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Pasta-tively Delicious Pasta Recipes

Lynn

Pasta lovers, October is your lucky month--it's World Pasta Month! While pasta is

great enjoyed all-year round, the month of October is a better time than ever to get creative in the kitchen and discover new pasta recipes you may have never tried before, but also to savor and appreciate your go-to dishes.


There are over 600 shapes of pasta available throughout the world. It can be enjoyed with many different sauces, meat, herbs, fish, vegetables, dairy--the list goes on and on. With all of the different ways to enjoy it, it's no surprise that the average American consumes approximately 20 pounds of pasta a year and collectively, the United States consumes 5.95 billion pounds of pasta per year.


Pasta can be found all over the globe as it is one of the most accessible foods. You can visit almost any country and you will see that it has its own version of the popular, inexpensive staple. In Greece they have orzo, Poland has its own famous version called pierogis, Spain enjoys it as fideos, Germany has Spätzle, Israelis enjoy pasta in the form of small balls called ptitim (also known as couscous).


But, pasta is most associated with the country of Italy. The spread of pasta to the rest of the world began in Italy. Italy's climate makes it perfect for producing durum wheat, a necessary ingredient in pasta. It is the world leader in the pasta market, producing around 3.3 million tons a year. Italy has around 300 different shapes and varieties of pasta, and it is estimated that Italians eat a whopping 60 pounds of pasta per person each year!


Although there are over 1,300 different names for pasta, there is one thing that has remained the same: cheese and pasta is a delicious match made in heaven. Whether it be grated, shredded, melted, cubed, or crumbled, you know you are going to have an extraordinary meal when the two meet.


This National Pasta Month, explore the pasta-bilities of the world-wide favorite food and try out some of these recipes!



Creamy Goat Cheese Pesto Pasta


Image and recipe courtesy of Platings and Pairings.


"Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta will be on your table in 20 minutes! Swirled with a dreamy, lemony-kale pesto. It’s basically heaven in a bowl." Makes 6 servings.


INGREDIENTS:

- 12 ounces cavatappi (or any pasta)

- 2 Tablespoons olive oil

- 1 shallot (diced)

- 2 cloves garlic (minced)


For the Kale Pesto:

- 3 cups torn kale (stems removed (about 1 large bunch))

- 1 cup basil leaves (tightly packed)

- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

- ¼ cup walnuts

- 2 cloves garlic

- 1 lemon (zested and juiced)

- ½ teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)


DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta to al dente according to package directions. Before draining the pasta, reserve 1 cup of the cooking water.


2.Meanwhile, pulse the kale, basil, olive oil, walnuts, garlic, lemon zest & juice and salt in a food processor until smooth. Set aside.


3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until just softened, about 2-3 minutes.


4. Add the goat cheese, pasta and ½ cup of the reserved pasta cooking water to the shallot/garlic mixture. Cook, over medium heat, stirring gently, until the cheese coats the pasta, adding additional cooking water if needed to loosen the sauce.


5. Add the pesto and stir gently to combine.


6. Serve garnished with additional chopped basil, walnuts and goat cheese, if desired.


 

Spaghetti with Tomatoes and Olives


This quick and easy pasta dish is a perfect weeknight dinner that everyone will love. Makes 4 servings.


INGREDIENTS:

- 1 tablespoon olive oil

- 2 garlic cloves, minced

- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

- 1 15-ounce can of petite diced tomatoes

- 1/2 cup green olives, pitted and halved

- 3/4 pound spaghetti

- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

- 1/4 cup Ambrosi Parmigiano Reggiano, shaved

- salt and freshly ground black pepper


DIRECTIONS:

1. Fill a large pot with water and add a generous amount of salt. Bring to a boil.


2. Meanwhile, add olive oil, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes to a pan over medium heat. Cook until garlic is fragrant (about 20-30 seconds) then add the tomatoes with their juice and olives. Simmer for 20 minutes then season with salt and pepper to taste.


3. When the water is boiling, cook the spaghetti according to package directions.


4. When the spaghetti is done cooking, toss with the tomato sauce, fresh basil and shaved Parmigiano Reggiano. Serve immediately.


 

Sartori® Classic Parmesan Cacio e Pepe


Image and recipe courtesy of Sartori Cheese.


Cacio e Pepe is a simple recipe known for being made with few ingredients. It's creamy with a kick thanks to freshly cracked black pepper. Makes 4 servings.


INGREDIENTS:

- 1 deli bag Sartori Classic Grated Parmesan (8 ounces)

- 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper

- 3/4 pound long pasta (think bucatini, linguine or spaghetti)

- Olive oil

- Salt and pepper to taste


DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions.


2. While the pasta cooks, combine cheese and black pepper along with a few teaspoons of water (just enough to make a thick paste) in a large bowl.


3. Using tongs, transfer cooked pasta to the bowl (reserving the cooking water). Stir pasta vigorously until each strand is coated with cheese, adding a few tablespoons of olive oil while stirring. If the cheese is looking clumpy, add a 1/4 or 1/2 cup of cooking water as needed to loosen it up -- the sauce should be creamy.


4. Serve with extra grated Classic Parmesan and black pepper.


 

Blue Cheese & Mushroom Pappardelle


This cozy pasta dish features al-dente pappardelle enrobed in a creamy blue cheese sauce and baby bella mushrooms. Makes 4 servings.


INGREDIENTS:

- 3 oz Maytag Blue Cheese, crumbled

- 12 oz pappardelle pasta

- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

- 1 lb sliced baby bella mushrooms

- 3 garlic cloves, minced

- 1 cup heavy cream

- salt and pepper

- grated Parmesan cheese

- fresh thyme sprigs


DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook pappardelle in salted boiling water according to package directions. Prepare sauce while the pasta is cooking.


2. Heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic. When garlic is fragrant, add the baby bella mushrooms and cook until they are tender, about 6 minutes.


3. Add the heavy cream and crumbled Maytag Blue Cheese and stir. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.


4. Drain pasta once finished cooking and reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water.


5. Toss the cooked pappardelle into the sauce. Thin the sauce by adding up to 1/4 cup of pasta water until the desired consistency is achieved.


6. Garnish with shredded Parmesan cheese and fresh thyme. Serve immediately.


 


Three Beemster Carbonara


Image and recipe courtesy of Beemster.


"Beemster’s take on this Italian classic is rich, creamy & 3 times as cheesy!" Makes 6 servings.


INGREDIENTS:

- 1 (16 oz/450g) pkg spaghetti

- ¼ cup (25g) shredded Beemster Classic

- 2 large eggs

- ½ cup (50g) shredded Beemster Vlaskaas

- ½ cup (50g) shredded Beemster Lite / Slimkaas

- 4 slices bacon, diced

- 1 tbsp minced garlic

- 2 tbsp chopped parsley


DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup water and drain well.


2. Meanwhile, set aside 2 tbsp shredded Beemster Classic. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and remaining cheeses; set aside.


3. Heat a 12-inch skillet on medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6–8 min.


4. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 1 min. Reduce heat to low.


5. Add the pasta and egg mixture to skillet and gently toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Add reserved pasta water, 1 tbsp at a time, until desired consistency. Serve immediately and garnish with parsley and reserved Beemster Classic.










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