Pastina Soup (Italian Penicillin)

I've seen this Pastina Soup recipe online a few times and finally made it today. I've had two different back-to-back sicknesses since last week and had a little more energy today so I made this for my lunch. It was pretty amazing!

I can't handle onions and garlic anymore so I only used them for flavor. I kept the onion whole and still used 4 cloves of smashed garlic, but I threw all of them away before I blended the carrots and celery. I also used more carrots and celery than the recipe called for (5 or 6 small/medium carrots and 4 celery stalks). I used two 32-ounce cartons of chicken broth plus half a carton of water.

I made about 3/4 bag of Stelline pasta which seemed like the perfect amount for this recipe. I cooked the pasta separately and spooned the broth over it. I also stored the leftovers separately so the pasta wouldn't absorb all of the broth.

I haven't been eating grated cheese lately so I put some ground pepper and more salt in my soup and it was so good. This is a delicious, simple recipe to make, especially if someone in your household isn't feeling well.

Pastina Soup (Italian Penicillin)

Recipe from Pinch of Yum Blog

 

This soup has become my go-to recipe when my family is sick. The broth is amazing – simple, light, flavorful, and nourishing! It’s absolute comfort food. 

 

For the Broth:

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 large carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

2 stalks of celery, cut into large chunks

half of 1 yellow onion, peeled and cut into large chunks

4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

10 cups chicken or vegetable broth (I use 10 cups water plus 2 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon chicken base)

1 teaspoon salt

 

For Serving: 

1½ cups pastina (I use Stelline from the Good and Gather brand at Target)

freshly grated Parmesan cheese for topping

 

 

Sauté Veggies: Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the chunky carrots, celery, onion, and garlic to the pot. Sauté for 5 minutes. 

 

Simmer: Add broth and salt. Simmer for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are very tender.

 

Remove Veggies: Use a slotted spoon to transfer the vegetable chunks to a bowl. Set aside to cool for a few minutes (you don’t want to add scorching hot veggies to your plastic blender). 

 

Blend: When the veggies have cooled a bit, blend them with 1-2 cups broth until very smooth. Add the blended mixture back to the pot; stir to incorporate.

 

Pastina: Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and toss with olive oil and a pinch of salt. 

 

Serve: Put a scoop of pastina in a shallow bowl. Ladle the steaming hot broth over the top, and top each bowl with freshly grated Parmesan. 

 

Makes 6-8 servings.

Apple Bread

It's almost mid-September and even though it's still pretty hot and humid outside, I'm ready for cooler weather and fall meals. I recently came across this Apple Bread recipe and tried it out today. It's very easy to make. I used a scale to weigh the flour and sugar. I grated the apple because I don't like big pieces of apple in breads or muffins. To make this easier in the future, I just bought an apple corer. I also left out the nutmeg and instead added a bit more cinnamon (1 teaspoon instead of 3/4 teaspoon). I baked my bread for 55 minutes and it was definitely done and perhaps a bit over done, so next time I will set the timer for a little less time (I adjusted the time below. The next time I made this bread I baked it for 45 minutes and it was perfect). I also missed the note at the bottom about tenting foil over it, so maybe that would have helped.

This is a quick recipe that tastes delicious and is perfect for fall!

Apple Bread

Recipe courtesy “Preppy Kitchen” Blog

 

Apple Bread is a must-try this apple season! Stir together a simple batter filled with fresh apples and cozy spices, and bake to moist perfection!

 

1 large apple, peeled and cored (such as Granny Smith or Honeycrisp)

1½ cups all-purpose flour (180g)

½ cup granulated sugar plus more for sprinkling (100g)

½ cup packed light brown sugar (110g)

¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg, optional

2 large eggs, room temperature and beaten

½ cup unsalted butter, melted (113g)

½ cup chopped toasted walnuts or toasted pecans, optional (60g)

 

 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8½x4½-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper, allowing excess to hang over the long sides of the pan.

 

Peel and core the apple. You can prepare the apple in one of two ways: Grate it, using the largest holes on a cheese grater. Or, chop the apple into small pieces (about ½-inch cubes). Set aside.

 

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Add the beaten eggs and melted butter to the flour mixture, and stir together with a silicone spatula until just a few dry streaks of flour remain. (The batter will be very thick.)

 

Add the grated or chopped apple and nuts (if using) to the batter and stir together until evenly combined and all of the flour has been incorporated. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth out the top. Sprinkle with additional granulated sugar, if desired.

 

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove the loaf from the pan and let cool for about 30 minutes more. Slice and serve warm. Any leftovers should be tightly wrapped and refrigerated for up to 5 days.

 

Notes:

Tent the loaf with aluminum foil during baking if the top of the bread starts to brown too quickly. Check it after 40 minutes and tent it if needed.

 Add a glaze! For a sweeter finish, whisk together 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of melted butter, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1 to 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or water (adding more or less depending on how thick you want the glaze). Drizzle the glaze over the cooled loaf and let it sit for 15 minutes before slicing.

