recipe: caprese penne

Posted: March 18, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: favorites., how to., recipes. | 4 Comments »

i wouldn’t say i’m the best wife-chef out there but i’m learning a lot & lately i’ve been trying to add a few new things to my repertoire… gil & i love to eat at home but finding the time to cook elaborate meals doesn’t happen often. this caprese penne is quick, easy & oh so fresh. it was a nice switch from the things i usually cook & still uses some of my favorite ingredients… & as summer approaches i know the tomatoes & basil will get even better.

Image 7

what you’ll need:

  • -1 16oz box of penne
  • -4 to 5 medium ripe tomatoes (i used hot house. yum.)
  • -1 bunch of fresh basil
  • -1 ball of fresh mozzarella
  • -4 cloves of garlic (i pressed it)
  • -olive oil

& here we go:

  1. chop tomatoes into large but bite-able chunks.
  2. double check that your basil is clean, pull leaves off the bunch & cut extra large pieces in half.
  3. tear or cut the fresh mozzarella into pieces the size of your thumb. you don’t want them too big or they won’t melt later.
  4. sautee garlic & olive oil in a large skillet or pot, then move it off the burner but don’t clean it up yet you’ll be using this pan again.
  5. cook your pasta until it’s al dente & strain, reserving about 1/4 cup of the pasta water.
  6. pour the 1/4 cup of pasta water into the pot with garlic & oil. add the pasta, tomatoes, mozzarella & basil last. cook over medium heat until the pasta is well coated with garlic & oil, the basil starts to wilt & the cheese starts to melt. add s+p & serve!
  7. enjoy!

recipe: linguine with shrimp scampi…

Posted: May 24, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: personal., recipes., uncategorized. | 1 Comment »

my mom and i love the barefoot contessa… her cookbooks are awesome and if you don’t have one, you need to get one! recently we discovered a new favorite recipe and i wanted to share it here.

ask my husband gil, i may be a cake designer and i bake constantly but i am not a chef. actually, i don’t cook a whole lot, but i am getting better! we are very snacky eaters and i cook dinner MAYBE 2 times a week.  also, i don’t really like meat and we never cook it at our house, so it’s usually vegan/vegetarian dinners galore. this recipe is easy, fun and SO flavorful. gil loved it, and said it was his favortie thing i’ve ever made. now, that’s pretty impressive becuase he is quite the foodie. it also gave me a reason to use this new serving platter. :)

here’s what you need :

  • vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus
  • another 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 3/4 lb linguine
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
  • 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 16 shrimp) {now shrimp have been known to freak me out a tad, so i decided to use medium sized shrimp insead, but feel free to use what you like. even the jumbo!}
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
  • 1/2 lemon, zest grated
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (2 lemons)
  • 1/4 lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds
  • 1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1. Drizzle some oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the linguine, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or according to the directions on the package.
2.Meanwhile, in another large (12-inch), heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Be careful, the garlic burns easily!
3. Add the shrimp, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and the pepper and saute until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often.
4. Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.
5. When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put it back in the pot.
6. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve.
and ta-da! simple right?! be sure to leave comments if you try it out! be curious! hg
ps: i decided to add some fresh asparagus to the menu as well… spray your pan with non-stick cooking spray and bake at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes. then squeeze some fresh lemon juice, and toss some kosher salt and pepper on top.
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 32 other followers