Pasta

Penne with sausage, mushrooms, green olives, and spinach (or stinging nettle)

• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 cup of chopped mushrooms
• 4 sweet italian sausages, cooked and chopped into small pieces
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 white onion
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 tbsp parsley
• 12 fresh basil leaves, or more depending on your love of it
• 1/2 cup chopped green olives
• 1/2 cup cooked spinach or stinging nettle, chopped up small
• 500 g of penne
• sea salt and ground pepper
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup white wine

Saute onion and garlic in oil, for about 3 minutes, on medium. Add in mushrooms, cooked sausage, olives, basil, spinach and saute for another few minutes, then add in chicken broth, wine, parmesan, parsley, and s and p. Cook penne as according to directions and strain, mix all together and add more parmesan as you like it, serve to 4 ppl and enjoy, so good.

Note: Stinging nettle grows like grass here and it is very high in seratonin, iron, etc, so good for you, to harvest wear rubber gloves, cut off the leaves, wash and blanch for 1 minute, this takes the sting out. You can freeze this after you blanch it and use it in place of any spinach recipe

Avocado and Chicken Penne with Cilantro White Wine Sauce

• 3/4 pound dry penne pasta
• left over chicken cut up
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 4 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1 small red onion
• 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and cut
• 1 small yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut
• 3/4 cup of dry white wine
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 3 ripe avacados, peeled, cut in large chunks
• 24 cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Add the pasta to a large pot of boiling water, cook until done, and drain. Meanwhile, start sauting the garlic,until golden, add the onion, and pepers, toss for about 30 seconds, add wine, salt and stock to the pan. Cook tossing all the time, for another minute, add cream and cook another 30 seconds. Andd chicken, tomatoes, avocado and cilantro. Toss gently, add the drained pasta and toss all for another minute. Done!

Homeade Gnocci

Boil 2 1/2 pounds yukon potatoes, unpeeled. Drain and peel. Grate on a cheeese grater onto a cookie sheet and put in the fridge for a couple of hours. Put in a pile on a cutting board and add 1 3/4 cups of flour and make a well. Drop 2 egg yolks into the well. Add a pinch of salt. Kneed the mixture into a smooth dough. Coat the work surface and your hands with flour. Once in a ball, cut off portions and roll into logs of 1 1/4 inch lengths. Cut off 1 inch peices and roll each one over the prongs of a fork. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and drop in about 10 peices at a time, pull them out when they rise to the surface.

Tips: you can add whatever herbs when adding the salt if you would like. For a sauce I usually do a nice, fresh tomato and basil sauce, but you can do whatever you like!

Left over Chicken Pasta, with Mushrooms, Spinach, and Sundried Tomatoes

recipes serves 4

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (or more if you love garlic)
• 1/8 red pepper flakes
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 6 cups coarsely chopped spinach (or escarole)
• 2 cups medium pasta shells
• 2 cups ¾ inch pieces of cooked left over chicken
• ¼ cup thinly sliced drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Heat oil in large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and saut until tender, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and stir 1 minute. Add broth and bring to a boil. Stir in spinach, cover and cook 5 minutes. Uncover and cook until spinach is tender, stirring often, about 3 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain; return to pot. Add spinach mixture, chicken, and sundried tomatoes. Stir over medium heat until chicken is heated through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl, sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Brunas Turkey Bolognese

• 10 slices turkey bacon or regular bacon (finely chopped)
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 2 celery, finely chopped
• Coarse salt and pepper
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 pound ground beef or game meat
• ¾ cup dry white wine
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can tomato paste
• 1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth
• ½ cup half and half
• ¼ chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp chopped basil
• ¼ parmesan cheese

In a large pot cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Add onion, carrots and celery; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender, 8-10 minutes.

Add meat, cook, breaking up with a spoon, until no longer pink. Add wine and garlic and cook until wine is almost evaporated, 10-15 minutes. Add tomato paste, cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 7-10 minutes.

