home cooking: Presto Pasta Nights

Showing posts with label Presto Pasta Nights. Show all posts

Shrimp Scampi

If you are looking for a special dinner for two you really cannot go wrong with shrimp scampi and I figured that it was the perfect time to update my old recipe! Shrimp scampi is a really simple pasta dish consisting of shrimp sauteed in a buttery, garlic, white wine and lemon sauce that is just to die for! Although this recipe is super quick and easy it is perfect for entertaining or for special dinners for two in addition to being a great weeknight meal. Really it takes more time to cook the pasta than it does to make the shrimp and sauce so dinner is on the table in less than 20 minutes! I like to hit the scampi up with some red pepper flakes for a touch of heat along with some lemon zest and parsley for garnish. No matter how you cut it, this dish is sure to impress and they will never know how easy it was to make!

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Pad Thai

Pad Thai, a Thai style stir fried rice noodle dish, has to be one of my all time favourite meals and I always enjoy using its ingredient and flavour combinations in other dishes. With all of the Pad Thai style dishes that I have been making as of late I was reminded that I needed to update the original Pad Thai recipe along with it's 5 year old photo. Given my obsession with Pad Thai it's a good thing that it's so easy to make at home and the only 'exotic' ingredients that you really need to track down are the tamarind concentrate and the fish sauce which can be replaced by more commonly available lime juice and soy sauce in a pinch. One of the great things about Pad Thai is it's amazingly magical balance of sour, salty, sweet and spicy created by the tamarind, fish sauce, sugar and chili sauce. All said and told, Pad Thai really only takes less than 10 minutes to cook and things go quickly after the first ingredient hits the pan so the secret to success is in making sure that you have all of the ingredients ready to go before you start cooking. It's so easy to enjoy Pad Thai at home, even on a busy weeknight and with this recipe it is sure to become one of your favourite meals as well!

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Dan Dan Mian (Noodles in Spicy Chinese Peanut Pork Sauce)

The bang bang chicken that I made a few days ago reminded me of another one of my favourite Sichuan dishes, dan dan mian and that is not too surprising given how similar they are. Dan dan mian or dandan noodles is a Chinese Sichuan dish consisting of pork and preserved vegetables in a spicy chili oil based sauce with Sichuan peppercorns that is served over noodles. There are many different variations on dan dan noodles and one common one is to add sesame paste which makes the sauce very similar to the bang bang chicken sauce.

I first came across dan dan noodles on Appetite for China a number of years ago and I had to make it right away! Unfortunately I was never completely satisfied with the photo that I took to go along with the recipe so I seized the impending Chinese New Year as an excuse to update the photos! While I was doing some more research on dan dan mian I came across several photos where it looked like the sauce was much more broth-y almost like more of a soup as opposed to the thicker almost ragu like sauce that I had always encountered. I liked the sound of the more soup like version and so I added a bit more chicken broth to the recipe than I normally do and it turned out great!

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Asparagus and Ramp Pesto Mac n Cheese

In addition to having the first of the fresh local asparagus at the farmers market this past weekend, they also had some ramps, otherwise known as wild leeks. Ramps have a white bulb on one end and leafy green leaves on the other end. They smell a lot like garlic but they have more of an onion flavour and they can be used in pretty much any dish that calls for anything from green onions to onions to leeks. I first came across wild leeks a few years ago and I have been hooked on them ever since. One of the first things that I did with the ramps was to make a ramp pesto and when I thought about that I remembered an idea that I had been wanting to try for a while and that was for a pesto mac and cheese.

That was all that I needed, and my mind was already racing; How about an asparagus and ramp pesto mac n cheese? As luck would have it I still had some Louis D'or cheese, the cheese that won the Canadian Cheese Grand Prix this year, and I figured that it would work wonderfully in the mac n cheese. (I would definitely have gone with gruyere otherwise.) Since I enjoyed the cheese bechamel sauce from the asparagus gratin that used the water that the asparagus was cooked in for the liquid, I decided to use that for the cheese filling. Finally I added a hit of grainy mustard to give the whole thin a mild bite and add a bunch of flavour.

This asparagus and ramp pesto mac n cheese definitely screams spring especially with all of the green in it! Luckily it is still cool enough to have the oven on, though this mac n cheese would be worth it even if it were on the hotter side as the asparagus, ramp pesto, melted cheese and grainy mustard flavour combination was simply amazing! This recipe makes a lot and I have been enjoying the leftovers for lunches at work throughout the week. The wild leek pesto worked surprisingly well well in a mac and cheese dish and I will have to explore the idea of pestos in mac and cheese further!

