Penne Carbonara

I always thought carbonara would be really hard to make but it's actually surprisingly easy.

When I came across this recipe from Food52 (and realized I had all of the ingredients already in the house) I figured I would give it a try. It came out really good and was almost effortless. I will definitely be making this again! 

I love when that happens.

Recipe adapted from Food52 

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

• 1 lb penne pasta  **spaghetti would work great too**
• 1 lb bacon
• 1 1/4 cup of frozen peas
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup fresh grated parmesan
• salt and pepper

Boil a large pot of water, salt, and cook the pasta according to the package directions.

While the pasta is cooking, cut the bacon into small 1/2" pieces. It will be easier if you cut the bacon while it is still cold. Warm a stainless steel skillet over medium heat and cook the bacon until crispy. Stip and break up the bacon pieces using a wooden spoon occasionally while cooking. Drain on a plate covered with a paper towel.

In a separate bowl mix the eggs, parmesan, and pepper until you get the consistency of thick batter.

Dump the peas into a microwave safe bowl with a little water. Microwave 3-4 minutes, or until the peas are warm, stirring halfway through.

When the pasta is done, drain it quickly. Put the pasta back in the pot and pour the egg mixture over. Mix well to cook the egg with the heat from the pasta. Add the bacon and peas. 

Done and done!

Featured Recipe: Sweet Basil's Onion Soup

I am really excited to be sharing this recipe with you today courtesy of Chef and owner Dave Becker from Sweet Basil located in Needham, MA. 

Featuring an ever-changing menu of Italian cuisine with hand-made pastas and ingredients sourced from local New England farms, Sweet Basil has a loyal following of repeat customers who come back time and time again for the quality food and comforting atmosphere.

Chef Dave recently launched his brand new cookbook, Stewed, featuring handmade takes on classic soups, stews, and braises. Using simple fresh ingredients, he builds on flavor and focuses on fundamental cooking techniques. 

This kicks off a trio of posts you will find here for the next few Thursday's that will be focused around Sweet Basil and Chef Dave's Stewed cookbook. With what seems like never ending cold winter weather what's a better way to warm up than with some hearty soup recipes?

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Photo credit: Nina Gallant

Sweet Basil's Onion Soup:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 Spanish onions, sliced thin
• 2 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 ½ cups tawny port wine
• 1 quart Veggie, Beef or Chicken Stock
• 2 tablespoons plum tomatoes, ¼” dice
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
• 4 slices stale bread, ½” dice
• 1 ½ cups grated Gruyère or Manchego cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Garnish: Sliced scallions, Grated Parmesan cheese

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. As soon as it melts, add the onions, increase the heat to medium-low, and saute for 30 minutes, or until the onions begin to brown. Add the garlic, sage, and rosemary, saute for 1 or 2 minutes or until the garlic just begins to brown, and then stir in the balsamic vinegar. Add the port wine, and reduce until the pan is almost dry. Add the stock of your choosing, along with the plum tomatoes and the maple syrup. Bring the soup to a boil, remove from the heat, and season to your liking with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, arrange the bread chunks on a broiling pan, sprinkle with the grated Gruyère or Manchego cheese, drizzle with some olive oil, and toast until the cheese is bubbling and brown.

Evenly distribute the soup among serving bowls, top with the cheesy bread, garnish with
scallions and Parmesan, and serve.

Sweet Basil is located at 942 Great Plain Ave., Needham, MA 02492.

If you are interested in purchasing Chef Dave's newest cookbook, Stewed, or any of his cookbooks, you can find them here: www.sweetbasilneedham.com/cookbook

Chef Dave will also be hosting a cooking demonstration and book signing on Wednesday, February 27th from 6:00 - 9:00pm at Boston University. If you are interested in attending you can purchase tickets here: www.bu.edu/foodandwine

Tuttorosso Quick and Savory Pasta Sauce and a *GIVEAWAY*

Earlier this month I was contacted by Tuttorosso Tomatoes to help promote their Ultimate Daily Giveaway on Facebook.

As promised here is a product recipe/review and my very first *GIVEAWAY*. The giveaway consists of a Tuttorosso gift pack that includes the following items:

~ 1 29oz can of Peeled Plum Shape Tomatoes
~ 1 29oz can of Crushed Tomatoes with Basil
~ 1 29oz can of Tomato Sauce
~ 3 recipe cards for meals featuring Tuttorosso products
~ 1 Tuttorosso oven mitt
~ 1 Tuttorosso beverage koozie
~ 1 cooking conversions card


To enter the giveaway please see the details after the post! Good luck!!

One of the items I received from Tuttorosso was recipe cards. Always on the lookout for new recipes to try I grabbed the one for Quick and Savory Pasta Sauce and got to work!

I made a few small tweaks to the ingredient list based on my likes (aka I prefer ground meat over sausage) so definitely go with what you like! 

