Roasted Garlic and Eggplant Pasta Nests

And yet another Rachael Ray recipe. Delicious. The eggplant puree gave it a much richer taste than a normal tomato sauce.

Ingredients:
Coarse salt
1 lb angel hair pasta
3 TB EVOO
5 garlic cloves
1 can tomato sauce
20 fresh basil leaves (we used dried basil)
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 medium-sized firm eggplant
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves (we used dried parsley)

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Place the whole eggplant, skin and all, on a rimmed cookie sheet. Pierce the skip on top of the eggplant several times with the tines of the fork. Drizzle a little EVOO on your hands and coat the garlic cloves well.
3. Wrap the garlic in a single layer of foil. Place the garlic packet next to the eggplant. Place the pan in the lower third of the hot oven and roast for 18 to 22 minutes, depending the thickness of your eggplant. It will look weird, like a blown tire, when removed from the oven.
4. When the eggplant has been in the oven for 15 minutes, add the pasta to the boiling water with salt.
5. Heat the tomato sauce in a large, deep skillet, over medium-low heat. Add red pepper flakes and garlic; season with salt and pepper.
6. When eggplant is done, carefully cut away skin from the cooked eggplant flesh. Careful, it will be hot. You can be messy because you're just trashing the skin.
7. Unwrap the garlic and pop the pulp from the skins. Place the eggplant and garlic in a food processor with the parsley. Season with salt and pepper and process until fairly smooth.
8. Mix the eggplant mixture into the hot tomato sauce and stir in the basil to wilt.
9. Drain the pasta and toss with sauce and cheese.
10. Grab a meat fork (or just a large one). Stick the fork into the pasta and bring up a heaping forkful. Turn and twist the pasta using your plam to guide the pasta a bit to form a nest. The recipe should yield 8 small nexts, 4 inches wide and 5-6 inches long.
11. Serve 2 nests per person with a small salad and bread.

Arugula and Pecan Pesto

Rachael Ray again. We really enjoyed this one, especially the gritiness of the fresh arugula.

Ingredients:
Coarse salt
1 pound pasta (we used penne)
1 cup pecan pieces
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1/2 lb haricots verts or skinny green beans (we used frozen peas and carrots)
coarse black pepper
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups arugula leaves
1/3 cup fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 cup shredded carrots (again used frozen peas and carrots)
1/4 tsp freshly grated or ground nutmeg

1. Heat a deep skillet over medium heat. Add the pecans and toast for five minutes to develop their flavor. Remove the nuts from the pan and cool.
2. Cook the green beans and carrots for 2-3 minutes in an inch of boiling salted water then drain the vegetables.
3. Saute the vegetables in 2 TB of EVOO with the garlic for a few minutes.
4. While the vegetables cook, grind half of the nuts with the arugula and cheese in a food processor then season with salt and pepper and the nutmeg.
5. Stream in about 1/3 cup of the EVOO and process until a paste forms.
6. Drain the pasta then toss the pasta with the pesto and vegetables.
7. Top with whole toasted nuts and grated cheese.

Creamed Mushroom Saute with Artichokes over Penne

2 Tb Olive Oil
2 T butter, cut into pieces
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 1/2 lbs assorted mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 Tb fresh thyme
salt and pepper
3 Tb flour
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup cream or half and half
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 pound pasta
1 15 oz can artichoke hearts
1/4 tsp grated or ground nutmeg

Instructions:

1. Cook pasta according to directions.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add EVOO and butter. When butter melts, add garlic and swish around for 30 seconds, then add mushrooms and combine.
3. Sprinkle thyme over mushrooms, cook, stirring frequently, until they brown. Add salt and pepper to taste (don't season before they brown).
4. Sprinkle flour over mushrooms and cook for 1-2 minutes more, stirring to distribute.
5. Whisk in the chicken broth and thicken for a minute then add the cream and simmer over low heat for five minutes.
6. Stir in the artichokes. Add nutmeg, add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Add drained pasta and Parmesan cheese to the pan and toss to combine.
8. Enjoy.

This was probably my first Rachael Ray recipe that actually took 30 minutes or less, and it was delicious.