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Tag: casseroles

Fettucine with Shrimp & Sun-dried Tomatoes

Fettucine with Shrimp & Sun-dried Tomatoes

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Yield: 2 to 3 Servings
Scott Nowell

2016: This is a great tasting combination that is easy to put together. It’s titled Fettucine, but any pasta would be fine.

  • 6oz fettuccine, (any kind of pasta will work)
  • 1lb shrimp, peeled and deveined, shells reserved.
  • ½packet unflavored gelatin
  • ¼cup water
  • 5-6cloves minced garlic
  • ½cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
  • handful of green beans, frozen or blanched.
  • olive oil
  • 2TBS butter

Start water boiling for pasta.

Sprinkle gelatin over ¼ cup water in a small cup to bloom.

Shrimp stock:  Meanwhile, sauté shrimp shells in a teaspoon of olive oil in a 10-inch skillet. Sauté for a couple of minutes until shells are pink. Add a cup of water and a bay leaf to the pan. Bring to a medium boil. Boil until water reaches boil. Pour through a strainer into small bowl. Pour gelatin mixture into bowl with shrimp stock and stir well.

Add salt to taste to pasta water. Add pasta and cook until al dente.

Shrimp: Add a TBS of olive oil to skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds. Add shrimp and sauté for a minute or so on each side. Add sun-dried tomatoes to skillet and saute for a minute or two. Remove from heat.

When pasta is nearly done, add a handful of green beans to pasta water and return to boil. Drain and return to pan over medium heat.

Add shrimp stock to pasta and beans. Bring to a boil and stir. Add shrimp and tomatoes to pasta. Add butter, stir, remove from heat. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as necessary.

Serve.

Carelli’s Scoozi

Carelli’s Scoozi

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Yield: 4 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.

  • 12oz farfalle pasta
  • 46 oz boneless chicken breasts
  • 2cups broccoli florets
  • 2cans artichoke hearts
  • 1cup canned artichoke juice
  • ½tsp fresh ground black pepper
  • 1cup dry white wine
  • 4TBS olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste.
  • Parmigiana, grated to taste.

Cook the pasta. Drain. The rest cooks fast, so you want the pasta ready.

Quarter cut the broccoli florets and the artichoke hearts.

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

In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the broccoli and chicken with fresh ground pepper until the chicken is slightly brown on the outside.

Add the artichokes and the juice. Blend in quickly then add the wine.

Stirring frequently, cook over high heat until the chicken is cooked completely through.

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

Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and parmigiana to serve

Pasta with Chicken, Tomatoes & Broccoli

Pasta with Chicken, Tomatoes & Broccoli

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Yield: 3 to 4 Servings
Scott Nowell

August 2017: Needed to use up some cherry tomatoes. I turned them into an enhancement for a pasta casserole with some chicken and broccoli. Hmm, good.

  • 1lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, whole or cubed
  • 6-8oz pasta, penne, rotini, etc.
  • olive oil
  • 1-2pinches crushed red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper
  • 1shallot, minced
  • 2cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
  • 3-4cups broccoli florets

Season chicken on both sides with salt, pepper and olive oil.

Set a large pot of water to boil. When it boils, add salt to taste. Add pasta and cook to al dente. Remove water from pasta and set aside. Add broccoli to water and cook for 2-3 minutes until it is mostly cooked. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid. Drain.

Heat a TBS of olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat until hot but not smoking.
Add chicken and cook about 4 minutes on each side to brown. Reduce heat to medium and flip until cooked through. 160°F at thickest spot. Remove to cutting board and rest. Slice chicken to bite sized pieces.
If using cubed chicken, cook stirring occasionally until no longer pink in the middle of thickest piece.
Remove chicken from pan. Add another TBS of olive oil, minced shallot, tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Sauté until shallot starts to brown.
Add tomato mixture to pasta pot with drained broccoli. Add chicken and pasta to pot with two TBS of olive oil, season with salt and pepper. You can also add some of the reserved pasta cooking liquid to make it saucier. Mix well until heated through.

Pasta with Ground Beef

Pasta with Ground Beef

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Yield: 4 Servings
Scott Nowell

Circa 1994: Another simple, tasty quick pasta casserole. Really an upgraded  substitute for Hamburger Helper. This could easily take the addition of other vegetables such as broccoli or asparagus.

  • 8oz pasta, rotini, penne, etc.
  • 2medium onions, halved and sliced
  • 4scallions, sliced
  • 1-2tsp minced garlic
  • 1TBS oil
  • 4oz mushrooms, sliced
  • 1lb ground beef
  • 2TBS red wine
  • 1cup beef stock
  • 1-2tsp corn starch
  • salt and pepper to taste

Bring water for pasta to a boil and cook pasta al dente.

