FETTUCCINE ALFREDO

From: America's Test Kitchen Live!
by Cook's Illustrated

* Note that fettuccine Alfredo must be served immediately it does not hold or reheat well.
Ingredients
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Salt - didn't add
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper - didn't add
• 9 ounces fresh fettuccine
• 1 1/2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (about 3/4 cup) - I usually add more :)
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg - didn't add

Directions
1. Bring 1 1/2 cup of the heavy cream and the butter to a simmer in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan over medium heat, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently until the mixture reduces down a bit about 8 minutes minutes. Off the heat, stir in the remaining 1/2 cup cream and pepper.

2. While the cream is reducing, bring 4 1/2 quarts water to a rolling boil, covered, in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta to the pot of boiling water, cook the pasta until just shy of al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.

3. Meanwhile, return the cream mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to low and add the Parmesan, and nutmeg to the cream mixture. Cook over low heat until well incorporated then toss in pasta and reserved pasta water just before you want to serve it.

Pasta With Fresh Tomatoes

My mother also made dishes like this all the time growing up. We had lots of tomatoes to eat up from our garden and this was a great way to do it.

Ingredients:

1 lb. pasta
4-6 TB olive oil
Peeled, chopped fresh tomatoes ( I don't think we bothered to peel)
1/4 cup sliced green onions
2 tsp. chopped fresh basil
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

cook pasta and drain. Immediately toss with remaining ingredients

Variations:

You may want to add some of the following: 1 clove finely minced garlic, 1/2 cup sliced ripe olives, 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper, 3 TB chopped Italian parsley

Tomato and Almond Pesto

In Italy pesto can be more then basil, Parmesan, olive oil and pine nuts. This recipe from America's Test Kitchen was inspired by the various types of "red" pesto that must be discovered and loved by people on this side of the Atlantic. I LOVED this and Stew said he might even like it better then classic pesto. That's big. Try. Its so good!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup slivered almonds
12 oz cherry or grape tomatoes (about 2 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup packed fresh basil
1 medium garlic clove minced
1 small pepperoncini minced (can sub with 1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes and some vinegar)
table salt
pinch red pepper flakes
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound pasta, preferably linguine or spaghetti
1 oz Parmesan cheese grated (about 1/2 cup)
plus extra for serving

Toast almonds in small skillet over med heat, stirring frequently until pale golden and fragrant (2 to 4 min). cool almonds to room temp. Add to blender (or processor): almonds, tomatoes, basil, garlic, pepperoncini, 1 tsp salt, and red pepper flakes and blend until smooth. With machine on low slowly drizzle in oil.
Meanwhile bring 4 quart water to a boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 TB salt and cook until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, drain pasta and transfer back to cooking pot.
Add pesto and 1/2 cup Parmesan to cooked pasta and adjust consistency with reserved pasta cooking water so that pesto coasts pasta. Serve immediately, passing Parmesan separately.

Do Ahead Chicken Manicotti

In my search for easy meals that would be good to use post baby I tried this one out. I thought this would be gross but we actually liked it; the kids more then Stew and I but for an easy do ahead meal this was pretty darn good. Of course I have changed it like I seem to always do to recipes, so feel free to do the same when you try it out. My kids thought it was great. They kept calling it pizza. Yeah, it was just that good. :)

1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 and 1/2 pound chicken tenders - I chopped my chicken in small pieces so my kids wouldn't be as scared off by it; they have meat aversions. And I am pretty sure I used less thena pound
14 uncooked manicotti shells
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese ( I used Italian blend pre-shreeded cheese)
*I added parmesean cheese

1.) Spread about one-third of sauce in ungreased 9 x 13 pan

2.) Sprinkle garlic salt and parmesean cheese on chicken. Insert chiken into uncooked manicotti shells. ( I didn't worry about putting a lot of chiken in mine and I used a knife to help me push the chicken in wihtout gettign my figners all gross with chicken juice and garlic salt) Palce shells in pan.

3.) Pour remaining sauce evenlt over shells, covering completely. Sprinkle with cheese.

4.) You can then either put it in the freezer for up to a month or put it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Cover with aluminum foil with both oppsions.

5.) If frozzen heat oven to 350 degrees and bake covered for about 1 1/2 hours until shells are tender. If refrigerated heat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 1 hour covered.

Italian Pasta and Dessert - No need to go to Olive Garden!

