Everyday Pasta (25 page)

6 servings

On my last trip to Venice I fell in love with a shrimp lasagna I tried. This recipe is my twist on that Venetian dish. If you keep frozen shrimp in the freezer, this is a very good way to use them. Be sure not to overcook the lasagna noodles when you are boiling them, as they will finish cooking when you bake the assembled dish. You will only need twelve noodles in all, but cook a few extras in case some break or tear as you are boiling them.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and partially cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Add the shrimp and the garlic to the pan and sauté until the shrimp are cooked, about 4 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat and let cool. Coarsely chop the cooled shrimp and place in a large bowl with 2 cups of the ricotta cheese (one container and about one-third of the other), the Parmesan cheese, eggs, basil, ¾ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and the nutmeg. Stir to combine.

In another bowl, combine the marinara sauce with the remaining 1 cup of ricotta cheese and stir to combine.

To make the lasagna, cover the bottom of a 9 × 13 × 2-inch baking dish with 1 cup of the marinara mixture. Lay four noodles flat on a dry work surface. Spread about ¼ cup of the shrimp mixture evenly over each noodle. Roll up and place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat twice more to make 12 lasagna rolls. Drizzle the rolls with the remaining marinara mixture and top with grated mozzarella. Bake until the lasagna rolls are heated through and the cheese is beginning to brown, about 25 minutes.

4 to 6 servings, depending on how you plate it

When orzo, rice-shaped pasta, is cooked like risotto, it becomes soft and creamy. It’s a wonderful foil for pork, as well as chicken or seafood, and you can change the seasonings to match the protein. A drizzle of herby vinaigrette over the pork and orzo gives an extra zing of flavor.

For the orzotto, in a medium saucepan, bring the 3½ cups of broth to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover the broth and keep hot over low heat.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the orzo and stir to coat with the butter. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add ½ cup of the simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the pasta, adding the broth ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of broth to absorb before adding the next, until the pasta is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes total.

Meanwhile, combine all the vinaigrette ingredients in a small jar or tight-sealing plastic container. Shake well and set aside.

For the pork, heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Season the pork with salt and pepper. When the oil is hot, carefully place the pork chops in the skillet. Sear the pork until a golden crust begins to form, turning once, about 8 minutes per side. Remove the pork from the pan and cover loosely with foil to rest. Pour off the excess oil from the pan and return it to medium heat. Pour the ½ cup of chicken broth into the skillet and, using a wooden spoon, scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Turn off the heat.

To finish the orzotto, remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the broth from the pork skillet, the Parmesan cheese, the remaining tablespoon of butter, and the salt and pepper.

Spoon the orzotto onto a serving platter (or onto individual plates). Slice each chop into ½-inch-thick strips and arrange the meat on top of the orzotto. Drizzle with the herb vinaigrette. Serve immediately.

4 to 6 servings

If you love seafood stew, this is the dish for you. It’s bright and colorful from the greens and the tomatoes, with lots of great sauce to dip your bread in.

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, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, until tender but not brown. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and cook for another minute. Add the wine, shrimp, and clams and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pan, and simmer until the shrimp are pink and the clams have opened, about 7 minutes. Discard any clams that have not opened.

Add the spaghetti to the skillet with the seafood mixture. Add the salt and pepper and stir to combine, then gently fold in the arugula. Mound the pasta on a serving platter and serve immediately.

4 to 6 servings

This recipe has several steps, but give it a try; I think you’ll find that none of the steps is difficult, and you can prepare the recipe in stages if you like. Make the filling one day, fill and cook the tortelloni the next, or make and fill the pasta to freeze, and cook anytime you want!

The autumn flavors of squash, nuts, and cranberries make this the perfect side dish for a big holiday meal, or a vegetarian alternative for the non-meat eaters at the table.

To make the tortelloni, preheat the oven to 375°F. On a foil-lined baking sheet, toss together the butternut squash, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper. Bake until soft and golden, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Cook the shallots and garlic until lightly golden, about 3 minutes.

In a food processor, combine the roasted squash, the shallot mixture, and the ricotta cheese and pulse a few times to blend. Add the crushed amaretti cookies and the nutmeg, and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pulse until smooth. The tortelloni filling can be made one day ahead.

To make the tortelloni, lay out 6 wonton squares, keeping the remaining squares inside the package or under a very lightly dampened paper towel to prevent them from drying out. Place 1 tablespoon of squash mixture in the middle of the square. Using a small pastry brush, wet the edges of the square. Gently fold the square wrapper into a triangle, making sure the edges are securely closed and there are no air pockets inside. Dampen the corners of the longest side of the triangle and gently bring them together, pressing lightly to secure. Place the formed tortelloni on a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Be careful to dry the work surface before laying out another 6 wonton squares; this will help keep the tortelloni from sticking to the baking sheet. Continue until all the squash mixture is used. There should be approximately 36 tortelloni. The tortelloni can be frozen on the baking sheet, transferred to a tightly sealed plastic bag or container, and stored for up to one month.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. As it heats, make the sauce: Melt the butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the sage and cook until the butter starts to brown, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the cranberries, walnuts, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Place the tortelloni in the boiling water and gently stir. When they begin to float, they are done, about 3 minutes for fresh, 5 minutes if they’ve been frozen. Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the tortelloni to a serving platter. Top with the cranberry walnut sauce, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and serve.