Rigatoni with a Creamy Fontina-Sausage Sauce

The name says it all. This is one dreamy and delicious pasta dish.

This is probably one of my favorite dinners! If I had to choose a last meal, it would be a toss up between Indian food from Bombay House (saag shorba, garlic naan, assorted snacks and chicken tikka masala), sizzling steak and Flemings potatoes from Flemings or this Sausage Rigatoni.
We usually serve it with a large Cesar salad and a loaf of crusty bread and butter and really, there's nothing better.

Thick al dente rigatoni noodles are covered with a delicious and rich creamy sausage sauce. The rigatoni noodles are perfect for this dish because the hollow centers fill-up with all that yummy saucy goodness. The noodle and sauce mixture is topped with two delightful cheeses, Fontina and Romano, and then baked until golden and bubbly. Honestly, this pasta dish is just wonderful. All my family and friends that try this just love it and get a copy of the recipe so they can make it for their family and friends. This is just a great anytime pasta. My mother-in-law makes hers with turkey sausage and it's incredible!

Make this. You won't be disappointed!

Rigatoni with a Creamy Fontina-Sausage Sauce
Source: Marguerite Henderson, Savor the Memories 

Ingredients:
1 lb. imported rigatoni pasta, cooked slightly underdone, drained
2 T. olive oil
1 lb. bulk sweet Italian sausage
1 T. minced garlic
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. fennel seed
1 T. dried oregano
1 T. dried basil
28 oz. can crushed Italian tomatoes with juices
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 lb. Fontina cheese, cut into small dice
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
Method:

Cook pasta and place in a 9" x 13" baking dish. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat oil. Saute the sausage for 5 minutes, crumbling as you cook. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, fennel seed, oregano and basil. Saute for another minute. Add tomatoes, salt and cream. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the sauce to the pasta, sprinkle with Fontina and Romano cheeses. Cover loosely with foil. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 20 minutes. Serve at once. Serves 4-6.

Fried Ravioli

Crispy and salty on the outside and gooey and cheesy on the inside, fried raviolis make for a tasty and fun appetizer.

These are super simple to make. They take some time, but the steps are easy. Take fresh or thawed raviolis (I used a pkg. of frozen spinach/cheese raviolis from Costco), dip them in buttermilk and then into breadcrumbs. 

 Fry in olive oil for 2-3 minutes until browned and crisp. Cool briefly on paper towels. Serve with your favorite marinara sauce.

 That's it! Dip, nibble, enjoy.

Fried Ravioli's

Source: Foodtv.com
Ingredients
Olive oil, for frying
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups Italian-style bread crumbs
1 box store-bought cheese ravioli (about 24 ravioli)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 jar store bought marinara sauce, heated, for dipping

Directions
Pour enough olive oil into a large frying pan to reach a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 325 degrees F.

While the oil is heating, put the buttermilk and the bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls. Working in batches, dip ravioli in buttermilk to coat completely. Allow the excess buttermilk to drip back into the bowl. Dredge ravioli in the bread crumbs. Place the ravioli on a baking sheet, and continue with the remaining ravioli.

When the oil is hot, fry the ravioli in batches, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried ravioli to paper towels to drain.

Sprinkle the fried ravioli with Parmesan and serve with a bowl of warmed marinara sauce for dipping.

Israeli Couscous Salad

Israeli couscous is my new favorite grain to work with. It's pre-steamed so it takes less time to prepare than regular couscous, it's very affordable compared to other grains (around two dollars a pound), it's good warm or cold and it has a delicious creamy texture and taste. 

Here is raw Israeli couscous. It resembles tiny white pearls. 

For this salad, saute one onion (diced small) in a couple tablespoons of olive oil with some fresh minced garlic. Red, orange or yellow peppers are also nice added in. Once the onions are translucent, add the couscous and toast until lightly browned. Season with salt, pepper and dried herbs and spices like parsley, basil, thyme, smoked paprika, lawry's, ground cumin (I just add a little of this and a little of that). Add chicken stock or water in 1:2 ratio (1 cup couscous to 2 cups liquid)

I like to add garbanzo beans to my salad. So for fun, I fried them beforehand with a little olive oil, salt, pepper and graham masala. It didn't really make a difference in the final salad, but it did add a little extra flavor.

Once the liquid is added, bring couscous to a boil and then simmer covered for 15 minutes. Fluff with a spatula and then add whatever ingredients you like. Cherry tomatoes, garbanzo beans, cucumbers, feta, black beans, fresh basil, corn, etc. are all tasty additions (although not all together).

Finish off the salad with chives, toasted almonds, salt and pepper.

Serve - Smile - Enjoy

Cooking Club: April 2010

Theme: Eggs
All the dishes at this month's cooking club were so delicious! Who knew there were so many yummy things you could make with eggs as the main ingredient? Great job ladies.

