Creamy Tortellini Soup

Creamy Tortellini Soup

Yield: 4-6 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound Italian sausage, casing removed
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium sweet onion, diced
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (9-ounce) package refrigerated three cheese tortellini
• 1/2 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add Italian sausage and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the sausage as it cooks; drain excess fat.
2. Stir in garlic, onion and Italian seasoning. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
4. Gradually whisk in chicken stock and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
5. Stir in tortellini; cover and cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
6. Stir in kale until wilted, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and basil until heated through, about 1 minute; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
7. Serve immediately.

Mushroom Risotto

Recipe: Mushroom Risotto 
Serves 6-8

You'll need:
2 tbsp. of olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 cup arborio rice (you need this type of rice)
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken broth (hot is better)
2 cups chopped mushrooms (I used portabella, mini bellas and shiitake)
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup chopped parsley (optional)

What to do: 
Heat a heavy bottomed pot on medium-high heat. Once hot, add olive oil. When the oil has warmed, add onions. Stir and cook until onions are glossy, but not brown.

Add rice and stir to coat with onions and oil. Add white wine, stir well, and let sit a couple of minutes until wine evaporates, but rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.

Add one cup of chicken stock, stir well and let sit until almost evaporated. Repeat until you reach last cup of broth. 

Once you've added the last cup of broth, stir well and add mushrooms, butter, parmesan, salt and pepper. Let sit until broth slowly evaporates and the butter and cheese melt. 

Stir well until well combined and no liquid is left. Turn off heat and let sit about five minutes until rice has a nice creamy consistency. Taste and add more seasoning if you wish.

Serve in bowls and sprinkle with parsley and some more grated cheese if you wish.

Pasta with Creamy Tomato, Bacon, and Ricotta Sauce

Pasta with Creamy Tomato, Bacon, and Ricotta Sauce Serves 4

2 slices bacon, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 green, red, or yellow bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

salt and pepper to taste

1 pound pasta, any shape that takes your fancy

Set a pot of water on the stove over high heat and bring to a boil for cooking the pasta. Meanwhile, heat a sauce pan or dutch oven over medium-high heat and cook the bacon until just beginning to turn golden and most of the fat is rendered. Add the onion and peppers, and cook until the onions are translucent, about five minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, thirty seconds. Stir in the tomatoes, salt, and red pepper flakes (if using). Let the tomato sauce to simmer while you cook the pasta. Drain the pasta and set aside. Add the ricotta cheese to the tomato sauce. Stir and taste for seasonings. Scoop the pasta into individual bowls and spoon the sauce on top. Pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy immediately

No-Knead Pizza Dough

No-Knead Pizza Dough
Adapted from Jim Lahey, Co.
Makes four 12-inch pizza crusts

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast (such as SAF brand)
1½ teaspoons salt
1½ cups water

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour with the yeast and salt. Add the water and stir until blended (the dough will be very sticky). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for 12 to 24 hours in a warm spot, about 70°.

2. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and lightly sprinkle the top with flour. Fold the dough over on itself once or twice, cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.

3. Divide the dough into 4 pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Generously sprinkle a clean cotton towel with flour and cover the dough balls with it. Let the dough rise for 2 hours.

4. Stretch or toss the dough into the desired shape, cover with toppings and bake on top of a very hot pizza stone.

Italian Sausage and Pasta Soup

Italian Sausage and Pasta Soup

Notes: You can prepare soup through step 2 up to 1 day ahead, but do not bring mixture to a boil; instead, cool, cover, and chill. To reheat, lift off and discard fat; bring soup to a boil.

Yield

Makes about 5 1/2 quarts; 10 to 12 servings

Ingredients

       2  pounds  hot or mild Italian sausages

       3  carrots (12 oz. total), peeled and chopped

       1  onion (12 oz.), peeled and chopped

       4  cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

       3  quarts fat-skimmed chicken broth

       2  cans (14 1/2 oz. each) diced tomatoes

       2  cans (15 oz. each) cannellini (white) beans, rinsed and drained

       1  tablespoon  dried basil

       2  cups  dried large shell-shaped pasta

       4  quarts spinach leaves (about 12 oz.), rinsed

       Salt and pepper

       About 1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Squeeze sausages from casings into an 8- to 10-quart pan over high heat and stir often, breaking them apart with a spoon, until browned and crumbly, 8 to 10 minutes. Spoon out and discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from pan.

2. Add carrots, onion, and garlic; stir often until onion is limp, 5 to 7 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes (including juice), beans, and basil and bring to a boil.

3. Add pasta, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until pasta is just tender to bite, about 10 minutes. Skim and discard fat. Stir in spinach and cook just until it is wilted, about 30 seconds. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve soup from the pan, or pour into a tureen. Offer parmesan cheese to add to taste.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

397 (41% from fat)

Protein:

29g

Fat:

18g (sat 6.6)

Carbohydrate:

29g

Fiber:

5.6g

Sodium:

947mg

Cholesterol:

49mg

Sunset, JANUARY 2003

Baked Ziti with Italian Salad

Baked Ziti with Italian Salad

Serves 4

• FOR BAKED ZITI
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 8 ounces ziti rigate (ridged) or other short pasta
• 1 cup part-skim ricotta
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
• 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
• 1 jar (24 to 26 ounces) best-quality tomato sauce (about 3 1/2 cups)
• FOR GARLIC BREAD
• 1/2 loaf Italian bread (5 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• FOR CRUNCHY ITALIAN SALAD
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or red-wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 head Belgian endive, stem end trimmed, thinly sliced
• 2 bunches arugula (3 1/2 ounces total), thick stems removed

Directions

1.     Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions; drain and reserve.

2.     In a small bowl, combine ricotta, egg, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and half the mozzarella; season with salt and pepper.

3.     In the bottom of a shallow 2-quart casserole dish, spread half the tomato sauce. Top with ziti, then ricotta mixture and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and remaining mozzarella. Place casserole on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until top is browned and sauce is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes.

4.     Meanwhile, prepare garlic bread: Make deep, even cuts into the bread, about 1/2 inch apart, without cutting through the bottom. In a small bowl, combine butter and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Brush garlic butter between cuts in bread. Wrap bread loosely in aluminum foil, and bake with ziti during last 10 minutes of baking.

5.     In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar and oil; season with salt and pepper. Add endive and arugula, and toss to coat. Serve baked ziti with salad and garlic bread. 

Anelletti Pasta with Sausage and Greens

Anelletti Pasta with Sausage and Greens
1 pound anelletti pasta from Trader Joe's
Olive oil
1/4 pound Italian or spicy sausage, crumbled
4 cloves garlic, minced
Four big handfuls of seasonal greens like baby spinach or arugula
1/2 cup grated Pamesan cheese
Cook the pasta in salted water. It should cook for just 12-13 minutes. Drain and set aside.
In the same big pot you cooked the pasta in, heat a little olive oil and add the crumbled sausage and garlic. Cook over medium heat until the sausage is cooked through.
Add the greens and cook until barely wilted, then add the pasta and cheese and stir until all is combined and gooey - about two minutes. Serve with extra cheese.