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Category: Pasta

Marsala Mushroom Chicken Skillet

Marsala Mushroom Chicken Skillet

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with Broccoli and Peas

Yield: 2 Servings

Chicken & mushrooms with a creamy Marsala sauce mixed with broccoli and peas served with pasta.

Needed more sauce, so all of the sauce ingredients below are now doubled.

  • 6oz noodles
  • 6oz cremini mushrooms
  • 1shallot
  • 6oz broccoli florets
  • 12oz boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1TBS flour
  • 6oz dry Marsala wine
  • 8oz light cream
  • 2tsp chicken Better than Bouillon
  • 2oz peas
  • olive oil
  • salt & pepper

Prepare the Ingredients:

Cut mushrooms into ¼-inch slices.

Peel and halve shallot. Slice thinly.

Cut broccoli florets into bite-sized pieces.

Pat chicken breasts dry and, on a separate cutting board, cut into 1″ dice. Season with ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Place diced chicken and flour in a mixing bowl and toss to coat.

Noodles:

Bring a gallon of water to a boil. Add 1 TBS salt, stir and add noodles. Cook as directed on box.

Sear the Chicken:

Place a medium non-stick pan over medium-high heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Add chicken to hot pan and stir occasionally until seared on two sides, 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Chicken will finish cooking in a later step. Keep pan over medium-high heat.

Cook the Vegetables

Add 2 tsp olive oil, mushrooms, and shallot to hot pan and stir occasionally until lightly browned, 2-4 minutes.

Add Marsala and stir occasionally until mostly evaporated, 2-3 minutes.

Stir in cream, broccoli, 2 oz water, demi-glace, ¼ tsp salt, and a pinch of pepper until combined.

Finish the Skillet

Return chicken and any accumulated juices to pan. Bring to a simmer. Once simmering, stir occasionally until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and chicken reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165°F, 6-7 minutes.

Add peas and stir until warmed through, 1 minute.

Serve:

You can mix the pasta into the skillet and get it all coated or serve over the pasta. Divide between plates.

Pork Penne with Oranges & Walnuts

Pork Penne with Oranges & Walnuts

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Yield: 4 Servings

Adapted from: Cuisine at Home

Pork and orange might sound like an unlikely combination in a pasta dish, but the savory flavor and bursts of fresh orange really intrigue the taste buds in this easy weeknight dinner recipe.

Pasta:

  • 8oz penne

Pork & mushrooms:

  • 6TBS olive oil, divided
  • 12oz pork tenderloin, trimmed, cubed, and seasoned with salt and black pepper
  • 8oz sliced cremini mushrooms
  • ¾cup sliced red onion
  • 1TBS minced fresh garlic

Dressing:

  • ¼cup each fresh lemon and orange juice
  • 1tsp minced orange zest
  • 1orange 
  • ½cup chopped fresh parsley
  • ½cup chopped walnuts, toasted
  • shaved Parmesan (optional)

Prep:

Trim peel from orange and cut into suprêmes (segments).

Pasta:

Cook penne in a pot of boiling salted water according to package directions; drain.

Pork:

Heat 1 TBS oil in a sauté pan over medium-high.

Add pork and sauté until browned and reaches 140°F, 5–6 minutes, transfer to a plate.

Mushrooms:

Heat 1 TBS oil in the same pan.

Add mushrooms and onion and sauté until mushrooms release their moisture and onion softens, 7–9 minutes.

Add garlic; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Finish:

Return and stir in pork and penne to heat through.

Whisk together remaining 4 TBS oil, lemon juice, orange juice, and zest; season with salt and pepper.

Toss dressing with penne mixture; stir in orange segments, parsley, and walnuts.

Top servings with Parmesan.

Shrimp & Scallop Scampi

Shrimp & Scallop Scampi

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with Parsley & Parmesan

Yield: 2 Servings

Shrimp and scallops are sautéed until tender, then tossed with al dente spaghetti. Of course, it wouldn’t be a scampi without plenty of garlic and butter—here, garlic herb butter is the base for an easy, yet wow-worthy, sauce with Parmesan, parsley, and lemon juice. A dash of chili flakes for heat
Prep: 10 Cook: 30

  • 1lemon
  • 10oz shrimp
  • 6oz spaghetti
  • ¼cup parmesan cheese
  • 2cloves garlic
  • ¼oz parsley
  • 10oz scallops
  • 1tsp chili flakes
  • 4oz chicken stock
  • 2TBS garlic herb butter (see below)
  • 1tsp olive oil
  • 3TBS butter

Prep:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry produce.

