Tag: parmesan

Pasta with Butternut Sauce, Spicy Sausage and Baby Spinach

Spicy chicken sausage is the perfect compliment to this creamy pasta dish made with butternut squash, baby spinach, parmesan and a touch of sage. It’s filling and comforting on a chilly winter night.

Since making Spaghetti with Creamy Butternut Leek Sauce^[1] a few weeks back, I am officially hooked. I love how the butternut squash feels like a decadent creamy sauce without the need for heavy cream. And with the addition of parmesan and hot sausage, the end result is savory and delicious.

I am also loving Giada’s new line of organic pastas sold at Target. I’m picky with my pasta and love the taste and texture of this pasta when cooked al dente. I always go for unusual pasta shapes, here I used a shape called casarecce… love!

As part of the Target Inner Circle, I got to meet Giada in person a few weeks ago at Fun and Fit in the City. Isn’t she beautiful!
She was so sweet in person, I also got an autographed cookbook and a goody bag full of her new food products sold at Target. My favorites were of course the organic pastas. I tried a few shapes, but plan on going back to Target to try the whole wheat.

A few more things: This week I teemed up with 11 other bloggers to host a HUGE HOLIDAY giveaway… Two winners, one will win an iMac Computer! A second winner will win a $500 gift card. Hey, you never know! You gotta be in it to win it… click here for a chance to win^[2]!

And most importantly: Starting today I am making a commitment to run at least 1 mile a day until New Years. You in? It’s part of the 2012 Holiday Running Streak from Runner’s World^[3]. The way I see it, why wait till New Years? Let’s start now, with all the baking and indulging that goes on during the Holidays, this is the perfect way to find a balance. I ran a mile this morning, I’ll be running again tomorrow… if you prefer to walk, that’s fine too, I would love it if you joined me. It could be inside, outside, morning, lunch time, evening… whenever you can squeeze it in. Tell me you’re in, it will help keep me motivated!

Pasta with Spicy Sausage, Baby Spinach and Creamy Butternut Sauce
gordon-ramsay-recipe.com
Servings: 5 • Size: 1 1/4 cups • Old Points: 7 pts • Points+: 9
Calories: 362 • Fat: 8 g • Carb: 55 g • Fiber: 5 g • Protein: 20 g • Sugar: 1 g
Sodium: 419 mg (without salt)

Ingredients:

11 oz (4 links) spicy chicken Italian sausage
1 lb butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 tbsp light butter
10 oz casarecce, or pasta of your choice
1/4 cup shallots, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
2 tbsp fresh shaved parmesan cheese
4 sage leaves, sliced thin
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add butternut squash and cook until soft. Remove squash with a slotted spoon and place in a blender, blend until smooth.

Add pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions for al dente, reserving at least 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.

Meanwhile, in a large deep non-stick skillet, sauté sausage over medium heat until browned, breaking up with a spoon as it cooks. When cooked through, set aside on a plate.

Reduce heat to medium-low and melt the butter, sauté the shallots and garlic until soft and golden, about 5 – 6 minutes. Add pureed butternut squash, season with with salt and fresh cracked pepper and add a little of the reserved pasta water (I used about 1 cup) to thin out the sauce to your liking. Add baby spinach and stir in parmesan cheese and sage.

Toss in cooked pasta and sausage and mix until well coated.
Serve with additional parmesan cheese on the side if desired.

Makes about 6 cups.

References

^{^} Creamy Butternut Leek Sauce (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)
^{^} click here for a chance to win (www.skinny-bits.com)
^{^} 2012 Holiday Running Streak from Runner’s World (www.runnersworld.com)

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Sautéed Kale with Grape Tomatoes, Garlic, and Parmesan

by Pam on October 9, 2012

I served this side dish with the Italian Meatloaf^[1] and they paired nicely together. I have only used kale in soups so I was excited to give it a try as a main vegetable for our meal. I loved the garlicky flavor of the wilted kale with the sweetened grape tomatoes. It was light, healthy, and very delicious – even my kids ate it!

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the crushed red pepper, kale, and grape tomatoes then cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Add 1 tablespoon of water to the skillet then cover with a lid; steam for 1-2 minutes. Remove the lid and taste; re-season if needed. Serve immediately. Enjoy.

Print^[2]

Sautéed Kale with Grape Tomatoes, Garlic, and Parmesan

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 5 min.

Cook Time: 10 min.

Total Time: 15 min.

Ingredients:

2 tsp of olive oil (I used garlic oil)
Dash of crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups of kale, chopped
Handful of grape tomatoes
1 clove of garlic, minced
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
1-2 tbsp of water

Parmesan shavings, if desired

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the crushed red pepper, kale, and grape tomatoes then cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Add 1-2 tablespoon of water to the skillet then cover with a lid; steam for 1-2 minutes. Remove the lid and taste; re-season if needed then sprinkle with shaved Parmesan if desired. Serve immediately. Enjoy.

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

References

^{^} Italian Meatloaf (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)
^{^} Print Recipe (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)

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Oven-Fried Buttermilk-Mustard Chicken Thighs with Panko

by Pam on September 12, 2012

What a mouthful that title is! I found this recipe on Myrecipes^[1] and couldn’t wait to make it. This chicken was VERY simple to make and was delicious to my whole family. The buttermilk-mustard marinade made the meat so tender on the inside while the panko made it perfectly crispy on the outside. I adapted the recipe to work with what I had on hand and I loved how it turned out. I served this “fried” chicken with rice and green beans with almonds for a tasty and healthy meal.

Combine the buttermilk, Dijon, and honey together in a large ziplock bag. Mix until well combined then add the trimmed chicken thighs. Seal and place into the refrigerator for 4-24 hours.

Layer a baking sheet with tin foil then place two baking racks on top of the baking sheet. This will allow the chicken to “air bake” so you don’t have to flip the meat over while cooking. Combine the panko and parmesan cheese together on a large plate, mix well. Dredge both sides of each chicken thigh into the panko mixture then place the chicken thighs on top of the baking rack. Place the entire baking sheet into the refrigerator for 30 minutes. This step helps keep the panko on the chicken so don’t skip it!

Preheat the oven to 425. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator while the oven pre-heats. Place the chicken into the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear. Remove from the oven and let the meat rest for 4-5 minutes before serving. Enjoy.

Print^[2]

Oven-Fried Buttermilk-Mustard Chicken Thighs with Panko

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 10 min.

Cook Time: 30-35 min.

Total Time: 40-45 min. Plus marinating time

Ingredients:

1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
4 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of any fat
1 cup of Italian seasoned panko crumbs
1 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

Combine the buttermilk, Dijon, and honey together in a large ziplock bag. Mix until well combined then add the trimmed chicken thighs. Seal and place into the refrigerator for 4-24 hours.

Layer a baking sheet with tin foil then place two baking racks on top of the baking sheet. This will allow the chicken to “air bake” so you don’t have to flip the meat over while cooking. Combine the panko and parmesan cheese together on a large plate, mix well. Dredge both sides of each chicken thigh into the panko mixture then place the chicken thighs on top of the baking rack. Place the entire baking sheet into the refrigerator for 30 minutes. This step helps keep the panko on the chicken so don’t skip it!

Preheat the oven to 425. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator while the oven pre-heats. Place the chicken into the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear. Remove from the oven and let the meat rest for 4-5 minutes before serving. Enjoy.

Adapted recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net
Original recipe by Cooking Light on MyRecipes

References

^{^} Myrecipes (www.myrecipes.com)
^{^} Print Recipe (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)