Showing posts with label pasta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pasta. Show all posts

Saturday, June 20, 2009

ok im offically in love with whoever is cooking this stuff. your my fat foodie friend forever

Beating the heat: Shrimp-Zucchini-Cherry Tomato Pastastolen from: http://wineguyworld.blogspot.com/2009/06/berry-good.html

This is a recipe i found from tastespotting, the internet's mecca for foodporn. i havent had a chance to try it just yet, but it looks and sounds so fucking delicious im sorta annoyed with myself that i havent given more of an effort. Here is a bit of what the dude who made it said about it:

When it comes to food, I'm what you might call a carb-whore. Bread, pizza, especially pasta....all good! It's 96* out as I type this and on a day like this I don't even want to stand next to a grill to take the heat outside. But I would want something fast, easy, light, and most of all delicious. This super seasonal pasta is just that. I know some people lose their appetite when it gets hot. Sadly, I'm not one of them. I could have the devil jabbing my ass with his pitchfork in hell and I'd still be eyeing the never ending pasta bowl. Oh wait, that sounds like Olive Garden, doesn't it? Hell....Olive Garden...hm, same thing I guess. Anyway, the point being that this bowl of happiness is just the ticket to put down on your dinner table when it's to effing hot outside. You would also be wise to throw a bottle or two of Italian white in the fridge. Maybe a refreshing Tocai-Friulano or a crisp Vermentino. Just make sure it's all stainless fermented so that nasty oak taste doesn't get in the way of your edible enjoyment!
*** *** ***
Shrimp-Zucchini-Cherry Tomato Pasta
serves 3 or 4

ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter (or olive oil if you must)
16-20 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 or 5 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon chili flakes (or to taste)
2 medium zucchini or other summer squash, cut into 1/4" slices
1 or 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 pound dry pasta, fusilli or penne rigate
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

method:
Bring water to boil in large pasta pot. Add small handful of salt, then pasta. Cook to desired doneness. Meanwhile, melt butter (or put olive oil) in large (12") sauté pan over medium high heat. When butter melts, add garlic and chili flakes and stir for 30-45 seconds. Add shrimp and cook about 1-2 minutes per side, until done. Put shrimp into bowl and set aside. In same pan add one tablespoon butter. When melted add zucchini and sauté until slightly softened, but still firm, about four minutes. Add shrimp back to pan, stir in tomatoes and chopped basil. Drain cooked pasta and add to sauté pan. Mix together carefully to combine. Serve immediately with grated parmigiano and generous helping of white wine!

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Bring it tofu princess- my alfredo sauce will wreck you




so i was chatting on the phone with my best bud yesterday while i was doing some last minute grocery shopping at safeway, and i mentioned my impromptu dinner menu. For a quick pasta meal, i dont think you can beat a nice mushroom alfredo with gemelli pasta, peas, spinach and sautéed chicken. Looking to save time and lets be honest, effort, i opted to buy jarred sauce rather than labor all night over a homemade alfredo. To say the very least, i was bauked at and ridculed for my laziness by my pal. This pissed me off, not because she was right and it was annoying for her to point it out, but because it came from a girl whose very own homemade alfredo rivals the taste and consistency of skim milk! (i know, low blow right? but its totally true, the girl hasnt seen the likes of whole milk or cream in over 15 years, EASY!)

anyhow, i was starving and impatient ended up throwing this quick monday night pasta dish together in no time right after challenging VB to an alfredo cookoff. All i have to say to vanessa is: BRING IT tofu princess, i will wreck you!

ingredients:
- 1/3 box barilla gemelli pasta (cooked to al dente)
- 1 jar alfredo sauce of your choice (i heart bertolli)
- salt
- pepper
- 1/4 cup frozen peas
- few handfuls of fresh spinach
- 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1/2 lb chicken breast
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/3 cup chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon olive oil

Preparation:
in a saute pan, saute the chopped onion and minced garlic with some salt and pepper. add in the mushrooms and continue sauteing for a couple of minutes. Add in chicken and cook until no longer pink and then add in spinach and adjust salt/pepper as needed then cover until spinach wilts. add in alfredo sauce and simmer.

in the meantime fire up some salted water and cook the pasta as directed on the package. once al dente, drain and toss with alfredo mixture.