pasta with pumpkin and sausage

well, she's done it again. rachael ray has created a really yummy recipe that i totally love, but don't want to hear her talk about... her voice just gets to me (i can't be alone in this, right?). this is an awesome fall or winter dish that is hearty and delicious, but helps you branch away from the classic red or white pasta sauce options. i made a few minor changes, such as adding just a bit of sugar (weird, i know), but it really helped the flavor. i use turkey italian sausage, but you just feel free to substitute normal italian sausage if you'd prefer. make this tonight!

pasta with pumpkin & sausage adapted from rachael ray
2 T. olive oil
1 lb. sweet italian turkey sausage (out of the casings)
3 crushed garlic cloves
1/2 c. chopped onions
1 bay leaf
5 sage leaves, cut into chiffonade (thin slices)
1 c. white wine
1 c. chicken broth
1 c. canned pumpkin
1 T. sugar
1/3 c. cream (i used half and half)
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
s&p to taste
1 lb. penne, cooked and drained

heat skillet over med-hi. add 1 T. olive oil and sausage; brown. transfer sausage to paper towels, drain fat from pan and return to stove. add remaining olive oil, garlic and onion - sauté 3-5 minutes until onions are tender.
add bay leaf, sage and wine to pan. reduce liquid by half, 3-4 minutes. add stock and pumpkin and combine, stir until sauce starts to bubble then return sausage to pan, reduce heat. stir in cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar and s&p to taste. simmer 5-10 minutes to thicken.
remove bay leaf from sauce and combine pasta and sauce. garnish with shredded parmesan cheese, if desired.

pasta puttanesca

pasta puttanesca (or "whore's pasta"... i tried reading up on why it's called this, but still don't understand. fill me in if you're in the know) was one of the first real recipes i learned, shared by my friend and former roommate leslie. instead of just pasta with red sauce, this recipe kicks your meal up a few notches with a richer, heartier flavor. i would recommend using spaghetti or angel hair pasta with this one. and be ye not fearful of the anchovies! when you cook them with the garlic, they basically melt away, but they add a rich (not at all fishy) flavor - yum. last compliment i'll give this recipe: just about all of the ingredients can be on your shelves, waiting until you call on their service. how friendly... but not quite as friendly as the name suggests...

pasta puttanesca
1 lb. pasta
1 (24 oz.) jar marinara sauce
1/4 c. olive oil
4 garlic cloves
1/4 bottle of red wine
1 t. oregano
1 t. basil
1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1 can anchovies, drained
2 T. capers
1 can black olives, drained & halved

heat oil on medium heat in pot, add garlic and pepper flakes. add anchovies and break them apart as you cook them - less than 5 minutes. stir in sauce, capers & olives. pour in wine and herbs. simmer for about 10 minutes on medium-low heat. in another pot, cook pasta. drain and combine with sauce. serve sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

coconut noodles

here's a great dish kristin pointed out to me from "everyday food" magazine - my favorite food magazine, by the way. this is a delicious, soupy, fresh noodle dish with great thai flavors. i served this with chicken satay - yum!

coconut noodles adapted from everyday food
1 package (16 oz.) dry rice noodles
1 can (14 oz.) unsweetened coconut milk
1 3/4 c. chicken broth (about one can)
1 c. cilantro
1/2 c. basil
4 garlic cloves
1 T. sugar
2 T. lime juice
2" ginger, peeled & cut into 1/8" rounds
1 jalapeño, halved, stems & seeds removed (more, if desired)
1 T. fish sauce (optional)

cook noodles, rinse with cool water - set aside. bring milk & broth to gentle simmer over medium-low. process cilantro, basil, ginger, garlic & jalapeño until coarsely chopped - about 5 seconds. add cilantro mix, fish sauce, sugar to broth; simmer 6 minutes. add lime juice, dish up noodle in bowls and ladle coconut milk sauce over noodles. enjoy!

chicken pho, a.k.a. phở gà

if there were a food about which i could write a book, pho might be that food. pronounced "fuh", pho is a delicious vietnamese brothy noodle soup that kicks classic chicken noodle soup to the curb, in my opinion. i crave it. my husband and i fell in love over pho. the wonderful sauces and herbs you add to it make a heavenly aroma. and we've seen pho restaurants with some of the goofiest names, such as "9021pho", "pho that", and "what the pho?". i mean, come on!

it is typically served with sliced rare beef, tripe and tendon, and the broth is made in a slow cooking process involving oxtail. well, kids, this blogger isn't much for red meat or for all-day cooking affairs, so when dao, a vietnamese friend of ours, offered to teach me how to make a simpler, quicker chicken version i squealed at the opportunity. and it is delicious!

chicken pho (phở gà in vietnamese)
2 cans chicken broth
2" of fresh ginger (whole, but peeled)
1 quartered small onion
5 star anise
2 chicken breasts
1-2 T. fish sauce, if desired (you can substitute salt)
1 lb. rice stick noodles (damp or dry)

garnishes:
fresh basil
fresh cilantro
bean sprouts
sriracha sauce
hoisin sauce
hanh dam (thinly sliced onion soaked in vinegar - so good)

bring broth and 3-4 cans water to boil. add ginger, onion & anise and bring back to boil. once boiling, add chicken breasts, simmer for 15-20 minutes until cooked through. remove chicken, cut into thin slices, set aside. (i taste the broth here and add fish sauce or salt to taste - you want it to be salty as adding the noodles later will lessen the salinity). bring water to boil in another pot and cook noodles til just done (don't overcook!). drain and place noodles in individual bowls, add some chicken, and cover in broth. rip up basil & cilantro leaves into soup & garnish as desired!
this broth can be frozen, too.