giada chooses al dente!
I have no voice left after this weekend in D.C where Dennis and I talked pasta with hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of food enthusiasts for 2 days straight. Supposedly 17,000 attended the Metropolitan Food and Entertainment show. It was a blast! The highlight was when Giada De Laurentis’s super charming husband, Todd, stopped by our booth with the producer of The Today Show to let us know that they would be featuring Al Dente Pasta on Tuesday November 10th. Wildly exciting, to say the least. The fun did not stop there. In our conversation with Todd, we discovered that his grandparents used to have a cottage on Whitmore Lake, home of Al Dente, Inc. Trust me, this is hugely coincidental considering the size of Whitmore Lake and is the kind of thing that I love. How cool would it be if Giada and Todd would come to our lake house some day and I could cook them pasta! Open invitation, that’s for sure.
Here’s the post I wrote a few weeks that was inspired by Giada De Laurentiis. Her recipes are absolutely perfect for the home cook and that is who Al Dente Pasta is made for. My belief is that pasta can be prepared in the home just as well as in a restaurant, sometimes even better and healthier–but always less expensive.
I took Giada’s recipe for Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Lemon, Basil and Salmon and modified it to use Al Dente Whole Wheat Fettuccine. Because Al Dente Pasta cooks in just 3-4 minutes, I changed the timing to Giada’s recipe. My daughter and I LOVED the way it turned out and it is probably one of the heathiest, easiest recipes known to man, woman and child.
Monique’s version of Giada’s Whole Wheat Pasta with Lemon, Basil and Salmon
serves 4
Healthy Ingredients
1/2 bag (6-8 oz) Al Dente Whole Wheat Fettuccine
1 lb. Salmon, cut into 4 even pieces (I used Norwegian)
6 oz. baby spinach
1 clove garlic, minced
3 Tbsp capers
Juice of 1/2 lemon (2 Tbsp)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
fresh basil (if available)
3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
Step by Step Instructions
In a deep skillet or pot, set aside combination of spinach, garlic, capers, lemon juice, salt, 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil and fresh basil.
- ingredients waiting for hot pasta
In the meantime, bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta. Test after 4 minutes to check for doneness. Before draining pasta, ladle 1/2 cup of hot pasta water out of pot and add to spinach mixture. Drain pasta and add hot pasta to spinach mixture.
- hot pasta water
- add hot water to spinach mixture
- add drained pasta to spinach mixture
Season salmon with salt and pepper, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in skillet and cook salmon for approximately 2 minutes on each side.
- cook seasoned salmon
One minute before salmon is cooked, toss pasta and spinach over medium heat until and spinach is wilted and pasta is hot.
- toss pasta and spinach until heated through
- so good!
Serve salmon over the pasta and enjoy!
Add comment November 9, 2009
oh, the pastabilities! (annabel cohen live blogs the metropolitan cooking & entertaining show in washington, d.c.)
Annabel Cohen (photo: Nathan Skid for Crain's Detroit)
I’m in for a weekend of all Al Dente, all the time. Saturday and Sunday, I’ll be joining the Al Dente team in Washington D.C., at the Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show, billed as “the only award-winning consumer event in the nation for cooking and entertaining enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels.”
Al Dente is a featured exhibitor, and I’m coming along for some of the action.
As anyone who knows me knows, I’m among the most enthusiastic, cooking and entertaining enthusiasts around. I’ll be checking out the show and on Saturday, cooking up show-stopping Al Dente pasta and sauces for all the hungry-for-fresh-ideas attendees.
Maybe I’ll get to meet Food Network stars Paula Deen, Giada De Laurentiis, Guy Fieri, Tyler Florence and the Neelys – and they’ll get to meet me and perhaps get a few forkfuls of Al Dente.
