Pasta Athena Recipes

PASTA ATHENA

Steps:

• In a large pot, boil salted water and cook the pasta as directed on the box. Meanwhile, heat a LARGE skillet to medium-high heat.
• Add oil and butter. Once melted, add the garlic and shrimp. *If you like a thick cream sauce, sprinkle the shrimp with 2 tsps. flour before adding them to the skillet.
• Cook about one minute, then add the wine and cream. Toss and cook another minute, then add olives and tomatoes. Cook another minute or two.
• Finally, mix in the strained pasta and spinach leaves. Remove from heat once the spinach wilts. Salt and Pepper to taste. (Season carefully, the olives and feta add a lot of salt!).
• Divide onto plates and top with feta cheese.

PASTA ATHENA

Steps:

• 1. Saute grapeseed oil and pepper over med. heat until pepper is soft. 2. Cook pasta according to directions 3. To peppers and broth, feta and dill. Cook until cheese melts. Add salt and pepper to taste. 4. Toss peppers and sauce with pasta. Garnish with a small amount of feta.

PASTA AMATRICIANA

Steps:

• Make sure to have a pot of boiling salted water for pasta going before starting this dish. You will not cook the pasta all the way as you will finish it in the pan with the sauce.
• Drop the pasta into the boiling water to start the cooking process.
• Meanwhile, in a saute pan heat some oil over high heat and add the pancetta. Saute until the pancetta is rendered (most of the fat melts away), and then turn the heat down to medium. Pancetta should look like crispy bacon. Add the onions and stir constantly making sure the onions do not burn. Once the onions are soft and cooked through, add the red sauce. Cook for 1 minute, and then add the cheese and pepper flakes, stirring to incorporate.
• Turn off the heat on the sauce and add the cooked pasta to the pan with the sauce. Turn the heat back on to low and toss the pasta constantly so that the sauce will stick to the pasta (the sauce should be thick and shouldn't create a pool on the plate). Transfer the pasta and sauce to a bowl and sprinkle more cheese on top to serve.

PASTA ALLA NORMA

Steps:

• Slice the eggplant about 1/2 inch thick. Cook in abundant olive oil, without crowding, sprinkling with salt and adding more oil as needed. You will undoubtedly have to cook in batches; take your time and cook until the eggplant is nicely browned and soft. Remove to a plate; do not drain on paper towels. Meanwhile, put a large pot of water to boil and salt it.
• At the end of the cooking the eggplant, the pan will ideally have a couple of tablespoons of oil left. If there's more or less, drain some off or add a bit. Turn the heat to medium, add the garlic and chiles, and cook until the garlic colors a little bit. Add the tomatoes and oregano, along with some salt and pepper; cook until saucy but not too dry, stirring occasionally.
• Cook the pasta until tender but not mushy. While it's cooking, cut the eggplant into strips and reheat for a minute in the tomato sauce. Drain the pasta and toss it with the tomato sauce and the eggplant. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then top with the parsley or basil and grated cheese and serve.

PASTA AMATRICIANA

Steps:

• In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat olive oil over medium. Add guanciale and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. To the skillet, add tomatoes, black pepper and red-pepper flakes, and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally and smashing tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon, until tomatoes have broken down and sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large pot of salted water, cook pasta according to package directions until just shy of al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and drain.
• Add pasta, tomato sauce and ½ cup of pasta cooking water back to the large pasta pot and stir vigorously over medium-high heat until pasta is evenly coated in the sauce, about 1 minute. (Add more pasta water if sauce is dry.) Remove from heat, stir in the cheese and season to taste with salt.
• Divide pasta among bowls and garnish with more cheese and black pepper.

CHICKEN ATHENA

Steps:

• Place chicken in a 3-qt. slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until a thermometer reads 170°.

CHICKEN ATHENA

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Sauté chicken in batches if necessary until brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plate.
• Pour off all but 2 tablespoons drippings from skillet. Add garlic and aniseed and stir 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, broth Ouzo and oregano. Bring mixture to simmer, breaking up tomatoes with back of spoon. Return chicken to skillet. Bring to simmer and cook uncovered 15 minutes. Transfer chicken breasts to plate. Turn chicken pieces in skillet over and simmer 5 minutes longer. Transfer chicken in skillet to same plate.
• Increase heat to high, add olives and cook until liquid is reduced to sauce consistency, stirring occasionally, about 6 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Reheat gently before continuing.) Sprinkle feta cheese over and serve.

PASTA ALLA NORMA

Steps:

• Toss the aubergines with the salt, then tip into a colander set over a bowl for 30 mins, to extract any moisture.
• Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a casserole dish or saucepan. Tip in the onion and a pinch of salt, and cook over a low heat for 10 mins. Add the garlic and chilli, and cook for 1 min. Tip in the tomatoes and sugar, and bring to the simmer. Cook, uncovered, for 20 mins, stirring occasionally. Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.
• Pat the aubergine dry with kitchen paper, then toss with the remaining oil. Spread out on a baking sheet and roast for 25-30 mins until softened and golden around the edges. Meanwhile, cook the pasta following pack instructions, reserving 100ml of the cooking water.
• Stir the aubergine into the sauce with the basil and capers. Season to taste, then toss the spaghetti in the pan with the sauce and a splash of the pasta water. Divide between four bowls and top with the ricotta and extra basil, if using.

ATHENA'S LEMON GREEK PENNE PASTA

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and then stir in 1 oz oil to coat pasta.
• While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a medium sauce pan over low heat, then add heavy cream. Increase heat to medium-high stirring occasionally and when the mixture begins to bubble, add in the Parmesan cheese and blend until the cheese has melted. Add in lemon juice and lemon zest and stir. Season with black pepper and salt to taste.
• Add cooked pasta and mix well. Bring sauce back to just under a boil and then serve. You may wish to garnish your pasta dish with some additional Parmesan cheese, parsley, or even a couple of capers. This dish does not re-heat well, so plan on enjoying this dish in one setting.