Smoked Garlic Fettucine Alfredo

Fettucine is a simple dish perfectly suited to being a quick and easy dinner. Don't have smoked garlic on hand? Use roasted garlic instead. Smoked or roasted, the garlic flavor in this easy dish is mellowed out and lush. Don't like garlic? Leave it out. No biggie.

Whether you smoke or roast your garlic, the prep is the same. Taking a whole head of garlic, cut the very top off the head, just exposing the meat of the garlic cloves. Wrap the bottom of the head with foil, leaving the cut surface exposed. Drizzle olive oil over the surface and either pop into the smoker along with whatever else you're smoking that day or into the oven with whatever you're roasting that day. Simple!

Now about that fettucine. I didn't use the traditional fettucine noodle because I didn't have the gluten-free version on hand. Just about any good noodle or pasta shape works well. Come on, it's the rich and creamy, cheesy and buttery sauce that's the star of this show. Along with smoked garlic, of course!

Smoked Garlic Fettucine Alfredo

• 1 pound fettucini noodles or other pasta - I used penne (gluten-free, of course) - cooked al dente and drained
• 4 T unsalted butter
• 1 C heavy cream
• 1 head smoked (or roasted) garlic (see method below)
• 1/2 t kosher salt
• freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 C freshly grated parmesan - use the GOOD stuff!

Squeeze the soft smoked (or roasted) garlic from the head of garlic into a small bowl. Add the salt and pepper and use a fork to mash it all into a paste. Set aside.

In a saucepan, warm butter and cream together over low heat until the butter is melted. Add the garlic paste and whisk until combined. Let simmer gently while you cook the pasta.

When the pasta is done, drain well and pour it into a large bowl. Add half the parmesan, the sauce, and gently toss. Add the rest of the cheese and toss gently again.

Serve by itself with a green salad or topped with grilled chicken and portobello mushrooms.

Smoked or roasted garlic: Slice the top of a head of garlic, exposing the cloves. Wrap the bottom with foil, drizzle with olive oil. 

Smoke at 225 degrees (in your smoker) along with whatever else you're smoking at the time. I regularly smoke several meats, onions, tomatoes, garlic and other veggies for later use. I make the most of firing up the smoker! And I do several heads of garlic at a time. Wrap the heads in foil completely when done. Stores in the fridge for a week or so. Or you can separate the cloves and freeze in a small freezer bag.

or

In the oven, roast at 400 degrees about 20-30 minutes or until the center is soft. Wrap completely in foil until ready to use. Stores in the fridge for a week or so. Or you can separate the cloves and freeze in a small freezer bag.

Pittsburgh Strip District Italian Deli Pasta Bake

Winter in Pittsburgh. Temps are in the 50's and 60's one day, the teens the next. I don't know about you, but my internal appropriate-recipe-for-the-weather indicator has been swinging back and forth like some kind of crazed pendulum. 

My kitchen is as likely to see a fresh off the grill sizzling chicken breast atop a crisp, green salad as it is a pot of stew or chili simmering on the stove. As a result, I'm behind on making my favorite cold weather recipes, like my family's favorite macaroni and cheese with ground beef and tomatoes. I'd bet this old fashioned, homey casserole is one of your family's favorites, too. 

My mom used to make the dish with elbow macaroni, browned ground beef, onion, green pepper, cubes of cheddar (or even Velveeta!) and a can of tomato soup. Nope, she used no seasoning or garlic at all except for salt and (maybe) pepper. 

My version, many years later, ditched the soup for canned tomatoes, added fresh spinach (to pack more nutrition and the kids never knew there was spinach hidden in there), sometimes I used feta, sometimes mozzarella, sometimes mushrooms made it in, and always garlic. The recipe has always been changeable, but still maintained the basic tomatoes, ground beef, cheese and macaroni base. As does this twist.

As always with this casserole, a visual sweep of what's on hand is the first step. At first glance, the fridge revealed leftover cooked hot sausage links from last night's dinner and several slices of some good Strip District Parma Sausage Salami Rustico. That would be waaaaay better than plain old hamburger! Looking further down, I discovered my own home-smoked hot pepper cheese and even a little home-smoked mozz! The pantry, as always, contained cans of San Marzano tomatoes thanks to Penn Mac in the Strip. The Strip District Italian Deli Pasta Bake came into being. 

Maybe there IS a benefit to this oddball winter. A warm and sunny day is perfect for strolling the Strip picking up components for a comforting casserole to make when the temperature inevitably dips back into the chill zone. Maybe this IS the perfect winter weather after all.

Pittsburgh Strip District Italian Deli Pasta Bake

• 4 C cooked pasta - al dente, of course - I used gluten free penne
• 2 links cooked hot Italian sausage, sliced into rounds
• 1/2 C pre-sliced salami, cut into ribbons - I used Parma Sausage Salami Rustico, use whatever you have on hand...pepperoni works really well, too!
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 medium onion, medium dice
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 1/2 C real San Marzano tomatoes, don't drain off the liquid, use it all!
• 1 T dried oregano
• 1 t dried basil
• 1 t Jane's Crazy salt or kosher salt
• 2 T tomato paste - buy the tube so you don't waste the rest of a small can
• 1/2 lb diced smoked hot pepper cheese (or use your own favorite - cheddar, smoked cheddar, hot pepper cheese that hasn't been smoked)
• 1/2 C smoked mozzarella or smoked provolone for the top, shredded

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a shallow casserole dish with olive oil and set aside.

In a nonstick saute pan over medium heat, warm the cooked sausage slices and salami until both release their fats and the salami separates and no longer sticks together. Remove to a plate. In the same pan, add the olive oil and then the onion and garlic. Cook until soft, but not browned.

