The Apartment Kitchen » parmesan

Pasta with Shrimp, Sausages, Asparagus, and Fava Beans

admin — Mon, 31 May 2010 01:18:20 +0000

Like all my favorite pasta dishes, this was inspired by a trip through my produce aisle, then my meat and seafood counters. The sausage adds richness, the asparagus and favas add freshness, and the shrimp made it a little something special (at least at our dinner table). For a dish like this, where the ingredient list is short and sweet, be sure to use your very best and freshest ingredients. When it all comes together – a dish like this really sings, because you’ve used every part of the ingredients to build flavor along the way – the fat from the sausages is used to cook the shrimp and veggies in, for example, and the pasta water steams the vegetables to perfect tenderness and binds the dish together. It was simple enough to take just a few minutes, but lovely enough to serve as a special weekend supper – my favorite kind of food.

Pasta with Shrimp, Sausage, Fava Beans, and Asparagus

Served 4.

Leftover Potential: Re-heats well, but be careful not to overcook the shrimp!

about 1 lb pasta

1 Tbsp olive oil

3 Italian sausages

12 oz shrimp, peeled

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and halved

1 cup fava beans, halved

1/4 cup heavy cream

grated parmesan cheese, to taste

salt and pepper, to taste

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted, boiling water until tender, about 7-9 minutes. Drain, reserving about 1/3 cup of the pasta water, and set the pasta aside.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan. Remove the casings from the sausages, and crumble the sausages into the pan. Cook until the fat renders and the sausage is crisp. Remove the sausage from the pan.

3. Add the shrimp to the pan, and saute until pink and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the shrimp and reserve with the sausages.

4. Add the asparagus and fava beans to the pan, and saute until starting to become tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add the pasta water to the pan, and pan-steam until completely tender (the water should mostly evaporate).

5. Return the pasta, shrimp, and sausage to the pan, and stir in the heavy cream. Bring the mixture to a simmer, tossing to warm it through. Simmer until the cream has thickened slightly, then season with salt and pepper, and finish the dish with parmesan cheese.

Spinach, Parmesan, and Pepper Stuffed Chicken with Cauliflower Rice

admin — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:27:40 +0000

This dish was born out of needing to use up a few fridge staples and a desire to make something a little unusual for dinner. Stuffing the chicken breasts we had seemed to be a delicious solution, and it was. I stuffed it with deliciously garlicky mixture of spinach, cheese, and peppadew peppers, and topped it with a hearty tomato sauce. I served it with a clever cauliflower dish I found on another blog – it took Matt quite awhile to guess what it was – and it was delicious!

Spinach, Parmesan, and Pepper Stuffed Chicken with Cauliflower Rice

Served 4.

Leftover Potential: Leftover filling makes an excellent omelette for breakfast the following day.

Stuffed Chicken

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 bag spinach (about 4 cups)

5 peppadew peppers, minced (or 1/2 a red bell pepper)

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

salt and pepper, to taste

4 chicken breasts

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 Tbsp tomato paste

3 cups crushed tomatoes

2 Tbsp fresh herbs, minced (such as rosemary, thyme, oregano, etc.)

salt and pepper, to taste

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 4-5 minutes.

2. Add the spinach and saute until it’s wilted, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the peppers, cheese, salt, and pepper. Let cool completely.

3. Using a paring knife, cut a pocket into the side of the chicken breast. Go as deep into the chicken as you can without cutting it through to the other side. Stuff the pocket generously with filling. Secure with toothpicks or twine. Season the outside of the chicken with salt and pepper. Set aside.

4. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until the vegetables are tender, about 5-7 minutes.

5. Deglaze the pan with the tomato paste, then stir in the tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a simmer and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Season with herbs, salt, and pepper.

6. Pour the sauce into the base of a casserole dish large enough to accommodate the chicken. Place the chicken on top of the sauce, and roast in a 375 degree oven until the chicken is cooked through, about 10-13 minutes.

