Pasta

love this awesome penne with tomatoes, sausage, olives and cheese.

August 1, 2024 by Becky Spoon

Wow, this Penne with Tomatoes, Italian Sausage, Olives and Two Cheeses is incredibly flavorful and mouthwatering! It’s the ultimate pasta dish for any occasion, whether you’re hosting a big gathering or just want to indulge yourself with a smaller portion.

This recipe, originally published in Bon Appetit in 1995, is quite well-known. However, I personally feel that the original ingredients lack sufficient juiciness, prompting me to make a few adjustments. Additionally, I’ve included Italian sausage which I believe greatly enhances the overall flavor.

what ingredients do you need to make this delicious recipe?

olive oil
Italian sausage links, casings removed or ground Italian sausage
chopped onion
minced garlic
Italian Plum tomatoes I use San Marzano
dried basil
dried crushed red pepper
canned low-salt chicken broth or homemade
penne, rigatoni or ziti I used ziti
grated Havarti Cheese
sliced pitted brine-cured olives like Kalamata
parmesan cheese
chopped fresh basil

which tomatoes are the best or this recipe?

I chose Cento San Marzano organic tomatoes, but there are other brands just as good. Cento is readily available at my local HEB. Regardless of the brand, I recommend using authentic San Marzano tomatoes from Italy. You might come across San Marzano tomatoes labeled Italian Style, which are also good, but I prefer the ones that are the Product of Italy. They are sweet, in a thick broth, and truly the best. Click this link for my preferred Italian tomato choice in this dish: https://amzn.to/3LMOMML

Here is another favorite:https://amzn.to/4c5G72t

Need another great recipe using these delicious tomatoes?

Try my Chicken Cacciatore. Here’s the link: http://chicken cacciatore. This is a delicious recipe. It is a perfect dish when you are craving comfort food.

Try this easy recipe that uses a San Marzano pureed tomatoes; Instant Pot Meat Sauce easy instant pot meat sauce with pasta…

I hope you try these delicious recipes! They are delicious!

the best – penne with tomatoes, italian sausage, olives and two cheeses.

Hope you like this recipe and try it soon! I think it will become a favorite!

Penne with Tomatoes, olives and Two Cheeses

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Servings: 8 servings

Course: dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

6 tbsp olive oil
3-4 Italian sausage links, casings removed
2 cups chopped onion
2 tsp minced garlic
4 28 oz cans Italian Plum tomatoes I use San Marzano
2 tsp dried basil
1 1/2 tsp dried crushed red pepper
2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth or homemade
1 lb penne, rigatoni or ziti I used ziti
2 1/2 cups packed grated Havarti Cheese
1/2 cup sliced pitted brine-cured olives like Kalamata
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Method

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the Italian sausage and cook breaking up with a wooden spoon. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until onion is translucent about 5 minutes. Mix in tomatoes dried basil and crushed red pepper. Crush tomatoes with a potato masher or with the back of your spoon to break into smaller pieces. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat then place a lid and simmer about an hour. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm over low heat before continuing.)
Preheat the oven to 375. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender, but still firm. Drain well.
Return the pasta to the same pot. Toss with 3 tablespoons oil. Pour the sauce over and toss to blend. Mix in the Havarti Cheese. Transfer to a 13×9 baking dish. Sprinkle with the 1/2 cup of olives, then Parmesan.
Bake until pasta is heated through, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh basil.

bucatini with easy bolognese! bon appetite!

September 15, 2021 by Becky Spoon

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Oh how I love this Bucatini with Easy Bolognese recipe! This is such a comforting dish and it comes together in 30 minutes! Throw some delicious garlic bread into the mix, a nice salad and this is a perfect weeknight meal for your hungry family.

bucatini with easy bolognese! bon appetite!

What is Bolognese?

“Bolognese sauce known in Italian as ragù alla bolognese, ragù bolognese, or simply ragu) is a meat-based sauce in Italian cuisine, typical of the city of Bologna. It is customarily used to dress tagliatelle al ragù and to prepare lasagne alla bolognese.

Genuine ragù alla bolognese is a slowly cooked meat-based sauce, and its preparation involves several techniques, including sweating, sautéing and braising. Ingredients include a characteristic soffritto of onion, celery and carrot, different types of minced or finely chopped beef, often alongside small amounts of fatty pork. White wine, milk, and a small amount of tomato paste or tomatoes are added, and the dish is then gently simmered at length to produce a thick sauce.”

