Turkey Meatball Spaghetti

Description:
This is another way of transforming my turkey burger recipe into a fabulous dinner. Instead of making patties, I made them into meatballs! I adapted Giada de Laurentiis' recipe in her Everyday Pasta cookbook for the pasta sauce.

Ingredients:
Turkey meatballs, using the turkey burger recipe

For the pasta sauce:
1 pound pasta, cooked according to instructions, reserving some cooking water
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh basil
(Recipe also calls for 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, but I didn't have any.)

Directions:
Add oil in a medium saucepan and heat over medium fire.
Add tomatoes, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper and cook for 10 minutes.
Add the cooked meatballs and cooked pasta and toss to coat.
You may add some pasta water if sauce appears too dry.
Lastly, add the basil.
Serve with freshly grated cheese.

Creamy Prawn Pasta

Description:
This one is very creamy and satisfying. The white wine lends a nice flavor which differentiates it from carbonara. Thanks to my baker friend Johanna for sharing this recipe with me. Next time, I'll put a splash of lemon juice before serving.

Ingredients:
Extra-virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 tsp. chili flakes
1/2 kilo prawns, shelled and deveined (You may opt to cut it in half horizontally for a nice cute curl when cooked)
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup all-purpose cream (or more if sauce becomes too dry)
Parmesan cheese or mild cheddar cheese, grated
Linguine, cooked according to package directions (I used around 350g uncooked)
Parsley flakes


Directions:
In a large saute pan, add olive oil to coat the pan. Add garlic and cook until aromatic, then add chili flakes. Add prawns and cook until pink. Add white wine and allow to simmer for a minute. Add the cream and season with salt and pepper.
Toss in cooked pasta, then add grated cheese and parsley flakes.

Linguine con le Vongole

Description:
This is my third attempt in making Linguine with Clams and this time, I'm happy with the result. I tried Rachel Ray's recipe in previous attempts and I was disappointed. Anyway, this is Tyler Florence's recipe and I'm posting it here for everyone to try. Fresh clams and good quality wine are key ingredients in making this pasta dish. (Brandon got me fresh clams from the Lung Center Sunday Market and I used Porcupine Ridge Sauvignon Blanc.)

Ingredients:
1 pound dry linguine
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, slivered
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 pounds littleneck or Manila clams, scrubbed and rinsed well
3/4 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
1 lemon, juiced
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (I used less.)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 handfuls fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (I didn't have any.)
2 tablespoons lightly toasted and fried bread crumbs (optional)

Directions:
Prepare the sauce while the pasta is cooking to ensure that the linguine will be hot and ready when the sauce is finished.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender yet firm (as they say in Italian "al dente.") Drain the pasta well.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium flame in a deep saute pan with a lid. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes; saute for 2 minutes.
Add the clams, wine, and lemon juice. Cover and cook, shaking the pan periodically, until all the clams are opened, about 7 minutes. Discard any that have not opened.

Crank the flame up to medium-high heat. Add the hot, drained linguine to the pan; add the butter and season with salt and pepper. Toss the pasta with the clams to it's nicely coated. Shower with chopped parsley and toasted bread crumbs. Drizzle with a nice dose of olive oil before serving.

Mac and Cheese

Description:
In an effort to appease Trixie today, I made her Mac and Cheese. This one is really easy (that you don't need the boxed mac and cheese anymore). Brandon was appeased too :)

Ingredients:
200 g elbow macaroni (or shell pasta)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1.5 cups milk
1.5 cups cheddar cheese

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350F.
Cook pasta accordingly, then set aside.
Melt butter in the saucepan, then add flour and mix with a whisk to remove lumps.
Pour in milk and continue whisking until thickened.
Add cheese and cook until melted. Add cooked pasta and mix well with a spatula.
Pour pasta in a baking dish and bake covered in foil for 20 minutes.
Serve to a hungry child :)

Shrimp Pesto Pomodorro

Description:
Just recently, I got fresh suahe at 50% off at Rustan's Morato, and so I thought of making 'Scampi' Pasta, while using leftover home-made pesto in the fridge. This is a very simple, light but flavorful pasta dish for the whole family.

