Parmesan cheese

Ricotta and Spinach Ravioli with Red Pepper, Ham & Parmesan – – Ready in 20 Minutes!!

Quick, Easy and Good!!

If you’ve been following My Yellow Farmhouse for a while, you know I call these types of recipes Quick, Easy and Good. And you may also know – at times when the ‘cupboard is bare’ – I make up with a recipe using whatever I happen to have in the house.

And – this is one of those recipes!! Looking through my ‘almost empty fridge’ I scored some ham, a red pepper and a hunk of Parmesan cheese – plus a bag of refrigerated KANA brand Spinach & Ricotta-Filled Ravioli. With the addition of butter and onion, I had the makings of a quick, delicious meal.

(I like KANA refrigerated pastas. Buitoni is good as well.)

So, see what you have on hand. Only have a green pepper… or a bit of leftover green or orange peppers, sliced those up and throw them in. Like a lot of onion? Slice up a bunch. Want a bit more butter… add it in. Make this recipe your own. I’m just giving you a place to start. PS I highly recommend preparing this with ham because it adds quite a bit of flavor to the dish. ; o )

INGREDIENTS

Recipe feeds two, but is easily doubled!

One (10 oz.) package Spinach & Ricotta Ravioli, cooked according to package directions ++ RANA cooks in 4 – 5 minutes!!
2 Tb. – 3 Tb. butter
sliced red pepper.. about half a pepper
sliced onion..about half a large onion
1 cup ham, cut into short, rather thin slices ++ If you are going to use deli ham, have it sliced thicker than for sandwiches.
about a 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese ++ Invest in a cheese grater. Freshly grated Parmesan tastes so much better!

While you’re waiting for the ravioli water to boil, slice the red pepper, onion and ham.

Place 2 Tb. – 3 Tb. butter in a large non-stick skillet. ++ TIP Add veggies once pan starts to get hot. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until veggies are softened. Add ham, and cook just until heated through. Remove skillet from heat.

Drain cooked ravioli and add to skillet. Sprinkle on 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Stir to mix ingredients – and you’ve got dinner. Enjoy!

COPY - Ricotta and Spanach Ravioli with Red Peppers, Ham and Freshly Grated Parmesan - My Yellow Farmhous — Ricotta and Spinach Ravioli with Ham, Red Pepper and Parmesan

April 21, 2018April 21, 2018

My Yellow Farmhouse - Cooking with Love!3 Comments

Spaghetti Carbonara à la St. Julians Bay (Malta)

St Julians Bay - Malta myyellowfarmhouse.com — The view from one of our favorite restaurants in St Julians Bay (Malta), where I, almost always, ordered Spaghetti Carbonara.

According to food lore, Spaghetti Carbonara is a relatively new addition to Italian cooking.. In fact, one of the theories is that Spaghetti Carbonara came about due to food shortages during World War II. Another theory is that coal miners may have invented the dish. (I’m not buying that theory.) Or… that the black specs of freshly ground black pepper – and you should add a good amount of pepper – resemble coal dust lying atop a bed of spaghetti mixed with eggs and cheese. Actually, who cares where or why the recipe originated? We love it because it’s easy to make and delicious!

Like spaghetti and meatballs, there’s an unlimited number of ways to prepare Spaghetti Carbonara. While living in Malta I found a recipe very much like the ‘Popeye’s Spaghetti Carbonara’ served at our favorite restaurant, to which I added peas simply because that’s how it was served. WHAT??… you’re probably thinking. Yup – peas. And now I have to tell you how the making of the movie Popeye in the small island country of Malta led to a chef naming his version of Spaghetti Carbonara “Popeye’s.

If you’re not familiar with the character called Popeye, you may not know he always eats a can of spinach (yuck..) to give him strength. It seems the chef preferred adding peas, as opposed to Popeye’s spinach, to the Spaghetti Carbonara dish named Popeye’s, and I think he made the right call. Enjoy!!

Spaghetti Carbonara a la St. Julian's Bay, Malta — Popeye Village (Anchor Bay, Malta) for which ‘Popeye’s Spaghetti Carbonara’ was named.

