Peas is one of those things you love or hate. My MOST POPULAR RECIPE OF ALL TIME is my hamburger and peas recipe.

If you love peas, you also know they brighten up a lot of dishes, like stews, meat pies and are a great accompaniment to starches such as boiled potatoes, rice or pasta.

Peas paired with some crispy bacon, sauteed shallots, some parmesan cheese wake macaroni up, not just in taste but also in looks, because this dish is appetizing.

Frozen peas work the best and are thrown into the pasta while still frozen. The bacon gives the peas flavor and half should be reserved to add at the end (to have some crispy).

As far as using butter or olive oil, both fat choices work, or use both like I do, and as I always say, don’t forget the pasta broth, which serves as a thickner.

Ingredients

• Pasta
• Peas
• Bacon
• Butter
• Olive Oil
• Parmesan or Pecorino
• Pasta Water
• Shallots

Recipes Where Peas Shine

• Italian Ground Beef, Onion, Peas
• Veal Stew with Purple Peas and Potatoes
• Peas with Ricotta Appetizer
• Salmon with Tarragon Peas Sauce

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Pasta Peas and Bacon

Easy Tasty Pasta, Peas and Bacon with Shallots, Pecorino Cheese

Course Pasta

Cuisine Italian

Keyword bacon, pasta, peas

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound pasta
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 4 slices thick bacon
• 2 shallots chopped
• 3 cups frozen peas
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• pecorino cheese
• pasta water as needed
• salt, pepper for seasoning

Instructions

• Cook pasta according to instructions.
• In large frying pan crispy bacon. Depending on what bacon you use, save just one tablespoon of bacon grease in the pan.
• Remove bacon and drain on paper towels. You will add bacon at end.
• Add shallot to bacon grease. saute for five minutes until softened, stirring.
• Add frozen peas and continue to cook on medium heat until peas are cooked through.
  
• Once pasta is cooked through add to frying pan with a little bit of the pasta water. Add in each tablespoon of butter, and olive oil, more if needed.
• Add bacon, pecorino cheese and toss. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Keep in mind bacon and pecorino are already salty.
  

The post Pasta, Peas and Bacon appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I make a good lunch for the twins from three to five days a week. This is the dish they ask for the most. They homeschool for their senior year so they can train for competitive mountain biking. This means they need carbs and protein, but it needs to be healthy.

I don’t want to lecture anyone on how to manage the food in their kitchen, but I would like to inspire you to make more food at home using easy, fast recipes and yet still be in that slow food lane.

Slow food doesn’t mean a three-hour braise or a long list of ingredients. It means real food with real ingredients that are easy to access, and feed the body well.

Why Pasta and Beans is a Healthy Recipe

Pasta and beans make a complete protein, providing all the nine essential amino acids needed. Carrots and spinach along with garlic and olive oil add even more healthy benefits.

Why This White Beans Pasta Recipe is Our Favorite

This is a delicious dish for many reasons. The flavor boosters are garlic and rosemary sautéed in olive oil and a finish of pecorino romano grated cheese at the end. The heft of rigatoni along with creamy beans give you something to bite into.

Process for White Bean Pasta

The beauty of this recipe is how easy it is to get flavor, heft, and protein in just 15 minutes. The carrots are cooked right in the pasta water with the macaroni, while the beans are heated in an adjacent frying pan, soaking up the garlic flavored olive oil with rosemary. I also add in a half cup of passata (tomato puree) to the beans to add even more flavor.

The pasta and carrots are then transferred to the pan with beans, along with some pasta water. This is important because the starchy water adds creaminess. I do add a small amount (1/4 cup) of heavy cream at the end, which I still consider an option. Spinach is added to hot pasta and then the whole pan is tossed with some pecorino romano (or parmesan).

What Pasta is Best for White Bean Pasta?

The pasta of choice is a short rigatoni, but penne pasta would also be a great choice. More importantly, look for a bronze cut pasta (from Italy).

What Beans to use for White Bean Pasta?

Use cannellini beans. I like to rinse them first in cold water.

The Veggies for White Bean Pasta

I made this dish to use up carrots and they are a great choice to accompany beans. It really depends on what you have on hand. I had an excess of carrots and spinach the day I first made this dish, and we really liked it like this. You could also make it with red bell pepper.

ANY kind of greens such as kale, swiss chard, or napa cabbage can work in this pasta dish, as they go great with beans. Add cherry tomatoes to the beans before you add the pasta. Play around. This is a flexible dish, but we do like it just as written.

This is not the first time I’ve put macaroni and white beans in a recipe. Some time ago, I made a white bean macaroni soup, also made very quickly.

Variations

Feel free to add any left over meat (ground meat) pulled pork, bacon, or Italian sausage to this recipe.

