{ creamy rigatoni with spicy shrimp in rosemary garlic sauce }

creamy rigatoni with spicy shrimp in rosemary garlic sauce

Ingredients

• 1 box rigatoni (16-oz box), or pasta of choice
• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined (frozen works well)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
• 1/4 cup light cream
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Process
Cook pasta according to package directions (al dente).

Meanwhile, prepare shrimp.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about one minute), being careful not to burn.

Add shrimp, rosemary and pepper flakes. Cook, stirring until shrimp is just pink, or warmed through, about three minutes. Reduce heat to low.

Add lemon juice and cream. Cook until warm. Add grated parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve shrimp sauce over warm pasta and garnish with lemon slice and Parmigiano curls.

{ shrimp & mushroom rotini in garlic lemon cream sauce}

Comfort food, lightened up. Yes, there's cream, but it's the light version. Yes, there's butter, but it splits its usual full-time duty with some olive oil. Choose a "smart" pasta like Barilla Plus or Ronzoni Smart Taste, and you'll really curb the guilt factor (just don't skip on the glass of wine).

It's delicious. Give it a shot.

Shrimp & Mushroom Rotini in Garlic Lemon Cream Sauce
(adapted from cooks.com)

Ingredients

• 1 lb pasta (I used rotini, but pick your favorite)
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 pound cooked, peeled, deveined shrimp (frozen, dethawed under cold water works great)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup light cream
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp coursely ground pepper
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I use Parmigiano Reggiano)
• lemon slices, fresh basil leaves, to garnish (optional)

Process

Boil water and add a generous amount of salt. Cook pasta according to directions. Set aside.

In a saucepan over medium heat heat, melt butter, add olve oil and cook the garlic for about one minute; add and lemon zest until very fragrant.

Add mushrooms and shrimp to garlic and lemon; if shrimp is raw, cook until pink.

Add cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Cook to heat through. Reduce heat.

Add the Parmesan cheese and lemon juice. Adjust seasonings, as needed.

Spoon pasta into serving bowl and top with shrimp sauce. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese and garnish with lemon slices.

cheese ravioli with crispy brown butter sage leaves

Lately, whenever I'm at a loss as to what to make for dinner, I peruse my Pinterest boards. Seeing a visual of a recipe usually gives a meal idea to an unnamed craving, or in the very least, triggers an idea or two for ingredients that I might have sitting in the fridge.

Such was the case tonight. It's mighty chilly and rainy outside -- one of those nights where we're just on the verge of snow, yet instead experiencing bitterly cold rain. And something warm and Italian seemed to be calling my name. And I've had a thing for brown butter recently.
I decided on a ravioli recipe from a blog I keep on my reader. And wow ... it hit the culinary spot.

Let me add that I'm not a huge fan of nuts in savory cooking. I love candied walnuts and pecans in pear and gorgonzola salads. Beyond that, I can do without them; however, they so work in this recipe. So give it a shot, even if you're turning up your nose at the idea.

It's worth sharing.

Cheese Ravioli with Crispy Brown Butter Sage Leaves

approximately 1 lb rotesserie chicken meat
package of fresh cheese ravioli
1/2 cup of walnuts
1/2 stick of butter
1/3 cup fresh sage leaves
salt and pepper, to taste
grated Parmigiano Reggiano, to top

Remove the white breast meat from a rotesserie chicken. Cube into bite-sized pieces.

Cook ravioli according to package directions. Set aside.

In the meantime, place the walnuts in a large skillet over medium heat and toast for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently (they burn easily!). Remove from heat and chop.

Wipe the skillet clean, and melt butter over medium heat. Just as the butter starts to turn brown, add the sage and stir constantly for one minute. I actually took the pan off the burner and held it off the heat as I stirred, to prevent the butter from burning.

Immediately add the ravioli and stir to combine. Mix in the chicken, most of the chopped walnuts, and salt and pepper, as desired. Spoon ravioli into a bowl, top with the remaining walnuts, a touch of salt and pepper, and freshly grated Parmegiano Reggiano.

