Fall Medley Pasta

Ciao lovely readers! For me, pasta has always been my go to comfort food (besides chocolate, but then again, who isn't comforted by chocolate?!?!) So when I am craving something cozy and yummy, I turn to pasta.

The other night in New York, it was a dark, gloomy and rainy evening. It was the perfect night for comfort food. I had fresh mushrooms, butternut squash and sage. Do you see where I’m going with this? Fall Medley Pasta!! There is just something about the combination of earthy mushrooms, sweet butternut squash and fragrant sage that makes me crazy!! Plus, you prepare this with some delicious rotini and a splash of cream….oh my. This pasta dish will satisfy everyone at your table. It’s a wonderful mix of flavors and textures. It’s just incredible; I promise that you will love it.

Fall Medley Pasta

6 tbsp. Olive oil

1 butternut squash- peeled, seeded and cut into cubes

1 pack of fresh mushrooms

Salt

Pepper

Sage (some people can find sage very intense, so you pick exactly how much you want to use)

1 box of rotini

Cream (for just a splash!)

First, prepare a pan over medium heat with 2 tbsp. olive oil, a dash of salt and pepper (quanto basta) and add your already cut butternut squash cubes. Cook until tender for around 30 minutes, you don’t want them getting to soft and turning into mush.

While that is cooking, clean and slice your mushrooms. Prepare another pan over medium heat with 2 tbsp. olive oil, salt and pepper and add the mushrooms. Cook for around 25 minutes.

In the mean time, start boiling your pasta water. While you are waiting for the water to boil, prepare another pan with 2 tbsp. olive oil. You are going to be frying your sage leaves, so wait until the olive is hot enough to fry.  Pick a large enough pan, since you will be using this to mix your pasta. Add your sage leaves to the pan. They will fry very quickly so stand by. Take the sage leaves out and put them on a plate with a napkin to absorb any excess oil.

Once the water is boiling, add your pasta. Once it is cooked, drain and add the pasta to the pan that you fried the sage in. Keep the pan on low heat. Add the butternut squash and mushrooms and mix. Make sure the olive oil coats all of the vegetables. Add a splash of cream, literally a splash! Mix again. Add the fried sage leaves to the pasta.  Let me know what you think. Buon Appetito!! 

Spinach Pesto Rotini

Creamy.  Rich.  Decadent. These are the words we use to describe delicious, albeit, fattening food, right? Well not tonight!! I’m using these words to describe my delicious Spinach Pesto Rotini, which is all of these things, but it also happens to be healthy!

Over the years, when I’ve been experimenting in the kitchen, I’ve found amazing little tricks to make my food healthier while not losing any of the flavors and this pasta is the perfect example. It is so creamy and velvety, you are going to think I added a bunch of half and half and cheese, but you would be mistaken!! My secret is pureeing my spinach!! Yes, it’s just that simple.

I have never been one to drown my pasta in heavy sauces or cheese, a sprinkle of parmigiana is all I need. But, I do love the texture of something very creamy. You will be amazed at how delicious this tastes, seriously. If you have a picky eater in the house, this will do the trick. This plate will please everyone. If you’re having a dinner party and have to accommodate someone’s diet, this should make people happy. 

It’s vegetarian, vegan, low calorie, high fiber and low fat. I use rotini because the curves of the pasta make it very easy for the pesto to really get in there and stick.

I PROMISE you, you are going to think you are indulging in something very rich, but you’re not! Now you can save some of those extra calories for dessert, right? Please let me know what you think!!

Spinach Pesto Rotini

1 box of whole wheat rotini

2 tablespoons olive oil

Garlic (chopped, as you much as you want)

Red pepper

Salt

Black Pepper

1 box of chopped frozen spinach

Parsley (quanto basta)

3 tablespoons of pesto (You can use store brought or check out my recipe, here!)

Start by preparing a large, deep pan over medium heat with your olive oil. Add the chopped garlic, red pepper, salt and black pepper. Let the garlic get just roasted enough, but not brown.

Boil your water for the pasta. Add the frozen spinach to the pan with olive oil mix and let it cook fully, probably around 20 minutes. Once the spinach is done add the parsley and pesto. Take the pan off of the heat and set down on a counter and let it cool for a few minutes. Once it has cooled, using a hand held blender, puree thoroughly. You want everything to really get mixed. You can put the pan back over very low heat.

Salt your pasta water. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta. Cook the pasta for around 7 minutes and then drain. Add the pasta to the spinach puree and toss. Make sure every piece of rotini gets covered. Enjoy with some Tony Bennett in the background. Buon Appetito!!

Capellini Verdi

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love pasta.  One- It’s easy to prepare. Two- there are so many different pastas so it’s impossible to get sick of. Three-So many different sauce possibilities- Ragu, pesto, cheese, vegetable; anything your heart desires! Plus, you can make something so impressive without really putting all that much effort into it. It’s just that simple! I will never tire of pasta. It’s part of who I am. As an Italian I grew up eating pasta AT LEAST three times a week and I still do!!

In keeping with some healthier Italian options without sacrificing flavor, tonight I will be serving Whole Wheat Capellini Verdi. Capellini literally means thin hair (imagine really skinny spaghetti.)  If you can’t find Capellini, use spaghetti or angel hair or whatever you want!) I make mine with rocket (arugula), spinach, peas, parsley, pignoli, garlic and pesto. It is so delicious. What I like about these particular vegetables is that they don’t have a very intense vegetable taste that a lot of people don’t like (like our good friend, broccoli.)

You won’t miss the fact that there is no cheese, heavy cream sauce or meat. It will turn any carnivore into a vegetable believer!!! This is a wonderful healthy dinner option. You get all the good vitamins and nutrients from all the greens, all the benefits of garlic and pine nuts are a good source of magnesium and potassium. So that fact that it tastes so good AND is good for you, certainly can’t hurt!!

Capellini Verdi

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Salt (to taste)
Pepper (quanto basta)
Red Pepper (just a sprinkle!)
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 box of capellini
1 box of arugula
1 box of fresh spinach
1 box of peas
½ cup of Pignoli
Handful of parsley
4 tablespoons of Pesto

First, chop your garlic. Prepare a pan with olive oil, salt, pepper and red pepper over medium heat. Put your garlic with your oil mixture.

Next, start boiling your water, add salt! While the water is boiling, chop your arugula and spinach. I like to chop it very fine because then it blends really nicely with the pesto! Put the chopped greens in the pan with the oil mix.

Once the water is boiling, put the capellini in. Capellini, along with other thin pastas, usually cooks pretty quickly, so don’t overcook! You want it perfectly al dente, so just six minutes. Drain your pasta, but keep a little of the water. Put your pasta in the pan with the oil and greens. Add the box of peas and pignoli.

Very finely chop your pasley and put on top of the pasta. Add the pesto, a little pasta water and mix it all together. The combination of the water and pesto will create a nice creaminess but without the fat and calories of cream!! Let me know if this will turn you into a veggie believer. Buon Appetito!!