Similar Dishes

• Oven Roasted Duck Confit with Rosemary White Beans
• White Bean Macaroni Soup
• Chicken and White Bean Soup
• Easy Shrimp and White Bean Soup
• Snowcap Heirloom Bean Soup
• My Special Italian Bean Soup

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Tuscan White Bean Pasta

Delicious easy white beans pasta made in under twenty minutes for a quick, but hearty lunch or dinner,

Course Pasta

Cuisine Italian

Keyword white beans pasta

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

Pasta Pot

• 4 carrots cut into coins
• salt
• 1 pound short rigatoni or penne pasta

Frying Pan

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves peeled
• 2 cans cannellini beans
• pepper
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1/2 cup passata (tomato puree)
• pasta water
• 2 cups fresh spinach or trimmed kale
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• red chili flakes
• 1/2 cup pecorino romano grated

Instructions

Pasta Pot

• Peel and cut carrots into coins (rounds).
  
• Bring large pot of water to a boil.
• Once boiled, add 2 tablespoons salt.
• Add pasta and carrot coins. Cook pasta two minutes under the recommended time.

Frying Pan

• Rinse beans with cold water and drain.
  
• Sauté whole peeled garlic cloves in olive oil.
  
• Swish the rosemary around in the oil and leave in to be removed at the end.
• Add drained beans and add more olive oil, if needed. Season with salt and pepper. Add chili flakes if desired.
• Add passata (a tomato puree). Or use tomato sauce.
• Some of the beans will become extra creamy and mashed which is great for the sauce. Keep on low heat until pasta is ready.
  
• Make sure to KEEP one cup of pasta water. Drain pasta and add pasta and carrots to the beans.
• Add the pasta water and stir. The pasta water contains starch and will bring more creaminess.
• Add spinach or kale. Stir in.
  
• Add heavy cream. Stir in.
  
• If necessary, season with salt and pepper. Add pecorino romano.

  Serve immediately.
  

The post Tuscan White Bean Pasta Recipe appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Made with passata (strained tomato sauce) heavy cream, white wine, the sauce is delicate and yet flavorful because of the sausage. This was something made for lunch on the fly and you will love it. It’s also really good left over.

We just returned from Italy, where we ate pasta almost every day. Actually, the boys who were with us (now 17) did eat pasta at least once and sometimes twice a day. These are the twins you’ve heard about here since the inception of this blog, born in 2007 and the blog born in early 2009. They’ve been along for the ride and in the kitchen for so many of the meals

Since we returned, I’ve been experimenting with new pasta dishes, because the boys eat lunch here about 4 times a week. .

You’ve probably heard that when people go to Italy, they can eat and pasta and bread without issue and weight gain. It’s true, but of course, take in mind, there is a lot of walking which probably helps the metabolism process the carbs. Also, there’s not a lot of junk food, snacks or sweets outside of gelato.

Even though most of my recipes are low-carb, you have families that don’t eat that way and sometimes you want to have some pasta too. You can make this sauce and serve it with spaghetti squash.

This dish, featuring a creamy sausage ragu takes less than an hour to make and it’s super easy, and satisfying.

Ingredients

• Hot Italian Sausage
• Carrot, Onion, Celery
• Jarred Passata (or tomato puree)
• Heavy Cream
• Pecorino Cheese
• White Wine
• Pasta AND Pasta Broth

Note on Pasta Broth: It’s a secret weapon for pasta dishes. It contains starch and will help thicken the sauce. It’s very important in this dish.

Choosing the Pasta

I used a small rigatoni, which has ridges and heft and works well with this sauce. This would work well with penne pasta, orecchiette, or gnocchi.

Process for Creamy Sausage Ragu

• Heat oil in pan.
• Chop celery, carrot, onion as small as possible, because you won’t have the several hours it takes to cook them down. If you only have onion that’s fine too.
• Crumble the sausage into the pot.
• When sausage is cooked through, add in white wine and cook for twenty minutes until the alcohol is cooked off. You can skip the wine, if you don’t have any.
• Add in just enough passata (puree) to cover the sausage. This is not a heavy tomato sauce. Heat through about ten minutes.
• Add any herbs you have like thyme, parsley, basil.
• Boil your pasta about 2 minutes before the directions. Save the pasta water. This is the best part.
• Add pasta water to the sausage, a ladle at a time. The starch helps to thicken the sauce. I eventually added three ladles. Add in about 1/2 cup heavy cream.
• Add a cup of grated pecorino cheese and serve more at the table.
• Season as you need with salt and pepper.

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Similar Recipes

• Spaghetti Squash, Ricotta, Bolognese
• Authentic Bolognese
• Bolognese with Pork and Peach
• How to Cook Pasta like an Italian

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Creamy Sausage Ragu

Easy, Fast Creamy Tomato Ragu, perfect for pasta, pizza, vegetables.

