Serves 4 

½ pound angel hair pasta 
1 pound Andouille-style sausage (or other spicy, cured sausage), sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, slice thin
3 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
1 24-ounce bottled tomato sauce (or 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes and 1 6-ounce can tomato paste) 
½ tsp red pepper flakes
1 pound 26-30 sized raw shrimp, shelled and deveined 
½ cup fresh flat-leafed parsley, chopped
Kosher salt ground pepper to taste
Parmegiano Reggiano, freshly grated

1. To cook the pasta, bring a large sauté pan filled halfway with water to a boil with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Add the pasta to the boiling water, stirring occasionally, and cook until the pasta is al dente, about 6-8 minutes. You will see that the pasta will absorb most of the water and the water will become cloudy with the starch from the pasta. Plan to use some of the leftover water to add to your sauce if you like.

1. While the pasta is cooking, heat a large sauté pan with the oil over medium-high heat.  When the oil is hot, add the sausage, onion, and garlic slices.  Cook stirring occasionally until the sausage is lightly browned and the onions have softened, about 5 minutes.
   
   
2. Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and red-pepper flakes. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. 

 

1. Add the shrimp and continue to cook, covered, just until the shrimp are opaque, about 4 minutes. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce with ½ to 1 cup of the reserved pasta water if a thinner sauce is desired. Cook for 1 minute to allow the pasta to absorb the flavorful sauce. Turn off the heat and add the parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with parmesan cheese on the side.

 
Variations:

• For a low carb version, serve with cooked spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles instead of pasta
• Cook sliced mushrooms with the sausage and onions.
• Add black olives (kalamata or oil cured) and/or capers with the diced tomatoes
• Add canned artichoke hearts with the diced tomatoes

Serves 6 entree, 8 appetizer

1-pound thick spaghetti, dry 
1 bottle red wine-table wine-not too dry 
1-tsp sugar 
1/3 cup olive oil
¼ pound pancetta, cut into ½-inch pieces
4 garlic cloves, sliced thin 
½  tsp crushed red pepper flakes 
½ cup flat leafed parsley, roughly chopped
salt and pepper to taste
½ cup freshly grated Italian table cheese
Extra Virgin Olive Oil for drizzling on the finished pasta
 

1. Fill a large cooking pot with water and bring to a rolling boil.  Add 2 Tbs of kosher salt and the dry spaghetti. Cook the spaghetti, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes (pasta will not be fully cooked). Reserve 1 cup of pasta water and drain pasta in colander and return empty pot to stovetop. Dry it with a towel if wet. 
2. Heat oil in the dry pasta pot. Add the pancetta pieces and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp and lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towels to drain.
3. Add the crushed red pepper and the garlic to the fat in the pot and cook over low heat.  Cook the garlic until it begins to turn light brown on the edges, about 2 minutes. 
4. Add the bottle of wine and the sugar to the garlic in the pot, raise the heat and boil vigorously 2 minutes. 
5. Add the partially cooked pasta. Gently stir with tongs until coated and boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, until most of the wine is absorbed, about 6 minutes (pasta will be al dente). Use some of the reserved pasta water if the pan becomes dry.  
6. Add the chopped parsley, grated cheese, the salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Garnish with the reserved pancetta.  Serve immediately.

Adapted from Alton Brown's "Cacio e Pepe"

​Serves 6
1 pound dry spaghetti
Cold water to cover
1 teaspoon coarse salt
3 ounces parmesan cheese, finely grated
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 to 1 cup pasta water
Salt and pepper to taste
1 ounce grated parmesan cheese for serving
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Additions: Add any of the following: Cherry tomatoes, cooked chicken, sausage, broccoli, or other vegetable of your choice.
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1. Combine pasta, water and salt in a 3-quart, high-sided saute pan. (Water should just barely cover pasta and measure 1 1/2 inches deep total.) Cover and set over medium-high heat.
2. When water reaches a boil, remove the lid and decrease heat to medium to maintain a simmer. Stir the pasta every minute or so, making sure the ends of the noodles stay submerged and that they aren't sticking together. Add more water as needed to keep it submerged.
3. While the pasta cooks, begin the sauce. Combine the Parmesan and the olive oil in a large, deep mixing bowl. Work ingredients together with a whisk until it forms a batter-like sauce.
4. When the pasta has been simmering for 5 minutes, ladle 1 cup of the cooking water into a measuring cup then slowly drizzle 3/4 cup into cheese paste while mixing until smooth.
5. After the pasta has been cooking for 10 minutes start checking for doneness; you want it to be just barely al dente (a little bite).
6. Use tongs to lift the pasta out of the cooking water and allow to briefly drain before adding to the cheese paste. Grasp the pasta with the tongs and stir vigorously for 2 minutes. The pasta will continue to release starch and the sauce will emulsify. Around a minute thirty you will see cheesy water magically transform into a proper sauce. If you find your sauce clumping, add a bit more of the pasta water and continue working the pasta. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Portion pasta into bowls, top with reserved parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