INGREDIENTS Serves 4 – 5, depending upon your appetite ; o )

¾ cup cut-up bacon or pancetta (about 4 ounces) ++ Use kitchen shears!
¾ package spaghetti (12 ounces) ++ I used ‘rigati’ – it has ridges to hold the sauce.
2 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/3 cup finely chopped onion ++ Optional

2 whole eggs – and – 2 egg YOLKS ++ Take eggs out early – OR – place eggs in a bowl with very warm water.
2/3 cup grated good-quality Parmesan cheese ++ Or Romano …….. Or a combination of both.
½ tsp. salt
lots of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup WARMED heavy (whipping) cream ++ Optional – but I recommend using it!!
1/3 cup frozen peas ++ Optional

++ Reserve some of the pasta water.

METHOD

Eggs should be room temperature, so either take them out earlier – or place them in small bowl with very hot water.

Following the directions on the box, cook 12 ounces (3/4 of a 16 oz. package) al dente, which means the pasta shouldn’t be too soft. Add 2 tsp. salt to the cooking water.

While waiting for the water to boil and the pasta to cook, cut up the bacon (or pancetta). If using bacon, cook in a skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. If using pancetta , it should be lightly brown but not crisp. Place cooked bacon or pancetta on a paper towel lined plate. Drain skillet of bacon grease and wipe skillet with paper towel.

Add 1 Tbs. olive oil to skillet. Cook 1/3 cup chopped onion over medium heat until cooked through and just beginning to brown. Put onions on the plate with the bacon.

Now it’s time to make the sauce. In a medium bowl whisk together 2 whole eggs – and 2 egg YOLKS, 2/3 cup grated good-quality Parmesan cheese, ½ tsp. salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. ++ If you chose to include the 1/2 cup WARMED heavy (whipping) cream, whisk that in now. Set bowl aside.

Microwave 1/3 cup peas with a small amount of water (about 3 Tbs.) and cook for 3 minutes.

When spaghetti is ready, drain it – reserving some of the pasta water. Place drained spaghetti back in the pot. Replace pot on turned off burner. Add onions, bacon and peas. Pour on the egg & cheese mixture and stir to combine.

Think the sauce is too thick? Add a bit of the reserved pasta water.

After you’ve plated your spaghetti, remember to add a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper! And there you go – dinner is served!

As you can see below, the sauce should be creamy and stick to the pasta. Unlike Spaghetti Alfredo, the pasta will not be swimming in sauce.

Spaghetti Carbonara a la St Julians Bay (Malta) myyellowfarmhouse.com — Spaghetti Carbonara a la St Julians Bay (Malta)

April 2, 2016April 8, 2016

My Yellow Farmhouse - Cooking with Love!25 Comments

Breaded Chicken Cutlets with Pimento-Parmesan Cream Sauce

When my sons were still living at home, my family enjoyed this chicken dish immensely. And now my sons prepare it for their families. Breaded Chicken Cutlets with Pimento-Parmesan Cream Sauce is pretty easy to make – yet it’s delicious enough for company.

In the last 20 years I honestly believe the size of chicken breasts has doubled. With that in mind, I cut each boneless chicken breast in half to make chicken cutlets. I also made another slight tweak in the recipe which makes the sauce creamier.

++ Recently, I saw that someone had posted the original recipe for this, called Chicken with Basil Cream Sauce, on Pinterest, and included the 1/2 cup fresh basil. I, myself, have never bothered with the basil but, by all means, add it if you wish.

Ingredients & Method Serves 4

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts – cut in half and pounded between plastic wrap ’till about 1/2″ thick
1/4 cup milk or cream (I use cream.)
1/2 cup Italian-flavored bread crumbs
1 Tbs. butter & 2 Tbs. olive oil – for frying

1 Knorr bouillon cube – or – 2 regular bouillon cubes
1/2 cup hot water
1 cup heavy cream
1 (4 oz.) jar diced pimentos – drained
1/2 cup thinly sliced basil – optional !
1/4 tsp. salt – or ‘to taste’
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (I highly suggest using fresh Parmesan.)
2 tsp. cornstarch mixed with 2 Tbs water ++ OPTIONAL

Method

Cut each boneless chicken breast in half and pound each piece between plastic wrap ’till about 1/2″ thick. I used a rolling pin because I couldn’t find my meat mallet… You can also use a cast iron skillet. Or, as one chef put it, his “hard-cover copy of Les Miserables“!!