Although we love the all day cooking of a proper bolognese, this is quick and easy and can substitute in a pinch. I do have a closer to authentic bolognese recipe and here it is when you have time: Hearty, Satisfying Bolognese Sauce

bucatini with easy bolognese! bon appetite!

So, truth is sometimes store bought is fine. Just because we’re using a store bought red sauce, we are still using the required sofrito, heavy cream or milk and I used 80/20 ground beef and ground pork that lends to the fat required for a proper bolognese that develops after hours of cooking with different cuts of meats.

I used Rao’s Arrabiata Sause. https://amzn.to/2Z0VqK9

I like it because it has a little kick, likely red pepper flakes, but a marinara sauce will work great. This is a hearty meat sauce so it will stand up to a pasta like bucatini or pappardelle.

Any leftover sauce is perfect for lasagna. Here’s my lasagna recipe using Bolognese. the best lasagna bolognese with spinach and béchamel.

bucatini with easy bolognese! bon appetite!

I hope you love this easy Bolognese sauce recipe.

bucatini with easy bolognese! bon appetite!

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup grated carrot
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup chopped onions
1 lb ground beef (I use 80/20)
1 lb ground pork
1 25 oz marinara (I used Rao's Arrabiata)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
16 oz bucatini or pappardelle
parmesan cheese

Method

In a large saucepan heat olive oil over medium heat. Add in carrots along with celery and onions and sauté until they're just tender. Add the ground beef and ground pork, and cook until browned, breaking up the meat as you stir.
Pour in the jar of store-bought marinara sauce along with salt and pepper and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens.
When the Bolognese sauce has reached your desired consistency, stir in the heavy cream.

love this creamy baked macaroni and cheese.

September 10, 2021 by Becky Spoon

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You also will love this creamy Baked Macaroni and Cheese! Honestly, there are few that don’t love Macaroni and Cheese. It is a side dish so versatile that you can serve it along side so many main courses. For instance,

Meat Loaf The Best – Mom’s Meatloaf
Oven Fried Chicken Mom’s Super Oven Fried Chicken
Pork Chops perfect for a Sunday lunch or dinner – delicious southern smothered pork chops.

This is the perfect dish to have with just other vegetables. A pot of beans and cornbread. Mustard greens and mac n’ cheese are the perfect combination.

love this creamy baked macaroni and cheese.

I like to use the large elbow macaroni shells. I think they are the best for this dish. I know some like to use Penne but I really like the elbow shells. I bought these the other day and they were great: https://amzn.to/3BYSz2w. A nice brand and the shells were big.

Ronzoni Large Elbows Pasta No. 74 (3 Boxes)

Don’t let Macaroni and Cheese intermediate you if you haven’t made it before and please make it from scratch. There are just a few easy steps.

Boil the pasta and drain.
Make the cheese sauce by combining the butter and flour and whisking in the cream/milk.
Cook the sauce until it has thickened
Add the shredded cheeses and combine until melted.
Combine cheese sauce with cooked pasta.
Transfer half of the mac and cheese to a baking dish, add some of the shredded cheese.
Top with the remaining macaroni and cheese and top with the remaining shredded cheese.
Dot the finished mac and cheese with Velveeta cubes.

You can use your choice of cheeses. In this recipe I just used Medium Cheddar, Monterrey Jack Cheese and Velveeta. Other cheeses I like to use in Mac n Cheese are Muenster, Gouda, Gruyere, Fontina, Colby and American.

love this creamy baked macaroni and cheese.

Here you go with this great recipe! I hope you enjoy it! Let me know what you think!

Creamy Baked Macaroni and Cheese

You will love this creamy Baked Macaroni and Cheese! Honestly, there are few that don't love Macaroni and Cheese. It is a side dish so versatile that you can serve it along side so many main courses.

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Servings: 4 servings

Course: easy side dish, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

2 cups large elbow macaroni
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
pinch smoked paprika
1 cup mild to medium cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup Monterrey Jack Cheese, grated
6-8 1 inch cubes Velveeta cheese

Method

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter your casserole dish.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until tender. Drain the pasta.
While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce. Melt the butter in a large sauce pan. Add the flour and cook, while whisking a couple of minutes until it starts to turn a little tan in color.
Add the heavy cream and milk and cook until thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste. I like lots of black pepper in my macaroni and cheese. Add the onion powder, garlic powder and a pinch of smoked paprika. Taste and add additional seasonings if desired.
Add the Cheddar cheese and the Monterrey Jack Cheese (or other cheeses you choose) reserving the Velveeta cubes. Whisk the cheese into the sauce until completely melted.
Add the cooked macaroni into the cream sauce and combine.
Add half of the mixture to the prepared casserole dish. Add half of the cheese and the Velveeta cubes. Add the remaining macaroni mixture and top with the remaining grated cheese. If you need more milk add it at this time. I prefer a finished dish that is really creamy.
Place in the oven and cook until the cheese is melted and golden. Enjoy!

easy chicken parm is the best.

