Tag: pasta

Pasta Bolognese

Pasta Bolognese is a family favorite at my house

This is one of those Sunday meals you start early and let simmer on low until the whole house smells fantastic

Basically, Bolognese is a meat sauce

We use ground turkey but you can use ground beef, pork or veal or even a mixture of meats

To get started we will need 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, 1 large onion, 3 cloves of garlic, 3 dry bay leaves, 1 teaspoon each of kosher salt and ground black pepper and about 1/2 a teaspoon of crushed red pepper

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I like to peel the carrot skin off, then peel the carrot all the way down and chop it as it will almost melt into the sauce

Give all the veggies a good chop

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Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a sauce pot and add in the bay leaves and crushed red pepper

I like to let these heat up and smoke slightly to release more flavor

You will know when this happens as the kitchen will start to smell really good, keep and eye on them so they don’t burn and add a bitter flavor

I also count my bay leaves and remove them at the end of cooking as they can be tough and mostly inedible

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Next add in the onion, carrots, celery and garlic into the pot and cover

Let these sweat down about 10 minutes stirring every couple minutes

Next I’m adding in 3 pounds of ground turkey

Stir this around and brown it while breaking it up into smaller pieces for about another 10-12 minutes

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Next we will need a 6 ounce can of tomato paste, 1 cup of dry white wine (like a Chardonnay), 1 cup of chicken stock, 1 cup of crushed tomatoes and 1 cup of whole milk

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Add in the tomato paste and stir to combine

Add in the white wine and stir, bring to a boil and let simmer for around 10 minutes to cook off the alcohol

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Next add in the broth, milk and crushed tomatoes

Mix together, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for around 1 1/2 to 2 hours stirring occasionally

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The meat sauce will thicken considerably and have a rich flavor

Serve with your favorite pasta!

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Enjoy!!!

Simply Sundays! ~ Pasta Bolognese

  • Servings: 6-8
  • Difficulty: Medium
  • Print

Ingredients

3 dry bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper

2 carrots

2 celery stalks

1 large onion

3 garlic cloves

3 pounds of ground turkey

1 – 6 ounce can of tomato paste

1 cup of dry white wine (like a Chardonnay)

1 cup of chicken stock

1 cup of crushed tomatoes

1 cup of whole milk

kosher salt

ground black pepper

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Fresh chopped parsley (optional)

Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy pot, add in the bay leaves and crushed red pepper and cook for 5 minutes

Peel and chop the carrots, celery, onion and garlic and add to the pot.  Cover and sweat the veggies for 10 minutes until they start to soften stirring every couple of minutes

Add in the ground meat and brown breaking up into smaller pieces.  Next add in the tomato paste.  Stir to combine.  Add in the white wine.  Bring to a boil then simmer for 10 minutes

Add in the chicken stock, milk and crushed tomatoes, kosher salt and ground black pepper.  Bring to a boil then lower and simmer for 1 1/2 -2 hours, stirring occasionally

Serve over your favorite pasta with a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley

Tools used to make this recipe

Simply Bamboo Cutting Board

Architec Gripperwood Cutting Board

© Simply Sundays 2016
All rights reserved

simplysundaysfoodblog4 Comments

Pasta with Braised Beef and Baby Arugula

Not only is Disney a great place to vacation for it’s rides and shows, it’s also a great place to try fantastic restaurants!

We had an amazing pasta dish at a restaurant during our last visit

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In fact we thought it was so good we just new we had to try and recreate it when we got home!

The combination of flavors was amazing, you had the richness from the braised beef, the silkiness of homemade pasta and then a little sharp bite from the arugula that just tied it all together

Here is our adaptation

Let’s start with the braised beef.  This step can be done ahead of time

We are going to use our “go to” braised beef short rib recipe

Here I have 5 beef short ribs that I have seasoned with some kosher salt and ground black pepper

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Get a dutch oven or other heavy duty oven proof pot on a burner with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, heat until lightly smoking

And make sure to preheat your oven to 350 F

Place your ribs in the pot seasoning side down, and season the back side

Sear each side 5-6 minutes, or until a nice crust forms

Remove from the pot and set aside

Now Let’s prep the veggies

You will need 1 large onion, 2 large carrot’s, 2 celery stalks and about 4 cloves of garlic

