Pepperoni Pizza Pasta

I hardly ever use pepperoni (even when making pizza), but every now and then I just get the biggest hankering for it. Although I love pizza, pasta always tops my list, so I decided to create a pasta using traditional pepperoni pizza toppings for a fun spin. With whole wheat pasta and subbing some shredded parmesan for gobs of mozzarella, this is a healthy(ish) swap!

Pepperoni Pizza Pasta

1 pound whole wheat large pasta shells
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red onion, diced
2 green bell peppers, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 cups marinara sauce
1 cup pepperoni, roughly chopped
1 cup sliced olives
Salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons dried basil
Parmesan, shredded

Place a large pot of water to boil, and cook pasta until al dente, drain and set aside. Heat a large nonstick skillet on medium heat and warm oil. Saute garlic and onion for 3 minutes, then add bell peppers and cook another 5. Stir in marinara sauce and let simmer about 10 minutes. Add in pepperoni, sliced olives, salt and pepper and basil and cook 2 minutes. Top with desired amount of parmesan (I used about 1 cup). Enjoy!

Peach and Prosciutto Pizza

You know how I love experimenting with fun new pizza toppings, and with fresh summer peaches flooding the market I couldn't help but adding them in to the mix! The sweetness of the peach is countered by the saltiness of the prosciutto, and the honey goat cheese offers a mildly sweet creaminess that really balances out the flavors.

Peach and Prosciutto Pizza

1 refrigerated pizza dough

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese

2 peaches, skinned and sliced

1/4 pound prosciutto, chopped

2 ounces honey goat cheese, crumbled

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roll out pizza dough and spread olive oil over it in a thin layer. Next evenly sprinkle mozzarella cheese over tough, then top with peaches and prosciutto. Sprinkle the goat cheese crumbles on top and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 15-17 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

Leftovers? What Leftovers?

First off, let me apologize for my blogging hiatus. Yes, I am still alive :) Sometimes the cooking gets in the way of the blogging! That and an extended Easter weekend in Houston. Here's my sister and brother and law at the Gingerman in Rice Village being silly- fun times had by all!

Anyway, Easter was a pretty simple affair this year. Hash brown casserole, seared asparagus, grilled pineapple, and of course, ham. We like to get the huge ham for our small gatherings and then fight over the leftovers (I get as much as I can for new meals, and my brother in law Brian wants to get as many ham sandwiches out of it as possible). I came away with a pretty sizable bag of ham, which I happily dreamed up recipes for on my drive back to Austin.

First up, two massive Hawaiian pizzas after a long night of tennis. Thanks to my mom for buying a second pineapple so I could make this beauty!

Hawaiian Pizza

2 regular crust pizza doughs
1 cup tomato sauce
2 cups munster cheese
4 cups ham, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 cups pineapple, diced

Roll out pizza dough on two large baking sheets. Spread 1/2 cup sauce over each pie, then sprinkle with 1 cup of cheese. Place 2 cups ham and 2 cups pineapple on each pie and bake about 18 minutes until the crust is golden. Enjoy!

Take two was a comforting fettuccine recipe with crisp asparagus- we all scarfed it down!

Ham and Asparagus Fettuccine

24 ounces dry fettuccine
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
3/4 cup milk
1 cup gruyere cheese
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 bunch asparagus, woody ends snapped off and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cups ham, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch scallions, diced
8 fresh basil leaves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh mint, minced
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Place a large pot of water to boil, salt and add fettuccine. While fettuccine cooks, melt butter in a medium sauce pan, whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in milk and cook over medium low heat until milk thickens, about 8 minutes. Stir in gruyere and set aside. Drain fettuccine.

Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Add oil and saute asparagus about 5 minutes. Add ham and warm, then remove pan from heat. Add fettuccine, cheese sauce and salt and pepper to taste and toss to combine. Top with scallions, fresh herbs and parmesan cheese and toss. Serve and enjoy!