Zest and quarter lemon. Peel and finely chop garlic. Finely chop parsley.

Rinse shrimp and pat dry with paper towels. Pat scallops dry with paper towels. Place shrimp and scallops in a medium bowl, toss with lemon zest, ¼ of the garlic, a drizzle of olive oil, and a pinch of chili flakes (add more for an extra kick or leave it out if you’re feeling spice-averse!). Season with salt and pepper.

Cook pasta:

Once water is boiling, add spaghetti to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes.

Reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water, then drain.

Cook shrimp & scallops:

Heat a large pan over high heat. Once pan is hot, add shrimp and scallop mixture, spread out in an even layer and cook, stirring once, until opaque and cooked through, 2- to 3-minutes.

Stir in 1 TBS plain butter until melted and coated.

Turn off heat, transfer to a second medium bowl (along with any cooking liquid).

Start sauce:

Once spaghetti is done, melt 2 TBS plain butter in pan used for shrimp and scallops over medium heat. Add remaining garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds.

Stir in stock concentrates and ¼ cup pasta cooking water. Simmer until sauce has slightly reduced, 1- to 2-minutes.

Finish sauce:

Stir drained spaghetti, shrimp and scallops (and any cooking liquid), garlic herb butter, half the parsley, and half the Parmesan into pan with sauce. Toss to coat. Add splashes of reserved pasta cooking water as necessary, until everything is thoroughly coated in sauce.

Tip: If cheese clumps, continue stirring and adding more pasta cooking water until smooth!

Remove from heat and stir in a big squeeze of lemon juice. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Finish & serve:

Divide pasta between bowls. Top with remaining parsley, remaining Parmesan, and chili flakes to taste. Add a big squeeze of lemon juice over top and serve with any remaining lemon wedges on the side.

Garlic Herb Butter

2 TBS unsalted butter (very soft) (not melted)

1/4 tsp fresh finely chopped parsley

1/8 tsp fresh finely chopped thyme

1/2 clove finely minced garlic

pinch  salt

pinch black pepper

Pork Sausage Cavatappi Bolognese

Pork Sausage Cavatappi Bolognese

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with Roasted Zucchini & Parmesan

Yield: 2

Classic meat sauce, upgraded with spice-flecked Italian sausage. Mixed with roasted or sautéed zucchini.
Prep: 5 Cook: 30

  • 1zucchini
  • 6oz cavatappi pasta
  • 1oz chicken stock concentrate
  • 1yellow onion
  • 1tbs Italian seasoning
  • 9oz Italian pork sausage
  • 1½oz tomato paste
  • 1½tbs sour cream
  • 3tbs parmesan cheese
  • salt & pepper
  • 2tsp cooking oil
  • 1TBS butter

Prep:

Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 450°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry produce.

Trim and halve zucchini lengthwise, slice crosswise into ½-inch-thick half-moons. Halve, peel, and thinly slice the onion.

Roast zucchini:

Toss zucchini on a baking sheet with a drizzle of oil, half the Italian Seasoning (you’ll use the rest later), and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Roast on top rack, tossing halfway through, until browned and tender, 14-16 minutes.

Optional: In a hot skillet, add a drizzle of oil, half the Italian Seasoning (you’ll use the rest later), and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté zucchini until lightly browned, 4-6 minutes.

Tent with foil to keep warm.

Cook pasta:

Once water is boiling, add cavatappi to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes.

Reserve 1½ cups pasta cooking water, then drain.

Cook onion & sausage:

While pasta cooks, remove sausage from casing, discard casing.

Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5- to 6-minutes.

Add sausage and cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned, 3- to 4-minutes (it’ll finish cooking in the next step).

Make sauce:

Add tomato paste and remaining Italian Seasoning to pan. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 1 minute.

Stir in stock concentrate, 1 cup reserved pasta cooking water, and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, cook until sauce has slightly thickened, and sausage is cooked through, 2- to 3-minutes.

Reduce heat to medium low.

Finish & serve:

Stir drained cavatappi, roasted zucchini, sour cream, and 1 TBS butter into pan until thoroughly combined.

Tip: If needed, stir in more reserved cooking water a splash at a time until pasta is coated in a creamy sauce.

