So Long Fresh Tomatoes

Since snow is in the forecast, I'm guessing tonight might be my last night of running out to the garden to pick fresh tomatoes and basil. But oh, it was a good one.


This is from the Rachael Ray cookbook Veggie Meals. I love this cookbook. This particular recipe is called Pasta alla Trapanese: Pasta with Fresh Tomato Basil Sauce.

Here's the original recipe:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 Scallions thinly sliced
4 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
6 vine ripe tomatoes, diced
salt and pepper
pasta
basil leaves

You cook up the oil, scallion, and garlic. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper and just let simmer. Then at the very end add the coarsely chopped basil and serve over pasta.

Tonight I changed it up a bit, I used onion instead of scallions (just because all the scallions at HyVee were nasty looking) then I tossed in a few red pepper flakes and some red wine. Delicious.

So long fresh tomatoes and basil. So long.

Hello SNOW!

Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

This is one I made a few weeks ago - but it is delicious! This is another Rachael Ray recipe.

Here's the recipe. I pretty much did it just as it says. I used those button mushrooms instead of what they say. I used milk with a Tblsp of butter instead of cream (just cause I didn't have any) and I omitted the chives. I'm not opposed to chives, again - I just didn't have any.

Pumpkin Pasta with Sausage and Wild Mushrooms

2 Tblsp extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
1/4 pound shiitake mushroom caps
2 portobello mushroom caps, halved and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine (eyeball it)
1 cup chicken stock or broth
1 14-ounce can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup cream (2 healthy turns of the pan)
2 to 3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh sage leaves
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
a pinch of ground cinnamon
1 pound penne or cellantani pasta
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano to taste
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives (12 chives)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Meanwhile, heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the EVOO (twice around the pan) and sausage. Brown the sausage and crumble it with a wooden spoon. Move the sausage to one side of the pan and add the mushrooms, garlic, and onions to the other side of the pan. Cook until the mushrooms brown, then season with salt and pepper. Combine the sausage and vegetables and deglaze the pan with the wine. Add the chicken stock and heat for 1 minute. Stir in the pumpkin and incorporate; it'll be thick. Stir in the cream, sage, nutmeg, and cinnamon and adjust the salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low.

Add salt and the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta and add it to the pumpkin mixture. Top with the cheese and chives.

OR try, Pasta with Spinach, Mushrooms, Pumpkin, and Hazelnuts

OMIT the Sausage
ADD 2 10 ounce boxes frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and 1 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts.

Wring out the spinach in a kitchen towel until dry. Start the pan with EVOO as in the master recipe, and add the mushrooms, garlic, and onions. Cook until brown, then add the spinach, separating it with your fingertips as you add it to the pan. Combine and heat the mixture for 2 minutes, then add the wine and proceed as above. Top the pasta with cheese, chives, and the tasted hazelnuts.