Ham, Peas & Cream with Pasta

If your arteries are clogged, then stay away from The 99 Cent Chef's decadently rich Ham, Peas & Cream with Pasta. Oh, what am I saying, go for it, you can exercise later!

My recipe is similar to a creamy Fettuccini Alfredo, (my appetizing recipe video is here) but, with the addition of bite-sized pieces of lean ham and tender peas.

I use a package of frozen peas that I get cheaply almost anywhere. If you can find fresh peas, then use them. But, don't use canned peas, as they will quickly turn to mush.

 

You can defrost frozen peas in a microwave oven, but be careful not to overcook them. It's quick enough to finish defrosting them in the frying pan as the cream simmers.

And, I'm lucky to find whipping cream, half and half, or even whole milk cheaply at my local  99c only Store. You won't be using too much, so, at whatever price it's worth it. But, you can go light and use regular milk instead of cream -- if you must.

I always have hunks of ham in my freezer. When whole ham shanks come on sale during Thanksgiving and Christmas I get one and break it down into thick slices, for future use. Of course, you can just get a single ham steak, or even use thin slices of deli ham, that's priced cheaply.

This Italian pasta dish comes together quickly, as everything is already cooked -- you are just heating it all up, in about the time it takes too cook a pot of dried pasta.

I used penne pasta, but you can use any favorite dried pasta you have on hand, like, spaghetti, or spiral and tube pastas. Dried pasta is inexpensive almost anywhere you shop for food. I don't quite use a whole package of pasta, so there is plenty of sauce to go around. If you want to finish off the whole package of pasta then just add another cup of milk, cream or half and half.

This is one tasty cheap$kate recipe. My Ham, Peas, and Cream with Pasta will have you back for seconds, so make plenty!

Ingredients (2-3 servings)
1/2 pound of ham - or about 6-8 ounces, cubed. Okay to use thin-sliced or thick. Add more if you like.
2 cups frozen or fresh peas - Canned are too mushy.
2 cups half and half milk - or equivalent. I used 1 cup of whipping cream and 1 cup of milk. Okay to use 2 cups of milk, instead of cream or half and half. You can add more cream or milk to taste, if you want more sauce.
8-12 ounces of penne pasta - or any favorite pasta. Okay to use spaghetti, tube or spiral pastas.
1 tablespoon parmesan - fresh shaved or dried. Optional.
1 tablespoon oil
Pepper to taste - no salt, as ham and parmesan cheese have plenty of salt for me.
Water to boil pasta

Directions
Get pasta started. Follow package directions. Simply boil pasta about 7-10 minutes. If pasta  is ready before ham and peas cream sauce, then drain and cool it down. You can reheat pasta in the cream sauce.

In large pan over medium heat add oil. Slice ham into cubes or shred it into bite sized  pieces. Heat the ham through, about 3 minutes. If you are using thin sliced ham, then heat for just a minute.

Next add the frozen peas. Or, defrost peas before adding them to pan to cut down on cooking time.

Finally, pour in the cream, half and half, and/or milk. Season with pepper to taste. I find ham is salty enough for this entree, but add some if you like. Sprinkle in the dried parmesan. If the parmesan is fresh shaved, then add it to pasta just before serving. Stir and bring liquid to a low simmer.

Cook until peas are defrosted and heated through, about 3 minutes. Be sure to try a pea to check for doneness.

Finally, mix in the cooked pasta. If the pasta is drained and cooled down, then cook it in the sauce until heated through. All you need to do is heat everything for a minute or two.

Pasta will absorb some sauce, so serve it as soon as it's hot enough.

The pasta will be delish the next day, too. You can drizzle in a tablespoon of milk when reheating, if the sauce thickens too much by the next day.

Fettuccine Alfredo - Video Recipe

Crazy creamy and too rich for words, this chef has a new favorite pasta dish, and it's Fettuccine Alfredo. So easy and quick to make, this is instant gratification.

Fettuccini Alfredo is from a Rome, Italy restaurant called Alfredo in 1914, and the ingredients originally were just a lot of melted butter and cooked fettuccini. That recipe has to be Americanized with the addition of cream, but less butter.

I can see why flat noodle fettuccine is used - more surface for the thick, savory sauce to cling to. I used to cook Spaghetti alla Carbonara, made with egg yolks mixed into crispy bacon, the most (for my video recipe, click here); but it's time to set it aside -- a new luscious pasta entree has taken its place.