7. Spoon the sauce over the top of the chicken and serve.

Cauliflower Rice

Adapted from Kalyn’s Kitchen

2 Tbsp butter

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups cauliflower florets, minced

2 tsp paprika

salt and pepper, to taste

1. Heat the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 4-5 minutes.

2. Add the cauliflower and saute until it begins to get crisp, about 4-5 minutes. Season with paprika, salt, and pepper.

Pasta with Leeks, Peas, Parmesan, and an Egg

theapartmentkitchen — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 17:02:09 +0000

This dish almost tasted like carbonara, because of the egg on top. I love dishes like this because they are simple, delicious, and cooked all in one pot. Pasta is also great, of course, for just cooking for one person.

You may have noticed that I usually use whole wheat pasta or pasta made from farro or quinoa (that’s why it always looks sort of darker than your average pasta in my photographs). That’s a personal preference, but of course any and all of these dishes would be just as delicious (if not more so) with regular or flavored pastas.

Pasta with Leeks, Peas, Parmesan, and an Egg

Served 1.

Leftover Potential: the leftover pasta would make a spectacular spaghetti pie.

1 handful spaghetti

1 Tbsp butter

1 leek, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup peas

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

salt and pepper, to taste

1 egg

parmesan cheese, shaved or grated, to taste

1. Cook the spaghetti in salted boiling water until tender, 7-9 minutes. Drain and reserve.

2. In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the leek and garlic and saute until tender, about 2-3 minutes.

3. Add the peas and pasta, and toss to combine. Continue to toss until the mixture is heated through. Season with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Using a spatula or tongs, push all the pasta to one end of the pan.

4. Crack an egg into the empty side of the pan. Season it with salt and pepper, and reduce heat to low. Cook the egg until your desired doneness.

5. Transfer the pasta to a large bowl and finish with parmesan cheese. Top with the egg and serve.

Butternut Squash Wheatberry Risotto

theapartmentkitchen — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:30:08 +0000

I’ve always loved whole grains. Don’t get me wrong, I love my fluffy white rice and all varieties of baked goods made with regular flour, but I’ve always had a thing for the nutty, chewy, hearty flavor of whole grains like farro, barley, and wheatberries. So a few years ago I started making “risotto style” dishes with other grains. For fall, nothing could be a better fit. Add other veggies or herbs to suit your whim, and this would be even better with a sprinkling of toasted pecans or almonds. Yum!

Butternut Squash Wheatberry Risotto

Served 4 as a side

Leftover Potential: Since this isn’t really risotto, it reheats well – not losing much of it’s texture in the process.

1 small butternut squash

olive oil, as needed

salt and pepper, as needed

1 Tbsp butter

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup wheatberries

1/2 cup white wine

2 cups chicken broth, kept warm over low heat

1 Tbsp rosemary, chopped

2 tsp sage, chopped

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

salt and pepper, to taste

1. Toss the cubed squash with the olive oil in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Spread into an even layer on a baking sheet, and roast in a 400 degree oven until lightly golden and tender, about 20-25 minutes. Set aside.

3. Heat the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until translucent, about 1 minute more.

4. Add the wheatberries and stir to heat through, about a minute. Add the wine, and bring to a boil. Boil, stirring occasionally, until the wine has mostly evaporated.

5. Add the chicken broth a ladleful at a time, stirring occasionally, until the broth is absorbed. Continue adding broth until it is all absorbed and the wheatberries are tender.

6. Stir in the cooked squash, rosemary, sage, and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. If desired, finish with another knob of butter. Serve warm.

Pizza with White Bean-Rosemary Puree, Bacon, Broccoli Rabe, Tomatoes, Onions, and Parmesan

theapartmentkitchen — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 13:47:33 +0000

I love making pizza for a quick meal. Now, normally, some people think of “pizza as a quick meal” as picking up the phone, ordering, and waiting with $20 by the front door. But since I love making bread doughs and freezing them in individual portions until I need them, pizza is a great thing to make when I need a fast dinner. I just take the dough out of the freezer (put it into the fridge) on my way into work, and when I come home, I have dough ready to go. I can fish through the fridge and use whatever meat, veggies, and herbs I have on hand. For this version I made a quick puree of white beans and herbs from the garden (I just love the white beans – so rich and creamy, makes a great sauce substitution for this pizza).