I enjoy creating delicious recipes to share with my students, but when I discover a recipe by another chef I never hesitate to share it. And, when that chef has cookbook that I love, you know I'm going to share that too. Joshua McFadden's book Six Seasons-A New Way with Vegetables has become a favorite, seasonal cookbook for me. You MUST get this book! McFadden has opened my mind and my pallet to so many new flavor combinations and wonderful ways to prepare vegetables seasonally. This recipe is a wonderful example of an easy, beautiful, and delicious recipe I use often. Enjoy!

Makes 4 cups
Kosher salt, to taste
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
2 cloves garlic, smashed flat and peeled
1 pound kale, thick ribs removed (dark green, curly kale)
 Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ pound pasta, like pappardelle or rigatoni
¾ cup coarsely grated Parmigiano- Reggiano

1. Put a large pot of generously salted water over high heat, and bring to a boil. 
2. In a small skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and garlic, and cook until the garlic begins to sizzle. Reduce heat to low, and cook very gently until garlic is soft and begins to turn light gold, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. When water is boiling, add kale leaves, and cook until tender, but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Pull out the hot, dripping kale leaves with tongs, and put directly into a blender. (Don’t drain the pot; you’ll use that same boiling water to cook the pasta.) 
4. Add garlic and its oil to the blender, along with a splash of hot water from the pot if you need some more liquid to get the blender going. Blend into a fine, thick green purée. Taste, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, then blend again.
5. Add the pasta to the still-boiling water, and cook according to directions on the package. Ladle out about a cup of the water to save for finishing the dish, then drain the pasta and return it to the dry pot. Add the half of the kale purée, about 3/4 of the grated cheese and a splash of the reserved pasta water. Toss until all the pasta is well coated and bright green, adding another splash of pasta water and more kale sauce if needed so that the sauce is loose and almost creamy in texture. Serve in bowls right away, and top with an extra drizzle of olive oil and the rest of the grated cheese. Any leftover kale sauce can be frozen.

​Additions:
1-pound U26-30 shrimp, peeled and deveined-5 minutes before the pasta is done cooking, add the shrimp to the pasta and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Continue with recipe as written.

More uses for this Kale Sauce

• add to any soup 
• add to any pasta sauce
  
• add cream to the kale sauce and drizzle over pasta, chicken, steak, pork, seafood
• spread on sandwiches or wraps
• stir into eggs to make kale scrambled eggs
• combine with homemade stock to make a soup
• add to Asian noodle bowl

Serves 6 as a side dish

4 ounces sugar snap peas
4 ounces snow peas, sliced on the bias
4 ounces frozen petite peas, thawed
2 scallions, about ½ cup chopped-or equal about of chives, chopped
2 cups pea shoots or tendrils-water cress or mixed greens can be substituted
2 Tbs fresh mint, roughly chopped
2 Tbs fresh flat leafed parsley, roughly chopped
optional: 2-3 radishes, thinly sliced
5 Tbs cider or red wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil
Kosher salt and Pepper
Ricotta salata or parmesan, shaved
Edible flowers for garnish

1. Heat a saucepan filled halfway with water and 1 tsp kosher salt. Bring to a boil. While the water is coming to a boil, prepare an ice bath with ice and cold water, set aside.
2. When the salted water reaches a boil, add the sugar snap peas and the sliced snow peas. Cook for 3 minutes. Remove the peas from the water with a slotted spoon and immediately place them into the ice bath. Once cold, drain and place on a cotton towel to pat dry-as dry as possible.
3. Prepare the dressing by combining the vinegar, Dijon mustard, and olive oil in a lidded jar. Cover and shake until combined.
4. Place the sugar snap, snow, and thawed peas, into a large bowl with the greens and optional radish slices. Add the herbs and enough dressing to lightly coat the salad and gently toss.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve immediately garnished with cheese and edible flowers.

Check out my Facebook Live cooking demo of this salad with the 3 variations below: https://www.facebook.com/thecreativefeast/videos/561124908113428/
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Make this salad a meal: Hard boiled eggs or poached eggs with roasted potatoes and roasted radishes.