I've had this recipe compared to Olive Garden's Fettuccine Alfredo. Well, you'll have to make it and let me know if it passes muster.

And boy is it cheap, just the way this Chintzy Chef likes it. A package of fettuccine, a small pint carton of half and half or cream, a pat of butter, and half a plastic shaker container of grated parmesan can all be had for around a buck each, and you'll get several servings, too.

This is a dish best made with whole milk, half and half, or cream. You can go easy on the butter with all this high-fat content floating around, but do use a little, the flavor is worth the calorie count.

Now, I use dried grated parmesan cheese that has probably been on the grocery shelf since the last century, not the best I know, but I look at it as "extra" dry aged! It has a grainy texture when used to sprinkle over pasta, but it actually breaks down and melts into the heating cream to thicken and flavor the sauce.

Of course, if this is a special meal for date night then go all out and use fresh shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

So for a quick, cheap, indulgent, and scrumptious entree, try out The 99 Cent Chef's minimalist masterpiece, Fettuccine Alfredo -- go ahead you deserve it.

Fettuccine Alfredo  - VIDEO

Play it here, video runs 1 minutes, 53 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

Ingredients (about 2-4 servings)

• 12 to 16 ounce package of fettuccini pasta - or, any pasta type is delish covered in Alfredo sauce!
•  2 cups of half and half, or cream - if you must, it's okay to use regular or low-fat milk. If you like a lot of Alfredo Sauce, it's okay to add more cream or milk.
• 1 pat of butter - make it a big slice! Okay to use your favorite butter substitute.
• 3-4 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese - of course, you can use fresh grated. Go ahead and use as much as you want, too.
• Pepper to taste - optional. I don't add salt, as I find parmesan cheese is salty enough.

Directions
Start cooking pasta according to package directions - I usually shave off a minute or two for al dente (taste for the amount of chewiness). Best to get water boiling then add pasta. Carefully stir for the first minute to separate strands of fettuccini. I don't add salt to the water, as the parmesan cheese has plenty of salt for my taste.

While pasta water heats up, in a large pan add milk or cream over medium heat. Bring cream to a low simmer.

Finally, add grated parmesan and butter. Use a large fork or whisk to smooth out the Alfredo Sauce.

Low simmer for about 5 minutes. This will reduce and thicken the cream sauce (especially when the pasta is added.) You want to scrape along the edges of the pan too, as the cream may stick to the pan and get a little gummy.

The pasta should be ready about now (if it finishes early then cool to stop cooking and set aside.) Drain the pasta (I usually just lift it out of the boiling water,) and mix it into the heated Alfredo Sauce. Sprinkle with pepper if you like, and serve hot and immediately!

Hindsight
This recipe makes a lot of Fettuccini Alfredo, enough for 3-4 servings. Surprisingly it reheats the next day fine. The sauce thickens, but you can drizzle on a tablespoon of regular milk to bring it back, close to normal.

For this recipe, I normally use Half and Half, but in the video, I used Whipping Cream - that's what I found on sale this time. You can increase the amount of cream or milk if you like a lot of Alfredo Sauce - the same applies to parmesan cheese.

Half and Half is equal amounts of cream and regular milk - just a lighter version of whole cream. Make your own Half and Half by mixing a half pint of Whipping Cream with a half pint of regular milk (that is, one cup each for a total of 2 cups.) 

Garlic Parmesan Cauliflower Mash

Now that's a mouthful to say, but a delicious mouthful to taste. Cut out the carbs and try The 99 Cent Chef's mashed potato recipe riff: Garlic Parmesan Cauliflower Mash.

It's as easy to make as classic mashed potatoes, but not as heavy. This lighter side dish is loaded with flavor with the addition of milk (or cream,) dried parmesan and pungent garlic. Cauliflower has an earthy smell and taste, and pairs well with cheese -- just check out my Baked Pasta with Cauliflower video recipe to see what I mean (click here.)

I got all the ingredients at my local 99c only Store, so the price is right. While cauliflower is not the cheapest vegetable, I often see it on sale at regular markets.

The preparation couldn't be easier: just seam the whole cauliflower for half an hour; roughly chop; add milk, parmesan and garlic; then mash.

Next time you see whole cauliflower (or packaged florets) on sale, do try out the Chintzy Chef's Garlic Parmesan Cauliflower Mash -- it would even make a palate pleasing side dish addition to your upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner table feasts.

