Pasta Fagioli

 

Makes 6–8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups dry cannellini beans (see note below)
• 7 cups of water
• 1 cup finely diced yellow onion
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 slices pancetta, chopped
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1½ cups uncooked ditalini
• 2 teaspoons fresh minced rosemary
• Parmesan
• Pesto

Note: If you cannot find cannellini beans, Great northern beans are a good substitute. Don’t use navy beans.

Instructions

1. First, sort and wash your beans. What do I mean? Spread them out on a cookie sheet and pick through them, looking for rocks, small clumps of dirt, or shriveled beans. Trust me, you don’t want to have those things in your soup. Beans are not washed when they are harvested. Any moisture would cause them to mold, so after sorting, please wash your beans to remove the field dust.
2. Place the beans and water in a crockpot (slow cooker). Cook on high for 4 hours. After 4 hours, the beans should be perfectly tender but not mushy. They should be intact but creamy on the inside.
3. Place the onion and olive oil in a stockpot or large pot with a lid. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and pancetta. Stir and continue to cook over low heat until the onions are soft and golden, the garlic is fragrant and gently colored, and the pancetta is beginning to crisp. (Note that it will continue to cook in the soup).
4. Add the broth to the pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
5. Stir in the pasta; reduce the heat to medium-low (just enough to maintain a gentle simmer). Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package, stirring occasionally until done.
6. Add the rosemary and the cooked beans to the pot (there should be very little residual cooking water).
7. Reduce the heat to low; stir to combine and allow to simmer together for a few minutes for the flavors to meld. The mixture will be very thick.
8. Serve in bowls; garnish with pesto and/or grated Parmesan if desired.

 

Carb Diva’s Easy Peasy Pasta Carbonara

Serves 4

Equipment You Will Need

• 1 large pot for boiling the pasta
• 1 colander for draining the pasta
• A large heat-resistant bowl (the one I use is ceramic); it must be large enough to accommodate the colander (the latter nestles in the former)
• A slightly smaller bowl in which to rest the colander while the “magic” happens (I’ll explain that in Steps 5 thru 9 below)
• 1 glass measuring cup (a 1-cup/8 ounce cup is perfect)
• Tongs or a pasta fork/server for tossing the pasta

Ingredients

• 6 slices of bacon, diced
• 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 pound of dry spaghetti pasta

Instructions

1. Cook the diced bacon in a sauté pan over medium heat until crispy-crunchy. Just before the bacon is done to your liking, toss in the minced garlic. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool.
2. Next, whisk together the eggs, pepper, Parmesan, and olive oil in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. While the bacon/garlic is cooling, bring 1 quart (4 cups) of water to a boil over high heat. Yes, I know that seems like “not enough” water, but the reason is this — you want, nay you need starchy water for this recipe to work. Note that I didn’t add salt to the water. The bacon and Parm should add a sufficient amount of saltiness to the finished dish.
4. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally until “al dente.” My co-editor Dim Nikov gives an excellent explanation of that here. For me and the type of spaghetti I purchase, I find that 11 minutes is the sweet spot.
5. OK, the next few steps are where you find the magic, the “aha moment” that brings this all together. Place the colander in the large (ceramic) bowl. Pour the contents of the pasta pot (pasta and water) into the colander.
6. Carefully (everything’s screaming hot) pick up the colander which is holding that glorious cooked pasta, and rest it in the smaller bowl. (It will just be there for a few moments.)
7. Using the measuring cup, scoop up 1/2 cup (or a little more) of starchy pasta water from the large bowl. Set that 1/2 cup of water aside. Dump out the remaining pasta water that remains in the large ceramic bowl.
8. Dump the cooked pasta from the colander back into the large ceramic bowl. That bowl, because it held the starchy pasta water for a minute is now quite warm (almost hot to the touch).
9. Pour 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water into the eggs/Parmesan and stir quickly. The hot pasta water will temper the eggs. Now, pour that eggy/Parmy/watery stuff over the pasta and begin tossing, tossing, tossing. Don’t stop. You’re going to do this for 2 minutes. And, after those 2 minutes the eggy-ness will transform into a comforting creamy-ness. If it seems a little too “tight” (too thick, goopy) feel free to drizzle in some of the remaining 1/4 cup of pasta water in that glass measuring cup.
10. Now, grab that pan of bacon/garlic that has been waiting ever-so-patiently on the sidelines. You thought I’d forgotten about it, didn’t you? Scrape the contents of that pan into your carbonara; give a few more tosses to combine everything and serve to your adoring fans.

