Seared Penne And Cheeses Recipes

BAKED PENNE WITH THREE CHEESES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Prepare the penne rigate according to the package directions, minus 1 or 2 minutes of cooking time (see Cook's Note). Drain, then pour the pasta into a 9-by-13-inch glass baking pan.
• In a 4-quart saucepan, melt the butter on medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour until it's dissolved. Add the cream to the saucepan. Add the nutmeg, seasoned salt, and black pepper and whisk the mixture until it's warmed through.
• Reduce the heat to low, and add the mozzarella, Cheddar, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Stir until you have a smooth cheese sauce.
• Pour the sauce over the pasta and top with the breadcrumbs.
• Bake for about 40 minutes, until the top turns a golden brown.

BASIL PAN-SEARED SCALLOPS OVER PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain, rinse, and transfer to a large serving bowl.
• Meanwhile, place scallops in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the black pepper. Pour mixture over scallops. Arrange scallops in a single layer in a large baking dish or plate. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon dried basil over scallops so that only one side is sparsely coated with basil.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high, and melt one tablespoon of butter in the pan. Place 12 scallops basil-side down, and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes until dark golden brown. Turn scallops, and cook the other side. Cook the remaining 12 scallops the same way.
• In a small saucepan, melt remaining butter with 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon basil, 1/2 teaspoon garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Toss pasta with butter and olive oil mixture. Divide pasta onto plates, and top with scallops.

EASY DOUBLE CHEESE BAKED PENNE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. In 5-quart Dutch oven, cook beef and onion over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in cooked pasta, salt, pepper and pasta sauce.
• In medium bowl, mix ricotta cheese, egg and 3/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Spray 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• Spoon half of pasta mixture (about 3 1/2 cups) into bottom of baking dish. Spoon ricotta mixture evenly over pasta mixture in baking dish. Top with remaining pasta mixture; sprinkle with remaining 1 1/4 cups cheese.
• Spray piece of foil large enough to cover baking dish with cooking spray. Cover baking dish with foil, sprayed side down. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.
• To Make Ahead: Wrap foil-covered casserole in double layer of plastic wrap; label and freeze up to 3 months. To thaw and bake: Thaw overnight or until completely thawed in refrigerator. Remove plastic. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until center is hot (165°F) and cheese is melted. To bake from freezer (no thawing): Heat oven to 350°F. Remove plastic. Bake 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until center is hot (165°F) and cheese is melted.

CHICKEN, CHEESE, AND PENNE PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Heat oven to 350 F. Grease a 2- to 2 1/2-quart baking dish.
• Cook the penne pasta in boiling salted water following package directions. Drain in a colander and set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken, mushrooms, and Creole seasoning.
• Cook until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and the mushrooms are lightly browned, stirring frequently.
• Remove the chicken and mushroom mixture to a bowl and set aside.
• Melt the butter in the same skillet and add the minced garlic . Cook, stirring, for about 1 minute.
• Blend the flour into the butter mixture until smooth and bubbly.
• Continue to cook the flour and butter roux for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Add the milk and chicken broth and continue to cook until thickened, stirring constantly.
• To the sauce, add 1 1/2 cups of the mozzarella cheese and about half of the Parmesan cheese; cook until the cheese has melted, stirring constantly.
• Stir in the chicken and mushroom mixture and the artichokes. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed.
• Combine the sauce and pasta; transfer to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheeses and sprinkle lightly with paprika, if using.
• Bake for about 20 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned and bubbly.

CREAMY MOZZARELLA SCALLOP PASTA

Steps:

• If using frozen scallops, make sure the scallops are thawed completely.
• Blot each scallop with paper towels to remove extra water. Set them aside on a plate while you prepare the pasta and the sauce. You will cook scallops last to make sure they are not over-cooked.
• Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve some cooked pasta water. Drain the pasta.
• Note: if using sun-dried tomatoes in oil (in a jar), make sure to drain sun-dried tomatoes from oil, before using them.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil (you can use the reserved olive oil from the sun-dried tomatoes jar, or use regular olive oil) in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add sun-dried tomatoes (drained from oil and sliced into smaller chunks, if needed) and minced garlic, and saute on medium heat, stirring, for 2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant. The skillet should be hot.
• Add half and half to the hot skillet with sun-dried tomatoes and bring to boil. Add shredded cheese to the skillet, and stir in while boiling. Immediately reduce to simmer and cook, constantly stirring, until all the cheese melts and the creamy sauce forms. If the sauce is too thick, add a small amount of half and half or reserved cooked pasta water. Add basil, crushed red pepper flakes, paprika. Stir.
• Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt gradually, stirring on low heat and tasting (you might need slightly less than 1/4 teaspoon).
• Add cooked pasta to the sauce, and reheat gently on medium heat. Taste, and add more salt, if needed. Add a small amount of half and half or reserved cooked pasta water, if the sauce is too thick. Let everything simmer on low heat for a couple of minutes for flavors to combine.
• Season with salt by sprinkling each scallop with a dash of salt.
• Use a large, non-stick skillet (I used stainless steel skillet which works well for me as non-stick). Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in this non-stick skillet on high heat until hot but not smoking. Oil should not be smoking, just rolling easily around the skillet.
• Add scallops without overcrowding the pan. Sear on one side for about 3-4 minutes until the bottom is nice golden color. Don't move the scallops around the pan in the beginning.
• Turn the scallops to the other side and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and transfer the scallops to the plate immediately. Don't let the scallops sit in the hot skillet, off heat, because they will start to steam, lose their crust and harden up.
• Add cooked scallops to the pasta and the cream sauce and reheat gently. Serve.
• Note: Make sure to salt the dish just enough to bring out of the flavors of basil and sun-dried tomatoes.