Creamy Grilled Chicken and Mushroom Pasta

Creamy and lots of rich flavors

Ingredients:
5-6 grilled boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 ounces sliced button mushrooms
1 medium shallot finely chopped
2 tablespoons  minced garlic
2 1/2 ounces shredded  Parmesan cheese
1 pound rigatoni
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon of dry parsley flakes

Directions: 

Dice up the grilled chicken thighs and set aside. (chicken  can be fixed ahead of time and baked if you prefer over grilling). In a large skillet put about 2 tablespoons of Olive oil and at  med. heat place the  mushrooms and chopped  shallots  in the  skillet and saute.

When the mushrooms are done add a little more oil, the diced chicken, salt and pepper, vinegar, and garlic, stir and cook for about  5 min. 

Start cooking the Rigatoni according to the box.   When it is done drain and place in a large bowl. 

Add half of the  heavy cream and 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese and  all of the chicken broth to the mushrooms and chicken and continue cooking for about 10 min. stirring often. Then add the remaining heavy  cream and another 1/3 of the Parmesan, keep stirring and cook for another 10 min. then add the remaining Parmesan, turn the heat down to simmer, continue stirring and scrapping the bottom of the pan, sauce will reduce and  will thicken a  little. After about 10 min. remove from heat and pour over  the Rigatoni and gently stir, sprinkle  parsley over the top and serve  with  a nice crusty bread.

Rigatoni with Roasted Veggies

Ingredients                                                                                               

1 medium eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes                                                                             
1 pint cherry tomatoes                                                                                                            
3   tsp. minced garlic   
3   tablespoons  olive oil                                                                                                                  
1 teaspoon salt                                                                                                                        
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
1 teaspoon  red pepper flakes 
1 pound rigatoni pasta  cooked and drained according to the box  
3 tablespoons  extra virgin olive oil 
½ cup grated parmesan          


Directions


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl combine the eggplant and the cherry tomatoes  garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and red
pepper flakes. Spread the vegetables out in an even layer on the baking sheet. Roast in the oven until the vegetables are tender and the eggplant is golden, about 35 minutes. Remove from heat . Leave on the baking sheet till pasta is cooked.
   Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta into a large bowl. 
  With the veggies still on the baking sheet use a potato masher and  lightly mash up the veggies and add to the pasta , add the parmesan and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and toss and serve warm.

Asparagus Spaghetti

1   pound box cut  spaghetti
½  pound thick sliced Apple wood bacon diced
1   bunch Asparagus cut  into 2 in. pieces
1   cup shredded Pecorino Romano  cheese
6   lg. basil leaves chiffonade
½ teaspoon sugar
Olive oil 

Cut off  2 in. of the bottom  of the asparagus and discard. Cut the asparagus into 2  in. pieces.  Using a small Skillet,  add asparagus, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with sugar and saute till starting to get a  caramelized color, take  of heat  and place and place on a paper towel.

Fry the diced  bacon  untill it  is lightly brown , not crispy , remove  from heat  and place of a paper towel .

Chiffonade the basil , Stack about 6 leaves, roll up like a cigar and begin slicing the roll perpendicularly, creating fine, thin strips


Shred the cheese

Cook pasta according to the box.  And drain


Place pasta in a serving bowl and  add the basil , bacon and the asparagus and 3/4  of the cheese and   drizzle with olive oil  and toss, and top with remaining cheese. Add more olive oil if you like and serve

Greek Pasta Salad

 Ingredients
1- large cucumber chopped
2- Roma Tomatoes chopped
1- 5 ounce jar of pitted Kalamata Olives
1- 4 ounce pkg. crumbled Feta cheese
1 med. White onion halved and slice thinly
1 pound box of tri-color Rotini

Vinaigrette dressing
1 tablespoons of Olive Oil
½ tsp.  Garlic  powder
½ tsp. Greek Oregano
½ tsp. Dried basil
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
½ tsp. Lemon Juice
¾ cup of red Wine vinegar

Cook pasta according to the box, drain and cool
Add chopped cucumber, chopped tomato, Olives, feta cheese, onion,  in a large bowl and stir in the cooled pasta.

In a small bowl whisk , olive oil, garlic powder, oregano, basil, mustard, lemon juice and red wine vinegar together and pour over the  pasta mixture and toss and serve at room temperature.

