Valentines Day Pasta From Chef Shea Gallante

Image by fionaandneil via Flickr

From Denny: OK, so Valentine's Day was yesterday but hey! at our house we celebrate all week long - or however long it takes me to get all these Valentine food posts published. :)

Who doesn't know how to make spaghetti and meatballs? I'm always up for yet another new twist on this comfort food favorite. Besides, spaghetti sauce and the meatballs are something you can make ahead if you only have snippets of time to do the meal.

As chef reminds us, when we go to form the meatballs make sure you have both a wet ice cream scoop and wet hands as it makes for easier handling.

Take a look at the salad in the video as it's just beautiful, chock full of all those foods good for you, ending a long winter and starting Spring.  Apples, shallots and radishes are all good support for your sinuses, lungs and colon health to banish colds and flu.  Carrot and fennel pack those extra minerals we need to restore us after a dreary winter.

These are simple recipes that would be wonderful any time of the year or for that special weekend just for the two of you!

Video and Recipe: Whole-wheat creamy fettuccine with chicken sausage, olives and rabe

From Denny: This looked really great! As a pasta lover, I've never quite adjusted to whole wheat noodles. However, one of the toppings that tastes good with the heavier more flavorful whole wheat noodles is anything with spicy tastes like sausage or olives and this recipe has both.

This is a healthy version made with chicken sausage and lots of yummy garlic. Any time you add greens you are addings lots of minerals like calcium to your diet. She's using milk instead of heavy cream like so many fettacine dishes. Whew! Tastes good and fewer calories, works for me. This is a great easy and quick dish for busy parents at the end of a busy work day!

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Whole-wheat creamy fettuccine with sausage, olives and rabe

From: Chef Cat Cora

Serves: 4-6

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 pound fennel or hot light Italian turkey sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices

• 2 tablespoons minced garlic

• 1 pound fresh whole-wheat fettuccine

• 1/2 pound broccoli rabe, cleaned and rough chopped

• 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted (about 1/4 pound)

• 1/4 cup milk

• 1 teaspoon pepperoncini or chili flakes

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

• Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Put water on to boil in a large pot or a pasta pot, fitted with a strainer.

Pour the olive oil into a skillet and set over medium heat. Cook the sausage slices just until they begin to brown, about 3 minutes. Toss the minced garlic into the skillet and cook just until fragrant and beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the broccoli rabe and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. If the water in the pot is boiling, add the fresh pasta to the pot. Cook until al dente, about 5 minutes.

Now add the olives to the skillet. Saute 1 minute, then stir in the milk. Strain the pasta and transfer to a large pasta bowl. Add the olives to the pasta and toss. Season with oregano, pepperoncini, salt and pepper before serving.

Recipes: Fried Nutella ravioli with mascarpone, toasted hazelnuts. more great pasta dishes

From Denny: Now if this doesn't take the cake, uh, pasta, for an unusual and tasty idea for using chocolate! Found this over at NBC's The Today Show. These are all recipes featured from the FRESCO restaurant run by the Scotto family in New York City.

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From: FRESCO restaurant by Scotto

Makes: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS


Filling

• 1 jar Nutella (hazelnut spread)

Ravioli

• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons hot water
• 2 tablespoons melted bittersweet chocolate
• 1 1/2 cups semolina flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 eggs

Mascarpone cream

• 1 container of mascarpone (500 g)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Toasted hazelnuts for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Raviolis

1. Combine cocoa and hot water to make a paste. Combine cocoa paste, bittersweet chocolate, semolina flour, sugar, 2 eggs in a mixing bowl with dough hook. Mix dough until smooth, remove from bowl and knead adding flour as necessary until dough is no longer sticky. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. Pass dough through a pasta machine according to manufacturer’s instructions to make 2 sheets measuring 6-inches by 15-inches.

3. Cut pasta sheet into 3-inch squares. Place 1 tablespoon of Nutella spread in the center of each square. Lightly beat 1 egg and brush the edges of the pasta squares, then fold diagonally over the filling, pressing gently to seal.

