Simple Summer: 2 Super Easy Spaghetti Sauces

Fresh tomatoes photo by epSos.de @ flickr


From Denny: This chef, Guiliano Hazan, suggests simple dishes of the freshest food for an easy summer meal. Read that as you don't spend a lot of time slaving over a hot stove in the heat of summer. He uses the food processor to create a raw veggie puree as a sauce that is simple and bursting with fresh flavor. He does suggest peeling the tomatoes and the bell pepper and demos how. If you are worried about pestacides - and who isn't? - this might be a good idea. He shows us how easy it is to do and is about the only thing about these recipes that could be found to be somewhat time-consuming.

The second sauce uses fresh tomatoes, fresh herbs and yummy mozzarella cheese that you toss into warm pasta and then set aside with plastic wrap over the dish to melt the cheese. What could be easier?

What's good about large bowls of pasta is it provides a casual simple and easy way to entertain without too much heat or effort in the kitchen. This chef's book has over 100 easy pasta recipes that are worth the read! Click on the cookbook title link to go to the review of his new book to find out more about this award winning famous chef.






To check out his book, go here:"Giuliano Hazan’s Thirty Minute Pasta"

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Spaghetti all checca

From: Giuliano Hazan, "Giuliano Hazan’s Thirty Minute Pasta"

Makes: 4 servings

From Chef Hazan: I originally discovered this classic, refreshing Neapolitan summer dish at a restaurant called Cambusa in Positano. It is an uncooked sauce where the ingredients are simply scalded with hot oil before being tossed with the pasta. Use tomatoes whose flesh is firm and flavorful. Plum tomatoes are a good fall-back if nothing else seems suitable.


INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds fresh tomatoes
• 8 ounces fresh whole milk mozzarella
• Salt
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 6-8 fresh basil leaves
• 4-5 sprigs fresh oregano
• 3-4 springs fresh thyme
• Freshly ground black pepper


DIRECTIONS

Fill a pot for the pasta with about 6 quarts of water, place over high heat, and bring to a boil.

Peel the tomatoes, remove the seeds, and cut into small 1/4-inch dice. Put the tomatoes in the serving bowl you’ll be serving the pasta in.

Add about 2 tablespoons salt to the boiling pasta water, put in the spaghetti, and stir until all the strands are submerged. Cook until very al dente (about 30 seconds less than you normally would).

While the pasta is cooking, put the olive oil in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Heat until the oil begins to smoke then remove from the heat.

While the oil is heating, cut the mozzarella into small 1/4-inch dice. Coarsely chop the basil. Chop enough oregano to a medium fine consistency to measure about 4 teaspoons. Finely chop enough thyme to measure about 1 teaspoon. Add the herbs to the bowl with the tomatoes and season well with salt and pepper. When the oil is hot, pour it into the bowl and mix thoroughly.

When the pasta is done, drain well, and toss it with the ingredients in the serving bowl. Add the mozzarella, toss again, then cover the bowl and let stand for about a minute to allow the cheese to melt a bit. Uncover the bowl, toss one last time, and serve at once.






Spaghetti with raw peppers and tomato

From: Giuliano Hazan, "Giuliano Hazan’s Thirty Minute Pasta"

Makes: 4 servings

From Chef Hazan: Saucing pasta with raw sauces is not uncommon and makes for a great refreshing summer dish. Some require a period of maceration but this one is best soon after it is made.


INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound fresh tomatoes
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 3-4 sprigs flat leaf Italian parsley
• 1 tablespoons whole milk
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil


DIRECTIONS

Fill a pot for the pasta with about 6 quarts of water, place over high heat, and bring to a boil.

Peel the tomato and remove the seeds. Peel the pepper, core it, remove the seeds, and cut away any white pith inside. Put the parsley leaves, tomato, pepper, milk, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a light grinding of black pepper in a food processor. Run the processor until you get a smooth puree.

When the water for the pasta is boiling, add about 2 tablespoons salt to the boiling pasta water, put in the spaghetti, and stir until all the strands are submerged. Cook until very al dente, about 30 seconds before they are done.

Transfer the sauce to the bowl where you will be serving the pasta. Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano and olive oil and mix well. When the pasta is done, drain well, toss thoroughly with the sauce, and let stand for about 2 minutes before serving.