There you have it. Pasta carbonara that’s thriftier than the “traditional” but (almost) just as tasty. You have a creamy sauce without the use of cream, and you have silky pasta, not hot noodles with scrambled eggs. What could be better?

Want to add even more Parmesan cheese or an extra grinding of black pepper? I sure won’t complain.

A Few Notes

First, I know that carbonara purists are screaming “Where’s the guanciale?” and “How in Heaven’s name could you use bacon? That’s sacrilege.” I know, I know, I get it. But … not all of us live even remotely close to an Italian deli. I’m trying to make this recipe approachable for the masses.

Second, even more of you (added to those in Note #1) are complaining that I use whole eggs, not the yolks alone. I’m a frugal cook — God knows I hate wasting even a couple of silly egg whites. Again, I’m thinking that not long ago eggs were an economical source of protein for just about any family. In my part of the world the price has more than doubled in just the last year.

An Italian Twist to Chicken and Rice

 

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup minced white or yellow onion
• 1 cup finely diced red bell pepper
• 1/3 cup oil-packed sundried tomatoes, diced
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 1/2 cups orzo (rice-shaped wheat pasta)
• 1 15-ounce can tomatoes, crushed
• 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup basil pesto
• 1/2 of a small lemon
• Flat leaf parsley for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Carefully add the chicken to the pan (there will be some sputtering) and lower the heat to medium-low.
2. Slowly cook the thighs until golden brown on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook on the other side for an additional 5 minutes or so until golden. Remove from the pan and set aside. (Note, the chicken will not be done; it will continue to cook in the pan with the other ingredients in a few minutes.)

Chicken is golden but not completely cooked. Waiting to go back into the pan

3. In the same pan add the onion, bell pepper, and oil-packed sundried tomato. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the vegetables have softened.

4. Add the orzo to the pan and stir to coat with the oil from the tomatoes and cooking fat from the chicken. Cook for several minutes, stirring often, to toast the orzo.

Orzo is golden

5. Increase the heat to high; add the tomatoes, broth, and pesto and stir. Return the chicken to the pan and nestle it in with the orzo and broth. Reduce the heat to low; cover and simmer until the orzo is done, about 15–20 minutes.

6. Remove the lid; stir the orzo and take a spoonful to be sure that it is cooked. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. A squeeze of lemon juice will make the flavors pop and might be the only other seasoning you need. Garnish with parsley and serve with a tossed green salad.

Cheese-Stuffed Meatballs and Homemade Red Sauce

 

Last week we celebrated our 42nd wedding anniversary and (of course) I chose to cook dinner for us. My husband loves spaghetti, so I decided to kick it up a notch (thanks Emerile) by making cheese-stuffed meatballs to go along with the homemade sauce.

Don't be alarmed by the long list of ingredients. I added seasonings to ground turkey to make a more healthy Italian sausage. If you want to use store-bought beef/pork Italian sausage, you can delete all of the ingredients listed above "ground turkey."

Ingredients for Meatballs

• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 9 bocconcini mozzarella balls (or string cheese cut into bite-size pieces)

Instructions for Spaghetti Sauce

This one is easy. Combine all ingredients except the mozzarella in a large mixing bowl. Divide into 9 equal portions.

Form one portion at a time into a ball. Cup it in your hand, make a slight indention with your thumb, and then place one piece of cheese in the dent. Form the meat around the cheese to completely cover it.

Place the meatballs on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate while preparing the spaghetti sauce.

Ingredients for Spaghetti Sauce

• 2 14-ounce cans of petite diced tomatoes
• 2 6-ounce cans of tomato paste
• 2 15-ounce cans of tomato sauce
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1/4 cup dry red wine (NOT cooking wine!)

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a large stockpot. Stir well and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.

Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally so that it doesn't burn. If the sauce seems to be sticking, stir in a little water.

Here are my meatballs. A few of them leaked a bit, but there were no blow-outs. 

