Basil Ricotta Gnocchi – The Other (Better?) Gnocchi

One of these days, I’ll do a proper potato-based gnocchi video, but it’s hard for me, since I enjoy this style so much more. Sure, once in a while, with the help of perfectly cooked potatoes, and trusty ricer, you’ll nail the classic technique, and achieve beautifully light, tender dumplings; but, that’s how these come out every time. Besides, I’m pretty sure since these don’t use potato, or as much flour, we get to call these “low-carb,” which is nice. 

Anyway, the point is these are easy to pull off, and great for a dinner party, since you can shape/boil your gnocchi ahead of time, and then simply brown them up in some butter when you’re ready to serve.

I tend to keep the plating fairly basic for these, but any of your favorite pasta sauces should work. They're great as a main course, especially if you accessorize with some seasonal vegetables, but "as is," they also make for a stellar side dish, or first course. I really hope you give this basil ricotta gnocchi recipe a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 Portions Basil Ricotta Gnocchi:

12-ounce container whole milk ricotta cheese (1 1/2 cups), *drained well

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup packed fresh basil leaves, blanched in boiling water

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste

1 1/2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan (about 1 not-packed cup)

pinch of cayenne pepper

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

 unsalted butter for optional browning

Note: Cook a test piece of dough in salted water, and check for seasoning. Add more salt if needed

*My fancy basket ricotta tends to be low-moisture, so if you’re using the much wetter supermarket brands, be sure to drain in a strainer in the fridge for a few

hours to allow the excess water to drip out.

Rigatoni alla Genovese – Maybe the Best Meat Sauce You’ve Never Heard Of

I have no idea why this amazingly flavorful Genovese-style meat sauce isn’t way more popular than it is. It’s quite simply one of the best pasta sauces you’ll ever taste, thanks to a very slow cooking process, and massive amounts of onions.

So, I just thought of two really good reasons why this isn’t way more popular. The recipe takes you a good 10 hours to make. In case you haven’t heard, this is roughly 9.9 hours longer than your typical Millennial is willing to spend doing something.

Also, slicing six pounds of raw onions by hand is no one’s idea of a great time. And no, you can’t use a food processor, or veggie cutting gizmo you bought at 2AM. These machines will crush and bruise the onions, releasing harsh compounds that negatively alter the taste. Cut your onions by hand, with a sharp knife, or not at all.

As I suggest in the video, cut them one or two at a time, near a breezy window, while you brown the meat, and you’ll be done in no time. Once everything is prepped, the recipe couldn’t be easier. Simmer until the meat and onions melt into each other, and serve. I really hope you give this very old, virtually unknown, but very tasty meat sauce a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for enough sauce for 2 pounds of dry rigatoni (8 servings):

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 ounces pancetta or salt pork, diced

2 1/2 pounds beef chuck, seasoned with 2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 cup diced celery

1/2 cup diced carrot

1 rounded tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

2/3 cup white wine

4 pounds yellow onions, sliced

2 pounds red onions, sliced

water or broth as needed to adjust liquid level during simmering

salt to taste

-- To serve, simmer finished sauce with al dente pasta for a few minutes until pasta is cooked through. Finish with fresh marjoram, cayenne, and grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Oxtail Ragu – Worth the Wait

Other than a completely unnecessary braising step right in the middle of the video, this oxtail ragu came out amazingly well. My thought was to roast the oxtails in the sauce, in a slow oven to see if I could achieve the tender-sticky meat I know and love, while slowly reducing the sauce at the same time. I couldn’t. 

Well, actually, it would have eventually gotten tender, but I wasn’t prepared to find out how long that was going to be. Like I said several times during the video, I want you to roast your oxtail and onion until nicely browned, but then transfer everything into a pot, add the rest of the ingredients, and simmer until the meat comes off the bones with minimal effort.

The only way to screw up this incredibly succulent cut of beef is to not cook it long enough, which is why I better not read any 3-star recipe reviews that say, “Good flavor, but wasn’t as tender as I wanted.” Just remember to not braise, and keep simmering until it yields completely to your fork. I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

(Pro tip: since this does take so many hours to simmer, it's almost always best to make this the day before you serve it)

3-4 pounds oxtail, cut into 2-inch sections, rubbed with olive oil, and seasoned generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

1 large yellow onion, diced

6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

-- Roast at 425 F. for 45-60 minutes until browned

-- Transfer into a sauce pot, and add the following

1/4 cup sherry vinegar

4 cups tomato sauce or puree, or more if desired

2 cups chicken broth, or enough to cover the oxtails

* You can add as much sauce and/or stock as you want, as long as you have at least enough to cover

1 sprig rosemary

2 springs thyme

2 springs oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes

- Simmer on low, many hours, until tender

- Should be enough sauce and meat for 1 pound of pasta

One-Pot Chicken & Sausage Orzo – Tastes Like You Used at Least 3 or 4 Pots

There’s something extra satisfying about a recipe like this one-pot chicken and sausage orzo, where you just basically dump the ingredients in a pot, and wait until it’s cooked. Sure, you have to stir it a few times, and it helps if you add stuff in the right order, but for how delicious this comes out, you’re doing very little actual work.

