Category: Pasta

recipes at my table

Roasted Broccoli Pasta Pie

Roasted Broccoli Pasta Pie

Roasted Broccoli Pasta Pie is a quick dish to throw together.  Made with the goodness of broccoli, you can even use leftover pasta in this dish.  Italians are known to beat eggs together and throw in whatever is in the refrigerator.

Leftover Pasta

Real Italians don’t like leftovers; everything has to be freshly made.  I find that with a busy lifestyle, leftovers are life savers.  I always cook extra pasta; leftover pasta works in a variety of dishes especially in this one. This pasta pie is nice because it refrigerates well and I like to eat it cold.  With a side of salad, it makes a hearty and healthy meal.

My nonna often threw the pasta in a frying pan with the eggs.   I like to put it in the oven because it makes it more golden and easy to handle. My favourite was when she took leftover pasta and fried in the pan until it was crispy. My children and now my grandson like fried pasta.  When I was little my nonno and dad worked various jobs that required hard labour.  Lunch time required a hearty meal.  I remember walking with my nonna to some of the job sites to deliver lunch.

The cooked pasta went into aluminum containers that resembled pots.  We would walk to to the site and I loved sitting with my dad and grandfather over the lunch hour.  One time I got to sit at the edge of a pit they were digging and dangle my legs over the pit.  It was these lunch hour picnics that were the rituals of the immigrant life that bound families together.  I treasure every moment of these memories.   They enjoyed the pasta lunch and we kept alive the traditions brought with us from Italy.  Today when I cook any type of pasta it brings back many memories of a table set outside with love.

Broccoli florets ready for the oven.  Drizzle with olive oil and add some cloves of garlic to roast.  recipes at my table

The ingredients for the pie are ready for assembly.

Toss everything together.  You can cool the pasta or temper the eggs and milk by gradually adding the hot pasta.

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Pour it all into a springform pan and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

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It’s out of the oven and I can’t wait to cut into this.

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Here it is after I cool it and remove the pan.recipes at my table

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Roasted Broccoli Pasta Pie

An easy any night meal that can be made with leftovers.  

Course Main Course
Cuisine Home Cooking in Canada, Italian
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 6
Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

  • 250 gr spaghetti
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups roasted broccoli florets
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 cup mozzarella cubed
  • 1 cup havarti cubed
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan for garnish

Instructions

  1. Cook your spaghetti al dente.  If you have leftover pasta you can use it,  even if it has pasta sauce on it. 

    In a large bowl mix the eggs and milk.

    Add the parmesan cheese and now add the pasta. If the pasta hasn't cooled, temper the milk and eggs by adding a little warm pasta at a time so that the mixture doesn't curdle and turn into scrambled eggs.  

    Toss in the broccoli, roasted garlic and cheese cubes.

    Salt and pepper.

    Prepare a 9 inch spingform pan.  I butter the sides and place parchment on the bottom.  

    Pour the prepared mixture into the pan.

    Sprinkle with another 1/4 cup of parmesan on top.

    Put the springform pan on top of a cookie sheet lined with parchment just in case some of the liquid escapes.  

    Place in a preheated 425 F oven for 35 minutes.

    Turn on the broiler for 3 minutes.  

    Remove and let cool for 20 minutes before removing the ring and cutting into wedges.

    Serve as is or with pasta sauce over it. 

    A nice side salad of your choice rounds off the meal nicely.  


Recipe Notes

I roast the broccoli florets in a 375 F oven for 30 minutes.  Drizzle with plenty of olive oil, salt and pepper. 

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The sauce over homemade tagliatelle.

Pork and Beef Pasta Sauce

Pork and Beef Pasta Sauce

Pork and beef are a popular combination in Italian cooking.  My Pork and Beef Pasta Sauce is thick, aromatic and perfect for any meal.  Often, my family will say that it is good enough to eat on its own, but they all love it when it heaped over pasta.  I am a southern Italian and this is our type of Bolognese.  My Pork and Beef Pasta sauce is simple, but cooks for hours nice and slowly to reach the consistency you see here in the video and pictures.

Why the mixture of Pork and Beef?

The ground beef and that gives the dish a richer texture, while the pork adds fat and flavour.  These two meats are a winning combination for many dishes in Italian cooking.  I use the same two to make my meatballs:  https://recipesatmytable.com/italian-meatballs/

The Pasta

I am always on the phone with my mother Nilde checking out the different ways to make pasta.  When I told her I was going to use the 00 flour she suggested I use half.  Double zero flour is finely ground, and I am testing it in different ways in the kitchen.  The tagliatelle turned out smooth and the blend was a good idea.

