Manicotti with Three Sauces

08/03/2014 by Laura 1 Comment

We were watching the food channel the other night; Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, I think. As we tuned in at the end of an episode, we caught a glimpse of a cannelloni with three sauces. Dave, my nephew and I all commented that it looked really good. The three sauces pesto, béchamel and marinara were layered on the cannelloni to represent the Italian flag. So when the daily conversation turned to “what shall we make for dinner” I decided we would give it a whirl. I had homemade pesto and marinara in the freezer and béchamel sauce only takes a couple of minutes. We took a quick survey of the pantry and only needed a few things. I usually use spinach and mushrooms in my filling, but since it is August and there are zucchini piled high in the veggie drawer, I decided that would be the “green” in the filling. I think my nephew went home one day too soon!

For the Manicotti

1 – 1 lb. chub of Italian Chicken Sausage

3/4 cup finely diced onion

4 cloves of fresh garlic, minced

3/4 cup of small dice zucchini

2 Tablespoons freshly chopped Italian parsley

2 Tablespoons freshly chopped basil

salt and pepper

olive oil for sautéing

1/2 cup dry white wine, to deglaze the pan

1 1 lb. container whole milk ricotta

2 eggs

3/4 cup of mozzarella, finely diced

(I like diced over shredded as you get little gooey cheese puddles in the filling!)

1/4 cup grated parmesan

12-16 manicotti tubes, boiled according to package directions

For assembly and serving

2/3 cup of prepared pesto

2 cups prepared marinara sauce

1 cup béchamel sauce

Add 2-3 tablespoons olive oil to a large sauté pan and heat over medium heat. Add the sausage and break up the chunks while cooking. Add in the zuchinni, onion and garlic and continue to cook until the vegetable are soft and the meat is browned. Add the white wine, stir and let simmer about 5 minutes until the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from stove, pour into a large mixing bowl and let cool.

While the meat and vegetable mixture cools, prepare the manicotti. Boil for about 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside until ready to stuff.

In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta, eggs, diced mozzarella and parmesan. Add to the cooled meat and vegetable mixture and mix well. Prepare a baking dish by lightly oiling it.

Fill the pasta tubes. I used a very small spoon to stuff them. When we finished Dave said “we should have used a pastry bag”! Of course we should have used a pastry bag….what was I thinking?

Lay the filled tubes into the baking pan. Heat the oven to 350′. Add 3-4 Tablespoons of water to the baking pan and cover tightly with foil. Bake about 20 minutes and remove from oven.

While the pasta is baking, warm the marinara sauce in a small pan on the stove, prepare the béchamel sauce and pesto.

Basic Béchamel Sauce

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup finely diced onion

2 cloves finely minced garlic

1/3 cup Wondra flour

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1/4 cup grated parmesan

salt and pepper.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the vegetables are soft. Whisk in the flour to make a light roux. Slowly add the milk and continue to simmer until thickened. Add the cheese, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. In a small bowl, mix about two tablespoons of béchamel into the 2/3 cup of pesto.

Remove the pasta from the oven. Layer the sauces on to the pasta in the desired fashion. My choice was three separate “sections”. You certainly could layer marinara, then béchamel and then pesto, one on top of the other. Return the pasta to the oven, uncovered and bake another 10 minutes. Garnish with grated cheese and freshly chopped Italian parsley, and touch up the sauces, if needed.

Buono appetiteo!

Rigatoni with Sausage, Eggplant, Mushrooms and Tomatoes

03/26/2014 by Laura Leave a Comment

One of my favorite resources for quick, weeknight meals is Saveur Magazine’s weekly email of Simple Weeknight Meals. Sourced from previously published recipes, they often call for ingredients that you probably have on hand. Today’s recipe, inspired by traditional pasta alla norma, is a great example. I made a couple of modifications to suit our taste. You could easily omit the sausage to make a hearty, vegetarian pasta dish.

pasta alla norma Laura, inspired by Saveur Magazine, Oct. 10, 2013, Rigatoni with Eggplant, Tomatoes, and Spicy Sausage

For the pasta

1 medium eggplant, cut into ¾″ cubes

5 tbsp. olive oil

12 cremeni mushrooms, sliced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 tsp. crushed red chile flakes

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. ground spicy Italian sausage, we like Isernio’s Italian Chicken Sausage

1 (28-oz.) can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, undrained and crushed by hand

16 fresh basil leaves, torn by hand

8 oz. rigatoni

2 – 4 oz. Pecorino Romano or parmesan, grated

Heat oven to 500°. (Yes that is correct.) Put eggplant and mushrooms into baking dish and drizzle with 2 tbsp. oil. Toss to combine and season with salt and pepper. Bake, turning occasionally, until soft and caramelized, about 20 minutes. Turn oven down to 325′.

Roasting the eggplant and mushrooms at this high temperature brings out a wonderful rich, smoky flavor.

Heat remaining oil in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add chile flakes and garlic and cook, stirring, until garlic softens, about 3 minutes. Add sausage and cook, using a wooden spoon to break up into small pieces until browned, 16–18 minutes

Add tomatoes and half the basil, season with salt, and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until just al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain pasta and transfer to tomato sauce. Stir in reserved eggplant and mushrooms and toss to combine. Stir in remaining basil and season with salt.

Transfer the mixture to the baking dish you roasted the eggplant and mushrooms in. Top with grated cheese. Bake at 325′ for about 15 minutes. Serve with a tossed green salad and a big bold Chianti.

Further Confirmation of Spring’s Arrival….Fresh Halibut

04/02/2013 by Laura Leave a Comment

Another sure sign of Spring landed in my grocery basket on Saturday! First of the season, fresh Alaskan halibut. While a bit on the pricey side, it’s, for me, a worth while indulgence. Left to my own devices, I would probably eat fresh Alaskan Halibut and Washington asparagus 3-5 times a week, for the entire season. While I love it just grilled with a little salt and pepper, my husband enjoys the preparation below.

Parmesan Crusted Halibut with Roasted Tomato and Artichoke Ragu – for 2 servings

Inspired by “Ray’s Boathouse, Seafood Secrets of the Pacific Northwest” Cookbook

Recipes by Charles Ramseyer and staff

for the Tomato and Artichoke Ragu

15-18 cherry tomatoes

Kosher salt

Fresh ground pepper

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1/2 Tablespoon minced garlic

8 artichoke quarters with stems, jarred or frozen

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/4 julienned fresh basil

2 tablespoons butter

Pre-heat the oven to 400′. Place the artichoke hearts, tomatoes, and minced garlic in a baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Place the pan in the oven about 10 minutes ahead of the halibut fillets. Remove from oven when tomatoes are slightly charred and “melted”. Deglaze the pan with the white wine. Stir in the butter and garnish with the basil. Keep warm until ready to serve.

for the Halibut

1/4 cup of flour

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup shredded parmesan

Zest of 1 lemon, chopped

1 12-14 oz. halibut fillet, skinless

2-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Set up three bowls. Place flour in the first bowl. Mix the egg and water together in the second bowl. Mix the panko and parmesan together in the third bowl.

First, dredge the flesh side of the halibut in the flour, shaking off the excess. Next, dip the floured side in the egg. Third, dredge the egg side into the panko mixture to coat. Pat gently to press the mixture into the egg.

Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Place the fillet crust side down and sear until a golden-brown crust forms. Turn the fillet over and place in oven for 3-5 minutes, or until the centers are pearly white and opaque, depending on the thickness of the fish.

Plate the fish with the ragu alongside or underneath. We served the meal with my other favorite sign of spring, oven roasted asparagus and a rice pilaf.