August 31, 2021 by Becky Spoon

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What could be more delicious than this easy Chicken Parm? This dish comes together in minutes and everyone loves this dish. Cook your favorite pasta, use your favorite jarred marinara sauce, top with the crispy delicious chicken and some parmesan cheese, fresh mozzarella or provolone, that’s it!

These are the easy steps:

Breading
Frying
Adding our sauce
Topping with cheese
Baking

For the breading I use Panko bread crumbs combined with some Italian seasoned bread crumbs. The chicken breast are boneless/skinless chicken breast. I dredge them in flour, then egg, then the bread crumb mixture. They are fried in olive oil. I then pour sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish, add the chicken, the cheese and bake until the cheese is melted.

easy chicken parm is the best.

If you have homemade sauce on hand use it. Marinara is really easy. Here is my marinara sauce recipe: Basic Marinara Sauce

I used Rao’s Arrabbiata Sauce. It is a little spicy and I love it. Rao’s is little more expensive, but I think it is well worth the cost. https://amzn.to/2Y5n6Nk.

Rao's Arrabiata Sauce Gluten Free, 24 oz (Pack of 2)

These are 1.5 pound jars. They are larger than the jars sold in a grocery store.

easy chicken parm is the best.

Here’s the recipe for this chicken dish. A similar dish on the blog is my Eggplant Parmesan. It is equally delicious. I Love Eggplant Parmesan! Comfort Food!

Hope you make both of these recipes!! Enjoy!

easy chicken parm is the best.

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Servings: 4 servings

Course: dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

For the Chicken

1 cup flour seasoned with salt and pepper
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan
2 large boneless/skinless chicken breast halved lengthwise
olive oil for frying
1 lb pasta

For the sauce

1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce or your homemade sauce (see my link in the post)

Method

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a casserole dish or sheet pan large enough to hold your 4 chicken filets.
Set up your dredging station: Whisk together your eggs with a splash of water in a shallow dish. Set up another dish with the flour seasoned with a little salt and pepper. In a 3rd dish add the panko, parmesan cheese and Italian bread crumbs.
Pound your chicken breast out between 2 pieces of chicken wrap. Cust them down the middle to make 4 pieces.
Heat enough extra virgin olive oil in a skillet to cover the bottom. Heat to medium high.
Place each piece of chicken in the flour, then the egg mixture, then the final bread crumb mixture.
Add to the skillet and cook until golden brown on both sides. Remove to a wire rack as they are done. Continue until all of them have been cooked.
Heat your sauce. Pour a layer of the sauce in the bottom of your baking dish. Place your cooked breaded chicken on top of the sauce. Add a little sauce to each piece of chicken, then top with a sprinkle of Parmesan, then the sliced mozzarella or the provolone.
Place in the oven and cook until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes.
While your chicken is cooking bring a large pot of sated water to a boil and add our pasta of choice. I used spaghetti. When done, drain and toss in some of the sauce.
To serve, divide the pasta among 4 plates. Top each plate with the chicken breast, spooning any remaining sauce over each dish.

this – simple bolognese over pappardelle

September 24, 2020 by Becky Spoon

This simple Bolognese over pappardelle is just that – simple and easy. When you think about Bolognese you think about a long process of hours of cooking. Don’t get me wrong, that is a beautiful Bolognese and it is what I always make, but you know, during hectic times, short cuts really matter.

The other great thing about a Bolognese is that you can cook a big batch and freeze. Move it to the refrigerator the day of to thaw. When you are ready to serve, cook your pasta, add a salad and a piece of garlic bread and you have a meal done. Don’t want a side dish? Cook your pasta, combine with your Bolognese and you’re done. The good thing is that this is delicious and kids love Spaghetti and a meat sauce.

simple bolognese over pappardelle

What makes this sauce so simple is that you use a jar of your favorite store-bought marinara! Yes! You don’t have to buy an expensive jar of marinara! Honestly, I’ve tried many and I’d say they are all pretty good.

I like to use a large pasta with a meat sauce and pappardelle is one of my favorites. I live rural and can’t find it at local stores, I have to go to a larger major store, but I ordered it on line for years. https://amzn.to/3hYxMBH.