Having said that, there are a few variables involved, so you will have to really keep and eye on the pot for the entire 10-15 minutes, or however long it takes. The size of the orzo “grain” can really vary, so be sure to check for doneness early, and stop when it’s 95% tender, as it will continue to soften as you complete the final steps.

I like to keep a little extra broth on the side, in case my mixture gets too dry, and the pasta is not yet cooked. Just splash some in and keep on stirring. On the other hand, if your pasta is cooked and there is a little too much liquid, well, that’s life. You’ll just be enjoying an extra “saucy” dish that day.

Of course this will work with countless combos of sausage, veggies, and other small-sized pastas, so go forth and multiply. By the way, the nice thing about using a very flavorful sausage, like a spicy Italian, is that most of the seasoning is done for you. Or, go with fresh ground meat, and you can flavor it any way you want. No matter what you use, I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 (6 ounce) spicy Italian sausages, casing removed

1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces, OR 2 chicken breasts, cut into bit sized pieces

3 cups chicken broth, plus more as needed
1/2 cup tomato sauce

1 1/2 cups uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

2 tablespoons sliced fresh chives

4 tablespoons ricotta cheese to garnish

Summer Vegetable Cavatelli with Fresh Corn “Cream” – Corn Not Cows!

There’s a restaurant near us that features a burrata-filled tortellini, served in a cream sauce fortified with fresh, sweet corn. It’s a wonderful dish, and was the inspiration for this simple, summer vegetable cavatelli.

I was going to use reduced cream, with fresh, pureed corn stirred in at the end, but then I had a thought. What if skipped the dairy altogether, and made the sauce 100% cob-based? I was also out of cream.

So, I blended the fresh corn with some chicken broth, and ended up with what looked like corn milk. At first, I thought I’d made it too thin, but after a few tests reducing some in a pan, I realized it was thickening up beautifully.

While I was very happy with this, in hindsight, I’d do a few things differently next time. I went with pancetta, but I think the smokiness of bacon would have made this even more delicious. I also think you should probably add the corn cream to the vegetables, and bring it to a simmer before the pasta is added.

Of course, this recipe will work with whatever fresh seasonal vegetables you happen to find at the market, as long as its something that tastes good with sweet corn. In related news, everything tastes good with sweet corn. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

For the corn “cream” (will make more than needed for the recipe)

2 ears fresh white corn, or other sweet corn

2 cups chicken broth or water

For the pasta:

2 cups cavatelli

1 tbsp olive oil

4 ounces diced bacon or pancetta (sausage would also work nicely)

1/2 cup diced sweet red pepper

1 1/2 cup diced zucchini

pinch of cayenne

salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 to 2 cups corn “cream,” or as needed

1 cup halved sweet cheery tomatoes

1 tbsp chopped Italian parsley

1 tbsp finely sliced basil leaves

grated Parmigiano Reggiano

PASTA PARCEL MADE IN AIRFRYER

Method 

For Parcel : Mix 1 cup flour,  salt and water to make dough. Apply little oil and & keep aside 

For Filling : Boil pasta with some salt one table spoon oil. when cooked filter the excess water. Saute chopped garlic, green chilly, onions, add grama masala, tomatoes paste and salt. Finally add pasta and cook with a covered lid on low flame.

Finally make small ball of the dough roll them into circle with a rolling pin. Fill the pasta filling and fold them as shown in pic. Seal the edge using water. Airfry them for 200 degree for 15 minutes till golden brown. Serve hot with Sauce!!

Honey Dijon Pasta Salad

Honey Dijon Pasta Salad

Leftovers from the weekly Sunday roast dinner often provide sliced roast beef, ham or turkey to serve for lunch or even a quick dinner on a busy Monday at our house. Mondays are sometimes a bit of a food free for all around here. With the scattered timing all the after school and early evening activities the kids are involved in a sit down hot meal is not always possible. That's when a quickly put together pasta salad is most appreciated as fuel-to-go.

