Silky Sicilian Penne

 

Lazy Lasagna Soup

 

Ingredients

1 pound 90% lean ground chuck 

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered 

1 cup chopped yellow onion 

1 cup chopped red bell pepper 

2 garlic cloves, minced 

4 cups unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson) 

1 (14.5-oz.) can unsalted crushed tomatoes 

1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste 

2 teaspoons dried oregano 

1 teaspoon kosher salt 

1/4 teaspoon black pepper 

8 ounces whole-wheat lasagna noodles, broken into pieces 

1/4 cup half-and-half 

4 ounces preshredded mozzarella cheese (about 1/2 cup) 

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

 

Slow Cooker Method

Cook beef in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high, stirring to crumble, until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add mushrooms, onion, bell pepper, and garlic, and stir to combine. Add stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, salt, and black pepper; stir to combine. Cover and cook on low 6 hours.

 

Stir lasagna noodles into soup, making sure to submerge all noodles in liquid. Cover and cook on low until noodles are al dente, about 30 minutes. Stir in half-and half.

 

Divide soup evenly among 8 bowls. Top evenly with mozzarella and basil.

 

Instant Pot Method

Turn Instant Pot to sauté; heat for 1 minute. Add beef; cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Stir in stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Cover with lid; turn to manual. Turn lid valve to seal, and set to high pressure for 10 minutes.

 

Release valve with a towel (be careful of the pressurized steam), and release steam until it stops. Carefully uncover; set to sauté. Bring mixture to a boil; add lasagna noodles, and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 9 minutes. Turn off Instant Pot; stir in half-and-half. Divide soup evenly among 8 bowls. Top evenly with mozzarella and basil.

Fettuccine Alfredo with Cauliflower sauce

 

Ingredients

• 12 ounces cauliflower florets, (1 small cauliflower)
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, more for serving
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 16 ounces fettuccine pasta
• 1 to 1½ cups reserved pasta cooking water
• Chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower and boil until the cauliflower is fork tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and place the cauliflower in a blender. Add the Parmesan cheese, olive oil, garlic, mustard, butter, lemon juice, salt, and several grinds of pepper.
• Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions or until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1½ cups of the starchy pasta water. Add 1 cup of the pasta water to the blender and blend the sauce until creamy.
• Transfer the pasta to a large bowl or skillet. Add the sauce and toss to coat. If the sauce is too thick, add the remaining ½ cup pasta water and toss again to loosen the sauce and make it a bit creamier.
• Sprinkle with parsley and season to taste. Serve with grated cheese on the side.

Creamy Spinach Pasta with White Beans

Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

• 1 (5 ounce) package baby kale
• 1 (5 ounce) package baby spinach
• 16 ounces whole-wheat penne or rigatoni pasta
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
• 1 cup torn fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish
• 3 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 clove garlic, grated
• 1.5 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 (15 ounce) can low-sodium white beans, rinsed

Directions

Instructions Checklist

• Step 1

  Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the spinach and kale and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. With tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the greens to a colander and rinse under cold water. Wrap in a clean towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Keep the water boiling.

• Step 2

  Add pasta to the boiling water and cook al dente according to package instructions.

• Step 3

  Meanwhile, combine the greens, cream cheese, Gruyère, basil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor; process until the greens are finely chopped.

• Step 4

  Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water; drain the cooked pasta and return to the pot. Add the reserved water to the food processor and process until the sauce is smooth. Add beans and the sauce to the pasta and stir to combine. Top with more basil, if desired.

Italian Pork Sausage Gnocchi Bake

 

Gnocchi Gratin with Ham & Peas

 

Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

• 1 (16-oz.) pkg. potato gnocchi
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1 pound ham steak, cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 ounces shredded Gruyère cheese (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 cup thawed frozen green peas

Directions

Instructions Checklist

• Step 1

  Preheat oven to 400°F. Cook potato gnocchi according to package directions; drain and transfer to a large bowl.

• Step 2

  Melt 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Add ham and cook, stirring often, until ham is lightly browned and any moisture has evaporated, 5 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer ham to bowl with gnocchi. Wipe Dutch oven clean.

• Step 3

  Melt 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter in Dutch oven over medium-high. Whisk in all-purpose flour. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is light golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in whole milk, and bring to a boil; whisk vigorously to work out any lumps.

• Step 4

  Whisk in kosher salt and black pepper. Remove from heat, and slowly whisk in shredded Gruyère cheese and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, until melted. Pour cheese sauce over ham and gnocchi; stir in thawed frozen green peas.

• Step 5

  Transfer mixture to a lightly greased (with cooking spray) 11-x 7-inch baking dish. Sprinkle remaining 1⁄4 cup grated Parmesan cheese on top, and bake in preheated oven until bubbly and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven, and serve warm.

Fettuccine with asparagus, leeks, and mint

 

Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

• 2 teaspoon lemon zest plus 4 Tbsp. fresh juice (from 1 large lemon)
• 2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup torn fresh mint, divided
• 16 ounces fettuccine
• 0.5 pound thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1½-in. pieces
• 2 large leek, white and light green parts only
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan
• ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper

Directions

Instructions Checklist

• Step 1

  Whisk lemon zest and juice, salt, 1/2 cup oil, and black pepper in a large bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup mint.

• Step 2

  Cook pasta according to package directions. Add asparagus during the last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain and cover to keep warm.

• Step 3

  Meanwhile, halve leek lengthwise and thinly slice crosswise into half-moons. Place in a medium bowl filled with water and let stand for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Lift leek slices from water (leaving any grit behind) and drain on paper towels.

• Step 4

  Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook leeks, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4 minutes. Add lemon mixture, pasta, and asparagus to skillet with leeks and toss to combine. Serve topped with cheese, crushed red pepper, and remaining 1/2 cup mint. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil.

Spaghetti Puttanesca

 

Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

• 2 to 4 chiles de árbol (or red pepper flakes)
• 6 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced on a mandoline 
• 7 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 5 oil-packed anchovy fillets (such as Ortiz), drained and chopped 
• 2 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
• 28 oz can whole peeled San Marzano plum tomatoes, drained
• 14 oz diced tomatoes
• 3/4 cup Castelvetrano olives (4 ounce), pitted and coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons drained nonpareil capers
• 16 ounces uncooked bronze-cut spaghetti (such as Barilla Collezione)
• 
  
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions

Instructions Checklist

• Step 1

  Heat chiles, garlic, and 6 tablespoons oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is tender and light golden, about 5 minutes. Add anchovies and oregano; cook, breaking up anchovies using the back of a spoon, until garlic is golden and mixture is fragrant, about 1 minute and 30 seconds. Add tomatoes; bring to a simmer over medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors are melded and sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove and discard chiles. Stir in olives and capers.

• Step 2

  While sauce simmers, cook pasta in a pot according to master technique (until very al dente, about 3 minutes shorter than package directions call for).

• Step 3

  Using tongs, transfer pasta to sauce in skillet, reserving cooking liquid in pot. Increase heat under skillet to high; cook, stirring and shaking skillet constantly, adding 3/4 to 1 cup reserved cooking liquid, 1/4 cup at a time, until pasta is tender and sauce is creamy and coats the pasta, 3 to 4 minutes total. Remove from heat. Add boquerones, basil, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil; toss to coat.