To check out his book, go here: "Giuliano Hazan’s Thirty Minute Pasta"


*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

Does it Get Any Better? Funny Curtis Stones Healthy Pasta, Chocolate Recipes

From Denny: Yesterday actually got warm that it felt like Spring finally arrived. It was up to almost 70 degrees F.! Woo! Hoo! Today? The sun went to sleep and it's cloudy and chilly again, down to the low 40's. Yesterday I was thinking about summer food. Today? It's definitely pasta! :) There is something about how pasta and chocolate belong on the same blog...

I found this little gem of a recipe from Australian hunk Chef Curtis Stone. This time of year we still have access to butternut squash in the grocery aisles. Yellow, orange and red vegetables are extremely important during cold weather for immune system support. What better way to feed our immune systems than to have a wonderful plate of comforting pasta? The pasta recipe can be made with veggie stock to make it vegetarian if you prefer.

Here are some of the benefits of including butternut squash into your diet:

* low in fat and high in fiber it is heart healthy

* good amounts of potassium which is important to bone health

* good amounts of vitamin B6 which is important for nervous and immune system health

* very high levels of beta-carotene (your body automatically converts to vitamin A) good for protecting against heart disease, breast cancer, eye disease like macular degeneration which is age related

* 1 cup serving of this vegetable and you get half the daily amount of vitamin C

* high in anti-oxidants that have anti-inflammatory properties which is good to combat a wide range of diseases and illnesses.

Nutrition Breakdown of Butternut Squash

Per 1 cup cooked, approximately 205 grams

Calories: 82 k cal
Fat: 0.2 g
Vitamin A: 1,144 mcg = 163 percent* of DRI**
Vitamin B6: 0.3 mg = 20 percent of DRI
Vitamin C: 31 mg = 41 percent of DRI
Folate: 39 mcg = 10 percent of DRI
Potassium: 582 mg = 12 percent of DRI

* Percentages are for women 31 to 50 years old who are not pregnant
** DRI, Dietary Reference Intake, is based on National Academy of Sciences' Dietary Reference Intakes, 1997 to 2004

Oh, and did I happen to mention he also supplied a wonderful chocolate dessert recipe? Oh, yeah!

Recipes Featured:

Vegetable fettuccine with butternut squash and white wine sauce
Orange and dark chocolate mousse

This video is funnier than most demonstration food videos. Chef Stone is a bit hung over from hanging out at a New York nightclub with a best friend celebrating a happy life event. The two female hosts keep ribbing him, getting him off balance and off topic from the demo, so that the demo starts to look like a completely sloppy disasterous comedy improv. Of course, he throws in Chinese Snow Peas because they have him so rattled he thinks it was a bowl of green onions. It's cute; take a look:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Vegetable Fettuccine with Butternut Squash and White Wine Sauce

From: Chef Curtis Stone

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

For the sauce:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 onion, roughly diced
• 1 clove garlic, chopped rough
• 2 cups diced butternut squash, skin removed
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock

For the pasta:

• 1 pound fettuccine noodles
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 onion, julienned
• 1 leek, white part only, cut in half lengthwise and cut across into thin ribbons
• 1 clove garlic, chopped fine
• 1 small fennel bulb, julienned
• 1 cup snow peas, ends trimmed and cut in half diagonally
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 4 tablespoons whole butter, small diced
• 1 small block of Parmesan Reggiano, for grating
• 1/4 cup chopped chives

DIRECTIONS

Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat.

Add the oil and sweat the onion for 2 minutes, stirring often, then add the garlic and the squash and saute for 1 minute.

Add the white wine to the pan and allow to reduce by half, then add the chicken stock.

Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cover with a lid.

Simmer gently for 20 minutes or until the squash has become soft.

Remove the pan from the heat and puree the squash with the cooking liquid in a blender until smooth. If the puree is too thick, thin out with a little water.

Strain the puree through a fine-mesh strainer, season to taste with salt and pepper and reserve.

While the squash is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.

Once the puree is made, add the pasta to the water and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, heat a large saute pan over medium heat.

Add the oil to the pan and sweat the onions and leek for 2 minutes, stirring often.

Add the garlic and fennel to the pan and continue cooking for an additional 3 minutes.

Add the snow peas and the wine and allow the wine to reduce by half, then add the sauce to the pan and mix well.

Strain the pasta into a colander set in the sink, then add the drained pasta to the pan of vegetables and sauce.

