Winter Minestrone

Source: Giada at Food Network

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion -- chopped
2 carrots -- peeled, chopped
2 celery stalks -- chopped
3 ounces thinly-sliced pancetta -- coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves -- minced
1 pound Swiss chard -- stems trimmed, and leaves coarsely chopped
1 russet potato -- peeled, cubed
1 14-ounce can canned diced tomatoes
1 fresh rosemary
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans -- drained, rinsed (I used two)
2 14-ounce cans beef broth
1 ounce Parmesan cheese rind piece
2 tablespoons fresh parsley -- chopped and blanched
Salt -- to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper -- to taste

Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, pancetta, and garlic. Saute until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the Swiss chard and potato; saute for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and rosemary sprig. Simmer until the chard is wilted and the tomatoes break down, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, blend 3/4 cup of the beans with 1/4 cup of the broth in a processor until almost smooth. Add the pureed bean mixture, remaining broth, and Parmesan cheese rind to the vegetable mixture. Simmer until the potato pieces are tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Stir in the whole beans and parsley. Simmer until the beans are heated through and the soup is thick, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Discard Parmesan rind and rosemary sprig (the leaves will have fallen off of the stem.)

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

This recipe yields 4 to 6 servings.

Source:
"EVERYDAY ITALIAN with Giada De Laurentiis - (Show # EI-1B02) - from the TV FOOD NETWORK"

I talked about this recipe HERE.

Penne with Spinach Sauce

Source: Food Network, Giada de Laurentiis

1 pound whole wheat or multi grain penne
3 garlic cloves
2 ounces goat cheese
1 ounce reduced fat cream cheese
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the penne and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes.

Mince the garlic in a food processor. Add the goat cheese, cream cheese, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and half of the spinach leaves. Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Set the cheese and spinach mixture aside.

Meanwhile, place the remaining spinach leaves in a large bowl.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Spoon the pasta atop the spinach leaves in the bowl. Scrape the cheese and spinach mixture over the pasta mixture and toss to coat, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta, to taste, with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the Parmesan over and serve.

Salmon with Puff Pastry and Pesto

Source: Food Network - Giada De Laurentiis

4 pieces of purchased puff pastry, each cut to be just larger than a piece of salmon
4 (4 to 6-ounce) pieces salmon
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup purchased pesto
2 tomatoes, sliced (I used roasted red peppers)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

On a foil-lined baking sheet, place the 4 pieces of puff pastry. Also place the 4 pieces of salmon, being careful to make sure they are not touching. Sprinkle each piece of salmon with 1 tablespoon of the sliced almonds. Bake for 10 minutes.

To serve, place each piece of puff pastry on a plate. Top each puff pastry with 1 tablespoon of pesto. Top the pesto with 2 slices of tomatoes each. Top the tomatoes with the salmon and serve.

I talked about this recipe HERE.