Best 5 Pasta Christmas Present Recipes

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"Pasta Christmas present", also known as "Tortellini di Natale", is a traditional Italian pasta dish that is often prepared during the Christmas season. This dish is typically made with a filling of meat, cheese, and vegetables, and is then cooked in a flavorful broth. The resulting pasta dish is a delicious and festive meal that is sure to be enjoyed by all. If you are looking for a unique and flavorful way to celebrate the Christmas season, then you should definitely try making "pasta christmas present".

Here are our top 5 tried and tested recipes!

CHRISTMAS PASTA



Christmas Pasta image

We eat fish on Christmas Eve - no meat allowed. After Midnight Mass, all bets are off! We make this sauce for Christmas Day; you can't fit another meat in the pot! As many times as you reheat it, it just gets that much better, so if people are coming and going throughout the day, cook off only as much pasta as you need at the time - half a pound for every three people.

Provided by Rachael Ray : Food Network

Categories     main-dish

Time 35m

Yield 4 large servings

Number Of Ingredients 18

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
1/4 pound pancetta, thick cut, chopped into small bits (Italian cured pork, ask at deli counter)
1/2 pound bulk hot Italian sausage
1 pound combined ground beef, pork and veal
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup good quality dry red wine
1 cup prepared beef stock, paper container or canned
2 (32-ounce) cans chunky style crushed tomatoes
A handful chopped flat leaf parsley leaves
1/4 teaspoon (a couple of pinches) allspice or cinnamon
Coarse salt and black pepper
2 pounds penne rigate, cooked to al dente
Grated Pecorino Romano, as an accompaniment
Fresh, crusty bread, for mopping

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.

CHRISTMAS PASTA



Christmas Pasta image

We eat fish on Christmas Eve, no meat allowed. After Midnight Mass, all bets are off! We make this sauce for Christmas Day: you can't fit another meat in the pot! As many times as you reheat it, it just gets that much better, so if people are coming and going throughout the day, cook off only as much pasta as you need at the time -- half a pound for every 3 people. The sauce will cover up to 2 pounds of pasta. If you are making this full menu, prepare the fudge and chill while your sauce simmers and before you prepare your salad. When you are done eating your 30 minute meal, the fudge will have chilled for 45 minutes and will then be firm enough to slice. Happy Holidays and Merry Eating!

Provided by Rachael Ray : Food Network

Categories     main-dish

Time 35m

Yield 4 large servings

Number Of Ingredients 17

1/4 pound pancetta, thick cut, chopped into small bits (Italian cured pork, ask at deli counter)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound bulk hot Italian sausage
1 pound combined ground beef, pork and veal
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup good quality dry red wine
1 cup prepared beef stock, paper container or canned
2 (32-ounce) cans chunky style crushed tomatoes
Handful chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon (a couple of pinches) allspice or cinnamon
Coarse salt and black pepper
2 pounds penne rigate, cooked to al dente
Grated Pecorino Romano, as an accompaniment
Fresh, crusty bread, for mopping

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.

CHRISTMAS PASTA



Christmas Pasta image

Make and share this Christmas Pasta recipe from Food.com.

Provided by Smilyn

Categories     Meat

Time 35m

Yield 4 large

Number Of Ingredients 17

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf
1/4 lb pancetta, chopped into small bits (Italian cured pork)
1/2 lb hot Italian sausage
1/3 lb ground beef
1/3 lb ground pork
1/3 lb ground veal
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup beef stock
2 (32 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon allspice or 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
chopped fresh parsley leaves
salt and pepper
2 lbs penne rigate, cooked al dente

Steps:

  • Heat a deep pot over medium high heat.
  • Add oil, garlic, bay leaf, and pancetta bits and brown for 1 minute.
  • Add meats and brown.
  • Chop carrot, celery, and onions near stove and add to the pot as you work.
  • Cook veggies with meat for 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.
  • Bring sauce to boil, reduce heat to medium low and cook 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
  • Toss pasta with a couple of ladles of sauce to coat, then top with extra.
  • Top pasta with lots of grated romano cheese.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 1341.6, Fat 37.5, SaturatedFat 11.6, Cholesterol 95.4, Sodium 990.9, Carbohydrate 178.2, Fiber 8.1, Sugar 8.3, Protein 56.9

CHRISTMAS PASTA



Christmas Pasta image

Categories     Salad     Sauce     Pasta     Christmas     Dinner     Simmer     Boil

