Paccheri Pumpkin Alfredo

 

I couldn't resist making this delicious pumpkin alfredo.  I found this gluten-free Paccheri pasta at my local specialty market.  Paccheri (pakkeri) pasta are large tubular-shaped originating from Campania, Italy.  The word paccheri literally means "to slap." as in slapping you in the face as you eat.  These were so much fun to serve with my homemade pumpkin alfredo.  Typically, you would use large tube shape pasta to stuff with your favorite cheese, such as ricotta or burrata.  I thought it would be fun to use this pasta for a more saucy type dish.  The sauce completely covered both the outside and inside of the pasta.  

This pumpkin alfredo recipe is very mild with just a small hint of pumpkin flavor.  It is still cheesy like alfredo but with an extra layer of flavor.  I included toasted pine nuts and mushrooms to this dish, which I thought was an excellent addition.  Make sure to put this dish on your weekly menu.  You will certainly be happy you did.  If you can not find Paccheri pasta, you can certainly substitute with Rigatoni, a smaller tube shape pasta found at your local grocery store.

Ingredients:
1 lb favorite pasta, cooked (al dente)
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup pumpkin butter (see recipe on my blog)
1 cup grated cheese, plus extra for topping
8 ozs mushrooms, sauteed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup scallions, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:
1.  Cook pasta al dente (still firm)
2.  While water is boiling for the pasta, heat a saucepan at medium temperature.  Add butter, cream, pumpkin butter, and bring to a small boil, stir.  Reduce temperature and simmer.  Stir in the grated cheese, and season with salt and pepper.  
3.  While sauce is simmering, saute the mushroom with the garlic and a touch of oil.  Cook until mushrooms are browned, and water evaporated from the mushrooms.  (Note: If you add uncooked mushrooms to your sauce, it will become more watery)
4.  Drain pasta and add to a large serving bowl.  Add the mushrooms on top.  Pour sauce over top of pasta and mushrooms and toss.  Garnish with extra cheese, scallions, and fresh parsley.  

Pumpkin Pie Spice

 

Pumpkin Pie Spice:

• 6 TBS ground cinnamon
• 4 tsp ground ginger
• 4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 3 tsp allspice
• 3 tsp ground cloves

Spiced Pumpkin Butter

 Spiced Pumpkin Butter

When I think about butter I think about that creamy spreadable stuff you slather of toast.  Well, you can smear this delectable pumpkin butter on just about anything you want.  It is sweetened with maple syrup and brown sugar and spiced with my homemade pumpkin pie spice.  It is then reduced with apple cider, simmering over low heat until a thick creamy consistency.  This recipe has multiple uses.  Eat alone, as a spread, whisk into a cheese sauce for pasta, add to your favorite quick bread or even stir some into your risotto for unbelievable results.  

Ingredients:

2 cans pumpkin (pure)

1/2 cup apple cider

1/4 cup pure maple syrup 

6 TBS brown sugar

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

2 tsp lemon juice

1/8 tsp salt

Directions:

1.  Add all ingredients to a medium-size saucepan.  Heat the pan on med/high temperature, stir.  When pumpkin starts to boil reduce temperature to low.  Stir and simmer until thickens, approx. 30 mins.

Note:  I use a nonstick pan.  

Broccoli Rabe Bean Pasta

 Broccoli Rabe and Bean Pasta

Broccoli Rabe or Rapini is known to be a bitter green, from the cabbage family.  Leaves, stems, and buds are all edible parts that can be eaten.  The Buds somewhat resemble broccoli but do not form a large head.  

There are many types of bitter greens, such as collard greens, turnips, and mustard greens.  They are all fiber boosting worth trying.  Salt is a good friend to bitter greens.  In my recipe, I used anchovy for saltiness but you can also use bacon or pancetta.  Other ingredients I used to balance the flavors were sundried tomatoes for added sweetness and toasted pine nuts for that nutty taste.  With a little touch of fresh herbs and grated cheese, you will have a wonderful meal to toss with your choice of pasta, rice, or even by itself as a side dish vegetable.  If you like heat, go ahead and add that in as well, I did.  

