Food Lush

One Last Recipe from My Grandma's Archives

Editor's note: For our last week at Food Lush, I've asked the writers to share both a favorite post by another writer, from over the last three years, and a favorite post of their own. You'll see these posts linked to at the top of their new post for the week. Enjoy a stroll down Lush memory lane!

By Nora

Writing for Food Lush was a such a gift, and one I will always cherish. Food gives sustenance, comfort, and joy, and most importantly, creates memories. So, I guess it's no surprise that my favorite posts are the ones that link food and experiences. The one I wrote about my childhood food memories from summers in Norway is definitely the one I most enjoyed writing and which was most personal for me. But I have to say that Caitlin's post about her Christmases on Beaver Lake not only made me feel like I was there with her family, but made me WANT to be part of her family.

***

Thus, my last post for Food Lush is simply a recipe that brings back memories for me, and which will forever remind me of my Grandma. Fettucine Alfredo---the real Italian version that uses butter and cheese (NO heavy cream). I still remember my Grandma pouring the hot pasta over the creamy mixture and the steam rising from the bowl, the sweet smell of basil and parmesan hitting my nose. I am giving you the recipe with the caveat that I have not yet been able to recreate it quite as perfectly as she was able to make it, and I don't know why. I follow the directions exactly, but still it's not the same. I think it's simply the fact that she's not here to make it for me anymore. But I hope that if you decide to make this recipe, it brings you as much comfort as it did for me at the time.

Nora's Grandma's Fettucine Alfredo

1 pkg fettucine

4 tbsp butter

3/4 cup parmesan cheese

1 egg (optional)

1 tbsp sweet dried basil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

Cook the noodles until almost tender. In a separate large serving bowl (big enough so you have lots of room to mix), beat the 1 egg* and after the pasta is cooked, add a ladle full of the hot pasta water to the egg.  In a separate sauce pan, melt butter and add garlic, basil, and parmesan. Add half of the butter/cheese mixture to the bowl with the egg and pasta water, and then pour the noodles over that. Pour the rest of the butter mixture over the noodles and mix all together until combined and creamy. Eat and savor.

*If you are uncomfortable using an egg in this recipe, you can leave it out. The hot pasta water cooks the egg to the point where it thickens but doesn't get hard, and it adds a richness to the pasta that I like. However, it will taste just as good without it.

Gogo Quinoa Pasta

by Sarah Anne

I have a bit of a love/hate kind of thing going with pasta. I LOVE the delicate bite of a fresh pasta. The chew. The way the sauce clings to it. However, when I'm really trying to watch what I eat, a pasta dinner really takes up a good portion of my intake for the day. For a girl who loves to eat, this is super frustrating. 

Last night I had pasta planned and thought I'd peruse the natural foods store for any alternatives that might be worth trying. I'm SO glad I did, because I discovered something that I think I love more than regular, dry white pasta. 

Quinoa pasta!

Less calories and more protein than conventional pasta, and a far better texture than whole wheat spaghetti, this was certainly a winner in this house.  I tossed it with a simple fresh tomato and garlic sauce which clung nicely to each strand like I would expect with regular wheat pasta. I've tried rice pasta, kamut pasta and corn pasta - none of which stood up to my stringent pasta standards. This quinoa version by Gogo, had a nice bite to it, sauce held and it was easy to prepare. Word to the wise, however? Do NOT overcook it, or it will go to mush very, very quickly. 

I'm anxious to try Gogo's other varieties. Perhaps macaroni and cheese or a baked pasta dish next? I bet a fusili variety would make a great greek pasta salad as Elsha helped us out with a week or two ago. While a bit more pricey, this product will definitely become a staple in my house!

Have you ever tried quinoa pasta or any other 'alternative' flour product and been pleasantly surprised? 


 

Quick and easy Greek pasta salad

by Elsha

I've been visiting my sisters for the last several days (they live in the same town) and I always think it's fun to be in someone else's kitchen to see how they do things. What kind of food do they cook on a regular basis? Which foods do they consider "staples"? How is the kitchen organized? 

Anyway, for lunch one day, one of my sisters threw together this delicious and easy pasta salad. (Something I rarely think to make unless I'm taking it to a potluck.)

