Orecchiette With Spinach Roasted Red Pepper And Feta Recipes

SPINACH, RED PEPPER, AND FETA QUICHE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• In a bowl with a pastry blender or in a small food processor blend together flour, butter, shortening, and a pinch salt until mixture resembles meal. Add water and toss until incorporated, adding additional water if necessary to form a dough. Pat dough onto bottom and one half inch up sides of a 7 1/2-inch tart pan with removable fluted rim or a 9-inch pie plate and bake shell in bottom third of oven until set and pale golden, about 7 minutes.
• While shell is baking, in a large skillet sauté bell pepper in oil over moderately high heat, stirring, 1 minute. Add spinach and sauté, stirring, until wilted and tender, about 1 minute. Remove skillet from heat and season spinach mixture with salt and pepper. In a small bowl whisk together eggs and cream.
• Sprinkle feta over bottom of shell and arrange spinach mixture on top. Pour cream mixture over spinach and bake quiche on a baking sheet in middle of oven 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350°F. and bake until set, about 10 minutes.

ORECCHIETTE WITH SPINACH, ROASTED RED PEPPER AND FETA

Steps:

• Place orecchiette in plenty of salted, boiling water and cook according to package directions (approximately 9 minutes) until al dente.
• While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil over medium heat in a saute pan and add minced garlic. Allow to cook for only about a minute (to soften). Add chopped spinach and season with salt and pepper (not too much salt, as feta will add saltiness).
• Add roasted red pepper and cook over low heat until spinach and peppers are heated through. Keep warm over a low heat until pasta is ready.
• When pasta is done cooking, add feta to the spinach mixture. Using a spider, take orecchiette from boiling water (reserving water) and add to spinach mixture on top of the feta. Toss pasta with mixture until thoroughly combined, then add pasta water (about 1/2 cup) until mixture is creamy and moistened.
• Serve immediately.

ORECCHIETTE WITH SAUSAGE AND ROASTED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Heat broiler. Place peppers, skin side up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; broil 4 inches from heat until charred, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; steam 2 to 3 minutes. Using a paper towel, rub off pepper skins, reserving any juices in bowl. Thinly slice peppers crosswise into 1/4-inch strips; return to bowl. Set aside.
• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook sausage, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Add roasted peppers; cook until heated through.
• Transfer sausage mixture to bowl; add pasta, butter, reserved pasta water, and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine.

ORECCHIETTE WITH BROILED FETA, PEPPERS AND SAUSAGE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes with 7 tablespoons of the olive oil, the mint and 2 tablespoons of the oregano; season with salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature for up to 2 hours.
• Preheat the broiler. Roast the peppers under the broiler, turning, until charred. Transfer to a plastic bag and let steam for 15 minutes.
• Peel the peppers, discarding the cores, ribs and seeds; cut the peppers into 1/4 -inch strips.
• Brush the feta with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, sprinkle with pepper and the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of oregano and broil until golden on both sides.
• Broil the sausages, turning, until cooked through. Transfer to a cutting board and cover with foil.
• Cook the pasta in a stockpot of boiling salted water until al dente.
• Drain well, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the tomatoes; add the pepper strips. Slice the sausage, crumble the feta and toss both with the pasta; add some of the cooking water if the pasta seems dry.
• Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

ORECCHIETTE WITH SPINACH, GARLIC AND BACON

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to directions on the box.
• While frying your bacon, defrost spinach in the microwave according to directions.
• Sauté onion in olive oil until tender; add the garlic and sauté two more minutes. Add the spinach to the onions.
• Crumble the bacon and add to the mixture.
• Turn the heat to low to keep spinach mixture warm while the pasta finishes cooking.
• When pasta is cooked, drain and place in shallow bowls, spoon spinach mixture over pasta and serve.
• •Serving Suggestion: Sprinkle grated cheese over top.

ORECCHIETTE WITH FENNEL, SAUSAGE, AND SWEET PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).
• Toss bell peppers and fennel with oil and thyme. Place vegetables on a baking sheet.
• Roast in the preheated oven until tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and shallot; saute until sausage is browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and discard grease.
• Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil. Stir in orecchiette and return to a boil. Cook pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, 12 to 14 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
• Add orecchiette pasta, tomato paste, garlic, and roasted vegetables to the sausage in the skillet. Cook over medium heat until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the reserved pasta water; simmer until sauce is reduced to your liking, 3 to 5 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in basil before serving.