Pasta Artistica: April 2011

Pappardelle's Four Cheese Salmon Ravioli in Parsley Fleck Dough with Pappardelle's Salsa D'Inverno (serves 2-3)

A long title for such a quick and simple meal. My husband LOVES Pappardelle's Salsa D'Inverno (Winter Tomato) sauce. It has a ton of chopped tomatoes and other fresh veggies with a little bit of crushed red pepper to give it just the right amount of kick! It is his "go-to" sauce for just about every pasta dish. Here, he's using it as a simple compliment to the Four Cheese Salmon ravioli. Pure genius!

Ingredients

1/3 15.5 ounce container of Pappardelle's Salsa D'Inverno Sauce

1 12 ounce box of Pappardelle's Four Cheese Salmon with Parsley Fleck Dough Ravioli

Method

1. Bring four quarts of water to boil. Once water is at a full roiling boil, reduce heat to medium and then add frozen ravioli. If you add ravioli when the water is at a robust boil you risk having the ravioli split open. Stir gently to prevent ravioli from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Once water returns to a gentle rolling boil, stirring is no longer necessary. Continue to cook about 8 - 12 minutes, just depending on how firm you like your ravioli.

2. While the ravioli is cooking, place frozen sauce in a small saucepan and set the heat to medium-low. Occasionally stir the sauce until it is defrosted and heated all the way through.

3. Once ravioli is done, drain carefully or simply use a slotted spoon to remove the ravioli individually from the pot. If you are not serving immediately, coat with a thin sheen of olive oil to prevent the ravioli from sticking. Otherwise, plate your ravioli and top each on with a good helping of the sauce.

Source of Inspiration

We needed a quick meal during the week and didn't have the time or energy to go out to eat, much less prepare a gourmet meal. This did the trick in just 15 minutes!

Saucy, Spicy Pappardelle's Southwestern Blend Pasta with Black Beans and Cotija Cheese (serves 4-6)

This recipe is a flavor explosion! Now, I’m not a big fan of leftovers, but this pasta is even better the next day. The flavors meld together and become even more intense.

Ingredients

1 lb Pappardelle’s Southwestern Blend Pasta
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1, 10 oz can of enchilada sauce
8 oz Cotija cheese, crumbled (or feta)
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup green olives, cut in half
1 avocado, cut into cubes

Method

1. Cook pasta in 6-8 quarts of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente (about 8-10 minutes). Rinse with cold water.
2. While pasta is cooking, in a heavy saucepan cook onion and garlic in olive oil over medium-high heat. Add beans and enchilada sauce, simmer gently, stirring occasionally until thickened, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and salt to taste.
3. In a large serving bowl add pasta. Pour sauce over the top. Add cheese, scallions, cilantro, green olives and avocado. Mix well.

Serve at room temperature.

Source of Inspiration

The recipe comes from none other then Pappardelle's Pasta! The photo and description come courtesy of The Eclectic Connoisseur's Weblog.

Pasta & Walnut Fruit Salad with Pappardelle's Fanciful Fruit Blend (serves 6-8)

This salad has loads of flavor and texture without being overly fussy or sweet. If you want to dial the sweetness up a notch, a drizzle of honey would be a nice addition. I cut back on the apple, knowing I would have to eat around those delicious, juicy morsels. It worked out well enough since my partner in crime isn’t enthralled with celery or mandarin oranges. We were reminiscent of children trading snacks in the cafeteria.

Ingredients

1/2 lb Pappardelle’s Fanciful Fruit Blend Pasta
8 oz non-fat plain yogurt
1/4 cup thawed frozen orange juice concentrate
1-15 oz can drained mandarin oranges
1 cup seedless red grapes, halved
1 cup seedless green grapes, halved
1 Fuji apple, cored and chopped (* I used 3/4 of a Fuji apple)
1 stalk celery, sliced
1/2 cup walnut halves

Method

1. Cook pasta in 6-8 quarts of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente (about 8-10 minutes). Drain and set aside.

2. In small bowl, blend yogurt and orange juice concentrate.

3. In large bowl, combine pasta and remaining ingredients.

4. Add yogurt mixture and toss to coat. Cover and chill thoroughly.

Source of Inspiration

The recipe comes from none other then Pappardelle's Pasta! The photo, description, and substitutions come courtesy of The Eclectic Connoisseur's Weblog.

Pappardelle's Five Grain Fettuccine with Spinach, Grilled Artichoke, and Lentil Sauce (serves 4)

When simmered until they're velvety soft, lentils make a surprisingly creamy sauce for pasta. Garlic, onion and lemon juice complete the sauce to pair wonderfully with spinach and artichoke hearts. Pappardelle's Five Grain Fetuccine is relatively light in texture and no added oil is needed to make this dish a satisfying, healthy choice.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons mustard seeds

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
3/4 cup dried lentils
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
6 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 pound Pappardelle's Five Grain Fettuccine
1 bag of spinach
1 8.5 ounce can of artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained, quartered, and grilled

Method

In a medium pot, heat all seeds over medium heat until they begin to pop, 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully add broth, 1 cup water, onion, lentils and garlic and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until lentils are very tender and falling apart, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, add lemon juice and stir. Place cooked lentils in a food processor and blend to desired consistency. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add linguine and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes; drain and return to pot. Immediately add spinach, grilled artichoke hearts, and lentil sauce to hot pasta, toss well, and serve.

Source of Inspiration

A version of this recipe comes compliments of Whole Foods...the rest comes from the Pasta Artistica Test Kitchen. I LOVE Whole Foods; however, the nearest one to us is an hour and a half away. To to stay connected to it's deliciousness, we make their recipes at home modifying them with Pappardelle's pasta which makes them that much more yummy!