Instructions for Meatballs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

Place the meatballs in a lightly-greased baking dish. I used an 8-inch x 10-inch casserole dish. A nine-inch dish would be ideal. There should be some space between the meatballs--don't let them touch.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. 

Stir into the sauce. Cook your pasta of choice, and enjoy. 

“Buon appetito” 

Two Main Dish Salads (the "No Recipe" Recipe)

 

Oh, mercy it's hot! When the temperatures soar, the last thing I want is a heavy meal for dinner. So, I've been making dinner salads. These two required almost no time at the stove. And what I really love is that you can use both of them as an opportunity to clean out the vegetable drawer in your fridge.

The first salad is a cold tortellini salad. I used 1 1/2 cups of dry cheese-stuffed tortellini (the mini ones) and cooked according to package directions. Then I added:

• 1/2 cup sliced oil-packed sundried tomatoes
• 1/2 cup black olives
• 1 sliced zucchini
• 2 slices of provolone cheese, diced
• 1/2 cup basil pesto

Of course, you could add or substitute other vegetables (cucumber, shredded carrot, diced tomato, red onion), change the cheese, add cooked chicken, beef, ham, or salami. 

The second salad is cold salmon. I poached a 1-pound filet. Here's how to get perfect poached salmon every time.

1. Fill a large saucepan (with lid) with enough water to cover your salmon filet completely. Add 1/2 cup lemon juice and some aromatics. I added one onion, a bay leaf, and two generous sprigs of fresh dill.
2. Place the salmon filet in the water.
3. Turn on the heat to high and bring the water to a boil. 
4. As soon as the water is boiling, turn off the heat and place the lid on the saucepan. Let sit for 30 minutes (no peeking).
5. Your salmon will be perfectly cooked but not overcooked. 

I flaked the salmon (and had leftovers). The base of the salad is a mix of salad greens, then grape tomatoes, sliced cucumber, black olives, avocado, and feta cheese. I garnished with French-fried onions (you could substitute croutons). 

The dressing was a tart-sweet blend of:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons green apple infused balsamic (any flavor of balsamic will do)
• 1 teaspoon honey
• salt and pepper

By the way, each of these made enough for 4 servings.

Enjoy!

 

Tomato Macaroni and Cheese

This is not the prettiest plate of food I've ever prepared, but it certainly delivered on flavor. In my quest to always pack more veggies into every meal, I've attacked even our beloved macaroni and cheese. By under-cooking the pasta, draining, and then adding a can of diced tomatoes (juice and all) to the pot, the pasta not only finishes cooking but it gains a ton of flavor from the tomatoes. Here's the recipe.

Ingredients

• 3 cups dry (uncooked) elbow macaroni
• 1 14-ounce can petite diced canned tomatoes
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups milk (I used non-fat)
• 1 14-ounce can cheddar cheese soup
• 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (not pre-shredded)
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon powdered onion (not onion salt)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or melted butter
• 2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Add 2 teaspoons of table salt and then stir in the elbow macaroni. Stir frequently so that the pasta doesn't clump together. Cook for 5 minutes.
3. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. Set the pasta water aside.
4. Add the pasta back into the pot; stir in the diced canned tomatoes and then cover and set the pot aside for 5 minutes. Note--the pan is no longer on the heat. After your 5-minute wait, the pasta should be al dente. Set aside.
5. Add the flour to a large saucepan or saute pan. I used a large oven-safe saute pan so that I could create the sauce and bake the macaroni in the same pot (saving a dish is never a bad thing). Heat over medium until melted; stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. You want the flour to cook but not brown.
6. Stir in the milk all at once; stir constantly with a wire whisk until the mixture thickens and is smooth. Add the soup and seasonings. 
7. If you have used a large, oven-safe saute pan simply fold the cooked elbow macaroni into the sauce. If you used a saucepan, pour your cheese sauce over the cooked macaroni and then spread in a greased oven-safe casserole dish.
8. Combine the olive oil and bread crumbs and sprinkle over the macaroni.
9. Bake the casserole for 18-20 minutes or until bubbling around the edges. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Thanksgiving Recipes - The Main Event

 

It's time to plan for the main course of the Thanksgiving Day meal (because I'm the Carb Diva, T-day is my favorite holiday). Obviously, this year will be different. We won't be gathering a dozen or more people under our roof (unless you already all live together). 

