Pasta with Butter, Sage, and Parmesan

originally from the New York Times

I found this online while looking for a tasty way to use some of our fresh sage from our beautiful sage plant in our garden. It is husband- and kid-approved.

1 lb. cut pasta, such as ziti or rotini
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2-3 tbsp. butter
30-40 fresh sage leaves
1 cup (or more) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1. Bring big pot of salted water to a boil and add pasta. Cook until pasta is almost al dente.

2. Meanwhile, melt butter over medium heat and add sage leaves. Cook until butter is brown and sage leaves shrivel, then turn heat to very low. (You can do this step in a small skillet, like I do, or as the recipe suggests - in a pot large enough to hold all the pasta.)

3. When pasta is just about done, scoop out about 1 cup of pasta water. Drain the pasta, and either return it to the original pasta pot (like me) or pour it into the big pot with the butter and sage and raise heat to medium. (If you're with me, pour the butter and sage over the pasta and turn the heat on medium.) Add about 3/4 cup of the pasta water and stir about 1 minute, until most of water is absorbed.

4. Stir in the cheese and the sauce will become creamy. You can thin it with more pasta water if necessary. Season to taste with black pepper and serve.

Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce

This recipe is from Everyday Italian. We made it last night. It's spicy and cheesy, totally yummy. Giada rated this as "intermediate" - I would agree. It's not that complex, but it is time consuming.

12 ounces (1 box) jumbo pasta shells (approximately 36 shells)
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, diced (I used a 4 oz. package)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes (be careful!)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 jars of marinara sauce (about 52 oz.)
2 (15-ounce) containers ricotta cheese
1 1/3 cups grated Parmesan
4 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves (or 3 tsp. dried parsley)
3 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves (or 3 tsp. dried basil)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint leaves (I used 1 tsp. dried oregano instead)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Partially cook the pasta shells in a large pot of boiling salted water until slightly tender but still quite firm to the bite, about 4 to 6 minutes. You will continue cooking the shells in the oven after they have been stuffed. Using a slotted spoon, drain pasta shells and place on waxed paper, spreading them out so that they don't stick together and allow to cool.

Heat the oil in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes. Add the garlic and saute until tender, about 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring often.

In a medium bowl, stir the ricotta, Parmesan, egg yolks, basil, parsley, mint, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spoon 1 1/4 cups of the sauce over the prepared baking dish (I needed to use two 9x13 pans to fit all the shells, so I poured that amount in the bottom of each pan). Fill the cooked shells with the cheese mixture, about 1 1/2 tablespoons per shell. Arrange the shells in the prepared dish. Spoon the remaining sauce over the shells, then sprinkle with the mozzarella.

Bake in the lower third of your oven until the filling is heated through and the top is golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Spicy Baked Macaroni

This is a recipe from Everyday Italian. It is vegetarian and spicy - I think Colin will like this one. Although he will probably at least double the red pepper flakes.

1 lb. elbow macaroni pasta
olive oil
salt
1/2 lbs. sliced mushrooms
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/3 cup
1/4 cup grated Romano, plus 1/3 cup
2 tbsp. butter, softened, plus 2 tbsp.
12 oz. (approx. 2 cups) mozzarella, cubed
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook macaroni in a large pot of salted water, about 8 minutes. Drain pasta. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat about 3 tbsp. olive oil. Add mushrooms, garlic, and onion. Cook about 7 minutes, then add tomatoes, spinach and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup Parmesan and 1/4 cup Romano. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish with 2 tbsp. butter. Sprinkle half of this mixture inside the baking dish to coat.

In a large bowl, combine the vegetable mixture with the cooked macaroni, cubed mozzarella, 1/3 cup Parmesan, 1/3 cup Romano, and the nutmeg. Spoon into prepared baking dish and top with remaining breadcrumb mixture. Dot top with 2 tbsp. of butter, cut into small pieces. Bake until top is golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.

Pasta with Diced Tomatoes and Cannellini Beans

This recipe is really easy and yummy.

1 lb. pasta - we usually use rotini or ziti
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 14.5 oz. can cannellini beans (white kidney beans), rinsed and drained
a few cloves of garlic, minced
olive oil
basil, oregano, salt and pepper to taste

Heat the water for the pasta - be sure to add a few tbsp. of salt. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta. Then while the pasta is cooking, heat a large saute pan or deep skillet with about 3 tbsp. of olive oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic and saute for about two minutes. Then add the diced tomatoes (including juice), beans, and spices to taste. Heat through, about 4 - 5 minutes.

When pasta is done, drain it and put it directly into the tomato bean pan. Toss it together and let it heat through for a minute. I serve this with a little more olive oil drizzled over the top and some parmesan cheese.