Tag Archives: Pasta

Irresistible Pasta Recipes for the Whole Family!

Irresistible Pasta Recipes for the Whole Family!

Homemade Pasta Dough

Makes about 1 pound of pasta (enough to make 25-30 ravioli or 4-6 servings) | Prep. time 1 hour 45 minutes | Cooking time 3 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound (3⅓ cups) Semolina flour or all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 4 whole eggs plus 1 yolk
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1-2 tablespoons water, or as needed

Directions

  1. Pile the flour on a clean dry work surface, in a heap about 8 inches wide.
  2. Make a well in the center.
  3. Crack all the eggs and then pour the extra yolk into the well and add the olive oil, salt, and water.
  4. Using a fork, beat the eggs together with olive oil, water, and salt. Be careful not to break the sides of the well or the egg mixture will run. You may do this in a bowl if you fear that the liquid will run all over the work surface.
  5. Using the fork, begin to incorporate the flour into the egg mixture. The dough may be lumpy.
  6. When liquid ingredients are well incorporated and the mixture is no longer runny, start mixing it with your hands. You can wet your hands first if the dough is dry.
  7. When the mixture has become homogeneous, begin kneading on a floured surface. Again, wet your hands if the dough seems too dry and stiff.
  8. Use your body weight to stretch and not tear the dough. Use the heels of your palms and knead until it is smooth and velvety (about 8-15 minutes).
  9. Wrap the dough in plastic and let it rest for at least 1 hour. It may be refrigerated or frozen for later use.
  10. To shape, the dough should be at room temperature.
  11. Roll and cut it into the desired shape.
  12. To cook, boil in about 6 quarts of water for 1 pound of pasta.
  13. Freshly made pasta will cook in 1-3 minutes.

 

 

Alfredo Sauce

Serves 2 | Prep. time 15 minutes | Cooking time 10–15 minutes

Ingredients

  • ½ cup butter
  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 cups milk
  • 6 ounces Parmesan, grated
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)

Directions

  1. Start by melting the butter in a nonstick saucepan and adding the cream cheese and garlic powder.
  2. Whisk until smooth and slowly add the milk, making sure it does not form any lumps.
  3. Mix in the Parmesan and black pepper, removing it from the heat once it reaches the desired consistency.
  4. If the sauce has thickened more than you prefer, add a bit more milk.
  5. Once done, mix in some pasta and serve while hot.

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS: Goes well with pasta like Spaghetti, Linguine, and Angel Hair

 

 

Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta

The traditional Tuscan flavors of spinach, garlic, cream, and Parmesan make this a decadent and delicious meal to enjoy with your family

Serves 4 | Prep. time 20 minutes | Cooking time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • ½ pounds spaghetti pasta, cooked
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 pounds chicken tenders
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  • 8 ounces sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • ½ cup chicken stock
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese

Directions

  1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter.
  2. Season the chicken tenders with salt and pepper and cook them until golden. Remove them to a plate and keep them warm.
  3. To make the sauce, melt the butter in the same skillet. (Do not clean the skillet.) Add the minced garlic, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and Italian seasoning and cook over medium heat.
  4. When the spinach begins to wilt, add the cream and chicken stock and bring it to a simmer.
  5. When the sauce has thickened up, remove it from the heat and add the grated Parmesan.
  6. Give everything a good mix and add the chicken and pasta to it, tossing it to coat everything evenly.

Nutrition per serving

Calories 615, fat 20 g, carbs 18 g, Protein 42 g, sodium 284 mg

 

 

 

Tortellini Alla Gigi

The creamy Gigi sauce is a perfect match for the tortellini and gives this dish an elegant note.

Serves 4 | Prep. time 30 minutes | Cooking time 55 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1½ pounds prepared three-cheese tortellini pasta

For the sauce

  • 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 10 ounces sliced mushrooms
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 30 ounces crushed tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Other ingredients

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
  • ½ cup shredded mozzarella
  • 6 slices prosciutto, chopped

Directions

  1. In a skillet over medium-high heat, warm the oil and add the mushrooms. Cook until golden.
  2. Add the onion and garlic, cooking until softened and fragrant. Season with salt and pepper, and after about 2 minutes add the wine to deglaze the bottom of the pan.
  3. Mix in the crushed tomatoes, oregano, parsley, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Bring it to a simmer, reduce the heat, and cook for about 15 minutes. The sauce will reduce.
  4. Meanwhile, in batches, cook the tortellini according to the instructions on the packaging, making sure not to overcook them as the tortellini are very delicate and cook very fast. As soon as it begins to float on top of the boiling water, it is done. Remove them from the water immediately.
  5. To the tomato sauce, add the cream parsley, stirring until well incorporated.
  6. Gently fold in the tortellini, cheese, and prosciutto, making sure to coat everything evenly.
  7. Serve hot.