Asparagus and Ramp Pesto Mac n Cheese

A spring time take on mac and cheese with asparagus and ramp pesto in a creamy gruyere cheese sauce.

Servings: makes 4-6 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 60 minutes

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

4 cups water
1 1/2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and cleaned, reserving the stems
1 pound pasta, your choice
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups gruyere or Louis D'or, grated
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
1/2 cup ramp pesto
1 cup gruyere or Louis D'or, grated

Directions

Bring the water and reserved asparagus stems to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes then remove the stems from the water.
Add the asparagus to the water and simmer until just tender, about 2 minutes.
Remove the asparagus from the water and set aside, reserving 2 cup of the water.
Start cooking the pasta as directed on the package.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat until it is bubbling and it has turned a light golden brown.
Mix in the flour and let simmer until it returns to a light golden brown.
Mix in the reserved asparagus water and cheese and heat until the sauce has thickened and the cheese has melted.
Season with salt and pepper, remove from heat and mix in the mustard, ramp pesto, and asparagus and pour the mixture into a baking dish.
Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and bake in a preheated 350F oven until golden brown on the top and bubbling on the sides, about 30-40 minutes.

Goat Cheese, Roasted Red Pepper and Kalamata Olive Mac n Cheese

After far to much boxed mac n cheese in university I took a break from it until recently when I made a crab mac and cheese that I really enjoyed. I realized that there is a lot more that you can do than just your basic every day macaroni and cheese and ideas for different flavour combos have been swirling through my head ever since. One of those ideas sprang from the desire to use some of the roasted red peppers that were taking up so much space in my freezer.

Sweet roasted red peppers and tangy goat cheese are an amazing flavour combination and I was thinking that the goat cheese would work beautifully in a mac and cheese. From there I was thinking Greek flavours and some salty kalamata olives and feta cheese seemed like the natural next step. At this point I figured I was done but at the last minute I decided to bulk the mac and cheese up a bit with some artichoke hearts. I was thinking that the best way to get the goat cheese into the mac and cheese would be to melt it into a bechamel sauce which I seasoned with garlic and oregano. I also wanted to have a nice melted cheese topping so I added a handful of mozzarella cheese which is fairly mild and it melts well.

The goat cheese, roasted red pepper, kalamata olive and artichoke heart mac and cheese turned out really well! The flavour combination was simply fantastic and I quickly inhaled my bowl and was going for seconds in no time at all. I am definitely looking forward to enjoying the leftovers for lunch this week!

Goat Cheese, Roasted Red Pepper and Kalamata Olive Mac n Cheese

Tangy goat cheese, sweet roasted red peppers, salty kalamata olives and artichoke hearts make this mac and cheese one to remember.

Servings: makes 6-8 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 pound pasta, your choice
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons flour
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
8 ounces goat cheese
3 large roasted red peppers, cut into bite sized pieces
1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
1 (15 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
1/2 cup feta, crumbled
1 cup mozzarella, grated

Directions

Start cooking the pasta as directed on the package.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat until it is bubbling and it has turned a light golden brown.
Mix in the flour and garlic and let simmer until it returns to a light golden brown.
Mix in the milk, pepper, oregano and goat cheese and heat until the goat cheese has melted and the sauce has thickened.
Mix the pasta, sauce, roasted red peppers, kalamata olives, artichoke hearts and feta and pour the mixture into a baking dish.
Sprinkle the mozzarella on top.
Bake in a preheated 350F oven until golden brown on the top and bubbling on the sides, about 30-40 minutes.

Spaghetti alla Bolognese

With all of the grey and dreary days that we have been having lately I have been craving some comfort food and top on the list is spaghetti alla bolognese otherwise known simply as spaghetti. Spaghetti has been one of my favorite foods since I was a kid and it was one of the first recipes that I learned how to make for myself. Despite the long list of ingredients, this recipe is actually really easy, requiring very little actual hands on time. I do a couple of things differently in this recipe starting with the vegetables which I pulse in the food processor. I want the flavours and aromas that the onions, celery, carrots and mushrooms provide but I like the meat sauce to be about the meat and pulsing them in the food processor allows me to have them without changing the texture of the sauce. Up next, I add some pancetta which is just packed with flavour followed by a glass of red wine.

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Chicken, Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Lasagna

With all of the cold weather that we have been having, I have been craving some comfort food and one of my favourite comfort foods is lasagna. Although the classic tomato meat sauce lasagna is one of my staple recipes I often like to experiment with new flavours of lasagna and this weekend I tried a new one. I still have a ton of roasted red peppers in my freezer from fall and I have been dreaming up new ways of enjoying and a lasagna sounded like a great idea! While contemplating a lasagna with roasted red peppers I recalled the grilled goat cheese and roasted red pepper pesto sandwich that I had recently made and enjoyed so much. The sweet roasted red pepper and creamy and tangy goat cheese combination was amazing and I knew that I would once again have to pair them up in this lasagna.

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Roasted Red Pepper Pesto Pasta with Kalamata Olives and Feta

Whenever I make a new pesto, I like to try it out in a basic pesto pasta dish and now that I had just made a roasted red pepper pesto with some Greek inspired flavours, it was time to try it out in a pasta. Although many pestos are balanced and well rounded, I find that roasted red pepper pestos can be a bit on the sweet side and I like to try to re-balance things a bit by adding some salty elements to the dish. With the Greek inspired flavour of fresh oregano already in the roasted red pepper pesto it seemed only natural to turn to some kalamata olives and even more feta cheese to add some saltiness to the dish. The net result was a really tasty roasted red pepper pesto pasta that was just packed with flavour! I particularly enjoyed the hint of balsamic vinegar from the pesto and all of the herbs added a really nice hit of freshness.

Roasted Red Pepper Pesto Pasta with Feta and Kalamata Olives

(makes 4 servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 pound pasta (I used whole wheat penne)
1/2 cup greek style roasted red pepper pesto
1/4 cup kalamata olives (pitted and coarsely chopped)
1 handful parsley (chopped)
1/2 cup feta (crumbled)

Directions:
1. Cook the pasta as directed on the package.
2. Drain the pasta reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta water.
3. Toss the pasta with the pesto, pasta water, olives and parsley.
4. Serve garnished with crumbled feta.

Tuna and Caper Tomato Pasta

With the holidays quickly approaching I have been pretty busy and because of that I have been looking for some relatively quick and easy meals that do not compromise in flavour. Pastas work really well in these situations and not only is this pasta is absolutely packed with flavour but the recipe is straight forward and it only takes about a half an hour to make. Another plus is that I very often have all of the ingredients on hand, either in the fridge or in the pantry so it really is one of those 'go to' meals. The sauce for this pasta dish is pretty similar to a puttanesca sauce with the addition of tuna to make it a bit heartier. The capers and olives are responsible for a lot of the flavour in this dish and they really carry the day. If you want to simplify things even more you can easily skip the wine or replace it with some chicken broth. You can also omit the anchovies, though they also add a lot of flavour and you won't even see them in finished product. You could easily top this pasta off with some grated cheese but it hardly needs it.

Now that dinner is made, its time to get back to baking! :)

Tuna and Caper Tomato Pasta

(makes 4 servings)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion (diced)

2 cloves garlic (chopped)

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 cup white wine (optional)

1 (28 ounce) can plum tomatoes (crushed)

2 tablespoons capers (drained)

1/4 cup kalamata olives (pitted and diced)

2 anchovies (minced, optional)

1 can tuna (drained)

salt and pepper to taste

1 pound spaghetti

1 handful parsley (chopped)

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in the pan at medium heat.

2. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.

3. Add the garlic and chili pepper flakes and saute until fragrant, about a minute.

4. Add the white wine, deglaze the pan and then simmer until it has almost all evaporated, about 5 minutes.

5. Add the tomatoes and capers and simmer until the sauce just starts to thicken, about 10 minutes.

6. Add the olives, anchovies and tuna and simmer for 10 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, cook the pasta as directed

8. Season the tomato sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

9. Remove the tomato sauce from the heat and mix in the parsley.

10. Toss the pasta in the sauce and serve.

Crab Mac and Cheese

When I was in university, I practically lived off of macaroni and cheese and by the time that I was done I was so sick of it that I have not really touched it since. I recently came across the description of a crab mac and cheese in a menu that sounded so good that it convinced me that it was finally time to make macaroni and cheese. While I was contemplating the crab mac and cheese recipe, I kept thinking about crab cakes and eventually I decided to go with the idea and thus this crab cake mac and cheese was born.

One of the first questions that needs to be answered when making mac and cheese is: 'What kind of a sauce do you want?' and I decided to keep things simple and went with a bechamel sauce and in addition to the milk I added some cream to make it a bit richer. The next question that you have to ask is: 'What kind of cheese do you want?'. When choosing a cheese you want to choose a cheese that is tasty and a cheese that melts well. I was thinking that I wanted to keep this mac and cheese white and that I did not want a cheese that was too strong in flavour that it would completely overwhelm the crab so I went with a gruyere and to that I added a bit of fontina which melts well. Continuing with the crab cakes concept, I seasoned the sauce with old bay seasoning, mayonnaise and a generous hit of grainy mustard. Crab cakes are generally made with bread crumbs and so I decided to top the mac and cheese off with a crunchy layer of panko bread crumbs.

