Chicken, Sausage, Asparagus and Mushroom Pasta

There is a lot to be said for simplicity in Italian cooking.  Let the ingredients speak for themselves.  This recipe goes the opposite direction--combining all of my very favorite Italian food ingredients in one dish.  It is AMAZING.

Though the recipe calls for the ragu to be served on pasta, I am serving leftovers on top of a slice of thick, toasted country bread.  Truly, it can stand alone.  The recipe makes a lot--a great dish to serve when company is coming over.

Make this soon.  It's truly phenomenal.

3 T. extra virgin olive oil

2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips

1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed

2 T. dry Italian herb mix

To season--sea salt and ground black pepper

2 T. butter

2 C. yellow or red onion, medium diced

3 T. garlic, minced

To season--sea salt and ground black pepper

1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed and angle-sliced into 1-inch portions

1 pound mushroom, sliced or quartered

1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise

1/2 C. marsala wine

2 C. parmigiano cheese, shredded or flaked

1/2 C. marscapone cheese, room temperature

1 C. basil, thinly sliced

1+ pound favorite pasta, cooked in salted water to al dente

1/4 C. purchased basil pesto

Warm the oil in a very large skillet over medium heat.  Add the chicken and sausage.  Season with the dry herbs, salt and pepper.  Once browned, remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl.  Cover to keep warm.

Using the same skillet (do not clean), warm the butter over medium-high heat.  Stir in the onions and garlic.  Saute just until the onions are tender (2 minutes).  Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Add the asparagus, mushrooms and tomatoes to the skillet.  Continue to cook just until the asparagus is crisp tender, the mushrooms are soft and the tomatoes barely cook (3-4 minutes).

Off the heat, add the wine, return the skillet to the heat, scraping up any browned portions, cook until it is nearly absorbed.  Stir in the precooked chicken and sausage.  Cook, stirring, just until warmed through.

Just before serving, stir in the parmesan, marscapone and basil.  Toss the cooked pasta with the pesto (the pesto could be optional, in my opinion--there are already so many flavors to enjoy!).  Serve on individual plates or a platter, with a generous serving of ragu.

From cookandbemerry.com.

Feta Pasta Salad

I hesitated on whether or not to post this recipe, as it's not exactly an "authentic" Italian dish.  But it was really, really tasty, and 'tis the season for pasta salads!  It comes from The Pioneer Woman.  If you haven't already spent hours pouring over www.thepioneerwoman.com, carve out some time today.  It might change your life.

1 pound short pasta (farfalle, penne, etc)
2 T. olive oil
1 whole lemon (more to taste)
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1-2 zucchini, sliced and cut into quarters
10 oz. grape tomatoes, halved lenthwise
6 oz. crumbled feta cheese

Cook pasta to al dente--I threw the zucchini in for the last two minutes--and rinse with cold water until completely cooled.  In a large bowl, dump the pasta and then drizzle with the olive oil.  Squeeze the lemon juice in and mix well.  Salt and pepper liberally (a lot of salt!).  Add the tomatoes and feta and mix it up again, adding more lemon and salt, if desired.  Serve cold.

Orecchiette With Broccoli

This pasta is a traditional dish from the region of Puglia.  So far, I love everything I've ever had from Puglia.

When I first heard of broccoli and pasta together, I wasn't so sure.  After someone made it for me, however, I became converted.  This is a staple in our house and a great way to get some veggies in my kiddos.

2 heads of broccoli, cut into very small stalks
1 pound ground Italian sausage
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t. crushed red pepper (a suggested amount--add more or less depending on your spice comfortability)
sea salt
freshly grated black pepper
1 pound orecchiette pasta (named after their "ear" shape)
1/2 C. grated parmesan

In a well-salted pot of boiling water, cook the broccoli until just tender--only about 2-3 minutes.  Spoon out broccoli and set aside, reserving the water to cook the pasta.  Put the pasta in to cook, and make sure to set a timer to package directions.  Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook the ground sausage until no longer pink.  Halfway through the cooking process, add the minced garlic and crushed red pepper.  Drain any fat off the cooked sausage.

When the pasta is perfectly al dente, set aside 1/3 C. of the cooking water and then drain.  Return pasta to cooking pot or to serving bowl.  Immediately mix in the sausage, broccoli, and 1/4 C. parmesan cheese.  Add the cooking water until the pasta is just moist.  Salt and pepper to taste and serve with remaining parmesan for topping.