The buttery, crispy pieces of sage are so delicious.

lemon shrimp capellini with cheese and pepper

If it was carb-friendly (and socially acceptable), I'd probably eat pasta every day. But my favorite pasta dishes aren't the deep-dish, cheesy, bubbly-baked varities. I most love the simple recipes with the fewest ingredients. A combination of Parmigiano Reggiano and fresh lemon is what I crave as much as anything. Add in some shrimp, and life is a walk on the divine side.

I could never get away with this if Ty were home -- he gets a little antsy if we don't have a juicy steak or some other hunk of meat at dinner time, although he'll indulge my pasta love affair once or twice a week (as long as I make Italian sausage to add to his share) -- but I've probably made some version of this pasta dish 5 or 6 times over the past two weeks. I love having it in the refrigerator to heat up whenever I want a quick, yummy meal. The leftovers are as good as the original, for sure.
I was inspired by an easy recipe (spaghetti with cheese & pepper) from one of my favorite blogs. It was especially appealing because the ingredients were something I could always find in my kitchen. I did some tweaking, and now it's become a staple for me.

Most of the ingredient amounts in this recipe are by preference, and it's tough to label exact amounts used -- you just sort of have to feel your way through it. But it's a great base from which to spring -- the potential possibilities are endless. If you prefer chicken to shrimp (or have extra rotesserie chicken meat that you need to use), make the substitution. Adding green peas would be yummy (and pretty!) too. And when I feel the need for some extra zing, I add red pepper flakes.
As I've shared before, I keep a bag of frozen shrimp in the freezer and just run it under cold water in a colander to defrost.
If you find a simpler dish than this, I want to hear about it! :)

Ingredients
box of capellini
1/2 cup (or more!) grated Parmigiano Reggiano
approx. 1/2 pound shrimp
6 - 8 cloves of garlic, chopped
zest and juice of l lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
a nice amount of freshly-grated black pepper (approx. 2 tablespoons)
salt

Process
Cook pasta according to directions, generously seasoning water with salt before adding pasta.

Important! Reserve roughly 1 to 1 1/2 cups of cooking water before straining the pasta (I just scoop it out with a Pyrex measuring glass abut half-way through the cooking process). Drain the pasta into a colander and set aside.

In a medium skillet, heat olive oil and saute garlic. Cook and stir until just fragrant (approximately one minute). Add lemon zest and salt and pepper to season. Add defrosted (or fresh) peeled shrimp and cook until heated through (I usually cover for a minute or two to speed up the process).

Place the grated cheese into the bottom of the hot pasta pot and add in small amounts of the reserved cooking water, a little at a time. Mix together just until creamy.

Add the cooked pasta to the cheese and water mixture in the pot and stir. Add the shrimp and lemon mixture and a generous amount of grated pepper, continuing to stir together. If needed, add more of the reserved cooking water as you go.

Transfer to serving bowl and squeeze a little bit of lemon juice on top, to taste. Garnish with a slice of lemon and serve immediately.

aglio e olio

If I had to name my personal "go to" pasta dish, this would have to be it. I've made it more times than I can count, and I've never gotten tired of it. It's so easy to quickly prepare on a weeknight, and just as fun as an afternoon lunch with a glass of white wine on the weekend. It's light, delicious, and full of classic flavors.

Aglio e olio is a simple olive oil and garlic sauce. It's a timeless combination, and works great with just about any type of pasta; however, I prefer capellini or spaghettini. And most of the other ingredients needed for the recipe are probably already in your pantry. Again, simple! Of course (as always), add shrimp for some extra fun.

But I must mention that you've got to love garlic to enjoy this recipe -- I mean, you've got to really love garlic.

*Note: make sure to reserve about a cup of the cooked water before straining the pasta. It's an important step.

garlic galore!

Ingredients
2 3/4 teaspoons salt, divided
1 pound uncooked pasta (spaghettini or capellini)
4-5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
10-12 garlic cloves, thinly-sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 lemon, juiced and zested

Preparation
Bring 6 quarts water and 2 teaspoons salt to a boil in a large stockpot. Stir in pasta; partially cover, and return to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook 6 minutes or until pasta is almost al dente, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1 cup cooking water. 

lemon zest

While pasta cooks, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes or until fragrant or beginning to turn golden, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, reserved 1 cup cooking water, parsley, lemon zest, red pepper, and cheese.