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Keyword edamame pasta, sausage bolognese, sausage ragu

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Pasta cooking time 8 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 onion small dice
• 2 medium carrots small dice
• 2 celery stalks small dice
• 1 pound loose Italian sausage
• 2 cups passata (tomato puree)
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup pasta water more if needed
• 2 cups pecorino cheese grated, divided

Pasta

• 1 pound pasta
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 large pot water

Instructions

• Heat oil in pan.
• Chop celery, carrot, onion as small as possible, because you won't have the several hours it takes to cook them down. If you only have onion that's fine too. Saute for five minutes.
• Crumble sausage into the frying pan.
• In meantime, boil water and cook pasta up to 2 minutes before done time. You'll finish cooking in the sauce.
• Add in just enough passata or tomato puree to cover the sausage. This is not a heavy tomato sauce. Heat through about ten minutes.
• Add any chopped herbs you have.
• Optional: Add white wine and continue cooking on low for about ten minutes or until alcohol is cooked off.
• Add heavy cream.
• When you are ready to add pasta to pan, add in a ladle of pasta water, as needed. The starch helps to thicken the sauce.I eventually added three ladles
• At this point you can decide if you need to add more tomato puree or more pasta water.
• Toss with 1 cup of grated pecorino cheese. Cook another minute stirring.
• Serve immediately with more pecorino cheese.
• NOTE: IF You use mild sausage, consider adding in some red chili flakes.

Pasta

• Large pot boiling water, salted. Do not add oil.
• Cook pasta 2 minutes less than directions.

The post Creamy Sausage Ragu with Pasta (made fast) appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

A true bolognese takes several hours for the flavors to meld together. Made with ground meat (usually beef), the “trinity” of carrots, onion, and celery, milk, wine and chopped tomatoes, it will take about twenty minutes standing at the stove to layer each ingredient. Then it’s super easy, and can cook in a crock pot for three to four hours.

You can make the original bolognese or any variation below. Whichever you make, know there’s a lot more you can do with bolognese asides pasta, so read all the way down.

Authentic Bolognese (from Marcella Hazan)

Authentic Bolognese

All of my variations on bolognese below start with the foundational recipe from the amazing, quintessential Italian Cook Book Queen, Marcella Hazan. In her book. We cooked from this marvelous cookbook, the Essentials of Classical Italian Cooking.   I wrote about her here and I was able to connect with her before she passed away.

At first glance, bolognese may seem daunting, because you do have to remain at the stove to add the ingredients in intervals, but once all the ingredients are incorporated, the bolognese braises for several hours without you.

Variations on Bolognese (Marcella Hazan)

In the Fall, I like to mix ground pork with beef and add in some chopped apple and sage for a FALL BOLOGNESE.

In the summer, I made a Pork and Peaches Bolognese.

Veal and Pork Bolognese

This is a classic combination. You could also change out the veal or the beef with ground lamb. Recipe for Veal and Pork Bolognese Here.

Once you know which bolognese you want to make, see this post on how to cook pasta like an Italian.

What to do with Leftover Bolognese

There are a lot of ways to use Bolognese.

• Shepherd’s Pie (use mashed potatoes or cauliflower mash)
• Italian Style Sloppy Joe’s
• Crepes
• Spaghetti Squash Bolognese Casserole (recipe coming)
• Keto Flatbread

Be Creative. Here I’ve used bolognese with a fun shaped pasta, some peas, and ricotta.

The post Five Bolognese Recipes for Cold Weather appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Different Types of Pasta

Before you read this, understand that there are always exceptions to everything, but I share my general rules on what pasta is most appropriate for a sauce, and I only discuss the most common and familiar pastas.

Pasta is easily divided into two categories, factory-made and homemade. These are completely different, not only in texture but in ingredients. I prefer high quality factory made pasta most of the time, made with semolina flour and water, yielding a bite with heft.

Homemade pasta made here is often more delicate, usually made with eggs, water, and wheat flour.

Factory pastas are usually either some kind of spaghetti or macaroni (outside of lasagna type noodles or cannelloni).

There are several sizes of spaghetti from angel hair to bucatini (long rod with hollow center). Linguine is a flat spaghetti-like pasta that is made in long strands also.

While many types can be interchanged with different sauces, a good rule of thumb is the chunkier the sauce, the heftier the pasta, whether it be thicker macaronies (like a rigatoni or penne). A medium sized spaghetti is better with carbonara and olive oil sauces.

Fettuccini or papparadelle (a broad flat pasta noodle) do well to accept heavier sauces like bolognese.

There are many many types of macaroni with penne, ziti, and rigatoni being the most common, and even these can come in different sizes. Baked pasta casseroles are most often made with ziti or penne.

My Favorite Tomato Sauce Dishes

Hopefully these dishes will have you singing and dancing. Most of them take less than 45 minutes to make.

Stuffed Shells with Tomato Sauce

One the other hand, my Aunt Rita, also my godmother, had a signature dish, stuffed shells filled with ricotta cheese. This required a tomato sauce that took longer to make and a little bit more fuss. The sauce should be smooth, not chunky. This was just her style, which I would call slow and nurturing. Use large stuffed shells, manicotti or extra large rigatoni.

My Grandmother’s Tomato Sauce

This tomato sauce is smooth, perfect for the stuffed shells above, or lasagna.

Tomato Sauce For Breakfast/Brunch

If you want tomato sauce for breakfast, this tomato sauce made with fresh tomatoes is served with poached eggs. This may seem odd, but trust me, it’s delicious.

Twenty Minute Fast Tomato Sauce for Eggs in Purgatory Eggs in purgatory is the Italian version of shakshuka.