Proscuitto Goat Cheese Pizza

The creaminess of the goat cheese is the perfect counter to the saltiness of the prosciutto on this pizza. I added the sun dried tomatoes for the benefit of my roommate Rachel who loves them, but they really elevated this pizza. Finally, I had a leek in my fridge, and its gentle, garlicky flavor was just the subtle hint this pizza needed.

Prosciutto Goat Cheese Pizza

1 package pizza dough
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup sliced leeks
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounces fresh spinach leaves
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, packed in oil
1/3 pound prosciutto, sliced and lightly pan fried
3 ounces chevre, crumbled
Salt and pepper to taste

Roll out pizza dough and spread tomato sauce over it. Heat a small skillet on medium heat and melt butter. Saute leeks, garlic and spinach for 2 or 3 minutes. Spread over pizza. top with sun dried tomatoes, prosciutto and chevre and season with salt and pepper. Cook in a 425 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until crust is golden.

Chicken, Artichoke and Pesto Pizza

I love to chop things by hand, but I also love getting to pull out my food processor for some tasty homemade pesto, which I substituted for sauce on the pizza.

Chicken, Artichoke and Pesto Pizza

1 refrigerated thin pizza crust
1/3 cup oregano pesto (recipe below)
2 cup cooked chicken breast
2 cups artichoke hearts, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup pitted olives
2 cups mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roll pizza dough out on a large baking sheet and spread pesto over crust (add extra oil as needed). Top with remaining ingredients and bake 15 to 20 minutes until cheese has melted and crust is browning. Serve!

Oregano Pesto

1/4 cup lightly toasted pine nuts
2 cloves roasted garlic
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper ot taste
3/4 cup fresh oregano
1 cup fresh spinach leaves
1/2 cup olive oil

Combine pine nuts and garlic in the food processor. Add parmesan and salt and pepper and pulse again. Mix in oregano and spinach leaves. With processor on, stream in olive oil.

Smoked Cheddar 2 Ways

My roommates and I love fondue and try to have little fondue parties a few times each year. This year was no different as we celebrated our friend Bart's birthday. Our absolute favorite fondue recipe features smoked cheddar and hard apple cider. I sent Christine to the store to get the ingredients, and in her excitement she bought them out of smoked cheddar. I had a block leftover after fondue night, so I figured it was only proper to make a recipe featuring the smoked cheddar since it's so popular in our house. So this post, you'll get smoked cheddar, 2 ways!

Smoky Cheddar and Apple Cider Fondue

From Fondue; Great Food to Dip, Dunk, Savor and Swirl by Rick Rodgers

1 cup hard apple cider
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 pound smoked cheddar cheese, shredded (about 6 cups)
3 tablespoons high-quality apple butter
A few gratings of fresh nutmeg
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the cider and lemon juice over medium heat until barely simmering.

In a medium bowl, toss the cheese with the cornstarch. A handful at a time, stir the cheese into the saucepan, stirring the first batch until melted before adding another. Stir in the apple butter and season with the nutmeg and pepper.

Transfer to a cheese fondue pot and keep warm over a fondue burner. I served this with sausage, crusty bread and apple slices.

Take 2:

Smoked Cheddar and Bacon Pizza

12 slices bacon (I used hickory-smoked)

1 cup grape tomatoes

Salt and pepper to taste

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 pizza crusts

1 cup tomato sauce

3 cups smoked cheddar cheese, shredded

2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded (I wanted to use smoked mozzarella, but my store didn't have it)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Heat a cast iron skillet on medium heat and cut bacon into 1-inch pieces. Cook in skillet until almost crisp, about 10 minutes. While crisping bacon, place tomatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in oven about 10-15 minutes, until almost bursting.

While bacon and tomatoes cook, spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce on each pizza crust. Sprinkle each crust with 1 1/4 cup smoked cheddar and 3/4 cup mozzarella. Once bacon and tomatoes on done, distribute evenly over each pizza and top each with remaining cheese. Bake in the 450 degree oven about 8 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is warm.