Pour 1/4 cup cream (or milk) into a shallow bowl. Place 1/2 cup breadcrumbs on a plate. Dip each chicken piece first in the milk (dip both sides), then in the bread crumbs – set aside. If you have an extra moment, press the breadcrumbs into the chicken a bit – it helps the breadcrumbs to adhere. You can also sprinkle the chicken with a bit of paprika if you like, but it’s not necessary.

In a large skillet, add 1 Tbs. butter & 2 Tbs. olive oil. Using medium heat, cook each piece of chicken for 3 – 3 1/2 minutes a side, turning once. (Feel free to add a bit more butter or oil…)

Set cooked chicken aside and keep it warm.

To the same skillet, add 1/2 hot water and the bouillon cube(s)

Bring to a boil, mixing in the browned bits at the bottom of the skillet. Lower heat – add 1 cup heavy cream. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add:

1 (4 oz.) jar diced pimentos – drained
1/2 cup thinly sliced basil – optional !
1/4 tsp. salt – or ‘to taste
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (I highly suggest using freshly grated Parmesan)

Simmer. stirring, for another minute or two – until mixture thickens slightly.

++ OPTIONAL For a thicker sauce, mix 2 tsp. cornstarch with 2 Tbs water, add to skillet and continue to simmer, stirring, for another minute – or until thickened. (I like my sauce nice ‘n creamy!)

Pour some sauce over the chicken, and pour the rest into a gravy boat to be passed at the table. Enjoy !!

December 28, 2013August 21, 2014

My Yellow Farmhouse - Cooking with Love!10 Comments

Gemelli Pasta Bake with Parmesan & Mozzarella and Rustic Italian Bread

++ For my recipe for Rustic Italian Bread – please follow this link – https://myyellowfarmhouse.wordpress.com/2013/08/04/rustic-italian-bread

A meal featuring saucy/cheesy baked pasta with a warm slice of homemade rustic Italian bread is always a sure winner. This recipe is a snap to make and it can be put together ahead of time – which is always nice, especially when you’re having guests.

In my case, I was at our house in the Pocono Mountains, with plans to leave the next day, when I decided that I’d rather cook up something with whatever was in the refrigerator rather drag it all home. If you follow this blog, you’ll know that I love “digging in the fridge” and making “what’s for dinner” using whatever I find. I found a bit of left-over spaghetti sauce that I’d made following ChgoJohn’s recipe for basic meat sauce. (It makes quite a bit, so I’d frozen some). http://fromthebartolinikitchens.com/2013/01/16/basic-meat-sauce-sugo-di-carne/ I also found some left-over red and green pepper, an onion, some left-over bottled spaghetti sauce – and – digging further, I found a box of pasta in the cupboard. We had run out of Parmesan, so I ran to the store – while there, I also purchased a bag of shredded Mozzarella.

I often bring my bread machine to the Pocono house, and my grandchildren love both making – and eating – homemade bread. So I decided I’d make – for the very first time – an Italian bread using the bread machine for the dough and then baking the bread in the oven. I’d never made Italian bread before and I was so happy with the results. In fact, the bread looked so beautiful it almost looked fake!

And – I gotta say – the pasta turned out yummy, though I only ate a small bit ’cause I wanted to freeze both the bread and the pasta for my son and his family when they returned to the Pocono house. And were they ever glad because on their next trip they brought along a bunch of nieces and nephew. From what I was told, the pasta – and especially the bread – were big hits!

View from the fabulous new lodge built by the ‘association’ where we have our home in the Pocono Mountains. I LOVE sitting here – you can bring something to eat, and, better yet… something to drink! So very peaceful….

