Kitchen Sink Pasta Recipes

Steps:

• Bring the wine and 8 cups water to a boil in a large pasta pot. Add the orecchiette and cook according to the package instructions. Drain, reserving some of the cooking liquid.
• As the pasta cooks, heat a large saute pan over medium heat and brown the pancetta. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat behind. Add the shallots and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the pancetta back to the pan as well as the mascarpone and 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta cooking liquid (water/wine mixture). Stir to combine into a sauce, then mix in the cooked orecchiette; season with salt and pepper. Garnish with the thyme leaves if using.

Steps:

• To make the dressing:
• In a blender combine all ingredients except olive oil. Pulse several times until well combined. Once combined, turn machine on and slowly add in olive oil. Chill until ready to use.
• To prepare the salad:
• In a medium fry pan over medium heat, cook the pancetta until crispy. Remove to paper-towel lined plate to drain and cool. Clean out pan with paper towel and in same pan over medium heat, lightly toast the pine nuts. Remove to a plate and set aside to cool. Wash and dry greens, place in refrigerator to chill 10 to 15 minutes. Also chill individual salad plates or a platter if serving salad family-style.
• When ready to serve, in a large bowl toss together salad greens, cucumber and tomato with just enough dressing to lightly coat salad. Place salad on chilled individual plates or platter. Dress top of salad with pancetta, pine nuts, olives, Gorgonzola and freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Cook pasta al dente.
• Dice up mozzarella, artichoke hearts and sun dried tomatoes (i like to use kitchen shears for the sun dried toms).
• Toss cooled pasta (don't want to melt the cheese or maybe you do!) with all the other ingredients.
• Pour reserved sun dried tomato oil (use whatever you need to get it saucy), chipotle sauce (use whatever you desire for spiciness) over pasta, salt and pepper and toss to coat.
• If you can't find the chipotle garnishing sauce (I can't remember where I found mine and it is almost out!) just use some diced up, about 2, chipotles in adobo sauce or just the adobo sauce and add some mayo, about 1/4 cup to make it creamy and you should be fine. I'm all about shortcuts tho so i hope i can find more!
• Refrigerate for a couple hours, but I like overnight.
• Add chopped up spinach before serving at room temperature.
• Oh and don't forget the salt.i feel that salt really makes the flavors of the chipotles come alive!