Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter

1 pound asparagus
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 pound penne
1/4 pound butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Heat the oven to 400°. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard them. Cut the spears into 1-inch pieces. Put the asparagus on a baking sheet and toss with the oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the vinegar in a small saucepan. Simmer until 3 tablespoons remain. Stir in the brown sugar and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Remove from the heat.

Cook the penne in a large pot of boiling, salted water until just done, about 13 minutes. Drain the pasta and toss with the butter, vinegar, asparagus, Parmesan, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Serve with additional Parmesan.

Pulled Pork Pasta

This is a great use for leftover pulled pork... you know... if you have any ;)

1 lb pasta (we used farfalle)
1 tbsp butter
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
S&P
2 cups pulled pork
3 cups tomato sauce
1/4 cup BBQ sauce (more if you like, do this to taste)
Grated Parmesan cheese

Melt butter in a large frying pan. Add sliced onions, salt & pepper. Cook on low heat until soft and caramelized.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and toss in pasta. Cook until al dente.

Add pulled pork, tomato sauce, and BBQ sauce to the caramelized onions. Bring to a simmer stirring well. Toss with cooked pasta and top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Roasted Zucchini and Tortellini Salad

This is a recipe that my friend made for us once and when I tried to replicate it I discovered that I did it totally wrong :P But what I ended up with I kind of like so I went with it!

Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh oregano
1 tbsp grainy Dijon Mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Salad:
6 small zucchini
1 lb fresh cheese-stuffed tortellini
1/3 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (drained)
6 oz Feta cheese, cut into small cubes

1. Combine oil, red wine and balsamic vinegars, oregano, mustard and garlic in a bowl; season with salt and pepper.

2. Quarter each zucchini and cut into bite sized chunks. Place in a roasting dish and toss with 1/3 cup of the vinaigrette. Bake at 350F for about 20 minutes or until soft.

3. Meanwhile cook tortellini in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender. Drain well.

4. Combine tortellini, roasted zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, and cheese in a large bowl; pour remaining vinaigrette over and toss. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Also yummy when served at room temperature.

Fridge Pasta

I know, I know, fridge pasta doesn't sound very appetizing. But trust me... sometimes you have stuff you need to use up and everything just falls into place beautifully. I call that a fridge meal :)

1lb pasta (I used Farfalle)
1 tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped
1 cup chopped leftover ham
2-3 cups sliced mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Splash of white wine
Pepper
A few large handfuls fresh chopped spinach
1 cup ricotta

Put on a big pot of salted water to cook your pasta. Meanwhile, saute the onion, garlic, and ham in butter until the onion is soft. Add mushrooms and wine and cook on low heat until your pasta is done. Toss together hot drained pasta, fresh spinach, onion/ham/mushroom mixture, and ricotta until combined. Voila! Fridge pasta :)

Feel free to adapt this recipe however necessary... it would be yummy with fresh tomatoes, diced chicken, arugula, Parmesan, goat cheese, basically what ever you have on hand and need to use up!

Penne with Cream, Smoked Salmon, and Fresh Chives

Coarse salt and ground pepper
1lb penne rigate or other short pasta
1 1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons minced shallot
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
4 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt butter over medium. Add shallot; season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add wine and cook until evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add cream; bring to a boil. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot. Add cream mixture to pasta pot, along with lemon juice, smoked salmon, and chives. If necessary, adjust consistency with reserved pasta water and season with salt and pepper.

Pasta Puttanesca

Made this for a few friends last night... so yummy! This recipe makes more than enough sauce for 1lb of pasta so you could probably freeze half and save it for later!

1 small onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 tbsp olive oil
8 anchovy fillets (about 1 can)
1/2 tsp ground chili flakes
1 28oz can tomatoes, chopped
3/4 cup crushed tomatoes
1-2 tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 cups chopped olives (I use a mix of jumbo green and kalamata)
2 tbsp capers
Black pepper
2 tbsp chopped flat leaf (Italian) parsley
1lb of pasta
Grated Parmesan

Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and cook the onion until translucent, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and anchovies and cook for a minute, stirring to break up the anchovies. ADD the chili flakes, capers, olives, tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and pepper, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta. Top drained pasta with sauce and parsley. Serve with fresh grated parmesan.

Butternut Squash & Pesto Pasta

1 small butternut squash, peeled, and chopped into 1/2" pieces
1 tbsp butter
1 cup chicken stock
2 oz (1/4 package) cream cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 tbsp pesto
Salt & Pepper
1 pkg penne
Shaved parmesan

Steam butternut squash until fork tender and drain. Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.

In a deep frying pan, saute steamed squash cubes in butter. Mash gently with a spoon as you saute. Add chicken stock, cream cheese, grated parmesan, pesto, and salt and pepper. Stir until combined. Cook pasta while the sauce is coming up to a boil.

Toss warm sauce with cooked and drained pasta (add a few ladles of pasta water if the sauce is too thick) and top with shaved parmesan. Enjoy!

Oreccheitte with Pancetta and Peas

Ingredients

Salt and pepper
1 pound orecchiette pasta
3 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/3 pound pancetta or speck (smoked pancetta) or lean, thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken stock
2 cups frozen peas
3 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
Grated peel of 1 lemon
A handful of grated Pecorino Romano cheese
2 cups cow’s or sheep’s-milk ricotta cheese

Preparation

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking water.

While the pasta is working, in a large skillet, heat the EVOO over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and cook until softened, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the wine, then add the peas and heat through for 2 minutes; season with the thyme, lemon peel and pepper.

Add the reserved 1 cup pasta cooking water and the drained pasta; toss to combine. Add the Pecorino Romano and toss. Serve in bowls and top with the ricotta, for stirring in as you eat.