Proud Italian Cook

Trofie Pasta with grilled shrimp, Cauliflower and Pesto

May 20, 2015 by Marie 14 Comments

Trofie is a twisted pasta shape originating in Liguria, I love it because when you use it with pesto, basically any type of pesto, the sauce just clings to the shape and gets into all the grooves. I’ve used it with my parsley walnut pesto, kale and almond pesto and of course traditional basil pesto, and it’s all so good!

In the warmer months and with grilling season underway you can create a beautiful pasta dish with just a few ingredients and a pesto of your choice. I added grilled shrimp, grilled cauliflower and some fresh cherry tomatoes to mine. If you have a source to buy a good quality pesto you can even do that, but I encourage you to make your own.

Cook pasta according to the package directions and reserve a little pasta water to loosen up the pesto a bit. Toss the pasta into a bowl and add some fresh sliced tomatoes, no need to cook them.

Start adding in your pesto, I start with a quarter of a cup at a time, tossing gently and coating the trofie pasta using the reserved water if needed.

Just to give you an idea, I used a pound of pasta, a pound of shrimp and a little over a half a cup of basil pesto loosened up a bit.Transfer everything to a pretty platter and top it off with the grilled shrimp and grilled cauliflower.

A five ingredient meal that’s fresh, light and delicious!

(Proud Italian Cook is now on Instagram, follow along with me to see what I’m cooking up daily.)

14 Comments Filed Under: Pasta, Seafood Tagged: 5 ingredient meal, grilled cauliflower, grilled shrimp, Pesto, trofie pasta

Shrimp Risotto with Asparagus, Peas and Pepper Rings

May 8, 2015 by Marie 8 Comments

Risotto really isn’t a difficult dish to make it just takes commitment, there’s stirring involved and you have to pay close attention, it’s a labor of love but the end result is so worth it and it ends up all in one pan!

You can make a simplified version any day of the week or you can jazz it up for a special occasion with impressive results.

Be creative, there are hundreds of variations to try, but make it your own using the flavor combinations that you like, you can never go wrong, the rice is your blank canvas.

Some of the basic rules for making a perfect risotto, besides stirring is to use a short grain rice like arborio or carnaroli, it’s going to give you that creamy texture and bite you’re looking for. Another essential is a good, heavy bottomed pan, never use nonstick!

Next, your going to need some hot broth simmering on the stove, then a little butter, olive oil, onion, cheese and wine, things you usually have stocked in your home and whatever veggies, herbs and proteins you want to add in.

I used shrimp, asparagus, peas and mini peppers that I cut into rings. All veggies and shrimp were pre-cooked ahead of time and tossed in after the basic risotto base was made.

I could be happy with just the the veggies and creamy rice all by itself but the roasted shrimp takes it over the top!

They say your not suppose to mix cheese with seafood, well too bad, I broke the rules, because a little Parmigiano Reggiano never hurt anyone and besides it truly heightens the flavor of the whole dish, so go on and be a rebel!

Shrimp Risotto with Asparagus, Peas and Pepper Rings

A one pan meal that is simple, elegant, creamy and sophisticated

Author: Marie

Ingredients

1 quart boxed chicken broth, or homemade or vegetable if you wish
1 cup of arborio rice, or other short grained rice
1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, fresh or frozen but patted dry
1 lb. asparagus, fresh cut on the diagonal
1 heaping cup of peas, frozen and defrosted
1 small bag of mini peppers, red yellow and orange cut into rings
½ onion, finely diced
½ cup dry white wine
½ to ¾ cup of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
2 tablespoons butter
olive oil

Instructions

Foil line a rimmed sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil and roast shrimp at 4oo degrees until plump and pink, remove and set aside.
Roast asparagus as well in seperate pan, drizzled with olive oil at 400 degrees, set aside.
Defrost peas, set aside.
In a small saute pan, stove top cook pepper rings until soft and slightly golden colored, set aside.
In a heavy bottomed pan add 1 table spoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil then toss in the onion and cook until soft.
Pour stock into a separate pot and start to heat up, when completely heated keep it on a simmer.
On medium heat, toss in the rice and toast it up a bit, stirring and coating it in the butter and olive oil.
Deglaze with the wine, stirring with a wooden spoon until completely dissolved.
Start adding 1 cup at a time of the hot stock with pan still on medium heat stirring until liquid is absorbed, when pan starts to look dry add more broth 1 cup at a time.
Stir, stir, stir while adding the hot broth, you might have a cup of broth leftover, or you might use it all depending on creamy result of rice.
The end result should be a little soupy, creamy and the rice should have a little bite to it, al dente but not rock hard or mushy, you have to be the judge.
Remove from heat, stir in remaining butter, and grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
Toss in the roasted cooked shrimp and all juices on the pan and lastly add in the cooked vegetables.

8 Comments Filed Under: Rice and Risotto, Seafood Tagged: arborio rice, asparagus, mini peppers, peas, shrimp, shrimp risotto

Flatbread Pizzas

May 1, 2015 by Marie 25 Comments

Flatbread pizzas seem to be all the rage, have you noticed? They’re popping up on restaurant menus and wine bars all over the place. Sometimes you see them as appetizers to be shared or as a light lunch or dinner served with a salad, I’ve even seen them used for breakfast, either way they’re pretty popular right now.

Flatbreads can be made without yeast which results in a crispy, cracker like crust, the kind I like the best and the kind I seem to find in most restaurants. Another version is by using pizza dough with yeast but rolling it out really, really flat.

You can make your own, there are plenty of recipes on the web, or you can buy a brand you like. Let me just say I have no affiliation with these brands what so ever, I just happened to come upon them while shopping.

The one shown above is a basic Lavash bread, you can find them all over, they work perfectly, they get really crispy and cook up fast.

But just recently I’ve bought a pre-made pizza dough, that’s what they call it at Trader Joes, they’re shaped into long rectangles, 2 in a package and usually in the bread isle, in my opinion it’s a flatbread and they are super good as well.

I think they’re great to have handy when company stops by, I always keep some in my freezer, they take minutes to defrost and they take 10 minutes to crisp up in the oven.

The toppings are endless! Just Google flatbread pizzas and you’ll see what I mean.

First brush each side of the flatbread with olive oil, straight from the package then place on a sheet pan and start layering your toppings.

For the above eggplant version I used shredded mozzarella then placed thin sautéed eggplant slices on top along with red onion, then into the oven it went for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, when it came out I brushed it with basil pesto, it’s fabulous and so easy and it’s wonderful served with a glass of wine!

Serve with a salad and you have a completely satisfying meal!

This is another version that comes together really fast.

Saute up some shrimp in a pan with olive oil and garlic, set aside. Brush the top and bottom of the flatbread with olive oil, then brush top with basil pesto.

Add fresh mozzarella that has been torn all around, arrange shrimp on top then add dollops of roasted red pepper sauce.

Bake at 4oo until cheese melts and bread is crispy.

These flatbread pizzas are so good that I decided to make a breakfast version, sunny side up eggs plopped on top of the crispy bread, and I have to say, this was super delicious!

So delicious that I decided to make this for breakfast to serve some overnight guests that were visiting, and they loved it and started making it when they got home.

Again the flatbread is brushed on both sides with olive oil, then swiped with basil pesto. Crack your eggs in little ramekins then gently pour it out onto the flatbread. I like to take torn, fresh mozzarella and place right near the edges of the egg whites, it keeps it from running all over and holds it together to form a little barrier.

I added a few cherry tomatoes and grated parmigiano cheese then baked in the oven 375 – 400 until the eggs are set, garnish with fresh basil.

Flatbread pizzas are a nice alternative to a heavier dough pizza, nice and light and perfect for entertaining this summer!