The crab cake mac and cheese came together easily and it exceeded even my wildest expectations! It was nice and creamy and cheesy and just packed with flavour. The gooey melted cheese was amazing and the flavour of the crab came through well. This mac and cheese may be a bit decadent but it is so worth it! I particularly liked the way that the grainy mustard worked in it adding a bit of crunchiness. My aversion to mac and cheese is officially cured and I already have a few more ideas for some different recipes.

Crab Mac and Cheese

(makes 4-6 servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 pound pasta
2 tablspoons butter
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1/2 cup cream
1/2 teaspoon old bay seasoning
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
salt and pepper to taste
8 ounces gruyere (grated)
4 ounces fontina (diced)
1/2 pound crab meat (cooked)
4 green onions (sliced)
3 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (grated)

Directions:
1. Start cooking the pasta as directed on the package. (When it is done, drain it and set it aside.)
2. Melt the butter in a pan.
3. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
4. Mix in the flour and cook until it turns a light golden brown in colour.
5. Add the milk and cream and cook until it thickens, about 3-5 minutes.
6. Add the old bay seasoning, mayonnaise, mustard and season with salt and pepper.
7. Mix in the gruyere and fontina and cook until it melts.
8. Mix in the pasta, crab and green onions and remove from heat.
9. Melt the butter in a pan.
10. Add the breadcrumbs and toss to coat, remove from heat and mix in the parmigiano reggiano.
11. Pour the mac and cheese into a baking dish and top with the breadcrumbs.
12. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until golden brown on top and bubbling on the sides, about 20-30 minutes.

Wild Mushroom Pasta with Truffles

When I was in Italy on vacation I had the great luck to come across something that I had been wanting to try for a long time, truffles. I first came across them on a menu at a restaurant in the form of a pasta that also included one of my favorite foods, mushrooms. As soon as I saw that there was no need to read the rest of the menu and I ordered immediately. I was a bit disappointed to see that there were not all that many mushrooms in the pasta but it tasted great and the aroma and flavour was undeniably amazing! After that encounter I made a point to look for truffles and I quickly came across some truffle oil and eventually I found a small jar of truffles both of which I picked up. Now that the chaos of Thanksgiving was over I finally got the chance to come up with my own version of a mushroom pasta with truffles.

I knew that I wanted some nice sized pieces of mushrooms in this one so I started with a bunch of wild mushrooms including shiitake, oyster and cremini. The mushrooms in the pasta that I had in Italy were likely dried porcini mushrooms and since they, and the liquid that they have been soaked in, have such a strong and concentrated mushroom flavour I could not say no to them. I wanted the mushroom and truffle to dominate so I kept the other flavours down and went simply with a shallot, a bit of garlic and thyme. Cream works nicely as both a binder and for helping to absorb and distribute the flavour so I added a bit near the end without drowning the pasta in it. Of course I finish the dish off with the star of the show in the form of truffle oil and some shaved black truffles. The mushroom and truffle pasta turned out to be even better than the one that I remember having in Italy! I will definitely be making this a lot in the future!

Wild Mushroom Pasta with Truffles

(makes 4 servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1 cup hot water
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces wild mushrooms (sliced)
1 large shallot (finely diced)
1 clove garlic (chopped)
1/2 teaspoon thyme (chopped)
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound pasta
1/4 cup cream
1 tablespoon black truffle oil
1 teaspoon black truffles (grated or shaved, optional)
1 handfull parsley (chopped, optional)
1/4 parmigiano reggiano (grated, optional)

Directions:
1. Soak the dried porcini mushrooms in the hot water for 20 minutes.
2. Drain and reserve the water and chop the porcini mushrooms.
3. Heat the oil in a pan at medium.
4. Add the mushrooms and saute until tender, about 7-10 minutes.
5. Add shallots, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper and saute for 2 minutes.
6. Add the reserved water and simmer at medium-high until reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
7. Meanwhile cook the pasta as directed on the package.
8. Add the cream and simmer until it thickens, about 2 minutes.
9. Remove from heat and mix in the black truffle oil.
10. Serve optionally garnished with black truffles, parsley and/or parmigiano reggiano.

