Proud Italian Cook

Shrimp, Pasta and Broccolini in Tomato Cream

October 17, 2016 by Marie 254 Comments

Happy National Pasta Day! Who doesn’t love pasta? It delicious, comforting, it comes in endless shapes and sizes and can be made countless ways with a variety of different sauces. It’s also crowd pleasing, a great party food, present at many family dinners and dinner for one. Many fond memories have been etched in our minds recalling favorite pasta dishes made by our dear loved ones hands.

So in honor of the day I made you a luxurious pasta dish that includes shrimp and broccolini in tomato cream sauce, and you won’t believe how quick you’ll get it to the table!

First thing I did was make a big pot of marinara, I normally keep a stash in my freezer and I was running low. I usually use a big pot because I’m able to fit two gigantic cans of tomatoes both over five pounds each into the pot with no problem, something nice and deep, deep enough for making future stocks and seafood boils.

This pasta dish comes together quickly once you have all your ingredients ready so when you begin to make the sauce get your water boiling!

Add some garlic and olive oil to a pan then toss in shrimp, (I had eight large) and steamed broccolini, when the shrimp is cooked remove and set aside.

Deglaze the pan with three cups of marinara, preferably homemade or a good quality store bought brand then splash in about a quarter cup of heavy cream, stir and combine then it’s time to bring back the shrimp and broccolini.

Did you know there are over 600 known shapes of pasta? I love seeking out different and unique shapes, for this dish I used Festoni, it’s like a pappardelle with ruffled edges.

Looks done to me, nice and a dente, now It’s time to drain it and toss it into the creamy tomato sauce making sure everything gets coated well. ( I used 8 oz. here)

Silky, slurpy and luxurious!

Happy Pasta!

254 Comments Filed Under: Pasta, Seafood Tagged: broccolini, Lagostina, National Pasta Day, pastaiola pot, shrimp

Braised Short Ribs with Red Wine and Roasted Garlic

October 4, 2016 by Marie 7 Comments

Braised short ribs is what I call cold weather comfort food at it’s best. Meaty short ribs that braise in a hearty red wine, a little broth, roasted garlic and thyme. The meat becomes so tender and fall off the bone delicious, and the best part is you only do a minimal amount of work to get them ready then the oven takes over for a while.

In the meantime your house is guaranteed to smell amazing!

I mentioned roasting garlic for this recipe, it’s a MUST, you have to do it because when your meat is done braising you’re going to smash the sweet mellow cloves right into the liquid and then strain everything so you have a nice smooth sauce that’s packed with so much flavor you can’t even imagine!

To save time I recommend roasting the garlic a couple of days ahead and storing it away in your fridge, I always make a little extra to use in other things like mashed potatoes, sauteed greens or simply smeared on crusty bread.

You can serve this on top roasted garlic mashed potatoes, some thick eggy noodles or pappadelle pasta, or my favorite… creamy polenta, (too die for!) In fact the other day I posted a picture of just that, a juicy, tender short rib on top of creamy polenta with a layer of roasted garlic sauteed kale on my Instagram, check it out here.

Now go grab a heavy pot and start braising!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Braised Short Ribs with Red Wine and Roasted Garlic

Author: Marie

Ingredients

4 whole heads of garlic, cut in half
6 large meaty short ribs
hearty red wine
beef or chicken broth
¾ of a cup of tomato puree, finely diced tomatoes, marinara or a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste
cremini mushrooms, 12 oz. package, cut in half
1 small pack of pearl onions, blanched and peeled
(optional, for a little spicy heat, a teaspoon of harissa or Calabrian chili paste, I used harrisa, but again not needed just optional)
fresh thyme
olive oil, salt and pepper
fresh parsley for garnish or chopped scallions

