Poached Salmon Fettucini Pasta with Grilled Asparagus

I have a new found love ya’ll.

Yes I know I’ve been spending time in the south.

No, Wes and I did not break up. We are better than ever.

The new love is Denver. Actually, everywhere I went in Colorado was pretty spectacular.

A land where the vibe is mellow, the people love to be active and the food is freaking amazing.

Even the food served at the tradeshow I was working was the tasty.

Way to step it up Mile High City!

In an attempt to make my work travel a bit more enjoyable, I’ve started tacking on days here and there to my trips so I can properly enjoy the city that I’m in.

I flew out to Colorado on Friday to spend a little extra time with my girlfriend Nicole (formerly of London via Los Angeles via Wyoming).

Knowing my food obsession, she made a conscious effort to take me to tasty and interesting spots to tickle my fancy.

Osteria Marco in downtown Denver was so good I went back twice. If you get a chance to dine at this homey but chic underground eatery, I HIGHLY recommend the rabbit.

And if you make it to Fort Collins, CO you have to check out Scrumpy’s for a cider flight, a bomb sandwich and some fresh baked cookies.

The food in Colorado was exceptional, but I got way more out of my trip than just a full belly.

I gained some serious confidence.

Four years ago when I had just started cooking and was contemplating the creation of New Food Tuesdayz, everything literally was new. I knew NOTHING about food other than I loved eating it.

I knew nothing of how things would be prepared, what cheeses I preferred, what wine would go well with the food I ordered.

But four years, over a thousand recipes attempted and hundreds of amazing meals consumed have brought me a long way. In a foodie state, I was able to hold my own in some serious food conversations with people whose lives are all about good eats.

The highlight was being asked if I owned my own restaurant by a veteran of the business.

No sir I don’t. But hopefully I will be changing that soon.

This pasta dish I made would have fit in perfectly at a few of the restaurants I dined at in the last few days.

Simple ingredients, bold flavors and a homey vibe really make this an easy to execute crowed pleaser.

You will need…

1 lb fresh fettucini pasta (or boxed pasta cooked per the instructions if you don’t have the time)

1 lb salmon, skinned removed and cut into 4 ounce pieces

2 tablespoons garlic, divided

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

½ cup white wine

2 vine ripened tomatoes, diced

2 green onions, white and light green parts roughly chopped

1 lb asparagus, ends trimmed

Paremsan cheese for serving

Salt and Pepper to taste

Start by preheating your grill to a medium high heat.

Drizzle the asparagus with 1 tablespoons of the olive oil and season them with salt and pepper. Make sure the asparagus are all lightly coated in oil.

Place them on a warm part of the grill and cook the asparagus, turning once until they are grilled on the outside and slightly tender. Be careful not to over cook. About 7 minutes.

Remove them from the heat and set aside to cool. When the asparagus have cooled, shop into 1 inch pieces and reserve.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta to the package instructions or if you are using fresh pasta, about 3 to 5 minutes just until the pasta is al dented. Be sure to reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water.

While the water is heating, heat the remaining olive oil and butter together in a large pan over medium heat.

When the butter has melted, add in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add in the tomatoes and white wine to the pan.

Simmer the white wine and tomatoes until all the alcohol has burnt off and the wine has reduced slightly. About 5 minutes.

Season well with salt and pepper and add in the green onions and the salmon to the pan.

Cook the salmon in the liquid, flipping once until the salmon is cooked through. About 5 minutes.

When the salmon is cooked through gently break up the fish into smaller pieces with a fork or tongs.

Toss in the pasts, asparagus and Paremsan to taste. Toss well.

If there is not much liquid left and the pasta is dry and not saucy, pour in the reserved pasta water a little at a time until you get the desired consistency.

Serve hot with fresh pepper and Paremsan.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Poached Salmon Fettucini Pasta with Grilled Asparagus

1 lb fresh fettucini pasta (or boxed pasta cooked per the instructions if you don’t have the time)

1 lb salmon, skinned removed and cut into 4 ounce pieces

2 tablespoons garlic, divided

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

½ cup white wine

2 vine ripened tomatoes, diced

2 green onions, white and light green parts roughly chopped

1 lb asparagus, ends trimmed

Paremsan cheese for serving

Salt and Pepper to taste

Start by preheating your grill to a medium high heat.

