Creamy Herbed Fish Pasta

Here is another recipe I thought up of during Stats class. I served it with a salad of procuitto and fresh mozzerella drizzled with olive oil and fresh ground pepper, and leftover Pillsbury breadsticks. I forgot to ask Dave how many stars he gives this one. Will let him comment on that.

For the herbed fish
1/2 cup fresh tarragon
1/2 cup fresh basil
1/4 cup fresh sage
4 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
Dash of paprika
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Some kind of fish (I used catfish just because that’s what Safeway had on sale.)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the fish into 2 inch chunks. Put all the ingredients except for the fish into a food processor and process until all chopped up and smooth. Coat the fish with the herb pesto and put in a baking pan and put in oven. Check on it frequently to make sure it does not overcook. If it looks cooked on the outside, take it out, because fish will continue to cook on the inside for several minutes after it’s been out off the oven. You don’t want it to be dry, you want it moist and tender.

Fpr the pasta
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup some kind of dry salty meat (I used some leftover turkey breakfast sausage that I found in the fridge, but this recipe would be good with something like smoked ham, bacon, pepperoni, or leftover sausages…)
1/2 lb Fettuccine
3/4 cup vermouth
3/4 cup cream
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 cup spinach
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat a saucepan with olive oil. Dice the onion and mince the garlic, and add to the oil. Dice the meat and add pan. Cook until onions are slightly brown. Boil a pot of water and add fettuccine. Add vermouth to saucepan and reduce to one half. Stir in cream, salt and pepper, and cook for five minutes. Stir in tomatoes and Parmesan cheese. Stir in Spinach, and let it wilt into the sauce. Stir in the cooked and drained fettuccine immediately so that the pasta does not stick to each other. Serve with the herbed fish on top and drizzle with some lemon juice.

Spicy Eggplant Sausage Pasta

I thought of this recipe during Stats class today and tried it out for dinner. Dave is my taste-test guinea pig, and he gave it five stars out of five. I always cook with my eyeballs, not measuring spoons, so for the purpose of relaying a recipe to you, I have just estimated all measurements.

Serves four, and great with crusty French bread or soft breadsticks (I love the Pillsbury ready-to-bake kind that comes in a tube).

1 medium eggplant
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 hot Italian sausages
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup fresh sage
1/4 cup fresh tarragon
1/2 cup fresh basil
1 box spaghetti
1 can (16 oz) crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup black olives (I like burgundy pearls)
1/4 cup vermouth
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
1/3 cup fresh mozzarella, cut into half inch chunks
shredded parmesan, romano, or asiago for topping pasta

Put a large pot of water to boil with a dash of salt. Wash and cut the eggplant into 1 inch chunks. Place in boiling water. Heat a large saucepan with olive oil on medium high. Dice onion, mince garlic, and add to saucepan. With kitchen shears, cut 1/2 inch sausage pieces into pan. Let cook until half done, about four minutes, then add crushed peppers and stir . Finely chop sage, tarragon, and basil. When eggplant is soft but not too mushy and, drain and add to saucepan with the chopped herbs. Cook until sausage is completely brown. Refill the pot with water and salt and bring to boil. Add spaghetti to boiling water. Add crushed tomatoes to saucepan, and stir. Chop olives in half and add to sauce with vermouth. Reduce heat to medium and stir. Cut tomatoes in half and add to sauce. Simmer until spaghetti is ready. Drain spaghetti. Divide into bowls. Divide mozzarella pieces onto spaghetti. Spoon sauce on top and serve with shredded parmesan.