Ravioli with Sausage and Brussels Sprouts

Lately I’ve been doing very sneaky things with food at dinnertime in my house.  Hubby has come a long way in terms of eating a wide variety of food he never used to, but he still turns up his nose sometimes.  I refuse to take a low blow and sneak in his most loathed food: mushrooms {which I freaking love by the way!}, but I will sneak in some of his lesser-favorite veggies.  Like two nights ago when I made this ravioli dish...he scarfed it down with no questions.  Yesterday when he was chowing down on the leftovers at lunch, he said “What is in this?”.  I said, “Um, ravioli, sausage, a little sauce made with chicken broth and a splash of white wine...”, he said, “What’s the green stuff?”...  “Ummmm...shaved brussels sprouts...”.  He made a face but kept right on eating.  Score!  Sometimes things just look like you might not like them....like when you’re staring face down into a pile of mini cabbages.... but shred ‘em up and you’ve got a nice little pile of veggies on your plate.  Much easier to tackle!

I made this dish with some fantastic Lamb-Rosemary sausage that I picked up at the Italian Market in Philadelphia the last time I was there, but feel free to use any sausage you prefer -- turkey, chicken, anything really!  

Ravioli with Sausage and Brussels Sprouts (serves 4)

adapted from Women’s Day Magazine, January 2013

1 lb. cheese ravioli

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 lb Italian turkey sausage, casings removed {or any sausage you prefer}

12 oz. brussels sprouts, cut and thinly sliced

salt and pepper

1/2 c. low sodium chicken broth

1/4 c. dry white wine

2 tbsp butter

grated parmesan or romano cheese, to serve

1. Cook ravioli according to package instructions.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned, 6 to 7 minutes.
3. Add brussels sprouts, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and cook, tossing for 2 minutes.  Add broth, wine and butter and bring to a simmer.  Serve over ravioli and sprinkle with cheese if desired.

Spaghetti with Peas and Pancetta

Tyler Florence is one of my favorite chefs, in fact, his cookbook, Tyler Florence’s Real Kitchen, was one of the first books I bought that made me think... “Holy cow...I love food in a crazy way, and I love to make it look beautiful, and I love to cook for anyone that will sit down at my table.”   This epiphany came while pouring over the pages for hours, staring at the photos and, also, I had a little crush on him {it was 2003 -- don’t tell my husband}.  Anyhow, if you guys haven’t discovered Tyler Florence, check his books out.  His mantra is all about taking the ingredients that you have and making them glorious in a simple, unfussy way.  There’s even a sushi section in the book, which led me to try out sushi at home for the first time....something that is truly scary for any cook.

Another thing I especially love about this book is his section of recipes specifically designed for 2 people... Steve can be a little picky when it comes to leftovers {um, and I also like to cook so much that a new day calls for new food, don’t you think??} so we are constantly letting food go to waste.  A recipe for two is perfect simple.  Today I’m showing you a pasta recipe from his book that I love so much, filled with peas, pancetta, goat cheese and lemon.  I hope you guys love this easy to make recipe as much as I do...it’s become a staple in our home!

Spaghetti with Peas and Pancetta

from Tyler Florence’s Real Kitchen

1/2 pound spaghetti

extra virgin olive oil

6 oz pancetta or thick cut bacon, diced

1 onion, minced

1 bay leaf

1 c. sweet peas, frozen or fresh

1 oz goat cheese

1/2 c. fresh grated parmigiano-regiano

1/4 c. fresh flat leaf parsley

juice of 1 lemon

fresh ground black pepper

1/4 c. fresh basil, hand torn

1. In a large stockpot, cook spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water for about 10 minutes, pasta should still be a little firm.
2. At the same time, heat a 2-count drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.  Add the pancetta or bacon and stir.  When fat starts to render, after about 3 minutes, add the onion and bay leaf.  Cook and stir until the onion caramelizes, about 10 minutes.  Now add the peas and cook for 2 minutes just to heat them through.
3. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the starchy water for the sauce.  Ford the goat cheese into the hot pasta and give it a toss so it melts.  Scrape the pancetta {bacon}, onions and peas into the pasta pot {toss out the bay leaf}.  Add the parmigiano, parsley and lemon juice.  Slowly pour in the reserved pasta water to dissolve the cheese and thin it out to a sauce consistency.  Hit it with a healthy dose of olive oil and a few turns of fresh ground black pepper to give it bite.  Return noodles to the pot and gently toss to coat in the sauce.  Split the pasta between two large bowls and shower it with shredded basil.

Ravioli with Pesto, Squash and Sage

Today’s recipe absolutely screams fall and since the weather here in South Carolina has been on the chilly side, it was a perfect {easy} and satisfying.  This is pretty much a  “Semi-Homemade” meal if there ever was one....using frozen cheese ravioli and prepared pesto.  It took about 30 minutes total to prepare this dish and even though it’s a vegetarian meal, the husband really enjoyed it {of course he did request that there is bacon in it next time I make it...lol}.  If you think you want a heartier dish, feel free to add diced chicken breast or bacon.  Also, the most tedious part of this recipe is peeling and chopping the butternut squash, but I have seen bags of peeled and diced squash in the grocery store with the other prepared chopped veggies.  Huge timesaver!

