Making homemade gnocchi had been on my bucket list of things to conquer in the kitchen for quite some time now. These delicate pillows of pasta are one of Matt’s and my go-to orders while out to eat, but I was putting off making them from scratch.

Giada had assured me countless times how simple gnocchi are to create. I would watch Giada quickly whip up a perfect batch in her gorgeous, sunny kitchen and think to myself, “Giada even pronounces gnocchi perfectly, of course she thinks it’s simple!”

Well, my friends, I am here as a novice gnocchi-pronouncer and gnocchi-creator to let you know that in fact it is that simple. Sure there are fair amount of steps between the boiling, mashing, cooling, kneading and what-not, but once you have the process down you’ll have fresh gnocchi on the table in no time.

The most difficult part was the shaping with the fork tines, but I never have much patience for beautifying foods so I decided to leave them as is. I’m here to eat it not take a picture! Actually, I am, but I much prefer the eating part.

So conquer your kitchen fears and give homemade gnocchi a try! What are some things on your kitchen bucket list?

Homemade Goat Cheese Gnocchi

 

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Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 pounds potatoes, preferably Russets
• 11 ounces goat cheese
• ½ cup Parmesan, grated
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano (or ½ cup fresh, chopped)
• 3 eggs
• 6 cups cake flour
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and set aside.
2. Scrub and dry the potatoes then pierce each potato with a fork 5-6 times. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 45-60 minutes. The potatoes are done when you can easily pierce with a fork or knife. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel then grate them into a large mixing bowl. Alternatively, you can accomplish this with a potato ricer.
3. Add the goat cheese, Parmesan, oregano, eggs, flour, salt and pepper to the large mixing bowl and mix until the dough starts to come together.
4. Lightly flour a cutting board or smooth surface and knead the dough until it is smooth. Shape the dough into a large ball or mound and place a kitchen towel overtop. Let rest for 30 minutes.
5. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile start shaping the gnocchi. Using about ¼ cup of dough at a time, and leaving the kitchen towel over the rest, shape the dough into a long rope about ½” thick, as pictured above. Using a sharp non-serrated knife or an icing spatula, cut the dough rope into 1” pieces. Place the pieces on a lightly floured baking sheet.
6. When you have a small batch ready to be boiled (I boiled about ½ cookie sheet worth at a time), carefully place the gnocchi into the prepared boiling water. When they float to the top, about 3-5 minutes, remove with a large slotted spoon and serve.

Notes

*If you don’t have cake flour, for each cup you measure out of all-purpose flour remove 2 tablespoons before putting in the recipe.
*I simply pressed the gnocchi instead of the traditional ridge shape, but a quick Google search of shaping gnocchi will lead you to plenty of videos showing the traditional technique.
*If you are not eating the gnocchi right away, follow these instructions after placing in the boiling water:
1. When they float to the top, about 3-5 minutes, remove with a large slotted spoon and place in a bowl of cold water. Drain into a colander and let cold water run over the gnocchi in the colander. Let drain.
2. Remove to a large container and lightly toss with olive oil to keep them from sticking together. Repeat with the rest of the gnocchi until they are all cooked. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve.

3.2.1263

Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

I am shocked and I hope you are utterly disappointed in me. This is only the third pasta recipe that has been posted on Lemon & Mocha. The nerve of me! Pasta is one of my all-time favorite foods. I certainly can’t pick a single favorite because that would be like choosing between children or classic Nickelodeon shows, but pasta is way high up there on the list. So it is only fitting that this post featuring Lemon & Mocha’s second ever pasta recipe is also commemorating another special day: Mother’s Day.

Mother’s Day is this Sunday and I wanted to do something special. I am a firm believer in thinking positive, looking for the good in the bad and trusting life’s course. So I can only say that I am both lucky and blessed to have, and have had, three amazing mothers in my life.

Today I am posting this savory linguine with chicken, mushrooms and artichokes dish to celebrate my wonderful stepmom. As you learned back on her birthday, many of my favorite foods and ingredients are the result of my stepmom and her determination to have me eat something other than macaroni and fish sticks for the rest of my life.

This dish is my interpretation of one she used to make to get us to try new things. I know you probably think I’m being ridiculous, but my dad, brother and I were not initially familiar with shredded chicken in pasta and mushrooms on our plate. The original dish had olives, but I substituted artichokes, another food my stepmom opened my eyes to. I am so thankful to have such a great supporter, caring person and friend in my life. Sometimes the best mothers in your life are the ones that don’t go by “mom”, but love you just the same.

