Fall in Love with Pasta!

Check out Hell No! Carbs Won't Go! Perfect Pasta Dishes
by Kasey's Kitchen at Foodie.com

Like that needs any convincing?! As the summer days start drifting off behind us, we'll soon be gearing up for some heartier meals and nothing says cozy comfort to me quite like a good plate of pasta.

Yes, I know... I should have been Italian! Can you convert nationalities? Anyway, pasta is without a doubt my favorite food. Take away the sweets, the caffeine, and the booze, but leave me my carbs!

Scroll through the yummy collection of pasta dishes displayed in this awesome slideshow from Foodie.com above!

What's your favorite fall dish? Comment below! 

Disclosure: This post was written as part of my partnership with Foodie.com, all opinions are my own.

Date Night In and Fresh Pasta

The Mr. and I recently agreed that we needed to cut back on how much we eat out. We crunched the numbers and were embarrassed by the amount of money we had spent on food (excluding groceries) in the last month and decided enough was enough. With that being said, we found ourselves sitting home on a Saturday night with a growing rumble in out tummies and I had the [bright] idea to take a stab at making fresh pasta. 

I grabbed my new [signed] copy of Fabio's Italian Kitchen and was off to the kitchen. 

Thanks to my trusty teal Kitchenaid mixer and pasta attachment, this job was waaaay easier than I thought it would be. 

You use one attachment to flatten out the dough and then swap it out for either a linguini or thin spaghetti cutter.

I have limited space in our kitchen so I had to get creative... yes, that's right. I used a clothes hanger to hang my pasta sheets. Just call me Madame MacGuyver.

We opted for the thicker linguini which came out perfectly. Some pieces may break apart because of the
unevenness of the pasta sheets, but it's all going to the same place. If they really bother you, pick them out.

I attempted to get a photo of the finished product but it was inhaled before that was possible! Just trust me, it was AMAZING. The Mr. even raved that it was better than what we had in Italy. Maybe he was just sucking up, but hey, I'll take it.

The recipe below is from Fabio's Italian Kitchen by Fabio Viviani.

Ingredients:
10 egg yolks
Pinch of table salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
2 tsp. olive oil
2 cups flour

TIP: Remember—even though I always ask for large eggs, egg sizes vary. If you see that after you put in the egg yolks, your pasta is sticky, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.

I grew up with fresh egg pasta. The way my great-grandma kept me from destroying the household was to have me crack eight eggs on a cutting board and hand mix them with flour for hours. It’s a very time-consuming maneuver! I am all about preserving tradition, but what about improving the execution of tradition so you can have traditional flavor in a tenth of the time? That’s the way I teach people to make pasta. By following my way, anyone can make it. All you need is a food processor and a blade attachment.

• Place the egg yolks in a food processor with the blade attachment, add the salt, pepper, and olive oil, and pulse a few times.
• Add half of the flour and pulse until the eggs absorb it and you have a semi-thick paste. Add the rest of the flour and allow the blade to rotate continuously. When the dough is ready, you should see a ball-shaped mass of flour and eggs bouncing around the canister. If the dough is still too wet to the touch, add an extra tablespoon of flour. If it is a bit dry, add a little water as needed.
• Take the pasta out and roll/shape according to the directions of the recipe you are making. If you’re saving it for later, wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for up to 6 days. (But pasta, according to my grandpa, must be consumed right away, or you should just make a risotto instead!

*Notes from Kasey:
- I used my mixer and paddle blade rather than a food processor and it came out great!
- You can use any sauce with this pasta, I opted for a rich, garlicy bolognese. (Click here for that recipe) topped with Fabio's Mama's Meatballs.

Here's the best shot I snapped before we devoured our dinner! 

@kaseys_kitchen

Caprese Pasta Salad

It's no secret that one of my favorite ingredient combinations is fresh tomato, mozzarella and basil. Add a little balsamic glaze to that, and now we're in business! Oh, it's also a well known fact that I am a serious "pasta-holic", so when I was asked by The Mr. (last minute, of course) to whip up a dish for one of his office cookouts, I decided to stick to my faves!

This recipe can be put together in 30 minutes, tops. Yes, even including the pasta!

Veggie Lasagna 2/5/09

Hungry? Dont have much in the fridge? Well that was the situation I was in earlier this evening until I stepped into the kitchen and brainstormed..... here is what came out!

Veggie Lasagna
Cooktime from Stove-Top to Table: 45-60min
Preheat Oven to 400*

Ingredients that I used:
Filling 1-Chopped Spinach (fresh or frozen)
Chopped Onion
Chopped Garlic
Frozen Vegetable Medley (carrots, peas, corn, broccoli, cauliflower)
Olive Oil
Dry White Wine

Filling 2-Part skim Ricotta Cheese
1 Egg
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Salt

Sauce-Butter
Milk
Flour
American Cheese Singles (yes, the kind with the plastic wrapper)
Parmigiana Cheese (out of the shaker is fine)

Other Stuff You Will Need-Lasagna Noodles
Cooking Spray
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

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Boil Lasagna Noodles according to directions on box. However if you need the directions to boil water and make pasta, I'm worried.

To Make Filling 1:
Sautee onions and garlic in olive oil until onions are tender
Add frozen vegetables.
Add spinach and let wilt.
Add a splash of white wine and let the steam cook the spinach.

To Make Filling 2:
Remove ricotta cheese from container and add in saucepan.
With the heat on low, stir in one egg, garlic salt and pepper.
Keep on heat just until warm.

To Make Sauce:
Melt about 2 tbsp of butter in a sauce pan.
Add a 1/2 c of milk.
Continuously whisk the mixture.
Add both kinds of cheeses while mixing. Break up the single slices when you add it.
Continue to add milk to desired consistency.
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Putting it all together:
Spray your pan with cooking spray.
Lay out your first layer of noodles.
Spread a layer of the ricotta mixture on the first layer of noodles.
Lay out next layer of noodles.
Spread vegetable mixture on noodles.
Another layer of noodles.
Another layer of ricotta mixture.
One more layer of noodles... You can do it! I know you can!
Now pour your warm sauce all over the top of the layers, letting it fill in the cracks and corners.
Sprinkle shredded mozzarella over the top, add a little sprinkle of any herb for color.

Bake for 15 minutes uncovered.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for another 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and let sit for an additional 10 minutes and then you are good to go!! Just slice and serve!


Be sure to let me know if you tried this recipe! I'd love to hear from you!
kaseyskitchentv@gmail.com