Weeknight Ragù

This comfort food dish was very well-received in my house. Everyone in my family was fighting over the leftovers! It was easy, full-flavored, and absolutely delicious.

The recipe was adapted from Bon Appétit, contributed by Chris Morocco. I modified the proportions and substituted sour cream for the heavy cream. I also adjusted the consistency of the finished dish with pasta cooking water. Great.

Yield: Serves 8

• 6 T extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 3/4 lbs ground pork, turkey, beef, or chicken, preferably dark meat
• kosher salt
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 8 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 3 Calabrian chiles in oil, finely chopped, or 1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 7 T double-concentrated tomato paste
• 7 T sour cream or heavy cream
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 lbs (20 to 24 oz) rigatoni, gemelli or other short pasta
• 2 oz Parmesan, finely grated, plus more for serving (I used Parmigiano-Reggiano)
• basil leaves, for serving

1. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large Dutch oven over medium to medium-high.
2. Add ground meat in 12–14 pieces (patties), spacing evenly, and season with salt.
3. Let cook, undisturbed, until deeply browned underneath, about 3 minutes.
4. Turn over and cook until deeply browned on opposite side, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate. (It won’t be cooked through.)
5. Add remaining 3 tablespoons of oil to pot over medium heat.
6. Cook onion, stirring often, until softened and just beginning to turn golden around the edges, about 5 minutes.
7. Add garlic and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
8. Add chiles/red pepper flakes and tomato paste and cook, stirring often, until paste is slightly darkened in color, about 3 minutes.
9. Return meat to the pot and break up into small pieces.
10. Add sour cream/heavy cream and 2 1/4 cups water.
11. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat, and simmer gently until liquid is reduced by one third and flavors have come together, 15–20 minutes.
12. Season ragù with salt and pepper.
13. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain, reserving 2 cups pasta cooking liquid.
14. Add pasta to ragù along with 1 cup pasta cooking liquid and Parmesan.
15. Cook, stirring and adding more pasta cooking liquid if needed, until sauce coats pasta, about 2 minutes.
16. Transfer to a serving dish or individual bowls. Garnish with basil and reserved Parmesan. Serve.

Orecchiette with Swiss Chard, Basil, & Burrata

This wonderful dish was lemony and rich with burrata. I must confess that the “burrata hack” I shared in my last post was not a true match to the real thing.

This recipe was adapted from Bringing it Home: Favorite Recipes from a Life of Adventurous Eating by Gail Simmons with Mindy Fox. I increased the garlic and decreased (gasp!) the burrata.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• Kosher salt
• 1 pound dried orecchiette (can substitute fusilli, cavatelli, gemelli, or conchiglie)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 T unsalted butter
• 4 large garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 pound (about 1 large or 2 small bunches) Swiss chard, leaves sliced into 2-inch pieces, ribs and stems thinly sliced crosswise
• freshly grated zest from 3-4 lemons
• 3 T fresh lemon juice
• 3 T freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 8 oz burrata cheese
• 1/2 cup torn or sliced basil leaves
• coarsely ground black pepper

1. In a large saucepan of well-salted boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium heat until the butter is melted.
3. Add the garlic, pepper flakes, and 3/4 tsp salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is fragrant and golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Add half of the chard leaves and stems and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the greens are wilted.
5. Add the remaining chard leaves and stems, the lemon zest, and the lemon juice. Cook, stirring, until all of the chard is just wilted. Remove the pan from the heat.
6. Reserving 1 cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta. Return the pasta to the pot.
7. Add the chard to the pasta along with the reserved pasta water; cook over medium heat, stirring, for 30 seconds.
8. Adjust the seasoning, to taste.
9. Place in a serving dish and stir in the Parmesan cheese.
10. Cut the burrata into chunks.
11. Top the pasta with the burrata and sprinkle with the basil leaves. Additional lemon zest can be added as well, if desired. Serve.

Gemelli with Mushrooms & Ricotta

I love the “RSVP” column in Bon Appetit. Readers write in to request recipes for their favorite restaurant dishes; I feel like the recipes are really “tried and true.” This recipe was adapted from CBD Provisions in Dallas, Texas, via Bon Appetit.

The dish features an ultra-flavorful soffritto base which, along with mixed mushrooms and cheese, results in a rich and hearty vegetarian main dish. We enjoyed it Easter weekend, but it would really be nice any time of the year. This is the second vegetarian pasta I’m bringing to Angie’s Fiesta Friday #63 this week. Enjoy!

Yield: Serves 6

For the Soffritto:

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika

For the Pasta:

• 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
• 1 pound mixed mushrooms (such as maitake, shiitake, button, and king trumpet), cut or torn into ½” pieces
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound strozzapreti or gemelli
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, plus more for serving
• ½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano, divided
• ⅔ cup fresh ricotta
• 6 soft-boiled eggs, peeled (optional)

Make the Soffritto:

1. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring often, until lightly golden, 5–8 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, until vegetables have reduced in volume by two-thirds, 15–20 minutes.
3. Add paprika and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.

Do Ahead: Soffritto can be made 2 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill.

To Finish the Dish:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of mushrooms; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing, until browned and softened, 8–10 minutes; transfer to a bowl. Repeat with 2 tablespoons of oil and remaining mushrooms; reserve skillet.
2. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 8–10 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in reserved skillet over medium-low heat.
4. Cook garlic, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
5. Toss in soffritto, mushrooms, pasta, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons chives, and half of Parmigiano Reggiano, thinning with pasta cooking liquid as needed; season with salt and pepper.
6. Serve topped with ricotta, eggs (if using- I opted to make the dish without the soft-boiled eggs), more chives, and remaining grated cheese; drizzle with oil.

One Year Ago:

• Ricotta Gnocchi with Asparagus, Peas, & Mushrooms
• Mushroom Risotto with Spring Herbs

Two Years Ago:

• Gnocchi with Bacon & Tomatoes
• Grilled Eggplant Parmesan

Roasted Cabbage and Bacon Pasta

I love finding new uses for cabbage. I was so excited to read about roasting cabbage with bacon on Cottage Grove House. I had never roasted cabbage before. Genius!– and I had two types of CSA cabbage sitting in my refrigerator waiting for a plan! 🙂 The original recipe was for a side dish but I thought it would be fabulous over pasta as a main dish. This recipe was adapted from cottagegrovehouse.com. It was DELICIOUS!!

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 1/2 head green and/or red cabbage, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1/2 head savoy or napa cabbage, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 6 slices of thick cut bacon, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• drizzling of avocado or olive oil
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmesan, for serving
• 3/4 to 1 pound fresh pasta noodles, such as Trofie or dry pasta noodles, such as Strozzapreti

 

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees (convection).
2. Place the cabbage, bacon, oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and toss until well coated. Spread evenly onto two large, rimmed baking sheets. 
3. Roast, turning regularly with a spatula, about 30 minutes, or until well roasted and bacon is crispy, yet still meaty.
4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt. Cook the pasta according to package directions.
5. Combine cooked pasta with cabbage mixture. Top with grated cheese and serve.