Ingredients (3-4 servings)

• 1 whole cauliflower
• 1/2 cup milk - or cream, sour cream. Okay to use your favorite milk substitute.
• 1 tablespoon dried parmasan - and add as much as you like to taste. Okay to use any favorite cheese really; just add when cauliflower is hot so it melts.
• 1 teaspoon garlic - raw crushed, dried or granulated.
• 3 cups of water to seam cauliflower.
• No salt as dried parmesan is salty enough for me.

Directions
Add cauliflower to a large enough pot to cover. Add about 2-3 cups of water and cover pot. High heat until water boils, then reduce heat to low and steam half an hour. If you are using packaged cauliflower florets, you only need to steam 15 minutes (best to cook florets on a steamer rack.)

Done when cauliflower is easily pierced all over with a knife. Remove stem and leaves, if necessary. (You can season the stem and leaves and eat them or add to a salad.)

Place cooked cauliflower in a large bowl. Roughly chop with a knife.

Add half a cup of milk (or cream, sour cream, or dairy substitute.) Sprinkle in dried parmesan and garlic.

Use a potato masher to break down cooked cauliflower for a couple of minutes. It should be tender enough to mash like boiled potatoes.

I wouldn't use a blender or you'll get soup...hmmm that's another tasty sounding recipe. I think a food processor could work, just pulse to mashed potato consistency. You could also fine-chop the florets and mash with a large fork.

*Since cauliflower does not absorb liquid like a potato, the cream or milk will separate when sitting for a minute. So best to stir Cauliflower Mash just before serving (or drain some liquid off.) You can store in the refrigerator; and it heats up easily in the microwave.

Chef Zak's Cajun Style Tuscan Primavera Pasta - VIDEO

Cajun Chef Zak is back and I got the recipe video to prove it! Cheffing runs in the family and my young buck of a nephew is a chip off the cutting board block. 

You know what I'm talking about if you are a 99 Cent Chef follower -- if not, then just scroll down a little bit and look to the right, and enter your email address in the "Follow by Email" window, to keep up the the Chintzy Chef's family antics.

Every time I go back to Gonzales, Louisiana to visit the Cajun side of the family, it's always a good-time cooking party when I get together with my chef relations. If you don't believe me then just click on any of the following cooking videos I've made with my ex-brother-in-law Chef Tony, nephews Chef Matt, and his younger brother Chef Zak (or Zakk as he likes to spell it). 

And here are their recipe videos thus far, including Crawfish Etouffee, Fried Alligator Po'Boy, Blackened Fish with Sweet Potato Hash, and Shrimp and Cheese Grits. Now you can add one more recipe, Chef Zak's Tuscan Primavera with Angel Hair Pasta.

For Chef Zakk's latest recipe, it's pasta done Cajun Style. Don't worry, you can live anywhere and make this veggie-loaded Italian entree. Actually they, along with the French and African early settlers, had a strong culinary influence on Louisiana cuisine. You can check out my Cajun Muffaletta Sandwich recipe here to see what I mean -- it's just a huge Italian deli sandwich.

Chef Zakk's Tuscan Pasta Primavera has a few shakes of Cajun Spice to kick it up a notch. The main ingredients include Angel Hair pasta, mushrooms, purple onion, garlic, fresh basil, toasted pine nuts, a jar of marinated artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, and white wine. 

Now, all of these ingredients are hard to get for 99 cents each, but over the years I have found most of them at my local 99c only Store. Some other tasty marinated veggies I have found include zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms, and roasted bell pepper. (Every once in a while I have to take a vacation from the 99-cent lifestyle when guest chefs visit this blog, but I do offer cheap substitutions in his recipe along the way.)

Really, almost any canned or jarred marinated veggies you find on sale would be a tasty variation on Chef Zakk's recipe -- you could even exchange super-cheap peanuts for the expensive pine nuts. (I make this kind of budget substitution all the time when I'm figuring out a recipe to publish on this food blog.)

As for preparation, it's just some veggie chopping and sauteing. The most complicated part is easy: toasting the pine nuts for a few minutes in the oven. Chef Zakk used Angel Hair pasta, but you could use any favorite you find on sale.

So kick back and check out Uncle Tightwad's latest recipe video, Chef Zak's Tuscan Pasta Primavera. And be sure to notice Chef Zakk's slicing and chopping skillz, I even learned a few things.

