rigatoni with chipotle cream sauce

bigrig main

Apologies for the long delay in posting – those of you who follow me on facebook I had to take a work trip to Mesa Verde National Park. For those of you aren’t familiar with it, it’s a national park located just outside of Mancos, Colorado… more on that to come later. For now, I will reward your patience with a delicious pasta recipe 🙂

Around here, we have a restaurant called Oregano’s, and at Oregano’s they have something called “the big rig pasta.” The big rig pasta consists of rigatoni in a spicy tomato-chipotle cream sauce. Crazy, right? Initially I was conflicted, what on earth is chipotle doing with pasta? But I love chipotle… So the shock faded away and was replaced with my undying love of all things chipotle.

Once I tasted the “big rig” pasta, I was hooked. When the craving struck, I was thinking about it for days. Seriously, days. Oregano’s isn’t a restaurant we can really go to very often because it’s always crowded. Even at “old person” dinner time, which is when BF and I like to eat, there is usually an unreasonably long wait. As much as I love Oregano’s, I do not love it enough to sit in the hot Arizona sun for an hour while we wait for a table to open up. The only way for me to satisfy this craving was to (attempt to) recreate the dish at home.

I used just a basic tomato cream sauce, and added a chipotle pepper (or two) to it. How much you add really just depends on how spicy you want it. If you add too much, the cream will help to mellow it out a bit, but not completely (it’s always easier to add more than to take it away). When I served it initially for dinner, it actually was a little bit shy of the amount of cream the sauce really needed. I adjusted the cream for round two and it had a much more rounded, well-balanced (less fiery) flavor. All-in-all, I consider this a win. It’ll get me through those tough times when I just need a “big rig” fix, but don’t want to have to wait around for it.

Chipotle-Tomato Cream Sauce

[ Printable Recipe ]

  • 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil (enough to cover the bottom of your pan)
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 small carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 2 small celery ribs, chopped
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 – 2 chipotle peppers, minced
  • 1 28-oz can whole tomatoes
  • Salt & pepper
  • 1/2 cup (more or less) heavy cream
  • Fresh basil
  • Pasta, cooked according to package directions (I used rigatoni)
  1. Warm the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute, stirring, until the vegetables are softened but not browned. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir again to coat. Add garlic and stir until fragrant.
  2. Add tomatoes and crush with a spoon. Cover and cook at a gentle simmer for 45 minutes, or until the vegetables are completely tender. Stir and add chipotles & 4 basil leafs for last 15 minutes of cooking, simmering with lid slightly ajar.
  3. Remove basil and puree the sauce using an immersion blender (you can use a regular blender or food processor, but you will have to do it in batches and there will be lots of transferring of hot liquids and the like).
  4. Once pureed, stir in ¼ cup cream and place back over medium/medium-low heat, and bring the sauce just to a simmer.  Taste and adjust the seasoning, with salt and pepper, add more cream if desired. Add extra basil on top before serving.

* Sauce may be stored as is in refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.  If freezing, leave out the cream until you reheat the sauce, adding in the last 10 minutes of simmering before serving.

 

in honor of summer fiestas – salsa

salsa main

I’ve been hiding this recipe for some time now from my friend, Rob. All that he wanted ever since I started blogging (and really, before I started blogging) was a good salsa recipe. I tried to blackmail him in exchange for him learning wp code and making me a beautiful, glorious webpage… but he held out. What a little turd, right? Oh well, I will give you this delicious salsa recipe anyway. Know why? Because I like you that much. (Close your eyes, Rob!)

I don’t blame him for needing a salsa recipe – I struggled with finding a good one for a long time. No matter what I did, I just couldn’t achieve that restaurant-y salsa that I so badly wanted. I finally just gave up, I could still make pico- and if I must resolve myself to a lifetime of fresh pico – so be it! Never in a thousand years would I have imagined the key to unlocking great tasting restaurant style salsa was in a can.

Crazy, right? All this time I thought it was the fresh ingredients, maybe some secret black market spices, I wasn’t quite sure. I was positive fresh ingredients were an important part… then I saw PW’s recipe. The only recipe that was different from all the ones I’d tried before – using canned tomatoes. Canned?!? I can honestly say that I never in my life thought I would put a can of “Ro-Tel” in my shopping cart, let alone two… I guess there’s a first time for everything… Now that I know the secret of the can, I can adapt this salsa recipe into pretty much endless variations (and now, so can you).