Divide pasta between bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.

Italian Seasoning Blend

Makes: 1½ TBS

  • ½tsp garlic powder
  • ½tsp oregano
  • ½tsp basil
  • ½tsp black pepper
  • ½tsp parsley
Pasta Seafood DiScottio

Pasta Seafood DiScottio

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Yield: 2 Servings (can be doubled)
Scott Nowell

Pasta Jay’s in Boulder serves a dish called Seafood DiStefano on their Friday night specials list. Shrimp, crab and scallops, served over linguine with white clam sauce.
This is my version, modified to be a one-pot dish. You can change the seafood items to include some fish, lobster, etc. Be sure to add them in the appropriate order to get them cooked through.
Also note that the ingredients have been adjusted to serve two. Double, triple, etc. as needed. This dish cooks very quick, so it is important to cook the pasta and any optional vegetables first.

21-Apr-20, 22-Aug-20, 30-Oct-24, 31-Jul-26

Pasta:

    • 4-6oz linguine, fettuccine, spaghetti, angel hair

Aromatics:

  • 1TBS olive oil
  • 1TBS butter
  • ¼cup minced or thinly sliced garlic
  • ¼cup red onion, chopped, minced or sliced
  • 2tsp flour
  • pinch of red pepper flakes

Sauce:

  • ½cup white wine
  • ½cup pasta cooking water
  • 1generous tsp chicken Better Than Bouillon

Seafood/Finish:

  • 110 oz can of baby clams, NOT drained
  • 6peeled and deveined shrimp (16/20 or 21/25)
  • 6sea scallops
  • 6oz lump crab meat
  • ¼cup Parmesan cheese, shredded/grated
  • 1TBS fresh chopped parsley


Pasta: Add the pasta to one gallon of boiling salted water and cook to barely al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water. Remove pasta to oiled bowl and set aside. 

Aromatics: In the pasta pan add 1 TBS olive oil and 1 TBS butter over med high heat until butter is melted. Add ¼ cup garlic and ¼ cup red onion and sauté for a minute. Sprinkle over about 2 tsp of flour. Stir to tighten. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Sauce: To the aromatics, add ½ cup white wine, boil to reduce by half. Add reserved ½ cup of pasta cooking water, generous teaspoon of Chicken Better Than Bouillon and stir to dissolve Better Than Bouillon. Boil for a few minutes until reduced to about ¾ cup. Add the undrained can of baby clams, scallops, shrimp, crab and/or other seafood as desired. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes until the shrimp and scallops are almost cooked.

Finish: Return the cooked pasta to the pot. Stir to mix well and coat pasta with sauce. Cook until pasta is done. Add the Parmesan and stir. Mix in 1 TBS fresh chopped parsley. Check and adjust seasoning.

Plate, top with additional parsley and Parmesan and serve.

 

Carelli’s Scoozi

Carelli’s Scoozi

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Yield: 2 servings

Adapted from Carelli’s Restaurant, Boulder, Colorado

March 2008: This very popular dish from Carelli’s in Boulder was featured in the cooking pages of the Boulder Camera. I’ve had it at the restaurant and made it a few times at home.

Note: Using the original recipe, the chicken comes out overdone.

  • 6oz farfalle pasta
  • 26 oz boneless chicken breasts
  • 2cups broccoli florets
  • 115-oz jar artichoke hearts
  • 1cup canned artichoke juice
  • ½tsp fresh ground black pepper
  • ½cup dry white wine
  • 2TBS olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste.
  • Parmigiano Reggiano, grated to taste.


Prep:

Quarter cut the broccoli florets and the artichoke hearts.

Trim the chicken of all skin and fat, then thinly slice.

Pasta:
Cook the pasta. Drain and return to pan. Add a drizzle of olive oil and mix to keep the pasta from sticking. The rest cooks fast, so you want the pasta ready.

Sauté:

In a skillet, heat a TBS of olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the broccoli for 2 minutes. Remove to ice water, cool, drain well.

Add  a TBS of olive oil, when hot, add chicken, season with fresh ground pepper and stir fry until the chicken is slightly brown on the outside, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to bowl.

Add the wine, bring to boil and reduced by half.

Add the artichokes and their juice. Bring to boil.

Return the chicken and broccoli to the pan, stirring frequently, cook over medium heat until the chicken is cooked through.