Peel your onion and garlic, peel your carrots and trim your celery, then give every one a nice chop

Add all your veggies into the pot, season with kosher salt and ground black pepper and let simmer 8-10 minutes or until they start to get tender

Once your vegetables are tender we will deglaze  the pan with 2 cups of dry red wine (like a Cabernet)

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Deglazing basically means the liquid will hit the hot pot and loosen up all those delicious brown bits on the bottom adding more flavor

I bring this to a boil, lower the heat and simmer around 15 minutes to cook some of the alcohol off from the wine

As it simmers stir and scrape up the bottom to release extra flavor

Next add in 2 cups of stock, here I’m using chicken

Bring this to a boil then remove from the heat

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Add your ribs back in and make sure they are mostly covered with liquid

Place the covered pot in the oven and let cook for 2-2 1/2 hours or until the meat falls right off the bone when tested with a fork

These look rich and delicious!

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You can serve these whole or remove the bones and shred with a fork like I did here

I then add them back into their juices

Now let’s move onto the pasta

You can cook your favorite store bought brand, according to the directions, drain and set aside

Or you can make some fresh fettuccine like we are going to for this dish

To make homemade pasta click on our link below

Fresh Pasta Dough

We have our fettuccine, resting on a floured sheet pan

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We brought 6 cups of salted water to a boil, then we add in a couple “nests” of pasta at a time, cooking for around 3-4 minutes for al dente

Remove from the water, drain and place into a bowl

Drizzle with a bit of extra virgin olive oil to keep the pasta from sticking

Repeat until all the pasta is cooked

Next you will need about 1 1/2 cups of baby arugula, 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese and 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes

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Now it is basically time to plate the food

Place a portion of pasta in a plate or bowl, sprinkle with a handful of your baby arugula, top with a scoop of the braised beef along with some of that delicious pan juice

Sprinkle with some parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper flakes

Repeat for remaining servings

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Enjoy!!!

Simply Sundays! ~ Pasta with Braised Beef and Baby Arugula

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: Medium
  • Print

Ingredients

For the beef

2 tablespoons of olive oil

5 beef short ribs

1 large onion

2 large carrots

2 celery stalks

4 cloves of garlic

2 cups of red wine

2 cups of chicken stock

kosher salt

ground black pepper

For the pasta

1 pound of your favorite brand pasta, cooked and drained

For homemade pasta :  Fresh Pasta Dough

To serve

1 1/2 cups of baby arugula

1 cup of grated parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes

Directions

For the beef

Season your short ribs with kosher salt and ground black pepper.  Preheat your oven to 350 F.  Get a dutch oven or other heavy duty oven proof pot on a burner with about 2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, heat until lightly smoking

Place your ribs in the pot seasoning side down, and season the back side.  Sear each side 5-6 minutes, or until a nice crust forms.  Remove from the pot and set aside

Peel and chop 1 large onion, 2 large carrot’s, 2 celery stalks and about 4 cloves of garlic. Add all your veggies into the pot, season with kosher salt and ground black pepper and let simmer 8-10 minutes or until they start to get tender

Deglaze the pot with 2 cups of dry red wine (like a Cabernet), scraping up the browned bits from the bottom.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes to cook off some of the alcohol from the wine

Pour in 2 cups of chicken stock and bring this to a boil.  Turn the heat off and add your ribs back in making sure they are mostly covered with liquid.  Place the covered pot in the oven and let cook for 2-2 1/2 hours or until the meat falls right off the bone when tested with a fork

Serve whole or shred with forks.  Return meat to it’s pan juices before serving

For the pasta

Follow the directions for store bought

For homemade cook the pasta for 3-4 minutes in rapidly boiling, salted water.  Remove and drain, place in a bowl and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil to keep the pasta from sticking

To serve

Place a helping of pasta in a plate or bowl, sprinkle with a handful of baby arugula, top with a scoop of the braised beef in it’s pan juices, sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper flakes