I’m not exactly sure what I’ll be concocting, but perhaps I’ll make my recent Halloween party concoction, Squid Ink pasta (black as night) with Acorn Squash. It was a perfect black and orange treat – though it was real (and delicious for a howling, chilly night). Simply tossed with some cream, a bit of fresh sage and fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Squash:
1 large or 2 smaller acorn squash, peeled with a peeler (as much as possible)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Sauce and Pasta:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp. fresh minced sage (not packed)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cup fresh grated (finely grated) Parmesan cheese
1 package Al Dente Squid Ink pasta
Prepare squash: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Halve, seed, and cut squash into 1/2-inch cubes. Toss the squash with the oil, and spread it on a baking sheet. Roast, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Prepare the sauce: Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until beginning to brown. Remove from heat and stir in the cream and sage. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Add comment November 6, 2009
al dente squid ink pasta-not just for halloween
Recipes from people who cooked up Al Dente Squid Ink Fettuccine on Halloween are coming in fast and furiously. But remember, these recipes are delicious any day of the year! Here is what Peggy wrote for her Dinner Feed and her article in AnnArbor.com.
Peggy Lampman’s Halloween Sesame Salmon with Al Dente Squid Ink Pasta
Peggy Lampman | Contributor
Note: Soy Vay Veri Teriyaki or Soy Vay Wasabiyaki dressings are suitable time-saving substitutes for the marinade.
Yield: 4 servings
Time: 30 minutes Cost: $14.00-$30.00 depending on salmon cost
Ingredients:
5 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1-3 tablespoons dry wasabi or wasabi paste
2 pounds center cut salmon fillet
8 ounces squid ink pasta, Al Dente
1/2 teaspoon black sesame seeds
Directions
1. Whisk together the teriyaki, sesame oil and wasabi to make a marinade; divide. Marinate the salmon fillets in half of the dressing, 1- 1 1/2 hours, refrigerated, turning once.
2. Preheat oven to 400˚.
3. Line a baking sheet with foil. Bake salmon, skin side down, on middle rack of oven, and bake about 10-15 minutes, according to thickness of fillet and desired level of doneness.
4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions, being careful not to overcook. Toss cooked pasta in remaining vinaigrette.
5. Divide pasta on 4 plates and arrange one fillet on top of each bed of pasta. Divide and sprinkle each fillet with black sesame seeds and serve.
Add comment November 2, 2009
fast food the al dente way!
My friend’s mother used to refer to many of the quick and easy fare of the typical 60’s and 70’s household as a “dump job,” meaning there was likely to be a can of Cambell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup somewhere in the mix. Thankfully, time-saving measures have come a long way since then.
Al Dente Whole Wheat Fettuccine with Ingredients from the Delallo Olive Bar
Sure, there are endless selections of processed, frozen pastas that can be easily nuked in the microwave, but it doesn’t have to be that way! Our Al Dente Pasta cooks in just 3-4 minutes …so you can give the microwave a run for the money in the time department, and also have control over the final dish—no preservatives, extra salts or sugars, no wasteful packaging. With Al Dente Pasta you get home-cooking, nutrition and convenience all rolled into one!
This recipe featuring Al Dente’s acclaimed Whole Wheat with Flax Fettuccine and a container of stuff from the antipasta bar at a local grocery store is most DEFINITELY a time-saver. Simply put, pick out your favorite ingredients, put what you want into a reusable plastic cup and pay by the pound. Then you can use the empty container for leftovers, if there are any. 
Ingredients at hand
For this recipe, I selected roasted artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, roasted cloves of garlic and a few mini balls of marinated mozzarella. I also had some leftover fresh thyme, toasted walnuts and a lemon for zest and juice in the kitchen, so I used those as well.
The instructions are as follows: chop stuff up, cook pasta in salted water for 3-4 minutes, drain, then dump chopped stuff into the hot fettuccine. Add a bit of chicken stock and fresh lemon juice if you need a little more liquid. Garnish with lemon zest and toasted walnuts. I also served a bit of leftover roasted chicken on the side.
No wasteful packaging to throw away!