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Summer (Host): Scrambled Egg Breakfast Pizza (Pictured above)

Linda: Vanilla Bean Cake with Lemon Glaze

Shauna: Lemon and Basil Eggs over Foccacia

Susan: Shrimp Crab Cakes

Lori: Coconut Creme Brulee

Betty: Smoked Salmon and Dill Egg Salad Tea Sandwiches 

Sarah: Spaghetti Alla  Carbonara

Summer: Lemon Meringue Pie

Teresa: Deviled Eggs

Chris: Mini Quiche

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Smoked Salmon and Dill Egg Salad Tea Sandwiches 

Long name, tasty sandwich. Great flavor from the smoked salmon, capers and dill.

Mini Quiches

Very versatile. Great basic quiche that you can adapt to your tastes. This one has a surprise ingredient of cottage cheese that lends a nice texture.

Coconut Creme Brulee

What's not to love about this creamy dessert? The hint of coconut in these makes them superb.

Deviled Eggs

Super creamy filling with a nice tang. Everything you want in a deviled egg.

Spaghetti Alla Carbonara

"Tastes like it came straight from a gourmet restaurant". This was really, really good. 

Shrimp Crab Cakes

These were excellent. Great flavor and texture. Loved the big chunks of fresh shrimp.

Lemon and Basil Eggs over Foccacia

This was incredible. The top middle section of a loaf of foccacia is taken out and replaced with a delicious mixture of eggs, parmesan and basil and baked to perfection.

Vanilla Bean Cake with Lemon Glaze

If there were any left over, I would enjoy one with a cup of coffee the next morning. Light and fluffy vanilla cake is topped with a punch of zesty lemon glaze and crunchy sanding sugar.

Fruity White Wine Sangria

Lightly sweet, refreshing punch with slices of fresh fruit.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Great lemon flavor. This pie didn't quite set up but it was still delicious! 

Enjoy the photos. Recipes coming soon.


Next month: Luau Theme (Hawaiian Tropical Attire)
Sunday, May 23 @ 5:00
Host: Linda

Something to Savor

One of my favorite cookbooks that I turn to over and over again is Marguerite Henderson's Savor the Memories. Marguerite is a local Italian cook who started the charming and wonderful gourmet deli, Cucina, in the Avenues. Now she teaches cooking classes from her home (which are really fun!) and writes cookbooks (among her many culinary endeavors).

All the recipes I've tried from Savor the Memories have been absolutely delicious! They have simple ingredients, they're easy to assemble and the flavors are just amazing. It's a must have cookbook! To visit her website, click here.

One of my favorite recipes from Savor the Memories, is Rigatoni with a Creamy Fontina-Sausage Sauce. The name says it all. This dish is sooo good! The sausage sauce bursts with flavor and the combination of al dente rigatoni noodles smothered in a creamy tomato sauce, topped with fontina cheese and baked until bubbly and golden is to die for. I would recommend this dish anytime. It's always a hit!

Here is the yummy sauce made up of tomatoes, sausage, cream and spices.

After it simmers, it's poured over the rigatoni pasta

Chunks of fontina and freshly grated Romano cheese crown the pasta.

And then it's into the oven...

And 20 minutes later, cheesey, wonderful goodness emerges and is ready to be devoured with a nice salad and bottle of wine.

One of my favorite salads to serve with almost any meal, is a simple tossed salad with a chevre vinaigrette. The dressing recipe comes from my sister-in-law and everyone always loves it and asks for the recipe. There isn't an exact, measured recipe, but I can tell you what goes in it and you'll have to experiment and come up with a version that suits your tastes.

Dressing
Olive Oil
Red Wine Vinegar
Italian seasoning blend
Chevre (creamy goat cheese)
Salt and Pepper

Whisk Olive Oil and Red Wine Vinegar together (a few Tablespoons of each). Add Italian seasoning (1/2 tsp to 1 tsp). Whisk in chevre to thicken (1 Tbs. or so). Add salt and pepper to taste.

*Next time I make this I'll try and measure the ingredients so I can write down something more concrete.

For the Salad

Mixed greens
Toasted pine nuts or sliced almonds
Chunks of Chevre (left over from dressing)
Optional
Cucumbers, thinly sliced
Tomatoes, diced small
Avocado, sliced
Cranberries

Cooking Club: June

Recipes from a Package
Summer: Thai peanut Pasta
Shauna: Mojitos
Linda: Berry Cheese Spread
Lori: Magic Cookie Bars
Chris: Frozen raspberry Bars
Sarah: Raspberry, Almond Tart
Betty: Marshmallow Krispie Bars
Ashlin: Chipotle Jelly and Cream Cheese

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Chipotle Jelly over cream cheese served with crackers and ginger snaps, from Chipotle Jelly Jar

Mojitos from Bacardi Frozen drink mix can

Thai Peanut Pasta from Thai Kitchen's Peanut Sauce bottle

Frozen Raspberry Bars from Vanilla Waffers box

Marshmallow Krispie Bars from Duncan Hines box

Berry cheese ball with cinnamon toast

Raspberry Almond Tart from the phyllo package

Magic Cookie Bars from Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk can

Our awesome cooking ladies!