Ingredients:
PASTA:
4 cloves garlic, minced
Extra-virgin olive oil
¼ kilo shrimps, shelled
1 can Del Monte Stewed Tomatoes
Leftover Pesto, around 3 tbsps.
350g Cooked pasta (Actually, almost cooked pasta.)
Salt and pepper
Grated Quezo de Bola


PESTO: (Always keep this on-hand for sandwiches, last-minute pasta, etc.)
About 1/8 cups toasted cashews (Toasting the nuts make it more flavorful. I do this by putting the cashews in the toaster for about 3 minutes. Let cool before making pesto.)
1 pack basil, about ½ cup (I buy my organic basil at Rustan’s Supermarket.)
2 tbsps. grated Quezo de Bola or Parmesan cheese
Extra-virgin olive oil



Directions:
Add olive oil to a pan and sauté the garlic until aromatic and light brown.
Add the shrimps and cook until it changes color to pink.
Add the stewed tomatoes and pesto. Season with salt and pepper.
Toss in the pasta. Add the cheese and combine one last time to melt the cheese.
Serve.

For the Pesto:
Pound the basil while in the pack. (This releases the flavor of the basil. I learned this tip from America’s Test Kitchen. You can use a rolling pin or a small can.)
Process basil, cheese and nuts in a food processor. Add oil to moisten.

Tuna and Mushroom Fusilli

Description:
We are turning in a new leaf this year. Brandon and I are now taking a conscious effort to eat healthy in 2009 (except for the occasional indulgences) and so for my first recipe this year, here's a light yet very flavorful pasta that we had over dinner. The Spanish-style tuna gives it a little heat, and the shiitake mushrooms give it a nutty and fresh flavor.

Ingredients:
Half package fusilli pasta, cooked almost al dente (You can use any kind of pasta)
Extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
5 large fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 can Spanish-style Tuna (I like this better than the Hot and Spicy variant)
Dried basil leaves (Fresh is best)
Grated Quezo de Bola (A gift from last Christmas)


Directions:
In a large sauce pan, pour about 6 tbsps. olive oil and saute the minced garlic until flavorful but not brown. Add the sliced mushrooms. Add the tuna while continue cooking.
Add the cooked pasta, then the dried basil, and toss to combine thoroughly.
You may add more olive oil if the pasta appears a bit dry.
Season with salt and pepper. Off heat, toss in the quezo de bola.

A Busy Day in the Kitchen

I had a very busy day today in the kitchen. I cooked Pomodorro Pasta for lunch, then made a Strawberry Cream Pie in the afternoon. For dinner, I tried Nigella Lawson's Slow-roasted Chicken. I hope I could have a day like this everyday! :)

Prawn Pomodorro

I just love pasta.  Here's my recipe for pomodorro- this one's light yet flavorful.  The sauteed prawns are optional.

Ingredients:
Cooked pasta (I prefer Angel Hair)
Extra-virgin olive oil
Minced garlic, about 1 tablespoon, depending on the quantity of prawns
Sliced garlic, the more the better
Shelled and deveined prawns (Please leave the tails intact for presentation)
Chopped fresh, ripe tomatoes
Sliced olives or mushrooms (optional)
Del Monte Spaghetti Sauce, Italian Style
Freshly grated parmesan cheese
Paprika (optional)
Salt and pepper

Procedure:
Season prawns with salt, pepper and paprika.  In a large pan, add olive oil and saute prawns in minced garlic until pink and tender.  Do not overcook.  Remove prawns from pan and set aside.
Using the same pan, add lots of olive oil and saute garlic until aromatic.  (It's important that you add a big amount of olive oil, about a half cup, because the pasta should not be dry.)  Do not cook until brown so as not to make it bitter.  Add chopped tomatoes and saute until half-cooked only.  Tomatoes should remain firm.  Add olives.
Add the cooked pasta; toss it so as to be completely coated by the olive oil.  Add about 1/4 cup Del Monte Spaghetti sauce for a bit of color.  If the pasta appears dry at this point, you may add more olive oil or spaghetti sauce.
Lastly, add parmesan cheese and toss again until the cheese melts and disappears.
Put pasta in a big bowl and garnish with cooked prawns.  Enjoy!

Tip:  Store left-over pasta in a sealed bowl.  It actually tastes better the following day when the garlic becomes more flavorful.