I only used half a bag of pasta, but even after eating a generous helping, I had 2 pints of leftovers to save in the convenient recycled plastic containers from the grocery. Next day, I added some chopped tomatoes and a little more chicken stock to the leftovers, topped off with feta cheese and I had dinner ready in 5 minutes. That’s healthy convenience, the Al Dente Pasta way!
Add comment October 21, 2009
make new friends-with al dente pasta!
Here’s the scenario: Living in a new city. Don’t know that many people. Have challenged myself to cook pasta every day in October to celebrate National Pasta Month. It’s Saturday evening, daughter is babysitting. Everyone else is busy. What to do?
Pick up the phone and dial the number of a delightful person I met at a luncheon for parents of the French Lycee of Chicago. Boldly invite myself to her home by proposing that I grab a few ingredients from my fridge and make dinner. It was an offer she couldn’t refuse, so the next thing I knew, we were enjoying David’s famous Chocolate Cocktail made with Svedka Vodka and chatting like old friends. (David and I are University of Michigan Alum while Robyn and I are Francophiles)
I had planned to make a dish using grilled chicken, tomatoes, a little pancetta, cream and parmesan. Luckily, when Robyn saw me setting up the ingredients, she felt comfortable letting me know that David is lactose intolerant. Plus, it created the perfect opportunity to demonstrate how easy it is to improvise with ingredients. Quickly I switched gears with a plan to replace the cream with a olive oil and some of the hot pasta water to create a sauce.
Al Dente Pasta with Grilled Chicken, Tomatoes, Pancetta and Parmigiano
serves 3
1/2 bag Al Dente Pasta (any flavor)
12 oz. grilled chicken or leftover roasted chicken
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup sundried tomatoes in oil
1/4 cup pancetta, cubed (optional)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup Parmesan, grated
basil, salt and pepper
Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. In the meantime, heat pancetta in olive oil until almost crisp. Add tomatoes, garlic and chicken. Turn heat to low. Put pasta in boiling water. Right before draining the pasta, ladle 1/2 cup of pasta water and add to chicken. Drain pasta and add to skillet. Season with salt and pepper and fresh basil or parsley. Serve with Parmesan.
Al Dente Pasta: Another pasta recipe to enjoy with friends- quick to make and delicious to eat!
3 comments October 19, 2009
take our halloween pasta challenge!
How would you like to be the featured recipe for Al Dente Pasta this Halloween? To get things rolling, we’d like to send a bag of our squid ink fettuccine to the first 6 people who leave a comment below!
Chef Steven's Black as Night Halloween Pasta
Last year, our friend Chef T. Steven Dick came up with a recipe which has all the right colors for a Halloween Dinner. He is the Chef owner of Kitchen Savant and the Corporate Chef of Joy’s International Foods.
Squid Ink Fettuccine
with Italian Sausage, Fresh Rapini, Crimini Mushrooms and Roasted Butternut Squash in a Sundried Tomato Garlic Sauce
Ingredients
• 12 oz bag Squid Ink Fettuccine
• 1 pound Italian Sausage (mild or hot) cut into 1 inch bites
• 1 bunch Fresh Rapini, stemmed and rough chopped
• 1 pound Crimini Mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
• 2 oz Garlic Joy Sundried Tomato spread
• ½ ea Butternut Squash, small diced, roasted
• 4-6 oz Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbs butter
• To taste salt and fresh cracked pepper
• Garnish grated Asiago cheese
Peel, seed and dice the butternut squash into ½ inch dice. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or until just knife tender. Roasting gives the squash a big concentrated sweetness that is worth the effort! Alternatively, you can boil or microwave the butternut squash. Caution: do not overcook.
In a large sauté pan heat 1 ounce of the olive oil and begin sautéing the sausage over medium high heat. Sauté for 5 minutes. Add 2 ounces of olive oil and then add mushrooms and the rapini. Cook for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms and rapini are done. Add the Garlic Joy Sundried Tomato garlic spread and the roasted butternut squash. Sauté until hot.
