pasta | Good Dinner Mrs Mellen

Category: pasta
- Quick and Easy Pasta e Fagioli
  
  Posted at 11:30 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Mar 21st
  Traditional Pasta e Fagioli is made with a pork product such as pancetta, ham or pigs’ feet(old-time Italian) but growing up my mother always made meatless Pasta e Fagioli on Fridays. I have fond memories of eating Pasta Fagioli on crisp fall nights before rushing off to a Friday night football game or for lunch on a snowy winter day.
  
  My mother’s version of Pasta e Fagioli, I like to call Pasta e Fagioli meets Boston Baked Beans, She used canned baked beans as the base. I have no idea why one time she decided to substitute baked beans, no problem we loved her recipe. Over the years I have added my own touches to my mother’s Pasta e Fagioli to make it an easy totally vegetarian meal.
  
  Pasta e Fagioli
  
  1 cup chopped shallots
  
  3 cloves garlic, crushed
  
  2 tablespoon olive oil
  
  3/4 cup dry white wine
  
  2 (16 oz) cans vegetarian baked beans, Bushes
  
  1 can (8 oz) no salt Tomato Sauce, Hunts
  
  1 can (15.5 oz) Garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained, Goya
  
  1 can (14 oz) vegetable broth
  
  1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  
  1 cup dried ditalini pasta
  
  1/4 cup snipped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried basil
  
  1 tablespoon snipped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  
  Parmesan Cheese, optional
  
  1. In large pot cook shallots, garlic and olive over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  
  2. Sir in wine, baked beans, garbanzo beans, vegetable broth, and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil: reduce heat. Simmer, covered for 20 minutes.
  
  3. Cook, pasta al dente(firm but not hard), drain. Stir cooked pasta, basil, oregano into bean mixture. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Pasta e Fagioli should be thick like stew not soupy. Add more broth if thick and cook a little longer if too thin.
  
  Serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese on top.
  
  Make 4-6 servings.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in family meals, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Healthy, Italian, light dinner, Main Dish, Main Meal, pasta, Soup, Stew, vegan, Vegetarian, Weeknight dinner | Tagged Beans & macaroni, Bushes Baked Beans, Easy recipe, Goya beans, Hunts Tomato Sauce, Pasta e Fagioli, vegan, vegetarian
- Baked Penne with Pomodoro Sauce
  
  Posted at 2:38 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Feb 16th
  I love to cook but cleaning multiple pots and pans is not fun. Weeknight meals I make one pot, pan, or skillet recipes for quick and easy clean up.
  
  You can make the Pomodoro Sauce ahead and keep in the refrigerator or freeze. Then just assemble the casserole and bake. Make in advance a nice salad and serve with crusty fresh bread.
  
  You’ll have an easy home-cooked meal in a short preparation time!
  
  Enjoy!
  
  via Baked Penne with Pomodoro Sauce
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  Posted in Casserole, Easy recipes, family meals, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Hearty Meal, Italian, Main Dish, Main Meal, pasta | Tagged baked Pasta, Easy recipes, One Pot, quick meal, Weeknight dinner
- Classic Roasted Marina Sauce
  
  Posted at 12:23 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Jan 26th
  Growing up in an Italian-American family my relatives had strong opinions on making tomato sauce and many different methods. My Aunts would spend hours debating and comparing different sauce styles. I prefer the slow-roasting recipe that was used by my grandmother and mother. Roasting Marina Sauce creates a flavorful that is not acidic or bitter.
  
  I love San Manzano tomatoes, and I use certified tomatoes. San Manzano tomatoes, named after a region in Italy, are less acidic because of the soil in that region. There are many brands and I prefer Cento certified San Manzano tomatoes. Just a suggestion, you can use any brand that works for you.
  
  The recipe calls for the whole garlic bulb and roasting releases the garlic flavor without being bitter. Don’t shy away from the large quantity of garlic.
  
  I use this sauce over pasta and with any recipe that calls for Marina Sauce. And an added benefit is that the sauce freezes beautifully for future use.
  
  Classic Roasted Marinara Sauce
  
  ¼ cup olive oil
  
  1 head of garlic, cloves chopped
  
  1 large red onion, chopped
  
  ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  
  1 tablespoon tomato paste
  
  ¼ cup dry white wine
  
  2 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes, Cento certified San Manzano
  
  ¼ cup torn basil leaves
  
  ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  
  Kosher salt
  
  Preheat oven to 350°. Heat oil in a large heavy ovenproof pot over medium. Cook garlic, stirring often, until golden, about 4 minutes.
  
  Add onion, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring often until onion is translucent about 5 minutes.
  
  Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring often, until slightly darkened, about 2 minutes.
  
