BLOGHUNGRY

Blue Cheese & Spinach Mac & Cheese

It has been a lifetime mission of mine to find an amazing mac and cheese recipe to call my own. Mac & Cheese, while delicious, almost always has overcooked pasta and a bland, eggy, and cheese-less taste. This recipe is bold and surprising, but is only for true fans of blue cheese. It's not my favorite mac & cheese, but it's still pretty tasty.

Blue Cheese & Spinach Mac & Cheese

1 pound spiral tube-shaped pasta
2 tablespoons butter (for sauce)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
1 cup whipping cream
3 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
10 oz frozen chopped spinach (thawed)
1 cup breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons butter (for topping)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain. Meanwhile, melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add flour. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly (do not allow to brown).
Gradually whisk in milk and cream. Simmer until mixture thickens slightly, whisking occasionally, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add grated cheddar cheese and 1 cup crumbled blue cheese. Whisk until cheese melts, about 2 minutes. Stir in chopped spinach and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add cooked pasta to sauce; stir to coat. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake until sauce begins to bubble, about 25 minutes.

Pan Fried Pumpkin Ravioli with Sage Cream Sauce

I made this pasta as part of a Halloween bad movie night last Saturday and it changed lives. I'd seen Food Network chefs make ravioli from premade won ton wrappers before, but it looked too Sandra Lee for me and the whole idea seemed a little unnatural. The truth is that the process is crazy easy and the result is way better than any stuffed pasta you might find in your grocery store. I pan fried mine, but you could boil them too if you want to go that way.

Pan Fried Pumpkin Ravioli with Sage Cream Sauce

For the Filling:
15oz can 100% pumpkin (not pie filling)
2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon ground sage
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the Ravioli & Sauce:
1 package wonton skins
Egg wash (1 egg, mixed with 1 teaspoon water) 
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon, ground sage
1/2 cup cream or half and half
Olive oil
Pumpkin seed kernels or pine nuts (optional)

For Ravioli: Empty pumpkin into a mixing bowl. Add egg yolk, cheese, sage, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Arrange one wanton skin on work surface. Add 1 teaspoon filling, mounding it in center of square and brush border with egg wash. Top with another wanton skin, pressing dough around filling to remove any air bubbles and transfer to a lightly floured baking sheet. Cover with dampened paper towels while preparing remaining raviolis. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Place 4-5 raviolis in hot oil and cook the ravioli until they are just tender and lightly browned.

For Sauce: In a saucepan set over moderate heat melt the butter, add the sage and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the cream and simmer until lightly thickened.

Transfer pasta to a serving bowl. Add sauce and toss to combine. Garnish with pumkin seed kernels or pine nuts.

Cheesy Orzo with Green Peas

I love a cheesy rice or rice shaped pasta. This orzo recipe is a great way to make a lame baked chicken dinner more exciting. It goes well with almost anything and can be thrown together in a matter of minutes.

Cheesy Orzo with Green Peas

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
3/4 cup frozen green peas or frozen peas and carrots
2 cloves garlic, chopped
28 ounces chicken or vegetable broth or stock
2 cups orzo pasta
1 1/2 cup grated cheese (I like Parmesan or a good sharp cheddar)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat a 8 inch pot with a tight fitting cover over moderate heat. Add oil, onion and garlic and saute for 2 or 3 minutes. Add broth and peas to the pan and bring to a boil. Stir in orzo and return broth to a boil. Cover pot and reduce heat to simmer. Cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until liquid is absorbed and pasta tender. Remove lid and stir in cheese. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.

Free Celebrity Pasta Recipes

Recently, Barilla teamed up with 10 Hollywood celebrities to create a free downloadable cookbook, which features recipes inspired by their favorite pasta dishes. The truth of the matter is that Pierce Brosnan's Vegetable Orzo Primavera wasn't good enough for free cookbook so they asked Giada De Laurentis and Mario Batali to rework it. However insulting this may be to celebrity recipe boxes everywhere, the book looks amazing and Barilla is donating $1.00 for every download to America's Second Harvest - The Nation's Food Bank Network.