Crespelles (Crepes) with Prosciutto, Mozzarella and Tomato Sauce, a Marcella Hazan recipe.

Classics that take less than 45 minutes

A big favorite in our house is is spicy tomato sauce with shrimp that takes only 20 minutes and is perfect for a party served with garlic toast or chunky bread.

Or try this fast 20 minute spicy sauce for fish with Baked Filet of Sole. Made spicy with added capers for flavor, if you haven’t tried this kind of baked fish, you’re in for a surprise.

Spicy Eggplant Sauce – a real tasty treat done fast.

Try something unique with eggplants with this with spaghetti, gnocchi, penne, ziti.

One of my go to extra special sauces is this 45 minute sauce, which makes the pasta dish from Rome, Pasta all’ Amatriciana. It’s made with pancetta, red pepper flakes, tomatoes and an extra thick spaghetti, bucatini. I’ve eaten this in Rome and this recipe from Marcella Hazan nails it. I’ve made this several times. Make sure you cook the pasta al dente.

Spaghetti and Meatballs is classic and beloved all over the world. I think a smooth sauce is best but a little bit of chunkiness is okay. The video in this post is hilarious. I like medium to thick spaghetti with the meatballs, and stay away from thin or angel hair. That kind of pasta is not “pasta” enough to carry the meatballs.

Vodka Tomato Sauce for Penne Alla Vodka. Naturally, you want to use penne pasta, with this vodka infused tomato sauce.

Pizza Sauce Made Easy – Skip store bought pizza sauce and make this fast and easy sauce for your best pizza.

Veal Sugo (a Veal Tomato Sauce with White Wine) is probably something you have never heard of, but I’m putting it here in case you want to experiment with something new. This thick sauce is best with a papparaelle, a rigatoni, a penne pasta or thick spaghetti like bucatini (below).

Tomato Sauce with Wine – How to do it Right

Wine adds a layer of flavor and some acid to tomato sauce. However, there are a few tips to get this right.

• Use decent wine you would drink. This also means never ever use something called “cooking wine.” The quality of the wine you cook with affects the quality of the dish.
• Use dry white wine over red wine. White wine matches the brightness of tomatoes better. Sometimes red can be overpowering.
• Make sure to cook the wine down. Adding wine will mean you need to cook the sauce long enough to cook off the alcohol.
• Add wine to any sauce you like, but only if you truly believe it needs it. I like wine added to sauces that I’m also serving with meat, or seafood.

A Word on Bolognese

Bolognese is not really a tomato sauce. Bolognese sauce is more meat sauce than tomato sauce and is layered with tomatoes milk and wine. I have several recipes for bolognese, which is most often eaten with a pappardelle pasta, rigatoni or bucatini as viewed below.

You can see how I have varied the bolognese sauce in summer and fall.

• Traditional Authentic Bolognese
• Bolognese with Pork and Apples
• Bolognese with Pork and Peaches

Now that you have several ways to make tomato sauce, make sure you cook your pasta like an Italian.…al dente, because pasta is still always the star of the dish.

The post 10 Different Tomato Sauce Recipes for Different Pastas appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Bolognese is not new here. However, this spaghetti bolognese recipe with pork is new and it has a twist for Autumn.

A typical bolognese starts with a mirepoix, a medley of onions, celery and carrots and ends with a lot of patience while it coks slowly for four hours. It’s very easy to get this started and, while building flavors does take layering the ingredients for about thirty minutes, once you have that done, you need do nothing. The magic happens in the low slow simmering, (or in the slow-cooker).

This spaghetti bolognese is new because I changed the recipe, using a combination of pork and beef. You can use all ground pork, but I think adding in some beef makes for a good balance.

Instead of celery, I took a chance and used a crisp mutsu apple, which is a bit tart, a bit sweet, and compliments the pork. Fresh sage adds that special something, complimenting the pork and the apple for that complex layering of  flavors, which is what bolognese is all about.

While the key ingredient in a bolognese is meat, because it’s a meat sauce, not a tomato sauce, all of the ingredients are important to create this orchestra of flavors.

The Truth about Easy Spaghetti Bolognese Recipe

This is really easy to do, but it’s not quick! I see some recipes out there for the thirty minute bolognese. That’s like trying to have a 30 minute chili. Don’t do it. What you can do, though, is get all your prep ready the day before, and go ahead and make a double batch, because once the last ingredient is in the pot, you’re done.

Once the mirepoix is softened and the meat is browned enough, milk is added, followed by white wine (not red), followed by tomatoes. This, however, is not a dish where everything is just dumped in a pot. It’s very important to take the time to allow the milk to evaporate, and then to allow wine to evaporate before adding the tomatoes.

Easy Spaghetti Bolognese Recipe is Versatile

I served this two ways, with spaghetti and with zoodles. I’ll admit to you, I was skeptical about going with zucchini as a base, but it works, and I highly recommend the OXO spiralizer as the easiest on the market to very quickly help you make some grain free alternatives.