Genoa Pasta Al Pesto

¼ pound of green beans- trimmed, blanched and cut into 1-inch pieces

½ pound - small red potatoes sliced

1 box of penne pasta

Olive oil

2 tsp. minced Garlic of garlic

½ cup of pesto homemade or from a jar

1/3 cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper

Grated parmesan

Boil the green beans for about 2 minutes in a pot of boiling water with olive oil and salt, remove the beans and put them into cold water. Place the potatoes with peel on in the pot of water and cook just until tender. Drain the potatoes, cool them and slice them ¼ inch thick.  Heat a frying pan and add olive oil and the garlic, sauté for about 30 seconds and add in the potatoes and green beans, sauté until tender.

  Mix the pesto and cream and set aside, cook the pasta in salted water drain and toss into a bowl with the pesto mixture, lightly fold in the beans and potatoes and top with parmesan cheese.

Pecorino Romano and Leek pasta

3 Tbs. butter
2 large leeks thinly sliced
1 pound  box Penne pasta
½ pint of heavy whipping cream
1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
11/2 cup of Cherry tomatoes cut in half
3 handfuls of Fresh baby spinach
1 tsp. olive oil


Melt  the butter with the olive oil in a large pan, put in the sliced leeks ,cover and cook on a low heat, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes.

While the leeks are cooking, boil the penne pasta in salted water according to the box directions.   Meanwhile add the whipping cream to  the leeks and add ¾ of the cheese. Stir well until the cheese melts. Take off the heat.

Drain the pasta and put  into the leeks and sauce  mixture and stir  until the pasta is coasted . Stir in the spinach a big handful at a time until it is  slightly wilted. Take off the heat and stir in the tomatoes  and  put in a serving bowl and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Spinach Tortellini with Basil Walnut Pesto

¼ cup chopped walnuts
1 tblsp. Chopped garlic
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 ½ cup olive oil
½ cup grated parmesan
1 20 oz. Buitoni mixed cheese  tortellini
1 cup of chopped baby spinach
1 cup fresh basil  leaves packed

To make the pesto…

Place the walnuts and garlic in  a food processor for 30 sec. and add the basil, salt and pepper with food processor  running, slowly pour  in the olive oil and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed. Then add the parmesan and puree for a minute. Put the pesto in a bowl and set aside.


Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the tortellini according to the package. And drain when its cooked and put in a serving bowl.
Add the pesto to the  tortellini and mix thoroughly and then add the fresh chopped spinach, toss around till the spinach becomes wilted, drizzle the tortellini with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with  parmesan and serve warm.

Pastisio

Greek Lasagna


Ingredients…
Salt and pepper
1 pound Penne pasta cooked and drained
2 pounds ground turkey
1 large onion diced
1  12oz. can of tomato paste
½ tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. Greek oregano
3 tsp. minced garlic
6 tbsp. butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup plain Greek Yogurt   

Directions…
Make the meat sauce first..
In a large sauce pan over med  heat cook turkey and breaking it apart  with a wood spoon so it is crumbly and cook till it is done. Add onions, cook stirring occasionally until translucent. Drain the meat and onion mixture in a colander and return to the pan.
  Stir in tomato paste, cinnamon, garlic, oregano and 2 cups of water, simmer stirring occasionally until thickened, 15-20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook the Penne pasta, drain and reserve. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

To make the Béchamel (cheese ) sauce…
In a med. sauce pan, melt butter then add the flour in slowly over med. heat whisking till thick and slowly add the  milk until incorporated, about 30   seconds. Cook whisking often until mixture is thick and bubbly and coats the back of a wooden spoon. 6-8 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan and Greek yogurt.

Stir the pasta and the meat sauce together and transfer to a 9 x 11 baking dish. Pour the cheese sauce over the top and smoothing with the back of a spoon until level.  Bake until browned in spots 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven , let cool 15 minutes  before serving.

Butternut Squash & Goat Cheese Pasta

1 - Butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into ¾ - inch cubes

2 - medium yellow onions diced into 1 inch pieces

1 -  pound of Penne pasta

1 - 8 oz. Log of goat cheese

1 - cup of chopped baby spinach

1/3 - cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 - tablespoons of dried basil

Olive oil

Kosher salt and pepper

  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Toss the squash and onion with olive oil and salt and pepper and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until vegetables are golden and cooked through.  Remove from the oven and set aside.

   Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add pasta. Cook until tender but firm.  Drain and reserve about 2 cups of the pasta water. Put the cooked pasta, goat cheese and 1 cup of pasta water in a large bowl  and stir, the hot pasta  water will make the goat cheese melt into a cream sauce. Add the squash and onions along with the basil and baby spinach, toss well add in the parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper if needed. And serve.