Asparagus and Mushroom Japchae

When I was at the Korean food festival a few weeks ago I got to watch a demonstration on how to make japchae which was a nice reminder that japchae has been on my to try list for a while. Japchae (or jabchae or chapchae) is a Korean stir fried pasta dish made with dangmyeon, a cellophane noodle made with sweet potato starch. In addition to the noodles, japchae includes various vegetables and it is seasoned with soy sauce, sugar, sesame seeds and chili peppers. For my japchae, I went with a pretty standard list of ingredients including spinach, mushrooms and a carrot and with asparagus is season I could not resist adding some to the mix! I used a variety of more exotic mushrooms including enoki, shiitake and oyster mushrooms.

Japchae is pretty easy to make and it helps if you have everything chopped and ready to go before you start. One thing that you will want to do is to make sure that you cut the noodles after they are cooked as they are very long. Unless of course you really enjoy slurping. :) The asparagus and mushroom japchae turned out really well! The dangmyeon noodles had a soft, almost jelly like texture that I quite enjoyed and I certainly like their glass like appearance. The sweet and salty flavour combination of the mirin and soy sauce worked really well together and the sesame flavour rounded everything out and gave the dish an intoxicating aroma. I am definitely looking forward to using these sweet potato noodles more.

Asparagus and Mushroom Japchae

(makes 4 servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 pound dangmyeon (Korean cellophane noodles made from sweet potato starch)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon oil
1 pound mushrooms, I used a mixture of shiitake, enoki and oyster mushrooms (trimmed and cleaned)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin
1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
4 cloves garlic (chopped)
4 green onions (sliced)
1 red chili pepper or chili pepper sauce to taste (sliced thinly)
1 carrot (julienned)
1 pound thin asparagus (trimmed, cleaned and cut into bite sized pieces)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin
1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 cups spinach (packed)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds (toasted)

Directions:
1. Boil the noodles for 5 minutes in a large pot of water, drain and rinse in cold water.
2. Cut the noodles into manageable lengths and toss in the sesame oil to prevent them from sticking.
3. Heat the oil in a pan.
4. Add the mushrooms, soy sauce, mirin and sesame oil and cook until the mushrooms are tender, about 7-10 minutes.
5. Add the garlic and green onions and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
6. Add the carrot and asparagus and cook until tender, about 2-4 minutes.
7. Add the noodles, soy sauce, mirin and sesame oil and cook for a few minutes.
8. Add the spinach and cook until it wilts.
9. Taste test and season appropriately with soy sauce for extra saltiness or mirin for extra sweetness.
10. Remove from heat and serve garnished with the sesame seeds

Spinach Pesto Pasta with Paprika Grilled Chicken

Armed with my shiny new spinach and feta pesto I needed to try it out on something and of course the first thing that came to mind was pasta but I was looking for something a little more this time. One of the easiest ways to make a pasta a bit more of a meal is to add chicken and I was thinking that some contrasting paprika grilled chicken would go nicely with a spanakopita pesto pasta. I garnished the pasta with some walnuts and feta, mirroring the flavours already in the pesto.

Spinach Pesto Pasta with Paprika Grilled Chicken

(makes 4 servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 pound pasta (I used whole wheat penne)
2 chicken breasts (pounded thin)
2 teaspoons paprika (I used hot and smoky)
salt and pepper to taste
1 batch spinach pesto (aka spanakopita pesto)
1 handful walnuts (toasted)
1 handful feta (crumbled)

Directions:
1. Start cooking the pasta as directed on the package.
2. Season the chicken with the paprika, salt and pepper.
3. Grill the chicken until it is cooked all the way through, about 5-7 minutes per side.
4. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the water and toss the pasta with the pesto and the reserved pasta water.
5. Slice the chicken, serve it on the pasta and garnish with the walnuts and feta.

Similar Recipes:
Roasted Red Pepper Pesto Pasta with Feta and Kalamata Olives

Take a look at the Presto Pasta Nights roundup on The Well-Seasoned Cook.

Fiddlehead Carbonara

More of springs produce it quickly starting to show up at the markets and this weekend I came across some fiddleheads. Fiddleheads are young ferns that have yet to unfurl and they are quite edible, though they should be well cooked. I first came across fiddleheads last year and I used them to make a fiddlehead shrimp scampi that I quite enjoyed so I was looking forward to finding them again this year. Once again, I decided to use them in a pasta dish and this time I was thing that a carbonara style pasta would be the perfect way to show off the fiddleheads. I really like this carbonara style pasta because it is nice and quick and easy to make and it always tastes great! I also like this pasta as you can easily throw in vegetables like asparagus, zucchini or in this case fiddleheads. In addition to the fiddleheads, I used another of springs bounty in this dish by replacing the garlic with a ramp or a wild leak. This pasta was an amazing way to enjoy the first of the fiddleheads this year and I am looking forward to doing more with them!

