Penne with Shrimp and Herbed Cream Sauce

Cook Time: 20 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 to 6 servings


Ingredients

1 pound penne pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, and deveined
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained, roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup white wine
1/3 cup clam juice
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan


Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and set aside.


In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Cook, stirring frequently until the shrimp turn pink and is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp and set aside.


Add the tomatoes, 1/4 cup basil, 1/4 cup parsley, and the red pepper flakes. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the wine, clam juice, and heavy cream. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes until the sauce thickens. Add 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, the cooked shrimp, the cooked pasta, and the remaining herbs. Toss together until all ingredients are coated. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.


Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and serve immediately.

From: foodnetwork.com

Penne with Turkey Meatballs

Cook Time: 1 hr 50 min
Level: Intermediate
Yield: 4 to 6 servings


Ingredients

1/4 cup plain dried bread crumbs
2 tablespoons whole milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup grated Romano
1 pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
5 cups tomato sauce, recipe follows
1 pound dried penne pasta


Directions

In a large bowl add bread crumbs milk and mix until well combined. Mix in eggs and 1/2 cup Romano cheese and mix well. Add turkey and gently combine, being careful not to overwork the meat. Season with salt and pepper. Shape into golf-size balls.


In a large skillet heat the oil over medium high heat. When almost smoking, add meatballs and without moving or turning the meat, allow it to brown for about 3 minutes. Turn meatballs and brown other side. Continue to cook until all sides are golden brown, about 8 minutes total. Add tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Lower heat and allow meatballs to simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and keep warm on stove. Be careful not to overhandle the meatballs since they are soft and fragile.

In a large pot, bring to a boil 6 quarts of salted water. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain pasta in a colander. Do not rinse pasta with water since you want to retain the pasta natural starches so that the sauce will cling to the penne.


Remove meatballs from sauce and place in serving bowl. Pour some tomato sauce over meatballs, but leave about 1 cup of sauce in skillet. Place the cooked penne into the skillet with the remaining sauce and toss well. Pour sauced pasta into a large serving bowl. Serve alongside the meatballs.


Simple Tomato Sauce:

Yield: 6 cups
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes
Ease of Preparation: Easy


1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
2 dried bay leaves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional


In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5-10 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer uncovered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.


Add half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.


If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to six months.


From: foodnetwork.com

Penne with Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes (Spring)

Cook Time: 10 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

8 ounces penne pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups (about 9 ounces) cherry tomatoes
1 cup shelled fresh peas
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the
pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring
occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving about
1/2 cup of the pasta water.

In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the
garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the asparagus,
season with the salt and pepper, and cook for 3 minutes until slightly
soft. Add the cherry tomatoes and peas. Cook for 2 minutes. Pour the
chicken stock into the pan and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook
until the tomatoes start to burst and the stock is reduced by half,
about 3 minutes.

Transfer the asparagus mixture to a large serving bowl. Add the cooked
pasta and 1/2 of the Parmesan. Toss well, adding reserved pasta water,
if needed, to loosen the pasta. Garnish with the remaining Parmesan
and chopped basil.

From: foodnetwork.com

Penne with Sun-dried Tomato Pesto

Cook Time: 15 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

* 12 ounces penne pasta
* 1 (8.5-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
* 2 garlic cloves
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves
* 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but
still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain,
reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, blend the sun-dried tomatoes and their oil, garlic, salt
and pepper, to taste, and basil in a food processor and blend until
the tomatoes are finely chopped. Transfer the tomato mixture to a
large bowl. Stir in the Parmesan.

Add the pasta to the pesto and toss to coat, adding enough reserved
cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta, to taste, with salt and
pepper and serve.

Sicilian Penne with Swordfish and Eggplant

Cook Time: 15 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

* 1 pound penne pasta
* 1/3 cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes (plus more to taste)
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus 1/3 cup
* 4 Japanese eggplants, ends trimmed, thinly sliced lengthwise,
then cut into squares
* 1 pound swordfish steaks, skin removed, cut into 1-inch cubes
* 1/3 cup white wine
* 2 cups halved teardrop or cherry tomatoes (red, yellow or a blend)
* Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
* 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
* 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the
pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring
occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.

Meanwhile, place a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the
1/3 cup olive oil, garlic, red chili flakes, and 1/4 cup parsley. Stir
and cook until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the eggplant and
cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove the eggplant from the pan
and set aside. Season the swordfish cubes with salt and pepper.

Using the same pan, over medium-high heat, add the 2 remaining
tablespoons of olive oil and cook the swordfish until opaque, about 5
minutes. Add the white wine and cook until almost evaporated, about 2
minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the tomatoes, eggplant, cooked pasta,
the remaining 1/3 cup parsley and stir. Drizzle with extra-virgin
olive oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

From: foodnetwork.com

Penne with Beef and Arugula

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 6 to 8 servings

1 (1-pound) New York strip steak
1 teaspoon herbs de Provence
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
1 pound penne pasta
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for steak and pasta water
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for steak
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 cups chopped arugula

Season the steak with salt and freshly ground black pepper, herbs de
Provence, and minced garlic. In a skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive
oil over medium heat. Cook steak about 7 minutes per side. Remove the
meat from pan and let it rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak.
Set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite,
stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving
1/4 cup of pasta water.

In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard,
1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, fresh herbs, and 3/4 cup olive
oil. In a large bowl toss the pasta with half of the salad dressing
and the reserved pasta water. Add the arugula and steak, more
dressing, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, as
needed. Toss, pack for the picnic, or serve.

From: food network