Ingredients:

2 heads broccoli rabe, washed

2 TBS olive oil

1 can anchovies, drained

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 TBS butter

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 can cannellini beans

1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes

1/3 cup fresh herbs (basil/parsley)

1/4 cup grated cheese

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

12 ozs pasta, cooked (spaghetti or other)

Directions:

1.  Rinse broccoli rabe in a strainer in the sink.  Drain.  Place on a cutting board and cut into desired size pieces.  Pat dry with dry paper towels before adding to the skillet.

2.  Heat oil in a large skillet over med/high heat.  Add broccoli rabe and saute until soft, approx. 10 mins.  Open up the center of the skillet by pushing the rabe to the sides.  Add the anchovy to the center of the skillet and cook until the anchovy starts to break down and melt.  Add the garlic, butter, and red pepper flakes and cook for another 3 mins.  Stir

3.  Stir in the beans and sun-dried tomatoes.  Cook for 5 mins.  Toss in the fresh herbs, and cheese.

Pour the broccoli rabe over top of your favorite cooked pasta.  Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts, fresh herbs, and extra grated cheese. 

Tater Tots

 Homemade Tater Tots

I have been wanting to make these for some time now.  When I first looked up some recipes I found all kinds of delicious recipes.  Some were plain, some spicy, some made with leftover mash, and some with shredded potatoes.  I wanted my texture to resemble a tater tot what we are all familiar with. You know the ones,....the ones sold in a bag found, in the frozen food section of the grocery store.  

Where did the tater tot come from?  Tater tots were invented in 1953 when an American frozen food company experimented with leftover slivers of cut-up potatoes.  

When my children were little, they loved tater tots.  They were the perfect size that fit into their tiny hands.  I would put an array of different sauces on the table, which allowed them to dip into and experiments with all the separate flavors.  Of course, their favorite dipping sauce was ketchup.  

Next, I wasn't sure if I wanted to stay with the original plain shredded potato tot.  I am an adventurous person and figured, hey if they don't come out right I can redo them.  So, I decided to make an adult tater tot, since I have no kids in the house to consider.  My choice was bacon, onion, garlic, and cheddar cheese.  I would use the cheddar cheese to help with the binding.  

Now, will I bake them or fry them?  I love fried foods.  This day I made the tots I happen to make other fried food the same day.  So, I decided to bake them.  How well will my tots stay together?  Should I use egg as another binder?  These were all questions that I had for myself to answer.  I knew I had to do a little experiment.  I made my mixture and then molded a couple tots together.  I placed them in my little toaster oven for 15 mins.  After letting them cool a bit I realized the bottom of the tot was crispy but the top was a lot softer.  I knew this would work in my convection oven at a higher temperature.  

And this is how my amazing tater tot recipe was born.

Ingredients:
2 large russet potatoes, peeled
2 TBS grated cheese
4 bacon strips, cooked and chopped fine
1 TBS chives
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder

Directions:
1.  Peel potatoes and place them in a pot.  Cover potatoes with water.  Parboil the potatoes until they become almost soft in the center.  Note:  You do not want them all the way cooked.  Remove potatoes from the pot and let them cool.  With a box grater, shred them on the large shredder.  Add the potatoes to a mixing bowl. 
2.  Season the potatoes with salt and pepper.  Add grated cheese, bacon, chives, cheddar, garlic, and onion powders.  Fold to incorporate into the shredded potatoes.
3.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. (I used my convection oven).  Fill a small cookie scoop with the filling.  Place in the center of your palm, gently squeeze the tot, and then mold into a tater tot shape.  Place the tot on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  If you do not have parchment paper just spray your baking sheet with cooking spray really well.  Repeat the molding process for the remaining tots.
Bake for approx. 25 mins or till desired crispiness.  

Fried Ravioli with Toasted Pignoli Nuts

 You can find Fried Ravioli on the menu, at just about any Italian Restaurant.  It can be served as an entree with marinara sauce or as an appetizer.  I usually cannot order this dish because it is not made gluten-free. Well today, I had the opportunity to make this delicious dish using Celentano Gluten Free Cheese Ravioli. I thawed the ravioli, tossed in gluten-free flour, then into the beaten egg.  I then coated the ravioli with seasoned gluten-free finely ground, bread crumb.  A little sprinkle of parmesan cheese, toasted pignoli nuts, and a side of marinara sauce and basil pesto was certainly a huge hit. 

Ingredients:
2 bags Celentano Ravioli, thawed 
1 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
cooking oil
2 TBS grated cheese
2 TBS Pignoli or pine nuts, toasted
1 jar marinara sauce
1 jar basil pesto

Directions:
1.  Place frozen ravioli on a baking sheet lined with paper towels until completely thawed.  
2.  In a small bowl add the flour, in a separate bowl add beaten egg, then add the bread crumbs in a third bowl.  (If crumbs are thick you can pulse them to make them finer).
3.  Heat oil in a medium-size skillet on med/high temperature.  
4.  Add ravioli to the flour bowl.  Cover completely.  Next, take the floured ravioli and place it into the egg.  Cover completely.  Let as much egg drip off the ravioli as you can.  Then coat the ravioli with the bread crumbs.  Add the ravioli to the hot oil and fry on both sides until light/medium golden color.  I work with a few portions of ravioli at a time.  Note:  They brown quickly.  Drain fried ravioli on clean paper towels until ready to serve.  Sprinkle with grated cheese.  
5.  Toast pinenuts in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 2-3 mins or until lightly golden.  You might not want to walk away from the oven with this step since pinenuts burn really quickly.

Serve with warm marinara sauce and warm basil pesto sauce.  

Pane Cotto "Cooked Bread"

 Pane Cotto is translated as "cooked bread".  It is considered Italian Peasant food.  (Do not mistake this for Panna Cotta, which is a "cooked cream" dessert). What is Peasant Food?  Peasant food dishes are specific to a particular culture, made from accessible and inexpensive ingredients. There are so many wonderful Italian dishes I grew up eating.  Pane Cotto was one of them.  It is a good way for Italians to use up stale Italian bread.  This dish is prepared with sauteed escarole, onions, garlic, and white beans flavored with broth and cheese.  It is all tossed and then baked for a delicious side dish or appetizer, served with crackers.  This is dish is so easy to make and a good way to use up extra ingredients.

Ingredients:
2 heads escarole, cut and washed
2 TBS olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves, garlic, minced
6 TBS butter (reserve 2 TBS)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup grated cheese (plus 2 TBS)
1/3 cup salami, chopped
2 cups chicken broth
2 cans cannellini beans, drained
1 lb bread, cubed (reserve 2 cups). 
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions:
1.  Cut the stem off escarole.  Cut into bite-size pieces.  Wash well.  Add to a large pot filled with water.  Boil until escarole becomes soft, approx. 20 mins.  Drain
2.  In a large skillet heat oil on med/high temperature.  Stir in onion and cook for 5 mins.  Stir in garlic, season with salt and pepper,  and cook for another 3 mins.  Add 4 TBS of the butter and red pepper flakes.  Stir until butter is melted.  Add in the escarole, 1/4 cup of grated cheese, salami, broth, and beans.  Stir to combine well.  
3.  Add contents in the skillet to a large mixing bowl and fold in the cubed bread.  (Reserve 2 cups of bread for the topping).  Pour into a large, grease baking dish.  Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over top, pressing the cheese down into the casserole.
4.  To Make Bread Topping:  Add 2 cups bread, 2 TBS melted butter, 2 TBS grated cheese, salt, and pepper.  Toss to coat the bread.  Add the bread over the top of the casserole.  Press the bread gently into the casserole but not all the way down.  You want to allow the top pieces to toast while it bakes.  
5.  Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for approx. 30 mins., or until the desired brownness.  

Note:   I used gluten-free bread, which tends to be drier.  If you do not use Italian bread and choose to use a softer type of bread, the bread can be slightly toasted.  This will allow the liquids to absorb into the bread.