Chicken Cacciatore with Mushrooms and Artichokes

 

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Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound split skinless chicken breasts, bone-in
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 12 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms
• 1 26-ounce jar of tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ½ cup artichoke hearts, chopped
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves, about 4 leaves
• ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
• ½ pound cooked linguine

Directions

1. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and brown it, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.
2. Reduce the heat to medium on the stockpot and add the remaining olive oil. Add the garlic and shallots and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté until browned, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Push the mushrooms to the side so that there’s room on the bottom of the stockpot and return the chicken to the pot.
3. Add the tomato sauce and sugar. Lightly stir then bring the pot to a boil before covering and reducing to a simmer on medium-low heat. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
4. Keeping the sauce warm, remove the chicken, shred off the bone with 2 forks, then return to the sauce. Add the artichokes, basil and Parmesan to the sauce. Add the linguine and stir to coat. Serve topped with fresh Parmesan, if desired.

3.2.1263

Lauren Uncategorized 2 Comments

This is not your momma’s meat sauce. Well it might be, but the possibility of that is highly unlikely. This is certainly not a marinara sauce with some meat casually tossed in. This is a rich, creamy and satisfying beef bolognese sauce. There are a couple differences between this deliciousness and your average meat sauce. The beef bolognese here before you includes rehydrated porcini mushrooms along with their soaking liquid, which becomes a light mushroom stock. We learned from the mushroom overload cheddar burgers posted earlier this week that these babies are mushroom gold when adding a decadent earthiness to beef.

Second is that the milk added cuts the acid of the tomato base and brings a great creaminess to the sauce without overloading it with fat like a traditional cream sauce. Finally, all the different steps- the processing, the sauteing, the eating-with-a-spoon-but-someone-needs-to-taste-test-it-ing- may seem like a lot of work, but once you ravishingly start into that first bite of bolognese coated pasta it will all be worth it. The original recipe calls for using a meatball mixture, typically consisting of beef, pork and veal, but feel free to use whatever you prefer. Or is readily available in your grocery store as was my case.

Beef Bolognese Sauce

 

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Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• ½ cup water
• ½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms
• 1¼ cups white wine
• 1 small carrot, peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces
• ⅓ cup finely chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1¼ pounds ground beef
• 1½ cups whole milk
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Microwave the water until hot. Add the dried mushrooms and let rehydrate for 10 minutes. Using a fine mesh strainer set over a small bowl drain the mushrooms making sure to reserve the liquid. Set aside.
2. In a small skillet over medium heat cook the wine until it has reduced to about 2 tablespoons, about 20 minutes. Set aside.
3. While the wine is reducing use a food processor to finely grind the rehydrated porcini mushrooms. Add the carrot and pulse until the carrot pieces are smaller than a chop, but larger than a mince. Add the onion and pulse until combined.
4. Heat a large pot over medium high heat. Melt the butter then stir in the mushroom, carrot and onion mixture. Cook until the vegetables are soft.
5. Add the sugar and minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the ground beef and cook for 1 minute, making sure to break apart the meat with a wooden spoon. Stir in the milk and continue breaking apart the meat. Once the milk begins to bubble, reduce to medium low heat.
6. Continue to cook the ground meat, making sure to break up the meat often, for 20 minutes. Once the meat has begun to sizzle, stir in the tomato paste to combine. Add the can of crushed tomatoes, reserved mushroom liquid, ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper.
7. Cook for another 15 minutes then stir in the reduced wine. Cook for a couple more minutes then remove from the heat. Serve hot over pasta or store in the fridge for 2 days or the freezer for 2 months.

3.2.1263

Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

I’m a little late to the kale trend, but I have recently started experimenting with it in the kitchen. Kale is a superfood and no that does not mean it has sonic vision or invisibility powers. A superfood is one that is light in calories, rich in nutrients and has additional health benefits. Kale’s extra health goodies include all kinds of fancy science words like phytochemicals and beta-carotene. But all you need to know is that it’s good for you.

Don’t run away just yet! I promise I wouldn’t share something that wasn’t also sneak-back-for-seconds delicious. Through my adventures with kale I have discovered that it can also often be very bitter. Turning the kale into a pesto with walnuts, Parmesan, lemon and olive oil ensures that the kale is vibrant, savory and definitely not bitter. It might just be my new favorite pesto.

I love loading my meals with seasonal vegetables, which is why I added the leeks and red peppers. The kale may shine, but the lemon shrimp isn’t far behind. I love anything with a fresh lemon flavor and the shrimp in this recipe do not disappoint. They were so tasty I would certainly not promote skipping the shrimp in this dish, but if you needed it to be vegetarian you could omit the shrimp and add the lemon juice and zest to the vegetables instead.

