giada Archives - Dine and Dish

Patience {Recipe: Homemade Limoncello Cocktail}

Kristen — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 05:20:04 +0000

My husband can be a very patient man. For example, it has been mentioned around here a few times that I have a bit of an instant gratification issue. When I set my mind on something, I pretty much want it then. My husband, on the other hand, can window shop, online shop, research and study things and never actually pull the trigger on buying it. He seems to get as much satisfaction out of browsing as I do actually buying….

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Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Pasta Shells

Kristen — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 09:09:08 +0000

Did I mention something last week about cool weather? Really? Because since that post, I think I have jinxed things. The temps were back up in the warmer ranges and the cool days we were were having are long gone for awhile again. Ahhhh…. you have to love Kansas. If you don’t like the weather one day, just wait. It is bound to change!

Kansas weather is not consistent at all. Giada’s recipes? Consistently good. So far, every recipe I have tried out of her cookbook, Everyday Pasta, has been great. Her recipe for Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Pasta Shells was no exception. This recipe was simple and delicious! I felt miserable because of my allergies the night that I made this for dinner for my best friend and her husband. Even through the sniffling and watery eyes, the constant sneezing, and the allergy medicine drug induced coma I was about to be in, I managed to make this recipe and was still able to taste by the time it was ready. Everyone loved it, including myself.

If you are looking for consistency, do not move to Kansas. If you are looking for consistency, turn to Giada’s cookbooks. You will find consistently great recipes every time.

Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Pasta Shells (from Everyday Pasta)

Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Pasta Shells

Perfect home cooked meal for a group of six.

Course main dish

Keyword dinner, pasta

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 15

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

1 12-ounce box jumbo pasta shells (recommended: Barilla)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 large yellow onion chopped (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus 1/2 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus 1/4 teaspoon
1 8 to 10-ounce package frozen artichokes, thawed and coarsely (I used canned)
1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 eggs lightly beaten
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
5 cups Arrabbiata Sauce recipe follows
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella about 5 ounces

Arrabbiata Sauce:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces sliced pancetta coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves minced
5 cups jarred or fresh marinara sauce

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and partially cook until tender but still very firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain pasta.
Meanwhile, in a large heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and the garlic and cook until the onions are soft and starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the ground turkey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is slightly golden and cooked through. Add the artichoke hearts and stir to combine. Remove from heat and let cool.
In a large bowl combine the cooled turkey mixture with the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, basil, parsley, and the remaining salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
To stuff the shells, cover the bottom of a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish with 1 cup of Arrabbiata sauce. Take a shell in the palm of your hand and stuff it with a large spoonful of turkey mixture, about 2 tablespoons. Place the stuffed shell in the baking dish. Continue filling the shells until the baking dish is full, about 24 shells. Drizzle the remaining Arrabbiata Sauce over the shells, top with the grated mozzarella. If freezing, cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 1 day and up to 1 month.
To bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake until the shells are warmed through and the cheese is beginning to brown, about 60 minutes (20 minutes if shells are unfrozen.)
Sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until tender, about 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce and red pepper flakes and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and let cool until ready to use.

Notes

Yield: approximately 6 cups

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Chicken in Lemon Cream with Penne

Kristen — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 06:57:55 +0000

Recently, I have had a large number of hits on my blog from people who have found my little slice of the web by Googling things such as “Losing the Baby Fat”. Next to my Monkey Bread post from long ago, the two posts I made about attempting to lose the baby weight have brought the largest number of Google hits to my site. I hate to break the news to those of you looking for advice on weight loss, but Dine and Dish is probably not the place you want to turn to for weight loss guidance. With posts about a delicious chocolate cake roll filled with a marvelous heavy whipping cream concoction, cakes with a richness only gained by using 5 sticks of butter, and scrumptious dishes such as this one…laced with heavy cream, my blog is the type that will make you gain weight just by reading it.

Chicken in Lemon Cream with Penne from Everyday Pasta (Giada de Laurentis)

Great pasta dinner to feed the whole family.

Course Dinner

Keyword pasta

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Ingredients

1 pound penne pasta
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves diced in to 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon herbes du Provence
1 pinch of salt plus 1/2 teaspoon
1 pinch of freshly ground black pepper plus 1/4 teaspoon
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 cups heavy cream
Zest of 1 lemon
1 pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Season the cubed chicken breast with the herbs de Provence and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook the chicken until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken and set aside. Pour off any excess oil from the pan. Add the chicken broth to the pan and cook over medium-high heat, using a wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the cream, lemon zest, and cayenne. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Add the pasta, chicken, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, chopped parsley, and lemon juice. Toss to coat the pasta and chicken with the sauce and serve.

