Monthly Archives: November 2012
Pasta with Pumpkin Cream Sauce
| November 5, 2012 | Posted by Lauren Keating under Fall, Indulge, Italian, Pasta and Noodles, Quick Weeknight Meals |
This is one of those super simple dinners that started out as a vague idea and ended up as a complete masterpiece.
I went to the store knowing only that I wanted to make something with pasta and canned pumpkin. I picked up a few basic ingredients like broth and arugula and a few new-to-me items like grana padano, a hard, nutty cheese that’s a little milder than parmisiano reggiano, and perciatelli, a delightfully squishy pasta that’s like bucatini’s thinner cousin, and started playing. The result was a quick (20 minutes, most of which is spent waiting for water to boil) dinner that’s perfect as a satisfying dinner for one, a romantic dinner for two, or a crowd pleaser for an impromptu dinner party.
This pasta is perfect on a cold night. It’s blanketed with a rich (yet light!) cream sauce that has a subtly sweet pumpkin flavor that’s balanced out with peppery arugula. The sausage was last minute addition, but a very welcome one that made a small portion seem more like a meal. You can leave it out if you’d like, but I definitely recommend keeping it in.
As with most simple dishes, the individual ingredients in this really stand out so use the best quality that you can afford. Even just a few cents more for high quality pasta and a sausage or two from the butcher case instead of the freezer will make a world of difference in the final result. No parmesan from a can, ok?
Pasta with Pumpkin Cream Sauce
Serves 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 ounces Perciatelli, Bucatini, or Spaghetti
- 4 ounces Sweet Italian Saugage, crumbled
- 2 cups low sodium Chicken Broth
- 1 can Pumpkin Puree
- 1/4 cup Fat Free Half and Half
- 2 ounces Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
- 1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
- 2 cups Arugula
- Black Pepper
Preparation
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt well, then add pasta. Cook 7 minutes, or as directed by the package. Drain.
- Cook the sausage in a large, deep-sided saute pan over medium-high heat until just browned, about 3 minutes. Add the broth and pumpkin. Whisk to combine, then bring to a simmer. Let cook 5 minutes. Stir in the half and half and 1 ounce cheese. Season to taste with crushed red pepper. Remove from heat and add the cooked pasta and arugula. Stir until arugula is wilted, about 1 minute.
- Divide pasta between four plates. Top each portion with remaining cheese and black pepper.
I’ve linked up this recipe over at Eats Well With Others to celebrate 12 Weeks of Winter Squash
“Doritos Locos” Taco Bake
| November 1, 2012 | Posted by Lauren Keating under Beef, Lamb, and Pork, Mexican and Southwestern, Quick Weeknight Meals, Shawn's Favorites |
I’ve had this post written since last weekend, but I was conflicted about letting it go though as scheduled. Right now, my friends and family in NYC and the surrounding areas are without power and heat. Cars are underwater and homes are destroyed. It seems insensitive to be posting a recipe as frivolous as this one. But I could use some major comfort food right now, and I’m sure a lot of other people can too. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by Hurricane Sandy.
Doritos Locos Taco Bake. Yup, I went there.
And you know what? I don’t regret it at all. Those folks at Taco Bell were really onto something.
I’ll be honest – Taco Bell totally grosses me out. I stopped eating there long before the whole “our meat isn’t even meat” scandal and I don’t have plans to start any time soon. But I just had to see what all the fuss about Doritos Locos Tacos was about, so I took matters into my own hands.
Taco bake is one of my most popular recipes, and all it took were a few small tweaks to give it a new look and feel. WOW. Where has this been all my life?
Unlike the tortilla chips that my original recipe calls for, baked Doritos stay nice and crispy even after they’re topped with meat, beans, salsa, and cheese. Their cheesy flavor is also bold enough to stand up to other big flavors, so beef works much better in this version too (I prefer to use ground chicken in the original). I like to keep the flavors big and bold by using the hottest salsa I can bear – usually a mix of half of a generic store brand hot salsa and half Mrs. Renfro’s Ghost Pepper Salsa. Top it off with some Cholula and sour cream, or some guacamole and chow down.
- 2 ounces Baked Doritos (about 24), plus more for serving
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Onion, chopped
- 2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
- 2 Jalapeno Peppers, chopped
- 1 pound Extra Lean Ground Beef
- 2 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning
- 1 can Black Beans, drained
- 1 cup Hot Salsa (I like to use equal parts hot salsa and ghost pepper salsa)
- 1 cup shredded Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese
- Optional: Additional toppings such as jalapenos, sour cream, olives, or guacamole
- Heat oven to 350.
- Heat oil in a large skillet. Add the onion, garlic and jalapenos. Saute 5 minutes, or until soft. Add meat and taco seasoning. Cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, for about 5 minutes. Add beans and salsa. Mix well and continue to cook until salsa thickens.
- Line the bottom of a casserole pan with tortilla chips, pressing down on them lightly to break them into bite-sized pieces. Spread the meat and bean mixture over the chips and top with cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and gooey.
- Cut into 8 servings. Top as desired. Scoop up with additional chips.
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