Add the butter and, using a pair of tongs, toss well to mix and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Using a two-pronged meat carving fork, swirl a quarter of the pasta onto the fork and mound the pasta onto the center of a warm pasta bowl in a spiral shape, then repeat with remaining pasta and bowls.

Spoon the remaining vegetables from the pan evenly over the pasta in the 4 serving bowls.

Using a vegetable peeler, shave some Parmesan onto each bowl of pasta and garnish with the fresh chives.



Orange and dark chocolate mousse

From: Chef Curtis Stone

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• Zest of 2 oranges (grated with a fine rasp grater such as a Microplane)
• 4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar

DIRECTIONS

Place the yolks, orange juice and the sugar into a medium mixing bowl set over a small pot of simmering water.

Whisk continuously for 10 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl often until the liquid has become thick and tripled in size. It will look light and airy and have a foamy texture.

Remove the liquid from the heat and allow to cool to almost room temperature, whisking it every couple of minutes to keep the airiness in the liquid.

Whisk the cream in a large mixing bowl until stiff peaks form, reserve.

Place the chocolate in a medium mixing bowl set over the small pot of simmering water until the chocolate melts, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula to ensure the chocolate has melted evenly.

Once the chocolate has melted, add the remaining ½ cup of cream and mix well over the heat. Once incorporated, add the orange zest and mix well.

Remove the bowl of chocolate from the heat and allow to cool slightly, it should just be warm to the touch.

Slowly fold the chocolate into the whipped cream with a rubber spatula until it is completely incorporated. Slowly fold the orange and egg yolk mixture into the chocolate and cream until a uniform mixture is achieved. This will take a few minutes and at first the mixture will be a little loose, but once all of the ingredients are fully incorporated the mixture will be light and airy like a liquid mousse.

Gently spoon the mixture into 4 individual glasses or ramekins and place in the refrigerator to set for at least 4 hours.

Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepot and cook over medium heat, allow the syrup to simmer for 1 minute then add the orange zest to the mixture and reduce heat to low. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until the orange zest is tender and the syrup has thickened slightly, then transfer the orange zest and syrup to a bowl set over ice to cool completely.

Once cool, remove the zest from the syrup and reserve. Syrup can be saved for another use such as sweetening iced tea, or discarded.

To serve, remove the parfait from the freezer. Place a small pinch of the candied orange zest over the top of each parfait and serve.



*** THANKS for visiting, come back often, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers - and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe!

How to Cook Perfect Al Dente Pasta, Giadas Simple Recipe

From Denny: Beginner cooks are always asking how to cook pasta just up to the right texture without going past it to the gooey too soft uninspired noodles like you get at a cafeteria.

First of all, start with a huge pot of cold water. Once it comes up to the boil, throw in a fair amount of salt for the volume of water so you get a layered effect of taste. If you wait to salt the pasta after it's cooked it tends to sit on top, not soaked in like if you had cooked it into it.

Second, you don't really need to put any oil into the boiling water to prevent sticking. If you have a large enough volume of water the pasta will "dance" and not stick together at all. Though I like to stir it every now and then with a pasta fork to make sure, especially if it's long noodles.

Or you can break all the proper rules like I do when I'm hard-pressed for time: use a small volume of water to boil and stir constantly. It can get tricky unless you are used to how the pasta is supposed to look when just cooked properly. So, before you break all the rules, first learn them! :)

When you go to drain the pasta, make sure you save a little pasta water, about one cup or so, that has all that starch and vitamins from the processing. Use that to marry your sauce or sauteed veggies to the noodles, thickening the sauce without added butter or oil so you save on calories!

Take a look at the demo:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

*** Chef Giada from Food Network is always showing how to make delicious simple Italian food quickly and this recipe is so easy!

PENNE WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATO PESTO

From: Chef Giada De Laurentis

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ease of preparation: easy

INGREDIENTS

• 12 ounces penne pasta
• 1 (8 1/2 ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
• 1 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, blend the sun-dried tomatoes and their oil, basil, and garlic in a food processor just until the tomatoes are finely chopped. Transfer the tomato mixture to a large bowl. Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Season the pesto with salt and pepper, to taste.

Add the pasta to the pesto and toss to coat, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

*** THANKS for visiting, come back often, feel free to comment, a big hug to current subscribers - and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email!