I tried this recipe for Chicken with Marsala, Mushrooms & Gorgonzola the other night. It’s from a Fine Cooking article called Chicken in a Flash. I loved the combination of flavors: the earthy mushrooms, dry Marsala and tangy Gorgonzola. Cutting the chicken into smaller pieces made the chicken cook quicker but I’m not sure how much time it saved in the long run since you have to brown several batches of the chicken pieces. Next time I’ll probably try it with whole chicken breasts instead of cutting them into pieces. The recipe doesn’t make a ton of sauce so you might want to double the sauce if you like lots of it. I served the finished dish over penne pasta. Yumm! Note that the recipe calls for dry Marsala not the sweet kind.

Chicken with Marsala, Mushrooms & Gorgonzola
-recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine

Serve with pasta. Serves two to three. 

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 3)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
6 oz. cremini or white mushrooms, sliced 1/8 inch thick (about 2-1/4 cups)
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry Marsala
1/3 cup heavy cream
1-1/2 oz. crumbled Gorgonzola (1/3 cup)
1 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Trim the chicken, removing the tenders, and slice on an angle into 3/4-inch-thick pieces; season generously with salt and pepper.

In a 10-inch straight-sided sauté pan, heat 2 Tbs. of the oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add half of the chicken and cook, flipping once, until lightly browned and just barely cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate; repeat with the remaining chicken. Cover with foil to keep warm.

Return the pan to medium-high heat and add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil. Add the mushrooms, season lightly with salt, and sauté, stirring with a wooden spoon, until softened and well browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 20 to 30 seconds. Pour in the Marsala and scrape the pan with the spoon to loosen any browned bits; simmer until the Marsala is reduced slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in the cream and simmer until thickened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Add two-thirds of the Gorgonzola and stir until melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Taste the sauce; add salt and pepper as needed. Add the chicken along with any accumulated juices and turn to coat with the sauce. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the remaining cheese and the parsley.

Tags: Chicken, gorgonzola, Marsala, Pasta

This is a simple yet tasty pasta dish, rich in flavor with a hint of rosemary and red wine. My whole family enjoyed this dinner (no complaints from the 5-year-old…yippee!!!). I used bow-tie pasta (farfalle) because that’s what I had on hand. Next time I might try it with a little Italian sausage substituted for some of the beef just to mix things up a bit. Sliced mushrooms, chopped red peppers and/or kalamata olives would also make great additions to the sauce. Garnish with a little Parmesan cheese if you like (it’s good with or without it).

Penne with Beef Ragù
-recipe from williams-sonoma.com

Ragù, which can be made with ground beef, pork, veal or a combination, tastes even better the day after it is made. This recipe can easily be doubled and will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer. Serves 4.

6 Tbs. olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
3/4 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup dry red wine
3 Tbs. tomato paste
2 1/2 cups canned whole plum tomatoes, chopped, with juices
2 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. salt, plus more, to taste
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more, to taste
1 lb. penne or rigatoni

Make the sauce:
In a large, deep fry pan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery and rosemary and sauté until the vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes. Add 1 to 2 Tbs. water if needed to keep the pan from drying out and the vegetables from browning.

Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until it is browned, about 10 minutes. Add the wine and tomato paste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the alcohol has evaporated, about 4 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low and add the tomatoes, the 1 tsp. salt and the 1/2 tsp. pepper. Cover partially and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and aromatic, about 1 hour.

Cook the pasta:
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the 2 Tbs. salt and the pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until al dente, according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce, stirring to combine. Warm briefly over low heat to blend the flavors. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately. 

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast Series, Pasta, by Julia della Croce (Oxmoor House, 2006).

Tags: Beef, Pasta, ragu

Recipes don’t get much easier than this one: a simple, fresh-tasting sauce tossed with cooked pasta. I also like to add cooked chicken for protein, and sliced red pepper and steamed snow peas for added color, crunch and flavor. I recommend making 1.5 to 2 times the sauce if you plan to add the vegetables and/or chicken. I’m a cilantro lover so I dig the combination of flavors in the sauce (cilantro, sesame oil, fresh ginger).  For the sauce I omitted the chicken broth because I didn’t want to open a can of it for such a small amount. Instead, I used a few tablespoons of water. If you do this, you may need to add a bit more soy sauce or salt, depending on your tastes. I also substituted regular ol’ dried spaghetti for the fresh noodles.

Asian Noodles with Ginger-Cilantro Sauce
-recipe from Bon Appétit Magazine – epicurious.com

Add chicken or pork to turn this side dish into a satisfying main course. Chopped roasted peanuts are a nice garnish.

Serves 4.

1 12-ounce package fresh oriental-style water noodles or linguine
3 tablespoons oriental sesame oil

2 1/2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 small jalapeño chili, seeded
1 cup (packed) fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons (or more) canned chicken broth

Cook noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain noodles. Rinse with cold water; drain well. Transfer to large bowl. Toss with 1 tablespoon sesame oil.

With processor running, drop ginger and chili through feed tube and mince. Add cilantro, soy sauce, vinegar, peanut butter, 3 tablespoons broth and remaining 2 tablespoons sesame oil. Process until mixture is almost smooth, adding more broth if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add sauce to noodles and toss.

Tags: Asian, cilantro, ginger, noodles, Pasta

I love pasta! It’s versatile, and a perfect foundation for a quick weeknight meal. I came across this recipe when I was looking for a dish that called for both Italian sausage and broccoli because I had both in the fridge and needed to use them. My whole family loved this pasta dish, and you know you’ve got a keeper when everyone from the 5-year-old on up to Grandma enjoys the meal. 

I used penne pasta (didn’t have orecchiette) and Foster Farms turkey Italian sausage; the dish would also be really good with a spicy Italian sausage for some added kick. I really like onions with pasta so I thinly sliced half an onion and sauteed it with the sausage (omitting the scallions). Be sure to cook your garlic over medium low heat or it will brown too quickly or burn (not very tasty). Also, I added 1/3 cup of Kalamata olives toward the end of cooking when I added the lemon juice and Parmesan cheese. This simple, flavorful pasta dish will be appearing regularly at our dinner table.

Orecchiette with Caramelized Garlic, Sausage & Broccoli
- recipe from Fine Cooking magazine

Serves four.

10 oz. broccoli crowns, cut into 1-1/2-inch florets
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 lb. sweet Italian sausage, skinned and crumbled into 1-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and cut into thin strips
1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme
3/4 lb. dried orecchiette (or penne)
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice; more to taste
3 Tbs. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano; more for serving
scallions (whites and greens), thinly sliced

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil. Fill a large bowl with cold water. Blanch the broccoli in the boiling water until it softens to a tender crunch, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer it to the bowl of cold water.

Heat 2 Tbs. of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the sausage and sauté, stirring, until it browns and is just cooked through, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Put the pasta in the water. Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium low; add the remaining 2 Tbs. oil and the garlic. Season with salt and cook, flipping the pieces occasionally, until they start to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Raise the heat to high, drain the broccoli, and add it to the skillet, along with the sausage. Cook until everything is heated through, about 1 minute. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and thyme.

Finish cooking the pasta until it’s just tender, about 10 minutes total. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet with the broccoli. Raise the heat to high and toss well for 30 seconds. If the pasta appears dry, add 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. Stir in the lemon juice, Parmigiano and scallions. Add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice to taste. Serve immediately, sprinkled with more Parmigiano.

Tags: broccoli, italian sausage, Pasta, sun-dried tomatoes