You might want to make a lot of bolognese sauce and freeze some because it’s so versatile. Top it with mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower and make shepherd’s pie. You could fill crepes or serve it in hamburger buns sloppy Joe’s style.

If you like this you will love my all beef authentic bolognese or this veal bolognese.

Make Sliders with Bolognese, perfect for tailgating.

More Italian Recipes from Spinach Tiger

Authentic Bolognese from Marcella Hazan

My Grandmother’s Authentic Italian Tomato Sauce

Peach and Pork Bolognese

Veal and Pork Bolognese

Shrimp with Tomato Onion Butter Sauce

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Fall's Best Spaghetti Bolognese with a Secret Ingredient

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium to large sized onion diced
• 3 carrots peeled, diced
• 1 medium to large tart apple peeled, diced (see notes)
• 2 cups milk see notes to low-carb application
• dash of freshly ground nutmeg
• 2 cups white wine
• 1 28 - ounce can San Marzano Tomatoes ORDER HERE
• 1 1/2 pounds ground pork
• 1 pound ground beef
• handful fresh sage leaves optional
• handful parsley leaves
• 2 pounds pasta
• salt pepper

Instructions

• On medium heat, add oil, butter, onion, until translucent.
• Add celery, carrots, cook 2 minutes, stirring, not browning.
• Season meat with salt and pepper.
• Add meat, break up with fork, and when no pink color is showing.
• Add milk. Turn down heat to simmer, stirring frequently until milk has evaporated.
• Add nutmeg.
• Add wine, stirring thoroughly. Once wine has completely evaporated, add tomatoes, and simmer on very very low stirring every now and again. If sauce dries out, add ½ cup water a time. Cook for a minimum of 3 hours. I think 4-6 hours is better.
• Taste and season with salt, pepper.

Notes

I used a mutsu apple, which is a very crisp apple. (also known as crispin). Replace with a honey crisp or granny smith.

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The post Spaghetti Bolognese Recipe with Pork, Apples, Fresh Sage appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Pork and Peach Bolognese helped me make sense of slow cooking in this long hot summer. While I love all things salad, there are moments I crave a bowl of pasta with bolognese.

I’ve featured bolognese several times here at Spinach Tiger, but this is the first time I have made it with peaches. I switched out the usual carrots with this sweet favorite summer fruit, which added just enough sweet and helped to tenderize the meat.

We used a lower carb Papparadelle’s Pasta (7 carbs per 2 dry ounces), which we found impressive. Pork and Peach Bolognese would be perfect with a thick spaghetti, or any wider noodle or homemade pasta. 

If you’re new to what a bolognese sauce is, it’s not a tomato sauce. It’s a meat sauce with a little bit of tomato. Bolognese is slow cooked (the longer, the better), and includes milk and white wine. The meat has an unexpected layering of flavor from it’s slow cooking and the aroma in the house is enticing.

I decided to use half ground pork, half ground beef, but you can mix it up as you wish. The next time I’m thinking I’ll make a peach and shredded pork ragú, similar to this recipe.

The Process Pork and Peach Bolognese

It will take 30 minutes of prep work as each step is done in sequence. Once you’ve added in the last ingredient, you can transfer to a slow cooker on low for six hours and walk away. There is nothing hard about this recipe and it’s a great dish to freeze.  You will want to peel peaches, arrange ingredients, and I suggest using only San Marzano Tomatoes (amazon). I use this the Cento brand. You will know how good they are, as you only need your hands to break them into the sauce and there is almost no waste, unlike other brands I have tried.

You might want to serve this with my rosemary peach focaccia. 

More Bolognese Recipes from Spinach Tiger

More Peach Recipes from Spinach Tiger

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Pork and Peach Bolognese

Ground Beef, Ground Pork, Peaches come together to make summer Italian comfort food.

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours

Total Time 4 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium to large sized onion diced
• 2 peaches peeled, diced
• 2 cups milk see notes to low-carb application
• dash of freshly ground nutmeg
• 2 cups white wine
• 1 28 - ounce can San Marzano Tomatoes ORDER HERE
• 1½ pounds ground pork
• 1 pound ground beef
• handful fresh sage leaves optional
• handful parsley leaves
• 2 pounds pasta
• salt pepper

Instructions

• Bring a pot of boiling water together. Cut an x at bottom of peaches. Immerse in water for a minute or two. Cool. Peel peaches. Dice. Set aside.
• On medium heat, add oil, butter, onion, until translucent.
• Season meat with salt and pepper.
• Add meat, break up with fork, and when no pink color is showing.
• Add milk. Turn down heat to simmer, stirring frequently until milk has evaporated.
• Add nutmeg.
• Add wine, stirring thoroughly. Once wine has completely evaporated, add peaches and tomatoes, and simmer on very very low stirring every now and again. If sauce dries out, add ½ cup water a time.
• Add herbs (to be removed later).
• Cook for a minimum of 3 hours. I think 4-6 hours is better.
• Taste and season with salt, pepper

The post Pork and Peach Bolognese appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I am Italian American, but my grandparents were Italian immigrants. Pasta was a constant in our home. However, when I went ot Italy and ate several different pasta dishes, I was surprised by the texture, and understood what al dente meant.