Pasta With Creamy Tomato Sauce

This recipe is from my favorite cooks American's Test Chicken. They don't try to make things easy they try to make thing really authentically yummy. So if you are up for something that will take some time and want to try some knew things you would have to pay $20 dollars for at a nice Italian restaurant then I high recommend this. Some nights its all about cheap fast food but others it a time for me to stretch my cooking muscles and discover that I cook like a chef if I work for it! We really liked this. And its not too un-healthy it only calls for half a cup of cream so its not too bad.

This pasta is best served with a short pasta like ziti, penne, or fusillli.

3 TB unsalted butter
1 ounce prosciutto, mined (about 2 TB) - I found it by the deli at walmart so you should be able
to get it too
1 mall onion diced fine
1 bay leaf
Pinch of Red Pepper flakes
Table Salt
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press
2 TB tomato paste
2 ounces oil packed sun dried tomatoes, drained, and patted dry, and chopped coarse ( about 3
table spoons
1/2 cup dry white wine (I substituted with chicken broth)
2 cups crushed tomatoes 28 ounce can (they were out at my store so I used petite diced
tomatoes)
1 pound pasta
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Grated Parmesan cheese

Strawberries and Homemade Lemon Ice Cream

I don't think this is Italian but it seems like it works well enough. It reminds me of Italian ice and ice cream though I know it isn't much like either of them. But it is just as good! I think this is perfect in the Spring and Summer. Its full of Bright Fresh flavors and honestly it is super easy. I also like it not frozen. I do a reverse. Frozen sweetened strawberries and the cream not frozen just whipped. Have fun with it and make it your own.

Juice from 3 small lemons or 2 large lemons
lemon Zest from 3 small lemons or 2 large lemons
1/4 to 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 baskets Strawberries
1/8 cup sugar

In a large bowl mix the lemon juice, 2/3 thirds of the lemon zest and sugar. Then add the Heavy whipping cream and mix on high until it is a soft whipped cream texture. test to make sure it has a strong lemon flavor that is tart bu still sweet. Then cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the freezer. Remove the frozen lemons when desert time has arrived. Rinse and cup your strawberries. add sugar until as sweet as you like it . With an ice cream scoop, scoop out some frozen lemon whipped cream into a serving dish. Then spoon some strawberries on top. For a final touch sprinkle the top with some lemon zest. It is pretty, rich , and still very refreshing. Sounds like a prefect spring desert to me! :O)

Taking Something Lardy and Making it Lite!

Here are some ideas for healthy versions of our favorite indulgent yummy treats.

Frosting: Instead of spreading yummy yet very very fattening frosting on our cakes you can top your cake with pudding. It's healthiness varies with what type you use but either would be a health improvement from frosting. To achieve absolute healthiness you can make no sugar added instant pudding mix with non fat milk and make your cake with apple sauce instead of oil. That way you have a great tasting healthier frosted cake. I love making a chocolate cake and then topping it with chocolate pudding because it is so moist, not that fattening, and yet it still gives me my chocolate fix.

*The pudding will be more like frosting if you make it with less milk then it calls for.

Alfredo Sauce: I have two recipes. neither of them are as good for you as a basic marinara but when you are hankering for a cheesy cream sauce on your pasta these are great ways to get that and not raise your cholesterol 10 points. *I also recommend using whole wheat pasta to achieve the most you can out a creamy pasta dish.

Weight Watchers Version

1 Stick of reduced fat cream cheese - I think the non fat is too low in fat to taste good, but that could just be me
1 cup Chicken broth
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

In a sauce pan melt cream cheese and then add your chicken broth stir until smooth. Add cheese and let simmer until the thickness you want pour on pasta and there you have it!

My Made Up Version
(for when I don't have cream cheese)

2 TB Flour
1 TB Butter
1 - 1 1/2 cup Chicken broth
1/2 - 1 cup grated Parmesan/Ramona cheese

Make a basic rue by melting your butter in a sauce pan. Then sprinkle in your flour and stir till smooth and caramelized. Then slowly add chicken broth while stirring and keep as smooth as possible. Then add your grated cheese and mix well. You can play with the amounts of things because I am not really sure what I actually use when I make it. I just eyeball it. When I want it to be a whole dinner I stir in some veggies steamed in and flavored with chicken bullion and some grilled chicken. Pour on pasta and you have a healthy-ish yummy dinner.