Dollars to Donuts posts Tagged ‘pasta’

Spinach and Portobello Stuffed Shells

Posted by Dawn Welch

spinachportobelloshellsCovered with the creamy Parm sauce, these shells are a great way to get your kids (and green-averse adults) to eat their vegetables. The sky is the limit when it comes to filling the shells. If you’re craving meat, add some shredded chicken or even lump crabmeat. Broccoli, Swiss chard, and asparagus can all stand in for spinach, and if you’re not big on mushrooms, lose them.

Ingredients
12 ounces jumbo shells
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 ounces (about 1 cup) finely chopped cremini mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
6 ounces frozen or fresh spinach, thawed
1 pound whole-milk or part-skim ricotta cheese
4 cups (16 ounces) grated whole-milk or part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1⁄2 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano (from about 1 large sprig)
11⁄2 teaspoons salt
3 cups homemade Parmesan sauce or store-bought Alfredo sauce
1⁄3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Boil the pasta. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bring a large pot of salty water to a boil over high heat. Add the shells and boil them until just shy of al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cool water and then set aside. Make the fIllIng. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms get juicy, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach and cook, stirring often, until wilted and most of the liquid is gone, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer the mixture in an even layer to a baking sheet to cool. Meanwhile, stir together the ricotta, 3 cups of the mozzarella, the eggs, basil, oregano, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the cooled vegetables and set aside.

Stuff the shells. Pour a third of the sauce into the bottom of a 13″ x 9″ baking dish. Use a small spoon to fill each shell with 1 heaping tablespoon of the cheese/spinach mixture, and then place it in the baking dish. Once all of the shells are filled, cover them with the remaining sauce, the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella, and the Parmesan. (At this point, the dish can be frozen for up to 3 months; defrost it overnight in the fridge before baking.)

Bake the shells. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake until bubbly, about 40 minutes. Uncover the dish and bake until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown, another 10 to 15 minutes. Remove it from the oven and let the stuffed shells rest for 5 minutes before serving.

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Sicilian Pasta with Tuna and Capers

Posted by Dawn Welch

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Canned tuna is a great value, so why just use it for tuna salad? Paired with pasta and capers, it makes a great, rustic, and flavorful dinner that seems fancy even though it’s pretty bare bones.

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Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1⁄3 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and roughly chopped
1 can (28 ounces) chopped tomatoes with juice (about 3 cups)
1 tablespoon + 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 pound spaghetti
2 cans (6 ounces each) olive oil–packed tuna, drained
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1⁄2 lemon

Make the sauce. Pour the oil into a large skillet. Add the garlic and cook gently over medium heat until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 to 11⁄2 minutes. Add the parsley and capers and cook for 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes and their juices. Bring to a simmer and then reduce the heat to medium-low, add 1⁄2 teaspoon of the salt, and simmer gently until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Boil the pasta. While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of water to a boil with the remaining 1 tablespoon of salt. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions until it is al dente. Reserve 1⁄4 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot.

Add the tuna and serve. Break the tuna into small flakes and add to the sauce along with the pepper. Add the sauce and the butter to the pasta, tossing gently until the butter is completely melted (add a little pasta water if the pasta seems dry). Squeeze the lemon half over the pasta, toss, divide the pasta among 4 bowls, and serve.

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Mozzarella and Orecchiette Toss

Posted by Dawn Welch

mozzarellaorecchiettePrep time: 10 min
Cook time: 22 min

If your kids are like mine, they would eat pasta every night of the week — and for lunch, too! That’s why I know this meal will be a hit with your whole family. My kids go bananas because they’re getting pasta, and I’m happy because they’re getting some veggies and protein from the olives. (Fred, well, he’s just a happy guy in general.) Because it’s as delicious warm as it is at room temperature, the dish is a real winner for picnics and barbecues.

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Tomato Sauce
1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cored and chopped into 1⁄2″ cubes
1 sweet onion (such as Vidalia), finely chopped
1/2 orange, red, or yellow bell pepper, seeded and ribbed and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 jalapeño pepper (or less to taste), seeded and ribbed
1⁄ tablespoon finely chopped basil, cilantro, and/or oregano
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste (optional)

Pasta
1 tablespoon + 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1 pound orecchiette pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 1⁄2″ cubes
1⁄2 cup sliced black olives (preferably the oil-cured kind)
Finely chopped fresh basil or oregano (optional)

Make the tomato sauce. Combine the tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, garlic, jalapeño pepper, herbs, vinegar or lime juice, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. If you want your sauce to have a smoother texture, add the optional tomato paste.