I did manage to make some delicious oven fried BBQ spice chicken on this occasion. Fried chicken and pasta salad often remind me of picnic food. With the weather as cold as it has been this week, reminders of summer picnics are pretty welcome too.

Honey Dijon Pasta Salad

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Easy Honey Dijon Pasta Salad - a great lunch item, side dish, pot luck addition or picnic take along recipe.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 - 6 servings

Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked pasta, (i.e. fusilli, penne, rotini...)
• 1/2 cup finely diced red pepper
• 1/2 cup deseeded cucumber, diced small
• 3 tbsp Parmesan Cheese, finely grated
• !/4 cup toasted pine nuts (optional)
• HONEY DIJON SALAD DRESSING
• 1 lemon, juice and finely grated zest
• 2 tbsp whole grain Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• salt and pepper to season

Cooking Directions

1. Whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing.
2. Pour over the other ingredients and toss together well.
3. Chill well.
4. Keeps a couple of days in the fridge. 

Leftover Chicken and Bacon Spaghetti

Leftover Chicken and Bacon Spaghetti

Sometimes the best laid dinner plans don't work out. My plans for our family favorite no fuss Chicken Parmesan went out the window when Olivia's school play rehearsals went long, Noah got invited to a friend's for dinner and Spouse was late coming home from work. Not wanting to keep the fresh chicken breasts in the fridge for another day, I just simply seasoned and grilled them and figured we could use them for sandwiches or something over the next couple of days.

The next day, schedules shifted again, this time in the other direction when we suddenly had to have dinner earlier than usual. This is where that leftover chicken came into great use. In a fridge clearing exercise, there was bacon, bell peppers and already opened canned tomatoes that needed to be used so I set out to make a smoky bacon tomato sauce to serve with the chicken. I stirred in some grated Parmesan cheese and a little smoked paprika added a further smoky note to the sauce which in the end turned out absolutely delicious. The key here was not to add the already cooked chicken until the very end so it stayed moist and tender and stayed together in nice bite sized pieces. I'm sure leftover roast chicken would work just as well and the recipe was so successful, I know we will be using this one as a go-to recipe in the future too.

Leftover Chicken and Bacon Spaghetti

Leftover Chicken and Bacon Spaghetti - a terrific recipe that turns leftover chicken into a delicious new version of family favorite spaghetti dinner.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked chicken, diced
• 1/2 pound crisp cooked smoked bacon, chopped in small pieces
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cups pureed canned tomatoes (San Marzano if possible)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika 
• 1/4 tsp chili flakes (optional)
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika 
• 1 large bell pepper, diced small
• 4 servings cooked spaghetti pasta
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cooking Directions

1. Begin by making the sauce. In a medium saucepan heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium low flame and sauté the minced garlic for about 30 seconds.
2. Add the pureed tomatoes, smoked paprika, oregano, chili flakes, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, crisp cooked bacon, salt and pepper.
3. Simmer over low flame for about 20 minutes.
4. Add the cooked diced chicken and bell peppers in the last 5 minutes of cooking time. Stir in the Parmesan cheese at the end.
5. Serve over the cooked spaghetti with a generous sprinkle of additional Parmesan cheese.

Leftover Chicken and Bacon Spaghetti

Spinach Pesto Pappardelle

Spinach Pesto Pappardelle

I'd never made spinach pesto before but with half a large bag desperately in need of being put to good use I decided to give it a try for lunch. The kids in particular loved it and Olivia even had the pasta for lunch again the next day.

I was a little worried about using the spinach completely fresh as you would use basil in pesto, mainly because I wanted to preserve the color, so I blanched it and patted it dry between layers of paper towels. That method worked like a charm and the color was just as bright and inviting in the leftover refrigerated pesto even 2 days later.

This recipe is a great way to get the kids to eat their spinach and makes for a great side dish as well as a delicious lunch.

• about 4 cups baby spinach leaves (1 cup wilted spinach)

Have a large bowl of ice water standing by. Drop the spinach into boiling water for only about 30 seconds. Drain immediately and plunge the spinach into the ice water. Drain and lay the spinach out on a few layers of paper towels and pat them dry before adding them to a blender or food processor along with:

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• pinch black pepper
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
• 2 cloves finely minced garlic

I toast the pine nuts in the oven on a cookie sheet for a few minutes but you can toss them in a non stick saute pan for a couple of minutes until they begin to brown a little. Either way, watch them carefully, they can burn quickly. Process on medium speed until the spinach and other ingredients begin to form a paste, then reduce the speed to low and begin slowly drizzling in:

• 1/2 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil

If you want to use the pesto as a dip you can cut back on the amount of olive oil to make it thicker.

