1. Cook lasagna in boiling water for 6-8 minutes

2. While lasagna is cooking, heat oil in pan and add garlic for 1-2 minutes.

3. Add the rest of the veggies (except tomato) and cook for 3-5 minutes.

4. Add the pasta sauce and stir until warm.

5. Using 2 half sheets, layer the pasta on a plate with veggies in between, making 3 layers of pasta total.

Grilled Stuffed Portabellas

Just like that armadillo you hit with your truck or that flamingo you shot on safari, stuff 'em and mount 'em up. In case this mount 'em on a bed of pasta. Not that you couldn't put these on a wall too for the whole world to enjoy (or that you couldn't put those other things on a bed of pasta - come on, I dare ya).

Simple, juicy, succulent. Yep, that about sums it up for these wonderfully easy and healthy shrooms. Meat replacements need to be mixed up every now and then, and this doesn't disappoint. Loaded with veggies and placed on a light pasta. Healthy never tasted so good.

Enjoy!

Disney's Broccolini Aglio Olio

Broccolini Aglio Olio

Wine Country Trattoria

Ingredients

5 T. olive oil, divided
¼ c. chopped garlic
¼ c. chopped shallots
¼ t. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 bunch broccolini cut into ½ inch pieces
1 c. grape tomatoes, halved
½ t. coarse salt
¼ t. ground black pepper
4 c. cooked short-cut pasta (campanelle, penne, or rotini)
4 generous handfuls fresh arugula
3 generous handfuls fresh baby spinach
1 lemon, juiced
¼ c. dry white wine
¼ t. ground black pepper
¼ to ½ c. grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions

1. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large saute pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add garlic and shallots, stirring constantly. Cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Be careful not to burn garlic.

2. Add red pepper flakes and broccolini, stirring to coat in oil. Cook until the broccolini is just tender.

3. Add tomatoes, ¼ teaspoon salt, and pepper to the pan. Add pasta, arugula, spinach, lemon juice, and wine to the pan. Increase the heat to high. Cook, tossing, until spinach and arugula are wilted slightly, about 1 to 2 minutes.

4. Drizzle in remaining 2 tablespoons oil, tossing to combine. Add remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, and grated Parmesan cheese, if using. Serve immediately.

Disneyland's Count Down Chicken Fusilli

Redd Rockett's Pizza Port

Disneyland's Count Down Chicken Fusilli

Yield: Serves 4-6
Ingredients

• 5 oz Alfredo sauce mix (dry)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup low-fat milk
• 1 cup water
• 2 oz grated parmesan
• 1 oz sun-dried tomato crumbles (reconstituted)
• 3 oz pesto sauce
• 2 lbs dry fusilli pasta
• 1 lb sliced smoked chicken breast

Cooking Directions

1. Prepare the Alfredo sauce, according to package directions, using the cream, milk and water in place of any liquid the mix calls for. Mix in pesto sauce.
2. Cook pasta until al dente. Drain well. Place in serving bowl, top with chicken, sauce, grated cheese and tomatoes. Mix and serve.

Baked Penne Marinara

Sometimes simple is best. Sometimes it's outright the greatest thing ever. Sometimes it just blows your socks off. Simple is as simple does.

So in keeping with this simple theme, I won't bore you too much with the details of this amazing dish. Suffice it to say, the melding (and melting) together of pasta, homemade pasta sauce, ground beef, and homemade mozzarella is truly one of the best comfort foods ever. Reminds you of your childhood a bit, doesn't it?

Pair with a salad or a side of veggies and your favorite red wine. Now that's comfort. Enjoy!

Chicken Crumbed Mac n Cheese

A childhood love born anew by the sophisticated tastes of an adult.

It's simple. It's basic. It's comforting. Mac n Cheese.

But this aint no mac n cheese like your mother made out of a box. This is deluxe. Next time you're in the mood for some of that comfort food from back when you were a tyke, consider this spiced-up edition. It'll have you asking "Why haven't I been making it like this all along?"

Mac n Cheese seems to be kind of a thing in New England (and maybe the Bay Area too), but this recipe was first thought up in the dry desert of Las Vegas. At least that's where I had it first. Full credit for this goes to my awesome cousin. Enjoy!

Buitoni Wild Mushroom Agnolotti

Happy New Year, one and all!

Buitoni was nice enough to send us a complimentary Wild Mushroom Agnolotti. This happens to be one of their higher end pastas, and it really shown through.

The agnolotti are very similar to ravioli in that they are filled pasta. I believe just the shape is the difference, in fact, but don't quote me on that.

The mushrooms were full of flavor, with Italian spices mixing wonderfully with the mushrooms. This pasta didn't even need any sauce to go with it. It would have just ruined it completely.

Served with Pesce Spada alla Siciliana (Sicilian Swordfish) and roasted corn.

World's Best Lasagna?

The world's best lasagna, you say? Perhaps you're having trouble imagining a lasagna better than your grandma's. Well let me assure you, this lasagna is better!

I mean as far as traditional lasagnas go. I'm sure fancy veggie ones or ones that incorporate a whole slew of non-traditional fancinesses are fantastic. BUT this is the world's best traditional lasagna!

The secret is in the sauce. It takes the longest time to prepare, and a lot of love and simmering and seasoning goes into it, so it has to be good. It doesn't hurt when there are top-notch sausages and beef involved too. Plus the delicate mozzarella. Mmm yeah. If you don't believe me, try it yourself. Fair enough? Enjoy!

Light Turkey and Veggie Pasta in Garlic Olive Oil

This is the first dish I ever learned how to cook on my own. It's a shame that I'm only getting around to it now, though it has been a while since I made it last.

I was just starting out in the working world, going to college, and having to fend for myself out in the world. Luckily, I worked for a family friend at a small business, and she took time out of her day one afternoon to teach me how to make one the simplest pasta dishes she knew (but also something that could impress the ladies, if I remember her reasons correctly).

So this dish was thrown together in front of me in under 15 minutes. I was so shocked! Not only because it was so delicious, but because it looked great too. It's very light but packs a lot of flavor. A couple ingredients can, and have, been changed over the years (like turkey and sometimes the veggies), but the core of it remains the same.

I must stress one thing here: you MUST get freshly grated parmesan for this. It makes all the difference. Enjoy!

Cajun Mac n Cheese

It's simple. It's basic. It's comforting. Mac n Cheese.

But this aint no mac n cheese like your mother made out of a box. This is deluxe. Next time you're in the mood for some of that comfort food from back when you were a tyke, consider this spiced-up edition. It'll have you asking "Why haven't I been making it like this all along?"

Mac n Cheese seems to be kind of a thing in New England (and maybe the Bay Area too), but this recipe was first thought up in the dry desert of Las Vegas. At least that's where I had it first. Full credit for this goes to my awesome cousin. Enjoy!

Basic Pasta Sauce (from scratch)

The other night I was treated to a wonderful meal my girlfriend prepared, creating a pasta sauce from scratch using a family recipe. It was a delightful evening with good company and a bottle of Scaia bianco (white) wine from Andronico's back in California. She made so much pasta that we were able to have it for two more meals - and there's still a ton of sauce left. Make no mistake, this makes a lot of sauce! Feel free to enjoy as-is or flavor with any additional spices, herbs, etc. Enjoy.