While heating water, heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add a TBS of oil and sauté the onions with a pinch of salt for 4-5 minutes until softened. Half way through sautéing the onion, add the scallions and garlic. When onions are done, remove to bowl and set aside.

If adding the optional mushrooms, in the same pan used for the onions, sauté the mushrooms until nicely browned and add to the bowl with the onions.

In same pan used for onion, brown the ground beef, cooking until done. Drain the beef and set aside with onions.

Add red wine to beef pan and de-glaze over high heat for 1 minute or until reduced by a third. Add beef stock to pan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Mix a TBS of corn starch with a little water and blend to form a slurry. Add to pan a bit at a time, whisking stock often as it comes to a boil and thickens. Salt and pepper to taste.

Return beef and onions to pan and stir to mix. Add cooked pasta and stir to coat. Check and adjust seasonings. Serve with a vegetable of choice.

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. (hint: double the tomatoes)

  • 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
  • ½cup julienne sun dried tomatoes
  • 8oz fusilli, penne or other short pasta
  • ¾cup heavy cream
  • ½cup tightly packed, finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 ½ oz), plus more for serving

Bring a large pot of heavily salted 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 ovens 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 1/2 cup of the pasta water, drain, and return the pasta to the pot; set aside.

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.

Pasta Primavera

Pasta Primavera

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Serves 6 to 8
Adapted from Crème de Colorado Cookbook

1994: This is a labor intensive dish, peeling and seeding tomatoes is a chore, but well worth the effort. I should probably title this Pasta Semi-Primavera since I really like the addition of both chicken and kielbasa. The original didn’t include any meat.

  • 4medium zucchini, sliced (3-4 cups)
  • 2cups small broccoli florets
  • 8-16oz pasta
  • ⅓cup pine nuts
  • ¼cup olive oil
  • 1TBS minced garlic
  • 4large tomatoes, skinned and chopped (about 4 cups)
  • 1cup snow pea pods, cut in half diagonally
  • ¼tsp salt
  • ¼tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 4TBS butter
  • ½cup heavy cream
  • 1cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • ¼cup minced fresh basil (or 1 tsp dried)
  • 1lb chicken, smoked sausage, kielbasa or combination. (Optional)

If using the optional chicken or sausage, cook and set aside.

Bring a gallon of water to a boil in 6-8 quart pot. When boiling add 1 TBS salt and stir.

While the water is heating, prepare a large bowl of ice water. Mix a couple of tsp of salt into the ice water.

Make a small X with a paring knife across the base of the tomatoes. Blanch the tomatoes in the boiling water for 1 minute. Remove and put in the ice water. This should cause the tomato skin toloosen and split at the X. Peal the skin starting at the X. Half the peeled tomatoes at their horizon and remove seeds with a spoon or your fingers. Chop the tomatoes. Set aside.

Blanch the zucchini for 1 minute in the boiling water. Remove from boiling water and plunge into the ice water

Blanch the broccoli for 3-4 minutes in the boiling water until crisp. Remove from boiling water and plunge into the ice water with the zucchini.

Remove the broccoli and zucchini from the ice water to another bowl. Discard the ice water.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook to al dente. Slightly under cooked is best.

While the pasta is cooking, spread the pine nuts of a cookie sheet and toast for 2-3 minutes under a broiler or in a toaster oven. Stir and toast for a few more minutes until golden. DON’T BURN the nuts.

Save a cup of the pasta water and then drain the pasta and transfer to the bowl used for the ice water. Add a little oil and stir to coat to prevent sticking.

In the pasta pot, heat the olive oil, add the garlic, tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli, snow pea pods, salt and pepper. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.

Add the pasta, meat, butter, cream, Parmesan, pine nuts and basil. Cook until heated through.

Toss/stir gently. Taste, adjust seasonings and serve.

Note: This dish does not freeze well

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Baked Stuffed Green Peppers

Baked Stuffed Green Peppers

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Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Source Lost

Circa 2007:  I’ve lost track of where I found this recipe. It’s probably based on an Emeril Lagasse recipe.  Don’t discard the tops of the peppers when you remove them.  Instead, cut out the stem and mince the tops to add to the stuffing.

  • 4-6green bell peppers, tops cut away and seeds removed.
  • ½cup finely chopped green bell pepper tops
  • 2TBS vegetable oil
  • 1cup finely chopped yellow onions
  • ½lb ground beef
  • ½lb ground pork or mild sausage
  • 1TBS minced garlic
  • ¼cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
  • ¾tsp salt
  • ½tsp ground black pepper
  • pinch red pepper flakes
  • 2cups cooked long or medium-grain white rice
  • 8oz tomato sauce
  • water

Optional

  • bread crumbs, regular or panko


Preheat the oven to 350 °F.