Instructions

Roast the 4 heads of garlic the day before by cutting them in half, drizzling them with olive oil adding fresh thyme, salt and pepper. Wrap in heavy foil and roast 45 minutes to 1 hour at 400 degrees
Season short ribs with salt and pepper all over.
In a heavy bottomed pan like cast iron get it nice and hot then drizzle with olive oil and add in the ribs and start searing them.
Let ribs get a deep golden brown all over, not moving them too often, letting the fat render out.
Remove ribs and pour off all extra fat, leaving brown bits on the bottom.
Add ribs back in and add your tomato ingredient and optional extra spice, let it cook a bit.
Pour in the wine enough to cover almost half up the sides of the short ribs, let it bubble and cook down for a little while, it should reduce a little.
Add in the broth, again enough to reach halfway up the sides of the short ribs.
Add in one whole head of the roasted garlic, two halves.
Throw in some fresh thyme.
Cover with lid or heavy duty foil and place into a hot, preheated 300 degree oven, they will take around 2½ hours.
Half way through add in the onions.
In a skillet, saute your mushrooms on medium high heat, set aside.
When short ribs are finished cooking, and have become tender and fall off the bone, remove them gently from the pan as well as the onions.
Smash all the garlic that came out of the head with a fork into the gorgeous liquid, it will be chunky looking.
Strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer, pushing and scraping the bits to get all the juice extracted, discard all pulp from garlic, you are left with a smooth sauce.
Place smooth sauce back into the pan, add the short ribs and onions back in, at this point you can skim more of the fat off if you like, I did.
Add the sauteed mushrooms and some fresh thyme.
Garnish with fresh parsley and chopped scallions.
Serve over creamy polenta, egg noodles, pappadelle pasta or roasted garlic mashed potatoes.
Delicious with sauteed greens on the side.
Enjoy!

7 Comments Filed Under: Meats Tagged: braised meats, comfort food, short ribs

Autumn Sformato, a Savory Italian Custard

September 27, 2016 by Marie 10 Comments

I like to describe sformato as a little Italian souffle, a savory flan or an Italian custard that can be made savory or sweet and often served in individual portions. They’re usually made in a ramekin then un-molded for a nice presentation and served with a sauce of some sort.

Here I made a favorite of mine, a savory version filled with a puree of butternut squash, creamy parmesan cheese and a few other ingredients that give it it’s dreamy texture.

I posted this some years ago but adjusted the recipe a little and wanted to share it with you again since it’s the perfect starter, side dish or light veggie entree for a nice autumn meal.

Squash is everywhere now and all you need to do is roast some up and scoop out the pulp!
I love the combination of butternut squash and Parmigiano Regggiano they compliment each other so well and are the base for this savory sformato.

When cooked and cooled down the sformato will un-mold onto a plate very easy.

A parmesan cream sauce, some crispy sage, toasted pumpkin seeds and a swipe of balsamic glaze takes this over the top, and I mean over the top!

Each spoonful is beyond words, you have to make this!

Come see what I’m cooking up during the week, you can follow me on Instagram here.

5.0 from 2 reviews

Autumn Sformato

Author: Marie

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash, roasted with pulp scraped out, should equal around 2 cups for 4 ramekins.
1 egg
½ cup of grated Parmigiano Reggiano and more for sauce and garnish
2 tablespoons, mascarpone
½ cup of half and half or heavy cream
salt and pepper too taste
SAUCE
2 cups of half and half or heavy cream reduced down
a handful of grated Parmigiano Reggiano to toss into the cream
balsamic glaze, pumpkin seeds, crispy sage and extra parm for garnish

Instructions

preheat oven to 350. I recommend doing the squash the day before or early in the day.
Cut your squash in half, scoop out the seeds, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper then place cut side down on parchment and roast until a knife pierces all the way through easily. Times will vary depending on the size of squash.
Scoop out the squash the puree it smooth in a food processor, your squash puree is now finished.
Then into a bowl add the rest of the ingredients, 2 cups of squash puree, the egg, mascarpone, parm, half and half, salt and pepper.
Pour mixture into a buttered ramekin.
Place ramekins into a baking dish with water to come up halfway to the sides, place a sheet of tin foil on top.
Bake at 375 for around 30 to 40 minutes or until custard is set and cooked without jiggling.
Let it cool down and make the sauce.
PARMESAN CREAM SAUCE
Reduce half and half or heavy cream in a small saucepan, cook on low heat until it thickens then turn off heat and add the cheese.
Unmold your sformato onto an individual plate, spoon some of the sauce on top.
Sprinkle pumpkin seeds around and a swipe of balsamic glaze.
Crisp up some sage leaves in brown butter for garnish.