Add broth and half and half, bring to a boil over high, reduce to a simmer, and cook until sauce is thick and creamy, about 30 minutes more.

Penne is great pasta to have with this one, put sauce on top and sprinkle parmesan.

Wine Pairing Cabernet or Merlot

Micheles Three Pepper Pasta

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 peppers, one in each colour, chopped bite size
• ½ red onion chopped small
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• wine, any colour
• 1 1/2 cup of tomato sauce
• 3 tbsp parmesan cheese (or more if you like)
• Ground Pepper to taste
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp basil
• ½ tsp parsley

Saut peppers, onion and garlic in oil for about 5-7 minutes, then add all the rest of the ingredients and stir occasionally on a med heat for another 10 minutes. Turn off. This sauce can be made earlier in the day if you like and then just reheat when pasta is ready. The best pasta for this type of sauce is penne because the grooves of the pasta hold the sauce nicely.

Wine Pairing This pasta is good with both red or white, so whichever you like better and then you can go with a Gwertzminer or a Chardonnay for white or a nice Cabernet Sauvignon for red.

Zia Lorraine’s Shrimp E Touffe

• 1lb shrimp
• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 2 green onions, chopped fine
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ cup celery, chopped fine
• ½ cup butter
• 2 tbsp flour (or cornstarch for gluten free)
• 2 cups water
• 1 can Hunts Tomato Sauce (or any 14 oz. Can of tomato sauce)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp worst shire sauce
• 4 drops Tabasco
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp sugar
• ½ tsp thyme
• 1/8 tsp pepper

In a med to large saucepan, sauté onions, garlic, and celery in butter till tender, add flour or cornstarch, stir. Add water and all remaining ingredients except the shrimp. Simmer uncovered for ½ hour, then add shrimp before you serve. I usually plate the pasta first and then spoon the sauce on, and then I sprinkle some parmesan cheese and if you want to get crazy sprinkle some parsley around the edge of the plate for a nice restaurant appearance.

Wine Pairing – Chardonnay

Nonna’s Spaghetti Sauce

Serves 6 - 8 people

(This is the old style pork rib sauce; you can get a strip of ribs from any butcher)

• 2 tbsp of oil
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• ½ cup of celery, chopped fine
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• Pinch of parsley
• Pinch of oregano
• Pinch of basil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 8 red pepper flakes
• 1 glass of wine (red or white)
• ¼ cup of parmesan cheese
• Strip of pork ribs, cut into individual ribs
• 1-14 oz can of tomato sauce

Sauté onion, celery, and garlic in oil for 2-3 minutes, then add pork ribs and sauté for 15 minutes on low to medium heat. Then add tomato sauce, wine, parmesan, and spices and simmer for 2 ½ to 3 hours. Pull ribs out and put in a separate bowl; you can serve these on the table with dinner if you like or toss them. You can use almost any noodle with this sauce it holds nicely to all of them, we have used penne, spaghetti or rotini. (sauce freezes well)

Wine Pairing – Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz

Ma Familia Bow Tie Pasta

• 3 ½ cups bow tie pasta
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp oil
• 2 tbsp flour or cornstarch
• 1 cup chicken broth
• ¾ cup milk
• ¾ cup cheddar cheese
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp paprika
• Pinch black pepper
• 2 cups broccoli, chopped bite size
• 1 cup red pepper, chopped bite size
• 1 cup mushrooms, chopped bite size
• ¾ cup sliced green onion, chopped small

As pasta boils melt butter in medium saucepan. Add flour or cornstarch and stir. Add chicken broth and milk, stir over medium heat until it comes to a boil and thickens, turn sauce to low, then stir in cheeses, salt, paprika and pepper, stir until melted and remove from heat.

In a large sauce pan melt remaining tablespoon of butter and oil, add broccoli, peppers, mushrooms, and onion. Cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes and turn to low. Stir drained pasta into veggies and add sauce and serve.

Wine Pairing – Chardonnay or Gwertzminer