Meatless Monday: Bucatini and Asparagus with Lemon Garlic Butter

Bucatini and Asaparagus with Lemon Garlic Butter

1 lb. of bucatini (I prefer De Cecco pasta)

1 bunch of Asparagus, trimmed and cut into bite size pieces
1 stick of butter , unsalted
3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp. olive oil
Grated zest from (1) lemon
Juice from ½ a lemon
1 tsp. of kosher salt
1 tsp. of fresh ground pepper
Grated Parmesan Cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Cook the pasta till it is al dente; remove the pasta with a pair of tongs or a spaghetti spoon and place in a large bowl.  Remove about (1) cup of the pasta water and set aside.  In the same water, add the asparagus and cook until it is tender – about 3 minutes and drain.

 
Return the pot to the stove and reduce the heat to medium.  Melt the butter in the pot until it is a light brown.  Add the garlic and cook it until it is fragrant – be sure you do not over brown the garlic.  Next, remove the pot from the stove and add the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper - stir until everything is combined. Add the pasta and asparagus, toss to coat with the sauce.  Finish with the grated parmesan cheese.

If you want protein with this, adding grilled chicken, shrimp, or scallops would be an awesome pairing.

Grandma's Kitchen - Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

My Grandma’s cooking was pretty straight forward – salt and pepper; nothing fancy, fairly simple - but some of the meals she made are still some of my favorite food memories.  It took me years to figure out this recipe because I didn’t have access to her recipes when she passed away.  I knew she used bacon grease to cook the meat and veggies in, but I could never get the amount of meat, veggies, and seasonings right – possible in part because she used to use freshly canned tomato sauce.  I always added different seasonings (basil, oregano, Italian seasoning) thinking that was the missing element, but in reality I was making more complicated than what it really was.  I’ve added a few things to this recipe and tweaked a few things to make it my own (the 4 cloves of garlic and the crushed red pepper), but the flavor profile of this sauce is definitely her sauce with a little kick.  The key to this sauce is the amount of bacon grease and the amount of time you let it simmer - so don't skimp on the bacon grease or the time you need to simmer it.  I did end up skimming off some of the fat from the sauce prior to tossing it with the pasta, only because I could not in good conscience consume that much grease.   Luckily, the smoky flavor was still present and after my first bite – it took me back to my childhood when I use to spend my summers with my grandparents.  In fact to be more specific, it reminded me of the time my Pappy took me and my cousins bike riding on the Towpath Trail and my cousin Marc ran into a tree, because this is what we ate prior to our bike ride that day LOL (don’t kill me Marc xoxo)!!!  Ok – I’m starting to ramble, so here is a recipe from my childhood that brings comfort to my heart when I make it – hopefully it will do the same to yours. 

Grandma’s Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

1 lb. of Ground Sirloin

2 Green Bell Peppers, diced
1 Small Onion, diced
4 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1 Jar of Ragu, Old World Style Traditional Sauce
½ c. of water
1 tbsp. of Crushed Red Pepper
1 tbsp. of Kosher Salt
½ tbsp. of Black Pepper
2 tbsp. of bacon drippings
12 oz. of Thin Spaghetti, cooked to al dente

In a large pot, melt the bacon drippings.  Add the ground sirloin, seasoning it with the salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper.  While cooking the meat, break it up into small crumbles and cook it until it is no longer pink. Next add the peppers, onions, and garlic – cooking it for an additional 5 minutes.  Add the sauce to the pot, then add the 1/2c. of water to the jar of spaghetti sauce (placing the lid back on) and shake it.  Pour the liquid into the pot and bring the sauce to a boil; reduce the heat to medium low and simmer the sauce for a minimum of 1 hour.

Thirty minutes prior to serving, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente and drain.  Return the spaghetti noodles to the pot and place it on the stove over medium low heat.  Begin ladling the sauce over the spaghetti noodles, tossing the noodles with the sauce just until the noodles are coated with the meat sauce.  Serve the spaghetti with the extra sauce ladled over the top with grated parmesan cheese.