Nutrition per serving

Calories 121, fat 13 g, carbs 12 g, Protein 16 g, sodium 522 mg

 

 

Lemon Parmesan Spaghetti

Serves 4 | Prep. time 8–10 minutes | Cooking time 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound spaghetti or spaghettini (thin spaghetti)
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • Juice and zest from 1 large lemon
  • ¼ cup brandy
  • ¾ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • Lemon slice, for garnish

Directions

  1. Add salted water to a medium saucepan or skillet and heat it over medium heat.
  2. Add the pasta and cook as per package directions. Drain water and set aside.
  3. In the same saucepan, heat the heavy cream, brandy, and lemon juice over low heat.
  4. Boil the mixture over high heat for 7–8 minutes until it thickens.
  5. Mix in the spaghetti and lemon zest and toss well.
  6. Add the cheese; toss again. Serve warm topped with reserved lemon zest.

Nutrition per serving

Calories 714, fat 26 g, carbs 87 g, Protein 20 g, sodium 199 mg

 

 

Italian Ravioli Casserole

An easy dinner recipe with only a few simple ingredients, this casserole is sure to be a family favorite.

Serves 4 | Prep. time 15 minutes | Cooking time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 (9-ounce) packages fresh cheese ravioli
  • 6 ounces fresh spinach
  • 4 cups chunky pasta sauce, divided
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1½ cups shredded Asiago cheese, divided
  • ¼ cup thinly sliced fresh basil

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (191°C) and coat a baking dish with cooking spray.
  2. In a pot of boiling water, cook the ravioli for 3 minutes. Add the spinach and cook just until it wilts. Drain well.
  3. Spread 1½ cups of pasta sauce in the prepared baking pan.
  4. Gently layer on half the ravioli mixture and season with red pepper flakes. Top with half the cheese.
  5. Spread another cup of sauce, the remaining ravioli, and pepper flakes.
  6. Finish with the remaining sauce and top with the remaining cheese.
  7. Cover the dish and bake for 25 minutes, removing the cover in the final 5 minutes and adding the basil.
  8. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and serve.

Nutrition per serving

Calories 598, fat 26 g, carbs 52 g, Protein 24 g, sodium 1902 mg

 

 

 

***These recipes and more are found in Louise Davidson’s Family Pasta Cookbook: Making Irresistible Italian-Style Pasta Recipes at Home. To get your own copy, click on the cover below or click here.

To download a copy of the featured recipes, click here.

Delicious Authentic Italian Recipes!

Delicious Authentic Italian Recipes!

Have a taste of Italy with these recipes!

Chicken Carbonara Rigatoni

Serves 4–6 | Prep. time 15 minutes | Cooking time 4–6 minutes

Ingredients

  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated, divided
  • 2 egg yolks, beaten
  • 1 pound rigatoni
  • ½ cup butter, melted
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Ground pepper to taste
  • 1 pound ground chicken breast

Directions

  1. Add salted water to a medium saucepan or skillet and heat it over medium heat.
  2. Add the pasta and cook as per package directions. Drain water and set aside.
  3. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan or skillet over medium heat.
  4. Add chicken and brown the meat until cooked through about 4-5 minutes.
  5. Add ¼ cup of the Parmesan cheese as well as the egg yolks, cream, salt, and pepper. Stir with a whisk or wooden spoon taking care to release the bits of flavor stuck on the bottom the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes.
  6. Mix in the cooked rigatoni and simmer the mixture for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese and serve warm.

 

Neapolitan Pizza

Serves 6-8 | Prep. time 15 minutes | Cooking time 3-8 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 thin-crust or any dough of choice
  • 1 cup mozzarella di bufala
  • 1-2 cloves garlic, sliced very thinly
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to hottest temperature (500-550°F for most home ovens), with a rack, positioned closest to grill. When well-heated, turn on the grill.
  2. Place the crust in a heated skillet or non-stick pan and cook until dough begins to puff up and bottom begins to brown, about 1-3 minutes.
  3. Transfer to pan or pizza peel.
  4. Tear mozzarella di bufala and scatter over dough.
  5. Sprinkle with garlic.
  6. Drizzle with beaten eggs over the pizza and season with salt and pepper.
  7. Top with basil leaves and drizzle with olive oil.
  8. Place under the grill and bake until eggs are just set and crust is browned, about 2-5 minutes.
  9. Serve hot.

 

Osso Buco in a Tomato Sauce with Creamy Polenta

The veal shanks are slowly cooked in a tomato-based sauce and served on a bed of creamy polenta. Italian comfort food at its best.

