Pappardelle with Peas and Prosciutto

This pasta dish wins on several levels:  it is delicious, simple to prepare, and beautiful on the table! I cooked it in a large copper bottom saute pan and served it in the same pan. Add a loaf of crusty French bread and a simple green salad.

Pappardelle with Peas and Prosciutto

16 ounces Pappardelle

4 ounces chopped prosciutto

2 cups frozen peas

4 Tablespoons butter

1 cup Greek Yogurt (use sour cream if you prefer)

1/2 cup heavy cream

salt

pepper

ground nutmeg

coarsely shredded or flaked Parmesan cheese to pass at serving

Assemble all ingredients. This dish is quickly prepared, so you want to have everything you need ready.

Cook pasta according to package instructions. While pasta is cooking, make the sauce.

In a saute pan, combine yogurt, cream, and butter. Heat over medium heat, stirring. As soon as the mixture is hot, turn off heat and season to taste with salt, pepper and a sprinkle of nutmeg.

Put peas in a colander, set over sink. When pasta is ready to drain, pour the boiling pasta water over the peas, then add peas to cream mixture. Finish draining pasta in the same colander, then add to the pan along with prosciutto. Toss to coat with sauce. Serve from the pan and pass grated Parmesan at the table.

 

 

 

Creamy Chicken Tetrazzini

Every cookbook has its own version of this dish.  Our own favorite through the years was a recipe given to us by Jean McGuire, who was our back door neighbor when we lived near San Antonio in Kirby, Texas, in 1966. This version is also a keeper.  This is a great dish to make when you have leftover rotisserie chicken and pasta.

Creamy Chicken Tetrazzini

3 large chicken breast halves, cooked

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

about 4 cups cooked spaghetti (half a pound  uncooked)

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (may use canned, sliced)

1/2 large green pepper, chopped

1/2 large red pepper, chopped

1 onion, choppped

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup flour

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup half and half

1 can cream of mushroom with roasted garlic soup

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup sherry

3/4 cup sliced almonds

paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook chicken and pasta and drain. (I use rotisserie chicken and leftover spaghetti noodles when possible, but if you are using raw chicken and uncooked pasta, you can cook those while you assemble and prep the other ingredients.

Spray a large baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.  Shred chicken.  Saute mushrooms, pepper, garlic, and onion in butter in a large sautee pan.  Stir in flour, salt and pepper, stirring constantly.  Cook for one minute, stirring gently. Add shredded chicken, half and half, mushroom soup, cheese, and sherry.  Mix well.  Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish and bake 25 minutes.  Scatter almonds on top and continue baking for 5-10 minutes longerl

 

 

Indian Summer Spinach and Pasta Salad with Curry Vinaigrette

I have been declared the winner of Dreamfield Pasta’s PastaPalooza Recipe contest! My prize is a case of my favorite pasta! The basic recipe (without pasta added) appeared a long time ago, so I thought an update was in order. Besides, I need to practice to get ready to use all that pasta! I honestly do love cooking with Dreamfield’s products. 65% lower glycemic index, only 5 net digestible carbs, and the pastas are delicious.

Assembling these ingredients, I thought this would make a good basket for the TV cooking show Chopped!  What could you make that would impress the judges if you opened the basket and found pasta, spinach, sweet curry, Granny Smith apples, mango chutney, and peanuts?  How about …

INDIAN SUMMER PENNE & SPINACH WITH CURRY VINAiGRETTE

1 box Dreamfields Penne Rigate (Rotini works great, too.)

3 -4  cups fresh baby spinach

1/2 cup dried cranberries or golden raisins

1/3 cup roasted peanuts

6 green onions, thinly sliced

1 large Granny Smith apple, unpeeled, chopped

1 to 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Dressing:

2/3 cup olive oil

2 to 3 tablespoons mango chutney

2 to 3 teaspoons sweet curry powder, or to taste (I use Penzey’s)

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste
Cook pasta, then drain and rinse with cold water until completely cooled. Prepare dressing by putting all ingredients in jar with lid. Cover and shake to mix. Place cooled pasta in large bowl. Toss with spinach. Top with cranberries, peanuts, onions, apple and sesame seeds; drizzle with dressing. Toss gently and serve. Leftover salad is good the next day if covered and refrigerated.

Ben’s Best Mac and Cheese

I have never made this recipe myself. But I have eaten it!  and leftovers were today’s lunch!  It was made in my kitchen last night by our youngest son, Ben, who has made it before and declared this his best!  I offered him the chance to be a guest blogger on Kitchen Keepers and when he declined he said I could share the recipe on the blog.

Joe had an emergency hospitalization which prompted fresh gratitude for the helping hands of two of my sons who live nearby.  Sean came and helped take his Dad to the hospital on Monday.  Ben came to help last night and cooked our dinner.  Try this when you are craving  cheesy, delicious comfort food!  By the way, Sean recently made his famous homemade Corned Beef Hash for us.  I will include his recipe sometme soon.  And just so you know, son Jeremy who lives too far away to pop over for week night suppers, is a gourmet cook, too. I am one blessed Mom, and their wives appreciate them, also!

Ben’s Best Mac and Cheese

Sea Salt

1 pound Dreamfield’s Penne Regate pasta

2 cups of chopped Canadian Bacon

3 cups milk

8 tablespoons (1 stick)  butter, divided

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

8 ounces Gruyère, grated (2 cups)

8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (2 cups)

1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp Penzey’s French Four Spice  or 1/2 tsp nutmeg and 1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1  cup Panko bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Into a large pot of boiling salted water.add the pasta and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

Put chopped Canadian Bacon in skillet.  Heat and stir until slightly browned.

Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyère, Cheddar, Gorgonzola, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and spices. Add the Canadian Bacon and cooked pasta, stirring to mix.  Pour into a buttered 3-quart baking dish and top with bread crumbs.  Dot with small pieces of remaining butter.  Heat in oven until bread crumbs are golden brown and the sauce on pasta is bubbling.