Fiddlehead Carbonara

(makes 2 servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1/2 pound pasta
4 slices bacon (cut into 1/2 inch slices)
1 cup fiddleheads (trimmed, well cleaned and boiled for 5 minutes)
1 ramp/wild leak or 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
pepper to taste
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano
1 handful parsley (chopped)

Directions:
1. Start cooking the pasta as directed on the package.
2. Cook the bacon in a pan and set aside.
3. Drain all but a tablespoon of the bacon grease from the pan.
4. Add the fiddleheads, ramp and pepper, toss to coat and saute for a few minutes.
5. Mix the egg yolks, heavy cream and parmigiano reggiano in a large bowl.
6. Drain the cooked pasta reserving some of the water.
7. Add the pasta to the pan and toss.
8. Remove the pan from the heat, wait for the sizzling to stop and pour the pasta into the bowl with the egg mixture.
9. Add a bit of the pasta water and toss to coat.

Asparagus and Ramp Pesto Pasta

While I was at the market this weekend I came across some local ramps or wild leeks which has to be the first local produce that I have seen so far this year. Ramps are a member of the onion family and taste like a cross between onions and garlic. I first came across ramps last year and I have been hooked ever since! Not surprisingly I picked some ramps up as soon as I saw them and I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them. One of the things that I did with the ramps last year was make a ramp pesto and now I was thinking of combining the idea of a ramp pesto with another of my favorite spring vegetables, asparagus, to make an asparagus and ramp pesto. I kept the recipe nice and simple where I pretty much just took my recipe for asparagus pesto and replaced the garlic with 2 whole ramps for a nice kick of garlicky goodness. I tried my new pesto out in a pasta containing whole wheat penne and asparagus and it was really good! The pesto was vibrantly green, amazingly fresh and full of flavour! With this first taste of spring, I am now looking forward to the next few weeks and all of the fresh local produce that will come.

Asparagus and Ramp Pesto Pasta

(makes 4 servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 pound pasta
1 batch asparagus and ramp pesto (see below)
1 bunch asparagus (cleaned, trimmed, cut into 1 inch slices and blanched)
1 handful pine nuts (toasted)
1 handful parmigiano reggiano (grated)

Directions:
1. Cook the pasta, drain and toss with the pesto and asparagus.
2. Serve garnished with the pine nuts and parmigiano reggiano.

Asparagus and Ramp Pesto

(makes 1 cup of pesto)

Ingredients:
1 cup asparagus (cleaned, trimmed, cut into 1 inch pieces and blanched)
1/4 cup spinach (optional, helps keep the pesto nice and green)
2+ ramps (aka wild leeks)
2 tablespoons pine nuts (toasted)
1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (grated)
3 tablespoons olive oil
lemon juice to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Place everything into a food processor and blend.

Use in:
Asparagus and Baby Artichoke Quinoa Salad

Similar Recipes:
Wild Leek Pesto
Pistachio Asparagus Pesto Pasta
Pistachio Pesto
Asparagus Carbonara
Asparagus and Ramp Pesto Mac n Cheese
Ramp Pesto Omelette with Asparagus and Goat Cheese

Take a look at the Presto Pasta Nights roundup on Thyme for Cooking .

Salsa Verde Lasagna

Lately I have been making some progress in clearing some room in my freezer and I recently came across some tomatillos that I had frozen last summer. Of course the first thing that I thought about after finding the tomatillos was salsa verde which is my favorite way of using them. Right behind the tomatillos was some frozen cooked and shredded chicken and I had an idea; How about a chicken salsa verde lasagna? I kept the recipe nice and simple mixing a freshly made batch of salsa verde in with the chicken and layering it with cheese and noodles. For the cheese layer, I went with a simple ricotta with some texmex cheeses, cheddar and jack mixed in. This salsa verde lasagna was probably the easiest lasagna that I have made to date and it turned out great! The salsa verde packed this lasagna with flavour and just the right amount of spicy heat and the creamy cheese rounded everything out nicely. I served the lasagna with sides of black beans and avocado.