Makes enough pesto to coat about 1/2 pound dry pasta when cooked, like pappardelle; enough for 4 servings.

Store any leftovers in the fridge.

Spinach Pesto

Prosciutto Pork Tenderloin Marsala: NEW VIDEO RECIPE

Prosciutto Pork Tenderloin Marsala

Here's the second dish in our three week long Valentine's Day dinner for two web video series with CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. The main course is this beautiful Prosciutto Pork Tenderloin Marsala which uses the "pan rushing" cooking method, combining pan searing and roasting to prepare this succulent pork dish much faster than you might think.

After pan searing, as the prosciutto wrapped, tender pork roasts, the easy Marsala and mushroom sauce is easily put together in the same pan. It all comes together served over a bed of your favorite pasta in a meal that's sure to set your sweetheart's taste buds and heart aflutter.

Here are the links for the other two courses in this Sweetheart Dinner:

Shrimp Cakes with Lime Cilantro Aioli

Raspberry Cream Profiteroles with Three Dipping Sauces

For mobile users, if the video does not load below, please click this link.



Prosciutto Pork Tenderloin Marsala

•    1 ½ pounds pork tenderloin (1 large tenderloin)
•    3 to 4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
•    2 tbsp olive oil

Remove any silver skin from the pork and lightly season the pork tenderloin with salt and pepper. Wrap the whole pork tenderloin in the thinly sliced prosciutto. Secure with toothpicks. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and pan sear the outside of the wrapped tenderloin for just a few minutes. Place in a shallow baking pan and roast uncovered until an internal temperature of above 150 degrees F is reached. Remove from oven and let the meat rest for 5 minutes before removing the toothpicks and slicing into medallions.

As the meat rests, prepare the Marsala Sauce.

To the sauté pan add:

•    2 tbsp olive oil
•    2 tbsp butter
•    2 cups sliced mushrooms (baby bells, crimini or button work well)
•    Salt and pepper to lightly season

Sauté for about 5 or six minutes until the mushrooms begin to color but after about 3 minutes add:

•    1 clove chopped garlic
•    1 small shallot minced

Sauté until the shallot softens.

Add 1 tbsp all purpose four and cook for another minute before adding:

•    ½ cup dry Marsala wine

Simmer until the volume is reduced by about half then add:

•    3/4 cup pork or chicken stock

Simmer until this volume is reduced at least by half. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed to season. If the sauce thickens too quickly just add a little more stock to thin it out.

Add a splash of cream or a pat of butter to finish the sauce.

Slice the rested pork and place on a bed of cooked pasta before spooning on the Marsala Sauce.

Shrimp Cakes with Lime Cilantro Aioli

Prosciutto Pork Tenderloin Marsala

Raspberry Cream Profiteroles with Three Dipping Sauces

NEW VIDEO RECIPE: Dijon Chicken Linguine with Crimini Mushrooms and Toasted Almonds

Dijon Chicken Linguine with Crimini Mushrooms and Toasted Almonds

Our video recipe collaboration with CBC Newfoundland and Labrador adds a new entry today with one of the most popular chicken recipes that we've ever had on Rock Recipes. To date it has had very near 600 THOUSAND hits on the website, along with numerous testimonials and rave reviews on our social media outlets. Many people have tried it over the past few years and it is one of those recipes we very often hear that people make over and over again.

The recipe is quite simple and based upon a restaurant dish I had many years ago. While the recipe can quite rightly be considered a "quick and easy" meal, it is also one I have served many times to guests at dinner, whether they are last minute friends dropping over or guests at well planned dinner parties. It really is versatile enough to be served casually or at a dressed up dinner. Fresh pasta, whether you make your own or buy it packaged, is sort of a must here but I won't tell if dry pasta is all you have on hand. If you want a recipe for homemade pasta click here to find it in our recipe for Chicken Parmesan Lasagna.

CLICK HERE FOR THE COMPLETE RECIPE

For Iphone, Ipad and other mobile users if the video does not appear below, please CLICK HERE.

VIDEO RECIPE : Turkey Parmesan Baked Rotini

Turkey Parmesan Baked Rotini

This is Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada and in the post celebration turkey haze, the inevitable question arises of what to do with that leftover turkey. In today's weekly episode in my web series with CBC Newfoundland and Labrador, I tackle that question with one of the most delicious baked pasta dishes ever and it's as easy to make as homemade mac and cheese.

For many more leftover turkey ideas, click here to see this collection of 18 leftover turkey recipes.

Click here to get the complete recipe for Turkey Parmesan Baked Rotini.

For iPhone, iPad or other mobile users who do not see the video load below  

PLEASE CLICK HERE