My supermarket had a "meatloaf"mix which was a combination of ground beef, pork and veal. I prefer the mix because I feel it doesn't get as dried out and has more flavor. If you want to go the all ground beef/turkey/whatever route - go for it! I'm sure it won't disappoint.

First add the olive oil to a pot over medium/high heat.

Add the minced garlic.

Add the 2 cans of tomatoes (crushed and sauce), tomato paste, basil, oregano, sugar, and water. Season with salt and pepper.

Toss in the fresh parsley.

Bring the sauce up to a boil. Once boiling reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 30 minutes to blend all of the flavors.

While simmering make your favorite pasta and some garlic bread. Before you know it it will be time to dig in! Be prepared, you will have more sauce than you know what to do with. I let mine cool and put it in a freezer bag to use another time. You could even freeze individual portions (I should have thought of that sooner!!)

I want to give a big THANK YOU to Tuttorosso for being interested enough in me to send me such a great gift pack...Now for the giveaway!

To enter just answer the question "What would you make with the Tuttorroso Gift Pack?" in the Rafflecopter box below.

If you want additional entries here's how to get them:

- Like Simply Gourmet in Southie on Facebook

- Like Tuttorosso Tomatoes on Facebook

- Tweet about the giveaway saying: "I just entered to #win a #Tuttorosso Gift Pack from @emilyjgoodman and @RedGoldTomatoes at http://simplygourmetinsouthie.blogspot.com/2012/12/tuttorosso-quick-and-savory-pasta-sauce.html

A winner will be announced on Wednesday, December 26th. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

CONGRATS TO THE **GIVEAWAY** WINNER: Jaime Ganson

Tuttorosso Tomatoes Ultimate Daily Giveaway

I am really excited to be working with Tuttorosso Tomatoes during the month of December! 

Each day Tuttorosso will be giving away premium prizes through their Ultimate Daily Giveaway on facebook.

Some of the exciting prizes include: Stock Pots by Rachael Ray, Wusthof Knives, Wusthof Sharpener, Rachael Ray Pasta and Salad Bowls, Good Grips Garlic Press, and a Cheese Rotary Grater by Zyliss.

So how do you enter you ask?

First visit the Ultimate Daily Giveaway on facebook and LIKE it! 

Check in daily to enter to win. A different prize will be given away each day until December 22nd but you must register each day for a new chance to win!!

Here are some of the prizes being given away in the next week:

Dec 4: Tuttorosso Variety Gift Box

Dec 5: Herb Mill by Microplane

Dec 6: Tuttorosso Variety Gift Box

Dec 7: 3pc. Cutting Board Set

Dec 8: Olive Oil Cruet 8oz. by Chef's Planet

Dec 9: Fat Italian Chef Spoon Rest

Dec 10: Scoop Strainer by Guy Fieri with Bonus Pairing Knife

Dec 11: Tuttorosso Variety Gift Box

Dec 12: 2-stages Knife Sharpener by Wusthof

Dec 13: Tuttorosso Variety Gift Box

Dec 14: Pasta & Salad Bowl by Rachel Ray

As an added bonus on Tuttorosso Tuesday and Thursdays, a gift basket of Tuttorosso Tomatoes will also be given away. So now there are even more ways to win!

Tuttorosso is owned by Red Gold, a family-owned company growing some of the most sought-after tomatoes in the natural conditions of the Midwest (no hothouses).

Tuttorosso, meaning “all red”, has been a staple product in kitchens around the country since 1929.

I am a huge Tuttorosso fan and have quite a few cans of their whole tomatoes in my pantry right now waiting to be made into Pomodoro Sauce.

Check back soon for some product reviews, recipe ideas and my very first **GIVEAWAY**

In the meantime check out Tuttorosso's facebook page and follow Red Gold on Twitter for great recipe ideas and a chance to win a great prize through their Ultimate Daily Giveaway!

Chicken with Creamy Garlic Pasta

This is so easy it will quickly become a regular on your weeknight dinner menu.

The best part...you don't even have to boil water to cook the pasta!

Recipe adapted from The Cheese Pusher

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

For the chicken:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup italian bread crumbs
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

For the pasta:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ¼  teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 3 cups chicken stock
• ½ lb spaghetti
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• dried parsley

Pre-heat your oven to 300 F.

Whisk the egg, 1 tablespoon of water and the dijon mustard together in a bowl. Dip the chicken in the egg wash.

In a pie plate combine the panko, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Coat the chicken in the bread crumb mixture.

Heat an oven proof skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Cook the chicken until browned on both sides - approx. 3 minutes per side.

Transfer the chicken to the oven to keep warm and finish cooking through.

Meanwhile,

In a large pot, bring 2 teaspoons of olive oil to low heat. Add the minced garlic and stir constantly, allowing it to cook for 1-2 minutes without burning. 