Drizzle the asparagus with 1 tablespoons of the olive oil and season them with salt and pepper. Make sure the asparagus are all lightly coated in oil.

Place them on a warm part of the grill and cook the asparagus, turning once until they are grilled on the outside and slightly tender. Be careful not to over cook. About 7 minutes.

Remove them from the heat and set aside to cool. When the asparagus have cooled, shop into 1 inch pieces and reserve.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta to the package instructions or if you are using fresh pasta, about 3 to 5 minutes just until the pasta is al dented. Be sure to reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water.

While the water is heating, heat the remaining olive oil and butter together in a large pan over medium heat.

When the butter has melted, add in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add in the tomatoes and white wine to the pan.

Simmer the white wine and tomatoes until all the alcohol has burnt off and the wine has reduced slightly. About 5 minutes.

Season well with salt and pepper and add in the green onions and the salmon to the pan.

Cook the salmon in the liquid, flipping once until the salmon is cooked through. About 5 minutes.

When the salmon is cooked through gently break up the fish into smaller pieces with a fork or tongs.

Toss in the pasts, asparagus and Paremsan to taste. Toss well.

If there is not much liquid left and the pasta is dry and not saucy, pour in the reserved pasta water a little at a time until you get the desired consistency.

Serve hot with fresh pepper and Paremsan. 

Creamy Spinach Ricotta and Mushroom Linguini

We are five days into February and so far it’s been a mixed bag of tricks with peaks and valleys.

Most of which had to do with that damn adorable fluffball, Junior.

Saturday, we had Wes’s sister, brother-in-law and nephews over for dinner to meet our kitty. I was fairly confident she was going to freak out and hiss at a child at least ten times in an evening.

Contrary to what I was expecting, Miss Hiss was perfectly pleasant and allowed lots of little petting and only managed to squeeke out one or two facial and verbal spasms.

Wes and I saw a light at the end of the tunnel to domestication. But my car broke down in the middle of that tunnel Monday morning when Junior freaked out on her trip to the vet to get spayed and bit my finger. Landing me in the doctors office this morning with a sweet infection.

Cooking with a swollen left index was a struggle, but I banged it out and it was damn tasty. This is a deconstructed version of the mushroom ravioli I served up a while back and it was just as tasty in a small portion of the time.

You will need…

¼ lb shitake mushrooms, stemmed removed and sliced

½ lb crimini mushrooms, stemmed removed and sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 slices pancetta, roughly chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 large shallot, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

4 cups spinach, plus extra if you would like some wilted spinach in your pasta

1 cup ricotta

1 lb dried linguini

¼ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by boiling a large pot of water and cooking the pasta to the package instructions. Make sure to reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add in the pancetta and cook until you have rendered out some of the fat. About 5 minutes.

Toss in the mushrooms and shallots and cook until the shallots soften, about 8 minutes.

While the mushrooms and shallots are cooking, blend the ricotta and 4 cups of spinach in a blender or food processor.

When the shallots have softened, toss in the thyme and garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant. About 1 minutes. If you want to add some fresh whole spinach in, now would be the time. Stir it in until slightly wilted. 

Season the mixture well with salt and pepper and stir in the cooked pasta and the ricotta and spinach mixture. Pour in the reserved pasta water while stirring until the pasta is coated. 

Serve hot with Parmesan and fresh ground pepper.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Creamy Spinach Ricotta and Mushroom Linguini 

¼ lb shitake mushrooms, stemmed removed and sliced

½ lb crimini mushrooms, stemmed removed and sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 slices pancetta, roughly chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 large shallot, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

4 cups spinach, plus extra if you would like some wilted spinach in your pasta

1 cup ricotta

1 lb dried linguini

¼ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by boiling a large pot of water and cooking the pasta to the package instructions. Make sure to reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add in the pancetta and cook until you have rendered out some of the fat. About 5 minutes.

