Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables

I actually made this long time ago but I didn't realize that I didn't post it until I was looking through some old pictures. This was around the time of our annual holiday potluck with my college friends and I always like to try something new for it. My boyfriend is vegetarian so I wanted to make sure that were was something he could eat at the party. This would be my first attempt at a truly vegetarian dish. 

Courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

• 2 red peppers, cored and cut into 1-inch wide strips
• 2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 summer squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 4 cremini mushrooms, halved
• 1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch strips
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1 tablespoon dried Italian herb mix or herbs de Provence
• 1 pound penne pasta
• 3 cups marinara sauce (store bought or homemade)
• 1 cup grated fontina cheese
• 1/2 cup grated smoked mozzarella
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/3 cup for topping
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

On a baking sheet, toss the peppers, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and onions with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and dried herbs. Roast until tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for about 6 minutes. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is still hard. Drain in a colander.

In a large bowl, toss the drained pasta with the roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, cheeses, peas, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix, until all the pasta is coated with the sauce and the ingredients are combined.

Pour the pasta into a greased 9 by 13-inch pan. Top with the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan and butter pieces. Bake until top is golden and cheese melts, about 25 minutes.

Review

First of all, the picture does not do it justice. That is just a terrible photograph and I wish I had a more well-presented picture of this dish. I should have plated it right away and taken a picture. Second of all, there was a slight complication because my boyfriend and I had to go to another holiday party before the one with my friends so the dish was sitting in the oven (turned off) with aluminum foil, which ended up hardening the top layer of the pasta dish and making it taste overcooked. Regardless of the fact, I actually still enjoyed the dish. I loved everything that went into it and I just know if I didn't overcook the top layer then it would have been perfection. But that's okay, first time around I am bound to make mistakes. I will definitely make this again and retake the damn picture to make it look more delicious. 

Basil Pesto Linguine

One day, I was asking my boyfriend what to eat for dinner. I was thinking about some fast food places but he told me that I should cook some basil pesto pasta. I was so damn lazy, but he kept giving me a hard time about how I don't cook anymore and I could save money if I just stopped eating out so often. He was right. I got up and and marched right down to Safeway and picked up some basil pesto ingredients.

Courtesy of foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

• 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino cheese (see Cook's Note)

Directions

Combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add 1/2 cup of the oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

If using immediately, add all the remaining oil and pulse until smooth. Transfer the pesto to a large serving bowl and mix in the cheese.

Boil some linguine for about 9 minutes. Drain the water and stir in the a few spoonfuls of pesto into the pasta until the noodles are coated enough to your liking. Place on a plate and dice some fresh tomatoes to place on top. 

Review

This was the first time I had ever made pesto. And to be honest, I have had pesto maybe only once in my entire life so my technique in making this pasta dish could be a little off and I wouldn't really know the difference. Anyway, this dish is incredibly easy to make. Boil some pasta, throw some pesto ingredients into the food processor, and combine. Nothing at all too complicated. And the dish came out pretty well. My only issue with this was that I think I added too much cheese (I never thought I would ever make that statement). But I just followed the recipe pretty strictly, although looking back at it I think I should have slowly added the cheese until I thought I put enough. Regardless, it was still a tasty dish. Just some lesson learned for the next time I make it.

Chicken Carbonara

The first time I had Chicken Carbonara was at Sonoma Chicken Coop in San Jose, CA. That one is served over rice but that dish is honestly one of my favorites in the entire bay area. I looked online for a recipe and to little surprise, Ms. Giada De Laurentiis has one online.

Courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, chopped
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 1/2 cups whipping cream
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 8 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• Salt
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 4 cups coarsely shredded chicken (from 1 roasted chicken)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and garlic and saute until it is brown and crisp, about 8 minutes. Cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, cheese, yolks, basil, and parsley to blend.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook until it is just tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Drain.

Add the chicken to the pan with the pancetta and stir to combine. Next, add the spaghetti and the cream mixture and toss over medium-low heat until the chicken is heated through and the sauce coats the spaghetti thickly, about 4 minutes (do not boil or you might end up scrambling the eggs). Season the pasta, to taste, with pepper and salt if needed (the pancetta will likely add all the salt you need). Transfer the pasta to a large wide serving bowl. Sprinkle the walnuts and lemon zest over, and serve..