Gemelli (pasta), which comes from the Italian word for twin, resembles two strands of pasta twisted together. These small pasta twists keep their shape and hold the flavor of sauce beautifully while retaining a firm “al dente” texture – which makes Gemelli perfect for a baked pasta dish. (Photo courtesy of Frites and Fries.com)

Ingredients for Gemelli Pasta Bake with Parmesan & Mozzarella

Oven at 350 F

Cook . . . covered – for 30 minutes. Uncover….cook for another 15 minutes

++ If the pasta has been refrigerated, it’ll take a bit longer to cook. (Here’s what I do to tell if it’s hot enough – I put a CLEAN finger in the middle – if it’s hot in the middle, then it’s ready!)

olive oil – about 2 Tbs.
1/2 to 3/4 green pepper, roughly chopped
1/2 – 3/4 red pepper, roughly chopped
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
2 (24 oz) jars of spaghetti sauce (I like Bertolli “Tomato & Garlic”.)
++ If you have some left-over sauce with meatballs or sausage, chop up the meatballs/sausage and add to the pasta. Or – you could add some left-over chicken or ground beef.
3 – 4 cups UNCOOKED Gemelli pasta, cooked according to package directions for al dente.
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese PLUS 1/4 cup to sprinkle on top (I highly recommend you buy freshly grated Parmesan – it just tastes so much better!)
1 bag shredded Mozzarella – DIVIDED
salt & pepper to taste

Follow the package instructions for cooking Gemelli pasta al dente. Once cooked, drain in a colander & rinse to prevent further cooking. While your pasta is cooking, heat some oil olive in a large skillet, and cook the green pepper, red pepper and onion just until they’re just “crisp tender”. If adding left-over sauce with meatballs etc. – add it now. If adding raw ground beef or chicken, remove the veggies and continue cooking until no longer pink. Reintroduce the veggies and add sauce. Mix well.

Pour your sauce into a big bowl. Add the pasta, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan and 1/2 the bag of shredded Mozzarella & combine.

Pour into a large casserole dish or a 13′ x 9″ pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan and the rest of the bag of shredded Mozzarella.

Bake at 350 F – covered – for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook for another 15 minutes – or until heated through.

If the pasta has been refrigerated, remove it from fridge about 20 minutes before cooking. – it might still take a bit longer go heat up – say 40 minutes covered & 15 more uncovered. Enjoy !

August 4, 2013January 24, 2015

My Yellow Farmhouse - Cooking with Love!11 Comments

Penne Mozzarella Bake

Hi There – well, here’s another recipe from the woman who’s in the running for The World’s Worst Procrastinator! I’ve recently been thinking, “Maybe I’ll put these recipes out there – and no one’s gonna ever see them”. Then, I noticed that almost 100 people have “checked out” my little recipe blog so far….even though I have, at this point, so few recipes. If that’s not a motivating factor, then I don’t know what is!! I’m sending out a great, big THANKS to my first 100 visitors! And I promise, there’ll be lots and lots of delicious recipes “comin’ at ya” from My Yellow Farmhouse!

I made up this recipe recently – and – I gotta say – it’s damn good!! Perhaps it’s the additional depth of flavor due to adding some red wine, and simmering everything together for a bit before assembling and baking this Penne Mozzarella Bake.

Oven at 350 F Serves 6

smaller-sized Penne (macaroni) – measure 3 cups, then cook “al dente”
1 lb. ground beef – 80% lean
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper – or mixture of red & green
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. garlic salt with parsley
black pepper to taste – about 1/4 tsp.
1 tsp. salt
4 cups prepared spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 cup grated Parmesan – divided in two – 1/4 cup portions
7 oz. container of sliced fresh mozzarella, drained

In a large skillet, over medium heat, cook ground beef until no longer pink. Remove beef from skillet, taking out most of the fat, but not all. Add the chopped onion and pepper to the skillet; cook, stirring, for about 4 minutes. Return beef to skillet. Simmer with the chopped onions and peppers for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Now add spaghetti sauce, spices and red wine. Lower heat, cover skillet, and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. (If you don’t have a big lid, cover with foil.)

Add the cooked Penne to the simmered spaghetti sauce mixture. (If there’s not enough room in the skillet, mix Penne and sauce mixture in a large bowl.)

Place half the Penne/sauce mixture in a 2-quart casserole. Then, in a single layer, place the drained mozzarella slices. Sprinkle with the 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese.

Cover this layer with the rest of the Penne/sauce mixture. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 F – uncovered – for 30 minutes. Pour yourself a nice glass of the red wine left-over from making the sauce – and ENJOY!!