Sunday, January 27, 2013

Shells with Green, Red and Yellow Peppers and Cream


Hi! It has been a long time and I miss blogging! Life has just been so busy with friends visiting and trips and football.  I have (of course) not stopped cooking though and I have saved up some good recipes to share.  Here is the first -- Shell pasta with red, green and yellow bell peppers in a cream sauce.  It is so delicious and wonderful in winter.  I grew up eating this and I always forget how good it is until I make it.  This is from Marcella Hazan.

Conchiglie con Peperoni Verdi, Rossi e Gialli alla Panna
(Shells with Green, Red and Yellow Peppers and Cream)
Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

3 T butter
1 T vegetable oil
1 cup onion chopped not too fine
1 cup each of green, red and yellow bell peppers, diced into 1/2 inch cubes (if you can't get yellow bell peppers, increase red bell pepper by the same amount)
Salt
Ground black pepper
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 pound conchiglie (medium pasta shells)
2 T chopped parsley
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Instructions:

1.  In a 10 to 12 inch saute pan, put butter, oil and chopped onion and turn on the heat to medium.  Saute the onion until it becomes colored a pale gold.


 2.  Add all the diced peppers, turn up the heat to medium hight, and cook until tender, turning them from time to time.


3.  Add salt and generous grindings of pepper, stir well, add the cream, and turn up the heat to high.  Cook until the cream is reduced by half.



4.  Drop the pasta into a pot of abundant boiling salted water.  Cook until it is barely tender but firm to the bite. Drain and toss immediately in a warm bowl with the peppers and cream and all their pan juices.  Sprinkle with parsley and grated cheese, toss again, and serve at once.




 Enjoy!!

-- Anya

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Penne with Porcini Mushrooms and Tomatoes (and Happy New Year!)


Happy 2013 everyone!  I hope everyone had a fun and safe holiday.  New years always feels like a new beginning -- a chance to do something new, or better, or differently.  To refocus on what is important.  I look forward to this year -- to training for another race, baking new things (I got several pastry books for Christmas and my fingers are itching to try the recipes!), to time with my family and friends, to spring, to new friendships.   So before I post this recipe, a few pics of my baby animals being cuter than ever...



Aren't they amazing?! I love that they sleep together like that... I can't get over it.  Anyways, back to food...

This is a wonderful pasta dish.  It is one of Marcella Hazan's recipes and is one that I grew up eating and remains one of my favorites.  It is also incredibly simple to make, although it takes some time.  The combination of porcini mushrooms,  pancetta and tomatoes is rich without being heavy and is very satisfying on a cold winter night.  You can omit the pancetta -- I often do -- to make it vegetarian.   It is delicious either way.  I served it with these homemade Dinner Rolls.

Ingredients:

4 T. unsalted butter
1 T. olive oil
2 T. finely chopped shallot or yellow onion
2 T. diced pancetta (optional)
1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
1 1/2 cups (or more) whole peeled Italian tomatoes (from a 28 oz can) with their juices, cut up
salt and black pepper, to taste

Parmesan, for serving

1 lb. penne rigati or other tubular pasta

Instructions:

1.   Put dried porcini mushrooms in 1 cup of warm water to soak for 30 minutes.  Drain porcini through a strainer lined with paper towels into a bowl, reserving soaking liquid.  Rinse porcini in several changes of cold water.

2.  Combine butter, olive oil and onion in a saute pan and cook over medium heat until pale gold.  Add pancetta and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute.  Add tomatoes, porcini, the reserved liquid from the mushroom soak and salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer over low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occassionally.

3.  Drop pasta into 4 to 5 quarts boiling salted water and cook until al dente.  Transfer pasta to a warm bowl, add sauce, and toss to combine.  Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.



Enjoy!