Jamie Oliver's 5 Ingredient Carbonara

1/2 lb pancetta or smoked bacon or 3 sausages (cut up) or 12 meatballs
1 clove of garlic
2 eggs
2 oz grated pecorino or parmesan or grana padano cheese
freshly ground black pepper
8 oz pasta

Chop the bacon into small chunks and place on cold pan. Turn on medium high heat and render the fat out. Add cracked clove of garlic and freshly ground black pepper - about 2 tsps. Give it a time.

Boil pasta with tiny amount of salt. Do not drain it - you will need that water.

In the meantime, prepare the eggs. Crack them into a bowl, add about 40g / 1,4 oz parmesan cheese and whisk through.

When pasta is al dente and bacon is getting golden, remove garlic and turn the heat off. Drag the pasta into the pan directly from the water. Add few splashes of water to stop frying and mix ingredients.

When you do not hear frying anymore, pour egg mixture in and toss quickly to cover the pasta. Add some water to achieve appropriate creamy consistency.

Cheesy baked pasta & broccoli

 

Ingredients

3/4 pound medium pasta shells
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
2 cups grated Cheddar
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
kosher salt and pepper
1 16-ounce package frozen broccoli florets

Directions

Heat broiler. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain.
Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

Whisk in the milk and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 4 to 5 minutes.
Add 1 ½ cups of the cheese and stir until melted. Stir in the nutmeg, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Add the pasta and broccoli and toss to combine. Transfer to a broiler proof 8-inch square or a 1 ½-quart baking dish.

Sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup of cheese. Broil until golden, 3 to 4 minutes

Roasted Cauliflower and Mushroom Carbonara

Ingredients

1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets
8 ounces mushrooms, quartered
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
8 ounces fettuccine (or pasta of choice) (gluten free for gluten free)
4 ounces pancetta, diced or 4 ounces bacon cut into 1 inch pieces
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 eggs
1/2 cup (2 ounces) parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated
plenty of fresh cracked black pepper
salt to taste
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

Directions

Toss the cauliflower and mushrooms in the oil, salt and pepper, place on a baking sheet in a single layer and roast in a preheated 400F/200C oven until they start to caramelize, about 20-30 minutes, mixing half way through.

Start cooking the pasta as directed on the package.

Cook the pancetta in a pan, pour off all but a tablespoon of the grease from the pan, add the garlic, cook for 30 second and turn off the heat.

Mix the egg, cheese, pepper and salt and parsley in a bowl.

Drain the cooked pasta reserving some of the water.

Mix the pasta, egg mixture, cauliflower and mushrooms into the pan with the pancetta, adding reserved pasta water as needed.

Baked Ziti

Baked Ziti

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25-30 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef or sweet Italian sausage

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 red bell pepper, chopped, about 1/2 cup

1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

1 can ripe olives

2 tablespoons olive tapenade

1/2 teaspoon dried leaf basil, crumbled

1/2 teaspoon dried leaf oregano, crumbled

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or small clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

8 ounces rigatoni, cooked and drained

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Preparation

Sauté ground beef, onion, and bell pepper in a large skillet until onion is tender and beef is lightly browned. Drain off excess fat; add tomatoes, tomato sauce, olives, olive tapenade, basil, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir well; stir in ziti or elbow macaroni and 1 cup of the cheese; transfer to a 2 1/2-quart casserole. Top with the remaining cup of cheese. 

Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Easy Baked Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• seasoned bread crumbs
• 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 slices mozzarella cheese, or more
• 1 jar (16 oz) spaghetti sauce
• Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Whisk together the egg and milk. Dip the chicken breasts in milk and egg mixture and then in bread crumbs. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in the hot oil on both sides until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Set chicken in a baking dish.

Slice 8 pieces of mozzarella cheese and put two on each chicken breast. Pour 1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce over all. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and a little more mozzarella and bake at 350° for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until bubbly. 

Mushroom Ragu

INGREDIENTS

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed well
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
4 ounces pancetta, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 pound portobello mushrooms (2 large), stems and gills removed and discarded, caps cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 medium garlic cloves, peeled and sliced thin
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
1(14.5-ounce) can whole tomatoes, roughly crushed by hand
Table salt and ground black pepper
1 pound spaghetti
Grated Pecorino Romano, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place porcini and broth in small microwave-safe bowl; cover with plastic wrap and cut several steam vents in plastic with paring knife. Microwave on high power 1 minute, until broth is steaming. Let stand until mushrooms soften, about 10 minutes. Lift mushrooms from broth with fork and finely chop. Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer lined with large coffee filter into medium bowl. Set aside mushrooms and broth.
2. Heat pancetta in 12-inch skillet over medium heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until rendered and crisp, 7 to 10 minutes. Add portobellos, chopped porcini, olive oil, garlic, tomato paste, and rosemary; cook, stirring occasionally, until all liquid has evaporated and tomato paste starts to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add reserved chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, and their juices; increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. While sauce simmers, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large Dutch oven. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta; cook until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving ½ cup cooking water, and return to pot. Add sauce to pasta and toss to combine. Adjust consistency with reserved pasta water and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, passing Pecorino separately.

Hamburger Helper Alfredo

Ingredients

3 cups (24 oz) marinara sauce (storebought or homemade)
1 batch easy alfredo sauce (recipe below)
1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes, with juices
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs ground beef (I used extra lean)
1 1/2 lbs penne noodles (I used whole wheat)
pinch of salt and pepper

Easy Alfredo Sauce:
4 tbsp unsalted butter
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
pinch of nutmeg
Black pepper and salt to taste
Instructions

To make the alfredo:
Melt the butter in a large sauté pan set over low heat. Add the cream to the butter as it melts. Stir occasionally (keeping the heat on low). Let it simmer for about 15 minutes. When it’s reduced slightly, add the parmesan cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper and stir. Set aside while you make the rest of the sauce. Stir the alfredo occasionally. Note: if the alfredo is WAY too thick for your liking, add some extra milk or cream (1 tbsp at a time) after it’s simmered and reduced.

To make the hamburger helper:
Brown the ground beef in a large skillet then drain the fat.
Add the garlic to the drained beef and cook for about 30 seconds. Then add the marinara and diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil. As soon as it starts to boil, turn down the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the alfredo sauce a few minutes before you add the noodles.

While the sauce is cooking, boil the pasta noodles.
Using a slotted spoon (or pasta scoop) spoon the noodles into the sauce pan.
On a low heat, mix the noddles and sauce for about 3 minutes. Note: if you sauce is too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time.

Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter

INGREDIENTS

1 pound asparagus
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 pound penne
1/4 pound butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Heat the oven to 400°. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard them. Cut the spears into 1-inch pieces. Put the asparagus on a baking sheet and toss with the oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the vinegar in a small saucepan. Simmer until 3 tablespoons remain. Stir in the brown sugar and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Remove from the heat.

Cook the penne in a large pot of boiling, salted water until just done, about 13 minutes. Drain the pasta and toss with the butter, vinegar, asparagus, Parmesan, and the remaining 1 3/4 teaspoons salt. Serve with additional Parmesan.