Add pasta to pan and pour in lemon juice; stir well. Return pan to medium heat; cook 1 minute or until pasta is al dente, tossing to coat.

Dish pasta into serving bowls, topped with additional cheese and a slice of lemon as garnish. Serve immediately.

Yields 8 servings

cheese tortellini with lime butter scallops

Couldn't be simpler.

Seafood, fresh herbs, and pasta. Oh, and cheese. Of course, cheese. And I sipped a crisp, cold New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc while cooking (and eating) -- perfect.

8 - 10 large sea scallops
package of cheese tortellini
1 can Italian-styled diced tomatoes
1 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
1 cup fat-free half and half
1 medium yellow onion
3 large cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
juice of half a lime
zest of a lime
[about] 3 teaspoons cayenne pepper
[about] 3 teaspoons salt

Put a large pot of water on to boil, in preparation for tortellini.

Zest and squeeze a lime. Set aside.

Finely chop onion and garlic. Add half of each to 2 tablespoons of olive oil and saute in medium pan until softened. Add a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Continue to cook for another minute. Add tomatoes. Turn heat down to a simmer. Add ricotta cheese, half and half and fresh basil. Continue to heat at very low simmer.

Thoroughly pat scallops dry with paper towels. Season each with salt and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Sear in very hot preheated pan, two minutes per side.

While scallops cook, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a small pan, and add remaining onion and garlic. Cook until softened. Add 3/4 teaspoon of lime zest and a pinch of salt. Squeeze in juice from half a lime and add a dash of cayenne pepper. Heat through.

Add scallops to lime sauce.

Cook tortellini for five minutes.

Dish tortellini into bowls and top with tomato sauce and scallops. Spoon lime sauce over scallops.

Garnish with curls of Parmigiano Reggiano, a lime wedge, and fresh basil.

caramelized onion lasagna with gorgonzola & spinach

Serves 9

ingredients

8 ounces lasagna noodles (I use no-boil noodles)

caramelized onion filling

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 large sweet onions, thinly sliced (about 10 cups)
• 4 large portobello mushroom caps, gills removed (use a spoon to scrape out), diced
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 teaspoon salt

  

• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

spinach & cheese filling

• 4 cups baby spinach (1 bag)
  
• 3 cups nonfat ricotta cheese
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
  

  

white sauce & topping

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups skim milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

preparation

1. To prepare onion filling: Heat 4 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown and very soft, about 30-40 minutes (If they begin to stick, add water 1/4 cup at a time to release them and prevent burning). Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until mushrooms just begin to soften (about 3 minutes). Add wine and 1 teaspoon salt and continue cooking until most of the liquid is absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in pepper.
2. To prepare spinach filling: Place spinach, ricotta, basil, Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, garlic powder and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor; process until smooth.
3. To prepare white sauce: Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and stir until bubbling, about 30 seconds. Gradually whisk in milk and 1 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking, until the sauce has the consistency of thick gravy, about 1 minute. Add Gorgonzola and gently whisk until melted. Remove from the heat (sauce will continue to thicken as it sits).
4. To assemble lasagna: Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
5. Spread 1/2 cup white sauce in the prepared pan. Place a layer of noodles over the sauce. Spread half of the spinach filling over the noodles and top with one-third of the onion filling. Evenly spread 1/2 cup white sauce and 1/2 cup of mozzarella over the onions. Repeat with another layer of noodles, the remaining spinach filling, half the remaining onion filling, half the remaining white sauce and 1/2 cup of mozzarella. To finish, top with a third layer of noodles, spread the remaining onion filling over the noodles and then spread or dollop the remaining white sauce on top, and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.
6. Bake until hot and bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving and sprinkle with fresh basil (optional).
   

lobster ravioli in butter, garlic and olive oil

Very quick, very easy, very yummy dinner.