Add the pasta to boiling water and cook according to instructions. While the pasta is cooking, finish the sauce by adding the last of the olive oil. Toss all ingredients completely. Season with salt and pepper.
Drain the pasta and toss with the two tablespoons of butter to prevent sticking. Move pasta to a serving platter and top with the Italian Sausage, Fresh Rapini, Crimini Mushrooms and Roasted Butternut Squash in a Sundried Tomato Garlic Sauce. Finish with grated Asiago cheese.
-
High Drama in a bag!
9 comments October 18, 2009
the noodle master speaks!
We can’t help but love a movie dedicated to the love of noodles and broth in a bowl. The weather is turning colder, and scenes from the brilliant “noodle western” classic, Tampopo come to mind.
As you can see in this clip, the Japanese are SERIOUS about their noodles. Lucky for us, our Egg or Spinach Linguine are up to the task, but perhaps with a little less ceremony involved.
Tonight, with the smell of leaves and woodsmoke in the air here in Ann Arbor, I decided to whip up a batch of my own Japanese-style noodles using Al Dente Spinach Linguine. It holds up so well, remaining tender but firm in my homemade chicken broth…totally sating my craving. It’s also INCREDIBLY easy. If you have kids who need to whip up a quick and healthy meal, we have some tips for that as well.
Wendy’s Tampopo-inspired Noodle Bowl
a pound or so of boneless, skinless chicken thighs (roasted and slivered)
handful of shitake mushrooms (roasted and slivered)
a shake or two of herbs (I used rosemary and thyme)
salt & pepper
olive oil
half a bag of Al Dente Spinach Linguine
a few handfuls of fresh baby spinach (slivered)
Chicken stock (about a quart)
Roast the chicken thighs & mushrooms on a baking sheet at 375 for about 20 minutes
Instructions: Dress chicken thighs (whole) and mushrooms (whole) with olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs. Roast in oven at 375 for about 20 minutes on a baking sheet. Then cool enough to handle. Sliver.
Cook Al Dente Spinach linguine in salted water for just under 3 minutes, Drain.
Heat chicken stock, then add slivered roasted mushrooms and chicken. Bring up to a boil, then simmer. Add noodles and slivered baby spinach. Serve it up in a bowl and be sure to thank and apologize to the chicken
Slurp and enjoy! It would also benefit from a little float of roasted sesame oil on the top! The Japanese sometime also garnish with a poached or slow-cooked egg—udon style. Vegetarians might enjoy tofu and a Dashi broth with some slivered seaweed instead of the spinach.
Kid tips: (Sometimes I make extra noodles and chicken and bag them up to keep in the fridge to make another batch of this quickly if the mood strikes, which it often does this time of year.) Just boil some stock, add ingredients and noodles then reduce to a simmer and serve.
Japanese-style noodle bowl with Al Dente Spinach Linguine
Add comment October 15, 2009
the inspiration-giada’s everyday italian
The Home Cook Advantage: I love Giada De Laurentiis. Her recipes are absolutely perfect for the home cook and that is who Al Dente Pasta is made for. My belief is that pasta can be prepared in the home just as well as in a restaurant, sometimes even better and healthier–but always less expensive.
I took Giada’s recipe for Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Lemon, Basil and Salmon and modified it to use Al Dente Whole Wheat Fettuccine. Because Al Dente Pasta cooks in just 3-4 minutes, I changed the timing to Giada’s recipe. My daughter and I LOVED the way it turned out and it is probably one of the heathiest, easiest recipes known to man, woman and child.