Best of all, the warm, bubbly, cheesy result is incredibly satisfying – like I’d spent hours waiting for it to come to fruition (or to the front door). But the whole thing is done in minutes. All in all – the ideal meal: portioned for one (especially convenient as Matt hates pizza), uses up leftovers, and is done super fast. Hmm. Maybe I’ll go make another one.

Pizza with White Bean-Rosemary Puree, Bacon, Broccoli Rabe, Onions, Tomatoes and Parmesan

Served 1.

Leftover Potential: Leftover dough freezes well – just thaw when you want another pizza! Or if you think it will take less time, just refrigerate the dough until you’re ready for more! Just use whatever you have on hand for toppings!

pizza dough (or naan dough)

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 (15 oz) can white beans, drained

2 Tbsp rosemary

1 Tbsp basil

1-2 Tbsp olive oil

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 Tbsp oil

5-6 pieces broccoli rabe (if the stems are thick, peel the tough outer part off, or just remove the leafy heads)

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

4 pieces bacon, diced

handful cherry tomatoes, halved

parmesan cheese, grated, as desired (I only use a little bit)

1. Roll the pizza dough out to the thickness you want. If you like a thicker crust, anywhere between 1/2″-3/4″, if you like a crispy, thin crust, anywhere between 1/8″-1/4″. When the dough gets thinner, you can also press it out with your hands. Place the dough onto a lightly greased baking sheet, brush the top of the dough with olive oil.

2. In a food processor or blender, puree the beans, herbs, and oil. If necessary, add water 1 Tbsp at a time to make a smooth, spreadable mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Heat the oil in a small saute pan. Add the broccoli rabe and onion, saute until beginning to become tender (1-2 minutes). You just want to get it started so it will be completely tender when it’s done baking.

4. To assemble the pizza, spread a layer of white bean puree onto the pizza dough. Add the broccoli rabe, onions, raw bacon, and tomatoes. Finish with grated parmesan cheese.

5. Bake in a 400 degree oven until the crust is crisp and the toppings are golden brown. Eat hot (or later, cold from the fridge!)

Whole Wheat Pasta with Spicy Sundried Tomato and Basil Pesto and Shaved Parmesan

theapartmentkitchen — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 01:27:44 +0000

I have been super busy this week – baking things to send in a care package home and a very exciting interview (more on both of these later)! At any rate, last night I came home and had about 1/2 hour to squeeze in cooking and eating my dinner. A simple pasta with pesto from the garden and good parmesan was just the ticket – light, fresh, and super quick. And on to the next task!

Whole Wheat Pasta with Spicy Sundried Tomato and Basil Pesto and Shaved Parmesan

Served 1.

Leftover Potential: Reheats smashingly, and would be an excellent spaghetti pizza!

handful whole wheat pasta

1/4 cup basil leaves

1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic

3 Tbsp pine nuts

salt and freshly ground pepper, as needed

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

3-4 Tbsp olive oil

1 shallot, thinly sliced

parmesan shavings, as needed

1. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until tender, 7-9 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender, process the basil, tomatoes, garlic, pine nuts, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes to combine. Add the olive oil and continue to process to a smooth paste.

3. Transfer the mixture to a large saute pan. Add the sliced shallot, and saute until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add the cooked pasta, 2 Tbsp of the pasta cooking water, and toss the mixture to coat.

4. Spoon the pasta into warm bowls, and finish with shaved parmesan.

Creamy Sausage, Mushroom, and Pea Risotto with Poached Egg, Parmesan and Baby Basil Leaves

theapartmentkitchen — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:46:10 +0000

I started vacation this week. If you know me, you can note that simply from the recent appearance of pasta and baked goods on my blog. I love food - a little too much. On a day to day basis, I try to keep myself in check – eating healthier foods and smaller portions. But you can’t take the foodie out of the girl, so after two days of being “on vacation” I was in the kitchen making risotto. I love making risotto – the whole process of it. I’m also of the school of adding an egg to just about anything makes it better, so I ended up with this rich, creamy risotto for dinner last night. No matter what any recipe tells you – risotto is easy (this one has butter, sausage, and lots of cheese – how could it ever go wrong?) – just taste it a lot along the way, and you’ll end up with an awesome meal.

Creamy Sausage, Mushroom, and Pea Risotto with Poached Egg, Parmesan, and Baby Basil Leaves

Served 4.