  Add wine, bring to a boil, and cook until almost completely evaporated about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, breaking up with your hands, and their juices; add basil and oregano and stir to combine. Swirl 1½ cups water into one tomato can, then the other, to rinse, and add to the pot. We don’t want to waist any delicious tomato juice: Season with salt.
  
  Transfer pot to oven; roast sauce, stirring halfway through, until thick and tomatoes are browned on top and around edges of the pot, 2–2½ hours.
  Let the sauce cool slightly. Pass through the large holes of a food mill or process in a food processor until mostly smooth. I like my sauce a little chunky. Taste and season with salt.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Italian, Main Dish, pasta, Tomato | Tagged Cento San Marzano tomates, Easy recipes, marina sauce, tomato sauce
- Italian Pot Roast
  
  Posted at 9:30 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Jan 20th
  Sunday dinner was a tradition in my family growing up. My mother, an exceptional cook, would prepare a feast with enough food to feed our entire neighborhood. All were welcome to join us for dinner. When I married and started my own family, I continued having large Sunday family dinners.
  
  One of my mother’s famous Sunday meals was her Italian Pot Roast. She preferred an Eye Round Roast, but you can use a Shoulder or Brisket. I like to make this just like my mother on a stove, but it can be cooked in a slow cooker. After the meat is browned on the stove place all the ingredients in a slow cooker and cook for eight hours.
  
  Italian Pot Roast
  
  4 lb. Eye Roast
  
  1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
  
  salt and pepper
  
  2 tablespoons olive oil
  
  1 cup chopped carrots
  
  1 cup chopped onions
  
  1 finely chopped celery stalk
  
  2 cloves garlic, minced
  
  2 bay leaves, crushed
  
  1 teaspoon thyme
  
  1 teaspoon rosemary
  
  1 teaspoon cinnamon
  
  1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  
  1/4 cup tightly packed parsley leaves, chopped
  
  3 tablespoons tomato paste
  
  3 cups red wine
  
  1(28-ounce) can whole San Marzano tomatoes, drained and chopped*
  
  2 tablespoons flour
  
  1/4 cup water
  
  1 lb. penne pasta
  
  Cut slits in eye roast and insert sliced garlic into slits. Season the beef with salt and pepper. In a large casserole, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil until hot but not smoking. Brown beef on all sides. Transfer beef to a plate. Pour off browning fat.
  
  Add carrots, onions, and celery, stirring until golden. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Stir in bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, cinnamon, nutmeg, parsley and tomato paste. Add the wine and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the beef and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook at a gentle simmer for 3 hours, until meat is tender.
  
  Remove beef, cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Mix two tablespoon flour with 1/4 cup water. Add to the sauce to thicken. Simmer on low heat stirring until sauce thickens about 3-5 minutes. While sauce is thickening cook pasta according to package directions.
  
  Place cooked pasta on a large plater, pour the sauce over pasta. Slice beef and arrange over pasta. Serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.
  
  *I used Cento certified San Marzano tomatoes.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Beef, company dinner, dinner, Easy recipes, entertaining, family meals, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Main Dish, Main Meal, pasta | Tagged Cento San Marzano tomates, Pot roast, sunday dinner
- No-Cook Puttanesca Sauce with Spaghetti
  
  Posted at 5:07 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Aug 31st
  The history behind the name of this pasta is quite interesting. As the story goes the dish Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca (“spaghetti in the style of a prostitute” in Italian”.) originated in the mid-twenty century in the seaport of Naples. The prostitutes of the city would make this dish and place on their window sill, where the aromatic scent lured sailors for their services. Whether that is true or not there is no denying this flavorful sauce has over the years attracted many devotees. My sauce is a no-cook version with the original is a simmered sauce served with pasta. I love making this easy recipe in the summer and serve with a crisp salad, fresh Italian bread, and dry white wine.
  
  No-Cook Puttanesca Sauce with Spaghetti
  
  2 beefsteak tomatoes (about 1 lb.), halved crosswise, seeds removed
  
  2 garlic cloves, finely grated
  
  1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  
  3 oil-packed anchovy fillets, chopped (optional)
  
  2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more
  
  1½ cups cherry tomatoes halved
  
  1 cup Kalamata or Castelvetrano olives, pitted and halved
  
  2 Tbsp. drained capers
  
  ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  
  12 oz. spaghetti
  
  ¼ cup finely chopped basil
  
  3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  
  Pulse beefsteak tomatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes, anchovy fillets, and 2 tsp. salt in a food processor until smooth; transfer sauce to a large bowl and mix in cherry tomatoes, olives, capers, and ¼ cup oil.
  
  Cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving ¼ cup pasta cooking liquid.
  
