Pasta e Ceci-Warmth for a Cold Winter

I went outside of my comfort zone on this one and you know what? I was quite pleasantly surprised. This is one bowlful of fall/winter LOVE. Originally, I thought I wouldn't like this soup simply because it sounded like it needed to have sausage in it for it to be substantial enough, (even though it has garbanzo beans in it, which I love). I was so wrong! Warm, comforting, and fulfilling is all I can tell you. If you get snow where you are, this is a real warmer upper. For those of you unfamiliar, in Italian ceci is garbanzo.

This is all I,I,I,-ME,ME,ME as Michael is not a fan of beans, nor is he much of a soup fan. I, on the other hand am a fan of both. I have an entire shelf in our freezer in the garage dedicated to a soup stash for the winter. It is now half filled and I still have more I want to make and blog. Coming up in the near future I will be blogging my Butternut Squash and Black Bean Soups (already in there keeping my Potato Soup company). I also am wanting to make some French Onion Soup, Chicken Tortilla Soup, and some varieties of chowders (Corn Chowder is one) to stash away for these cold winter days ahead.

This really is a simple recipe. It takes no time to cook if you prep your veggies in advance. The reward is priceless. If you would like to, you could add a grilled sandwich or salad to this and call it a meal. I found it to be perfect for lunch with some good bread for dipping. Anyway you decide to serve this up, you will surely be as surprised as I was. Also, if you are a vegetarian you can certainly adapt this recipe to your own dietary needs.


Pasta e Ceci
Courtesy Giada De Laurentiis' Everyday Pasta

Ingredients
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 large sprig fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped onion (1 medium onion)
3 ounces pancetta, chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 (14.5-ounce) cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1(14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice
3/4 cup ditalini (thimble-shaped pasta)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil


Directions
Wrap the thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf in a piece of cheesecloth and secure closed with kitchen twine. Heat the olive oil and butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, pancetta, and garlic and saute until the onion is tender, about 3 minutes. Add the broth, beans, tomatoes, and herb sachet. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat to medium and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 10 minutes. Discard the sachet.
Transfer 1 cup of the bean mixture to a blender and reserve. Add the ditalini to the soup pot, cover and bring the liquid back to a boil. Boil gently until the pasta is tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Puree the reserved bean mixture until smooth, then stir the puree into the boiling soup. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle with some Parmesan and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil just before serving.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.(I cut the recipe in half, unsure of whether I would like it)

This could be spiced up a bit with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes if you wish. I will be trying that with my next bowl.


I am submitting this to:
I Heart Cooking Clubs Fall Favorites with Giada
Kahakai Kitchen for Souper Sunday's
Presto Pasta Night #191 hosted by Denise at Oh Taste n See originated by Ruth of Once Upon a Feast
Saturday Swap
Coolbook Sundays









 

Carla and Michael

Eggplant Timbale - An Old Favorite

This is a recipe that I have made numerous times. It is a favorite of mine. The presentation is absolutely beautiful. It took me a while to get it to come out right, but I think I have perfected it now.

Ready to get started.

Out of the oven.

Unmolded and ready to cut into.

The  finished timbale. What a beauty.

I can taste this all over again just looking at this photo. What a wonderful taste and bite. The different textures are so pleasing. The eggplant is smooth and velvety, the meat rich and flavorful, and the peas have a slight snap as you bite down on them. Another perfect autumn/fall dish.

Eggplant Timbale
Adapted from Giada's Kitchen

Ingredients
2 medium eggplants, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1/3 cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound penne pasta
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound Italian pork sausage
1/4 cup Marsala wine
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 cups marinara sauce, jarred or homemade
1 1/2 cups diced smoked mozzarella cheese (about 6 ounces) I used regular mozzarella, as I couldn't find the smoked in the grocery store I was in)
3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus 1/4 cup (Also used parmesan, no pecorino romano either)
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, (used about 1/4cup, thought a cupfull was too much for my liking) 

Special equipment: 9-inch springform pan

Directions

Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or pre-heat a gas or charcoal grill, (I did mine on the gas grill as there are so many slices it would take forever using my small grill pan). Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the eggplant slices with 1/3 cup olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill the eggplant until tender and colored with grill marks, about 4 minutes per side. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.