Toss in the mushrooms and shallots and cook until the shallots soften, about 8 minutes.

While the mushrooms and shallots are cooking, blend the ricotta and 4 cups of spinach in a blender or food processor. When the shallots have softened, toss in the thyme and garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant. About 1 minutes. If you want to add some fresh whole spinach in, now would be the time. Stir it in until slightly wilted.

Season the mixture well with salt and pepper and stir in the cooked pasta and the ricotta and spinach mixture. Pour in the reserved pasta water while stirring until the pasta is coated. 

Serve hot with Parmesan and fresh ground pepper.

Caprese Mac and Cheese

Ya know. I think I let the holidays sneak up on me this year.

Usually, I’m planning for Thanksgiving dinner WEEKS in advance. Oodles of recipe planning, shopping lists, trips to different grocery stores and prepping happens to plan for the big event. And it really gets me revved up for the holiday.

But this year, with no big meal to plan I got snowballed by the holidays. I managed to make it through Thanksgiving with out great incident, but Lindsey B, Wes and I are throwing a Christmas gift exchange for my high school girlfriends and their dudes on the fourteenth and I’ve done NOTHING. Whoops.

This morning while checking my email, I realized I was just twelve days away from party time and just twenty-three away from C day! I gotta get my booty in gear.

The good news, is I have extensive menu options to choose from for the party.

With the red and green, this may be a serious contender.

You will need…

1 lb dried pasta shells

1 tablespoons olive oil

½ onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

3 cups sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

½ cup burrata cheese

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

½ cup basil, roughly chopped

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

½ cup balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by turning on your broiler.

Then bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta to the package instructions, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

While you are waiting for the water to boil and the pasta to cook, heat the olive oil in a large pot and add in the onions.

Cook the onions until softened. About 5 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant. About 1 minute.

Add in the butter and flour and stir to make a roux.

Whisk in the milk and cook on slow, stirring often until the milk has thickened enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon.

Remove it from the heat and whisk in the cheeses a bit at a time and season well with salt and pepper.

By now the pasta should be cooked. Toss the pasta in with the cheese sauce and stir well until the pasta is coated.

If the sauce isn’t creamy enough, pour in a little bit of the reserved pasta water.

Toss in the basil and tomato and season well with salt and pepper.

Pour the pasta into an oven safe dish, sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and pop it in the broiler until it is golden on top. About 4 to 5 minutes.

While the pasta is in the oven, pour the vinegar in a small saucepan and simmer on medium high heat until it is slightly reduced.

When the pasta is browned, remove from the oven and drizzle with the reduced vinegar and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Caprese Mac and Cheese

1 lb dried pasta shells

1 tablespoons olive oil

½ onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

3 cups sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

½ cup burrata cheese

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

½ cup basil, roughly chopped

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

½ cup balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by turning on your broiler.

Then bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta to the package instructions, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

While you are waiting for the water to boil and the pasta to cook, heat the olive oil in a large pot and add in the onions.

Cook the onions until softened. About 5 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant. About 1 minute.

Add in the butter and flour and stir to make a roux.

Whisk in the milk and cook on slow, stirring often until the milk has thickened enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon.

Remove it from the heat and whisk in the cheeses a bit at a time and season well with salt and pepper.

By now the pasta should be cooked. Toss the pasta in with the cheese sauce and stir well until the pasta is coated.

If the sauce isn’t creamy enough, pour in a little bit of the reserved pasta water.

Toss in the basil and tomato and season well with salt and pepper.

Pour the pasta into an oven safe dish, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and pop it in the broiler until it is golden on top. About 4 to 5 minutes.

While the pasta is in the oven, pour the vinegar in a small saucepan and simmer on medium high heat until it is slightly reduced.

When the pasta is browned, remove from the oven and drizzle with the reduced vinegar and serve hot. 

