My own version of Piada's Carbonara Pasta Bowl

There is a wonderful little place to eat in Indianapolis called Piada.  It is Italian street food.  Not the Italian food that is heavily laden with that awful red sauce which every dish on the menu is immersed in. This is healthy stuff.  Delicious to the eyes and the palate.  And every time I am in the area I go out of my way to eat there. I was in Indy over the weekend with a few friends and I literally begged all the way hoping that my friends would try it. They gave in and we enjoyed a wonderful meal, especially me.     

It would be expensive to drive nearly two hours for a pasta fix on a frequent basis. So, I decided to try and make my own version of what I ate. Trust me, this is very simple and why I didn't do this a long time ago is beyond me. 

Ingredients: 

1 lb angel hair pasta, cooked according to the directions on the box

2-3 chopped tomatoes, I used Roma or use sun dried tomatoes

1-2 tsp Italian blend seasoning or to taste.  Mrs. Dash Italian Medley is my favorite

1/4 to 1/2 cup of spinach leaves or greens of your choice.  You can use a salad mix also (which is what I did)

Pancetta, (Italian bacon) Optional

1 jar of Alfredo sauce or a sauce that you like on pasta

1 package of meat balls or 1 lb of cooked chicken or a meat of your choice or no meat at all

Prepare the meat of your choice and set aside. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.  Heat the Alfredo sauce until it is nice and hot.  Place the pasta in a bowl, toss with the sauce, tomatoes, meat, and greens.  Serve immediately. 

• You can toss the pasta in olive oil with salt\pepper to taste if you want to save calories.
• Look around the pasta isle at the store and experiment.  There are hot sauces called Diavolo (devil) if you like a bit of a kick. 
• add corn, cucumber, olives, cheese, garbanzo beans, etc. 

Beef with Gnocchi in Tomato Sauce

I've never had gnocchi until a couple of weeks ago and I didn't know what I was missing.  What is Gnocchi? Pronounced nokey.  It is grated potatoes shaped into ovals and is an Italian invention.  It tastes like chewy pasta in a way. This dish is a balance between sweet and savory with a little kick.  I just love this dish and you will to. 

You have a choice with making this recipe.  A pressure cooker is the quickest (25 minutes) or you can slow cook the beef for about 2-2 1/2 hours.  I chose the pressure cooker. 

Ingredients:

1 1/5 - 2 lbs beef, cut into large cubes
salt/pepper to taste
2-3 tbs vegetable or olive oil
1 tbs butter or clarified butter
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ginger, ground
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper or red chili pepper
2 tbs finely chopped Italian parsley
1 chicken bouillon cube  plus 1 cup of water or 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth 
1 large onion chopped
2-3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbs tomato paste
1 tbs light brown sugar
2-14,5 oz cans of chopped tomatoes
2-3 inch cinnamon stick
1 lb gnocchi either fresh or boxed or you can add small pasta instead

Place your pot on medium to high heat.  Add the vegetable oil and butter. When the oil mixture is hot add the onions.  Saute for a couple of minutes and then add the garlic and parsley. Cook for 2-3 minutes and then add the beef chunks. Brown on all sides. 

Next, add the salt, pepper, paprika, ginger, turmeric, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, cinnamon stick, bouillon cube, tomato paste, water, and saute for a couple of minutes.  Then add the canned tomatoes and chicken stock, if you are using canned. 

Place the lid on the pressure cooker and cook on medium to high heat for 25 minutes or if you are using the slow cooking method,  place on low to medium heat and simmer for 2-2 1/2 hours, till the beef is tender.  

Once the beef is tender, add the gnocchi and simmer for about 3-5 minutes.  The sauce should be thick. Remove the cinnamon stick. Garnish with parsley and serve with a salad or sauteed greens and crusty bread.  Enjoy!    

Pasta with Sausage & Butternut Squash

I am a big fan of butternut squash and Italian sausage.  When I saw Nick Stellino make this recipe one night on tv, I decided that I needed to try this.  I am so glad that I did. I did substitute hot Italian sausage for the mild. Yes, I am a wuss. Here is my adaptation of it.

Ingredients:

3 TBS olive oil
1 pound of Italian sausage, hot or mild
1 onion chopped
5 garlic cloves, thickly sliced
1 TBS chopped basil
1 TBS chopped fresh sage
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes or red chili powder
1 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups of butternut squash, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 1/2 cups of chicken stock, or 2 bouillon cubs with 2 1/2 cups of water
salt to taste
1 pound of sea shell pasta, penne rigate, or rigatoni,  cooked according to the package directions
6 TBS Parmesan cheese 
2 TBS butter, softened

In a large skillet, add 1 tbs of the olive oil, when it is hot add the sausage and cook over medium heat until brown.  Break the sausage up into small pieces.  Remove from the skillet and set aside.  

Next, add  2 tbs of olive oil, when the pan is hot, add the onion, garlic, basil and sage.  Cook until the onion and garlic begins to brown. If you are adding the red pepper flakes, this is when you add it. 

Once the onion mix is brown, add the sausage back to the pan.  Mix the ingredients well. Add the wine and deglaze the pan.  Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring well to loosen the brown bits on the bottom of the pan.  Then add the squash and cook for 2 minutes, stirring well.  After that, add the chicken stock, bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat to allow the sauce to simmer for 30 minutes. About 5 minutes before the sauce is done add the butter and the Parmesan or you can add it to the pasta after you pour the sauce over the top. 

While the sauce is cooking, cook the pasta according to the package directions.  Drain the pasta and put it back into the pot.  Pour the sauce over the pasta and toss well.  Serve immediately.  Enjoy!

Zuppa Toscana

We have a wonderful place to eat here in the U.S. called Olive Garden.  They are famous for their wonderful Italian soups, salads, and pasta dishes. My favorite soup is Zuppa Toscana.  It is made with Italian sausage and kale in a light cream base.  I make this soup regularly because it is so good and I try to impress people with my cooking skills. LOL!  Anyway, try this one.  It is very easy and tastes wonderful. 

Zuppa Toscana

Ingredients:

1 lb mild or spicy Italian sausage, crumpled

1 onion, chopped

1 tbs ghee, optional

2 quarts of water, more water if needed

2 chicken bouillon cubes

2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

3-4 garlic cloves

Salt/pepper to taste

3-4 cups of chopped kale or Swiss chard

1 cup of heavy whipping cream or milk

A dash of red pepper flakes

1 tbs corn starch, optional

In a soup pot over medium heat add the Italian sausage and brown, breaking into small pieces. Next add the onion and the garlic, cook until the onion is translucent.  Add the water and the bouillon cubes.  If you don’t like using bouillon cubes you can use canned chicken stock instead(2-14.5 oz cans).  Then add the kale and potatoes.  Simmer until the potatoes are tender.  Finally, add the cream or milk.  To make the soup thicker mix the corn starch to a small amount of water and add to the soup.  Serve with crispy bread and a salad. Enjoy!