Linguine with Scallops, Bacon,

and Sun-Dried Tomato Cream

1 pound dried linguine

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 medium shallots, minced

1 pound bay scallops, rinsed and patted dry

1 ½ cups heavy cream

1 ounce sun-dried tomatoes, soaked and chopped, soaking water reserved

6 strips bacon, cooked and chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

    

        Cook pasta in a large pan of salted boiling water. In a large sauté pan, warm butter and olive oil over medium heat.   Add shallots and saute until translucent, 2-3 minutes.  Add scallops and cook another 3 minutes or so, until scallops are opaque and release their juices.  Remove the scallops from the pan and set aside.  Add cream and sun-dried tomatoes, turn heat to high, and boil until cream is slightly reduced and thickened.  Remove from heat and stir in scallops and bacon, then cook over low heat until warmed through.  If the sauce is too thick, thin with reserving soaking water from the tomatoes.

         Drain pasta.  In a large bowl combine pasta with sauce.  Serve sprinkled with chopped thyme. 

        Makes 6 servings.

Quick & Healthy Penne Pasta

with Red Pepper and Sausage Sauce

½ pound dried penne pasta

½ large onion, diced

½ pound smoked turkey sausage, diced

1 red pepper, roasted, peeled, and seeded

½ cup part-skim ricotta cheese, at room temperature

Salt and pepper to taste

1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

   

        Cook pasta in plenty of salted boiling water until al dente.  While pasta is cooking, sauté onion and sausage in a medium sauté pan until lightly browned.  Place red pepper and ricotta in a blender and process until smooth, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

     When pasta is cooked, drain and transfer to a large bowl.  Add sausage and onion mixture and red pepper sauce and stir to combine.   Serve pasta topped with chopped basil. 

    Makes 3-4 servings.

Summer Pasta for Two

    Sauté a sliced onion and a sliced bell pepper in a little olive oil for 5 minutes.  Add 2 small sliced zucchini and sauté 5 more minutes. Cut the kernels from 2 cobs of corn and add them with some chopped fresh basil and parsley and salt and pepper to taste.  Sauté 2 more minutes.  Serve over cooked pasta with crumbled feta and a drizzle of olive oil.

Pumpkin Risotto with Sage and Onion

A great autumn side or main dish

5 to 7 cups chicken stock      

3 tablespoons olive oil       

1 large onion, diced      

2 cups Arborio rice*            

1 cup dry white wine            

Salt and pepper

Grated nutmeg

1½ cups pumpkin purée

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

2-3 tablespoons chopped sage

   

    Bring the stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan. 

    Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium low heat.  Add the onions and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the rice to the pan, raise the heat to medium, and cook, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes.  

    Add the wine and cook, stirring frequently, until it is absorbed.  Season generously with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. 

    Ladle 1½ cups of hot stock into the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until the stock is absorbed.  Adjust the heat to maintain the rice at a gentle simmer.  Continue adding the stock, 1 cup at a time, cooking and stirring until each addition is absorbed, until the rice not quite al dente. 

    Stir in the pumpkin purée.  Continue cooking and adding stock until the rice is al dente.  (Cooking time is usually 12-16 minutes after the addition of the wine.)  Add more stock for a creamier consistency.

    Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the cheese and sage. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and serve immediately.

    Makes 6-8 servings.

  

   *A short-grain Italian rice with a high starch content--available in most grocery stores.

Pasta Fazool

1 pound dry cannellini beans or othermedium size white beans, picked over and rinsed

1 medium onion, diced

1 carrot, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice

2 teaspoons canola oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

½ teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 quart beef, chicken, or turkey stock, plus additional to moisten finished dish

10 ounces spinach leaves

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice

1 pound small pasta, such as tiny shells, cooked and drained

Salt and pepper

Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

  

    Place the beans in a large bowl and soak overnight.

    Drain the beans and add them to the insert of a slow cooker. Lightly brown the onion and carrots in the oil in a small skillet. Add the browned vegetables to the slow cooker with the garlic, rosemary, fennel, thyme, and stock.  Stir, to combine, the cover the slow cooker and cook on low heat 10 to 12 hours, until the beans are tender. 

    Add the spinach leaves, stir, and replace the cover.  Let the mixture sit for a few minutes, then add the tomatoes and pasta, moisten with more stock if needed, and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve garnished with Parmesan.

    Makes 8 servings.