Pasta Cheese And Trees Recipes

PASTA, CHEESE AND TREES

Steps:

• Put a big pot of water on to boil for the pasta.
• Separate the broccoli into small trees by pulling them apart. Trim off the woody stems of your trees so you can break them up.
• Put the broccoli florets (trees) into a pot and add water enough to just cover the tops.
• The broccoli should cook about 5 minutes once the water comes to a boil. Drain.
• When the pasta water boils, put 4 pinches of salt into the pot and add pasta. Cook to al dente (that's Italian for "done but still with a bite to it"), according to package directions.
• Pour oil and butter into a deep frying pan and heat it up over low heat. When the butter melts, add the garlic and cook it 5 minutes.
• Add the broccoli to the garlic.
• Drain the pasta and add to broccoli. Add the ricotta and grated cheese, and have the GH stir it all up in the big frying pan.
• Add a little salt and pepper and taste the pasta and trees to see how the seasoning is.

5-CHEESE PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fusilli and cook for 1 to 2 minutes less than the package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and remove all but 2 tablespoons of the grease from the skillet. Add the thyme, onion and garlic to the skillet and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and cook until mostly evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the cream and heat until bubbly, 30 seconds. Gradually add the fontina, Cheddar, Romano and Gruyère in handfuls, letting each combine with the cream before adding the next.
• Add the pasta to the skillet along with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Toss everything together, thinning with the reserved pasta water if needed. Divide the pasta into 8-ounce individual gratin dishes (or 1 flameproof casserole dish) and set on a baking sheet. Divide the mozzarella pearls over the top of the pasta.
• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to broil.
• Broil on the center rack until the mozzarella pearls are brown and the pasta is bubbling, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove and garnish with the cooked bacon and sliced scallion greens.

BROCCOLI TREES WITH CHEESE SAUCE

Steps:

• Melt butter in a small, heavy skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until bubbly, fragrant and just golden, about 2 minutes.
• Whisk in about 1/3 of the milk and bring to a simmer. Repeat twice more with remaining milk, continuing to whisk as sauce thickens and reducing heat if it boils.
• Whisk in the cheese and heat through. If sauce is too thick, whisk in a little more milk. Pour into small bowls for dipping and serve with broccoli.

THREE CHEESE BAKED PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Drain.
• Meanwhile, cook ground meat and onion in a skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until meat is browned. Stir in pasta sauce, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer the ingredients in the prepared baking dish as follows: half of the cooked pasta, all the provolone cheese, all the sour cream, half of the sauce mixture, remaining pasta, mozzarella cheese, and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until bubbly.

PASTA WITH THREE CHEESES BROWN

Steps:

• In a large heavy skillet cook garlic and herbs in butter and oil over moderate heat, stirring, until garlic is softened but not browned. Remove skillet from heat. Add brandy and ignite, being careful as flames shoot up. Shake skillet gently until flames die out. Return skillet to moderate heat and stir in cream.
• Add cheeses, 1 at a time, stirring until each cheese melts before adding the next. Cook sauce at a bare simmer until thickened slightly, about 8 minutes. Keep sauce warm.
• In a kettle of boiling salted water cook pasta until al dente and reserve about 1/2 cup cooking water. Drain pasta well and in a bowl toss pasta with sauce and enough reserved cooking water to reach desired consistency.

THREE-CHEESE PASTA WITH GREENS

Steps:

• Place carrots in a large pot with lightly salted water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook carrots until fork-tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Drain.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and mix well. Add heavy cream and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook and stir until a thick roux forms, about 10 minutes.
• Mix fontina cheese and goat cheese into the roux. Cook until cheeses are completely melted and sauce is thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Drain carrots and bring water back to a boil, pouring in more as needed. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes.
• Cook garlic with olive oil in another saucepan over medium heat until starting to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add Swiss chard, tearing them as they go into the pan. Cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add baby arugula and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Chop 1 basil leaf into the pan using herb shears. Cook until wilted, about 30 seconds more. Mix in some of the cheese sauce if desired.
• Drain pasta and divide over serving plates. Add carrots, chard, and arugula. Top with Parmesan cheese and more cheese sauce. Garnish each plate with a basil leaf.