Notes

Servings: 4 to 6

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Rigatoni with Sausage, Peppers, and Onions

Kristen — Wed, 02 May 2007 23:29:54 +0000

My good friend Kathy and I, along with our husbands, went to a Giada De Laurentiis book signing a couple of weeks ago. We were 4 of about 1,000 eager fans who were lucky enough to get tickets to the sold out event. We were all anxious to find out if Giada is the “real deal”. Could she possibly be as genuine and adorable in real life as she comes across on TV? The answer? Simply, yes. Giada de Laurentiis seems to be the real deal. Genuine, full of life, friendly and beautiful (how else do you think we got our hubby’s to go along with us?)

Giada arrived at the book signing/speaking engagement after several weeks on the road promoting her newest cookbook Everyday Pasta. Kansas City was near the end of the tour for her. She was about 15 minutes late, but when she walked into the room you felt like she had all the time in the world and that you were her one and only focus.

Some of the questions and answers that I found interesting are below. Please note, these are not exact quotes but mere summaries of the dialog.

Do you plan on ever opening a restaurant? Opening a restaurant is on the back burner right now because she is just too busy with her shows (Everyday Italian & Giada’s Weekend Getaways) and creating recipes for her cookbooks. It is a dream of hers that she hopes to someday make a reality.

How many hours does it take to make one episode of Everyday Italian? Giada spends 3 months creating and testing recipes. The actual taping of one 22 minute show takes 15 hours. Each complete show is taped twice…once in wide shot and once close up.

How do you stay so skinny? Giada said that this is the number one question she gets asked by fans. She credits her slim figure to three things…1) Portion control 2) Working out 3 times each week 3) Good genes

What is your favorite American food? French fries and chocolate gelato

When you make dinner at home, what do you cook? Since her husband Todd is a meat and pasta kind of guy, she likes to make Short Rib Ragu. The recipe is somewhat time consuming, but she swears it is well worth it. Another favorite is Penne pasta with beef and arugula.

How do you do it and where do you find the time to fit so much into your life? Family is extremely important to Giada.I imagine that when most of us are out of town for a long period of time, when we come home we want some down time to ourselves. Giada makes it a point to be home at least once a week. On that one day, she surrounds herself with immediate and extended family and tends to make big meals at home for them. She finds cooking to be very therapeutic and when she is on the road it drives her crazy not to be able to cook for herself and others. She loves to be surrounded by family and good food.

Giada’s tip for making ravioli using wonton wrappers – Work your way from the inside out. A lot of people try to seal the outside edges first and then work their way in. If you do it this way, you will end up with tons of air bubbles. If you start on the inside and work your way out, you will avoid that problem all together.

If you missed the tour and want to find more about Giada, head on over to her website. You can also catch her on segments of the Today show, as well as her two shows on the Food Network: Everyday Italian and Giada’s Weekend Getaways.

If you do not have her newest cookbook, Everyday Pasta, I highly recommend getting yourself a copy. It is full of incredible recipes and beautiful photographs. I have several pages bookmarked already. Here is a glimpse inside, with the first recipe I tested, Rigatoni with Sausage, Peppers, and Onions.

Rigatoni with Sausage, Peppers, and Onions

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Keyword italian, main dish, peppers, sausage

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Total Time 55

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausages
2 red bell peppers cored, seeded, and sliced
2 yellow onions sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup Marsala wine
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, with juice
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
1 pound rigatoni pasta
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook until brown on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the sausages from the pan.
Keeping the pan over medium heat, add the bell peppers, onions, salt, and pepper and cook until golden, 5 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, and basil and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir until incorporated, then add the Marsala, tomatoes with their juice, and red pepper flakes, if using. Stir to combine, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the brown bits. Bring to a simmer.
Cut the sausages into 4 to 6 pieces each. Return the sausages to the pan. Simmer uncovered until the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes.
While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and add to the thickened sauce; toss to combine. Spoon into individual bowls and sprinkle each serving with Parmesan cheese.

For another account of meeting Giada and another delicious recipe from this cookbook, head on over one of my favorite blogs, Kirsten’s Home Cooking Adventures.

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