New beginnings again! And fettuccine nests.

Aah, yet another year plus has passed without a post!  What can I say, life has been full.  Work picked up speed, free time went to maximizing our last year as a family of two, and now any extra time is spent resting and catching up on chores while our little monster sleeps.  The cooking and baking hasn't stopped, though the degree of difficulty and experimenting has sure plateaued.  Hopefully it'll slowly pick up speed again.  I'm inspired by my many mom friends (of multiple kids!) who still seem to cook and bake just as much as pre-kid days!

In the meantime, we were at Costco last week and saw this new item: Spinach and Egg Fettuccine Nests by Monte Pollino, made in San Francisco.

Bag of fettuccine nests from Costco

Each 3 lb bag comes with 8 fettuccine nests for $8.99.  Two nests were the perfect amount for dinner for the two of us, though the husband eats double portions (and loves pasta) so two pasta nests could probably feed 3-4 average eaters.  We really enjoyed this pasta!  We cooked it with a lemon garlic spinach sauce so I couldn't really taste the egg or spinach flavor as distinctly.  The noodles are slightly thicker than normal fettuccine, thus giving it a great bite or "QQ" texture.

This might be a local SF Bay Area Costco product and possibly seasonal.  It's a little more pricey than the standard Costco pasta, almost 3 times the cost actually since you can get almost 9 lbs of spaghetti for $9.99.  If this were a regular product I would probably alternate between this and the regular pasta.  Since it might be limited though, I'll be picking up another bag if I see it again next trip. :)          

Yogurt Carbonara Pasta

Pasta carbonara is a simple, classic spaghetti dish with a creamy sauce.  Typical additions include bacon (or ham in my case) and green peas.  Hot pasta tossed in a mixture of cream, raw eggs, and shredded parmesan cheese make for a creamy, delightful sauce.  I don't usually have cream on hand, so I made this recipe using plain non-fat yogurt instead.  It came out surprisingly well, with a welcomed lightness and slight tang.  One day I will try the full cream version, but for now this healthier version of carbonara pasta will do just fine. :)

Yogurt Carbonara Pasta
Serves 4

1 lb spaghetti pasta
1 cup plain non-fat yogurt
3 eggs
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup diced cooked ham or other protein (optional)
1 cup thawed frozen peas (optional)

1. Cook pasta as instructed.
2. Prepare the sauce while pasta is cooking.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together yogurt, raw eggs, parmesan cheese, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper.  
3. Drain cooked pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water.  Immediately place the hot pasta directly into the large mixing bowl containing the sauce.  Mix well since the heat from the pasta will cook the eggs.  If the mixture is too dry, add some of the reserved pasta water.
4. Add diced cooked ham and peas and continue to toss to combine.  Serve immediately, topped with freshly ground black pepper to taste and additional parmesan cheese.

Note:  This dish is best served fresh the day it's made.  Reheating will change the texture of the sauce.

Baking Sheet Macaroni and Cheese

 My favorite part of homemade macaroni and cheese is always the top layer.  You know what I'm talking about, right?  That top layer where the cheese and noodles get broiled to a nice dual texture of crispiness and chewiness.  That top layer "crust" that houses all the crispy breadcrumbs and lacks the typical creamy texture of mac and cheese.  This recipe gives you just that.  The baking sheet cooking method allows for a 50/50 ratio of "crust" to innards.  That means I get to enjoy my favorite part in each and every bite!  It's a bit unusual that this mac and cheese recipe did not include a roux, but I guess you may not need it if you're not going for the creamy factor.  We added some leftover lamb shoulder bits before the final cheese layer. Any other precooked mix-in (bacon, sausage, salmon, etc.) could also be added for some variation.  I really enjoyed the outcome of this cooking method and next time I will probably try some different cheeses.

Baking Sheet Macaroni and Cheese
Adapted from food52
Serves 6

3 Tablespoons butter
12 oz extra-sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
12 oz sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (or gruyere, fontina, bleu, etc.)
1 pound fusilli pasta (or any other small pasta shape)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried mustard
salt and pepper
2/3 cup whole milk
1.5 cups panko or breadcrumbs

1. Heat oven to 475 degrees. Use one tablespoon butter to grease a 11-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet (or use parchment paper for easier cleanup and grease the parchment paper). Combine the grated cheeses and set aside 2 cups for topping.  Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small bowl with the panko or breadcrumbs.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 6 minutes. Drain. 
3. In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, cheeses, cayenne, and mustard.  Salt and pepper to taste. 
4. Spread the mixture in the baking sheet and evenly pour the milk over the surface. Sprinkle the reserved cheese on top.  Evenly sprinkle the panko crumbs on top.  Bake uncovered, until golden and crisp, for about 15-20 minutes. 

Greek orzo pasta salad

With these hot days of summer upon us, it's nice to have a light, cool meal that doesn't require too much preparation.  It's easy to throw any veggies you have in the fridge into this pasta salad.

Greek Orzo Pasta Salad
Makes 4-6 servings

1/2 red onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 cucumbers, diced
1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed
6 oz. crumbled feta cheese
1 lb box orzo pasta

4 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons basalmic vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Cook pasta according to box instructions.  Drain pasta and rinse with cold water.  Combine pasta and diced vegetables in a large bowl.  
2. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, vinegar and mustard and whisk until well-incorporated.  Stir dressing into the pasta.  Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Spinach pesto chicken pasta

We had some friends over for dinner and made a quick pesto chicken pasta, using ingredients from my definitively favorite store: Costco!  I included a package of frozen spinach and it added a good flavor while boosting the veggie content.

Spinach Pesto Chicken Pasta
6 servings

1 lb pasta (preferably short-cut pasta like rotini, farfalle or penne)
1 10oz. bag frozen chopped spinach
1/2 white or brown onion, diced
2.5 cups grape tomatoes, quartered
2 cups shredded chicken (we used Costco rotisserie chicken)
1/3 cup pesto sauce (homemade or from Costco)
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Cook frozen spinach according to the directions on the package.  Drain spinach and set aside.  In a saucepan on medium-high heat, saute the diced onions until soft and translucent.  Add spinach and grape tomatoes, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes and then remove from heat.
2. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta until al dente, according to the directions on the package. When draining the pasta, reserve 1 cup of the pasta liquid.  Rinse pasta with cold water to stop cooking and return pasta to the large pot.
3. Stir the spinach, tomatoes and onions into the pasta.  Add shredded chicken and pesto sauce and stir to combine.  If the pasta is too dry, add some of the reserved pasta liquid until desired consistency.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve warm.