Pasta al dente has a bite to it

When pasta is cooked al dente, it means it has a tooth to it or a bite to it. It resists slightly.  This takes longer to digest and avoids a spike in blood sugar.

The first time I ever ate a pasta cooked correctly was a Pasta Carbonara dish in Rome. It was so delicious and satisfying and it felt almost as if the center wasn’t cooked. I learned that we Americans are doing it all wrong!

We tend to overcook pasta to a mushy, gummy mess, doing stupid things like adding in olive oil and then rinsing in cold water. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Trust me on this.

First of all there is a difference in cooking times and sauce preferences between homemade and factory made dried pasta. If you buy a quality dried pasta, and it is cooked properly, it’s often better than pasta made from scratch at home.

While homemade pasta is wonderful, factory pasta is suited more to most Italian dishes.  For example, spaghetti, rigatoni, penne pasta, and bucatini are factory pastas we all adore. These pastas are made from water and semolina flour, a golden yellow hard wheat flour, which gives the pasta its structure. There are no eggs used, and the pasta is very firm.

Factory pasta is best suited to olive oil sauces and can be used with butter sauces.  This zucchini basil  pasta dish is so delicious and a wonderful summer dish.

No matter whether the pasta is homemade or store-bought,  the rules for how to cook pasta are the same.

Spaghetti is the most overcooked pasta on earth. It should resist and have a bite to it. It’s easier to digest that way too!

You don’t always need to have a ton of pasta to make a wonderful dish. This is simply olive oil, garlic and crushed red pepper with broccoli.

How Much Pasta Per Person

However, if pasta is the main course (spaghetti and meatballs), make sure you cook enough for a crowd. You will want to cook 4 ounces per person to be on the safe side, even though two ounces is a portion. This is the dish you’ll want to have leftovers.

Classic Genovesa Pesto with Green Beans and Potatoes is a bit of Carb Heaven, but make sure that spaghetti has a bite to it.

Spaghetti with Meatballs and Garden Vegetables Doesn’t Need a Sauce. This is a pasta you absolutely want to cook al dente!

Pasta Carbonara is a delightful classic.

Pasta Water 

Where there’s a sauce involved like a warm pesto, you might want to finish the cooking in the pan to bring more favor to the pasta. Put the pesto in frying pan. Add in pasta, but reserve a little of the pasta water. See Number 8 on tips.

Pasta and Chicken with Pistachio Pesto

Pistachio Pesto can be used on any pasta and is so good. 

Factory pasta is best suited to olive oil sauces and can be used with butter sauces. Bread crumbs as a topping often give pasta that little extra something.

Pasta La Fritteda 

This spinach pasta is store-bought from Trader Joe’s and will have a longer cooking time than homemade.

How to Cook Pasta al dente: Here are the rules for factory produced, dried pasta.

1. Choose the right pasta for the intended sauce.
2. LOTS OF WATER – I use a 7 quart pot fill it with 6 quarts of water to cook one pound of pasta. WHY? The more water per pasta ratio, the faster the water gets back to boiling and the faster the pasta will cook. The more water per pasta ratio, the more room the pasta has, and this avoids sticking.
3. Do NOT put oil in your pan. Just use an ample amount of water. The exception to this rule is homemade, filled pasta such as ravioli.
4. LOTS OF SALT – Once the water begins to boil, add the salt and not before. Wait a few seconds until the water is rapidly boiling and then add pasta.
5. COOK Al Dente – Only cook the pasta until it is soft, yet still has a chew. Do not overcook. Test the pasta starting at two minutes before suggested cook time.
6. RESERVE some pasta water. Before you empty the pot into a colander, reserve a cup of pasta water for your sauce
7. Do NOT rinse pasta with water. The starch on the pasta needs to stay put!
8. FINISH cooking the pasta in the sauce. Place enough sauce into a large frying pan or dutch oven and finish cooking the pasta. It will absorb some of the sauce and flavor. At this time, add in some of the pasta water. The starch in the water will help to thicken the sauce.
9. ENJOY!

Pasta with Spicy Eggplant Sauce

How You can Tell if  You have a good pasta

What’s a good pasta? You should be able to tell the difference between a good quality boxed pasta and a so so pasta, because the quality pasta will have more body to it when cooked. It will plump more and have flavor, not be just bland starch.

There are two brands I think are exceptional in the moderate price range.  Alma’s and La Molinari. I’m mentioning these brands because they are only slightly higher in price than the cheaper brands and worth a few extra cents.

I also like the higher priced De Cecco pasta a lot! There are other brands with Italian names that are priced right and get premier space, and while they are not bad, they are not exceptionally good either.

It’s so important to get the pasta right, because a few simple things can make the difference between a great bite of pasta and a dish no one really cares to eat.

How to Cook The Right Pasta for the Right Sauce

A thick bolognese sauce is great with a papparadelle (a wider noodle) , but also memorable with an extra thick spaghetti that is hollowed, called bucatini.  It’s one of our favorite pastas! De Cecco makes a great bucatini.