Meanwhile, warm the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the beef and pork, and brown the meat, breaking it into bite-sized pieces with a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes. Pour off any excess fat. Add the Marsala and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the peas and marinara sauce and stir to combine. Add the mozzarella, 3/4 cupof the pecorino parmesan, basil, and cooked pasta. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the springform pan with the grilled eggplant. Be sure that the slices overlap and hang over the edge of the pan. Sort of like a flower, making sure they overlap so that your filling doesn't leak out. Make sure to line the bottom well also, as this will become the top when inverted. Fill the pan with the pasta mixture, pressing down to make sure the pan is filling up evenly. Fold the eggplant slices up over the top of the pasta and add a few more slices on top to completely enclose the timbale. Bake until warmed through and the cheese has melted, about 30 minutes. Let rest on the counter for 10 minutes to set.
To serve, invert the timbale onto a serving plate and remove the springform pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese over the top. Slice and serve.
Serves 4 to 6.






This is my entry for IHCC's Potluck, Cookbook Sundays at Brenda's Canadian Kitchen, Potluck Sunday's at Mommy's Kitchen with Tina, and Presto Pasta Nights #187 being hosted this week by Tigerfish of Teczcape . Also for Cassidy's Recipe Swap Sundays at Remodelaholic blog, and Miranda's Fat Camp Fridays over at Mangoes and Chutney, and to Angie's Sundays at One at her blog Cocina Diary. Stop by for a visit. Or even better yet come join in on all the fun.

   

 

Carla and Michael

Penne with Shrimp and Herbed Cream Sauce

It's Family Style with Giada De Laurentiis at IHCC this week. For my entry this week I chose Penne with Shrimp and Herbed Cream Sauce from her book: Giada's Kitchen. You can also find it here on  Food Network from her 2008 Secret Santa episode on Giada at Home, which I happened to remember actually watching back then. Her quote in the book: "This dish is comforting yet elegant, which is why I like to serve it at gatherings during the winter holidays. Best of all, it's a very quick and easy go-to recipe for when you're short on time and need to deliver something special". OK. I have to tell you we didn't think so. It may have been because I realized that we were out of bottled clam juice and had to substitute bottled oyster and shrimp sauce, which hence the shrimp I thought would be fine. We actually found this recipe very void of flavor. I have to say that this is the very FIRST time I have not been pleased with one of her recipes, although I will have to give it another try using the clam juice, at which time I will let you know if it was any better. So when I realized this dish was bland I decided to add some very thinly sliced pepperoni to it and , voila, it did enhance the dish to a palatable flavor.

I will tell you this much, it is quick and easy. Cook your pasta, drain and set aside. Saute your shrimp in a little olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Remove shrimp and set aside. (Which is when I realized I hadn'd taken the camera out. OOPS.) Next add the tomatoes, half of the basil and parsley, and the red pepper flakes to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the wine and simmer another 2 minutes. Add the clam juice and cream and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to med-low and simmer for 7-8 minutes until the sauce thickens. Add 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, the shrimp, the drained pasta, and the remaining basil and parsley. Toss together unil everything is coated with the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper if needed.

You may or may not want to add some thinly sliced pepperoni. That is entirely up to you. Any number of protien additions can be added or substituted in this recipe. Though like I said I will try it making the sauce with the bottled clam juice next time. We loved it after our own little addition.

Penne with Shrimp and Herbed Cream Sauce

Adapted from Giada's Kitchen and Food Network

Ingredients

1 pound penne pasta

1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, and deveined
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained, roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup white wine
1/3 cup clam juice (I do not recommend substituting)
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
 1/4 cup thinly sliced pepperoni (my  addition)


Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Cook, stirring frequently until the shrimp turn pink and is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp and set aside.

Add the tomatoes, 1/4 cup basil, 1/4 cup parsley, and the red pepper flakes. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the wine, clam juice, and heavy cream. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes until the sauce thickens. Add 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, the cooked shrimp, the cooked pasta, and the remaining herbs. Toss together until all ingredients are coated. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Add sliced pepperoni if desired.Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and serve immediately.


This is my contribution to this weeks IHCC's Cooking with Giada Family Style .

I'm also submitting this to Brenda at Brenda's Canadian Kitchen for Cookbook Sundays this week.

I'm also entering this with Claire from Chez Cayenne who's hosting this coming weeks Presto Pasta Nights started by Ruth at Once Upon a Feast.

Also for the first time I'm entering Potluck Sundays over at Mommys Kitchen hosted by Tina.

 
 

Well I can't wait for the coming weeks posts for Giada's Potluck Dinners. I know exactly what I am going to make. I've made it many times since first seeing it on one of her shows, though I've never posted it to my blog. It presents beautifully and is one of my absolute favorites from her. Tastes as good as it looks too. I am drooling and dazed just thinking about it. Want to know what I'm making? You'll just have to check back in to see what all the excitement is.
Carla and Michael