Creamy Steak Pasta

Sorry I have been MIA for awhile.  This past week was pretty hectic and I didn't do much cooking; at least not anything worth posting or talking about. Sometimes I just have those weeks when although I love cooking I just don't really feel like it. I get home from work and there are so many other things that need to be done and I'm already tired that cooking dinner just seems like a mountain I can't climb. Do you ever feel that way?

I have actually made this dinner several times before but I normally use chicken.  Well, after searching in the freezer I had one New York Strip steak left (I hate how so many large packages of meats come in odd numbers, MAJOR PET PEEVE of mine).  I decided I would toss the steak on the top of this easy creamy pasta and it was a success! How could it not be? STEAK, PASTA, CHEESE (lots of yummy cheese). That's a good trinity if you ask me!

 

 

Creamy Steak Pasta 

Printable Recipe 

Ingredients:

8 oz. steak (I used strip)
2 cups penne pasta (I used whole wheat)
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1 1/2 cup milk
4 oz. cream cheese
1/2-3/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese (grated)

Directions:

Heat grill pan and season steak as desired (I like Weber Steak 'N Chop seasoning)

Cook steak 8-12 minutes per side (depending on how well or rare you want your meat)   

Meanwhile, cook pasta per box directions (Don't forget to salt your boiling water prior to adding the pasta)

Melt butter in medium sauce pan.  Stir in flour until blended well.

Gradually stir in milk, bring to a boil and cook on medium about 2 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly.
Add cream cheese, grated cheese, and salt & pepper to taste, cook 1-2 minutes or until cheese is completely melted and sauce is blended.

Drain pasta and place in bowl, toss to coat with sauce then add steak  ENJOY :)

*This serves two with some left over pasta*

Kitchen Fail: Fusilli with Crispy Kale & Ricotta

It didn't take long into my blogging experience to have a cooking fail. :( This recipe wasn't a total fail, it came out nicely and looked very appetizing; it was just flavorless.  This is mostly my fault (I know Rachael Ray never writes a bad recipe!) for leaving out the meat, just wanting a veggie meal.  It wasn't terrible, it was very much edible, just bland. 

Kale

When I first discovered this recipe, it grabbed my attention because it used kale-something I hadn't cooked with before. That part of the dish was a major success, I ate quite a bit of it by itself after roasting.  I will certainly try this again, but I won't leave out the italian sausage (the recipe said was optional)

Another issue I had with this recipe and many others written by Rachael Ray and many other food network stars that I adore is finding ingredients that they say you can find at your "average grocery store".  I don't know about you, but I live in Central Kentucky and although I live 10 minutes from the second largest city in my wonderful state, my grocery stores (even the specialty ones) do not have italian chili peppers and 5 different types of kale and many international spices and ingredients.
Heck, half the time I can't even buy arugula for crying out loud! And I LOVE arugula.  Do you have this problem?


Fusilli with Crispy Kale & Ricotta
Printable Recipe 
Source: Everyday with Rachael Ray March 2011 

1 lb black kale - stemmed, washed and dried
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper
1 lb fusilli pasta
1 lb hot or sweet italian bulk sausage (I left this out)
3 to 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 small italian red cherry chili pepper (my grocery didn't have these so I just used a few red & yellow mini peppers)
2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
A couple small sprigs rosemary, finely chopped (I omitted these due to my loathing of rosemary)*
1 1/2 cups fresh sheep's or cow's milk ricotta (my grocery doesn't carry fresh ricotta so I used regular whole milk)
freshly grader nutmeg
shaved pecorino-romano cheese


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Sprinkle a few tbsp of extra virgin olive oil over the kale (place 1/2 of kale on a baking sheet and the other half on another baking sheet) and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes, rotate baking sheets half way through baking time.  

fusilli

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add pasta and cook until al dente.  Drain pasta and return to pot, reserve 1 cup of pasta water.

If using sausage, drizzle 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet and heat over medium-high.  Add the sausage by crumbling the meat into skillet and cook until browned.  Using a slotted spoon, remove sausage to a plate and set aside.  Add remaining 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil to skillet and reduce heat to medium and add garlic and chili pepper and stir a couple minutes.  Stir in the thyme and rosemary.

peppers, garlic, & thyme

Whisk reserved pasta water into the garlic oil, pour over pasta and add half the crispy kale, the sausage, ricotta, and some nutmeg.  Toss to coat, season with salt and pepper and extra nutmeg if needed. Serve with pecorino-romano cheese and piles of crispy kale on the side. 