Mix in the butter until melted. Add the salt, pepper and chicken stock. Raise the heat to high and let it come to a boil. 

Once it is at a boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente (it will say on the box). Reduce the stove to medium heat and mix in the parmesan until completely melted. Turn off the heat and stir in the cream and parsley. 

Top with a piece of chicken, a sprinkle of dried parsley and serve immediately.

Pomodoro Sauce

I have tried a MILLION times to make a simple yet flavorful red sauce and every attempt failed.

Until now.

This sauce is packed full of fresh tomato flavor and hand picked herbs (aka my cute little basil plant on my window sill). Built slowly and given plenty of time to develop this is one of my favorite recipes EVER. Like, ever.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

• 1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes  **I used San Marzano**
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 basil sprigs
• 1 tablespoon of torn basil leaves
• 1 lb spaghetti, cooked al dented according to package directions
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley  **I didn't have on hand so I used dried**
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Set a mesh strainer over a mixing bowl. Pour in the tomatoes letting the juice separate out into the bowl below.

With your hands crush the tomatoes to extract more juice. 

**Beware I got covered in tomato. Next time I will slice them in half with a knife first. Whoops.

Set the tomatoes aside. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a sauté pan and heat over medium. Add the chopped onion and cook until soft and translucent (approx. 5 minutes), stirring occasionally.

Add 1/2 of the minced garlic and cook for another minute.

Add the strained tomatoes, sugar and salt.

Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. The tomatoes will soften and the sauce will be slightly thicker.

Add the reserved tomato juice and bring the sauce to a boil. 

Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Remove the sauce from the heat, add 4 sprigs of basil and set aside.

While the sauce is simmering...

Boil a large pot of water, salt, and cook spaghetti until al dente.

Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water when you go to drain.

Place the pasta pot back on the stove over a medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the other half of garlic and a pinch of red-pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Remove the basil from the tomato sauce. Add the sauce to the skillet. Simmer until warmed through. 

Add the pasta to the skillet and toss to coat. Thin the sauce with the pasta cooking water, if needed.

Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese, torn basil and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Garnish with additional cheese and basil, if desired. Serve immediately.

Basil Pesto

I have made arugula pesto before but have wanted to make traditional basil pesto for a while now.

This recipe was super easy and you can store in your freezer if you don't want to use it right away!

Enjoy!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

• 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
• 3 garlic cloves
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Makes approx. 1 cup



Toast the pine nuts over low to medium heat until they are slightly browned - you will be able to smell them once they start toasting!


Transfer the pine nuts to a food processer. Add the basil. Pulse until combined.  
*I use a mini food processor for pesto if I am not making a large batch - the larger food processor is too big to pulse everything enough**

Add the garlic and juice from 1/2 a lemon and pulse again.



With the food processor running and add the olive oil in a continuous stream, stopping and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.



Add the grated cheese and pulse until combined.  


Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Skillet Baked Ziti

A few weeks ago I woke up and got ready to go to work like any other day.

I went to grab an english muffin out of the freezer to defrost and toast and realized EVERYTHING was melting.

Awesome.

So I quickly moved everything to a cooler and waited for the repair man. 

As I was cleaning out the freezer I decided to defrost some ground beef that had been in there. I didn't feel like making meatballs so I decided on a baked ziti.

In my cast iron skillet. Yay :)

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

• 1lb penne pasta
• 1lb ground beef
• 1 small shallot, diced
• 4-5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 28oz can of San Marzano tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon of fresh minced basil
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 15oz container skim ricotta cheese
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, plus more for topping
• 1/2 of lemon, for juice and zest

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season with salt. Cook penne pasta for 6-7 minutes or until it is slightly under al dente.

In the meantime...

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the minced shallot and cook for a minute or two. 

Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Add the ground beef. Break up with a wooden spoon while cooking until browned.

Add the canned tomatoes, basil, crushed red pepper and cinnamon. Let simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Use the wooden spoon to gently break up the tomatoes as the sauce simmers. Season with salt and pepper.

While your sauce is simmering combine your ricotta, beaten egg, mozzarella cheese, lemon juice and zest from 1/2 of lemon. Season with salt and pepper. Comine with a fork until all mixed together. 

Grab a cast iron skillet (or a regular casserole dish will work great!). Layer the bottom of the skillet with a small ladle of sauce. Put a few dollops of the ricotta mixture over the sauce.

Add the cooked pasta to the rest of the sauce and mix well.

Layer the pasta/sauce mixture and more dollops of ricotta in the skillet. Top with extra shredded mozzarella cheese.

Cover loosely with tin foil and bake for 20 minutes at 350 F.

Remove tin foil and continue to bake for another 10 minutes. 

You will now be able to feed an entire army and STILL have leftovers.

I took over half of what I made and froze it. This dish freezes really well and when you want to have it again you can defrost or pop in the oven!