Here's what she put in:

Bow-tie pasta

Garbanzo beans

Chopped orange bell pepper 

Cucumber

Kalamata olives

Green olives

Cubed chicken (we baked chicken breasts, but you could use leftover chicken too.)

Feta cheese

Greek salad dressing

We didn't measure anything, just added until it looked good, and used enough dressing that everything got a nice coat. It was delicious, fresh, and even better the next day.

Do you have a favorite pasta salad recipe? 

Butternut Squash and Sausage Casserole

by Tara

Now that the holidays are over we can focus on plain, old, winter cooking. I love winter squashes, and butternut squash, in particular, is one of my favorites. I set out to make a vegetarian meal one night using spinach, carmelized onions, and butternut squash and pasta, and it looked like a lot of work. So I made this up as I went along, instead, and it turned out great!

Butternut Squash and Sausage Casserole

Ingredients:
-1 large butternut squash
-3 large yellow onions
-1 tbsp butter
-2 cups whole wheat pasta (I used rotini)
-6 cloves (1 tbsp) minced garlic
-Italian sausage
-15 oz ricotta
-1 tsp crushed red pepper
-1/4 cup milk
-1/4 cup chopped parsley
-2 oz shredded parmesan
-1 cup shredded mozzarella
-spinch and/or arugula (I like the pre-packaged 50/50 mix)
-olive oil spray

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Slice the onions in half and then slice in thin, half-moon strips. Melt butter in large pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook over medium heat, slowly, until a pretty brown color, about 20-25 minutes.
2. Remove onions and cook sausage and garlic in the same pan until sausage is browned.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta as package directs. When the pasta's finished, drain pasta over spinach/arugula (so that it wilts without an extra step!).
4. Add onions, ricotta, red pepper, milk, and parsley to skillet and cook until well-mixed and thickened. Add pasta and spinach/arugula.
5. Spray a casserole pan with the olive oil spray and pour the mixture from the skillet into the pan. Top with shredded cheeses and bake for ~30 minutes or until cheese is melty and browning.

(This makes a LOT of food. A lot. It made three pans and will easily serve 8-12 people as a main/only course. I froze two pans and while it was okay, the casserole wasn't nearly as delicious as when it was fresh. So you could fill up a 9x13 pan and feed a crowd.)

I'm calling this a success. I hope you enjoy it, too!

 

Fetuccine Alfredo with Fresh Egg Pasta

by Jess M

If I were to have to pick a specialty in cooking, it would be "dough." I'm decent at following recipes, but not very creative. Give me a bread dough challenge and various cookbooks and websites to read and I'm set. I really get excited about cooking/baking anything that requires the mixing of flour and liquid into a dough, maybe kneading it with my hands, and turning it into something delicious.

When I was pregnant with my third baby, my nesting took the form of cooking, and more specifically: dough centered foods.  I spent time reading bread forums and baked all of our own bread for a while (that didn't last!). I made muffins and cakes and scones and cookies on the regular. I had to start buying flour in 10-pound bags because I was going through the 5-pound ones too quickly. And it was during this time that I decided I was going to learn to make my own noodles. After some trial and practice I decide it was worth a little investment and so for my birthday that year I got The Complete Book of Pasta and Noodles and an Imperia pasta machine.

Before I decided to commit to another kitchen unitasker, I experimented making pasta by rolling it very thinly with a rolling pin and cutting it with a butter knife. I wanted to make sure that it was worth going to all this trouble for.  And yes, yes it is.

For me, making my own pasta is a weekend, special occasion kind of dish. It's a little too much effort to go to for a weeknight meal. But when you want to make especially delicious fettuccine alfredo - or really any pasta dish - then this is the way to go.

Following the instructions from Cooks Illustrated, I used my food processor to mix up the dough. The dough for egg pasta is simply 2 cups of flour and 3 eggs. Pulse in the food processor until mixed. Then dump it out onto the counter and knead it for a few minutes until it forms a nice smooth ball.  Let the dough rest for a little while (15 min to 2 hours). Then divide the dough into 6 parts and feed each piece through the rollers of the pasta machine, changing the setting so that it gets progressively thinner each time. When it gets to its thinnest, run it through the cutting attachment.

Boil a large pot of salted water and cook the noodles for just a couple of minutes, they will be done very quickly.

