Sarasotas Ham Pea Penne In A Fontina Cheese Sauce Food

SARASOTA'S HAM, PEA, PENNE, IN A FONTINA CHEESE SAUCE

Steps:

• Bread Crumbs -- In a large sauce pan, which you will use for the bacon and finishing the dish, just toast up some bread crumbs. No butter or oil, just heat on medium until the bread toasts up. Once toasty and brown, just remove to a paper towel on the side. This will go in the pasta dish.
• Bacon -- Now, in that same saute pan, add the bacon and saute on medium heat until golden brown and crisp. I don't add additional oil, the bacon will give off enough grease on it's own. Just saute on medium so it doesn't burn. Remove to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain. Don't throw away those drippings.
• Onion -- In the pan with the bacon drippings, save about 1 tablespoon to saute the onion inches Just toss out the rest - you don't want too much grease. Add the onion, garlic and cook until tender. Add in the chopped ham and season with pepper. Hold off on the salt until later, the cheese you will add is salty so we don't want to over salt. Slowly add in the cream and cheese and stir until all melted and creamy. Add the peas and the bacon and cook just another minute on medium to medium low heat. You will add a little of the pasta water to thin it, so don't worry if it is very thick. You can also add a little more cream if you want, but the pasta water is what I prefer.
• Pasta -- Now if using fresh pasta, you know if cooks up in 1/2 the time. If you are using dried, just start the pasta about the same time you start the bacon. Just cook in salted water according to direction.
• Done -- Just finish the dish by adding in the parsley to the ham sauce and then the pasta and toss. If too thick, just add a little pasta water, but this is not meant to be a creamy sauce but just to coat the pasta, so don't make it too creamy.
• Serve -- Just top with the bread crumbs and toss ever so lightly and sprinkle on the remaining parmesan and Enjoy!

BAKED PENNE WITH FONTINA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 9x12-inch baking dish with nonfat cooking spray. Set aside.
• Put on a large pot of water to boil for the pasta.
• Toast the pine nuts in a large skillet over medium heat. When pine nuts are golden brown, add olive oil, garlic, salt, and red chile pepper flakes. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Add tomatoes (break up with a spoon) and oregano. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until sauce thickens.
• While sauce is simmering, cook pasta to according to package directions for "firm". Drain and pour pasta into prepared baking dish. Stir in butter to coat. Add sauce and Parmesan cheese and stir well. Top with Fontina cheese and parsley and place in oven.
• Cook, uncovered, for 8 to 9 minutes or until cheese melts.

CREAMY HAM AND PENNE PASTA

Steps:

• 1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt; add peas last 2 minutes of cook time. Drain; set aside and keep warm.
• 2. In pan used for pasta, combine all remaining ingredients. Cook and stir over medium heat until cheese melts and mixture is bubbly. Stir in pasta and peas.

FOUR-CHEESE PASTA WITH PEAS AND HAM

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until very al dente, about 8 minutes, adding the peas in the last 2 minutes of cooking.
• Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, egg white, evaporated milk and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl.
• Drain the pasta and peas; wipe the pot dry and return the pasta and peas to the pot. Add the butter and stir to coat. Add the cheddar, mozzarella, fontina and the egg mixture. Place the pot over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, 8 to 10 minutes, adding the ham halfway through cooking (don't let the mixture boil or the eggs will scramble). Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the parmesan.

PENNE WITH BUTTER AND FONTINA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter 11x7-inch glass baking dish. Cook penne pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Arrange a third of pasta in prepared dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange half of Fontina cheese slices over pasta. Repeat layering. Top with remaining pasta. Sprinkle pasta with salt and pepper. Dot with butter.
• Bake pasta uncovered until Fontina melts, about 10 minutes. Toss pasta. Bake 2 minutes longer. Season pasta to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle chopped oregano over pasta and serve immediately.