Fennel, Shrimp and Chorizo Ravioli with Mascarpone Cheese

Last night I was super upset. After two hours working on a blog post, I lost it all in an instant. Such a sinking and defeating feeling.

Today, I had a really rough day at work. All day I just kept telling myself, relax. It is not a big deal. You are a good person and you have a beautiful life.

Yet all I could do was think about all the bad.

Then I talked to my friend Nicole who is a high school guidance counselor and always manages to put things in perspective. She told me all about teens doing crazy things to themselves and others. Drinking too much and harming their bodies.

For sure there are times, days, even weeks when life is hard or just plain sucky. But you couldn’t pay me to go back and be a teenager who hadn’t figured out how to live in my own skin yet. Even on the worst days, I know that the worst is behind me and the best is yet to come.

I know what I want. And I want to be a good person who makes people laugh and cooks good food.

So I’m getting after it one insane dish at a time. And this is an all time top five.

You will need…

1 tablespoons olive oil

2 fennel bulbs, white parts roughly chopped and greens reserved

1 small onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

¾ lb chorizo

¾ lb shrimp, peeled, de-veined and tails removed

1 cup mascarpone cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Flour For Dusting

Water

Homemade pasta dough

Slow Roasted Tomato Sauce or White Wine Parmesan Cream Sauce

Start by heating the olive oil in a large sauté pan.

When the oil is hot, add in the fennel and onion. Lightly toss to coat the onions and fennel and cook until they start to soften. About 5 minutes.

Add in the garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant. About 30 seconds.

When the garlic is fragrant, add in the chorizo and stir, breaking it up with your spoon.

Cook until the chorizo is browned, about 5 minutes.

Add in the shrimp and cook, stirring often until the shrimp is just pink. About 3 minutes.

Remove from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature.

In a food processor, blend together the cooked veggies, chorizo, shrimp and mascarpone.

When the filling is combined, season well with salt and pepper.

Heat a large pot of water till it’s boiling.

While the water is boiling, roll out your pasta dough into long thin strips about 3 inches wide.

Place about 1 tablespoon filling every 2 inches apart on a bottom layer of pasta. 

Gently brush the pasta sheet with water and place the top layer gently on top. Press with your fingers and cut with ravioli cutters or a knife.

Make sure to generously brush with flour so they do not stick.

Cook the ravioli in the boiling water until hot throughout and float to the top. About 3 to 5 minutes.

Serve hot with your favorite pasta sauce and topped with fennel greens.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Fennel, Shrimp and Chorizo Ravioli with Mascarpone Cheese

1 tablespoons olive oil

2 fennel bulbs, white parts roughly chopped and greens reserved

1 small onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

¾ lb chorizo

¾ lb shrimp, peeled, de-veined and tails removed

1 cup mascarpone cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Water

Homemade pasta dough

Slow Roasted Tomato Sauce or White Wine Parmesan Cream Sauce

Start by heating the olive oil in a large sauté pan.

When the oil is hot, add in the fennel and onion. Lightly toss to coat the onions and fennel and cook until they start to soften. About 5 minutes.

Add in the garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant. About 30 seconds.

When the garlic is fragrant, add in the chorizo and stir, breaking it up with your spoon.

Cook until the chorizo is browned, about 5 minutes.

Add in the shrimp and cook, stirring often until the shrimp is just pink. About 3 minutes.

Remove from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature.

In a food processor, blend together the cooked veggies, chorizo, shrimp and mascarpone.

When the filling is combined, season well with salt and pepper.

Heat a large pot of water till it’s boiling.

While the water is boiling, roll out your pasta dough into long thin strips about 3 inches wide.

Place about 1 tablespoon filling every 2 inches apart on a bottom layer of pasta. Gently brush the pasta sheet with water and place the top layer gently on top. Press with your fingers and cut with ravioli cutters or a knife.

Make sure to generously brush with flour so they do not stick.

Cook the ravioli in the boiling water until hot throughout and float to the top. About 3 to 5 minutes.

Serve hot with your favorite pasta sauce and topped with fennel greens.