Stir in the tomatoes, oregano, basil, Jane's Crazy Salt and tomato paste. Combine well, then add the sausage and salami back to the pan. Combine all thoroughly.

In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked pasta and the tomato mixture, stir well. Add the diced cheese and mix gently again until everything is evenly distributed throughout. Pour into the prepared casserole dish, top with shredded cheese and bake 25-35 minutes.

Add a green salad and it's dinner, folks!

NOTE: If you like your version less spicy, use cheddar instead of hot pepper cheese and sweet Italian sausage in place of the hot version. Like it spicier? Top the casserole with pickled hot peppers after it comes out of the oven for a real Italian deli touch!

A Simple Penne With Tomato Basil Cream (Gluten-Free Option, too.)

Sometimes, the simple recipes are the best. Quick pasta and sauce on a weeknight is just what works best for so many reasons. Time savings and convenience for a couple of them!

During a Saturday of shopping recently, Kimber and I stopped for a quick lunch at a local spot that's been around for a while - AND they feature a gluten-free menu. Right up my alley! Kimber ordered a salad. Since I can NEVER get pasta out and gluten-free pasta was a feature of this unnamed restaurant, I ordered penne with tomato basil cream and Italian sausage. Oops.

Restaurant pasta dish...why, oh why, couldn't it have been presented in a nice green dish?

Not that it wasn't "acceptable," it just wasn't prepared properly. To say the penne was oversauced was an understatement. The dish was more like a Velveeta-ish tomato soup with pasta and bits of sausage floating around in it. The good thing about it? It inspired me to go home and make it the right way! So I did. Here it is:

Penne with Tomato Basil Cream 

(Gluten-free option, too!)

• 2 Italian sausage links, a nice sweet variety WITH fennel...mmmmmm

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and sliced
• 5 basil leaves, fresh - julienned - plus additional for garnish
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 quart chopped tomatoes, jarred or canned - get the good ones...San Marzano!
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste, love the stuff in the tube...no waste like what's leftover in those itty bitty cans
• 1/4 cup heavy cream, or use half & half
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, plus additional for serving - you know I want you to use the good stuff...Parmigiano Reggiano - worth every penny

• 1 pound penne pasta, cooked al dente, drained well - to make this gluten-free, use a GOOD GF pasta like Jillian's or BiAglut

While you're making the sauce, saute the sausages until beautifully browned and cooked through
 
Tomato Basil Cream: Melt butter and olive oil together in a skillet, then add the onion, garlic, basil, red pepper flakes & salt. Cook slowly until the veggies are soft. Add the tomatoes & tomato paste, stir well, bring to a boil, reduce heat & simmer until gorgeous.
 
Bring out your stick blender once the sauce has come together nicely and give the sauce a nice whirl until all the veggies are pureed and you have a nice smooth sauce. Add the cream and the parm...stir until the parm is melted into the sauce and smooth. Taste, adjust seasonings and you're ready to dress your cooked pasta.
 
After your penne is cooked and drained, return it to the pot you cooked it in. Ladle enough sauce over the pasta to coat the pasta without OVERsaucing it. It should be kissed by sauce, not swimming it it. 

Slice the sausages. Plate the pasta, arrange the sausage around the plate, garnish with additional slivered fresh basil and additional parm, if you wish. 

Easy dinner, great leftovers!
 

Mushroom Broccoli Alfredo Mac n Cheese

Hello! It's that time of year again when some of us are scrambling to come up with meatless meals that won't bore the family. Fish sandwiches, mac n cheese, tuna  casserole...they've been done to death by now. And there's still almost a month of Fridays left to meatless meal planning! Uh oh.

One of the best things about the Lenten season is that fish and seafood are more plentiful, and therefore more reasonably priced, than other times of year. If you're a fish and seafood lover (and I am!), now is the time to take advantage of the bargains out there, folks. There are always great sales on things that swim during Lent...even at Whole Foods!

How about a little change up that turns the same old mac & cheese into an alfredo-style mushroom and broccoli meatless meal? One that will be a brand new Friday family fave? 

Instead of cheddar, a sauce of smooth, creamy fontina, subtle smoked gouda and a little parmigiana regianno set off with a sweet touch of garlic, LOTS of earthy mushrooms and just a little bright green broccoli. Baked in a gratin dish until the top is golden, just a simple salad and some good bread makes a Meatless Friday (OR Monday!) into a dinner sure to be repeated even when it isn't Lent.

Ready? Go!

Mushroom Broccoli Alfredo Mac n Cheese

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 cups milk
• 2 1/2 cups fontina cheese, shredded - approx. 1/2 lb.
• 2 cups smoked gouda cheese, shredded - approx. 1/2 lb.
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated

• 1 pound penne pasta, cooked al dente, drained - Gluten-free penne to make this GF, my fave is BiAglut!

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced - I like the package of baby bellas, oyster and shitakes!
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 head broccoli, cut into florets

Mix the cheeses together in a large bowl until well combined. Reserve a cup of the mixed cheeses. In a saucepan, melt 3 T. butter, add the cornstarch and cook for a minute. Gradually whisk the milk into the cornstarch mixture. When the sauce has thickened, gradually add the bowl of grated cheeses, constantly whisking until the sauce is smooth. Set aside.
 
In a skillet, melt 2 T. butter and add the minced garlic and sliced mushrooms. Stir until the garlic is translucent and the mushrooms are tender. Set aside.
 
Have the cooked pasta waiting in a large bowl. Pour the cheese sauce over the top, add the mushroom mixture and the broccoli florets. Mix well and pour into a large, buttered gratin dish. Top with the reserved cheeses.
 
Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden.