Turkey-Pumpkin Lasagna

This is a great way to use any leftover turkey you may have but it also works with chicken, ground turkey, or simply keep it vegetarian by substituting sautéed mushrooms for the meat.

Serve with mixed greens and a crisp white wine and you have a great dinner!

Serves 4-6

For the béchamel:

• 3 tablespoons butter = 45 g de beurre
• 4 tablespoons flour = 4 cuillères à soupe de farine
• 2 cups (whole) milk = ½ litre de lait (entier)
• pinch nutmeg, freshly grated = pincée de noix de muscade
• salt & pepper = sel et poivre

For the lasagna:

• 8 pieces no-boil lasagna = 8 feuilles de lasagne
• 1 cup ricotta = 250 g de ricotta
• 1 egg, lightly beaten = 1 oeuf, légérement battu
• ½ cup pumpkin puree = 120 g de purée de citrouille ou potiron
• 1 cup shredded gruyère cheese = 100 g de gruyère râpé
• ½ turkey breast, cooked and cut-up in tiny cubes = ½ blanc de dinde, cuit et coupé en petits dés

Start by making the béchamel: melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, add flour and cook until golden, stirring a few times. Pour in half the milk gradually, stirring vigorously with a whisk until smooth, then stir in the remaining milk. Keep whisking for a minute or so. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 10 minutes, whisking occasionally, until sauce has thickened.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine ricotta, egg, pumpkin and ½ cup cheese in a bowl.

To assemble: spread about 1/3 cup of béchamel at the bottom of a square baking dish. Place 2 pieces of lasagna side by side. Top evenly with ½ cup of ricotta mixture and sprinkle with about 1/3 of the turkey bites and 2 tablespoons shredded gruyère. Spread another 1/3 cup béchamel and continue layering: lasagna, ricotta, turkey, gruyère and béchamel, twice. Top with remaining 2 lasagna pieces, pour remaining béchamel and sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons of cheese on top.

 

Bake, covered with foil, for 45 minutes. Remove foil and return to the oven for another 10 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool for about 5-10 minutes before cutting and serving. Enjoy!

 

Caprese Pasta Salad

 

Simple. Fresh. Healthy. A great summer salad to share with friends and family!

I prefer using mini shaped pasta, as well as grape tomatoes and ciliegine: everything is small so you get all the delicious caprese flavors in every bite.

Serves 6-8

For the pasta:

• ½ lb mini wheels pasta = 225 g de mini-pates (style Piccolini de Barilla
• 1 lb. grape tomatoes, halved = 450 g de tomates cerise, coupées en deux
• 8 oz. ciliegine (mini-mozarella balls), halved = 225 g de ciliegine (petites boules de mozarella fraiche), coupées en deux
• 10-15 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced = 10 à 15 feuilles de basilique fraiches, ciselées

For the dressing:

• ¼ cup lemon juice = 60 ml de jus de citron
• ¼ cup olive oil = 60 ml d'huile d'olive
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste = sel et poivre fraichement moulu

Cook pasta “al dente”, drain, put in serving bowl and cool for 10 minutes. Add remaining salad ingredients.

Blend the lemon juice and olive oil in a small bowl, season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad and toss gently.

Serve at room temperature. Enjoy!

Pasta and Bean Soup

Vegetarian, yet hearty and satisfying, this Italian-inspired soup comes together quickly on a weeknight. Let everyone stir the pesto into their individual bowl and watch it melt and flavor the soup as if by magic.

Serves 6

• 1 tablespoon olive oil = 1 cuillère à soupe d'huile d'olive
• 1 small onion, chopped = 1 petit oignon, émincé
• Salt and pepper = sel et poivre
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped = 1 gousse d'ail, finement émincée
• 5 to 6 cups vegetable broth = 1.2 à 1.4 l de bouillon de légumes
• Pinch of dried herbs (thyme & oregano) = une pincée d'herbes séchées (thym & origan)
• 1 cup mini-wheels pasta (or other small pasta) = 75 g de petites pâtes
• 1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed = 1 boite ou 1 bocal de 440 g de cannellini (haricots blancs italiens), égouttés et rinsés
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes = 1 boite de 410 g de tomates concassées
• 6 teaspoons pesto = 6 cuillères à café de pesto

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the broth, herbs and pasta and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the pasta is tender, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the beans and the tomatoes and their juice, and cook until heated through, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Ladle into serving bowls and top each with a teaspoon of pesto. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Spinach, Pancetta, Mushroom & Fontina Pasta Bake

 

I love pasta casseroles. They are the perfect make-ahead comfort food. This particular one is packed with flavors and rather healthy: no bechamel sauce, not even an ounce of heavy cream. The creaminess comes from the fontina cheese, which melts beautifully. Its mild flavor lets the mushroom and spinach really shine, and the pancetta provides a bit of saltiness and smokiness.

It reminds me of the spinach-gruyère cheese pasta gratin my mom used to make when we were little, but in a grown-up, more sophisticated way. Perfect to warm my body and soul on a cold autumn night!

Serves 4-6

• ½ lb penne pasta = 225 g de penne
• 4 oz. diced pancetta = 115 g de pancetta, coupée en petits dés
• 1 tablespoon olive oil = 1 cuillère à soupe d'huile d'olive
• 2 cloves garlic, minced = 2 gousses d'ail, émincées
• 1 small onion, chopped = 1 petit oignon, coupé en petits morceaux
• 1 lb cremini mushrooms, chopped = 450 g de cremini (petits champignons bruns), coupés en morceaux
• Salt and pepper = sel et poivre
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes = ¼ cuillère à café de flocons de piment rouge séché
• ¼ cup white wine = 60 ml de vin blanc
• 6 oz. baby spinach = 170 g de jeunes pousses d'épinards
• 6 oz. fontina cheese, grated = 170 g de fontina, râpée
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan = 45 g de parmesan en poudre

Cook pasta in a large pot of unsalted water, according to package directions. Drain but reserve a few tablespoons of cooking liquid.

 

Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium-high heat and brown pancetta for a few minutes. Set aside and drain fat from skillet. In same skillet, heat olive oil, add garlic and onion and sauté for a few minutes. Add mushrooms and season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Continue cooking and stirring, until mushrooms are nice and brown. Add white wine and scrape bottom of skillet for 30 seconds. Transfer to a large bowl.

Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C.

Steam spinach in microwave for 1 minutes. Add to bowl. Stir and add grated fontina and cooked pasta. Season with additional salt and black pepper to taste. Stir everything thoroughly. If the mixture seems too dry, add a few tablespoons of pasta cooking liquid.

Transfer to a buttered baking dish and top with grated parmesan. Bake, uncovered, until bubbly and browned, about 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Note: you can make this casserole ahead of time and refrigerate it, unbaked for 24 hours. The chilled dish will take about 1 hour to fully bake.

Creamy Marsala Mustard Sauce

This sauce is rich but so flavorful that a little goes a long way. Serve it on top of sautéed chicken or grilled pork chops, or toss it with plain pasta for a quick vegetarian dish.

Makes one batch, serves 4

• ¼ cup Marsala wine = 60 ml de Marsala
• 1 tablespoon coarse-grain mustard = 1 cuillère à soupe de moutarde à l'ancienne
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard = 1 cuillère à café de moutarde forte (Dijon)
• ½ cup heavy cream = 120 ml de crème fraiche liquide

If you sautéed some chicken or pork, use the same skillet. If not, use a medium saucepan.

Heat skillet/saucepan over medium heat, add Marsala and simmer for a few minutes until reduced by half. Add both mustards and heavy cream, stir and cook until heated through. Done! Enjoy!

Orzo with Feta and Sun-dried Tomatoes

Sometimes, I get tired of jasmine rice and brown rice (both staples on our dinner table) and I like serving orzo pasta instead. Those rice-shaped pasta cook fast and feel lighter than a big bowl of spaghetti. Here, I jazz them up with sun-dried tomatoes and feta. I find that cooking the orzo in a small amount of liquid without the need for draining makes the whole dish smooth, almost creamy. While it's a great side dish, I don't mind it as a main dish, alongside a big plate of mixed greens.

Serves 4

• 2 cups vegetable broth = 470 ml de bouillon de légumes
• 1 cup water = 235 ml d'eau
• 1 cup dry orzo pasta = 225 g d'orzo ou risoni (à cuire)
• ¼ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, minced = 80 g de tomates séchées (en bocal avec de l'huile d'olive), émincées
• ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese = 60 g de feta émiettée
• Black pepper = poivre

Bring broth and water to a boil, stir in orzo. Return to a soft boil and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until all liquid is absorbed (about 8-10 minutes). Remove from heat.

Stir in sun-dried tomatoes and feta. Season with pepper. Enjoy!

Pasta Salad with Yogurt-Herb Dressing

This is my favorite pasta salad. And my mom's too!

The star here is the dressing: use fresh herbs (especially if you are growing them in your backyard) and keep the add-ons simple. You can replace the roasted red bell pepper with grape tomatoes and omit the olives if you don't care for them (in that case you may want to add a little more salt).

I like to keep mine vegetarian but add protein by tossing some chunks of rotisserie chicken or a few grilled shrimp in the mix.

Serves 6-8

For the dressing:

• 1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves (packed) = 25 g de jeunes pousses d'épinards
• ½ cup plain low-fat yogurt = 140 g de yaourt nature
• ½ cup crumbled feta cheese (about 2 oz.) = 60 g de feta, émiettée
• ½ cup fresh parsley leaves = une petite botte de persil plat
• a few fresh oregano leaves = quelques feuilles d'origan frais
• a few fresh mint leaves = quelques feuilles de menthe fraiche
• juice of half a lemon = jus d'un demi citron
• Salt and pepper to taste = sel et poivre
• 2 tablespoons olive oil = 2 cuillères à soupe d'huile d'olive

For the pasta:

• 8 oz. dry penne pasta = 225 g de penne
• 1 red bell pepper, roasted and diced = 1 poivron rouge, rôti et coupé en morceaux
• ⅓ cup pitted kalamata olives, halved = 50 g d'olives kalamata (grecque), dénoyautées et coupées en deux

Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente (about 8-10 minutes). Drain.

 

Meanwhile, combine all the dressing ingredients, except the olive oil, in a food processor. Pulse a few times. Drizzle in olive oil and process until smooth.

 

Put pasta, bell pepper and olives in a large bowl. Pour dressing on top and toss to combine. Chill for a couple of hours or overnight. Return to room temperature before serving. Enjoy!

Antipasto Pasta Salad

It's this time of year when we all look forward to BBQ, picnics and outdoor potlucks with friends! Bring this salad to your next get-together and watch people come back for seconds and thirds! Trust me, even those who supposedly hate anchovies and capers (which are “hidden” in the dressing) will enjoy the bright, tangy taste of this dish.

If possible, make and dress this pasta salad a day ahead: allowing it to marinate overnight creates the strongest and best flavor.

 

Makes 12-16 servings

For the salad:

• 8 oz. dry tri-color rotini pasta = 225 g de rotini “3 couleurs” ou autres pâtes pour salade
• 1 seeded and half-moon sliced cucumber ( about 2 cups) = 1 concombre, épépiné et coupé en demi-lunes
• 6 oz. halved grape tomatoes (about 1 cup) = 170 g de tomates cerises, coupées en deux
• 6 oz. halved ciliegine (fresh small mozzarella balls) (about 1 cup) = 170 gr de ciliegine (petites boules de mozarella fraiche), coupées en deux
• 4 oz. Genoa salami, diced (about 1 cup) = 115 g de salami italien, coupé en morceaux
• ½ to 1 red onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup) = ½ à 1 oignon rouge, coupé en fines lamelles
• 3 oz. pitted kalamata olives,chopped (about ¾ cup) = 85 g d'olives kalamata dénoyautées, coupées en quatre
• 2 oz. pickled pepperoncini, rinsed and stemmed (about ½ cup) = 55 g de pepperoncini (petits piments italiens vert clair, conservés en bocal dans du vinaigre), rinsés et tiges coupées
• 3 oz. roasted red peppers, sliced (about ½ cup) = 85 g de poivrons rouges rotis, coupés en lamelles
• 3 oz. marinated artichoke hearts or crowns, quartered (about ½ cup) = 85 g de coeurs d'artichauts marinés, coupés en quatre.

For the vinaigrette:

• 1 ½ tablespoons capers, drained = 1 ½ cuillère à soupe de câpres
• 1 to 2 teaspoons anchovy paste = 1 à 2 cuillères à café de pâte d'anchois ou pissalat
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic = 2 cuillères à café d'ail émincé
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar = 60 ml de vinaigre de vin rouge
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano = 1 cuillère à café d'origan
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil = 6 cuillères à soupe d'huile d'olive
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste = poivre noir moulu

Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente (about 8 minutes). Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside.

In food processor, pulse capers, anchovy paste and garlic. Add vinegar and oregano and pulse to combine. With processor on, slowly drizzle olive oil through the chute. Blend until emulsified. Season with black pepper – I think the capers and anchovy paste provide enough natural saltiness, but feel free to season with additional sea salt if you wish.