*I cannot stand the sight or smell of rosemary due to a bad accident my step-dad had with rosemary and chicken. Instead of using a few tsp of dried rosemary, he used about 1/2 a cup in a chicken dish. Ever since I cannot bring myself to make anything with rosemary. Perhaps, some day in the future I will be brave and try it again. :)

If at first you don't succeed, try and try again! :) Happy Cooking everyone. 

Spinach Manicotti

At the end of the week I am usually a little too tired to make a big elaborate meal, so I don't mind getting some help from a box and some pre-made sauce.  This meal has become a favorite, quick, go-to dinner in our house.  

Ingredients

Yum, shredded Parmesan

Manicotti

 

Ready to Bake

Spinach Manicotti
Printable Recipe 
adapted from the Barilla Manicotti Box

• 1 box Barilla Manicotti
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 bag (6 oz) fresh spinach, chopped
• 2 eggs
• 1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 jar Barilla Marinara Sauce
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese  

*We aren't mushroom fans so I omit those from the original recipe
*I tend to use more than 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese :)
*I also only used half the Manicotti since I am only cooking for two (original recipe serves 6)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook Manicotti 7 minutes; drain and rinse in cool water.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic and let cook for about 3 minutes then stir in spinach; continue cooking 5 minutes.  Set aside to cool

Beat eggs lightly in medium bowl.  Stir in ricotta cheese, basil and salt.  

Spread 3/4 cup Marinara Sauce over bottom of 13x9 baking dish.  Fill Manicotti with spinach mixture (use piping bag or zip-lock bag with the tip cut off); place in dish and cover with the remaining Marinara Sauce.  Then sprinkle Parmesan over top and bake, covered 30 minutes.  Uncover; continue baking 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted. 

Hope everyone has a blessed weekend!

Rigatoni With Eggplant and Pine Nut Crunch

I have a confession...I had never eaten eggplant until I made this dinner.  I have always wanted to try it, it's a little funny looking in my opinion but that deep almost plum color always looked appealing to me.  However, I didn't know how to cook it and since I'd never had it didn't know what it taste like.  Well, I am a fan now! This is a great dinner option if you don't like meat, but with all the veggies, it's very filling and did I mention the cheese? Oh, the cheese! Mozzarella and Parmesan! YUM, YUM, YUM.

Ingredients, oops I left out the cream!

Rigatoni with Eggplant & Pine Nut Crunch
Printable Recipe 
Bon Appetit 

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 1 unpeeled large eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 medium yellow bell peppers, cut into 1/2-inch squares
• 2 cups grape tomatoes
• 3 large garlic cloves, divided
• olive oil
• 2 cups fresh basil, divided
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1, 28oz. can whole tomatoes in juice
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 pound rigatoni
• 1 pound Mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Preheat oven to 425 F.  Spray a large rimmed baking sheet w/ your nonstick spray then add the eggplant and peppers.  Cut tomatoes in half and add to baking sheet. Grate 1 garlic clove over veggies and drizzle with olive oil; toss.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast the veggies until tender, tossing them every 10, 15 minutes.  Roast for about 35 minutes.

Veggies, pre roasting

Combine 2/3 cup basil, 1/2 cup Parmesan, pine nuts, and 1 garlic clove in food processor. Blend ingredients until crumbly then season with salt to taste.

Basil, pine nut, Parmesan crumble

Blend tomatoes with juice, cream, 1 1/3 cps basil, and 1 garlic clove in food processor until smooth then add salt and pepper.

Cook pasta in pot of boiling, salted water until tender, but still firm to bite.  Drain then return to pot.  Add the veggies, sauce, and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Transfer to a large baking dish (13x9x2) and add the Mozzarella and pine nut topping.

Ready to bake

Bake pasta until heated through, 25-35 minutes then let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Eat & Enjoy!

This is a great family dish or a dinner for two with lots left over for lunch or dinner the next day :)