What’s Cooking, Episode 6 – Skillet Pasta

On this episode of our “What’s Cooking?” Chef Dave makes pumpkin a skillet pasta. Growing up with an Italian mother, I had pasta of all sorts all time. It got to the point that I became a little sick of it. For the longest time I didn’t want to have any sort of pasta, but then decided to give this recipe a try.

Something about this specific combination of ingredients made me love it. Now this dish is on my regular rotation and is made quite frequently. It also goes well with some garlic bread, for the sauce you don’t eat with the pasta.

For those that want to print & try this recipe you can take it from below:

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon – Olive oil
• 6 medium garlic, minced or pressed
• 1/4 teaspoon – Red pepper flakes
• 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
• 3 3/4 cups – Penne or ziti
• 1/2 cup – Heavy cream
• 1 cup  – Mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup – Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup – Basil leaves, minced

NOTE: You can optionally add in some Pepperoni at the end, which is something i always do.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat until hot.
2. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, & 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Sauté for about 1 minute.
3. Add the tomatoes, pasta, water, & 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine.
4. Cover & cook, stirring often & maintaining a vigorous simmer, until the pasta is almost tender, 15-18 minutes.
5. Add cream, cheeses, & basil then stir to combine. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
6. Add optional pepperoni, & sprinkle additional mozzarella evenly over the pasta.
7. Wait a few minutes, then serve.

Let us know what you think, and how it went if you decided to make it yourself. I’m also always willing to try new things, so feel free to email recipe recommendations to driley@lynntv.org.