Tag Archives: pasta

Bucatini, Bologna, Tomato, Asiago & Egg ” Midnight Snack In Simpleland ”

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Yesterday  I had a very long workday without lunch or dinner. I finally came home at 9.00pm (I left the house at 5.00am, after two hours of walking Bella, breakfast, checking e-mail, etc) .
First thing’s first, so I poured myself a glass of merlot and sat down to relax a few minutes before I wanted to move on to do what needs to be done. However, I woke up three hours later at around midnight, because Bella brutally stubbed me with her nose, demanding to finally be taken on her walk. When we got back it was past 1.00am and I was famished. I wanted to have something quick, uncomplicated, substantial and tasty, but not too heavy or fatty. A quick inspection of the fridge and cup board revealed, amongst other goodies:
Bucatini, salted butter, bologna, aged asiago, greek yoghurt, eggs, tomatoes and scallions.
Usually and traditionally, one would saute the bologna and tomatoes in fat before adding the other ingredients.
But I wanted to have a different, “fresher” taste. So, here is how it went:
I cooked the pasta, drained it (reserved some of the cooking water). I chopped the tomatoes, sliced the scallions, grated the asiago, whisked the eggs with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Then I mixed all the ingredients over low heat including a bit of the cooking water and cooked it until the eggs set. The result was a revelation of how the addition or absence of one single cooking step (sauteing) can completely alter the taste and texture of a dish. This version is actually my new favorite when it comes to pasta with bologna. The freshness of the bologna (must be of very good quality) and the slight acidity of the yogurt and raw tomatoes make it a new, much appreciated dish in my arsenal of pasta dishes.
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Bon Appetit !   Long Live The Midnight Snack ! :-)
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More Bucatini On ChefsOpinion 1

More Bucatini On ChefsOpinion 2

More Bologna On ChefsOpinion

" Bucatini, Bologna, Tomato, Asiago & Egg "

” Bucatini, Bologna, Tomato, Asiago & Egg “

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Mafaldine, Striploin, Mushrooms & Chilis

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Dinner  for two :
Sauteed strip loin, mafaldine, mushrooms, chilis and grape tomatoes with garlic and scallions.
Simplicity at it’s best :-)

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Mafaldine, Striploin, Mushrooms & Chilis

Mafaldine, Striploin, Mushrooms & Chilis

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Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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Spinach Pappardelle, Ham & Bell Pepper Ragout

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What  a great meal a bit of ham, peppers, pasta
and a good amount of  love for all things pasta can make.
( As you can see, Madam agrees  :-)

Sharing a meal with a loved should count as one of life’s most precious moment’s. Even if not all of them can be there physically, they are alway’s there in spirit.
All my loved ones love food,  - coincidence ?
And not all are as big-bellied as I am, thankfully   :-)

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Spinach Pappardelle & Ham And Bell Pepper Ragout

Spinach Pappardelle & Ham And Bell Pepper Ragout

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Pasta. Basta !

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Pasta !
Sometimes, in our quest to create ever more complicated, fancy, elaborate, inventive, trendsetting dishes, we tend to forget why we fell in love with a food item in the first place. In most cases because in it’s true form and simplicity, it is perfect and can’t be much improved. It can be altered, changed, made more fancy, more colorful, spicier, fattier, more unrecognizable, deconstructed, more expensive (yep) or whatever,  but in its original form, texture, and flavor it will alway’s be the star it has originally been. Without a doubt pasta is one of these food items. If properly prepared, it needs little or no embellishment to satisfy most senses. “Pasta Aglio E Olio”  or, my personal favorite, Pasta Aglio E Burro” are the most basic dishes which, when prepared with love and knowledge, will produce the most satisfying meal or separate course in a meal. Here we have another basic, “Bucatini  Pomodoro”

Cook pasta about 3/4 to doneness, drain, reserve some of the cooking water. Saute roasted garlic paste in butter or  olive oil, add chopped peeled tomatoes, add a few sprigs of basil, simmer until tomatoes break down. Remove basil sprigs, blend tomatoes with a stick blender. Season with kosher salt and  cayenne pepper. Add pasta, some of the cooking water, butter and finely grated pecorino and simmer until pasta is al dente. Add more water during the simmering if needed. To serve, sprinkle with more cheese.

Buon Appetito !   Life is Good !
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Pasta Pommodoro

Pasta Pommodoro

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Pasta & Chicken

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One  of my own personal junk food’s, pasta and chicken.
Any time of day, any which way, as long as it’s juicy and tasty  :-)
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Ingredients :

Lasagna pasta,   broken into large pieces, cooked al dente
Chicken drumsticks,
Crimini mushrooms,   cleaned
White cabbage,   sliced
Red bell pepper,   sliced
Onion,   sliced
Garlic,   paste
Scallion,   sliced
Parmigiano reggiano,   thinly sliced
Parmigiano reggiano,   finely grated
Italian parsley,   coarsely chopped
Kosher salt,
Cayenne pepper,
Maggi seasoning,
Butter ,   to saute,   substitute olive oil if you prefer

Method :

Saute seasoned chicken slowly in butter until golden, put on a rack and cook in oven until cooked through. Meanwhile, saute onion and mushroom in same butter until onions are translucent. Add cabbage, garlic and peppers and saute until garlic becomes fragrant. At this point your butter will be light brown. Add pasta and a bit of the pasta water, seasoning and the grated parmesan, mix until a fine film of cheese sauce coats pasta. Remove from heat, add chicken, scallions and parsley and mix. To serve, sprinkle with sliced parmesan and chopped parsley.

Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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Garlic Noodles & Pickled Cucumbers

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Hardly  can you prepare a more simple, tasty and satisfying meal then this one.
On top of that, it is fast and easy to prepare and light on the wallet.
What’s not to love about that ?   :-)
The recipe I used today included only the seasonings in the photo on this page.
The version at the link below is a bit more complex. I love both versions equally.

Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !

P.S.
Long noodles (longevity noodles)are a symbol of good luck.
Let’s hope they work for 2013   :-)
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Recipe for   “GARLIC NOODLES ”   Here

Recipe for   “CHINESE CUCUMBER SALAD”   Here

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Ziti In Wodka Sauce

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If  you love pasta, this dish is for you.
The only, important, vital thing to take into consideration :
Butter, butter, butter.!  Olive oil  just does not cut it here.
I know butter has gone out of fashion with many folk’s,
but here is the time and occasion when you have to leave
your healthy pad for a moment and indulge in the goodness of
butter. Not butter substitute, not clarified butter, just plain,
rich, good tasting butter   :-)

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Ingredient’s

Ziti,  cooked, drained, some cooking water reserved
Tomato sauce,  canned
Wodka,
Garlic,  paste
Peperoncino romano,  finely grated
Butter,
Sriracha,
Maggi seasoning,
Kosher salt,
Chili flakes,
Italian parsley,

Method :

Saute garlic in butter until fragrant, deglaze with wodka.
( Careful with the flame, you don’t want to set your eyebrows
or your kitchen on fire ). Add tomato sauce,  cooking water,
sriracha and pasta, heat to a simmer. Remove from heat,
add more butter, cheese, maggi and salt and mix well. Adjust
texture with cooking water if necessary. Adjust seasoning to
your liking. To serve, sprinkle with more cheese, chili flakes
and  italian parsley.

Bon Appetit !   Live is Good !
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” Rigatoni Rustica “

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Last  night’s dinner was a perfect example of tasty comfort food,
simple, tasty, pretty, easy, and satisfying.
(Sounds like a wish list for a spouse  :-)
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Ingredient’s :

Chicken,   cut into one inch pieces
Rigatoni,   cooked al dente, strained, reserve some of the cooking water
Bok choy,   cut into one inch pieces
Onions,   julienned
Kernel corn,
Grape tomatoes,   whole
Chilies,   sliced
Garlic,   paste
Ginger,   grated
Kosher salt,   to taste
Cayenne,   to taste
Butter,   to saute
Red wine,   to deglaze

Method :

Season chicken and saute until golden brown and cooked through.
Remove and reserve. Saute onions, corn, garlic, ginger, bok choy and chili,
deglaze with red wine and a small amount of the cooking water from the pasta,
add  pasta and tomatoes, season with salt and cayenne.

Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !


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” Fettuccini Bolognese “

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This simple dish is something I never get tired of.
I have made this in many different variations but
never straying far from the original, classic “bolognese”
Here are two more variations of the classic, the video tells
you the recipe and gives you additional information about
the dish and it’s background,

Bon Appetito !  Life is Good !

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” Fusilli Bolognese “

” Vegetarian Spaghetti Bolognese “

” Angry Voices ! “
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” Rotelli, Cepes, Peppers & Chorizo “

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Tonights quick and tasty dinner :
Rotelli, cepes, peppers and chorizo, giving non- offal lovers a break today .

( Offal  will be back tomorrow, three dishes to go   :-)
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Ingredient’s

Rotelli,                          cooked al dente, strained, reserve some cooking water
Chorizo,                        sliced
Cepe mushroom,        re-hydrated
Onions,                        julienned
Chili peppers,              julienned
Garlic paste,                to taste
Kosher salt,                 to taste
Cayenne pepper,         to taste
Olive oil,                      to saute
Cilantro,                      coarsley chopped
Manchego,                  finely grated
Butter,                           whole, not melted
Olive oil,                      to saute

Method :

Saute onions, garlic and cepes in olive oil, until fragrant,
add chilies, pasta and seasoning, toss well. remove from heat.
Add  manchego cheese, butter and a bit of the cooking water from the pasta.
Toss again until the pasta is covered with a thin film of cheese sauce.
(Starch from the pasta, the butter, water and cheese will combine into
this delicious sauce). To serve, sprinkle with cilantro and more manchego cheese.

Bon Provecho !   Life is Good !
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