Linguini with Spicy Red Cream Sauce

This is one of my most favorite pasta recipes. Seriously, this one is RESTAURANT good. It's a little bit spicy (and can be more or less spicy) and just plain delicious. And the best part: it takes 15 minutes to make!


Ingredients:

1 box of linguine
2 cans diced tomatoes (I like the "roasted" ones)
4 1/2 cups water
6 chicken or vegetable bullion cubes
1 onion, chopped
2-3 TBS garlic
1 TBS oregano
1 TBS basil
1/4 cup olive oil
1-2 tsp red pepper flakes (I usually use 1 tsp because I have kids who are sensitive to spicy things and they have never complained that it was too spicy)

Put it ALL ingredients in a large pot, bring to a boil, cook for 12 min, then add 1 cup heavy cream* (Do NOT drain pasta)
Serve topped with Parmesan cheese

*You may use a can of evaporated milk in lieu of heavy cream; if you are using canned milk, add it to the pot half-way through the cooking time instead of adding it at the end.

Gooey Five Cheese Macaroni

Best Mac & Cheese EVER

*1 lb macaroni noodles

* 3/4 c butter

* 2 cans evaporated milk OR  3 c milk + 1/4 c flour

* 1 cup EACH shredded: (plus a little extra for the top)

Swiss cheese

Monterey Jack

Mozzarella

Fresh Parmesan 

Extra sharp cheddar 

* 4 egg yolks, lightly beaten

* 1-2 teaspoons garlic powder

*1 tsp salt

* 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

* 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, DON'T leave this out! 

*3 TBS dried onion flakes 

*1 TBS dried parsley

 

Boil noodles according to package directions minus 1-2 minutes of cooking time. They should be slightly firm but not hard. Drain, & set aside. In a large saucepan melt butter over med-low heat. Stir in milk, cheeses, egg yolks, salt, pepper, onion, garlic, parsley, and nutmeg. Cook and stir over med-low heat until it is almost to a boil...DO NOT LET IT BOIL! Fill 9x13 pan with cooked noodles. Pour sauce over noodles and top with a little extra cheese. Bake at 425 for 15-20 min or until bubbly and golden on top. 

NOTE: If your family likes spicy, you can add dried crushed red pepper to the sauce :)

Carbonara

Carbonara:
ingredients:
* 2 or 3 garlic cloves, crushed
* 3 eggs
* 1 LB bacon
* fresh parsley (optional)
* 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
* 1 package linguine noodles

Cut bacon into bite sized pieces, fry Bacon adding garlic for the last 2 minutes of cooking time. Boil noodles according to package directions. While noodles are boiling whisk together eggs and Parmesan cheese. Drain noodles and toss everything together, (don't worry about the eggs, the hot noodles will cook them.) Serve immediately.

Fresh Tomato Pasta Sauce

I learned to make this fresh pasta sauce while living in Italy. Jerry is always begging me to make it, it's one of his favorites. It is very light, not thick or heavy like the usual spaghetti sauces you buy at the store. We often serve it with smoked sausage or kielbasa sausage. Don't forget to top it off with some great fresh grated parmesan ( I reccommend "Reggiano" parmesan or asiago cheeses) Mmmmmmmm, goooood!

8 medium vine tomatoes

2 TBS extra virgin olive oil

1-2 TBS fresh minced garlic

3 TBS minced FRESH basil (or 1 TBS dried)

1 vegetable or chicken bullion cube

1 1/2 TBS sugar (or 1 tsp white stevia powder)

1 1/2 tsp salt (or more to taste)

1/2 tsp ground pepper

Boil tomatoes in salt water until the skins break and begin to peel. Remove from water and drain. Cool slightly and peel skins completely off- Be careful, they will be HOT. Discard skins. Chop tomatoes and put in a medium saucepan. They will be VERY juicy- try to keep all the juice! Add spices, bullion cube, sugar, garlic, & oil. Simmer on low heat for about 45 minutes or until it is reduced by half. *I usually get my sauce started first and put my pasta water on to boil when my sauce begins to simmer.* You can leave the sauce chunky or you can puree it. It will be very light and a bit watery. Toss with hot pasta (or whatever else you like) and enjoy immediately. Top with fresh grated parmesan or asiago cheese.

Loaded Pasta al Forno

Okay, today I tried something new and it turned out absolutely delightful! My family LOVED it! I'm not sure what to call it, though, besides "Pasta al Forno", which just means "baked pasta". So here's how you make it:

Ingredients:

6TBS butter

3TBS flour

1 cup cream

1 1/2 cups milk

2 lightly beaten egg yolks

1 1/2 cups shredded Asiago cheese

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

13 oz frozen broccoli florets

2 chopped green onions (about 1/4 cup)

2 chopped fresh tomatoes

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 cup chopped onion

1-2 TBS chopped garlic

1 1/2 cups cubed ham

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 lb rigatoni pasta

In a large pot, boil water and cook pasta "al dente", about 9 minutes. In a medium pot, melt butter and whisk in flour to make a roux. Whisk in cream, milk, egg yolks, asiago cheese, nutmeg, salt, & pepper. Cook over medium heat until mixture gets creamy and cheese is completely melted and mixed in- DO NOT BOIL. In the large pot, combine the cooked pasta, sauce, frozen broccoli, green onions, tomatoes, parsley, onion, garlic, and ham. Pour into a 9X13 baking dish and evenly sprinkle shredded mozzarella over the top. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes.

Fettuccine Alfredo

I made this for dinner the other night and the kids just couldn't get enough! They are VERY picky eaters, so this must be good! Try it, you'll like it!

Fettuccine Alfredo

* 8 ounces uncooked fettuccine
* 6 tablespoons butter
* 2 cups heavy Whipping cream (I used half & half with about 1/4 cup flour)
* 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, (shredded works better than grated, but you can use grated)
* 1/2 cup shredded or grated Romano cheese
* 2 egg yokes, lightly beaten
* 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
* 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
* 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, DON'T leave this out! (I think it makes the whole thing work)
Boil fettuccine noodles, set aside. In a saucepan melt butter over med-low heat. Stir in cream, Parmesan and Romano cheeses, egg yokes, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Cook and stir over med-low heat until it is almost to a boil...DO NOT LET IT BOIL! Drain fettuccine noodles, top with Alfredo sauce and extra cheese.

Bayou Chicken Pasta

1 pound linguine
1/4 cup kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons Emeril's Bayou Blast Essence
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped habanero pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water
1/2 cup chopped green onion tops
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Set a large 1-gallon stock pot of water to a boil and add the kosher salt. Place the linguine in the pot and stir until the water returns to a boil. Cook the pasta until tender, but with a bit of resistance (al dente), about 12 minutes.While the pasta cooks, prepare the sauce. Set a 12-inch saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter and olive oil to the pan. Once the butter has melted, season the chicken with 1 tablespoon of the Essence and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and add the chicken to the pan. Sear the chicken until well browned on both sides, about 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the onions and habaneros to the pan and saute until the onions are softened and lightly caramelized, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the cream, remaining 1 tablespoon of Essence, remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, and the chicken to the pan and bring to a boil. Cook the sauce until the cream is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, linguine and the reserved cooking water to the pan and cook, tossing to incorporate for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove pan from the heat and add the green20onions, Parmesan and parsley and toss to blend. Serve immediately.