Category Archives: Main Courses

PASTA, PESTO, AND PEAS

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  • ¾ pound of fusilli pasta

  • ¾ pound bow ties pasta

  • ¼ cup olive oil

  • 1 ½ cups homemade pesto

  • 1  10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry

  • 3 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice

  • 1 ¼ cups good mayo

  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

  • 1 ½ cup frozen peas defrosted

  • 1/3 cup pine nuts toasted

  • ¾ t. kosher salt

  • ¾ t. ground black pepper

Cook pasta separately, drain and toss with olive oil.  In a bowl of processor, puree the pesto, spinach and lemon juice.  Add mayo and continue to puree.  Add pesto mixture to cooled pasta, and then add cheese, peas, nuts, salt and pepper

PASTA WITH MEATBALLS AND SAUSAGE

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  • 1 # Italian sausage

  • 1 ½ # ground chuck

  • 1/3 cup bread crumbs

  • 1 egg

  • 1 T. dried basil

  • 1/3 cup parmesan cheese

  • 2 large cans tomato puree

  • 1 6 oz  can tomato paste

  • Olive oil

  • 1/3 cup dried basil

Sauté sausage in olive oil.  Remove sausage.  Mix ground chuck, bread crumbs, egg, basil and cheese.  Form meatballs.  Brown in olive oil.  Remove to platter.  Add tomato puree and paste to drippings.  Add basil.  Put meat back into pot and simmer for 3 hours.

MEATBALLS – Andy’s

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  • ½ pound ground veal

  • ½ pound ground pork

  • 1 pound ground beef

  • 1 cup fresh white bread crumbs (4 slices, crusts removed)

  • ¼ cup seasoned dry bread crumbs

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt

  • ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1 extra-large egg, beaten

  • Vegetable oil

  • Olive oil

  • 1 # 0f sweet Italian sausage links cut into 1”-1½” bite size chunks

Place the ground meats, bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg and ¾ cup warm water in a bowl.  Combine very lightly with a fork.  Using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs.  You will have 14 to 16 meatballs.

Pour equal amounts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large (12-inch) skillet to a depth of ¼ inch.  Heat the oil.  Very carefully, in batches, place the meatballs in the oil and brown them well on all sides over medium-low heat, turning carefully with a spatula or a fork.  This should take about 10 minutes for each batch.  Don’t crowd the meatballs.  Remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels.

Sauté the sausage.

 Discard the oil.

PASTA ORECCHIETTE WITH SAUSAGE AND PEAS

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  • 1 pound Orecchiette

  • 1 pound Italian sausage, out of its casing

  • 1+ cup of peas

  • 1+ cup chicken stock

  • 1 onion diced

  • ¼ cup olive oil

  • Salt and pepper

  • ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano grated

In a large skillet, sauté the sausage in a little olive oil, breaking it apart  with a fork until crumbled and lightly browned.  Remove the sausage only and sauté the onion in the remaining oil (adding a bit more oil if the remaining quantity seems insufficient.)  Cook the onion until it is golden brown and then add back the sausage.  Add 1 cup+ chicken stock and the peas, cooking together for five more minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Meanwhile, cook the pasta until just before al dente.  Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce cooking for additional minute.  Place it into a large serving bowl and mix in the cheese.  Sprinkle each bowl with a little cheese.  Sserve immediately.  Sserves 4-6;.

PASTA ORECCHIETTE CON CECI

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  • 1lb. orecchiette

  • 6 oz pancetta cubed

  • 1 small onion, chopped

  • ¼ cup olive oil

  • 12 oz spinach

  • 12 oz ceci beans (if canned, rinsed well)

  • Parmigiano, grated

  • Salt and pepper

Start onion and olive oil over medium heat, adding the pancetta soon after and cook together until lightly golden.  Add the spinach and cook until wilted.  Once spinach is cooked down and its liquid mostly evaporated, add the ceci and salt and pepper to taste.  Meanwhile, cook the pasta until one minute before al dente and drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking water.  Add pasta to ceci mixture and cook for one minute, adding the cooking water until mixed through and hot (about 1 minute).  Serve immediately, sprinkled with parmigiano.

PASTA RIGATONI ALLO ZAFFERANO E PISELLI E RADICCHIO

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  • 1 lb rigatoni

  • 1.2 cup olive oil

  • 8 oz. green peas defrosted

  • 6 oz. pancetta cubed

  • 1 onion diced

  • 1 small radicchio sliced thickly

  • 1 t. saffron

  • Salt and pepper to taste

  • Grated parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, sauté the onion until translucent, then add the pancetta.  Cook until the onion is golden brown and the pancetta is cooked through.  Add the peas and cook over medium heat for a couple of minutes, and then add the radicchio, cooking until wilted.  Add salt and pepper.  Meanwhile, cook the pasta until 1 minute shy of al dente and drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.  Into the reserved cooking water add the saffron and stir until bright yellow.  Add the pasta to the pea and radicchio mixture and then mix in the saffron water.  Stir until hot, and serve immediately with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.  Serves 4+.

PASTA JIM FULLER STYLE

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  • 1/3 cup olive oil

  • 1 small chopped onion or shallot

  • 4 chopped Roma tomatoes

  • 1 thick slice of prosciutto chopped

  • 1 small jar of marinated sun dried tomatoes chopped

  • ½ cup pine nuts

  • 2 t. dried basil

  • ¼ – 1/3 cup heavy cream

Warm oil.  Sauté onion 5 minutes.  Add tomato and cook 5 minutes.  Add prosciutto and sun dried tomatoes and cook 5 minutes.  Add pine nuts and basil.  Then cream.  Serve immediately over favorite pasta.

PASTA FETTUCCINE CON SALSA DI NOCI

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  • 1 lb. fettuccine

  • 1 clove garlic

  • 2 oz butter

  • 2 oz olive oil

  • 1 ½ cup walnuts

  • 1 cup heavy cream

  • ½ cup grated parmesan

  • 1 t. salt and pepper

In a food processor mix walnuts and olive oil.  Meanwhile, melt butter and lightly brown the garlic in a large sauté pan.  Add the walnut mixture and cook for 1-2 minutes and then add the cream and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, adding salt and pepper.  Meanwhile, cook the pasta and drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.  Add the pasta to the nut sauce (and add a bit of the reserved cooking water if it looks too dry).  Remove from the heat and mix in parmesan cheese and serve immediately.  Serves 4+.

PASTA DOMENICA

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  • 1 # pasta

  • ¼ # prosciutto

  • 1 package frozen peas

  • 1 pint light cream

  • 6 medium Roma tomatoes

  • ½ stick butter

  • Freshly grated parmesan cheese

  • Salt and pepper

  • Dash of nutmeg

Melt ½ of butter.  Add tomatoes and cook about 6 minutes.  Add salt and white pepper and nutmeg.  Add prosciutto, peas, and 2/3 of cream.  Add cheese and stir on simmer for a few minutes