Kale and Walnut Pesto Pasta with Lemon Shrimp

 

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Yield: 6 servings, plus 1 extra cup pesto

Ingredients

for the pesto

• ¾ cup shelled walnuts
• 12 ounces kale
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ⅔ cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

for the pasta

• 1 pound linguine
• 1 bunch leeks
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 tablespoons flour
• Zest from 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

for the pesto

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Evenly spread the walnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until the walnuts are roasted, about 6 minutes. Set aside to cool. Once cool chop ¼ cup of the walnuts, leaving the rest whole, and set aside for garnish.
2. Remove the hard stems from the kale then roughly chop. Steam for 4 minutes, or until tender.
3. In a food processor or with an immersion blender pulse together the steamed kale, garlic, ½ cup of the roasted walnuts, Parmesan and 2 tablespoons lemon juice until a paste forms. While pulsing pour in ⅔ cup olive oil then season with salt and pepper.

for the pasta

1. Cook the linguine until al dente then drain.
2. Prepare the leeks. Trim off the dark green parts and discard. Trim off the root ends and discard. Cut the entire leek lengthwise then slice crosswise into pieces.
3. Leeks harbor a lot of dirt so special care needs to be taken to remove all the grit. First rinse the sliced leeks thoroughly in a colander. Then fill a large bowl with cold water and add the rinsed leeks. Swirl and rub the leeks with your hands to dislodge any dirt. The dirt will sink to the bottom of the bowl so remove the leek pieces with a slotted spoon and set back in the rinsed colander to dry.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large sauté pan. Add the sliced red peppers and prepared leeks. Cook for 5 minutes, or until tender. Season with salt and pepper. Once cooked remove from the pan and set aside.
5. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat in the same sauté pan. Toss the shrimp with the flour then sauté in the pan for 5 minutes, or until firm and pink making sure to turn while cooking. Stir in the zest and 3 tablespoons lemon juice then season with salt and pepper. Add the sautéed leeks and red peppers then remove from the heat.
6. Toss the pasta with 1 cup pesto, shrimp and vegetables. Garnish with the chopped walnuts and extra grated Parmesan, if desired.

3.2.1255

Lauren Uncategorized 6 Comments

I find it amazing how much our taste in food adapts and evolves as we age. Do you know children often need to be introduced to a food 15-20 times before deciding whether they like or dislike it? I must have never given many of the ingredients in this dish a proper chance because if I told my 10-year-old self that I would be happily chowing down a bowl of pasta with mushrooms, garlic, lemon and… olives? Gasp! Unthinkable!

For my whole childhood and early young adulthood, I was an olive hater. It was more than simple dislike of olives; when others ate them I would scrunch my face up and say, “Ew, gross, you like olives??” Clearly I was particularly mature for my age.

But this pasta here, this is miracle pasta. Whether you snarf down olives by the jar or their briny smell makes you run away, you must try this pasta dish. The savory mushrooms and pasta are perfectly balanced by the saltiness of the olives and Parmesan. The lemon and parsley provide a fresh finish and help keep the dish light. This recipe is easily adaptable as you can adjust it to your own preferences. A few more mushrooms, a little less garlic, it’s up to you. If you’re feeling super adventurous you could even load up on the olives.

Since I’m still warming up to olives and don’t want a whole jar of them sitting in our fridge I usually get what I need from the salad bar at my grocery store. Sometimes if you put them in the little dressing container they won’t even charge you! Now hurry up and get cooking!

Sun-dried Tomato & Kalamata Olive Lemon Pasta

 

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Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 12 ounces thick spaghetti
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• ¼ cup kalamata olives, pits removed & chopped
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• ⅓ cup fresh grated parmesan, plus more for serving
• ½ cup fresh chopped parsley

Directions

1. Cook the spaghetti al dente. When draining the cooked pasta, reserve 1 cup of the cooking water.
2. While the pasta is cooking heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and mushrooms, stirring occasionally.
3. After 5 minutes, or once the mushrooms look almost browned, add the olives, lemon juice and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook for 3 minutes.
4. Add the cooked spaghetti, lemon zest and parsley to the skillet. Toss together in the skillet then add ⅓ cup of the reserved water. Add more reserved water if there is not enough sauce to coat the spaghetti.
5. After pasta is tossed, top with the parmesan.
6. To serve top with more parmesan if desired.

Notes

I use dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes when I make this recipe. If you use oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes instead you may want to reduce the amount of oil in the second step of the recipe.

3.2.1255

Lauren Uncategorized 6 Comments