Brown the Beef and Pork.

Beef and Pork for pasta sauce

The Sofritto finely ground adds flavour, but not the big chunks.Finely ground sofritto

Together they make a beautiful thing.

The sofritto and meat together

The Sauce begins to thicken.

The sauce begins to thicken

Stretching the pasta dough.  Stretching the pasta dough.

Homemade tagliatelle.

Homemade tagliatelle.

The sauce over homemade tagliatelle.
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Beef and Pork Pasta Sauce

A rich sauce for any pasta.  

Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Servings 8
Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

The Sauce

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 lbs ground beef
  • 1/2 lb ground pork
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • one each onion, carrot and celery
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp dried basil
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 4 cups Italian peeled plum tomatoes Put them through a food mill.
  • 1 cup Tomato Passata

Pasta Dough

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups 00 flour
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup water
  • semolina for dusting

Instructions

For the Sauce

  1. Put the olive oil into a large sauce pan and sautée the beef and pork with the minced garlic.  Cook until browned. 

    Put the onion, carrot and celery into a food processor and blend until they look like rice.  You want the flavour of the sofritto, but not the chunks. 

    When all these ingredients are softened, add the wine.

    Follow with all the spices and the tomatoes.

    Put the lid on and cook for at least 2 hours on medium/low heat.  

    Stir every 15 minutes.  

    Serve over your favourite pasta.  I had homemade tagliatelle.  

For the Pasta

  1. Mix four in a food processor.

    Beat eggs with water.

    With your food processor on low, drizzle in the liquid.

    Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface.

    Knead dough quickly.

    Wrap in plastic.

    Put in refrigerator until ready to use. 

    I use a pasta machine to roll it out.  Use plenty of semolina to dust.

    Put cut pasta on trays and refrigerate or freeze.  

The Cooking

  1. Cook pasta only for a few minutes in a large pot of water.  Remember to add salt after the water boils and add plenty of salt.

    Remove pasta and drain well.

    Top with sauce.  

 

 

 

 

 

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Chicken Involtini with Raisins

Chicken Involtini with Raisins

My Chicken Involtini with Raisins are bundles of flavours that will ignite the conversation at any table.  Inovltini are usually small bit sized pieces of food that consist of an outer layer and a stuffing.  Involto in Italian means wrapped.

Involtini or Braciole

Growing up in a Calabrese/Sicilian home, we were a little confused over the proper terminology for a number of things.  I called anything that was wrapped in meat a braciole, but years later when I started to vacation in Sicily, I realized that Involtini was more proper to use.  Braciole usually means a piece of veal that is rolled around a stuffing; I will share my nonna Emilia’s braciole on another post.

I like the variety of food and ingredients that we incorporate into our Italian dishes and the raisins give this dish a fruity flavour without overpowering the chicken.  Normally, I would use toasted pine nuts, but they weren’t in my pantry today and I substituted sunflower seeds which added a crunch to the dish.  I think you will like this one because it is two dishes in one.  You are in meat and pasta heaven.  The chicken is a delicate partner for the orzo and the peas give the orzo a little added bulk and colour.  Usually I add pine nuts to the stuffing, but I used them all to make pesto a few days ago; and so, I used sunflower seeds and I loved them.  Sunflower seeds are one of those superfoods.  A great article on the health benefits: https://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/health-benefits-of-sunflower-seeds/

Simple ingredients for the stuffing

I love these little bundles, stuffed and ready for the skillet. Stuffed with raisins and sunflower seeds

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Chicken Involtini with raisins

Full of flavour, these little bundles will become a favourite at your table. 

Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 3
Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

The Chicken

  • 3 chicken breasts
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup raisins soak first in water for 15 minutes
  • 1 tbsp sunflower seeds
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
  • 3 tbsp canola oil

The sauce

  • 1 each carrot, onion and celery sofrito
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup 2% milk
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley

Orzo with green peas

  • 1 cup orzo pasta
  • 1 cup green peas

Instructions

The Chicken

  1. Cut each chicken breast into two. Salt and pepper both sides.

    Pound with a mallet to thin out the meat.

    Combine the breadcrumbs, egg, raisins, sunflower seeds and nutmeg.