Best Key Lime Pie

My dad is turning 80 (!!!) this week and my mom is throwing him a big birthday party tomorrow. He loves pie so she and my sister Regina had an idea to serve a bunch of different kinds of pie for dessert. Regina is making banana cream pies, another sister is making apple pies, another is making gluten-free chocolate pies and my mom is making cherry pies. I wanted to add something different to the mix but wasn't sure what - then I thought of key lime pie, which I've never made before. My husband and I went to Key West for our honeymoon so we obviously had delicious key lime pie several times while we were there. I don't think I've hade key lime pie since then though! My sister's Godmother used to make it and bring it to parties at our house. I don't have her recipe but I looked online and found several. The main difference between the recipes I found are that some use egg yolks (more traditional) and some use sour cream (more modern) and others use a combination of both. I decided to use a recipe with sour cream. Key limes aren't sold near me, but instead of juicing a ton of regular limes, I used Nelly & Joe's Key West Lime Juice, which most grocery stores carry. I made this in a classic Pyrex pie dish. I made two since there are 70 people coming to his party!

This pie is very easy to make - it starts with a graham cracker crust that you bake for a few minutes. One packet of graham crackers came out to exactly 1.5 cups of crumbs - use a measuring cup to flatten out the crumb mixture on the bottom and sides of your pie plate. While the crust is cooling off, mix together the pie filling ingredients (I only zested one lime and it was plenty of zest) and bake the pie (hint: put the pie dish on a baking sheet in the oven so it is easier to take out of the oven without getting your finger or an oven mitt in the pie!). Let the pie cool to room temperature and then refrigerate it for several hours or overnight. Make some homemade whipped cream and put it on the pie just before serving. Don't forget to add some lime zest or very thinly sliced pieces of lime on top of the whipped cream to make the pie look nice!

This is a great recipe to make a day ahead, and one that I hope I'll be making more often. Next up - I need to try a recipe with a meringue topping like the one we had in Key West - the photos below are from our honeymoon in 2015!

This pie was delicious - give it a try!

Key Lime Pie from Blue Heaven in Key West

Key Lime Pie from Blue Heaven in Key West

Best Key Lime Pie

Recipe from Mom On Timeout Blog

 

The Best Key Lime Pie recipe EVER! Tart and sweet and incredibly easy, this Key Lime Pie is sure to be a family favorite! A delicious graham cracker crust filled to the brim with an incredibly creamy filling that is just so quick to make! You won’t be able to stop at just one slice!  

 

Graham Cracker Crust:

1½ cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup granulated sugar

6 Tablespoons butter, melted

 

Key Lime Filling:

28 ounces sweetened condensed milk

½ cup light sour cream

¾ cup key lime juice

Zest from 2 regular limes or 4 key limes

 

Whipped Cream Topping:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

½ cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Graham Cracker Crust:

 

Preheat oven to 375°.

 

Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a small bowl. Press the crumb mixture into an 8" - 9.5" pie pan. Bake for 7 minutes. Cool for at least 30 minutes.

 

Key Lime Filling:

 

Preheat oven to 350°.

 

Whisk together sweetened condensed milk, sour cream, lime juice, and lime zest in a medium bowl. Pour into prepared graham cracker crust and bake for 10 minutes.

 

Let pie cool slightly before chilling. Chill for at least 3 hours.

 

Whipped Cream Topping:

 

Beat heavy cream and sugar together in a mixer until stiff peaks form. Beat in vanilla. Spread or pipe the whipped cream on top of the cooled pie. Top with additional lime zest if desired.

Pappardelle Pasta

I've made Pappardelle twice before, once using my mom's homemade pasta recipe and another time using a similar recipe that has some helpful photos and even a video. I like making Pappardelle because it's simple - make the dough, roll the dough, and then cut it with a knife and you're done! It pairs perfectly with a thick bolognese sauce.

For pasta recipes like this one, I like to use my Marcato Atlas 180 pasta roller. I bought this pasta machine without any cutting attachments, specifically just for rolling out pasta sheets. It is wider than the more well-known Atlas 150 so it's perfect for lasagna noodles and sheets of pasta for ravioli or hand cutting. I also have a KitchenAid pasta roller, although I have not used it in a long time - when making small amounts of pasta I really prefer to hand crank them.

The recipe below is the one I used most recently and it yields the perfect amount for my small family of 4. As always, make sure your eggs are room temperature before you start mixing your pasta dough.

Pappardelle Pasta

Recipe courtesy Emilie Raffa

 

Make homemade pappardelle pasta from scratch with only two ingredients: whole eggs and 00 flour. Hand-cut for wide, silky ribbons that pair perfectly with Bolognese, mushroom ragù or basil pesto. 

 

For timing, the process is broken up into 3 parts: making the dough, rolling the dough into pasta sheets, and cutting the pasta into noodles. Tips shared below for using a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer, food processor and doing it by hand. 