Pizza with Pizzazz

I FREAKIN LOVE PIZZA - Chicago, New York, or St. Louis style; Mr. Jims, Pizza Hut, or Dominos- you name it I love it!  I don't eat it as often as I would like, but when I do indulge, I like to make it at home because I can either make it pseudo healthy or completely decadent.  Plus I can control the amount of toppings AND the way it's made; nothing is worse than ordering a pizza, only to find that almost all of the jalapenos are on one slice or the mushrooms you ordered are pretty much non-existent....so annoying!  Besides, making pizza at home is a great way to get kids involved in the kitchen and an awesome way to entertain at your home for a fun, relaxed evening with friends.

How you choose to make your pizza is up to you; you can go traditional or you can pizzazz it up, but most importantly - it should be fun.  Here are my three favorite "pizzazzed" up pizzas to make at the casa - happy noshing!



When I'm being good

Pepperoni and Kale Pizza

**Pizza Dough
Pizza Sauce
Turkey Pepperoni
Sautéed Kale (prep recipe below)
Pickled Jalapenos
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Prep:  Sauté (2) cups of kale in garlic oil and a ¼ c. crushed red pepper.  Once kale has wilted, season with sea salt, black pepper and juice from ½ a lemon.  Set aside and let cool.

Pre-heat the oven to 450. 

 

Roll the pizza dough out to the size and shape you prefer (round or rectangular), spread ½ c. of the pizza sauce over the dough.  Next, sprinkle the sautéed kale and pickled jalapenos over the pizza.  Top the pizza with mozzarella, followed by the turkey pepperoni.

Bake until the crust is golden brown on the edges and the cheese has melted – about 15 minutes.

When I'm being kinda good...

Chicken Caesar Pizza

**Pizza Dough
½ c. *Central Market Caesar Dressing, plus extra to dress the romaine
Fresh Mozzarella, Sliced Thin
1 Chicken Breast, cooked and finely chopped
Parmesan Cheese
Crushed Red Pepper
3 c. Hearts of Romaine, chopped

Prep:   Dice the chicken breast and season it generously with salt and pepper.  In a skillet, heat up 1 tbsp of oil (I use garlic infused oil) and 1 tbsp of butter.  Add your chicken and cook until it is no longer pink.  Cool the chicken and dice it into smaller bite size pieces.

Pre-heat the oven to 450. 

Roll out the pizza dough to either a round or rectangle.  Spread the Caesar dressing evenly over the dough.  Next place the fresh mozzarella on the pizza; I like to break off pieces of the mozzarella into smaller pieces about the size of a half dollar and place it evenly around the pizza, followed by the finely diced chicken.  Last, I like to sprinkle about 1/4c. of parmesan cheese and up to 1 tbsp of crushed red pepper on the pizza before baking it.  Bake the pizza until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown.

....When I'm in denial

The next step is optional.  The pizza is yummy with or without the addition of the Caesar salad on top.  I like it both ways, so it’s really what you and your family prefer.

Optional: While the pizza is cooling (10 minutes), clean your romaine and chop it into bite size pieces.  When the pizza is almost done, toss the lettuce with Caesar dressing - however much you use to dress it is up to you.  Top the pizza with the dressed romaine, slice it, and dive in.

*If you don’t have access to a Central Market, Cardini’s Caesar Dressing is a good substitute and is available in almost every grocery store.

When I don't care :)

Pecan Roquefort Grape Pizza

**Pizza Dough
Fresh Mozzarella, Sliced Thin
1 cup of seedless red grapes, sliced in half
½ c. of Roquefort cheese crumbles
½ c. of chopped pecans

Pre-heat the oven to 450. 

Roll out the pizza dough to either a round or rectangle.  Place the fresh mozzarella on the pizza; I like to break off pieces of the mozzarella into smaller pieces about the size of a half dollar and place it evenly around the pizza.   Next, place the grapes on the pizza – I prefer cut side down so they don’t roll off of the pizza when I move it.  Sprinkle the Roquefort cheese crumbles and pecans over the pizza and bake the pizza until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown.

The next step is the hardest step – let the pizza cool to room temp – trust me!  I tried the pizza fresh out of the oven and it was good, I let it cool to room temp and it was pure deliciousness!


**Ok, so when I make pizza at home, I either buy the dough fresh from Central Market at the Chef's Case or I'll buy the Pilsbury Thin Crust Pizza Dough which is available in the same section as the canned biscuits.  My recipes below are created using the fresh pizza dough from CM, but if you use the Pilsbury pizza dough - be sure to follow the directions on the label to prep the dough.