Gram's best dish ever!

Pasta e patate

When I was a kid there was nothing I loved more then having this for dinner. The aroma it provides sparks hunger in anyone. I call this a "great depression dish," because its super cheap to make and satisfying. This was also a staple in my Grandmother's house during the great depression for those reasons.

Ingredients

1 lb of Mezzo Ditale
1 can Hunt's Tomato sauce
6-8 potatoes, peeled and cubed.
1 cube of garlic, minced
1 package american cheese
Salt
Pepper

Directions

Peel and cube your potatoes.
Boil potatoes with minced garlic until soft, drain and bring them back to the pan to mash. While mashing potatoes add your can of Hunt's tomato sauce. Mash the sauce into the potatoes. This mixture will become very thick which is why it is key to keep a pan of boiling water on the side. While mashing potatoes, add boiling water until you reach your desired thickness.
Now, simply boil your ditale, drain, and mix sauce with the ditale. Add salt and pepper as desired.

Cavatelli with Sauteed Broccoli and Garlic

Ingredients
3 Sauteed Chicken Breasts, cut up.


4 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 to 3 cups broccoli florets, or to taste

Salt

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

1 1/2 cups canned chicken broth

1 pound cavatelli, cooked according to package directions

Freshly grated Locatelli pecorino Romano

Directions

In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over moderate heat until hot. Add the garlic and cook it, stirring, until pale golden. Add the broccoli, salt, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and simmer for 5 minutes.



Meanwhile, cook the pasta. Drain the pasta and transfer it to the saucepan. Toss with sauce to combine. Serve with the cheese.

"What's this masterpiece called?"

Pasta with Caramelized Onion Trio, Arugula, and Mozzarella

This recipe holds a special place in my heart. I made this as part of a surprise dinner for my boyfriend, this was not the surprise. Rather, I served this on the beach complete with and elegant white tablecloth, white dishes, pelligrino, cute wine glasses, over a table with shells. We ate at sunset and it was completely amazing. When he started eating it he asked "What's this masterpiece called?" hence the title. Not only is this dish different, but its also simple and elegant. Again, I advise that you chop the onions and leeks ahead of time. Leeks are tricky to cut and clean, so here is a quick how-to. Leeks are essentially a root, so to begin cut off the white end with the roots hanging out. Next, cut the leafy part off. This leaves you with a shape similar to a green onion. You want to cut this in half lengthwise and start dicing away. Place your diced pieces in a bowl of water to get all the sand out (leeks have a lot of sand hidden in their crevices), drain after about 3-5 minutes of soaking. This is best served immediatly after tossing.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)






Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups coarsely chopped leek

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped white onion

1/4 cup coarsely chopped green onions

8 ounces uncooked linguine

1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup dried currants

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup heavy cream

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups coarsely chopped arugula

1/2 cup (2 ounces) cubed fresh mozzarella

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Preparation

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add leek, white onion, and green onions; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 20 minutes or until leek and onions are golden brown, stirring frequently.



While onion mixture cooks, prepare pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.



Bring the broth to a boil in a small saucepan. Add dried currants and vinegar. Add broth mixture, cream, and salt to onion mixture; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in arugula, mozzarella, and thyme. Add to pasta; toss gently to combine.



Nutritional Information

Calories:418 (28% from fat)

Fat:13.1g (sat 6.2g,mono 4.1g,poly 0.7g)

Protein:13g

Carbohydrate:63.7g

Fiber:4.7g

Cholesterol:32mg

Iron:3.6mg

Sodium:584mg

Calcium:170mg

My Go-to Summer Dish

Cavatappi with Bacon and Summer Vegetables

This is a fantastic summer recipe! The greatest thing about it is that it incorporates all the great flavors of the season. Its also very light so you won't feel overfull after eating it. A great summer night dish or to bring to a picnic. Also, I found the easiest way to make this into a meal was to add garlic bread and a fresh greens salad with balsamic dressing. You also have a few options when it comes to adding protein to this dish; you can either add grilled shrimp or grilled chicken in addition to the bacon that is already in it. To make this dish vegetarian, simply subtract the bacon and use extra virgin olive oil to cook the veggies.

Prep Time: 20 minutes


Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 2 cups pasta mixture and 1 tablespoon cheese)

Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked cavatappi

• 8 slices center-cut bacon, chopped

• 2 teaspoons olive oil

• 1 cup prechopped red onion onion

• 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic

• 1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

• 1 portabella mushroom

• 1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)

• 1 pint grape tomatoes

• 1 cup mozzarella, shredded

• 1/4 cup small fresh basil leaves

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

2. While pasta cooks, cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon from pan with a slotted spoon, reserving drippings in pan; add oil to drippings. Add onion and garlic to pan; sauté 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add zucchini; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in corn and tomatoes; cook 5 minutes or until tomatoes burst, stirring occasionally. Add pasta to tomato mixture; toss. Cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Add 1/4 cup cheese, basil, salt, and pepper; toss to combine. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Mixed greens salad: Combine 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon orange juice, 2 teaspoons honey, 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Whisk in 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Toss with 6 cups mixed salad greens.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

248

Fat:

8.4g (sat 3.3g,mono 2.9g,poly 0.8g)

Protein:

12.8g

Carbohydrate:

32.6g

Fiber:

4g

Cholesterol:

15mg

Iron:

1.7mg

Sodium:

626mg

Calcium:

203mg