Alfredo Sauce
1 1/2 c heavy cream
1 stick of butter
Nutmeg
1 1/2 - 2 cups parmesan cheese
Combine the butter and 1 cup of the cream in a saucepan and bring it to a simmer.  Simmer until the liquid is reduced a bit, about 10-15 minutes. Then add in the remaining cream and nutmeg, turn off the heat and stir in the noodles and Parmesan.

This recipe is a blend of the Cook's Illustrated cooking method and Pioneer Woman's ingredient quantities. Basically I am using the most amount recommended of each of the cream, butter and parmesan. And spring for the good kind of heavy cream, mine came from the local creamery, but even if you can just get the best one from the grocery store it will taste better.

Now.

In the interest of full disclosure I have to say that the night last week I made this it didn't go quite as smoothly as I'm describing here. I HAVE had noodles go very smoothly. Making the dough is quick! And it only takes 20ish minutes to roll and cut them! But last week, possibly because my dough was too sticky, after the first bunch went through the cutter, it got jammed. Dough backed up and the more I tried to feed through the worse it got. I had to throw out some of the more mangled pieces I pulled out. And there are STILL dried pieces of dough sitting in my pasta machine for me to go back and extract. I cursed at it, I maybe threw some dough and I was very disappointed. Dinner took way longer to make than it should have and I was really sad about it because I spent way too much time fooling with my pasta machine. I ended up cutting the last few sheets of dough on the counter with a pastry cutter just so I could be done and we could eat. AND! My kids did that awesome thing kids do when they look at something you've just spent 2 hours working on to get dinner on to the table and they turn up their noses at it and say "ew." Using the already hot pasta water I boiled them some dried spaghetti noodles which they ate with powdered kraft parmesan.

