Parmesan Penne Pasta with homemade breadsticks

  

Parmesan Penne Pasta with breadsticks.

     This is definitely a family favorite; one of our go to meals. A great comfort food, bad day food, I'm just really hungry meal. I do also make this with chicken, however in this instance I did not, but I will add instructions if you so wish to add protein.

Ingredients:

Breadsticks
1 packet (or 2 1/4tsp) active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups very warm water
2 tbsp sugar
3 1/2 cup AP flour, more or less as needed
2 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp salt

For the garlic butter spread you need about 1/4 cup butter and 1 tsp garlic powder and a pinch of salt, more or less depending on taste preference.

Penne Pasta
Your choice of Penne Pasta, depending on how much you want to make, 1/2 - 1 box.
2 garlic cloves, chopped as fine as you can get
2 tbsp olive oil
4 fresh tomatoes, chopped, or 1 can diced tomatoes
2 cups shredded mozzarella
2 cups shredded Parmesan  
Fresh basil to taste, I like using a lot
Dried oregano, I don't measure, probably 2 tsp
1/4 cup heavy cream or milk
salt and pepper to taste

Start with the breadsticks, since they need an hour to rise.
1. In a large bowl, add yeast and sugar, then pour water over to mix and allow to sit for about 10 minutes to bloom the yeast.
2. Add about half the flour, salt and melted butter and start it mixing, continuing to add remaining flour until it is fully combined, and a nice, stretchy dough. It will be a bit sticky.
3. Spray a cookie sheet with spray, use parchment paper or a Silpat. Start pulling off pieces and shaping in to the bread sticks. I find it easiest to have a bit of flour on my hands for each one. I can usually get about 14 bread sticks from this, so I use 2 cookie sheets, and put 7 on each.
4. Cover the sticks with a light. clean dish towel and set to rise, about 45 min-1 hour.
5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Once preheated, place cookie sheets in oven and bake for 6-7 minutes.
6. Microwave your garlic butter ingredients until melted. After the 6-7 minutes, brush each bread stick with the garlic butter mixture, then cook and additional 6-7 minutes, until brown on top.
7. Remove from oven, and brush with remaining butter.

Pasta:
Start the water boiling for the pasta, according to package instructions.
1. Chop up you garlic, and add to a large saute pan with heated up olive oil. Allow to sizzle and cook for a few minutes, then add tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Allow to cook a few minutes more, stirring.
2. Cook pasta according to instructions, then drain and put back in pot.
3. Add cream or milk to the tomato mixture and take off the heat.
4. Add to drained pasta, then add 3/4 of both cheeses.
(If you want to add chicken, cook about a pound of chicken, chopped in to bite sized pieces, then add to pot)
5. Mix all ingredients until everything is well coated, then put in an oven safe dish. Cover with remaining cheese.
6. Preheat oven to about 375 degrees F and cook for about 30 minutes, until it is evenly heated through and the cheese on top is melted. If you want the cheese browned, pop it under the broiler for a minute or two.
 Serve and enjoy!

 Melt 2 tbsp of butter and add to bloomed yeast sugar water

 Add half of the flour, and start mixing, adding flour until it is all combined

 I put a sprinkling of flour over the dough to help with the stickiness when I grab it, and also flour my hands.

 Shape your bread sticks

 Cover with a clean towel, and allow to rise for 45min- 1 hour

 Chop up your garlic and basil

 (Forgot to take a picture of the tomatoes

 Shred your respective cheeses

 Saute your garlic in the olivethen add tomatoes and herbs

 Cook your pasta, then drain well

 Add your cream or milk, take off heat

 Mix well, then add to drained pasta

 Add in 3/4 of both your cheeses, combine well, then put in oven safe dish

 Add remaining cheese to top, put in oven at 375F for about 30 minutes

 Once bread as risen, bake for 6-7 minutes at 400F (my dad likes to call my bread sticks bread loaves because I don't quite have the shape down yet)

 Combine garlic butter ingredients and microwave until melted.

 After 6-7 minutes, brush with melted butter mixture, then cook an additional 6-7 minutes, until brown

 Remove from oven, and brush with remaining garlic butter.

 Serve up and enjoy!

Greek Pita made on stove-top!

Griddle cooked Greek Pita 

 Of course I forgot to take a picture of the pile of finished pita, I'll try to remember to add it next time I make these.

 My husband loves pita, but the stuff you get in the store just doesn't cut it for me, so I found a recipe and adapted it to my own tastes. These are great with hummus, you can use them as Greek fish taco shells, or they are awesome on their own! Surprisingly easy to make, they are cooked on the stove in about 2 minutes! This recipe has stand mixer directions, since my in-laws got us one for our wedding that I use daily, but it is very possible to make these with a hand mixer, or mixed by hand! This recipe is a yeasted dough, so remember to leave time for the dough to rise!