The Best Pasta for Chicken Soup

I grew up on pastina (affilate) in my chicken soup and now the boys absolutely love and prefer this.

Pastina (affiliate)  is amazing with scrambled eggs and parmesan cheese. It’s the dish my grandmother made for me and a pasta kids can eat with a spoon. As we got older, we started scrambling eggs into spaghetti with olive oil and cheese and it’s my husband’s favorite.

Homemade Papparadelle is perfect for bolognese, but is lovely with chanterelle mushrooms and butter. A homemade egg based pasta will cook very quickly. Homemade pastas are made with eggs and softer wheat flour. They cook quickly and absorb sauces deeply.

How to Cook Gluten Free Pasta

The same rules apply, but read the directions carefully. Some gluten free pastas have long cooking times. Keep in mind that most gluten free pasta is not good reheated and will fall apart.

Gluten Free Rotini Mexican Style

Pasta is a Perfect Ingredient for a One Dish Dinner

We love one dish pasta dishes, and sometimes we turn to low-carb pasta.

In this case, a low-carb, high protein pasta was used and cooked extra long with the last few minutes cooking in the olive oil mixture to absorb the flavor.

Pasta with Salmon, Olives, Tomatoes, Cauliflower

Low Carb Pasta with Peach Pork Bolognese.

Pasta is one of those dishes the whole world loves and makes in so many different ways. Eaten in moderation, it’s a great part of life. Properly cooked, it’s easier to digest and enjoy!

Here’s my latest pasta dish. Stuffed Shells and How to Stuff Pasta, great for a crowd.

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How to Cook Pasta Like an Italian (al dente) and Which Pasta to Use

How to Cook Pasta Properly.

Course Pasta

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 pound of pasta or as desired.
• 6 quarts water
• 2 tablespoons salt

Instructions

• How to Cook Pasta: Here are the rules for factory produced, dried pasta.
• Choose the right pasta for the intended sauce.
• LOTS OF WATER – I use a 7 quart pot fill it with 6 quarts of water to cook one pound of pasta. WHY? The more water per pasta ratio, the faster the water gets back to boiling and the faster the pasta will cook. The more water per pasta ratio, the more room the pasta has, and this avoids sticking.
• Do NOT put oil in your pan. Just use an ample amount of water. The exception to this rule is homemade, filled pasta such as ravioli.
• LOTS OF SALT – Once the water begins to boil, add the salt and not before. Wait a few seconds until the water is rapidly boiling and then add pasta.
• COOK Al Dente – Only cook the pasta until it is soft, yet still has a chew. Do not overcook. Test the pasta starting at two minutes before suggested cook time.
• RESERVE some pasta water. Before you empty the pot into a colander, reserve a cup of pasta water for your sauce
• Do NOT rinse pasta with water. The starch on the pasta needs to stay put!
• FINISH cooking the pasta in the sauce. Place enough sauce into a large frying pan or dutch oven and finish cooking the pasta. It will absorb some of the sauce and flavor. At this time, add in some of the pasta water. The starch in the water will help to thicken the sauce.
• ENJOY!

The post How to Cook Pasta al Dente, Like an Italian appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

It’s been way too long since Spinach Tiger posted a pasta recipe, and I’ve come back with one that is so scrumptious, we made it two nights in a row.

My pasta with salmon recipe hits all the notes if you like Mediterranean flavors (and who doesn’t) and there’s the added benefit of cauliflower.

I used salmon, which because of it’s high fat content and texture, works so well with pasta. The last time I made a pasta dish this good was when I made this hazelnut crusted tuna with homemade pasta. The secret ingredient in this dish is the anchovies, which melted into olive oil. Do not let that scare you. The anchovies add an umami boost but you don’t know they’re there. You may not know this, but there are anchovies in Worcestershire sauce.

This pasta with salmon recipe is such a stunning and scrumptious dish. and yet only takes about twenty minutes to make.

A few months ago we were in San Francisco and I bought some Papparadelle’s Pasta. I discovered this pasta years ago at a Denver farmer’s market. They make over 50 varieties including a low carb and gluten free. We chose several to bring back for friends (like sweet potato orzo) and picked up a few low-carb pastas that I was surprised to like.

In this pasta with pasta with salmon recipe, I chose the four-peppercorn fettuccini and it’s only 7 carbs per 2 ounces (dried). There is no other low-carb pasta on the market that I know of that I can eat with such gusto. It’s very high protein and you do have to cook it for about 14 minutes. You can order at their website.

The Process for Pasta with Salmon Recipe

I baked the salmon in the oven, for about 7 minutes, but you can also pan fry. I melted the anchovies in olive oil, added garlic, thinly sliced cauliflower and more olive oil as I needed it. Once the pasta was cooked, I added it to this frying pan with some cherry tomatoes and kalamata olives. I had an after thought that some crumbled feta on top would be amazing, so I’ll include that as an option to the recipe.

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Play Around: Try Scallops

On another night I repeated this recipe with seared scallops.