I love these big noodles!! They are perfect with the hearty meat sauce.

this – simple Bolognese over pappardelle

I always have leftovers, so lasagna is always a plan or try these stuffed shells: https://the2spoons.com/wow-stuffed-shells-with-bolognese/

Those look delicious!

Here’s the recipe for this simple recipe! Let me know what you think!

Simple Bolognese over Pappardelle

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Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup celery, finely chopped
2 lbs ground beef (80/20)
1 25 oz jar of store bought marinara
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
couple of pinches of red pepper flakes (optional)
1 lb pappardelle or other wide pasta noodle
Parmesan cheese for serving
fresh basil or Italian parsley for serving

Method

Add the olive oil and butter to a large saucepan. Add the carrots, celery and onions and sauté until the vegetables are tender. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking up the meat.
Add the jar of marinara along with salt and pepper to taste along with the red pepper flakes if adding and cook until the sauce has thickened, about 30 minutes. Add the heavy cream.
Cook your pasta according to package directions. I don't drain, I add my pasta to a separate separate skillet or large pan that I have added some of the sauce, adding more sauce along with a little of the pasta water, until all of your pasta is completely coated. Cook for just a minute or so, adding more pasta water if needed until the pasta has combined with the sauce. Serve immediately with parmesan cheese and fresh herbs like Italian parsley or basil. Enjoy!

easy italian sausage puttanesca

July 3, 2020 by Becky Spoon

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This italian sausage puttanesca was the perfect dish for using tomatoes from the garden. If you don’t have fresh tomatoes just use a quality can of tomatoes like San Marzano. I love both of these brands. They are more expensive, but if you are going to go to all the trouble to make a spectacular Italian dish, splurge a little on these tomatoes. You will be happy you did. Here’s my favorites:https://amzn.to/2VGaubx

and these also:https://amzn.to/2C1pl9k.

easy italian sausage puttanesca

You do not have to put italian sausage in this recipe. I do because Allen thinks everything has to have meat. That’s ok. The italian sausage certainly is delicious in it. However, it is equally delicious without.

This dish is bursting with flavor! Garlic, anchovies, Kalamata olives, capers, oregano, basil, good extra virgin olive oil, how can you go wrong. This is also one of those sauces you can throw together in minutes, reduce your heat to simmer and go about your day because you can cook this up to two hours. You can lessen the time, but the intensity of flavors developed over time are worth the wait. Then all you have to do is cook your pasta and add it to the sauce with a little of the pasta water.

You may not need to add any salt because your anchovy and the capers are salty, so check before you add salt. I just served this with some garlic bread, but if you want a side, a nice salad would be good or garlicy sautéed spinach would be delicious. Here’s my garlicy sautéed spinach recipe: https://the2spoons.com/garlicky-sauteed-spinach-red-pepper-flakes/

Garlicky Sautéed Spinach with Red Pepper Flakrs

I love to serve pasta in individual bowls or any meal for that matter, I really love everything in a bowl. If you serve the spinach with this dish, just the spinach next to your pasta because they accompany each other very well, especially the fresh tomatoes. These bowls are similar to the ones I used for serving this dish:https://amzn.to/2BwBvay

I love white dishes!! They just make your food stand out!

easy italian sausage puttanesca

Before I add the recipe for this puttanesca, here is another recipe using fresh tomatoes on my blog: https://the2spoons.com/spaghetti-with-fresh-tomatoes/. This is delicious. I think these were the Sungold Cherry Tomatoes, which I just eat off the vines.

Spaghetti with Fresh Tomatoes from the Garden

Here’s the recipe! Enjoy!

Italian Sausage Puttanesca

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Servings: 2 servings

Course: dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

2-3 Italian Sausage Links, or about 1/2 pound if loose
3 cloves garlic
anchovies in oil
10 Kalamata olives, pits removed if not already pitted
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup capers
2 tbsp dried oregano
2-3 cups fresh ripe tomatoes or good Italian tomatoes (see my post)
8 oz dry pasta

Method

Add garlic cloves, anchovies and black olives to a blender and pulse until slightly chunky.
Add the olive oil to a medium to large skillet and heat. Remove the casing from your Italian sausage and cook in the heated oil until all pink is gone, breaking up as you go.
Then,, add the olive oil and add the garlic-anchovy-olive paste, the capers and dried oregano. Cook until paste begins to dissolve in the oil slightly, about 1 minute, then add the tomatoes with 1 cup water. Lover the heat to a simmer and let the sauce simmer for 2 hours, adjust for seasoning, add the basil and reserve.
When serving, toss with your prepared pasta, a ladle of pasta water if needed and drizzle with olive oil!