Rachael Rays Lemon Basil Pasta Food

LEMON-PEPPER CAPELLINI

Steps:

• Place water on to boil for pasta.
• In a large skillet combine olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add garlic, pepper and the lemon zest.
• Salt water when it boils then cook capellini to al dente, 2 to 3 minutes. Add a ladle of cooking water to lemon pepper butter and stir in the lemon juice. Drain pasta and toss with lemon-pepper butter and salt, to taste. Add the basil to the pasta and serve a small bundle alongside your entree or serve as a delicate first course.

RACHAEL RAY'S LEMON-BASIL PASTA

Steps:

• Place a large pot of water on the stove to boil , for cooking the pasta. Add salt once water is boiling, then the pasta, and cook according to package directions. Note: you will need to use a ladleful (probably 1/4 to 1/2 cup) of the starchy pasta water to make the sauce, so gather that 1/4 to 1/2 cup before draining the water.
• While pasta cooks, zest the lemon. Heat the oil in a deep skillet over medium-low heat. Add lemon zest and garlic to oil. Sweat the garlic for two minutes, then add wine.
• Reduce the wine for 30 seconds, then add the reserved ladle of pasta water and the juice of the lemon. Reduce 30 more seconds. Turn the heat off.
• Drain pasta and then transfer it to the skillet with the garlic-lemon-wine sauce. Add in the basil; toss pasta for a minute to absorb flavors. Season pasta with salt and pepper.

TOMATO, BASIL AND CHEESE BAKED PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt the water. Add small shell pasta and cook the pasta to al dente doneness which means that the pasta will still have a bite to it or be a little chewy. The pasta will soak up more juice and keep on cooking after we drain it, so we need it to be a little under cooked. The shells will probably cook about 9 or 10 minutes.
• Preheat a deep, big skillet or a medium sauce pot over medium heat.
• Place garlic on the cutting board and place the flat of your knife on top of each clove. Carefully give the garlic a whack with the palm of your hand to separate the cloves from the skins. Throw out the skins and chop up the garlic. Remember to keep your fingers curled under and the edge of your sharp, chef's knife tilted slightly away from your body.
• Add extra-virgin olive oil to the pan by pouring a slow stream of it twice-around-the-pan. This will be about 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil just enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Do not let the oil pour out too fast. You are looking for a slow, steady stream. Add the garlic to the oil. To chop the onion, cut the ends off and cut the whole onion down the center. Wrap half and save it. Cut the other half into thin slices then twist the slices a quarter turn and chop them again. Hold the tip of knife on the cutting board and lift the back of the knife up and down over the onion to make the pieces really small. Add the chopped up onion to the garlic and oil. Cook, stirring a lot, 5 minutes until the onions are mushy and look cooked.
• Add the tomatoes to the onions and stir. When the tomatoes come to a bubble, reduce the heat under the sauce to low. Stir in basil pieces to wilt them. Season the sauce with salt and peppe, to your taste.
• Preheat your broiler to high and place a rack in the center of the oven.
• Drain pasta shells. Add them to a flameproof casserole dish. Add pesto sauce, 1 cup of ricotta cheese and a handful of grated Parmigiano, too. Stir carefully and coat the hot pasta with the pesto and cheeses. Pour the hot tomato and basil sauce over the pasta, as much as you like. You can always serve a little extra at the table, to pass around. Shred up some mozzarella cheese with a grater and scatter it over the pasta. Add a final sprinkle of Parmigiano to the mozzarella as well. Place the casserole under the broiler in the middle of oven, 10 to 12 inches from the heat. Let the cheese melt and bubble on top, 3 to 5 minutes.

SPAGHETTI ALL' ELSA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and add pasta. Cook to al dente, with a bite to it.
• Heat a medium sauce pot over medium-low heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, and red pepper and let them cook 5 minutes, garlic will be soft and light golden. Remove garlic. Add stock or wine and stir 30 seconds, add tomatoes and combine. Season the sauce with salt, to taste, then stir basil in and reduce heat to low.
• When pasta is cooked, turn off the heat, drain the pasta then add it back to the still-hot, deep pot. Add butter to spaghetti and toss to melt and coat. Add half the red sauce and all of the cheese, work in a handful at a time as you toss to combine. To serve, use tongs or a meat fork to swirl the pasta into buttery, cheesy mounds to pile onto each plate. Top each portion with spoonfuls of remaining sauce. Whoa, Mama!

PASTA SALAD WITH LEMON-PESTO DRESSING

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it.
• Place pesto, lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, tomatoes, scallions and cheese in a large bowl.
• Cook pasta to al dente then cold shock it and chill it down under cold running water. Drain well. Add to mixing bowl. Combine salad and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

LEMON SPAGHETTI

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and drop the spaghetti into the pot.
• Heat a large deep skillet over low heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and garlic and crushed red pepper flakes.
• When the pasta has been cooking about 5 minutes, add lemon juice, a ladle of the cooking water from the pasta and the cream to the garlic and oil. Raise heat a bit to bring sauce to a bubble.
• Drain pasta when it still has a good bite to it, al dente. Add lemon zest and half of the cheese to the cream sauce. Season the sauce with salt, to taste. Add pasta to pan and turn off heat. Toss the pasta with sauce a minute or 2, allowing it time to soak up the sauce.
• Top the plates of pasta or platter with remaining cheese, parsley and basil.

RACHAEL RAY'S MAMACELLO PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to boil.
• Add the pasta and salt the water.
• Cook the pasta until al dente, 6 to 7 minutes.
• Heat a large deep skillet over low heat and add the olive oil.
• When the olive oil is warm, add the garlic and red pepper flakes.
• Turn off the heat and set the garlic aside for 5 minutes, then raise the heat to medium, add the wine and lemon zest and boil to reduce the wine by half, about 3 minutes.
• When the pasta is just about cooked, add a ladle of starchy pasta cooking water to the skillet with the sauce and stir in the heavy cream.
• When the cream is warmed through, whisk the lemon juice into the sauce and season with salt.
• Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce, then let the pasta stand for 1 minute so it can soak up a little of the sauce.
• Toss with the parsley, basil and cheese.
• Serve immediately.