4. Preheat the oven to 200° F. Add enough oil to a heavy large frying pan to reach a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat to 350° F.

5. Working in batches, carefully add the ravioli to the hot oil and cook until they are golden brown, about 45 seconds per side. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the ravioli to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.

Then, transfer the cooked ravioli to another baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven while frying the remaining ravioli. (The fried ravioli can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool them completely, then cover and refrigerate. Before serving, place them on a baking sheet and rewarm in a preheated 375 degrees F oven just until they are heated through, about 7 minutes.)

Mascarpone cream

Mix 1 container of mascarpone (500 g) with 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Place a dollop of the mascarpone cream in the center of a plate, surrounded by 5 ravioli; sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts and serve.

***

And the pasta recipes:

Artichoke linguine with wild mushrooms and goat cheese

From: FRESCO by Scotto

Makes: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 4 tablespoons scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 pound mixed wild mushrooms, trimmed, washed and dried (any combination of oyster, shiitake, or trumpet mushrooms)
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes cut in half
• 1 cup frozen or canned artichoke hearts or bottoms, washed and drained
• 1/2 cup fresh frozen peas, defrosted
• 1 pound fresh baby spinach, trimmed, washed, and pat dried
• 3 tablespoons soft unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh linguine, spaghetti or fettuccine
• 3/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and add 2 tablespoons salt.

2. Meanwhile, in a large 12-inch sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium to high heat or until almost smoking. Add the garlic and scallions, sauté until lightly brown. Add the mushrooms and continue to sauté until mushrooms are soft, follow by adding cherry tomatoes and artichokes; season with salt and pepper. Continue to simmer for 5 to 7 minutes; set aside.

3. Drop the pasta into boiling water and cook until tender, about 4 to 5 minutes; drain.

4. Add the hot pasta to the large sauté pan containing the vegetables by stirring gently over medium heat. Add the peas, spinach and soft butter, toss until butter is melted and spinach is wilted. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese.

Serve immediately.

***

Penne with pesto sauce, string beans and Yukon gold potatoes

From: FRESCO by Scotto

Makes: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS


Pasta

• 1/2 pound string beans, blanched; cut in half
• 1/2 pound Yukon gold potatoes, diced small and blanched
• 1 pound penne pasta
• 1/2 cup basil pesto (see recipe below)
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1/2 tablespoon julienne shallots
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Pesto sauce

• 4 cups basil leaves
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 lemon, juice only
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, roasted
• 2 ounces Parmesan, freshly grated
• Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

Pasta

1. Sauté garlic and shallots over medium to high heat 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Add string beans and potatoes and sauté for about 1 minute.

2. In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water, cook penne according to package directions, drain and add to sauté pan containing the string beans and potatoes.

3. Simmer for about 2 minutes over medium heat, then add basil pesto and toss.

4. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Pesto sauce

1. Pick over basil leaves, wash and dry in a salad spinner.

2. Place basil in a food processor with the garlic and lemon juice, process until well combined.

3. With machine running, drizzle in olive oil. Add pine nuts and Parmesan and process briefly to retain some texture to the pesto.

4. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe: Shrimp-Stuffed Eggplant

Shrimp-Stuffed Eggplant

Serves 4. Bake at 400° F. for 20 minutes.

From: Corinne Cook of The Advocate in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.


Another popular vegetable in Louisiana is eggplant. Could be from the influence of the Sicilian immigrants 100 years ago. Whatever the reason, it is a beloved dish when it is stuffed with seafood as a particular favorite.

Here the eggplant is halved lengthwise and partially cooked. The flesh is scooped out and then cooked together with onions, bell peppers, shrimp and garlic for the stuffing that is placed back into the shell and baked. Don’t worry if the eggplant shell tends to collapse or flatten from the weight of the stuffing. You are still able to pile quite a bit of the stuffing above the shell’s edge. Anything else left over can be placed in a casserole dish and baked as the stuffing dish it is!

Make sure you purchase small to medium-sized eggplants and they have smooth, shiny, blemish-free skins.