CREAMY PENNE PASTA WITH HAM AND PEAS

Steps:

• Bring large pot of water to boil and add pasta, cooking to al dente.
• Add peas last 2-3 minutes to pasta.
• Scoop out 1 cup pasta water, then drain, and place in a large serving dish.
• Whisk flour into milk (or shake together in a jar) till mixed well.
• In skillet, pour olive oil in and add ham, cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until ham is crispy. Remove to paper towel to drain.
• In sauce pan, melt butter (or use more olive oil) and saute garlic over medium low for about 2-3 minutes (if you love garlic, feel free to add more!).
• Whisk in milk/flour mixture and add chipped cream cheese, whisking till melted into sauce smoothly. Add Parmesan cheese and whisk till incorporated.
• In large dish with pasta and peas, toss in crispy ham, and any other vegetables you want (optional).
• Pour sauce over pasta and mix, pouring in pasta water till nice and creamy.
• Top with more parmesan and fresh ground pepper.
• serve immediately with tossed salad and garlic bread. YUM!

SAUSAGE, FONTINA, AND BELL PEPPER STRATA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 13x9x2- inch ceramic or glass baking dish. Whisk first 7 ingredients in large bowl; sprinkle generously with pepper. Set aside.
• Place sausage in large nonstick skillet; push to 1 side. Add bell pepper to other side of skillet. Sauteacute; over high heat, breaking up sausage with fork, until sausage is cooked through and bell peppers are brown in spots, about 7 minutes.
• Arrange half of bread slices in prepared dish. Pour half of egg mixture over. Sprinkle with half of cheese, then half of sausagepepper mixture. Repeat layering. Let stand 20 minutes, occasionally pressing on bread to submerge. Bake strata until puffed and brown, about 1 hour. Cool slightly.

FILLED FOCACCIA WITH HAM AND MELTED FONTINA

Steps:

• Pop the ingredients for the dough into a bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Set to dough and start.
• Towards the end of the time, prepare the filling by slicing the cheese thinly and separating the slices of ham.
• When the dough is ready, remove from the machine, turn it out onto a lightly foured surface, divide it into two and then roll out one half to form a rough rounded rectangle approx 28 x 20cm.
• Place the rolled out dough onto a baking tray or pizza stone and arrange the slices of ham on top, making sure that they go right up the edges. Follow this with the cheese, then scatter the sage and season well with the pepper. Roll out the remaining dough, lay it on the top of the other half and pinch the edges together to completely enclose the filling. Cover with a clean cloth and leave to puff up for about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to Gas 6/400/200 degrees. When the dough is ready, make about 15 little dimples in it with your finger and press in the sprigs of rosemary. Finally drizzle over the olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the dough is crisp and golden.
• Serve straight from the oven, cut into wedges or squares.

SARASOTA'S ASIAN PENNE, STEAK AND ARUGULA SALAD

Steps:

• Steak -- Rub or brush the steak with olive oil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. And let marinate 2-8 hours. The longer the better, but even 2 hours will give it a nice flavor. I marinate it right in a large baggie.
• Dressing -- Mix together the olive oil, broth, soy sauce, lemon juice, ginger, dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Mix well in a small measuring cup or bowl and set in the refrigerator covered in plastic wrap until ready to use.
• Pasta -- Cook the pasta according to directions. Drain and return to the pot and cover to keep warm.
• Steak -- Now, as the pasta cooks, grill the steak. An inside grill pan works great for this, high heat lightly oiled. Approximately 5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness, until golden brown and crusty and medium rare. Skirt steak only takes minutes and works great for this salad, but feel free to use any of your favorite cuts of beef. Let the steak rest before slicing.
• Salad -- After the steak has rested, slice while still warm, and remember to always slice against the grain, this will give you a very tender slice of steak. In a large bowl, combine the arugula, cucumbers, sun dried tomatoes, onions, and the slightly warm pasta. Top with with sliced steak and toss with the dressing. I love to garnish it with pea shoots which gives a little texture and nice combination with the arugula and or watercress, but it is not necessary.
• This is meant to be a lighter health conscious salad so it is light on sauce - but has tons of flavor. ENJOY!

CREAMY FETTUCCINE WITH HAM AND PEAS

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, cook fettuccine according to package directions; drain. Add the ham, peas, cheese, cream and fettuccine to pan. Cook and stir until heated through.