Best Holiday Pasta Toss Recipes

FIVE INGREDIENT PASTA TOSS

Steps:

• Combine the olive oil and garlic in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the bow tie pasta and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink.
• Place the pasta, beans, tomatoes, basil, and 2 tablespoons of the garlic olive oil in a large bowl; toss gently until combined. Serve the remaining olive oil at the table to drizzle over individual servings.

CHRISTMAS PASTA

Steps:

• Heat a deep pot over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and brown to render the fat. Transfer pancetta to paper towels to drain. To the pan add the oil, and the meats and brown and crumble them for 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, and pancetta bits.
• Chop carrot, celery, and onions near the stove and add to the pot as you work. Cook vegetables with meat 5 minutes and add wine. Cook for 1 minute; add stock and tomatoes to the pot.
• Stir in parsley, allspice, or cinnamon and season sauce with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, and cook 10 to 15 minutes, minimum, before serving. Reheated sauce only improves.
• Toss pasta (cook off only as much pasta as you need at the time: half a pound for every 3 people) with a couple of ladles of sauce to coat, then top bowl with extra sauce. Top pasta with lots of cheese and pass bread at the table.

CHICKEN PICCATA PASTA TOSS

Steps:

• Heat a deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and the chicken to the pan. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken until lightly golden all over, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and return the skillet to the heat. Reduce heat to medium. Add another tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter, the garlic and shallots to the skillet. Saute garlic and shallots 3 minutes. Add flour and cook 2 minutes. Whisk in wine and reduce liquid 1 minute. Whisk lemon juice and broth into sauce. Stir in capers and parsley. When the liquid comes to a bubble, add remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter to the sauce to give it a little shine. Add chicken back to the pan and heat through, 1 to 2 minutes. Toss hot pasta with chicken and sauce and serve. Adjust salt and pepper, to your taste. Top with fresh snipped chives.

CHRISTMAS EVE CONFETTI PASTA

Steps:

• Cook linguine according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, saute the peppers, onion, garlic and seasonings in oil until vegetables are tender., Add the shrimp; cook and stir 2-3 minutes longer or until heated through. Drain linguine; toss with shrimp mixture. Sprinkle with cheese.,

PROSCIUTTO PASTA TOSS

Steps:

• Cook linguine according to package directions, adding peas during the last 3 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet, saute garlic, Italian seasoning and pepper in oil until garlic is tender, about 1 minute. Stir in prosciutto., Drain linguine; add to skillet and toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese.

NOT-SAGNA PASTA TOSS

Steps:

• Heat a large pot of water to boil for pasta. Salt water and cook pasta to al dente. Heads up: you will need a ladle of the starchy cooking water to help form sauce before draining.
• Heat a deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan. Add the meat and break it up into small bits as it caramelizes. Once meat has good color to it, 4 to 5 minutes, add garlic, onions and red pepper flakes and season with salt, pepper, allspice and Worcestershire sauce. Cook another 5 minutes, deglaze the meat and onions with red wine, cook off a minute, then combine about 1/2 cup of stock into the meat. Stir in the tomatoes and bring to a bubble. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 5 minutes.
• Place ricotta cheese in the bottom of a shallow bowl. Add a ladleful of boiling, starchy pasta water to the ricotta and stir to combine. Add a couple of handfuls of grated Parmesan to the ricotta and mix it in.
• Drain pasta. Toss hot pasta with cheeses. Add half the thick meat sauce to the pasta bowl and combine. Tear or shred the basil and add to the meat and pasta, toss again. Taste to adjust salt and pepper. Serve bowlfuls of Not-sagna with extra sauce on top and more grated Parmesan to pass at the table.

FESTIVE FALL TORTELLINI TOSS

Steps:

• Cook tortellini according to package directions. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, squash and poultry seasoning; cook and stir 6-8 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Add apple, apple juice concentrate, vinegar and onion; cook 2-3 minutes longer or until squash is tender., Drain tortellini; rinse with cold water and place in a large bowl. Add squash mixture, walnuts, cheese and parsley; toss gently to coat.

HOLIDAY PASTA BAKE (PASTICCIO-ISH)

Steps:

• For the meat sauce: Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add the oil. When hot, add the meat and cook, without stirring, until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Break it up with a wooden spoon, then add the onion, garlic and cinnamon and cook, stirring, until starting to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a simmer. Add the crushed tomatoes and oregano and season with salt and pepper. Simmer until thickened and the flavors come together, about 1 hour.
• For the pasta bake: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Brush a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish with olive oil and set aside.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt liberally. Add the pasta, give it a stir and cook for about 6 minutes. Drain the pasta and toss it with the meat sauce and 1 cup of the Parmesan. Transfer it to the casserole dish.
• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and toast for 1 minute. Add the milk and nutmeg, whisking continuously to combine. Season with salt and pepper and continue to cook, whisking, until the mixture has thickened slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the remaining 1 cup Parmesan until melted. Whisk in the eggs and set aside.
• Pour the bechamel over the meat sauce. Bake until the top is golden brown and puffy, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

CHRISTMAS PASTA

Steps:

• Heat a deep pot over medium high heat. Add oil, garlic, bay, and pancetta bits and brown for 1 minute. Add meats and brown and crumble them for 5 minutes.
• Chop carrot, celery, and onions near the stove and add to the pot as you work. Cook vegetables with meat 5 minutes and add wine. Cook for 1 minute; add stock and tomatoes to the pot.
• Stir in parsley, allspice, or cinnamon and season sauce with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, and cook 10 to 15 minutes minimum before serving. Reheated sauce only improves.
• Toss pasta (cook off only as much pasta as you need at the time: half a pound for every 3 people) with a couple of ladles of sauce to coat, then top bowl with extra sauce. Top pasta with lots of cheese and pass bread at the table.