Ingredients:

2 small to medium eggplants

1 ½ lbs. shrimp

¼ cup vegetable/canola oil

1 onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

4 slices day-old bread

1 Tablespoon butter

Salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper to taste

2 eggs, slightly beaten

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

¼ cup Parmesan cheese for topping


Directions:


Cut eggplant in half length-wise. Do not peel. Drop halves in boiling water and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes or until they are just tender. Drain.

Peel and devein shrimp. Cook shrimp in a little water or sauté in a little oil until just done. Do not overcook – usually 30 seconds per side or less.

Using a knife or grapefruit spoon, remove the eggplant pulp. Leave some of the pulp around the edges to form a shell. Don’t worry if the shells don’t stand upright. You can still put the stuffing over the flat shell. Put shells in greased baking dish. Chop eggplant pulp into small pieces; reserve.

Sauté onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic in oil until soft. Add chopped pulp.

Wet the slices of bread under running water and squeeze out most of the water.

Add the bread, butter and the salt and pepper to the eggplant mixture. Stir until bread is mixed with the eggplant and seasonings. Remove from heat and gradually stir in the beaten eggs. Blend well. Add cooked shrimp and fresh parsley.

Spoon stuffing into eggplant shells. Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake in 400-degree oven until heated through, about 20 minutes.


Note: For other recipes visit my other fun blog -
Romancing The Chocolate

Recipe: Pine Nut Ricotta Cheesecake with Macerated Strawberries

Pine Nut Ricotta Cheesecake with Macerated Strawberries

Here’s a little beauty of a dessert high in protein! Perfect for the weekend gathering.

Cheesecakes are immensely popular in Louisiana. Because of the Italian and Sicilian descendants who made their homes in Louisiana over a century ago there is a great respect for Italian ingredients like ricotta cheese.

While it is true that ricotta cheese is high in fat it is also high in protein. Just anticipate your calories for the day, adjust them accordingly and then cut a smaller slice to enjoy without worry!


From: Pastry Chef Caroline Threinen, FireLake Grill House & Cocktail Bar
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Yield: 12 servings – preparation time is 1 ½ hours plus baking and chilling times


Ingredients for Macerated Strawberries:


Two (12-oz.) cartons fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and quartered

½ cup sugar

1 Tablespoon Grand Marnier

Ingredients for Pine Nut Crust:

1 ½ cup all purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup pine nuts, toasted and chopped

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 large egg yolk


Ingredients for Ricotta Cheesecake Filling:


8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup ricotta cheese

2 large eggs

4 large egg yolks

1 cup light corn syrup

½ cup pine nuts


Garnish:

Sweetened whipped cream


Directions for Macerated Strawberries: Toss together strawberry quarters, sugar and Grand Marnier and allow to macerate, covered, for at least 2 hours or until strawberry juices are released.


Directions to make crust: Position a rack on lower shelf of oven and preheat oven to 350° F.

In bowl of an electric mixer, using paddle attachment, combine flour, sugar, pine nuts, butter and egg yolk. Mix just until the mixture starts to come together as a dough. If it seems dry, add a little water. Shape dough into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

On a floured piece of parchment paper, roll out dough into a circle about 13” in diameter. Line an 11” tart pan with removable bottom with dough and trim off excess dough. Line dough with parchment and fill halfway with beans, rice or pie weights. Par-bake the shell for 10 minutes; remove the parchment paper and weights and bake for another 12-15 minutes, until light golden brown. Set aside to cool. Lower oven temperature to 325° F.


Directions to make Ricotta Cheesecake Filling: Place cream cheese, ricotta cheese, eggs and yolks in food processor and process until fully combined. With machine running, gradually pour in light corn syrup. Pour mixture into cooled tart shell. Sprinkle whole pine nuts over filling. Bake cheesecake for 40-45 minutes, until set.
Chill tart for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve each slice with macerated strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream.


FireLake Grill House & Cocktail Bar
31 South Seventh Street
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402
612 – 216 - 3473

Note: For other recipes visit my other fun blog –
Romancing The Chocolate