Pasta Sauce Variations

Greek Bleu Cheese Pasta

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 6 ounces semi-cured Greek pork sausages, or sweet Italian sausages, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • 8 ounces pasta, preferably garganelli or penne
  • ½ cup white wine
  • ½ ounce blue cheese, crumbled
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • ¼ cup loosely packed fresh oregano leaves
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Procedures

  1. In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, then add the sausage and cook until golden, stirring only occasionally, 7-10 minutes.
  2. In the meantime, bring a large pot of salty water to boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Before draining the pasta, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
  3. Once the sausages are browned, add the wine and turn the heat to high. Reduce the liquid for 2 minutes, then lower the heat and add the blue cheese, cream, and oregano. Once the cheese is melted, add the pasta along with some of the pasta cooking water as needed to create a creamy, loose sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper, divide among plates, and garnish with Parmesan.

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Tomato Basil pasta
  • 2 cups (8 oz.) dry penne pasta
  • 8 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
  • 1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Lowfat 2% Milk
  • 2 cups (8-oz. pkg.) shredded Italian-style four-cheese blend
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Tuscan Pasta with Tomato-Basil Cream

Ingredients

  • 1 (20-oz.) package refrigerated four-cheese ravioli*
  • 1 (16-oz.) jar sun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce
  • 2 tablespoons white wine
  • 2 medium-size fresh tomatoes, chopped**
  • ½ cup chopped fresh basil
  • ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • Garnish: fresh basil strips

Preparation

  1. Prepare pasta according to package directions.
  2. Meanwhile, pour Alfredo sauce into a medium saucepan. Pour wine into sauce jar; cover tightly, and shake well. Stir wine mixture into saucepan. Stir in chopped tomatoes and ½ cup chopped basil, and cook over medium-low heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Toss with pasta, and top evenly with ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese. Garnish, if desired.
  3. *1 (13-oz.) package three-cheese tortellini may be substituted.
  4. **1 (14.5-oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, fully drained, may be substituted.
  5. Note: For testing purposes only, we used Buitoni Four Cheese Ravioli and Classico Sun-dried Tomato Alfredo Pasta Sauce.

LEMON BAKE PASTA

  • 1 pound thin spaghetti
  • ½ stick butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • juice of one lemon
  • zest of one lemon
  • 2 cups sour cream
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste if desired
  • grated Parmesan cheese
  • flat leaf parsley, chopped (I omitted)
  • extra lemon juice

Preheat over to 375 degrees.

Cook pasta to packaged directions until al dente.

In a skillet, melt butter with olive oil over low heat. When butter is melted, add minced garlic. Squeeze lemon juice into the pan. Turn off heat.

Add sour cream and stir mixture together. Add lemon zest and salt. Taste, then add more salt if necessary. Pour mixture over drained pasta an stir together, then pour pasta into an oven safe dish.

Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes. (Don’t bake too long or the pasta will dry out.) When you remove it from the oven, squeeze a little more lemon juice over the top. Top generously with Parmesan cheese, then chopped parsley. Give it a final squeeze of lemon juice at the end.

Tagged as: Pasta

 

White Cheddar Chicken Pasta

For the chicken:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 tsp dry mustard
1 T fresh thyme
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 T olive oil

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Mix together mustard, thyme, salt and pepper and sprinkle over chicken pieces. When pan is hot, add chicken and brown about 3 minutes per side until cooked through. Remove to a plate and cover with foil.

For the pasta:
1 pound rotini or other short cut pasta
2 T butter
2 T flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, finely diced
¼ cup dry white wine
1 T Dijon mustard
8 oz sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
2 cups milk (I used skim milk but mixed in about 2 T heavy cream)
1 T fresh thyme
1 T fresh oregano
Crushed red pepper flakes to taste
Parmesan cheese to taste

Heat water to boil in a large stock pot for pasta, add salt and pasta and cook to al dente and drain according to directions. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add flour and whisk to combine. Add wine, garlic, onions, and mustard. Cook about 5 minutes, until onions are translucent. Reduce heat to low and slowly add milk, stirring to combine. Cook about 5-7 minutes more until mixture begins to thicken. Add cheese and stir to melt. Add chicken and pasta and toss to incorporate sauce. Add thyme and oregano and serve topped with crushed red pepper flakes and Parmesan cheese.

 

Homemade Marinara Sauce

18 oz tomato purée
2 TBSP water
1 garlic clove
2 TBSP shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
2 TBSP olive oil
Salt, pepper, Italian seasoning to taste

Zap all in blender

Prep time 5m
Cook time 5m
Total time 10m

 

Pesto

½ cup packed fresh basil leaves
1 peeled garlic clove crushed in press
1 TBSP walnuts
2 TBSP olive oil
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
½ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Zap all in blender

Prep time 5m
Cook time 5m
Total time 10m

½ pasta cooked al dente
1 cup pesto
1 grilled or baked chicken breast
2 TBSP toasted pine nuts
4 basil leaves, torn
Grated Parmesan cheese

Toss pasta with pesto, add chicken and nuts, top with shredded basil and cheese

Prep time 10m
Cook time 30m
Total time 40m

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