Review

Seeing how simple the recipe is, I was not expecting too much. Despite that, all the flavors worked so well together. The subtle lemon zest, the freshness of the basil and italian parsley, the crunch of the walnuts, the savory flavors of the panchetta and the garlic, they all complemented each other very well and I was pleasantly surprised. Even though it doesn't compare exactly to the chicken carbonara I am used to from Sonoma Chicken Coop, this is still a delicious home cooking alternative and definitely up there with my favorite pasta recipes. I might consider adding some other ingredients like green beans or maybe incorporate another cheese. All in all, another great Giada recipe 

Mozzarella, Tomato, Basil Bruschetta

I hosted a dinner at my place and I decided to cook the same pasta I always cook (Cajun Shrimp Alfredo). But I wanted to complement it with an appetizer so I decided to make a simple bruschetta.

Courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

• 1 (32-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, washed and spun dry
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large French baguettes, sliced 1-inch thick (about 36 slices)
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced 1/4-inch thick

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In the bowl of a food processor, add drained tomatoes, 1 cup basil leaves, olive oil and 2 cloves garlic. Pulse until smooth, but somewhat chunky. Season with salt and pepper.

On a baking sheet, line up baguette slices. Toast in oven for about 3 minutes or until light golden brown. Working quickly, rub the remaining garlic on the toasted side of each slice and then lay a piece of mozzarella cheese on top. Place bread back in oven and melt cheese slightly, about 45 seconds. Remove from oven and spread one tablespoon of the tomato mixture on each piece.

Review

This recipe is incredibly simple for how tasty and classy of an appetizer this can be. It says to use canned tomatoes, which I must admit made me a little skeptical, but it turned out really delicious. The toasted French bed with the mozzarella really sets it off, especially when it's right out of the oven. There were a few mistakes I made, though, since I was in a rush. Make sure to toast the bread first then put the cheese on after to melt it. Since I put the cheese on right away with some of them, the bread didn't have the crunch that makes it good. Also, make sure the liquid is drained as much as possible from the can so that it maintains a good consistency and color. I do want to try it with fresh tomatoes though. I'm sure it would make it taste even better. A friend, James, also suggested putting Parmigiano-Reggiano on top as well. All in all, a great appetizer.

Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta

I had almost nothing in my fridge. I've been lazy to go get some groceries, mostly because I'm low on money and groceries would take a big chunk out of my bank account. But then again, how the hell am I going to eat? So what did I have exactly? Shrimp and spaghetti. What can I do? PLENTY!

Ingredients

• 1 lb of 21-30 count shrimp
  
• 16oz of spaghetti noodles
  
• 5 large cloves of garlic, finely minced
  
• 1 lemon, juiced
  
• 1/3 cup of olive oil
• 1/2 stick of butter, melted
  
• 1 tbsp of paprika
• 1 tbsp of garlic salt
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 2 tsp of dried parsley
  

Directions

In a pot, boil the spaghetti noodles for 5-7 minutes, or as directed by the box. Drain water.

In a bowl, coat the shrimp with the paprika, garlic salt, and black pepper. In a skillet, put in 2 tbsp of olive oil with the garlic. Cook for 30 seconds and toss in the shrimp. Cook until the shrimp is at least half pink. Toss in the cooked spaghetti noodles. Throw in the butter and lemon juice and the rest of the olive oil, stirring frequently to allow them to coat the noodles. Season with additional paprika, garlic salt, and black pepper to one's preference. Season with parsley and the dish is ready to serve.


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I love cooking random dishes and having them turn out good. Before I conceptualized the lemon garlic butter idea, I thought of cooking a sweet pasta with moscato, strawberries, and apples because those were one of the few things I had in the fridge. I ended up abandoning the idea, but I really want to find something to cook strawberries and apples with now. My final dish, however, was quite delicious. It was definitely lighter than most of the dishes I cook, but I loved it. It's so much easier to cook than my typical tomato sauce or alfredo pastas. I do want to figure out a way to make the sauce a little more liquidy because there wasn't much of it when I ate it. Instead, the noodles had a very thick coat. Regardless, I still loved the dish! Now, time to figure out what I can cook with moscato, strawberries, and apples. It sounds scrumptious already!

Spicy Cheesy Spaghetti

Look! Another spaghetti! What a surprise (I hope you see the sarcasm). Actually, that is the main reason I'm posting this dish. It was surprisingly interesting.