Tools used to make this recipe

Wilton Recipe Right Non-stick Cookie Sheet Set, 2-Piece

Simply Bamboo Cutting Board

Pyrex 3-Piece Glass Measuring Cup Set

© Simply Sundays 2016
All rights reserved

simplysundaysfoodblog4 Comments

Cheese Macaroni

You might want to call this Macaroni & Cheese, but the cheese is the star so we’re calling it like it is

Cheese Macaroni

The great thing about this dish is it could be satisfying as a main or paired as a side with an endless number of proteins

You’ll want to call it Cheese Macaroni too when you taste how silky and delicious the cheese sauce is and how it coats the pasta… yum

Let’s start with the perfect cheese sauce

Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepot until slightly browned and whisk in 3 tablespoons of flour

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Bring 3 cups of milk and 4 cups of shredded cheese of choice to room temperature

Add milk to the pot with the butter-flour roux and slowly bring to a simmer

Whisk in 4 cups of shredded cheese

You can use cheddar, mozzarella, gruyere, swiss, montery jack, etc.  Any good melting cheese

Important note: buy cheese chunks or blocks and shred yourself.  The pre-shredded cheese never seems to melt as well

Whisk until you have a smooth cheese sauce

Add in a pinch of kosher salt if necessary and a few drops each of Worcestershire Sauce and hot sauce

Make a pound of your favorite pasta – I used penne because it’s what I had in the pantry

I undercook the pasta about 2 minutes since it will bake in the oven and drizzle a little olive oil after I drain the water so it doesn’t clump together

Put your pasta in an oven safe casserole and pour the creamy cheese sauce over top

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Combine to make sure every pasta noodle is covered in a warm, delicious blanket of cheesy love

I know, I’m getting carried away here.  Cheese has that effect on me

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Last step – melt one tablespoon of butter in a frying pan and add in 2/3 cup plain breadcrumbs

   Mix to combine the breadcrumbs and the melted butter and toast for about 5-7 minutes

Keep stirring so the crumbs don’t over brown, you just want them lightly toasted

Sprinkle in about a tablespoon of fresh parsley for some color and freshness

Evenly layer the breadcrumb mixture over the casserole and place uncovered in your preheated oven

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Looks good already!

 

 

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After 30 minutes, your Cheese Macaroni should be all bubbly and browned

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Oh the smell of this cheesy, bubbly, buttery crumbed pasta

Find out why we named this Cheese Macaroni and let us know what you think!

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Enjoy!

Simply Sundays! ~ Cheese Macaroni

  • Servings: 6-8
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Print

Ingredients

For the Perfect Cheese Sauce

3 tablespoons of butter

3 tablespoons of flour

3 cups of milk

4 cups of shredded cheese

Worcestershire Sauce

Hot sauce – such as Frank’s Red Hot

A pinch of kosher salt if necessary

For the topping

1 tablespoon of butter

2/3 cup plain breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon chopped, fresh parsley

1 pound of cooked pasta

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

To make the cheese sauce

Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepot until slightly browned and whisk in 3 tablespoons of flour

Bring 3 cups of milk and 4 cups of shredded cheese of choice to room temperature

Add milk to the pot with the butter-flour roux and slowly bring to a simmer

Whisk in 4 cups of shredded cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, gruyere, swiss, montery jack,etc,).  Whisk until you have a smooth cheese sauce

Add in a pinch of kosher salt if necessary and a few drops each of Worcestershire Sauce and hot sauce

Make a pound of your favorite pasta – undercooked by about 2 minutes

Put your pasta in an oven safe casserole and pour the creamy cheese sauce over top

To make the bread crumb topping

Melt one tablespoon of butter in a frying pan and add in 2/3 cup plain breadcrumbs; mix to combine the breadcrumbs and the melted butter and toast for about 5-7 minutes

Keep stirring so the crumbs are just lightly toasted; sprinkle in about a tablespoon of fresh parsley

Evenly layer the breadcrumb mixture over the casserole and place uncovered in your preheated oven

Bake for 30 minutes until bubbly and browned

Tools used to make this recipe

ZYLISS Quik Blend Whisk

© Simply Sundays 2017
All rights reserved

simplysundaysfoodblog3 Comments
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