 

300 g Tipo 00 Flour*

3 large eggs, room temperature* 

1 large egg yolk, room temperature

Olive oil*

Semolina flour, for dusting

 

*Note: For the Tipo 00 flour, I recommend Molino Grassi or Caputo. For the eggs & yolk, the total combined weight (cracked) should be 185 g. Because egg size varies, make up the difference, if needed, with an extra egg yolk or olive oil. Olive oil makes the dough more soft, supple and satisfying to work with. 

Step #1: Make The Dough

There are 3 different ways to make pasta dough: by hand, in a stand mixer or with a food processor. Choose one of the following options below.

The Traditional Way (by hand):

1.     Add the flour to a large bowl. Make a well in the center; add the eggs and yolk.

2.     Whisk together with a fork, and then combine with the flour. When the texture becomes stiff, finish by hand to form a rough dough. If dry bits of flour remain after a few minutes of mixing (be patient, it’s a dry dough) add a few drops of water or olive oil to bring the dough together. 

3.     Form the dough into a ball, cover with an upturned bowl or with plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature for 10-15 minutes- it will be easier to knead.

4.     Knead the dough for 5-7 minutes. Do this by folding the dough over itself, pushing it forward with the heel of your hand, turning slightly as you go. I literally rock the dough back and forth (watch the video). The texture will be very stiff at first- it’s not bread dough. But rest assured, by the 2 minute mark it will start to soften. Keep kneading until the dough is soft, malleable and has a talcum-like finish. It should “bounce back” slowly when poked.

5.     Form the dough into a ball, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Stand Mixer Instructions:

Fit the machine with the dough hook. Add the flour and eggs to the bowl. Mix until combined. Knead on speed #1 or #2, about 4-5 minutes. Form the dough into a ball, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Food Processor Instructions:

Add the flour and eggs to the bowl. Pulse several times until the dough comes together. Remove the dough to your work surface and let rest for 1 minute. If the dough is a bit sticky after resting, add a sprinkle of flour. Knead by hand for 1-2 minutes (the food processor does most of the kneading for you). Form the dough into a ball, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Step #2: Roll The Dough Into Pasta Sheets

This can be done using a KitchenAid stand mixer with the roller attachment, with a hand crank pasta machine or by hand with a rolling pin.

1.     Dust your work surface with semolina flour. Cut the pasta dough into 4 pieces. Working with one piece at a time, flatten the dough into a 6-8inch oval patty. Keep the remaining doughs covered in wrap otherwise they will dry out. 

2.     If using a KitchenAid stand mixer, set the pasta roller to #1 which is the lowest/widest setting. With the machine running, send the dough through the roller. Now, send it through again (so, 2x total). Note: if using a hand crank pasta machine instead, refer to the manufacture’s specific instructions for rolling the dough (the settings might differ but the rolling process is the same). You can also use a rolling pin to roll the dough as thin as you can, about 1/16 inch (1-2 mm).

3.     Continue to roll the dough through settings #2-4, (2x) on each setting. Do not pull on the sheet as it comes through the roller; just guide it along gently. If at any point the dough becomes sticky, dust with semolina flour. I keep my work surface dusted with semolina at all times. This way I can coat both sides of my pasta sheet easily and quickly while I work.

4.     Your pasta sheet is ready when it’s beautifully thin and somewhat translucent (you should be able to see your hand underneath). Don’t worry if the ends are not perfectly straight; you can always trim them with a knife.

5.     To finish, dust the pasta sheet generously with semolina, fold it in half, and place onto your floured sheet pan. Cover with a kitchen towel. Repeat the rolling process for the remaining 3 doughs.

Step #3: Cut Pappardelle Pasta 

1.     Before cutting, I like to dry my pasta sheets ever so slightly. This firms up the final texture giving the strands a more “leathery” finish, rather than a soft and doughy feel (this will prevent the pasta from sticking together later on). 

2.     To Semi-Dry: drape the pasta sheets over the back of a chair for about 10-15 minutes or so. Keep your eye on the time; you don’t want the sheets to dry out completely. You will be able to feel the difference.

3.     To Cut: take a pasta sheet and cut it in half. Trim the ends, if you like. Run the sheet through your desired pasta cutter attachment to create strands. Alternatively, cut the dough by hand.

To Store: Arrange the pasta flat on a sheet pan dusted heavily with semolina flour. Doing so will keep the pappardelle’s broad and flat shape- it won’t curl. Cover with plastic wrap and hold at room temperature if cooking within 1-2 hours. Alternatively, refrigerate until ready to cook, up to 12 hrs. It’s best to cook homemade pasta on the same day it’s made, otherwise it might oxidize, discolor and stick together if chilled past 24 hrs.

To Freeze: Allow the pasta to air-dry, uncovered, for up to 20 minutes before freezing. This helps to prevent sticking. Portion into Ziploc bags and freeze, up to 1 month. Cook directly from frozen, no need to defrost first.

To Cook: Add the pasta to a large pot of boiling water. Make sure to generously salt it first. Cooking time will depend on the pasta’s thickness. For pappardelle, plan on 5-7 minutes for al dente (soft but with a bite), but taste it first to be sure it’s ready. When finished, use tongs to transfer the pasta directly into the sauce.