Assemble the salad by mixing together cooked pasta, cucumbers, tomatoes, mozzarella, salami, onion, olives, pepperoncini, roasted peppers and artichoke hearts in a large serving bowl. Pour vinaigrette on top and toss to coat.

Refrigerate overnight (or for at least 4 hours). Adjust seasonings (salt & pepper) and add a splash of red wine vinegar before serving. Enjoy!

Ricotta-Spinach Stuffed Pasta Shells

 

Just in time for Meatless Monday! Who doesn't like pasta shells bursting with cheesy spinach and smothered in tomato sauce? You can easily double or triple the recipe to feed a crowd.

Makes 12 shells: 3 to 4 servings

• 12 dried jumbo pasta shells = 12 conchiglioni (pâtes en forme de grosses coquilles)
• 1 6 oz. bag of baby spinach or 4 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained = 1 sachet de 450 g de jeunes pousses d'épinards ou 120 g d'épinards hachés et égouttés
• 1 cup fresh ricotta cheese = 250 g de ricotta fraiche
• 4 oz. shredded mozzarella or other Italian cheese = 120 g de mozzarella râpée ou autre fromage (parmesan, fontina, gruyère)
• 1 large egg white = 1 blanc d'oeuf
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder = ¼ cuillère à café d'ail en poudre
• salt & pepper = sel et poivre
• 2 cups tomato or marinara sauce = 475 ml de sauce tomate ou marinara
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Romano cheese = 2 cuillère à soupe de parmesan (ou romano) en poudre

Preheat oven to 350F / 180C.

Cook pasta shells until al dente (about 9 minutes) and drain. Set aside to cool.

Microwave spinach in the bag for 3 minutes. Shred in food processor and drain excess water. You will obtain ½ cup of shredded spinach. In a bowl, mix ricotta, mozzarella, egg white and spinach. Add garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste.

Spread about ½ cup tomato sauce in a baking dish. Stuff each shell with ricotta-spinach mixture and place in the dish. Pour remaining tomato sauce over the stuffed shells and sprinkle with grated parmesan.

Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Note: Those shells freeze really well. No thawing required, just place the frozen dish, covered with foil, in the 350°F oven and bake for 1 hour, remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Spicy Shrimp with Spaghetti

My husband loves this dish. The spicier, the better! If you can't handle the heat, just cut back on the white and cayenne peppers.

I guess you could substitute homemade shrimp stock with store-bought fish or vegetable stock but you would really miss out. Homemade stock is so flavorful without being high in sodium. Whenever I do a batch, I freeze leftovers in ice-cube trays. One cube equals about one tablespoon, and four tablespoons equal ¼ cup.

Round this dish out with some mixed greens, a loaf of bread and a bottle of Pinot Grigio and you have yourself a perfect dinner!

Makes 4-6 servings

• 2 lbs shrimp = 900 g de crevettes
• 1 onion, unpeeled and quartered = 1 oignon, non pelé et coupé en quatre
• 1 clove garlic, unpeeled and crushed = 1 gousse d'ail, non pelée et écrasée
• 1 rib celery, cut in half = 1 branche de céléri, coupée en deux
• 2 or 3 tablespoons butter = 30 à 40 g de beurre
• 2 green onions, chopped = 2 oignons verts, émincés
• 4 cloves garlic, minced = 4 gousses d'ail, émincées
• ½ teaspoon salt = ½ cuillère à café de sel
• ½ teaspoon white pepper = ½ cuillère à café de poivre blanc
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper = ½ cuillère à café de piment de cayenne
• ½ teaspoon onion powder = ½ cuillère à café de poudre d'oignon
• ½ teaspoon paprika = ½ cuillère à café de paprika
• ½ teaspoon dry thyme leaves = ½ cuillère à café de thym séché
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper = ¼ cuillère à café de poivre noir
⅓ cup heavy cream = 80 ml de crème fleurette
1 lb spaghetti = 450 g de spaghetti
Freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional) = parmesan râpé (facultatif)

To make the stock, peel the shrimp and put the shells in a pan. Cover with water, add onion, garlic and celery. Put on stove and simmer for about 1 hour. Drain and reserve.

Cook the spaghetti, drain and keep warm.

Mix salt and spices together in a small bowl. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat, add green onions, garlic and spice mix. Add shrimp, stir to coat and cook a few minutes, until they turn pink. Add ¼ to ½ cup of shrimp stock + heavy cream, stir gently. Add cooked spaghetti to the skillet and add more stock if needed. Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan and serve right away. Enjoy!