    Place one tablespoon of bread mixture in each breast and roll.

    Secure each roll with toothpicks.  Now you have created involtini. 

    Spread the Italian seasoning on both sides of the Involtini. 

    Put 3 tablespoons of canola oil in the skillet.

    Brown the involtini and remove.

The Sauce

  1. Using the same skillet as the chicken add the carrot, onion and celery. Add 1/4 cup cold water.  

    When they are softened, add the wine.

    Make a spot in the middle and put in the flour.  Whisk while adding the wine.

    Add the milk and cheese.

    Now place the chicken on top of the ingredients.

    Cover and cook on medium/low for 30 minutes.



The Pasta

  1. Cook the pasta according to package instructions.

    When almost done add the frozen peas.  Cook for one minute.

    Remove, strain.

    Add the butter and parmesan cheese.


The Plating

  1. You can put the orzo and peas on the bottom of a large platter.

    Place chicken and sauce on top.

    Bring to the table family style.  

Recipe Notes

Use one chicken breast per person; it yields two involtini.  

Love the view from the top of this dish.

Looking down on the involtini

 Inside the little pockets. A look inside the involtini

 

 

 

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bacon, broccoli and ricotta pasta: recipes at my table

Bacon, Broccoli and Ricotta Pasta

Bacon, Broccoli and Ricotta Pasta

Bacon, Broccoli and Ricotta Pasta reminds me of the cooking shows I watched growing up.  The first chefs on tv were Julia Childs, the Galloping Gourmet and then came Pasquale.  Now remember, there weren’t a lot of cookbooks and of course no internet or blogs.  Recipes were passed from one generation to another and highly guarded.

Few ingredients, but big taste.  I only use one cup of marinara sauce for a light coating.

The ingredients are simple

The Italian Mentality on Chefs

When mom first started to watch tv chefs she would turn her nose up at anything not familiar.  Why is she putting mustard in her salad?  LOL.  Then came Chef Pasquale ( Pasquale Carpino) and she could associate with familiar food.  She loved it; Pasquale is from Cosenza, Calabria which is a short distance from the little town we come from. Pasquale sings to his food and it all comes out good.  An article from the Globe and Mail on Pasquale: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/the-home-page/article4168061/

One of the first tv recipes she made was the pasta with broccoli and bacon.  My Bacon, Broccoli and Ricotta pasta is a twist on his recipe.  Thank you chef Pasquale for bringing our culture and traditions alive. What I loved about his cooking is that he showcased quick and easy Italian without compromising flavour.  This dish goes to your table in under 30 minutes and packs a punch of flavours.

 

Beautiful colours

 

bacon, broccoli and ricotta pasta: recipes at my table
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Bacon, Broccoli and Ricotta Pasta

On your table in under 30 minutes.

Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 13 minutes
Total Time 28 minutes
Servings 6
Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

The Pasta

  • 500 gr Molisana Rigatoni 31B
  • 6 litres water
  • salt should taste like sea water

The Sauce

  • 6 slices bacon or pancetta
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic sliced
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1 cup marinara sauce
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
  • 4 cups broccoli I used frozen today
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley
  • freshly grated parmesan to sprinkle on pasta
  • 1/2 cup fresh ricotta
  • extra olive oil for drizzling

Instructions

The process

  1. Put your pot of water on to boil. Start making sauce.

    In a large skillet, sauté bacon in 2 tbsp olive oil. After three minutes add the onions. To ensure the crisping process, add 1 tbsp cold water as the oil seeps into onions. After the onions start to crisp add the sliced garlic. 

    Ensure that everything is nice and golden and then add wine. This will bring up all the brown bits in the pan.

    Pour in the marinara sauce and spices.

    Put in broccoli. If you are using fresh, steam it first for a few minutes.  If you are using frozen, put it in frozen. Drizzle in some more olive oil.  

    Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

    Boil Pasta for 10 minutes.  It says 13 for rigatoni, but I finish it in the pan with the sauce.

    Place pasta in skillet with sauce and toss. I take it directly from the pot to the skillet with a slotted spoon. You may need to add some pasta water.  Serve on a plate and top with teaspoonfuls of ricotta and freshly grated parmesan. 

    Garnish with parsley and black pepper.  Drizzle with olive oil. 


Recipe Notes

Molisana Pasta imported from Italy is one of the best pastas.  It keeps its shape and cooks perfectly.  

Check out all their products at: http://www.molisana.com/

 

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