Pasta Al Fresco Food

PASTA FRESCA

Steps:

• Assign 1 guest to pit the olives and another to dice the tomatoes.
• Bring 12 cups of water and 1 teaspoons of salt to a boil in a large pot.
• At the same time, in another large pot over medium-high heat, add 1/4 cup olive oil along with the garlic, shallots, and walnuts. Stir occasionally for 6 minutes, or until they just begin turning golden.
• Add the basil and stir for 30 seconds (to release their flavors).
• Add tomatoes, olives, remaining salt, pepper, chile pepper, and remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add yellow cherry tomatoes at the end.
• While sauce is simmering, add pasta to the boiling water. Cook according to package directions.
• Warm the second loaf of bread in a preheated 325 degrees F oven.
• Drain pasta. Add pasta to sauce in pot. Toss thoroughly. Put pasta pot directly on the table, or transfer to a large pre-warmed serving bowl.
• Serve with Parmesan. Don't forget the bread in the oven!

PENNE AL FRESCO

Steps:

• Saute sausage in 1 T. olive oil until thoroughly cooked. Drain and reserve.
• Add 1 T. olive oil and saute onion until translucent.
• Add white wine and reduce by half.
• Add both kinds of the tomatoes,spices,herbs and cooked sausage and cook 45 minutes.
• Add cream and Parmesan and cook until thickened.
• Cook pasta according to package directions. Toss pasta with sauce until coated. .
• Garnish with fresh basil and serve.

CAJUN PASTA FRESCA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• While the pasta water is boiling, in a large skillet over medium heat, briefly saute garlic in oil. Stir in tomatoes and their juice and sprinkle with salt. When tomatoes are bubbly, mash slightly with a fork. Stir in parsley, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes more.
• Toss hot pasta with tomato sauce, Cajun seasoning, mozzarella and Parmesan.

CHICKEN PENNE AL FRESCO

Steps:

• Spray a mw safe lidded casserole. Add garlic and tomatoes. Cover; microwave on HIGH 4-5 minutes or until tomatoes begin to burst, stirring after 2 minutes. Crush tomatoes with fork and add uncooked pasta, broth, wine, salt and black pepper.
• Return baker to microwave; cover and microwave on HIGH 16-18 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring after 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, grate cheese and coarsely chop basil, reserve about 1/4th for later.
• Carefully remove baker from microwave and remove lid, lifting away from you. Add remaining basil, cheese and chicken to baker; mix well.
• Garnish with reserved basil, additional Parmesan cheese and black pepper, if desired.
• Tips: An additional 3/4 cup chicken broth can be substituted for the wine, if desired.
• Any tube-shaped pasta requiring 9-11 minutes cook time, such as penne or rigatoni, can be substituted for the mezze penne pasta.
• To grill chicken in the Grill Pan, season 2 chicken breasts, about 6 oz each, with salt and black pepper. Heat Grill Pan over medium-high heat 5 minutes. Spray pan with oil. Cook chicken 4-6 minutes or until grill marks appear. Turn chicken over; cook 4-6 minutes or until center of chicken is no longer pink and Pocket Thermometer registers 170°F.

PASTA AL POMODORO FRESCO

Steps:

• Boil the pasta in salted water according to package direction until al dente.
• In the meantime, in a large skillet, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic slices and cook them at medium heat stirring often just until lightly golden. Next, add the cut tomatoes, salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes at medium high heat. Stir the sauce gently a few times. The sauce should not be soupy.
• Before removing the sauce from the heat, taste it for flavor. When the sauce is ready, add the fresh chopped basil, turn off the heat and stir one last time.
• Transfer the cooked strained pasta in the skillet, and toss gently making sure that the pasta is fully ncorporated with the sauce.
• When serving the pasta, for a delicious fragrant finishing touch, drizzle extra virgin olive oil, and add more fresh basil, fresh cracked pepper and fresh grated cheese on top of each plate.