Ravioli with Pesto, Squash and Sage

from Redbook Magazine

12 oz. large cheese ravioli

8 oz butternut squash, cut into 1/2 inch dice

1/4 c. pesto sauce

1/4 c. walnut pieces, toasted

16 sage leaves

1/4 c. grated fresh parmesan

1. Heat a large saucepan of salted water to boiling.  Add squash and cook for 5 minutes.  Cook ravioli according to package.  Toss with pesto.  
2. In a medium skillet, heat 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil over medium high, add squash, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook 5 minutes.  Remove to bowl.
3. Add 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil to skillet and cook sage leaves until crisp, 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Drain on paper towels.
4. Spoon squash over ravioli, garnish with walnuts, sage and parmesan cheese.

Orzo Salad with Lemon-Balsamic Vinaigrette

Summer side salads are kind of my thing.  I just love them!  Pasta salad, potato salad, coleslaws, etc....I could eat them all and I love coming up with variations on them.  I usually make this salad with couscous but I just did the Southwest Pearled Couscous salad so I figured I’d switch it up and go for the gold with orzo.  

Orzo is in the pasta family -- just in tiny form -- so pasta salad lovers are going to die for this salad.  The vinaigrette is a simple mixture of lemon juice, white balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard and olive oil.  If you don’t have white balsamic vinegar, it’s ok to use regular balsamic, just know that the black/brown color of the vinegar will tint the salad and you won’t get the beautiful clean look of fresh veggies against pasta.  The ratio of oil to acid in my vinaigrettes is commonly in the acid’s favor, whereas traditional vinaigrettes use more oil than acid.  I do this to cut down on calories -- at times this can lead to a dry pasta salad, as the pasta will soak up the liquid, but if you are serving the salad right away, go ahead and make it according to the recipe.  Another way to get around adding more oil is to just dress the salad just before eating {if you are taking it to a party, etc}  And feel free to go crazy and add in anything your little heart desires.  I usually throw some feta cheese on top of this, but some of my guests just weren’t a fan of feta {!!!!!!}.  

Orzo Salad with Lemon-Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/2 lb uncooked orzo pasta

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 large cucumber, diced

1 small onion, diced

3 tbsp fresh parsley, minced

1/4 c. fresh lemon juice

1/4 c. white balsamic vinegar

2 tsp dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, minced or grated

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

1/2-3/4 c. crumbled feta, if using

1. For the vinaigrette: {Tip: Make the vinaigrette in the bottom of the bowl you will be serving the salad in} Combine lemon juice, white balsamic vinegar, dijon, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk to combine.
2. Cook orzo according to package instructions, drain and rinse with cold water to cool down pasta.
3. Add orzo to the bowl with dressing.  Combine orzo with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, beans, onion and parsley.  Toss to coat.  Top with feta cheese and serve.

White Cheddar Chipotle Mac and Cheese w/ Caramelized Onions

I’m always searching for delightful mac & cheese recipes with a twist.  I love taking a common recipe and taking it to the next level with interesting ingredients.  I stumbled across this little tidbit of a recipe on Pinterest and I pretty much ran to the grocery store immediately to gather ingredients and within the hour I was stirring a delicious cheese sauce.

This recipe is full of spicy chipotle flavor and sweet caramelized onions.  The onions are my absolute favorite part of the recipe, giving a slight crunch to an otherwise creamy and decadent dish.  Give this recipe a try and I promise you won’t be disappointed!

White Cheddar Chipotle Mac and Cheese with Caramelized Onions

from Sunflower Supper Club

For the Onions:

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced

2 tbsp sugar

The rest of the ingredients:

8 oz penne pasta

1/4 c. butter

1/2 tsp minced garlic

1/2 chipotle pepper, diced fine

1 tsp chipotle sauce from the can of chiles

1/4 c. flour

2 c. milk

2 c. white cheddar cheese (8 oz), shredded

For the onions:

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and add the olive oil.  Add onions and saute for a few minutes until they begin to soften.  Add the 2 tbsp sugar and turn the heat down a little.  Continue cooking for about 20 minutes until they are golden brown.  Drain any excess oil and set aside to cool.  

Cook pasta in salted water until al dente.  Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add the minced garlic, diced chipotle and sauce.  Cook for a minute until fragrant.  Add your flour and whisk constantly for about 2 minutes.  Slowly add milk and bring to a boil and simmer for a minute until it thickens.  Remove from heat and add the cheese a handful at a time until melted.  Add the caramelized onions and pasta and mix thoroughly.  

Place in a baking dish and bake at 375 for about 30 minutes.