Serves 4 | Prep. time 25 minutes | Cooking time 2 hours

Ingredients

  • 4 veal shanks, about 8-9 oz. each
  • ½ cup or more all-purpose flour for dusting
  • 2 onions, diced
  • 1-2 carrots, diced, about 1 cup
  • 1 celery stalk, diced
  • 3 cups veal or chicken stock
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1 can Italian-style stewed tomatoes (14 oz.)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dry basil)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dry sage)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For Creamy Polenta

  • 1½ cup yellow cornmeal, fine or medium
  • 3 cups milk
  • 3 cups cold water
  • ½ cup butter
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Rinse veal shank under cold water, and pat dry with paper towels.
  2. Dust shanks with flour.
  3. In a large, deep skillet, warm the olive oil on medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, brown veal shanks on each side until golden brown. Remove veal shanks from skillet and set aside.
  4. Add onions, carrots, and celery. Fry for 2-3 minutes until the vegetables are tender and fragrant. Add wine and deglaze by loosening any remaining bits of meat in the skillet.
  5. Add veal shanks back to the skillet. Add stock, tomatoes, basil, and sage. Increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover with a lid. Reduce heat to medium, and let simmer for 2h00 or until the veal shank are well cooked and tender.
  6. In the meantime, prepare the polenta. Add the water, milk, and salt to a large saucepan. Bring to a boil on high heat, whisking continuously to avoid lumps. Reduce heat to medium-low, and let simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir frequently until it becomes thick and velvety. Add Parmesan cheese and butter. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. If the polenta’s texture becomes too dense, adjust with some water.
  7. To serve, place a generous amount of polenta on plate, and top with a veal shank and its sauce.

 

Caesar Salad

Serves 6 | Prep. time 10 minutes | Cooking time 10 minutes

Ingredients

Caesar Salad Dressing

  • 2 small cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Croutons

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, halved
  • 3 cups French or Italian bread, sliced into ½-inch cubes
  • Salt and pepper

For salad

  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded, plus more for topping if desired
  • 2 heads romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces

Directions

For the dressing

  1. Whisk together the garlic, anchovy paste, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce.
  2. Add the mayonnaise, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
  3. Taste and adjust the proportions to your liking.
  4. Will keep, refrigerated, for 2 weeks.

For the croutons

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Heat the butter, olive oil, and garlic in a saucepan over low heat.
  3. Remove the saucepan from the heat as soon as the butter has melted.
  4. Let it stand for 10 minutes, and then remove the garlic.
  5. Toss in the bread cubes, and mix to coat.
  6. Spread the bread cubes on the baking sheet, and bake until the croutons are golden brown (about 10 minutes), shaking the pan once or twice.
  7. Remove the pan from the oven and set it aside to cool.

To assemble the salad

  1. Toss the lettuce and croutons in the dressing until well coated.
  2. Sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese and toss lightly.
  3. Sprinkle more Parmesan on top, if desired, and serve.

 

Traditional Panna Cotta with Berries

Panna cotta is served as sweet treat to celebrate a special occasion. You have to plan ahead as it needs at least 6 hours to rest in the refrigerator before serving.

Serving: 4 | Preparation: 6h20 minutes or more

Ingredients

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 2½ tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 1 gelatin leave*
  • 1 vanilla bean pod – scraped seeds

For the topping

  • 1½ cups fresh berries of your choice
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup water
  • Mint leaves

Directions

  1. Place gelatin leaf in a saucepan with cold water. Place saucepan over medium-high heat and just before it starts to boil, remove the saucepan from the heat and squeeze gelatin. Add milk to a small bowl. Add gelatin to the milk. Stir gelatin with a spoon until dissolved.
  2. Combine fresh cream with the sugar and vanilla seeds in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat and bring to boil, stirring frequently.
  3. When it boils remove from the heat and add milk-gelatin mixture. Mix well and pour into 4 ramekins. Place in refrigerator, overnight or at least for 6 hours.
  4. Prepare the topping; Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan and heat over medium-high. Bring to simmer and continue simmering for 5 minutes; add berries and stir well. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes and set aside to cool.
  5. To remove the panna cotta from the molds, place the ramekins in a bowl of boiling water for 1-2 minutes. With a knife, delicately unmold the sides, reverse and place on a plate. Drizzle with prepared berries topping. Decorate with mint leaves.

 

*Note: you can find gelatin leaves in fine Italian grocery stores. If you cannot find any, you can use 1 teaspoon of unflavored gelatin powder (half a packet). The method to prepare the gelatin to add to the cream mixture is to sprinkle the gelatin with 1½ tablespoon of cold water in a small bowl. Stir with a spoon and let it rest for 10 minutes until the gelatin has dissolved. Continue the recipe as described.

 

 

***These recipes and more can be found in Sarah Spencer’s A Taste of Italy: Traditional Italian Cooking Made Easy with Authentic Italian Recipes. To get your own copy, click on the cover or here.

Italy Recipes

To download and print a copy of the recipes above, click here.