Veggie Lasagna

This recipe for veggie lasagna is surprisingly easy and adaptable to your vegetable preferences. It's very light and fresh tasting and could be the easiest homemade lasagna ever. Just layer no boil lasagna noodles, a simple sauce, cheese, and some precooked vegetables and bake. I've made three different versions of this already and they were all well received.

Vegetable Lasagna

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves (minced or pressed)
1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
salt and black pepper
15 (7 by 3 1/2 inch) no boil lasagna noodles
3 cups cooked vegetables (see below)
16oz grated mozzarella, Gruyere, or Fontana cheese
2/3 cup grated Parmesan

Suggested Vegetables:
(Mix and match 3 cups total)
box or bag of frozen chopped spinach
box or bag of frozen chopped cauliflower/broccoli
bag baby carrots chopped
Fresh chopped Eggplant, Zucchini, Asparagus, Onions, or Fennel

Blanch, saute, or roast chosen vegetables and set aside. For sauce: heat oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat until the garlic is fragrant but not browned (about 2 minutes). Stir in the tomatoes; simmer until thickened slightly  (about 5 minutes). Stir in the parsley, salt and pepper to taste.  Spread 1/2 cup sauce over the bottom of a 9 by 13 inch lasagna pan. Lay 3 noodles crosswise over the sauce making sure they do not touch the sides of the pan. spread 3/4 cup prepared vegetables over the noodles, 1/2 cup sauce over the vegetables, and 3/4 cup mozzarella with 2 Tbsp Parmesan over the sauce. Repeat the layers of noodles, vegetables, sauce, and cheeses three more times. For the fifth and final layer, layer noodles with remaining 1 cup of sauce, one cup of mozzarella, and 2 Tbsp of Parmesan.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake on middle rack of the oven at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Pumpkin and Sausage Ziti

 
Last weekend I celebrated Halloween by watching a marathon of Halloweentown movies and eating some tasty and seasonal dinner eats. The movies were Disney's ill-conceived answer to Harry Potter movies (think Sabrina the Teenage Witch meets The Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers). The recipe is Rachael Ray's and was well received by all.

Pumpkin and Sausage Ziti

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
4 cloves garlic, cracked and chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
4 to 6 sprigs sage leaves, cut into chiffonade, about 2 tablespoons
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock, canned or paper container
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup (3 turns around the pan) heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, ground or freshly grated
Coarse salt and black pepper
1 pound penne rigate, cooked to al dente
Romano or Parmigiano, for grating
Pumpernickel or whole grain bread, as an accompaniment

Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and brown the sausage in it. Transfer sausage to paper towel lined plate. Drain fat from skillet and return pan to the stove. Add the remaining tablespoon oil, and then the garlic and onion. Saute 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are tender.

Add bay leaf, sage, and wine to the pan. Reduce wine by half, about 2 minutes. Add stock and pumpkin and stir to combine, stirring sauce until it comes to a bubble. Return sausage to pan, reduce heat, and stir in cream. Season the sauce with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer mixture 5 to 10 minutes to thicken sauce.

Return drained pasta to the pot you cooked it in. Remove the bay leaf from sauce and pour the sausage pumpkin sauce over pasta. Combine sauce and pasta and toss over low heat for 1 minute. Garnish the pasta with lots of shaved cheese and sage leaves.

Spaghetti alla Ceci

Oh my god I'm back again. Brothers, sisters, everybody sing.. I've been taking a break from Bloghungry, but I haven't stopped eating. In my time away I came across an episode of 30 Minute Meals on my Tivo and was roped in by by this recipe. It looks like ordinary spaghetti, but the thyme, chick peas, and  parsley give it a nice kick. This has become one of my top 10 favorite homemade pasta dishes. Also, I have to say that I don't hate Rachael Ray's new show. It's over the top and a little annoying (much like Rachael herself), but at least it's bad daytime television with a purpose.

Spaghetti alla Ceci

1 pound spaghetti
Salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 (14-ounce) can, chick peas, drained
1/2 teaspoon dry thyme, eyeball it
Pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
1 (14-ounce) can, crushed tomatoes
Handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Grated Parmiginao-Reggiano, to pass at table

Boil water for pasta, salt it, and cook spaghetti to al dente.

