quick and easy meals Archives - Good Food St. Louis

Peanut Noodles because you’re never to old to love peanut butter.

When I’m in a hurry or starved for carbs, this is my go-to recipe. In ten minutes, I can have this noodley-nutty dish on the table. And that’s without making a trip to the grocery store. With a handful of noodles, some peanut butter, a lemon, and the usual refrigerator condiments, this dish is a breeze.

This foolproof noodle bowl can be made ahead and kept refrigerated for a few day, then served hot or cold. If there are any leftovers—which is unlikely—they work well the next day or in a packed lunch. Should they dry out, just add a bit of water before re-warming.

Basic or Embellished: Still Good

You can keep this dish basic, as I have, or you can add chopped steamed asparagus or broccoli and top with a few crushed peanuts. For added protein, shred a bit of deli chicken into the bowl. Over time I’ve tailored the recipe to my taste. I use a bit less sugar than called for and often add a shot of Sriracha or my favorite Vietnamese fish sauce.

The recipe makes enough sauce to coat the pasta lightly, but if you’re the saucy type, you might want to double the amount.

Peanut Noodles

Ingredients:

1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 Tbs. brown sugar
1 Tbs. fresh lemon or lime juice
1/2 cup water (or half coconut milk)
1/8 tsp. sesame oil
Red chili flakes, to taste
Chili garlic sauce, to taste, or 1 clove crushed garlic

Directions:

Combine all ingredients with a whisk in a small bowl, adding the water last. Pour into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until sauce begins to bubble and thicken. Add a bit more water if sauce gets too thick. Serve hot or cold, store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. (Recipe adapted from Cooking with Amy, who called it one of the most popular recipe on her blog.)

Recipe made with fresh tortellini rather than orecchiette.

I like versatility in a recipe. Not one you have to pamper or follow with great precision. It’s good when you can substitute ingredients you have on hand. Recently I spotted a pasta recipe in my folder of Quick & Easy Everyday Meals: Orecchiette with Spicy Sausage and Broccoli. I love the cute orecchiette noodle, which means “little ear” in Italian, because of the cup shape of the pasta. The indentations grab the sausage and veggie nicely.

Lidia Bustianich popularized the recipe in her cookbook Lidia’s Italian Table. Because the dish is so easy and adaptable, others have played with the ingredients. On the Internet, there are many variations of this southern Italian dish, including those from Williams-Sonoma, Martha Stewart, New York Times, Food Network and more. That alone speaks well of the recipe.

In some instances, you’ll find the pork sausage replaced with a spicy turkey sausage; the orecchiette with tortellini, farfalle, or ragatoni. The recipe I used called for chicken broth, but many Italian cooks prefer simple pasta water. While I like the looks of the ear-shaped noodle, I recently used some frozen tortellini that worked just fine. It’s the spicy sausage and seasonings that carry the flavor load, so don’t skimp on those.

A few simple ingredients is all it take for this hearty one-dish meal.

The sausage, garlic, broccoli, broth, red pepper flake mixture.

I removed some sausage from the casing (bulk sausage is fine, too) and browned it with garlic while the noodles boiled. In went the few remaining ingredients—broccoli, chicken stock (I’m using pasta water next time), red pepper flakes, butter, and Parmesan. I finished with another sprinkle of cheese and a topping of toasted bread crumbs. Purist insist on using the cheese of ancient Rome: a grated Pecorino Romano, rather than Parmesan. But both work well.

Within 25 minutes I had a hearty one-dish meal with leftovers. Some food blogger indicate the dish can be frozen, but I’ve not tried that yet. You’ll find this a handy, quick meal that’s fun to experiment with—a pasta that’s great on flavor without a heavy sauce.

Orecchiette with Spicy Sausage and Broccoli

Ingredients:

1 lb. orecchiette
5 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 lb. spicy Italian sausage, removed from casings or bulk
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chicken broth (or pasta water)
1 lb. broccoli florets
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
3 Tbs. unsalted butter
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
Bread crumbs, toasted and buttered

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add orecchiette and cook according to package instructions.
In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbs. of the olive oil over medium high heat. Crumble sausage into the skillet and cook, breaking apart with a spoon, until lightly browned, 5-6 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic; cook 1 minute more.
Add remaining 4 Tbs. olive oil (I used only 2 Tbs), chicken broth (or reserved pasta water), broccoli, salt and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pan to release the flavorful brown bits, until broccoli is tender-crisp, 3-4 minutes. Stir in butter and simmer for a few minutes to reduce and concentrate the sauce.
Drain pasta and add to sausage/broccoli mixture. Toss to blend. Add half the grated cheese. Taste and adjust seasoning. Transfer to a serving dish, or individual bowls, and sprinkle with the rest of the grated cheese. Top with bread crumbs, if using. Serves 4-6.