Finish:

Shut off heat, add pasta to sauté pan and mix to coat well.

Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and Parmigiano to serve.

 

Pasta with Sausage, Broccoli and Sun Dried Tomato

Pasta with Sausage, Broccoli and Sun Dried Tomato

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Yield: 4 Servings
Scott Nowell

Circa 1994: I think I first made this for a church potluck. It makes a nice, fairly simple family meal. Either the broccoli or the sun dried tomato can be eliminated or increased as desired. 

Note: 30-Apr-25. Been a long time since I last made this and I didn’t read the hint (now deleted). I have now doubled the sun dried tomato qty in the recipe.

Note: 08-Jul-26. We should have this more often. 😊😊😊

  • 1TBS olive oil
  • 1lb uncooked sweet or mild Italian bulk sausage or links with casings removed
  • 1medium yellow onion, medium dice
  • Kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1lb broccoli, stemmed and cut into 1-inch florets
  • 1cup julienne sun dried tomatoes
  • 8oz rotini, fusilli, penne or other short pasta
  • ¾cup heavy cream
  • ½cup tightly packed, finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 1½ oz), plus more for serving

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the meat into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon, until it’s no longer pink and is starting to brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a large bowl and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened and are just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the sun dried tomatoes and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove the onions and tomatoes to the bowl with the sausage.

When the water is boiling, salt the water and add the broccoli. Cook until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer the broccoli to the bowl with the sausage.

Return the water to a boil, add the pasta. Cook according to the package directions until just al dente. Reserve 1½ cup of the pasta water, drain, and return the pasta to the pot.

Add all the ingredients from the bowl to the pasta, add the cream, and stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the measured Parmesan and stir. Add reserved pasta water as needed, and stir to combine.

Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Serve immediately, passing more Parmesan on the side.

Nowell Spaghetti Sauce

Nowell Spaghetti Sauce

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Yield: 4-6 servings
Loosely based on a recipe in the Seven Seas Nantucket Cookbook.

This is a moving target recipe if there ever was one. This is a quick cooking sauce and does not need long simmering.  Once the sauce is mixed and simmering, the sauce will be done in the time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta.

Meat:

  • 4-6Italian sausages, sweet, mild, hot or combination (optional)
  • 1lb ground beef
  • 8oz ground pork or ground sausage (optional)

Veg:

  • 2TBS Olive oil
  • 1small or medium onion chopped fine
  • 1green bell pepper, small dice (optional)
  • 2cloves garlic minced
  • 1green bell pepper, diced
  • 8oz mushrooms, sliced or quartered (optional)

For sauce:

  • 114-oz can tomato sauce
  • 114-oz can diced tomatoes
  • 16-oz can tomato paste (optional)
  • 16-oz can water (paste can) (optional)

Seasonings:

  • 1tsp basil
  • 1tsp oregano
  • 1tsp salt
  • 1tsp sugar
  • ¼ to ½tsp fresh ground black pepper


For sausage: If adding the optional sausage, place them in a sauté pan over medium high heat with a cup of water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to simmer. Turn sausage over after 6 minutes, cover and cook for another 6 minutes. Pour water into a glass measuring cup. Return to stove, and sauté sausage until browned on all sides 4-8 minutes. Set aside.

For mushrooms: If adding the optional mushrooms, place them and a TBS of olive oil to the sauté pan over medium heat. Cook for 4-8 minutes, until water evaporates and mushrooms brown. Set aside.

Sweat vegetables: In a 2-qt sauce pan, heat 1 TBS olive oil and sweat (see Terms) onion and optional green pepper over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes until soft and translucent but not browned. Add garlic, sauté 30 seconds more. Remove to a small bowl.

For ground beef: Carefully remove any left over garlic, otherwise it will burn and get bitter. Turn heat up to medium-high. Add ground beef and brown until mostly cooked through. Reduce heat to medium.

For sauce: Return onion and garlic to pan. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and optional tomato paste. Fill paste can with tap or sausage water and add. Add all seasonings and 1 TBS olive oil. Stir carefully. If using, add sausage to pan. Cover, bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low and simmer while pasta cooks.

Options:

Go meatless with no beef or sausage. Ha ha ha.
Replace onion with 1 TBS Minced onion flakes.
Replace garlic with ½ tsp garlic powder (only if desperate).
Adjust seasonings. I always uses a heaping tsp of basil and oregano based on an eye-ball guess.