But we still have much to be thankful for. Let's plan on creating sweet memories from the kitchen and creating loving memories around the dining table. 
Here are a few of my favorite recipes from my recipe file for the main course.

Despite the fact that we will have only five gathered at our table, I am roasting a 24-pound turkey (Mr. Carb LOVES turkey leftovers). My slow-roasted turkey takes quite some time (half-a day at least, depending on the size of the bird) so because time is short (and you probably aren't planning on feeding a crowd, I'll share that recipe another time. 

Here are some of my favorite smaller-scale main dishes--a few of them are vegetarian.

Cider-Braised Turkey Thighs or Drumsticks (Serves 4)

Chicken with Tarragon Cream Sauce

Make Your Own Deli-Style Roast Chicken

Rosemary-Roasted Chicken

Gingered Pork Tenderloin with Peanut Sauce

Caramelized Onion Tart

Butternut Squash Lasagna with Fennel and Gorgonzola

 

Homemade Almond Pasta

I love Saturdays. Every other day of the week is filled with work and routine, but Saturday is my one day to really spend time in the kitchen. That's the way it was for my mom. 

Early Saturday morning I would awake to the aroma of yeast dough proofing in the pantry, waiting to be formed into loaves of bread, rolls, or coffee cake. And while waiting for the dough to rise there would be a pie in the making—apple, peach, maybe apricot, rhubarb, or (Daddy's favorite) gooseberry.

And then, in the afternoon while the bread was baking and pies were cooling, mom would make pasta dough for egg noodles.

Mom made the most amazing noodles. They were hand-rolled—paper-thin, and light as air. And when she wasn't looking (or so I thought) I would grab a bit of the raw dough and pop it in my mouth. Flour-y, eggy, salty wonderfulness!! As the years passed Mom's arthritis made it impossible for her to wield the rolling pin that formed those thin layers of pasta dough. So Daddy bought a pasta machine for her.

I have Mom's pasta machine now, and whenever I use it I think of her. Today with the help of Mom's pasta buddy I made noodles. But these were no ordinary noodles. In my pantry is a large (I mean REALLY large) package of sliced almonds. I found them in our local warehouse store; they were just too great of a bargain to resist. They have appeared in salads, cakes, and cookies. And today they served as my inspiration for this pasta.

Almond Pasta

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1 tablespoon wheat gluten
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs

Instructions

1. Process the almonds in a food processor until ground. However, don't process to the point of having almond butter. There should be a bit of texture in your pasta. 
2. To the same bowl add the wheat gluten, salt, and flour. Pulse until mixed. 
3. Add the eggs and process until a stiff dough forms and cleans the sides of the bowl. This will take a few moments and a bit of patience. At first, it will seem that the dough will not come together—it will be a bowl full of crumbs. But as the gluten in the flour breaks down, your dough will come together. Trust me!
4. With a pasta machine or by hand roll the dough out to desired thinness. When rolling out the dough, your goal is a thickness somewhere between 1/8 and 1/16 inch thick. If rolling out by hand, you will need to
   (a) cover the dough with a bowl and allow to rest for 15 minutes,
   (b) use a large well-floured surface, and
   (c) lift and flip over your dough several times to ensure that it doesn't stick to your work surface.
5. If using a pasta machine, use the setting you prefer to cut your noodles to the desired width. If cut by hand, you have two options.
   (a) You may use a pizza wheel to slice the dough into strips of the desired width, or
   (b) liberally flour the top surface of the dough, roll it up jelly-roll fashion, and then slice it into ribbons of the desired width (this option takes a bit more patience). Once all the dough is cut into noodles, sprinkle again with flour and toss so that all pieces are coated with flour to prevent sticking.
6. Bring a large kettle of water to boil. Place your noodles in a colander. Shake to remove excess flour and then drop the noodles into the boiling water. Cook until done; the amount of time needed will depend upon the thickness of your dough. Very thin noodles might need only 2 minutes. Thicker noodles will require 5 minutes or more. Sample, taste, assess, and enjoy when ready!

NOTE: Wheat gluten is available in health-food stores and in many major grocery stores in the baking goods section. Gluten provides the "glue" that binds dough and makes it sticky and pliable. A bit of gluten is needed in this recipe because almonds (which do not contain gluten) are taking the place of some of the flour.