Monique’s version of Giada’s Whole Wheat Pasta with Lemon, Basil and Salmon
serves 4
Healthy Ingredients
1/2 bag (6-8 oz) Al Dente Whole Wheat Fettuccine
1 lb. Salmon, cut into 4 even pieces (I used Norwegian)
6 oz. baby spinach
1 clove garlic, minced
3 Tbsp capers
Juice of 1/2 lemon (2 Tbsp)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
fresh basil (if available)
3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
Step by Step Instructions
In a deep skillet or pot, set aside combination of spinach, garlic, capers, lemon juice, salt, 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil and fresh basil.
- ingredients waiting for hot pasta
In the meantime, bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta. Test after 4 minutes to check for doneness. Before draining pasta, ladle 1/2 cup of hot pasta water out of pot and add to spinach mixture. Drain pasta and add hot pasta to spinach mixture.
- hot pasta water
- add hot water to spinach mixture
- add drained pasta to spinach mixture
Season salmon with salt and pepper, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in skillet and cook salmon for approximately 2 minutes on each side.
- cook seasoned salmon
One minute before salmon is cooked, toss pasta and spinach over medium heat until and spinach is wilted and pasta is hot.
- toss pasta and spinach until heated through
- so good!
Serve salmon over the pasta and enjoy!
I just got word that Giada will be at the Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show in Washington D.C, November 7 and 8. I am hoping our paths will cross and I will get to meet her. Stop by and see us if you in the area!
1 comment October 14, 2009
monique presents: al dente® pasta-organic duets!
We made a series of these videos about a month back…just finishing up the editing. Our new Al Dente Organic Duets are made in small batches at our Whitmore Lake factory, but aren’t as widely available as our Classic line.
You can find them at select retail outlets (such as Zingerman’s and Food Dance Market), but they are also available through our webstore.
Of course, the recipe in this video would also be great with any of our classic Al Dente Pastas (egg, spinach, lemon-chive, whole wheat)…feel free to change it up! This one was developed by Rodger Bowser of Zingerman’s Deli in Ann Arbor, and is also the recipe printed on the bag.
This video shows Al Dente® Straw & Hay Organic Duet Pasta with Pancetta, Peas & Parmesan! Simple, quick and delicious!
4 comments October 11, 2009
al dente® pasta with spinach, pancetta, goat cheese
Al Dente® Pasta with Spinach, Pancetta and Goat Cheese
It’s day number 3 celebrating National Pasta Month. My personal pasta challenge has been to make and eat pasta every day for the rest of October, sharing the recipes on the aldente canoodler. I’m finding tremendous satisfaction in this self-imposed discipline-measuring, documenting, blogging-then enjoying the final dish. All this with zero stress and no planning, simply looking in my fridge and deciding which ingredients to combine. It’s the way I have always cooked, but it’s the first time that I am organizing it so that others will hopefully be inspired by the simplicity of cooking fresh and healthy meals with pasta.
Today, I am finishing off the bag of Al Dente® Egg Linguine that I’ve already made 2 dishes from. This is the final proof that one bag of pasta does serve 6 people when combined with other ingredients. Equally exciting, recipes 1, 2, and 3 in the series have all been prepared in less than 10 minutes!
Al Dente® Pasta with Pancetta, Spinach, Goat Cheese, Walnuts and Sundried Tomatoes
serves 2
Total cooking time: less than 10 minutes
just a few ingredients to create a delicious pasta dish
1/3 bag Al Dente® Pasta, 4 oz.
1/2 cup pancetta, small cubes
10 oz. baby spinach
1/4 cup sundried tomatoe slivers, in oil
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted
2 oz. goat cheese
As with all of our recipes, begin by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil in which you will cook your pasta for approximately 3 minutes and then drain before tossing in the skillet with the other ingredients.
substitute bacon, if desired.
Over medium heat, saute the pancetta until just crisp.
Add spinach to pancetta until just wilted.
Add the slivers of sundried tomatoes.
Toss cooked pasta along with walnuts, heating just until heated through. I found that this dish did not need salt or pepper, but that is to your taste.
Crumble the goat cheese over the pasta, serve and enjoy.
2 comments October 9, 2009