Check to make sure your seeded peppers stand up good.  If not, trim a very thin slice off of the bottom to give them some stability.  Try not to cut through the bottom leaving a hole.

In a large pot of boiling water, parboil the peppers until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Peppers can also be steamed upside down for 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove with a slotted spoon and dry on paper towels.

In a large sauté pan or skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and chopped bell peppers and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the beef, pork, garlic, parsley, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook until the meat is browned, stirring with a heavy wooden spoon to break up the lumps, about 6 minutes. Add the rice and tomato sauce and stir well. Remove from the heat and adjust the seasoning, to taste.

Pour enough water into a baking dish to just cover the bottom, about 1/8-inch deep. Stuff the bell peppers with the rice mixture and place in the baking dish.

Optional: Top with breadcrumbs and/or cheese.

Bake until the peppers are very tender and the filling is heated through, 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Chicken, Sausage, Peppers, and Potatoes

Chicken, Sausage, Peppers, and Potatoes

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Yield: 6 Servings
Adapted from FoodWishes
  • 4large Italian sausage links (Hot is best, but a mix of hot and mild, if needed)
  • 1TBS olive oil, plus more as needed
  • 6-8bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • 2tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 2large handfuls, seeded and cut sweet peppers
  • 1sliced small red onion
  • ½sliced yellow onion
  • 4large Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered
  • 2generous tsp dried Italian Seasoning or Herbs de Provence
  • fresh Italian parsley to garnish, optional

Par-cook sausage:
In a large skillet, partially cook the sausage in a TBS of oil over medium high heat for 3 minutes per side. When you flip to the second side, poke the sausage with a knife to release oil and juices.

Remove from heat and cool til able to handle. Cut sausage into 1-2 inch chunks. I use a mix of hot and mild, and cut the hot diagonally and the mild straight.

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Trim up the chicken and make two deep slashes through the skin, down to the bone.

Put peppers in large mixing bowl, add the sliced onion and the quartered potatoes. Add chicken, sausages and all juices and fat. Season with salt, pepper and herbs. Drizzle with olive oil and mix everything well.

Pour into a large roasting pan and arrange to space thighs with the skin side up. Get potatoes exposed to the heat. Drizzle with more olive oil and season with salt.

Cook in the center rack of the over for 1 hour. Check for doneness, the thighs should be at least 185°F.

Potato Kielbasa Skillet

Potato Kielbasa Skillet

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Yield: 4 Servings
Adapted from http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/potato-kielbasa-skillet

This is a great simple, tasty meal for a weeknight.

  • 1lb red potatoes, cubed
  • water to cover
  • ¾lb kielbasa, cut into 1/4-inch slices
  • ½cup chopped onion
  • 1TBS olive oil
  • 2TBS brown sugar
  • 2TBS cider vinegar
  • 1TBS Dijon mustard
  • ½tsp dried thyme
  • ¼tsp pepper
  • 4cups fresh baby spinach
  • 5bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
  • Special Equipment: 5-6 qt covered pan.

Cover potatoes with water in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil and cook until just tender.

In the covered pan, sauté kielbasa and onion in oil until onion is tender. Add potatoes; sauté 3-5 minutes longer or until kielbasa and potatoes are lightly browned.

Combine the brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, thyme and pepper; stir into skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 2-3 minutes or until heated through. Add spinach and bacon; cover, cook until spinach is wilted. Stir as necessary to wilt and combine spinach.

Taste and adjust seasoning and serve.

Salmon Shrimp Scallop Medley

Salmon Shrimp Scallop Medley

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Serves: 2 servings
Scott Nowell

Circa 2004: This started out without the couscous. I added it around 2015.

  • 8oz salmon filet, skinned, deboned and cut in half for two servings
  • 6sea scallops, foot removed
  • 616-20 count shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1scallion / green onion
  • 1cup Israeli couscous
  • ½cup white wine
  • ½cup clam broth / fish stock / water
  • salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 425°F. For direct to table serving, heat 10 inch casserole dish in oven.

Blot seafood dry on paper towel. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a 10 to 12 inch skillet over medium high heat, add wine, clam juice and couscous. Cover and cook to half time on package directions. Remove from heat and remove cover.

For direct to table serving, remove casserole dish from oven and pour couscous mixture into dish.

Place salmon fillets in center of dish/pan on top of couscous. Arrange shrimp and scallops in alternating pattern around edge of dish/pan. Slice scallion and sprinkle on top of seafood.
Bake in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes.