Tag: pasta

Recipe: 15 Minute Creamy Ham Fettuccine

Posted on by Sharman

I was having one of those lazy Sunday afternoons where you crave comfort food, but don’t have a whole lot of motivation to make a big meal. I had some leftover ham in my fridge which I chopped up to use with a hack for creamy Alfredo sauce using cream cheese.

For those days when you don’t full fat cream, but you do have a package of cream cheese – this is a quick and simple recipe to have your belly full and you back to relaxing in no time. Using a fresh herb like parsley can really liven this simple 15 minute pasta up.

What you’ll need…

300 grams of fettuccine

1 1/2 cups of cooked ham, cubed

1 white onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tbsp canola oil (or bacon fat)

4 oz of cream cheese, cubed

1 cup milk

1/4 cup of parmesan cheese

pepper to taste

handful of parsley, chopped

 

Directions:

In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm canola oil (or bacon fat if you have it) and add onions. Sauté until translucent, approximately five minutes. Stir in the garlic and chunks of ham and cook for another minute.

Meanwhile, in pot with boiling water, cook pasta  to package instructions.

Add the milk and cream cheese to the onions and ham and as the mixtures heats up, stir to combine.
Drain the fettuccine and add to pan, stirring to make all of the noodles evenly coated. Serve topped with parmesan, freshly ground pepper and parsley. Enjoy!

 

Recipe: Spaghetti with Porchetta Ragu

Posted on by Dan Clapson

Porchetta ragu recipe

I love pasta any time of the year, but during the winter is when I truly find comfort in a big plate of spaghetti. Living in downtown Calgary, I’m lucky enough to be within walking distance to a mix of grocery stores and meat shops that boast a great selection of cuts of pork as well as cured meats. The other day when I decided to suit up and trek through the snow in subzero temperatures for some ingredients (that whole “let’s try and be more active in January” thing, you know?) to make a simple. but make-you-feel-cozy ragu.

This recipe is great for a couple reasons. Firstly, it uses a good chunk of porchetta in an interesting way (i.e. not just shoved between slices of bread with salsa verde) and it also requires some red wine. A splash for the pan, a splash for me. That’s how you guys cook too, right? Right! Anyway, this recipe makes a decent amount of ragu, so make sure to invite some friends over for dinner!

What you’ll need…

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 yellow onions (halved and thinly sliced)

4 cloves garlic (minced)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

750 grams ground pork

2 1/4″ slices porchetta (thinly sliced)

1 cup red wine

1 cup pork broth

4 cups canned diced tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons good quality maple syrup

salt and pepper (to taste)

8 cups cooked spaghetti

Directions:

Heat oil in a large pot on medium-high heat. Once hot, add onions and garlic and cook for 10 minutes, stirring regularly.

Add butter and once melted add the ground pork and let cook until browned, about 6-8 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients to the pot with the exception of the spaghetti. Once mixture comes to a boil, reduce to low heat, cover and let cook for 45 minutes.

Uncover and continue to cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, to let sauce thicken slightly.

Season to taste with salt and pepper and keep warm on the stove until ready to serve.

To serve, portion out spaghetti into 6 large bowls and top generously with ragu. Eat and feel immediate comfort.

(note: garlic bread on the side for soaking up any leftover sauce is highly recommended!)

Serves 6

Total cook time…1 hour, 20 minutes

Recipe: Bacon, Chorizo and Shrimp Spaghetti

Posted on by Dan Clapson

Chorizo and bacon spaghetti

Pasta can often be labelled as more of a comfort food. There’s nothing wrong with having penne drowned in alfredo sauce, or a having a big helping of spaghetti and meatballs baked with mozzarella on top, but there’s no reason pasta can’t be a little lighter. I mean sure, this dish does have a bit of bacon and sausage in it, but the combination of white wine, basil and lemon juice make a plate of this just as enjoyable outside on a patio as it would be inside on a less-than-favourable day.

Try it for yourself and see!

What you’ll need…

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 strips bacon (thinly sliced)

1 Italian chorizo sausage (thinly sliced)

2 shallots (finely diced)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/2 cup white wine

12 large shrimp (thawed and peeled)

5 cups cooked spaghetti

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves (loosely torn)

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 splash lemon juice

salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions:

 Heat canola oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Place bacon and sausage in pan and cook until very crispy, about 5-6 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel to absorb excess grease.

Add a splash of wine or water to the pan to deglaze and then add shallots. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add butter and once melted and bubbly, add in wine and let cook until liquid has reduced by half.

Place shrimp, pasta, basil and parmesan in the pan and toss several times to combine. Let cook for a few minutes to allow cheese to help thicken the liquid and coat the pasta.

Finish with lemon juice and a good seasoning of salt and pepper. Transfer to a large bowl or platter and serve immediately!

Serves 3-4

Total cook time…20 minutes

Recipe: Maple Pork Bolognese

Posted on by Dan Clapson

Do you know what? I realised that it’s almost the end of January and I haven’t had a plate of pasta for dinner yet. How appalling! Needless to say, it was time to change that void in my life, so I decided to work with one of the most classic sauces I know, bolognese.

Putting a few twists on the traditional, I made a big batch of this sauce this week and found the mid-winter comfort I needed. Now, it’s your turn!

What you’ll need…

1 lb ground pork

1 small yellow onion (diced)

2 carrots (diced, approx. 1 cup)

2 celery stalks (diced, approx. 1 cup)

5 cups crushed tomatoes

2 cups water

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup fresh parsley (finely chopped)

salt and pepper

olive oil

Directions:

Start off by cooking the ground pork in a large, deep pan on medium-high heat until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and discard any excess liquid. Next, in the same pan, cook down the onion, carrot and celery with some olive oil until softened, approximately 6-7 minutes.

Return cooked pork to the pan and add the tomatoes, water and dried spices. Once the mixture starts to simmer, reduce to medium heat and let cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients and continue to cook for another 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and keep warm on stove until ready to serve.

Spoon generously on top of your pasta of choice and enjoy!

Serves 3-4

Total cook time…1 hour