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Category Archives: Pasta

Kale Pesto

29 Wednesday Jan 2014

Posted by penthouse kitchen in Healthy, Mains, Pasta, Summer, Vegetables, Winter

≈ 5 Comments

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One of my favorite summertime rituals is to make huge batches of pesto, freeze it into smaller serving-size portions, and enjoy it all winter long. This summer, the basil in my mother’s garden was not nearly as plentiful as usual, and was scarce at the local farmers markets as well. The speculation was extreme heat and not enough rain. When it came time for me to make pesto to stock up for the winter, I panicked when I saw a few measly, sun-burnt basil plants in the garden. No more blissful reminders of summer’s bounty to get me through the dreadful arctic weather we experience in the northeast?!

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So, here we are with this wintry version of basil pesto. The kale makes this pesto more robust, which is perfect for the winter months, and parsley is a wonderful herbal variation to basil. I kept the pine nuts and cheese, which are staples in classic pesto. This recipe is so versatile – it can be used with any kind of pasta, swirled into risotto, as a topping for pizza, or used as a condiment on just about anything. pesto, kale, kale pesto, parsley pesto, winter, winter pesto, pasta

Ingredients:
  • 1 bunch curly kale
  • 12 parsley sprigs – tough stems removed
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
  • 1 large garlic clove
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • (Shown here topped with ricotta salata)

Directions:

Remove any large, tough stems from the kale, and chop it into 2-inch pieces. Place it in a food processor, or blender, and add the parsley, garlic, toasted pine nuts, and salt. Pulse everything together a few times, and then with the motor running, slowly stream in the olive oil until it forms a creamy paste. Stir in the grated parmesan cheese, and taste for seasoning. pesto, kale, kale pesto, parsley pesto, winter, winter pesto, pasta

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Penne with Roasted Asparagus, Broccolini, and Goat Cheese

07 Tuesday May 2013

Posted by penthouse kitchen in Healthy, Mains, Pasta, Spring, Vegetables

≈ 11 Comments

penne, asparagus, goat cheese

Asparagus season is in full force and I eat it just about every way possible. Roasted, steamed, raw, in soups, in salads – by the time June hits I am ready to not look at it again until next spring. Asparagus is tender and sweet, so it doesn’t need much more than a quick roast in the oven to make it ready to enjoy. Here I roasted it with broccolini and scallions, and tossed everything together with penne, sun-dried tomatoes, and goat cheese. It’s a complete meal that is hearty, seasonal, and full of delicious healthy vegetables.

Ingredients:

penne, asparagus, goat cheese

  • 1 bunch asparagus
  • 1 bunch broccolini
  • 3 scallions , white and light green parts
  • 1 small jar sun-dried tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
  • 2 oz crumbled goat cheese
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb penne pasta
  • salt and pepper , to taste

 

 

Preheat oven to 425º. Cut asparagus, broccolini, and scallions into 2 inch pieces and place on a baking sheet. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until vegetables are tender and starting to brown.

Cook the penne in salted water, and reserve 1/8 cup of the cooking water. Toss the pasta with the roasted vegetables, water, parmesan cheese, parsley, and sun-dried tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and top the pasta with the crumbled goat cheese.

IMG_2703

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Fettuccine with Summer Squash, Lemon and Roasted Tomatoes

26 Wednesday Sep 2012

Posted by penthouse kitchen in Pasta, Vegetable Mains

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You’d never know the sauce for this pasta dish is not cream or cheese based. Well, of course some cheese is used, but you can include as much or as little as you like.

When I was home in Connecticut, my mother gave me a bunch of vegetables from her garden including a giant yellow squash, and for its use she shared this recipe. Cooking the squash down, pureeing it, and adding parmesan cheese gives this sauce a nutty taste, while the roasted tomatoes add a wonderful richness and a sweet bite. The lemon zest and juice are key ingredients that make the flavors pop. This makes a lot of sauce, which I then used again in a lasagne layered with roasted eggplant. So good!

For the sauce:

  • 1 large yellow summer squash, diced
  • 1 tblsp unsalted butter
  • Zest and juice of 1 lemon, separated
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 small garlic clove
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • Chopped parsley or basil, whichever you prefer
  • Sprinkle of freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
  • Olive oil, salt, pepper

For the tomatoes:

  •  1 pint cherry tomatoes
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, smashed
  • Sprinkle of sugar
  • Olive oil, salt, pepper

In a large sauce pan heat 1-2 tblsp oil and 1 tblsp butter (it helps thicken the sauce). Cook the onion, squash, garlic, and lemon zest until very soft, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken broth in splashes as needed to help the vegetables cook, keep them moist, and prevent browning. Once everything cooks down, add a shower of nutmeg. Meanwhile put the tomatoes and crushed garlic in a small baking dish and coat with olive oil. Then sprinkle with sugar, salt, and pepper. Roast in the oven at 400º until the tomatoes start to burst and the juices start to release.

Transfer the squash mixture into a large bowl and using a hand-blender, purée the mixture until smooth. At this point I like to add the juice from the roasted tomatoes to the mixture as well. Now add the fresh herbs, parmesan cheese, and lemon juice. Toss with fettuccine and the roasted tomatoes, then top with more parmesan. Prepare to enter a food coma.

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Creamy Rigatoni with Roasted Vegetables

19 Wednesday Sep 2012

Posted by penthouse kitchen in Pasta, Vegetable Mains

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The smell of garlic roasting in the oven is like heaven. And the taste – like candy. I had left-over vegetables and ricotta cheese from when I made the vegetable lasagne, so I whipped up this easy pasta dish that has so much flavor and pure “comfort” appeal.

At this point I should probably break the news to you that I am not going to always include exact recipes in every post. I rarely follow recipes. I often just use what I have in my cabinets, ‘fridge, and head. Cooking is not an exact science, and the more you do it the more you just “know” what and how much is needed.

For this creamy pasta dish, I first roasted zucchini and eggplant in a 400º oven. In a separate dish, I roasted a few cloves of garlic coated in olive oil, salt and pepper. Meanwhile I cooked the rigatoni and reserved some of the salty, starchy cooking liquid. When the garlic was soft and caramelized, I squeezed it out of the skin into a bowl with about 1 cup of ricotta cheese and 1/4 cup grated parmesan. Using a fork I mashed the roasted garlic into the cheeses and added some of the reserved cooking liquid to make more of a sauce. To that I added the pasta, some chopped basil, salt, pepper and the roasted vegetables. You’re going to love this one.

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Recent Posts

  • Kale Pesto
  • Chorizo and Manchego Gougeres
  • Cauliflower Kale Soup
  • Chili Mango Bok Choy Slaw
  • Indian Summer Farro Salad

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