• 27-ounce package of lobster ricotta ravioli (I use the Pasta Prima Gourmet from Sam's Club)
• 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 6-8 basil leaves, chiffonade
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes
• Parmigiano Reggiano, to garnish

Gently boil ravioli (about 4 minutes).

In a medium pan, sauté onion and garlic in butter and olive oil until both begin to soften and turn translucent; add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.

Place cooked ravioli in large pasta bowl and spoon onion and garlic sauce over it; sprinkle with fresh basil and curls of Parmigiano Reggiano.

tomato basil shrimp capellini with warm goat cheese rounds and pan seared scallops

Every aspect of this dish could stand on its own -- it's so, so good. Ideally, if possible, prepare the goat cheese rounds a few hours, or up to a day ahead of time and refrigerate.

Yields 4 servings (serving size: about 2 cups pasta mixture and 1 goat cheese round)

Ingredients

• 2 cups Italian style bread crumbs
  
• 1 (4-ounce) package log-shaped goat cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup coarsely chopped onion
• 1 shallot
  
• 6-8 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 1/2 cups chopped seeded Roma/plum tomatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1 cup dry white wine
  
• 1/4 cup water
• 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 8 sea scallops
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon course black pepper
  
• 1 box cooked capellini (I use Barilla Plus angel hair)
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
• non-stick cooking spray
  
• basil sprigs (optional)
• shavings/curls parmigiano reggiano

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.

Cook pasta according to directions.

Slice goat cheese into 4 round patties, crosswise. Lightly coat with non-stick cooking spray (I used butter-flavored) and press both sides of each round into breadcrumbs. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet; chill.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and half the minced garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in tomato, water, and red pepper flakes; cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add shrimp, salt and black pepper; cook until shrimp are done. Remove from heat. Cover; keep warm.

Bake cheese rounds at 400° for 10 minutes or until soft but still holding their shape.

In the meantime, sauté remaining garlic (about 4 cloves) and chopped shallot in 2 tablespoons of butter. Cook until both begin to soften, then add one cup of white wine and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Heat cast iron pan over medium-high heat for 5 minutes; thoroughly pat scallops dry with paper towels, add salt and pepper to season, then place in hot pan. Sear scallops for approximately 2 minutes per side. Pour garlic and wine mixture over the top of scallops and sprinkle with fresh basil.

Add pasta and 1/2 cup basil to tomato mixture; toss to combine. Divide pasta mixture evenly among 4 bowls; top each serving with 1 goat cheese round and 2 scallops. Garnish with basil sprigs, if desired, and curls of fresh parmigiano reggiano.

{ capellini with mushrooms and garlic shrimp }

Another simple and light pasta recipe, made with ingredients that are likely already in the pantry and fridge.

I actually used frozen shrimp (defrosted by running under cold water in a colander for five minutes), which makes it that much easier. I keep a jumbo Sam’s/Costco bag of medium-sized cooked shrimp in the freezer, so it’s handy when I want to throw together a quick and yummy shrimp (usually pasta!) dinner. I also lightened things up in this dish even more by using Barilla Plus pasta.

This fast and easy recipe can be prepared and ready in 15 minutes.

Next time I think I’m going to add some lemon zest and lemon juice -- the added tang and freshness would be excellent with the shrimp and garlic.

Ingredients:

- 2 cups of cooked shrimp, peeled and de-veined
- 1 lb. mushrooms, roughly chopped (ideally, Portobello, but just about any will do)
- 5 cloves garlic, diced
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- crushed red pepper flakes, to taste (I use a good amount)
- 1/3 cup white wine
- 1 box/package of Barilla Plus Angel Hair Pasta
- 3 tbsp. parsley, finely chopped
- Shredded parmesan cheese, Kosher salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling. Drain and dry well.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until soft, about 1 minute. Add the sliced mushrooms, salt and pepper and sauté about 2 minutes. Add white wine and cook another 3 minutes. Turn down heat and add shrimp. Cover and steam at a simmer until shrimp is heated through (about 5 minutes).

Serve over capellini and top with shredded parmesan cheese.