Leftover Potential: I made this dish fresh, but you could very easily use leftover risotto for this meal. Just add one egg and 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs per 1 1/2 cups of leftover risotto. Form into cakes, and pan fry in olive oil until nicely browned. If you like, stuff the cakes with cheese.

2 Tbsp butter

1 cup sausage

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 cup Arborio rice

1/2 cup white wine

2 bay leaves

salt, as needed

pepper, as needed

3 cups warm chicken or vegetable stock, or as needed

1/2 cup peas

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, or as needed

2 Tbsp parsley, chopped

1 Tbsp baby basil leaves

4 poached eggs (check out this site for advice on how to perfectly poach an egg)

1. In a large pot, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the sausage, and cook until beginning to brown. Add the onion and mushrooms, and cook until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic, and cook until fragrant.

2. Add the rice, and stir to combine. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, and allow to reduce over medium heat, stirring constantly, to almost nothing. Add the bay leaves, and season the mixture with salt and pepper.

3. Begin adding the stock, 1 ladleful at a time, stirring constantly until the rice has absorbed all the liquid. It may take all three cups (or more, or less). Taste the rice along the way, when it is nice and tender, it is finished.

4. When the rice is tender, fold in the peas and parmesan. Finish with parsley and basil.

5. Scoop some risotto onto a plate, sprinkle with more cheese, and top with a poached egg. Finish with salt, pepper, and additional basil leaves.

Steak with Mustard and Red Wine Sauce, Roasted Parmesan Potatoes, and Zucchini and Portobello Saute

theapartmentkitchen — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 22:10:32 +0000

As I’ve said many times before, I love a good steak. One of the reasons I love it is because of the simplicity of it. With a good steak, all you have to do is cook it and you’re done. You don’t need anything extra or fancy. It’s just that good.

Nevertheless, when my friend Terri said she’d been craving a steak, we both thought it might be fun to step it up a notch. We thought of the warm flavors we appreciate so much in the winter, and since it’s nearly gone (YES!) we thought we’d pay it one last tribute before switching over to crisper, sunnier sauces and sidedishes.

A warm, smooth mustard sauce was just the ticket. We deepened its flavor with herbs and red wine, and it was perfect – just enough to compliment the steak without drowning out the meat’s own natural flavor. With some piping hot potatoes and a zucchini-mushroom sauté, we were in food heaven.

Steak with Mustard and Red Wine Sauce, Roasted Parmesan Potatoes, and Zucchini and Portobello Sauté

Served 3.
Leftover Potential: We had one leftover steak and some leftover veggies due to the fact that the steaks were sold in packages of three. It reheated well the next day, and would actually make an excellent open faced sandwich!

Steak with Mustard and Red Wine Sauce
4 steaks (we used rib-eye, but any type will work)
salt, as needed
pepper, as needed
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup red wine
3 Tbsp good mustard
1/2 cup beef stock
1 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
salt, as needed
pepper, as needed

1. Season the steaks well with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the steaks and cook to desired doneness (depending on the thickness of the steak, 5-7 minutes for medium rare).
2. Remove the steaks from the pan and allow to rest. Deglaze the pan with the red wine. Add the mustard and beef stock. Reduce the heat and simmer until it reduced by about half or more. If you don’t have time for the sauce to reduce, add 1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tbsp water and bring the sauce to a boil.
3. Season the thickened sauce with herbs, salt, and pepper. Serve over the steak.

Roasted Parmesan Potatoes
1 small bag of red potatoes (about 1 pound)
3-4 Tbsp olive oil
salt, as needed
pepper, as needed
parmesan cheese, as needed

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender. Drain from pot.
2. Place the potatoes on a cookie sheet. Use a fork to smash each potato slightly, then drizzle lightly with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake in the oven until the cheese begins to brown. Serve immediately.

Zucchini and Portobello Sauté
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 large zucchini, sliced
2 Portobello caps, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
salt, as needed
red pepper flakes, as needed

1. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add the zucchini and sauté until beginning to become tender. Add the mushrooms and garlic and sauté until the mushrooms are soft and the garlic is fragrant.
2. Season with salt and pepper flakes and serve immediately.