Resolution Recap 2012: Pasta Series 3

The final three recipes I tried in 2012 were all yum (**).  Two of the recipes came from one of my favorite cookbooks Pasta: Italian, Asian, American...and More : Food & Wine Books (editor Judith Hill).  I have made at least 10 recipes from this book and all have been wonderful.  And when I make fresh pasta I always use the recipe from this book.

The first recipe from the cookbook is Ziti with Sausage, Peppers, and Ricotta**.  The red peppers slowly cook down making a wonderful base for a pasta sauce and the ricotta gives it a nice creamy texture. I have done this recipe with ground Italian sausage as well as removing the meat from Italian sausage links.  And I substitute Italian seasoning, or just basil and oregano, instead of marjoram.  Recipe is taken directly from the cookbook:

• 3/4 pound mild or hot Italian sausage
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 red bell peppers, cut into thin slices
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 gloves garlic, minced
• 1 3/4 cups canned tomatoes with their juice (14 1/2 oz. can), chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 3/4 pound ziti
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

 

Remove the sausage meat from its casing. In a large frying pan, heat the oil over moderate heat. Cook the sausage, breaking it up, until brown, about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and discard all but 1 tablespoon fat. Reduce the heat to moderately low. Add the bell peppers, onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are soft, about 15 minutes. Add the sausage, tomatoes, marjoram, salt and pepper. Cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, over moderately high heat until thickened, about 10 minutes. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the ziti until just done, about 13 minutes. Drain. Toss with the tomato mixture, ricotta and parsley.

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The second recipe from the cookbook is Penne with Roasted Peppers, Tomatoes and Sausage** and is very similar to the recipe above but different enough to also try.  The main difference between the recipes is that in this recipe you are roasting the peppers instead of sauteing them down and there is no dairy. 

• 2 red bell peppers
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 pound mild or hot Italian sausage, cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch slices
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 1/2 cups canned tomatoes (28-ounce can), drained and chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 pound penne
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
• Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Roast the peppers over an open flame, or broil 4 inches from the heat, turning with tongs as each side blisters and blackens, about 10 minutes in all. When cool enough to handle, pull off the skin. Remove the stems, seeds, and ribs. Cut the peppers into 1/2-inch dice. Reserve any liquid from the peppers. In a large frying pan, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and salt. Cook over moderately high heat for about 15 minutes. Stir in the roasted peppers with any juice. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the penne until just done, about 13 minutes. Drain. Return the pasta to the hot pot. Add the sausage mixture with the black pepper and toss. Serve with parmesan.
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The final pasta recipe from 2012 came from Martha Stewart magazine Spinach Mac and Cheese**. This recipe more than meets my requirements for mac and cheese: creamy and good flavor and as a bonus it has additional flavor and pleasing texture through the addition of spinach. 

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup minced yellow onion
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups whole milk, room temperature
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 bunches curly- or flat-leaf spinach (about 1 3/4 pounds total), trimmed, washed, and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick strips
• 5 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (2 cups)
• 3/4 pound elbow macaroni, cooked according to package instruction

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium. Add onion and cook until translucent, 6 minutes. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is pale golden and has a slightly nutty aroma, about 2 minutes. Whisking constantly, add 2 cups milk. Add remaining 2 cups milk, raise heat to medium-high, and whisk until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Cook, whisking constantly, until sauce comes to a boil, 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, 13 to 15 minutes. Add spinach and cook, stirring constantly, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Add cheese and stir until melted, about 2 minutes. Add cooked macaroni and stir to combine. Serve immediately.