Boil the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon of salt. Add the pasta and the olive oil and cook until the pasta is al dente. Drain, reserving 1⁄4 cup of the pasta cooking water.

Toss it all together. Place the orecchiette in a large serving bowl and add the warmed sauce. Toss to combine, then add the mozzarella, olives, and herbs (if using), and the remaining 1⁄4 teaspoon salt. Toss a couple of times so that the mozzarella gets a little melty (you can add a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta cooking water to make the pasta saucier or get the cheese to melt a little more). Serve right away or at room temperature.

D2D
Pasta is amazing for breakfast! Microwave leftover cooked pasta from the night before with some butter and a touch of olive oil. Top with a fried or poached egg, and if you’re really feeling decadent, some crumbled bacon.

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Broiled Shrimp with Feta, Orzo and Tomatoes

Posted by Dawn Welch

broiledshrimporzoI’m a crispy kinda girl, so I always pat my shrimp dry with a paper towel before broiling or pan-searing so they brown better. Buy whatever size shrimp is on sale — if using smaller shrimp, just shave the cooking time by a few minutes so you don’t overcook them. And if you don’t have feta, don’t stress it — you can top the shrimp with grated Parmesan or pecorino, or leave them bare.

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1 pound medium IQF shrimp (see D2D tip below) peeled and deveined, thawed
5 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
21⁄2 teaspoons salt
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces orzo pasta (about 1 1⁄4 cups)
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
1⁄2 teaspoon dried basil or oregano
1⁄4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
3 ounces feta cheese (about 3⁄4 cup), crumbled

Marinate the shrimp. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. Stir together 1 tablespoon olive oil, about one-third of the garlic, 1⁄4 teaspoon of the salt, and a pinch of black pepper in a bowl. Mix in the shrimp and marinate for 10 minutes.

Boil the orzo. Stir 2 teaspoons of the salt into a large pot of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the orzo and cook until al dente, then drain. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and set aside.

Broil the shrimp. Adjust an oven rack to the upppermost position (the rack should be about 3″ from the broiler) and heat the broiler to high. Meanwhile, place the tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 11⁄2 tablespoons olive oil and add the remaining garlic, the basil or oregano, the red-pepper flakes, the remaining 1⁄4 teaspoon salt, and black pepper to taste. Stir to combine, and then spread the mixture out in an even layer. Scatter the shrimp over the tomatoes in a single layer. Broil until the edges of the shrimp are beginning to brown and the shrimp are opaque throughout, 5 to 6 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Divide the orzo among four bowls. Stir the shrimp into the tomatoes and spoon the mixture over each serving of orzo. Sprinkle with feta, drizzle with the remaining 11⁄2 tablespoons olive oil, and serve.

Shop Smart
Most warehouse big-box stores offer 5-pound bulk packs of frozen shrimp. these are often a great value when compared to buying frozen 1-pound bags of shrimp.

D2D
I buy only individually quick frozen (IQF) shrimp packaged in bulk 3- to 5-pound bags. it’s a great value, often costing $3 less per pound than fresh shrimp. Buying shell-on shrimp rather than already cleaned shrimp will save you even more and give you shells to make stock with (see opposite page). IQF shrimp aren’t frozen in giant ice blocks, either, meaning they’re quick to defrost for last-minute meal prep.

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5 Ways to Use up a Handful of Pasta

Posted by Dawn Welch

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Does your pantry suffer from random pasta syndrome? You know, when 3 or 4 boxes each holding barely 1 serving of pasta begin to clutter the shelves? Don’t stress it—there are great ways to use up those odds and ends. Boil it up (cook different shapes separately, as they may have different cooking times) and have fun.

  1. Add to a frittata (add the boiled pasta to the egg mixture when it just starts setting up in the pan, top with cheese, and run under the broiler).
  2. Mix with canned beans, olive oil, and herbs for a healthy lunch.
  3. Toss with a single serving of chili or lentils.
  4. Make a kitchen-sink pasta casserole (cook all of your pastas and then layer in a casserole dish with sauce, cheese, and vegetables or chunks of sausage, and top with more cheese before baking until bubbly).
  5. Sweeten with cinnamon sugar and butter to satisfy a dessert craving.

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