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 18

Salt
1 pound rigatoni
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) (2 turns of the pan)
1/4 pound pancetta, chopped
1/4 pound bulk hot Italian sausage (No bulk? Split a link open)
1/4 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
1/2 pound ground sirloin
1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 teaspoon allspice, eyeball it in your palm
Coarse black pepper
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup dry red wine, a couple of glugs
1 cup beef stock or broth
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley (a generous handful), finely chopped
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese (a couple of handfuls), plus some to pass at the table

Steps:

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Add the pasta and cook to al dente, with a bite to it.
  • While the water and pasta work, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon EVOO (1 turn of the pan). Add the pancetta to one half of the pan, the sausage, both hot and sweet, to the other. Break up the sausage into bits and brown while the pancetta renders, then combine and cook together another minute or so. Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon. Add the remaining tablespoon of EVOO, then the beef and veal. Brown and crumble the meat into tiny bits and season with allspice, salt, and pepper. Add the carrots, onions, and garlic and cook another 5 to 6 minutes to soften the vegetables, then add sausage and pancetta back into the pan, draining away some of the fat. Deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping up all the good bits with a wooden spoon. Stir in the stock, then the tomatoes. Check the seasoning. Simmer over low heat until ready to serve, at least 10 minutes. Stir in half the parsley to finish.
  • Drain the pasta and add back to the hot pot. Ladle a few spoonfuls of the sauce over the pasta and add a couple of handfuls of cheese to the pot. Stir to coat the pasta evenly. Transfer to a large serving dish or individual bowls and top with the remaining sauce and parsley. Pass plenty of extra cheese at the table.

CHRISTMAS PASTA SALAD



Christmas Pasta Salad image

The orzo in this salad is reminiscent of pine needles and when dressed in pesto brings a lovely green hue. Perlini mozzarella balls become ornaments, as do cherry tomatoes and ribbons of basil and pepperoni. I do not add salt as I find the pepperoni and pesto to be ample enough. Additional toppings to consider are slivers of red onion, black olives, and diced green bell pepper. I don't like balsamic vinegar, thus the lemon juice.

Provided by thedailygourmet

Categories     Salad     100+ Pasta Salad Recipes     Tomato Pasta Salad Recipes

Time 8h35m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 7

1 (16 ounce) package uncooked orzo pasta
⅓ cup pesto, or to taste
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
4 ounces mozzarella cheese balls or pearls
¼ cup sliced pepperoni, cut into strips
3 large fresh basil leaves, julienned

Steps:

  • Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook orzo in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
  • Add pesto and lemon juice to the orzo; toss to coat. Mix in tomatoes, mozzarella cheese balls, and pepperoni strips. Refrigerate for 8 hours to overnight.
  • Mix in basil right before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 330.8 calories, Carbohydrate 43.8 g, Cholesterol 19.9 mg, Fat 11 g, Fiber 2.3 g, Protein 14.7 g, SaturatedFat 4 g, Sodium 288.8 mg, Sugar 2.5 g

Tips:

  • Choose high-quality ingredients: Use fresh, flavorful ingredients to ensure your pasta dishes are packed with flavor. Look for high-quality pasta, fresh vegetables, and flavorful cheeses.
  • Don't overcook the pasta: Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, or slightly al dente (still slightly firm to the bite). Overcooked pasta will be mushy and bland.
  • Use a large pot of salted water: When cooking pasta, use a large pot of salted water. This will help the pasta cook evenly and prevent it from sticking together.
  • Save some pasta water: Reserve some of the pasta water before draining the pasta. This starchy water can be used to thicken sauces and add flavor to dishes.
  • Don't rinse the pasta: Rinsing the pasta after cooking will remove the starch, which is essential for sauces to cling to the pasta. Instead, toss the pasta with a little olive oil to prevent it from sticking together.
  • Use fresh herbs and spices: Fresh herbs and spices can add a lot of flavor to pasta dishes. Try adding basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, or red pepper flakes to your dishes.
  • Don't be afraid to experiment: There are endless possibilities when it comes to pasta dishes. Don't be afraid to experiment with different ingredients and flavors to create your own unique dishes.

Conclusion:

Pasta is a versatile ingredient that can be used to create a wide variety of delicious dishes. With a little creativity, you can easily create pasta dishes that are both flavorful and impressive. So next time you're looking for a quick and easy meal, reach for some pasta and start cooking!

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