Chef Zak's Cajun Style Tuscan Primavera Pasta - VIDEO

Play it here. Video runs 8 minutes, 36 seconds.

To view or embed from YouTube, click here.

Ingredients (2-3 servings)

• 1 Small carton of Mushrooms - thinly sliced
• 1 Whole red Onion - julienned (thin-sliced), about 2 cups.
• 1/2 cup of Pine Nuts - okay to substitute with any cheap nuts.
• 4 Sundried Tomato halves - sliced
• Small jar Artichoke Hearts - in oil and/or vinegar, drained. Okay to use canned in water. Whatever Pickled Veggie you can find cheaply can be used.
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced - or 1 tbsp. from jar.
• 1 tablespoon Cajun (Creole) Seasoning - Chef Zakk used Tony Chachere's. I have a homemade Cajun Spice Mix, just click here.
• 1/4 stick of Butter - okay to use 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup of olive oil.
• 1/2 cup White Wine - Chef Zakk used Chardonnay.
• 1 package of Angel Hair Pasta - okay to use any pasta you have on hand. 
• Shaved Parmesan Cheese - enough to top finished Tuscan Primavera with Angel Hair Pasta.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and start a pot of water to boil. 

Add 3 shakes of salt and a tablespoon of olive oil to the pot of boiling water. Cook pasta al dente (I usually shave off a minute from cooking direction time. 

Drain and rinse pasta (to stop cooking) and set it aside. Drizzle on a tablespoon of olive oil, and lightly mix so it doesn't stick together.

Saute a 1/2 cup of pine nuts over medium/low heat in a pan for about 2-4 minutes, until lightly browned. Move pan to oven and toast an additional 3-5 minutes.

Now time to cook the veggies. Add a 1/4 stick of butter (or olive oil) to a medium heating pan. When butter is melted add minced garlic, julienned red onion, and sliced mushrooms. Salt and pepper to taste then add a tablespoon of Cajun Seasonings (okay to leave out salt, as Cajun Spices usually have plenty.) Mix all ingredients and saute about 2-4 minutes. 

Next, add drained artichoke hearts and sliced sundried tomatoes to the sauteeing veggies. Heat through for a couple of minutes then add the cooked pasta.

Pasta just needs to be cooked with the veggies for a couple of minutes to reheat. Mix well. Pour in a half cup of white wine. Cook for a couple of minutes to reduce the liquid.

Finally, mix in half of the sliced basil leaves.

Time for plating. Add a serving of pasta to the plate and top with some pine nuts, sliced basil, and shaved parmesan cheese.

Roasted Cauliflower with Parmesan

Cauliflower tastes like a mix of cabbage and broccoli to this cheap epicurean. Steamed is fine, but I prefer my cauliflower oven roasted. It brings out a caramelized sweetness, and by drizzling on some olive oil and adding dried parmesan, kicks it into a scrumptious flavor profile.

And cauliflower is a cheaply nutritious veggie I don't cook enough with. My local market always has it on sale.

The dried parmesan I use probably has been on the shelf  for a decade, but roasting it helps bring back the sharp cheesy flavor. Of course, you can use a fresher expensive name brand.

I like to cook the cauliflower with leaves and stems - no point in wasting anything, it's all good! Roasting veggies helps to retain their natural crunch.

I bet that once you try my Roasted Cauliflower with Parmesan recipe, it will become a favorite you will frequently serve.

 Ingredients

• 1 head of cauliflower - break off or chop florets.
• 2 to 3 tablespoons of dried parmesan - okay to use fresh shaved.
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• Black pepper to taste - dried parmesan has plenty of salt to my taste.

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. I roast the whole head of cauliflower including stem and leaves. Remove stem and leaves from cauliflower. Trim off brown or dried ends of stem and leaves. Slice stem into one inch pieces. Turn over cauliflower with stem side up and break, or slice off cauliflower florets. Usually the last floret is a big one, so just slice it into edible size pieces.

Arrange stem pieces, leaves and cauliflower florets in a baking pan or dish. Drizzle with olive oil, turning florets to coat well. Sprinkle on dried parmesan. Finish with black pepper to taste.

Bake uncovered for 30 - 45 minutes, to desired tenderness*. Turn cauliflower florets a couple of times during baking to evenly brown. Cauliflower stems will pierce easily with a knife or fork when done.

*Sometimes I cover the cauliflower for half the time so it steams even softer, just uncover for the final 20 minutes or so, to get some of the brown caramelization.