Makes 8 pita

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup hot water*

2. 2 tsp active dry yeast

3. 3 cups flour

4. 1 tsp salt

5. 1-2 tbsp olive oil

* Most recipes call for the water to be 110 degrees F, but who checks that? My way of telling is that the water be very warm or slightly hot to the touch, but not so hot you can't keep your hand comfortably in it.

Directions:

Add the yeast to whatever bowl you are using to mix and pour water over, letting it mix together. Wait 5-10 minutes for yeast to activate, then add in your flour, salt and olive oil. You can use whatever olive oil you like, on this instance I used a special basil infused olive oil my sister sent me from Italy, where she is stationed. If you are using a stand mixer, using your dough hook, let it mix and knead for about 10 minutes, until it comes together in a ball. If it doesn't quite come together, add a little more olive oil, then hand knead. If you're using a hand mixer, mix until combined, then using a floured surface, knead for about 7 minutes until you have a soft, non sticky dough. Clean the bowl you mixed in and pour a little olive oil on the bottom. Place your dough ball in the bowl, turning to coat in the oil, then cover with plastic wrap and put someplace warm to rise for about an hour, until doubled. 

At this point, get your griddle, or pan heating up to medium high heat. You really want a uniform heat, so cast iron is best, or some pan that doesn't have hot spots. When the dough is doubled, punch it down and roll back into an oblong ball. This is the point where you divide the dough into 8 pieces. I am not very exact, I just tear the ball in half, then that in half, then those in half until I have 8 somewhat same size pieces.  Flour whatever surface you will be working on and roll out the pita to what size you want. The thinner and bigger, the tougher and crispier the pita. I usually roll mine out to about 5 inches diameter, that leaves it nice and pillowy. You can roll them all out at once, however I like to do it 2 at a time, since that's how many I cook at a time. 

Pour a little bit olive oil (I use regular as opposed to extra virgin because you can heat it hotter before it starts to burn) on your pan and spread it evenly over the surface with a paper towel. Add your pita, cooking it on that side about 30 seconds, or until bubbles start to form. Flip over to the other side and cook about 1 minute. The pita may start to balloon up in spots, that's ok! Flip back over and cook another minute. While these 2 are cooking I like to roll out my next 2 pita. When both sides have cooked brown spots on it, it's done! Re-cover the pan in oil and cook remaining pita until all are cooked. Then enjoy!

Mix yeast and hot water in bowl, let bloom for about 5-10 minutes. 

The special olive oil I used in this batch, courtesy of my AMAZING beloved sister Shannon, who is stationed over in Italy.

Add flour, salt and oil and mix until dough forms

Pour a little oil in bowl and roll to coat the dough ball.

Cover and let rise for about an hour.

My pita frying oil.

Once doubled, form into an oblong shape, and tear in half.

Then in half again.

And again.

Until you have 8 pieces.

Flour your work surface and roll out your pita

Pour oil onto your VERY hot surface.

Evenly coat your pan or griddle

Cook about 30 seconds, or until bubbles form.

Cook both sides for 1 minutes until they look like these, then eat! We eat these with hummus, usually!

Lemon zest Hummus without Tahini

This is a really easy and tasty hummus to whip up, goes great with freshly made Pita, which is a recipe I will be posting after this one! For the most part, the ingredient amounts are variable, depending on your own choice of taste. I normally use the Vita-mix my sister got us for our wedding, but since on this particular day I only used one can of chick peas (and therefore cut the rest of ingredients in half), there wouldn't have been enough in the Vita-mix to grind, so I used my little food processor.

Ingredients:

2 (15 ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed*
1/3-2/3 cup olive oil
1 tbsp water
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic
1/2 -1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 -1 tsp oregano
1/2 -1 tsp paprika, plus more for finishing touch

*If you want a smoother finish to the hummus, there is a clear shell over the canned chickpeas that is easy to squeeze off, takes a little bit of time to get them all but it is something I prefer to do, makes for a much smoother dip.

To make:

Add everything to blender or processor and grind up! If it is still too chunky and you're having trouble blending, add more olive  oil or water. Sprinkle top with paprika and serve with whatever!

Add washed chickpeas to blender or processor, 

Zest your lemon, about 1 tsp, although to be honest I don't actually measure.

Add your lemon juice. If you are using fresh squeezed, don't forget to do it over a strainer so you don't get any seeds in the mix!

Add spices, as much or little as you want, and all other ingredients.

Blend until smooth.

Put into a serving dish, sprinkle a little paprika on top and enjoy!