• Bring scallops to room temperature.
• Remove that little muscle found on the side.
• Dry with paper towels. Use Medium to medium high heat.
• Place some coconut oil or avocado oil in the pan.
• Get the oil hot. Add scallops. Do NOT turn over until they turn easily. If using an all clad pan, only use medium heat.

You could also make this with other fish, or seafood, such as shrimp and lobster or any mix.

You may also like these dishes from Spinach Tiger

Scallops with Pasta

More Pasta Recipes from Spinach Tiger

More Salmon Recipes from Spinach Tiger

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Pasta with Salmon, Olives, Cauliflower in Twenty Minutes

A medley of pasta, cauliflower, olives, tomatoes, herbs for an easy, delicious Mediterranean style dinner.

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound salmon
• 4 ounces pasta see notes
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil or avocado oil
• 4 anchovies optional
• 2 cups cauliflower sliced thinly in small pieces
• 4 garlic cloves diced
• 1 shallot diced
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 6 -8 kalamata olives
• 6 grape tomatoes cut in half or sun dried tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon cracked red pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Instructions

• Heat two tablespoons coconut oil or avocado oil in pan to medium high heat.
• Melt 4 anchovies in hot oil. You will not taste these, but they add a layer of flavor.
• Add cauliflower.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Fry until cauliflower is mostly golden brown. Drain Set aside.
• Put salmon in oven at 400 degrees for ten minutes or until done, but not overdone.
• In meantime, cook pasta according to directions.
• Make sure to heavily salt the water once pasta boils and then add pasta.
• Drain pasta, but reserve a little bit of the pasta water.
• Heat olive oil in a large frying pan. Add in garlic and shallot until softened.
• Add cauliflower back. Add in cooked pasta and a little bit of pasta water, just enough to make sure pasta is not dry.
• Cut salmon into pieces and add to pasta.
• Season with salt, pepper.
• Add olives, tomatoes.
• Add in more olive oil if necessary.
• Top with fresh herbs.
• Serve immediately.

Notes

I used low-carb pasta from papparadelle's.

The post Pasta with Salmon Recipe, Mediterranean Style (with Low Carb Pasta) appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Chicken with orzo, tomatoes and spinach is the one pot dish your family will love, and there are many options for making this tasty Italian dish.

Use Your Own Favorite Chicken Tenders with Orzo

You can make this with your favorite frozen chicken tenders OR you can make my chicken cutlets found here or my chicken tenders, found here. I won’t judge you,  if you buy frozen tenders. Just seek out quality chicken. You can also use tenders that are not breaded.

We can recommend Springer Mountain Farms (this is not sponsored), and they have a gluten free breaded product. Produced with no antibiotics, never fed animal by-products and are American Humane Association Certified.

Italian Chicken Orzo Pasta Can Be Made Gluten Free

Orzo is one of our favorite pastas because it’s so easy to make and easier to eat. It’s like rice but it’s pasta.

You can also substitute rice in this dish or use a gluten free pasta if you need to.

I found this gluten free orzo pasta on line.

Italian Chicken Orzo Pasta can be made on a sheet pan.

Most of this dish is made on a sheet pan. You can put your breaded chicken and tomatoes both on one sheet and bake for about twenty minutes. In the meantime, you cook the pasta. If you make the pasta in a dutch oven, you can put it together and serve it from one pot. The spinach is added to hot orzo in its raw state with some olive oil (another food trick I love).

All you need to do now is add in some good parmesan or pecorino cheese and voila, you have meat, pasta, veggies all in one bowl. Chicken Orzo Pasta  is comfort food without all the long kitchen time, so don’t let summer keep you out of the kitchen. Make this in twenty minutes and be a kitchen star. It also reheats well.

I have a week’s worth of chicken and pasta dishes which your family will also love, and you’ll never get bored.

Healthy Chicken Pasta Recipes Here.

Happy pasta eating!

More Easy Dinner Recipes Found Here

More Italian Recipes Found Here

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Chicken with Orzo, Spinach, Tomatoes

An easy Italian pasta chicken dish with orzo, chicken, spinach and roasted tomatoes.

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 16 ounces dry orzo
• 1 tablespoon salt for pasta water
• 8 chicken strips
• 1 pint grape tomatoes
• 2 cups pre-washed baby spinach
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley for garnish
• 1 teaspoon red chili flakes optional This dish can be made in one dutch oven or large pot.

Instructions

• This dish can be made in one dutch oven or large pot.
• Cook the orzo according to package instructions. Salt water before adding pasta).
• Bake chicken parmesan strips according to package instructions.
• Toss tomatoes with small amount of olive oil, just enough to glisten and bake on same baking sheet as chicken at same time.
• Tomatoes will burst open. Set sheet pan aside.
• Drain pasta.
• Add in olive oil, black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Add tomatoes, raw spinach, and gently toss.
• Cut chicken cross wise or serve in whole pieces over the orzo.
• Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and parsley.
• Serve with optional red chili flakes.

The post Italian Chicken Orzo Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes, Spinach appeared first on Spinach Tiger.