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Meyer Lemon Pesto and Feta Pasta with Shrimp

Last week I made a meyer lemon pesto that I enjoyed so much that I just had to make it again. One of my favourite ways of enjoying a freshly made pesto is on a simple pasta that allows the flavours of the pesto to shine. I have also been getting back into shrimp lately and I could not resist adding some to the mix. While I was pulling things out of the fridge to make this meal, I noticed some feta and I thought that it would make a nice addition. As with most pesto pastas, this one was super easy to make and it was pretty much done in as much time as it took to cook the pasta. I was going to just mix the cooked shrimp, pesto and feta and toss it with the pasta but after cooking the shrimp, I could not let all of those browned bits of flavour on the bottom of the pan go to waste so I added the extra step of deglazing the pan with a bit of white wine to get all of that flavour. The meyer lemon pesto and feta pasta with shrimp was so good! Using the full meyer lemon in the pesto really works well giving the pesto an amazing brightness and freshness that paired particularly well with the salty feta and juicy shrimp.

Meyer Lemon Pesto and Feta Pasta with Shrimp

(makes 4 servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 pound pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound shrimp (shelled and de-veined)
1/4 cup white wine (of broth)
1 batch meyer lemon pesto
1/2 cup feta (crumbled)

Directions:
1. Cook the pasta as directed.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan.
3. Add the shrimp and cook until done, about 2-3 minutes per side, and set aside.
4. Add the white wine, deglaze the pan, remove from heat and mix in the pesto.
5. Mix the feta into the pesto and toss with the pasta to coat.

Roasted Eggplant Pasta

Sometimes it seems like I am in a never ending battle to clear space in my freezer. I am constantly trying to use things from my freezer to make some more room and then the next time I look I am out of free space again. This weekend I was looking through my freezer and I came across a stash of tomatoes that I had roasted during the summer when they were in season. I had roasted them up hoping to get the chance to use them in a pasta sauce which was fortuitous as I had recently been contemplating making an eggplant pasta. I was thinking that eggplant in a simple tomato sauce would be a nice flavour combo for pasta. Roasting vegetables adds so much flavour and I thought that it was only fitting to roast the eggplant since the tomatoes were roasted as well. With the main ingredients decided, I threw in some staples including onions, garlic, green peppers, etc. I decided to go with a Mediterranean flavouring for the sauce and spiced it with some oregano and smoked paprika. Of course I could not resist finishing the pasta off with some some cheese, in this case some crumbled feta.

Roasted Eggplant Pasta

(makes 4 servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 eggplant (cut into bite sized pieces)
1 handful salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion (diced)
3 cloves garlic (chopped)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes (I used roasted tomatoes)
1 green pepper (cut into bite sized pieces)
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup parsley (chopped)
1 pound pasta
1/4 cup feta (crumbled)

Directions:
1. Toss the eggplant in the salt and let sit in a colander for 20-30 minutes.
2. Rinse the salt off the eggplant and pat dry.
3. Toss the eggplant in the oil, salt and pepper to coat.
4. Arrange the eggplant in a single layer on a baking sheet.
5. Bake in a preheated 400F oven until tender, about 20-30 minutes.
6. Heat the oil in a pan.
7. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
8. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
9. Add the eggplant, tomatoes, green pepper, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
10. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce starts to thicken, about 30-40 minutes.
11. Meanwhile start cooking the pasta as directed on the package, timed to finish when the sauce will be done.
12. Stir in the parsley and remove from heat.
13. Serve the roasted eggplant sauce on the pasta and garnish with crumbled feta.

Butternut Squash Carbonara

One of my favorite pastas during the summer is summer squash or zucchini carbonara and I have long been wondering if a winter squash would work in a carbonara. I recently recalled wondering this and since I had some butternut squash on hand it was the perfect time to find out. When I make the zucchini carbonara I generally like to use penne because it is easy to cut the zucchini into the shape of the penne pasta which works out nicely. Since butternut squash is easiest to use in cube form I wanted to use a pasta that would go better with it and I thought that orecchiette would work well if I cut the squash small enough to be cupped by the little ear shaped pasta. Other than swapping the winter squash in for the summer squash, I pretty much kept the recipe the same, though I did replace the parsley with sage which I think goes better with the squash. The butternut squash carbonara with sage was nice and quick and easy to make and it tasted great! The sweet butternut squash went really well in the creamy sage flavoured sauce and of course the salty bacon rounded things off nicely! I think that I might even like this winter squash version better that the summer squash version and I know that I will be making it again and again.