  Add pasta, parsley, and butter to the sauce. Toss vigorously with tongs, adding a splash of pasta cooking liquid or more as needed to create an emulsified sauce that coats the pasta. Divide among bowls and drizzle with more oil.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Easy recipes, pasta, summertime recipes, vegan, Vegetarian | Tagged Easy recipes, pasta, Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
- Linguine with Cherry Tomatoes and Pesto Sauce
  
  Posted at 1:19 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Jun 29th
  Cooking and good food is in my blood. Both my grandmother and mother were accomplished cooks who could combine a few ingredients into a memorable feast that you would never forget. I learned from both these exceptional women that their love of cooking for family and friends was their secret ingredient that flavored their dishes better than any expensive seasoning or ingredient. Being of Italian heritage, tomatoes, basil, garlic, olive oil, and pasta were the basis for many of the meals they cooked when I was growing up in Bucks County, Pennsylvania along the Delaware River. The Delaware Valley before all the housing developments was rich land with farms that went for miles. My grandmother and mother’s summer season gardens overflowed with the most beautiful fresh produce perfect for making Linguine with Cherry Tomatoes and Pesto Sauce. I’ve attempted to create the flavors from one of their signature dishes. Both women never used a recipe they just added a pinch of this, a dash of that magically creating breathtaking food!
  
  Linguine with Cherry Tomatoes and Pesto Sauce
  
  1-pint cherry tomatoes
  
  2 tablespoon olive oil
  
  4 cloves garlic, minced
  
  2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
  
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  
  1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  
  1/4 cup pesto sauce*
  
  12 oz of fresh linguine
  
  1 tablespoon butter
  
  Preheat oven 425F. Place the first six ingredients in a baking dish ad roast for 20 minutes until tomatoes are hot and bubbly. Cool. Add pesto sauce to tomatoes; stirring until combined. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and reserve 1/4 cup water from the pasta. Place pasta in large bowel toss with 1 tablespoon butter and reserved water. Add tomato/pesto sauce and toss again. Serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.
  
  Pesto Sauce
  
  4 cups packed fresh basil
  
  1/2 cup olive oil
  
  1/2 cup pine nuts
  
  2 cloves garlic
  
  1/2 parmesan cheese
  
  1/2 cup olive oil
  
  1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  
  Combine basil, oil, pine nuts, and garlic in a blender. Blend until paste forms, stopping often to push down basil. Add both kinds of cheese and salt; blend until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl. Freeze unused pesto.
  
  Enjoy!
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Easy recipes, family meals, Farm Fresh Produce, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, pasta, vegan, Vegetarian, Weeknight dinner | Tagged Easy recipe, farm fresh, pasta, Pesto Sauce, sunday dinner, tomatoes
- Broccoli Slaw and Udon Noodles With Lemon Honey Dressing
  
  Posted at 4:24 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Jun 2nd
  Broccoli Slaw and Udon Noodles with Lemon Honey Dressing
  
  ½ cup slivered almonds toasted, plus two tablespoons
  
  12 ounces shredded broccoli slaw
  
  1 package Organic Udon Noodles, I used Koyo
  
  Lemon Honey Dressing
  
  ½ cup olive oil
  
  3 tablespoons lemon juice
  
  1 tablespoon honey
  
  2 teaspoons dried mustard
  
  2 medium cloves garlic, pressed
  
  ½ teaspoon of sea salt
  
  Freshly ground pepper, to taste
  
  Red pepper flakes, optional
  
  Pink Himalayan sea salt
  
  Small head of Romain lettuce, separated and washed
  
  Cook Udon noodles according to package instructions. Set it aside to cool.
  
  Combine all of the dressing ingredients up to red pepper flakes in a liquid measuring cup and whisk until emulsified.
  
  In a large bowel combine the shredded broccoli slaw, toasted alimony, and noodles. Pour the dressing over the mixture and toss until well mixed. Let the slaw rest for about 20 minutes to let the flavors meld. Line a large place with lettuce. Place slaw and Udon noodles on top. Sprinkle two tablespoon toasted almonds and sprinkle with pink Himalayan salt. Serve at room temperature or chill overnight.
  
  Enjoy!
  
  You can find more of Good Dinner Mrs. Mellen @buzzchomp.com
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  Posted in lunch, pasta, Salad, Vegetarian | Tagged broccoli slaw, Healthy Salad, Koyo noodles, Udon noodles
- BAKED RIGATONI WITH WHITE SAUCE AND MUSHROOMS
  
  Posted at 10:28 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Mar 17th
  In the winter I like to make hearty, flavorful meals that are quick and easy; especially living in New England where we have harsh winters. When the snow starts to fall, drifting against my front door I go to my pantry looking for pasta. Instead of Lasagna noodles, I used Rigatoni to make an easy Baked Rigatoni filled with mushrooms, cheeses and topped with a Bechamel sauce. This is a basic sauce white sauce that anyone can make. Don’t let the French name fool you. Make a large salad arranging tomatoes, cucumbers, on endive lettuce. Top with feta cheese. Pour a light light balsamic vinaigrette over the salad. Serve with crisp fresh bread. And don’t forget a glass of wine!
  
