Tag: alfredo sauce

Porcini Pasta Revisited

When something is wonderfully delicious, it earns the right to be made again. It also earns the right to be tweaked a little to make it even more wonderfully delicious. Porcini Pasta is just that kind of recipe. I first made it as a side dish to enhance grilled steak. It stole the show so to speak. It was definitely tasty enough to move into the spotlight as a main dish. I dressed it up with a little cheese and served it to non-meat eating guests. Again it was a home run. Could the third time be even more of a charm? So here’s what I came up with.

It was one of those days that seemed busy from the minute my feet hit the floor. Errands, laundry, and a bit of grandboy sitting and before I knew it, dinner (or plans for it) was looming on the horizon. Time to take stock of what was interesting in the pantry. Porcini pasta was sitting in an unassuming corner and not too far away was a jar (yes, I do succumb sometimes) of Alfredo Sauce. A brief foray into the refrigerator yielded  crimini mushrooms and some prosciutto. I also found a chunk of Aged Asiago Cheese. I sensed that this could be the start of a wonderful friendship.

I gave some thought to how I was going to use the prosciutto. I decide to see if I could fry it to create crispy bits much like bacon. The thin slices frizzled up beautifully and crumbled into wonderful salty flakes that would serve as both a surprise crunch in the sauce and a garnish.

Using my original recipe as a guide, I sliced the mushrooms and chopped up shallots and garlic. These cooked in the drippings  from the prosciutto and some olive oil until they were lightly caramelized.

While the water for the pasta boiled, I thinned the Alfredo sauce with some chicken broth and let it simmer with the mushroom mixture. I added a good amount of the grated Asiago and a generous amount of freshly ground pepper. I cooked the pasta until it was barely al dente, drained it and added it to the sauce along with half of my prosciutto flakes. Things got happy for a few more minutes and dinner was ready to plate. All it needed was a sprinkling of a little more cheese and a flurry of prosciutto flakes.

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Porcini Pasta Revisited

The original side dish recipe has graduated to an easy Weeknight Supper.

Servings: 3
Ingredients
  • 8 Ounces Porcini Pasta
  • 3 Ounces Prosciutto
  • 8 Ounces Crimini Mushrooms Sliced
  • 1/2 Cup Chopped Shallots
  • 3 Cloves Garlic Chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
  • 1-1/3 Cups Alfredo Sauce
  • 1/2 Cup Chicken Broth More or less as needed
  • 1 Cup Grated Asiago Cheese Divided
  • 3/4 Tsp. Freshly Ground Pepper
Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of pasta to a boil. While the water heats prepare the sauce.

  2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and heat. Add the prosciutto and cook until it is crispy. remove from the pan and drain on a paper towel.

  3. Add the mushrooms, onions, and garlic to the drippings in the pan. Cook stirring occasionally until everything is lightly golden brown.

  4. Add the Alfredo sauce and the chicken broth and cook over low heat for 5 minutes or so.

  5. Cook the pasta until it is just barely "al dente."

  6. Add 3/4 of the cheese and half of the prosciutto to the sauce along with the pepper. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. toss to coat and allow to cook for a few minutes more.

  7. Pour into a serving bowl and top with the remaining cheese and prosciutto.     Serve

If my truth be told, I hardly ever make anything the same way twice, not that there’s anything wrong with that. I am always looking for ways to make things better or to incorporate ingredients that I have on hand. That’s how Mamam D’s Kitchen of Love rolls. 

 

 

 

 

Bring on Fall…Spinach Alfredo Casserole

There are signs of Fall all around us. The trees (those that can) are beginning to show their autumn paletes of red and gold. The vibrant petunias and impatiens of Summer are being replaced by more subtly colored and hardier mums. Squirrels are hunting and burying with gusto. Kitchens are beginning to fire up the ovens as often as firing up the grill.

In case you haven’t guessed, I love Fall. It is my favorite time of year. Those of you who only know it is Fall by the month on the calendar or the inexplicable appearance of pumpkin spice everything, are missing quite an experience. Whatever the weather is where you are, it is time to think about making those comfort filled one dish wonders, casseroles.

Here is one to get your autumnal juices flowing. This starts quite simply with penne pasta as a base, but any cut pasta would do. Baby spinach and crimini mushrooms team up with onion and garlic to give some plant presence to the dish.

The sauce is Alfredo. You can make this sauce, and it is really quite easy, or you could buy pre-made sauce which is even easier. I am not a proponent of prepared foods in general, but once in a while it doesn’t compromise my integrity too much to reach for a jar or carton. Find one with an ingredient list that has things you can easily identify and not too many non-food additives. They are out there.

The vegetables were sautéed in a little olive oil, taking turns based on cooking time. Once everything was as it should be, the sauce was added. Once it was at a bubble some asiago cheese went in. Th penne was added and everything went into a good-sized casserole.

I gave it a blanket of cheesy breadcrumbs and let it bake until it displayed all of the requisite casserole characteristics; bubbly edges and golden brown crust. It was delicious, it made the house smell wonderful, and it was the perfect comfort food for the first chilly night of the season.

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Spinach Alfredo Casserole


Servings: 4
Ingredients
  • 8 Ounces Penne Pasta Any cut pasta will work
  • 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
  • 1 Mediium Onion Chopped
  • 8 Ounces Crimini Mushrooms sliced
  • 4 Cloves Garlic Chopped
  • 6 Ounces Baby Spinach Chopped
  • 1-1/2 Cups Alfredo Sauce Home made or prepeared
  • 1/3 Cup Milk More or less as needed
  • Salt and Pepper To Taste
  • 4 Ounces Grated Asiago Cheese
  • 3/4 Cup Bread Crumbs
  • 1 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese
  • 1 Tbsp. Butter
Instructions

  1. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water 2 minutes less than the box directs. Drain and put in a 2 quart casserole dish that has been generously sprayed with olive oil cooking spray. Prepare the sauce while the past cooks

  2. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the olive oil swirling to coat the bottom of the skillet. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  3. Add the mushrooms and garlic to the skillet and cook another 5 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.

  4. Add the spinach and toss well to combine. Cook 3 - 4 minutes until the spinach begins to wilt. Stir in the Alfredo sauce and continue to cook until it comes to a bubble, stirring often. If the sauce seems thick, add the milk a little at a time until you have a medium thick sauce.

  5. Turn the heat to low and add the Asiago cheese. Stir until it is completely melted. Taste and add salt and pepper as you need. Pour the sauce over the pasta and stir to completely combine.

  6. Melt the butter and stir in the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese . Toss until the crumbs are well coated. Sprinkle on the top of the casserole.

  7. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes. The crumbs should be brown and the sauce should be bubbly. Allow to rest a few minutes before serving.

Fall likes to take its time around here. Right now it feels far more summer like. We all know that this is only a fleeting event and soon the weather will demand something from the oven. This casserole is a good place to start.