It makes a lot though – so invite some friends over to share. You need them or else you will eat it… all of it. You will just black out and wake up with an empty salsa container and no chips… you poor thing, you. You don’t even know what you’re in for… Congratulations on your new crack salsa addiction. 🙂

Restaurant-Style Salsa – Adapted from PW

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  • 1 can (28 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes With Juice
  • 1-2 cans (10 Ounce) Rotel (diced Tomatoes And Green Chilies) OR if you are like my sister and are afraid of heat – you can just add 2 cans of diced tomatoes – no chiles!
  • 1 small onion, roughly chopped
  • 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
  • 1/2 jalapeno, chopped (optional)
  • 1/4 tsp Sugar
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground cumin (I used a little less)
  • 1/2 C cilantro
  • 1/2 lime, juiced

1. Throw everything in the blender, then process to desired consistency. Done-zo!

2. Salt & Pepper to taste, if you think it needs it.

Ok, that’s basically it, but since I like to make life more difficult and am maybe medium control-freak, I put the tomatoes only from the can of whole tomatoes, and reserved the liquid so that I could adjust the salsa to be as thick (or thin) as I wanted. Process without the liquid – then add the liquid in as you see fit (if you think it needs it)

Also, if you do ONLY canned tomatoes, you can use fresh peppers of any kind to your liking – which is better to control taste and heat than using Rotel

Pasta al Pomodoro

pasta pomodoro

I don’t know if anyone subscribes to Bon Appetit, but May’s issue had a KILLER cover picture. It was just a simple pasta pomodoro, but it looked A-MAY-ZING. After wiping the drool from my chin, I decided I had to make it. I really think I’m the only person who loves a simple spaghetti with red sauce… However, since my kitchen was in pieces at that time, I marked the recipe page and went along with my life. A couple of days ago, I was cleaning and was elated to stumble upon that magazine again. Realizing I already had all of the ingredients it called for, I immediately got to work.

The May issue was packed with all kinds of “secrets” to making perfect pasta. Things most people know, like adding salt to your pasta water, reserving some of the pasta’s cooking water for your sauce, and adding cheese to your sauce (not just on top of it). It also had some new tips, like using a skillet instead of a large pan, adding butter when you toss the pasta, and finishing the pasta for the last couple minutes in the sauce, so that it absorbs the flavor of the sauce while it finishes cooking.

 

The recipe isn’t anything mind-blowing, just another simple (but enjoyable) pasta sauce recipe. It actually doesn’t vary a whole lot from my current pasta sauce recipe, but I just couldn’t help myself.

We used bowtie pasta (per BF’s request) instead of spaghetti or bucatini. I also feel bad whenever I eat an entree that is void of protein, so I seared some chicken breasts, chopped them up, and added them to the sauce while it simmered. Topped with freshly-grated parmesan and pecorino, this pasta was easy to make and a delight to eat.

Pasta al Pomodoro – from Bon Appetit

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  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, minced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 28 oz. can peeled tomatoes, purĂ©ed
  • Kosher salt
  • 3 large fresh basil sprigs
  • 12 oz. pasta
  • 2 Tbsp. cubed unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan or Pecorino (I used both)
  • 1 – 2 cooked chicken breasts, cubed or shredded* (optional)
  1. Heat extra-virgin olive oil in a 12″ skillet over medium-low heat. Add minced onion and cook, stirring, until soft, about 12 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 2-4 minutes. (Make sure it doesn’t burn- burned garlic is bitter!!) Add crushed red pepper flakes and continue to cook another minute.
  2. Increase heat to medium and add puréed tomatoes and season lightly with kosher salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens slightly and the flavors meld, about 20 minutes.** (see tips) Remove pan from heat, stir in basil sprigs, and set aside.
  3. Meanwhile, cook your pasta! Bring water to a boil in a 5-qt. pot. Season with salt; add pasta and cook. Remove 2 minutes before tender and drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking water.
  4. Discard basil and heat skillet over high heat. Stir in reserved pasta water to loosen sauce and bring it to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring, until sauce coats pasta and pasta is al dente, about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat; add butter and cheese; toss until cheese melts

*Tips

*Purchase canned, whole tomatoes and puree them before adding them to your sauce. You can puree your tomatoes in the food processor, with a food mill, or an immersion blender.

*You can add your chicken at step 2 (while it simmers) or step 3 (when you add the pasta). Adding it earlier will result in it absorbing more of the flavor from the sauce, though.