Future member


Magic Cookie Bars
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
1 (14-ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk)
2 cups (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped nuts
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (325°F for glass dish). In small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and butter; mix well. Press crumb mixture firmly on bottom of 13X9-inch baking pan.
Pour EAGLE BRAND® evenly over crumb mixture. Layer evenly with remaining ingredients; press down firmly with fork.
Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars or diamonds. Store leftovers covered at room temperature.

Raspberry Phyllo Tart

1/2 cup almonds, ground
3 tablespoons sugar
20 sheets Athens phyllo Dough, thawed
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup almond paste 2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons flour
1 1/2 pints raspberries
1/2 cup raspberry jelly, heated to a liquid

In small bowl, combine almonds and sugar. Set aside. In medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup butter, almond paste, eggs and flour. Using an electric mixer, beat at high speed until smooth, for about 5 minutes. Use a 9" springform pan. Take a piece of waxed paper and cut a circle 10" round to use as a pattern. Fold the pattern in half and use this as a guide to cut through 20 phyllo sheets. Cover the phyllo with plastic wrap until ready to use. Melt the remaining 1/4 cup of butter and butter pan bottom. Overlap the sheets of phyllo (using curved edges of phyllo to fit along sides of pan), covering the bottom and sides of the pan. Sprinkle the almond and sugar mixture over each sheet as you layer them. Use all 20 sheets. Pour the almond paste and butter mixture over the top layer of phyllo. Bake in preheated 350ºF oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove tart from oven and arrange raspberries on filling. Brush with heated jelly. Serve warm or chilled with ice cream or whipped cream.
Yield: 8 servings
Thai Peanut Pasta
10 oz egg noodles (about 1 lb), cooked
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup match stick cut cucumber
1/2 cup orange or red bell pepper diced
2 Tbs lime juice
2 Tbs honey
1/2 cup Thai Kitchen Spicy Peanut Sauce
Boil pasta to al dente. Drain and Chill. Toss pasta with carrots, cucumber and pepper. Whisk together Thai peanut sauce, lime juice and honey. Pour over pasta and chill until ready to serve.
Chipotle Jelly Spread
Pour one bottle of chipotle or pepper jelly over one 8 oz block of room temperature cream cheese. Serve with crackers and ginger snaps.
Marshmallow Krispie Bars
1 pkg Duncan Hines® Milk Chocolate Chunk Brownie Mix
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup crisp rice cereal

Preheat oven to 350 ºF. Grease bottom of 8x8-inch pan.
Prepare and bake brownies according to package directions. Remove from oven.
Sprinkle marshmallows on hot brownies. Return to oven. Bake for 3 minutes.
Place chocolate chips and peanut butter in medium saucepan. Cook on low heat. Stir constantly until chips are melted. Add rice cereal. Mix well. Spread mixture over marshmallow layer. Refrigerate until chilled.

Makes 16 bars.

Mojitos
1 (10 fluid ounce) can BACARDI® Mixers Mojito frozen mix
10 fluid ounces BACARDI® Superior Rum*
2 (12 fluid ounce) cans club soda

In a pitcher stir BACARDI® Mixers Mojito and BACARDI® Superior Rum. Fill up 2 cans with club soda and splash. Serve over ice. Garnish with mint & lime.

Lemon Orzo Salad

If you cook with fresh herbs, you know how expensive they can be. But if you fancy basil, your in luck. Trader Joes sells large Basil plants for only $2.49, as compared to $3 or $4 dollars for a small plastic pack at the grocery store.

This Lemon Orzo dish is one of my favorite pasta recipes from Giadia De Laurentis . It uses both fresh basil and mint, so if you can pick up some fresh herbs for cheap, this pasta isn't too expensive to make.

Orzo Salad Recipe

4 cups chicken broth 1 1/2 cups orzo

1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 cups red and yellow teardrop tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved

3/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves

About 3/4 cup Red Wine Vinaigrette, recipe follows

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pour the broth into a heavy large saucepan. Cover the pan and bring the broth to a boil over high heat. Stir in the orzo. Cover partially and cook until the orzo is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring frequently, about 7 minutes. Drain the orzo through a strainer. Transfer the orzo to a large wide bowl and toss until the orzo cools slightly. Set aside to cool completely.
Toss the orzo with the beans, tomatoes, onion, basil, mint, and enough vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad, to taste, with salt and pepper, and serve at room temperature.

Vinaigrette

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons honey

2 teaspoons salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with more salt and pepper, if desired.
Yield: 1 3/4 cups