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Category: Main Courses

  • Lemon Basil Lasagna


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    Sometimes, we like to go all out on a meal. Lasagna is one of those meals. We know we’ve been posting some quick recipes that you can make on a typical weeknight, but this one—this one is for the weekend.
    Lasagna is a production, especially if you’re making (almost) everything from scratch. For this we used Nate’s pinot noir marinara, but instead of using oil to caramelize the onions, we opted for rendered fat from ground pork. What really makes this shine, though, is Jon’s lemon-infused ricotta mixture. It accents the tart umami of the marinara perfectly, giving the lasagna a duality: rich and floral.

    Lemon Basil Lasagna

    • 1 batch everyday pasta, rolled to 5 or 6 thickness or 1 12-oz. package of no-boil lasagna noodles.
    • 2½ c. shredded mozzarella
    • ¼ c. parmesan reggiano or pecorino romano, grated

    Sauce

    Ricotta mixture

    • 1 15-oz. container whole fat ricotta cheese
    • ½ c. grated parmesan reggiano or pecorino romano, grated
    • 1 lemon, juice and zest
    • ½ oz. basil leaves, chiffonade
    • 1 egg
    • salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

    For the sauce, follow the directions here, browning the pork sausage in the same pot for the marinara over medium high heat. Remove the meat from the pan using a strainer, leaving the rendered fat and add diced onions to the hot pan. Add a small amount of oil if needed. Add the rest of the ingredients and reduce sauce for up to 1½ hours, stirring constantly.

    While the sauce is reducing, make the pasta dough.

    Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).

    Mix the ricotta, parmesan, basil leaves, lemon juice and zest, and egg in a medium bowl.

    Roll out pasta into lasagna noodles and coat with a light dusting of flour to keep from sticking. Take a 13″ by 9″ baking dish and coat the bottom with just enough marinara, about 1 cup. Place a layer of noodles in the pan.

    Dollop in about a third of the ricotta mixture and spread evenly over the noodles. Add about ¾ cup marinara and spread evenly. Sprinkle ¾ cup mozzarella on top and place another layer of noodles on top of the layer. Congrats! This is your first layer!

    Repeat this twice.

    For the top, spread enough marinara to cover the noodles thinly. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and parmesan over the top. Cover with foil. Bake covered for 40 minutes. Remove foil carefully (use an oven mitt!) and bake for another 15–20 minutes, until cheese is browned and the lasagna is boiling.


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    Lasagna-01

    Remove from oven and let rest for 10–15 minutes before serving.

    Serves 8.


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    Lasagna-02

  • Chicken Marsala with Fettuccine


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    Relatively quick and easy. Complex, rich, savory, and sweet. It’s hard to keep track of how many times we have made this recipe. It’s our standard cream sauce pasta dish, giving the boot to the run-of-the-mill fettuccine alfredo. You won’t find anything out of the ordinary with this recipe. It’s just really really good. Oh, and we added rosemary to the sauce, because who are we kidding. It’s us.
    We fucking love rosemary.

    Chicken Marsala with Fettuccine

    • 1 batch sexy pasta (½ batch everyday pasta) or 6 oz. dried fettuccine
    • ½ lb. chicken breasts (1–2 breasts)
    • 1 small shallot, minced
    • 1 8-inch sprig rosemary, leaves only, minced
    • ½ pound cremini mushrooms (roughly 6 large), sliced ¼-inch thick
    • 1 clove garlic, minced
    • ½ cup marsala wine
    • ¾ cup whipping cream
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • parmesan cheese, for garnish
    • Italian parsley, for garnish
    • red pepper flakes, for garnish
    • rosemary flowers, seasonal, for garnish


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    Chicken-Marsala-2

    Roll out pasta using a pasta machine to thickness setting of 5. Cut in half as the dough gets too long to handle. Run through the fettuccine attachment and toss the noodles with flour to keep it from congealing. If you don’t have a pasta machine, follow the noodle making instructions from this recipe. Set aside, but toss frequently until ready to boil to ensure the noodles don’t stick together.


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    Chicken-Marsala-3

    Carefully slice chicken breasts in half, and season the surface with salt and pepper. Coat a 12” skillet with oil and bring to medium-high heat. Pan sear chicken until it has a deep golden crust and is cooked through (160°F/71°C). Set aside.

    Bring a pot of water to boiling.

    In the same skillet as you used to cook the chicken, add a little more oil. Cook the mushrooms until softened and golden brown. (This part requires some patience. Allow mushrooms to cook without stirring until you are ready to flip them.) When mushrooms are cooked, add shallots and cook briefly until translucent. Add marsala wine to deglaze and lower the heat to medium low. Add rosemary and reduce wine until it has mostly evaporated.

    While wine is reducing, cook noodles 1½–2 minutes, or until the begin to float and the water starts foaming. Drain and set aside. Do not do this ahead of time or you will end up with an unappetizing glob of cooked noodles that not even Lumpy Space Princess would enjoy.

    Add cream and garlic and cook, stirring, for 1–2 minutes, until the sauce starts to thicken. Add cooked noodles and toss with the sauce. The gluten from the noodles will thicken the sauce. Serve immediately with chicken and garnish with parmesan, parsley, red pepper flakes, and rosemary flowers (if in season).


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    Chicken-Marsala-4

    Serves 2.

  • Pasta alla Carbonara

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    “You don’t need expensive equipment to make pasta. All you need is a rolling pin and a sharp knife, and you’re good to go.”

    Pasta alla carbonara is one of the easiest in the pasta canon, complete with echoes of the all-American breakfast: bacon and eggs. It is a great dish that finds a great compromise between rich flavors and inexpensive ingredients. It’s pasta tossed with whipped eggs, cheese, crisp bacon, and its rendered fat. When you combine the hot noodles and eggs, it cooks the eggs just enough to create a creamy sauce that bonds the bacon fat and melted cheese. Essentially what you’re making is a cheesy, bacon-flavored custard.

    Want richness without meat? Replace the bacon with a cup of sliced raw mushrooms and add a smidgeon of olive oil and it’ll produce the same texture with a woodsy depth.

    Pasta alla Carbonara:

    • 1 batch of sexy pasta dough, ½ batch everyday pasta dough, or 6 oz. dry pasta

    • ½ cup bacon (or pancetta if you prefer), minced

    • 2 large eggs

    • ⅓ cup parmesan cheese, shredded

    • 2 tbs. Italian parsley, chopped

    • ½ tsp. salt

    • Fresh ground pepper

    Roll out pasta dough on a floured surface until thin enough for your liking. Cover dough with a light dusting of flour, fold dough in half, and cut into strips. Don’t worry about making them the same size!

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    In a big skillet, fry the bacon until crisp and the fat is rendered; then remove from heat. Keep everything in the skillet. Set aside.

    In a small bowl, beat the eggs lightly until the yolk is mixed with the whites. Then add the cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly. Set aside.

    Boil noodles for 1½–2 minutes (this depends on how thick you make them), until the noodles start to float. The next step must be done as fast as you can, so make sure you have your eggs ready. Strain pasta quickly in a colander and put in the skillet with the bacon and rendered fat. Immediately pour the eggs into the skillet with the noodles and stir them gently, constantly until the heat from the noodles begins to cook the eggs. Serve immediately garnished with parmesan cheese, parsley, and red pepper flakes.


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    Serves 2.