  Ingredients
  
  1 pound box DeCecco Rigatoni no.24
  
  2 1/2 cups whole milk
  
  5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  
  1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  
  2 teaspoon of sea salt
  
  1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  
  2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  
  8 ounces portobello mushrooms, sliced
  
  three leeks, thinly sliced
  
  1 tablespoon fresh thyme
  
  1 carton (8 ounces) whole milk ricotta
  
  8 ounces fresh mozzarella, divided in half.
  
  1/2 cup freshly ground Parmesan, plus 1 tablespoon
  
  Directions
  - Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  - Heat 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large (12-inch) saute pan. When the butter melts, add the mushrooms, sprinkle with salt, and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the mushrooms are tender and they release some of their juices. Add sliced leeks and thyme. If the mushrooms are dry add another tablespoon oil. Saute for an additional 5 minutes to make sure leeks and mushrooms cook evenly Set aside.
  - In a small bowl combine ricotta, 1/2 mozzarella chopped and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese. Set aside until assembly.
  - Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon salt. Add the rigatoni and cook for 14 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and set aside.
  - For the white sauce, bring the milk to a simmer in a saucepan. Set aside. Melt 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) of the butter in a large saucepan. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture all at once. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring first with the wooden spoon and then with a whisk, for 3 to 5 minutes, until thick. Set aside off the heat.
  - To assemble the baked rigatoni, spread some of the sauce in the bottom of an 8 x 10 baking dish. I used a Le Creuset dutch oven. Arrange a layer of noodles on top, then 1/2 cheese mixture topped with1/2 of the mushrooms, then sauce. Repeat 1 more time, layering noodles, cheese, mushrooms, and sauce. Top with a final layer of noodles and sauce, remaining mozzarella, sliced and sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon Parmesan. Add a touch of nutmeg on top.
  - Bake the lasagna for 45 minutes, or until the top is browned the sauce is bubbly and hot. Allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes and serve hot.
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Casserole, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Hearty Meal, Main Dish, Main Meal, pasta, Vegetarian | Tagged BAKED RIGATONI, DECECCO RIGATONI, Easy recipe, Hearty Meal, WHITE SAUCE
- Fried Mac and Cheese
  
  Posted at 2:14 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Feb 23rd
  When I was a young girl I loved my mother’s baked macaroni and cheese. My mother would fry the leftover mac and cheese in butter for my lunch the next, better in my opinion than the original dish. I sometimes abandon my normal lunch salad and indulge in fried mac and cheese with each bite taking me back to the having lunch on the snack bar in our kitchen so long ago especially cooked for me by my mother. Pure comfort food!
  
  Fried Mac and Cheese
  
  Heat 4 tablespoons butter in frying pan. Add chopped up leftover macaroni and cheese. Fry until cheese starts to melt and macaroni is hot. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.
  
  Three Cheese Baked Mac and Cheese
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  buzzchomp.com
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  Posted in Easy recipes, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, pasta | Tagged comfort food, Easy recipe, fried, lunch, mac and cheese
- SPRINGTIME FETTUCCINI IN LEMON CREAM SAUCE WITH ASPARAGUS
  
  Posted at 3:46 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Feb 21st
  I use Bruitoni pasta when I want the taste of fresh pasta but don’t have time to go to a specialty store or make the pasta at home. And I love this easy cream cheese pasta sauce for a quick weekend, taste delicious dinner. Don’t you just love the bright green asparagus? Lemon and asparagus the perfect springtime combination to add to pasta, so flavorful!
  
  Ingredients
  
  9 oz. Bruitoni Fettuccini
  
  1/2 cup cream cheese
  
  2 Tbs. olive oil
  
  1 lemon, juiced and 1 Tbs. zest grated
  
  1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese
  
  1/2 – 3/4 cup steamed asparagus, lightly steamed, slice into 2-inch pieces
  
  Preparation
  
  1. Cook linguine according to package directions in the pot of boiling salted water.
  
  2. Warm cream cheese, oil, and 2 Tbs. lemon juice in a saucepan over low heat.
  
  3. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Stir reserved cooking water into the cream cheese mixture. Add pasta, lemon zest, and parmesan cheese; toss to coat. Add asparagus and lightly toss again. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
  
  Enjoy!
  
  www.gooddinnermrsmellen.com
  
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  Posted in Easy recipes, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Main Dish, Main Meal, pasta, Vegetarian | Tagged Bruitoni Fettuccini, cram cheese, dinner, Easy recipes, pasta
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