While spaghetti cooks, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan, crushed red pepper flakes and garlic. Place chick peas in food processor and pulse grind them to a fine chop. Add chick peas to garlic and season them with thyme, salt and pepper then saute them for 3 to 4 minutes. Add wine or broth and cook down 30 seconds or so then stir in tomatoes and adjust seasoning. Drain pasta and toss with sauce. Top with parsley and grated cheese.

Rainbow Peanut Noodles

My name is Bloghungry and I am an Asian noodle addict. My insatiable hunger for udon and chow mein has spread to Thai noodles with peanut sauce and I'm inches away from quitting my job and devoting my life entirely to pasta. This recipe by Sara Moulton offers up a tasty mix of noodles, chicken, and veggies with the best peanut sauce I've ever had.

Rainbow Peanut Noodles

1/2 pound thin noodles, such as linguine, cooked until just tender, rinsed under cold water, drained, and tossed with 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
5 carrots, peeled and grated
2 English (seedless) cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, shredded, and squeezed dry
2 cups bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into thin strings (about 1 cup)
2 cups sliced cooked chicken (cut into thin strips)
1 1/2 tablespoons minced scallion greens
Chinese Peanut Dressing

Arrange the noodles in a large serving bowl. Arrange the vegetables in concentric circles over the noodles and then pile the chicken in the center. Sprinkle the scallions on top. Serve at room temperature or chilled, with the Chinese Peanut Dressing.

Chinese Peanut Dressing:

One 1/2-inch-thick slice fresh ginger, peeled and sliced in half
8 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon hot chile paste, or more to taste
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter, or more if necessary
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar or Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
5 tablespoons Chinese Chicken Broth or water, or more if necessary

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade or in a blender, finely chop the ginger and garlic. Add the remaining ingredients in the order listed and process until smooth. The dressing should be the consistency of heavy cream. If it is too thick, add more water or chicken broth; if too thin, add more peanut butter. Refrigerated, in a covered container, the dressing will keep for 2 to 3 weeks. Yield: 1 3/4 cups

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Homemade spaghetti and meatballs are a classic comfort food. This recipe is based on one from Ina Garten. The meatballs are moist and flavorful and the sauce is quick and easy. The whole process can be a little time consuming, but it makes a ton and is a real crowd pleaser. It's perfect for a weekend dinner with family or friends. I served it up last Friday night during an Eddie Murphy themed bad movie night event featuring The Adventures of Pluto Nash, Holy Man, and Vampire in Brooklyn.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

For meatballs:
1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
1 1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 extra-large egg, beaten
Vegetable oil
Olive oil

For the sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup red wine
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

For serving:
1 pound spaghetti, cooked
grated Parmesan

Place the ground meats, bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg, and 3/4 cup warm water in a bowl. Combine very lightly with a fork. Using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs. You will have 14 to 16 meatballs.

Pour equal amounts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large (12-inch) skillet to a depth of 1/4-inch. Heat the oil. Very carefully, in batches, place the meatballs in the oil and brown them well on all sides over medium-low heat, turning carefully with a spatula or a fork. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch. Don't crowd the meatballs. Remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels. Discard the oil but don't clean the pan.

For the sauce, heat the olive oil in the same pan. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve hot on cooked spaghetti and pass the grated Parmesan.

Gnudi

Gnudi are Italian dumplings made of spinach and cheese. I saw Giada make them a couple weeks ago and wanted to give them a try. My bad movie night group recieved them with mixed reviews. They were a little on the soft side and had a more subtle flavor than you may expect with so much cheese involved, but overall I really liked them. They are a different take on a side of pasta. Just make sure to make the balls of dough only about an inch thick and bring them to a genle boil to make sure they cook through and don't fall apart in the water.

Giada's Gnudi

1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1 pound frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup grated Parmesan
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus 1 cup for coating
1 jar store bought marinara sauce, heated
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

In a large bowl, mix ricotta, spinach, Parmesan cheese, eggs, and yolks. Stir in nutmeg, salt, pepper, and flour. Form mixture in to small, flattened balls.

Dredge the formed gnudi in flour to coat, tapping off the excess. Slide formed gnudi into the boiling water. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan; work in batches if necessary. Remove the gnudi using a slotted spoon after they float to the top and have cooked for about 4 minutes.

Arrange gnudi on a platter and lightly drizzle with marinara sauce.