So, yes, you should make your own noodles. Yes, as with anything new or challenging  in the kitchen it sometimes can end up being a(n almost) complete flop. But when it goes well: you will have delicious, tender, silky noodles with cheesy, buttery alfredo sauce. And that is a win.

~~~

Sometime I'm going to also try my hand at ravioli (and avoid that whole pasta cutter getting jammed up thing!). Ariel shared her adventures in making her own ravioli here. 

(Photos from: me)

Tuscany Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

by Katie

I rarely get to Whole Foods, as it’s a little out of the way (and out of the budget) but when I do get there, I enjoy browsing the aisles checking out the interesting things. (Perhaps it’s good I don’t get there often- I can’t seem to get out of there without impulse purchasing a few things, and suddenly I’m spending $75 when I just walked in for a couple specific items.)

Last week, my impulse purchase was this:



(Picture from: Cucina Antica )

It was $8, which is absurd, but I was too intrigued by the idea of pumpkin pasta sauce to pass it up. I warmed up half the jar, tossed it with a package of fresh cheese tortellini and some frozen peas I’d thrown into the pasta water as it finished cooking to call it healthy.

(Picture from: me)

It was so, so good. I liked it, my husband liked it, our 18 month old liked it- the rare dinner that we can all agree upon, without modification. Unlike a lot of squash products and recipes, it wasn’t overly sweet or spiced, and it didn't taste too rich. There are plenty of tomatoes in the sauce, which gives it a nice acidity, and the pumpkin provides a nice mellow counterpoint that doesn’t cross the line into cloying. It went great with tortellini, and the jar says you can stir in a little cream and actually eat it as a soup! (I believe it. It was that good.)

I realize $8 for a jar of pasta sauce is a little ridiculous, but it lasted us two full meals for my little family of three, so I’d rate it as a worthy splurge.

Taco Pasta Bake

By Ariel

Pinterest to the rescue again! This meal makes me a true believer that anything + carbs = amazing.

We do tacos approximately twice a month around here. It's easy and who doesn't love tacos? While on Pinterest I found this pin and knew it would be a hit. I wasn't wrong AND it makes for a great lunch for work the next day. 

I did make a few changes to the original recipe. I used ground turkey and rather than a taco seasoning packet I used Elisabeth's taco seasoning recipe from right here on Food Lush. I probably come back for that specific seasoning mix more than any other recipe out there on the internet. If you have not tried it, check it out! If you don't have all the spices, you're still going to save money (and sodium!) in the long run, I promise!

I also used reduced fat cream cheese and reduced fat mexican blend (Kraft, I believe). 

A couple things I discovered:

Drain the pasta once cooked, but don't rinse it. For the ground turkey/beef do not drain the juice. If your meat is on the dry side add a quarter to half a cup of water because the casserole is great fresh out the oven but will dry for lunch the next day.

This was a great comfort food, thanks to the pasta, and the recipe could easily feed a family of four with room to spare (so I'll be cutting it in half next time!). I'm just not sure if it can be made vegetarian-friendly, which would be nice in my quest to cut more meat from our diet.

Any suggestions from the vegitarians out there? Bonus points if I can make my husband believe it still has meat in it!

Butternut Squash Pasta

By Tara C.

This recipe, from Babyccinokids Blog, is one of my favorite dinners for fall and winter.

(photo from: me)

As I'm writing this, I notice that I'm posting this recipe EXACTLY four years after it was originally posted. Something about September 12 must call out for cozy, squashy meals. Anyway, I think the combination of the butternut squash, sage and parmesan is just about perfect. Plus it's simple and easy to throw together.

I made the dish pictured here using a butternut squash I roasted myself and I used fresh sage from my garden, because you guys are totally worth it. But, I have also made this recipe using frozen butternut squash and dried sage and it's delicious too. You can, of course, adjust it to your family's tastes. I omitted the pine nuts and dried chili pepper.

I am completely in love with the bright orange color of this dish--I think it's just gorgeous.

Zucchini Noodles

by Tara

I adore pasta. But how many of us can eat as much pasta as we'd like? (Well, maybe you. But not me!) Enter zucchini noodles!

I've seen several recipes for these, and I've tried two. There's one in Well Fed by Melissa Joulwan that's delicious, but involves sweating the noodles in salt and I can never seem to rinse them well enough after they sweat, so they taste way too salty. There's also one on Melissa's blog that doesn't involve sweating. The method I found on Kalyn's Kitchen is the one I like best.

I don't have a Julienne cutter, so I make zucchini ribbons with my vegetable peeler.

Beautiful noodles, ready to cook!

Last time I made them I sauteed them with red onions and garlic and added salt and pepper. They were simply delicious.

Ready to eat. (Pictured with Sweet N Tangy BBQ Meatballs from Life as a Plate.)

It's not the same as devouring a plate of delicious pasta, but zucchini noodles are a healthier alternative, and are so easy to make!

What's your favorite healthier alternative food?

Health(ier) Fettuccine Alfredo with Broccoli and Shrimp

by Maura

Pasta is one of my favorite foods and I could drink red sauce (aka gravy, aka Sunday sauce). Unfortunately, Will is not a big fan of red sauce. He loves creamy, cheesy sauces and anything with wine and butter. Who doesn't? In an (unending) effort to make our meals healthier, I fooled around with a few recipes for "skinny" fettuccine alfredo. Surprisingly, I came up with a pretty good recipe. To no one's surprise, it's not all that healthy. In retrospect, we could have done without the shrimp. The pasta was creamy and surprisingly decadent. I see us adding this to our pasta repertoire. 

Ingredients

6 oz of thin fettuccine
2 tbsp butter, divided
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp flour
3/4 c. low fat milk (2%)
1/4 c. half-and-half
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese 
3 c. broccoli florets
1/2 lb. shrimp, cleaned and de-veined
zest of 1 lemon, divided
1/2 tsp salt
ground pepper, to taste 

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and half of lemon zest. Cook pasta according to directions.

2. Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a large, nonstick pan. Sautee garlic until fragrant. Stir in flour slowly and cook for a minute. Add milk and half-and-half and cook until slightly thickened, stirring constantly.

3. When there is about 4 minutes left before the pasta reaches al dente, add broccoli florets to the pasta water with the pasta.

4. In a separate pan, cook shrimp in 1 tbsp of butter until pink, about 5 minutes.

5. When sauce begins to thicken, add salt, remainder of lemon zest and pepper. 

6. Drain pasta and broccoli and reserve some of the cooking water.

7. Add pasta, broccoli and shrimp to the sauce and stir to coat. Add pasta water, as necessary, to thin out the sauce. Top with extra grated cheese and pepper. Enjoy!