*While my pasta simmers, I cover it with aluminum foil or parchment with a hole cut out- allowing the sauce to be able to reduce without making a huge tomato-y mess on my stove and counter.

simple red sauce

red sauce main
This isn’t about the meatballs, or the pasta, or the cheese. This, my friends, is about the sauce. You know all those complicated recipes for red sauce that you’ve read over the years? With secret blends of secret spices, with food mills, sugar, someone’s grandmother’s “secret ingredient”? Simmer for 40 hours, stirring constantly, standing on one leg while humming an authentic Italian tune? Smoke and mirrors, my friends, smoke and mirrors. Continue reading

Penne alla Vodka

penne vodka

I think the thing that appeals to me most about this recipe is that I can cook it in the oven instead of having to keep a watchful eye over the stove. If you’ve ever tried to make a home-made tomato sauce, you’re probably familiar with simmer, stir, simmer, stir, simmer, simmer, stir, stir. Not this one! You simply start it on the stove top and then transfer it to a nice, hot oven for 1 ½ hours while you get to sit back and relax (or unload the dishes, maybe play a little Wii, whatever floats your boat). After that, you puree it with an immersion blender and stir in some cream- Done!

I  like to stir in some shredded chicken, either leftovers from roasted chicken breast, or from a store-bought rotisserie chicken (cheater, cheater- I know). That way it adds some protein, and relieves some of the guilt that I feel about eating a creamy pasta sauce.

The sauce is also really good without any cream added (although it’s no longer a traditional vodka sauce if you do that), but I would definitely tone down the spice if you’re not cutting it with any cream. I also made some little baguettes with dinner, but forgot to take pictures of them, so that recipe will have to wait for another day…

Penne alla Vodka (+ Chicken) – Adapted from Barefoot Contessa

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Special Equipment – Immersion blender or food processor

  • 1-2 Tbsp olive oil (enough to saute an onion with)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes* (see notes)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 cup vodka
  • 2 (28-ounce) cans peeled plum tomatoes
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 3/4 pound penne pasta
  • 4 tablespoons fresh oregano (optional)
  • Up to 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 c grated Parmesan Cheese, plus extra for topping your pasta
  • 1 to 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (optional)

1. Heat oil over medium/med-high heat in a large oven-safe pot, swirl around to cover the bottom of your pan. Add onion and sauté until translucent, but not brown (about 5 minutes) . Add garlic and cook stirring until fragrant (about a minute).

2. Add red pepper flakes and dried oregano, cook while stirring for another minute. Add the vodka and cook until it is reduced by half.

3. While the vodka is cooking (or before you start at all), drain your tomatoes. Once the vodka is reduced by half, add tomatoes to the pan. Using a spoon, smash/break them up so they are no longer whole. (Be careful- they squirt!) Add 2 tsp salt and a few grinds of black pepper, then cover and put the pan in the oven for 1 ½ hours.

4. When there is about 30 minutes left, bring salted water to a boil; cook & drain your pasta.

5. After your 1 ½ hours has passed, carefully remove the pan from the oven (remember that it’s hot you will need oven mits!) and let sit for about 15 minutes to cool. It might look like it has dried out, but don’t worry! Once you puree the sauce it’ll look normal 🙂

6. Puree the sauce either with an immersion blender or very carefully in a blender or food processor (in batches). *see tips below

7. Reheat the sauce over low. Once warm, add enough cream to make the sauce “creamy” (I am usually skimpy with the cream, for my waist’s sake, adding just enough to bring it to a pretty pink color) and fresh oregano. This is where I would also stir in warmed, shredded chicken. Let cook for a couple minutes, then stir in ½ cup of grated parmesan cheese. Taste & adjust seasoning as necessary.

Tips

*To keep this dish vegetarian-friendly – just leave the chicken out!

*The ½ tsp of red pepper flakes doesn’t seem like much, but it really does spice up the sauce quite a bit, so if you aren’t a fan of spicy food you may want to put in less or just omit it altogether. 

*While an immersion blender is easiest, (because you can do it right in the pot), you may also use a regular blender or food processor. I don’t recommend using a blender, since the steam/heat can mess with the vacuum it creates, but if it’s all you’ve got then go for it. Just be careful! After pureeing, return the sauce to the pan and continue to the next step.

*If you want a chunkier sauce, just puree half of the sauce and stir it into the rest of the sauce.

*If you know you’re going to end up with a ton of extra sauce, before you add the cream, pour some into a container and put it in the fridge. Once cool, transfer to a labeled freezer-safe plastic bag and throw it in the freezer. You can just reheat it when you’re ready! Remember to adjust remaining ingredients as necessary.

*If the sauce tastes a little flat, try adding a couple teaspoons of balsamic vinegar or sugar.

*If you don’t have any fresh oregano (which I never do, unless I plan ahead of time to make this), you can either substitute 3-4 tsp of dried oregano for the 4 Tbsp fresh, or just skip it altogether.

*If you’re preparing this in advance, stop just after pureeing (before adding the cream) and refrigerate. When you’re ready to serve, reheat over low/medium-low (with chicken, if using) in a covered pot. Once warm, add the cream and cheese.