Butternut Squash Carbonara

(makes 2 servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
6 slices bacon (cut into 1 inch slices)
2 cups squash (cut into small pieces)
1/2 pound pasta
1 clove garlic (chopped)
1 tablespoon sage (chopped)
pepper to taste
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano

Directions:
1. Start boiling some water in a large pot to cook the pasta.
2. Cook the bacon in a pan, set aside and drain all but a tablespoon of the grease.
3. Add the squash to the pan, toss to coat in the bacon grease and saute until tender, about 8-10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook as directed on the package.
5. Meanwhile, mix the egg yolk, heavy cream and parmigiano reggiano in a bowl.
6. Drain the cooked pasta reserving some of the water.
7. Add the garlic, sage and pepper to the squash and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
8. Add the pasta and bacon to the pan and toss.
9. Remove the pan from the heat and wait for the sizzling to stop.
10. Add the egg mixture and toss to coat.
11. Add a bit of the pasta water and toss to mix and coat.
12. Garnish with more sage & serve.

Presto Pasta Nights #143

Has it really already been over a year since I hosted Presto Pasta Nights #67? The time is just flying by... but once again I am pleased and honoured to be hosting Presto Pasta Nights, the weekly food event that rounds up as many tasty pasta dishes that it can get its hands on to share with the world. Without further adieu, on to the pasta:

Our first entry by Kait from Pots and Plots shows us just how easy it is to make a really tasty pasta with her mozzarella and roasted garlic sausage spaghetti.

Mozzarella and Roasted Garlic Sausage Spaghetti

Next up is one of my favorite meals, a tasty lasagna by Mahala from Halo's Homemade. Lasagna can be a bit time consuming to make but it is always worth it! I like that this lasagna uses Italian sausage as the meat to add even more flavour.

Pasta dishes don't have to be so heavy and this creamy pasta with bacon and peas brought to us by Amy of very culinary is a perfect example. You just can't go wrong with a creamy pasta with sweet peas and salty bacon!

Pastas come in so many different wonderful shapes and sizes and one that I often forget about is Israeli couscous. Allie of Yum in Tum brings us this chickpeas and Israeli couscous (risotto style) that includes some amazing Mediterranean flavours including eggplant, olives, preserved lemons and pomegranate molasses.

Chickpeas and Israeli Couscous (Risotto Style)

One of the things that I like about pasta is that there are so many different ways to use it and I always enjoy coming across new ways. George from A Nod Is As Good As A Wink to a Blind Horse... introduced me to a new way of using pasta with his entry, a really tasty sounding chicken frittata.

Erica of piExperiment brings us something new and exciting in the form of an Italian Stew-erole. I really enjoy a nice and hearty and tasty Italian style stew with Italian sausage, lots of vegetables and of course some pasta!

Lasagna is being well represented in this roundup with this one being brought to us by Joanne from Eats Well With Others whom had to make lasagna after loosing a drinking game. I am a little glad that she lost because we all get a chance to see her lasagna.

Chaya of Sweet and Savoury Says it All sends us these tasty sounding crabby cheese won tons. It is always nice to have some won ton wrappers in the freezer for making quick and tasty stuffed parcels and frying them until they are crispy is always good!

The genius behind Presto Pasta Nights, Ruth of Once Upon A Feast serves up this super quick and tasty sounding mustardy rotini with chicken and mushrooms. This pasta dish is just packed with flavour and I really like the sound of a grainy mustard based 'sauce'.

How about a spicy take on manicotti in the form of manicotti in chorizo sauce brought to us by Ben from What's Cooking? This amazing looking manicotti uses spicy Mexican chorizo in the sauce and it is tempered by some creamy ricotta and cheese filling!

The first soup of the roundup, a longevity noodle soup comes to us come Ching of Little Corner of Mine. This light and tasty looking soup uses long noodles that signify a long life.

I always enjoy cooking with seasonal ingredients and this roasted butternut squash pasta with bacon lardons brought to us by Ann of Pig Pig's Corner certainly uses the in season butternut squash really well. Who could resist a creamy pasta with roasted butternut squash and bacon?

Núria from Spanish Recipes serves up not one, but two tasty looking pasta dishes; a black linguini with artichokes and green garlic and a spaguetti with mussels and red pepper! Using coloured pastas is always fun and that black linguini is definitely on my list of things to look for at the market this weekend.

My contribution to this weeks Presto Pasta Nights is this spanakopita inspired spinach and feta lasagna.

Spinach and Feta Lasagna (aka Spanakopita Lasagna)

I hope that you have all enjoyed Presto Pasta Nights #143 as much as I have! There are a lot of tasty looking pasta ideas in this weeks roundup and I discovered some tasty new ways of enjoying pasta. I have already bookmarked more than a few of the pasta dishes to try!

Reeni from Cinnamon, Spice & Everything Nice will be hosting next weeks Presto Pasta Nights and you can find the details on submission and who's hosting future Presto Pasta Nights here.

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