Appetizer: Dress the salad and place on top of toasted bread smeared with ricotta cheese

Pasta: Add the undressed salad to Pasta Carbonara https://www.thecreativefeast.com/recipeblog/pasta-alla-carbonara

Makes 6-8 servings

1 pound soba noodles, cooked and drained (follow the package directions)
4 scallions, chopped
1 large red pepper, cored, seeded and sliced thinly or 1 bag frozen sliced peppers, thawed
2-3 cups frozen broccoli florets, thawed
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup soy sauce (low sodium)
3 Tbs toasted sesame oil
 
 

1. Place the cooked noodles, veggies, and cilantro in a large bowl.
2. Whisk the soy sauce, garlic and sesame oil together in a small bowl.
3. Pour the sauce over the soba noodles and veggies and toss to coat.  This can be served warm or cold.

Substitutes and additions:

• Use whole grain thin spaghetti or brown rice instead of soba noodles.
• Add shredded chicken, cooked shrimp, or tofu for more protein.  

I featured this recipe on WMUR's Cook's Corner.  Click here to see the segment.

Makes 1 ½ cups
Zest of 2 lemons, chopped
4 small garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ cups fresh Italian flat-leafed parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
 
Combine all ingredients in small bowl.
 
How to serve your gremolata. When using these suggestions, add gremolata to taste.

• Toss gremolata with 1 pound of hot linguini, some shredded chicken, and cooked broccoli.
• Serve with cooked green beans.
• Stir 1 spoonful into a bowl of lamb stew, beef stew, chicken stew, soup, or ossobucco.
• Serve with roasted or seared chicken.
• Serve with grilled fish.

Serves 4-6
1 lb of cooked farfalle pasta*
2 Tbs olive oil or 2 Tbs butter
10 cloves of garlic, sliced thinly
2 ½ -3 cups of half & half
1 cup fresh flat leafed parsley, chopped
2 cups Arugula, chopped
2 Tbs fresh rosemary, chopped, fine
1  cup of Parmegiano Reggiano, grated
Salt and pepper to taste

1.  Heat a large sauté pan over low heat with olive oil the sliced garlic.  Cook the garlic until lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes.
2.  Add the half & half to the garlic and bring to simmer over medium-high heat.  Simmer for 3 minutes. 
3.  Add the chopped herbs and simmer for 2 minutes. 
4.  Add the cooked pasta and cheese and gently toss to combine.  Heat for 1- 2 minutes to allow the pasta to absorb some of the sauce and enhance the flavor of the pasta.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cooking Pasta Ahead of time:
Cook your pasta aldante (until there is a slight bite to it).
Strain the pasta and run cold water through it until it is cooled.  Strain well.
Put the cold pasta in a plastic bag and add 2 Tbs of olive oil.  Seal the bag and squish to coat the pasta with the oil.  Refrigerate.

Heating Cooked Pasta:
Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil.
Just before serving drop the cooked pasta into the boiling water and immediately pour the pasta into a strainer.  Serve with sauce.

Serves 4
3 small zucchini
½ cup olive oil
2 cups fresh baby spinach or arugula, roughly chopped
1 cup fresh flat leafed parsley, stems removed, roughly chopped
6 Tbs mayonnaise
1 Tbs fresh rosemary, roughly chopped
3 Tbs fresh mint, roughly chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup cold water
Salt and pepper 
Optional:  Add 1/3 cup toasted almonds, pine nuts, or roasted sunflower seeds w/oil, spinach

1. I use the Inspiralizer to make my spiralized noodles. To spiralize your zucchini, use the attachment with the smaller holes to produce a thin spaghetti like result.  The machine will produce one long, long, long strand.  Be sure to cut the zucchini strand in a few places to make them easier to serve.
2. To make the herb pesto, place the oil into the blender or food processor first. This will help to combine the ingredients easier and more smoothly. Add the chopped spinach or arugula, parsley, mayonnaise, rosemary, mint, garlic, and Parmesan cheese (nuts too if using).  Process until the pesto is smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary.  Add the water if a smoother consistency is desired.  
3. Place the zucchini noodles into a large bowl and toss with enough pesto to coat. Taste, add more pesto and salt to taste. 

Serving suggestions:

• Toss pesto with hot or room temperature pasta. Add enough pesto to coat the pasta and to taste. If you want to make this "saucier" add some reserved pasta water or water from the tap.
• Pesto Ricotta Sauce. Combine 1 cup​ of the pesto with 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese. Add water to thin if desired.
• Add cherry tomatoes that have been cut in half.
• Add cooked chicken, shrimp, or scallops for a seafood dish.
• Ricotta pesto toast. Toast up some artisan bread and spread with ricotta cheese. Top with pesto for an appetizer.