Remember that spaghetti I was supposed to make two days ago? Well, I finally got that sauce from Safeway. What's funny about spaghetti is that I never make the same spaghetti. It always changes with what I have in the fridge and spice rack. This time around, this is how it turned out:

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 package of spaghetti noodles
• 1 large bottle of Ragu Super Chunky Mushroom
  
• 1/2 bottle of spicy Jufran (banana ketchup)
  
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 large lemon
• 1 1/2 cups Monterrey jack cheese, grated
  
• 1/4 of large onion, chopped
  
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp chopped pickled jalapenos
  
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
  
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp garlic salt
  
• 2 tsp black pepper
  
• Parmesan cheese for garnish

Directions

Bring hot water to boiling in a large pot. Put in spaghetti noodles and follow package directions. Once cooked, drain the noodles in colander and put back into pot with the heat off.

Bring skillet with olive oil to high heat. Add garlic and onions and cook for 1 minute to unleash flavors. Add ground beef and cook for 5 minutes, or until fully browned.

Add ground beef to large pot along with Ragu, Jufran, Monterrey jack cheese, butter, and jalapenos. Cook on medium-high heat and stir occasionally until cheese and butter are fully melted. Add soy sauce, lemon, sugar, salt, and black pepper. The measurements of the last five ingredients are just estimates so add in cautiously and adjust to personal taste.

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I would say this is one of the best spaghetti's I made and I don't even know why. Maybe I just got lucky with the proportions or there is something about this recipe that just gives it the wow factor. Like I said I am normally never able to recreate the same spaghetti each time, but I hope I can with this. Some people are caught off guard by the soy sauce, and I was the same way when I saw my friend's sister put it into her spaghetti long time ago. But I just love the flavor it brings. Also, I'm glad I added the lemon and small amount of butter. Some other things I added to live up to the name: jalapenos, Monterrey jack cheese, spicy Jufran, Parmesan cheese. And all others are pretty typical for my spaghetti's. I usually use Prego but Ragu was a worthy substitute. Things I wished I put in were mushrooms and sweet bell peppers. I guess that's why I got the chunk mushroom sauce and added jalapenos.

Disclaimer: if you make this and it doesn't come out as good as I am describing, I'll have to go your place and do it myself because I normally don't cook my experimental stuff with measurements. I just kinda toss in certain things until it tastes good, hahaha.

Baked Mac-n-Cheese

I was originally supposed to make Fried Mac-n-Cheese Balls for the Thanksgiving Dinner at my new place, but then Diwata told me that her friend had so much leftover Mac-n-Cheese that I decided not to make it. Unfortunately, that friend ended up not coming but that didn't really matter.

When Erline told me about this White Elephant shindig she was having at her place in San Mateo, I thought, "OO what a perfect opportunity to try out these Fried Mac-n-Cheese Balls." Too bad I didn't read the directions to the recipe until the day of and that's when I realized sometime during the process of making them I would have to store them overnight in the freezer. That was a failure so I decided to make this baked Macaroni and Cheese recipe.

Courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

• Butter, for greasing dish
• 12 ounces wide egg noodles
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups (packed) grated Fontina
• 3/4 cup (packed) finely grated Parmesan
• 3/4 cup (packed) grated mozzarella
• 4 ounces cooked ham, diced, optional
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Butter a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Drain well, but do not rinse.

Whisk the cream, milk, flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper in large bowl to blend. Stir in 1 cup Fontina, 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1/2 cup mozzarella, ham, if using, and parsley. Add the noodles and toss to coat. Transfer the noodle mixture to the prepared baking dish. Toss the remaining 1 cup Fontina, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and 1/4 cup mozzarella in a small bowl to blend. Sprinkle the cheese mixture over the noodle mixture. Bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheese melts and begins to brown on top, about 20 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Review

Wow, it was just perfect. I couldn't find regular Fontina cheese, but the smoked Fontina added this new flavor to the recipe that I did not expect and it fit in well. At first I was not going to add the ham, but it was pretty good in the end. I might substitute for something else like bacon. Or maybe I can make it Filipino Mac-n-Cheese and add tocino or longanisa, hahahaha. Also, because the Fontina was a pricier than the Parmesan and Mozarella, I might consider changing the ratio so I don't have to buy so much Fontina. And I might add a kick to it because I love spice. Maybe Paprika and Pepper Jack? Mmmm, sounds delicious already.