Creamy Smoked Salmon Fettucini

Ya know. I knew when I woke up on the day I turned twenty-seen. This was year was going to be the tough one. It seems that no matter who I talk to, most people have had a year in their life that really made them feel the reality of aging.

This is not to say that I am old. I’m many years young. If I’m lucky and do my best to take care of myself, I will live a long and full life. But this is the first year I really feel like I’ve grown up. I guess the best way I can describe it is that in my youthful mind, by twenty-seven I would have my shit together. Who knows why that was the year. Maybe because at seventeen, I thought I would have all four of my imaginary children would be popped out by thirty. Unless I get really busy and have a set of twins or two, that obviously isn’t happening.

Why praytell am I boring you with my long winded and mildly depressing monologue? Because this weekend was my college alumni weekend and it all came crashing down on my again.

Meeting new alumni who were not even at LMU when I graduated was pretty shocking. I have now been of college longer than I was IN COLLEGE. How did that happen?

But, hanging out with them help me see that I don’t want to go back there. Being five years out of college is SOOOO much better than being right out of college.

No part of me longs for the first days of my first job. The uncertainty of new tasks, rent, boys. Sure it was cool and exciting then. But it was stressful. Not only that, but it was a time before I found my real passion. Cooking.

These days, the food is better, the entertainment is better, the love is strong, and life is steady and beautiful. 

So while I will admit it was REALLY fun reliving my college days all weekend, I’m happy to be back to my steady life and awesome kitchen.

You will need…

4 cups broccoli florettes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 vine ripened tomatoes, diced

1 cup dry white wine

2 cups chicken stock

½ cup cream

6 ounces smoked salmon, roughly chopped

½ cup parmesan, freshly grated plus extra for serving

1 lb fettucini, preferably homemade

2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil.

When the water has boiled, toss in the broccoli and cook until just barely tender. Immediately remove from the water and plunge into ice water. Let the broccoli soak until it has cooled and drain. Set aside.

Refill the water, add salt and bring it back to a boil.

While waiting for the water to boil, heat the olive oil in a large pan.

When the oil is hot, add in the onions and cook till they are trasnslucent.

Add in the garlic and season well with salt and pepper. Cook until the garlic is fragrant. About 30 seconds.

Stir in the tomatoes and the white wine and bring the liquid to a simmer.

As soon as the liquid simmers, add in the chicken stock and continue to simmer until the liquid has reduced slightly.

Pour in the cream and stir until combined. Continue to slowly simmer the sauce until the pasta has cooked.

Drain the pasta, but reserve 1 cup of pasta water.

Add the pasta and ½ cup cheese to the sauce and stir will until the pasta is lightly coated.

Toss in the salmon, parsley and broccoli and toss until everything is well combined.

Serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Creamy Smoked Salmon Fettucini

4 cups broccoli florettes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 vine ripened tomatoes, diced

1 cup dry white wine

2 cups chicken stock

½ cup cream

6 ounces smoked salmon, roughly chopped

½ cup parmesan, freshly grated plus extra for serving

1 lb fettucini, preferably homemade

2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil.

When the water has boiled, toss in the broccoli and cook until just barely tender. Immediately remove from the water and plunge into ice water. Let the broccoli soak until it has cooled and drain. Set aside.

Refill the water, add salt and bring it back to a boil.

While waiting for the water to boil, heat the olive oil in a large pan.

When the oil is hot, add in the onions and cook till they are trasnslucent.

Add in the garlic and season well with salt and pepper. Cook until the garlic is fragrant. About 30 seconds.

Stir in the tomatoes and the white wine and bring the liquid to a simmer.

As soon as the liquid simmers, add in the chicken stock and continue to simmer until the liquid has reduced slightly.

Pour in the cream and stir until combined. Continue to slowly simmer the sauce until the pasta has cooked.

Drain the pasta, but reserve 1 cup of pasta water.

Add the pasta and ½ cup cheese to the sauce and stir will until the pasta is lightly coated.

Toss in the salmon, parsley and broccoli and toss until everything is well combined.

Serve hot.