The only thing was that I wish it was freshly cooked right out of the oven, so it wouldn't be as chunky. I had to cook it 5 hours earlier than the party because I had to tutor before and I did not have time to go back home and cook it. But otherwise, it was great. It sounded like a hit because some of the people there were raving about it. I always love Erline's reactions because you can really tell when she loves a dish, like the Chicken Tortilla Soup I cooked a while back.

With the leftovers I took home, it seemed like the Mac-n-Cheese got better with age because after microwaving it, it still tasted as good as the first day.

I am definitely going to make it for Brown Carabao when I go back to SD.

Cajun Shrimp Alredo

I first made this for Erline and Theresa's apartment last year around Halloween. That was when Aaron and I got kicked out of our old apartment, but that's a long story I'd rather not get into here. Anyway, ever since then I have cooked this for almost every special occasion and my friends just love it. This is definitely one of my most favorite dishes to make of all time.

Courtesy of Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 6 tablespoons Essence (listed below), plus more for garnish 
• 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 10 ounces andouille sausage, chopped
• 1/2 medium onion, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 shakes Worcestershire sauce
• 1 pound linguine
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon hot chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Essence (Creole Seasoning)

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Directions

Place the shrimp and 3 tablespoons Essence in a large resealable plastic bag and shake. Place the bag in the refrigerator while you prepare the sauce.

Heat a deep 3-quart skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and the andouille sausage. Saute sausage for 2 minutes, stirring often. Add onions and saute for 2 minutes. Add crushed red pepper flakes and garlic and cook 1 minute. Add Worcestershire sauce.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to package instructions.

To the skillet, add cream, milk, remaining Essence, black pepper, chili powder, and salt. Stir to a consistent color. Add butter and stir until melted. Stir in cheese until melted. Lower heat to a simmer.

Heat the remaining olive oil in another large skillet over high heat and add the shrimp. Saute shrimp for 1 to 2 minutes per side or until they just start to turn pink. Add the shrimp and cooked, drained pasta to the first skillet. Stir to combine and blend flavors, about 1 minute.

Serve in a large pasta bowl. Sprinkle with parsley and Essence for garnish.

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The first time I made this, we forgot to buy heavy whipping cream, as you can see in the first picture because it lacks that creaminess that this dish needs. In fact, I didn't even know what the hell heavy whipping cream was up until I cooked this. Thank goodness I found out what it was because I've used it so many times in my cooking. Anyway, we had to use a cream-substitute and all we had was sour cream. Thankfully, it didn't come out that bad. It wasn't that creamy, but it was still delicious. This dish definitely has a huge kick to it, but I love the fire. Coupled with the shrimp and the andouille sausage, this dish is to die for. It is really rich (and definitely does not belong in the South Beach diet, or any kind of diet for that matter), but if you're looking for a really savory meal with fire, this is it.

Pico de Gallo Spaghetti

Today, I was really lazy to cook something up. I then decided to go with a simple spaghetti. I didn't even really premeditate this. My plan was going to go with my own typical Filipino spaghetti, though I would be lacking the irreplaceable hot dogs. Next thing I know, I was going with something completely different from what I usually do, and I ended up with this:

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• Handful of cilantro, minced
• Half of a lime (or lemon)
• 2 tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce
• 1/3 cup of spicy banana ketchup (Jufran)
• 4 cups of Prego spaghetti sauce
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• One regular-sized package of wheat spaghetti noodles
• Salt, ground black pepper, sugar (seasoned to your preference)

Random, is it not?

Directions

Boil the spaghetti noodles. Pour into colander and drizzle with olive oil to prevent clumping.

Saute the onions and garlic with olive oil until slightly golden. Throw in the ground beef for about 5-7 minutes until a slight crisp brown. Stir in the Prego and warm until barely boiling. Mix in the cilantro, lime, banana ketchup, soy sauce, tomatoes. Season with salt, black pepper, and sugar to liking.

Pour sauce onto noodles and ready to serve.

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I must say this was awkwardly interesting. I didn't realize that it had all the ingredients of pico de gallo until I tasted it. And I was pleasantly surprised. Maybe I can call this my Mexican Spaghetti, haha. This will remind me that experiments don't always come out horrible.