Pressure Cooker Puttanesca Pork Ragu

I think fall cooking might be my favorite kind of cooking. I love comfort food meals that make the whole house smell good! And anything I can put over pasta is guaranteed to be a winning recipe in my house. So this Pressure Cooker Puttanesca Pork Ragu is right up my alley.

I came across a recipe for a puttanesca-style ragu and knew I had to try out my own version! Puttanesca sauces typically have a bunch of brine-y ingredients in them — capers, olives, anchovies — in a tomato sauce that may have a little heat to it as well. I honestly don’t make many puttanesca-inspired dishes because, well, I don’t love olives. But my husband does, so I figured it was worth a try!

This recipe uses a pressure cooker to get that cooking all day flavor in much less time. You’re still looking at a just under 2-hour recipe though, so plan ahead!

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 10 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
  • 1 tablespoon anchovy paste
  • 3 (4.5 oz) tomato paste tubes
  • 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
  • 1/4 cup drained capers
  • 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar, divided
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 cup dry wine, red or white
  • 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 1/2 lbs boneless pork shoulder
  • salt and ground pepper
  • cooked pasta, for serving
  • grated parmesan cheese, optional
  • chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

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Seared Salmon Fillets with Orzo Pilaf

Now that Lent is in full swing, I thought I’d add even more salmon recipes to my blog. (If you haven’t picked up on it yet, I love salmon. I would eat it every day if I could.) This recipe from Cooking Light has a bit of a Mediterranean flare to it: a simple seared salmon filet over orzo pilaf with kalamata olives, roasted red peppers, and dill.

Ingredients:

  • 5 teaspoons olive oil, divided
  • 3/4 cup uncooked orzo
  • 1 1/2 cups unsalted chicken stock
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1/4 cup bottled roasted red bell peppers, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 ounce chopped pitted kalamata olives
  • 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

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Vegetable Couscous Salad

The weather in Philadelphia decided to take a break from the cold and give us two days of summer! We hit temperatures above 80 degrees so I wanted to prepare a light meal that didn’t involve much time over a stove. This Vegetable Couscous Salad from Cooking Light is perfect for summer dinners. It also travels well, so it would be a great addition to a barbecue, just make it ahead of time and bring it with you!

Ingredients:

Dressing:

  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 (.6 ounce envelope Italian dressing mix) or Italian spice blend

Salad:

  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 cup uncooked couscous
  • 2 cups chopped red bell pepper (I used two peppers)
  • 2 cups chopped tomato (I used two beefsteak tomatoes)
  • 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
  • 1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

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Chicken Puttanesca with Angel Hair Pasta

I border on having an obsession with seafood. If I could eat it every night I would. (I have over 60 seafood recipes listed on this blog alone!) But I apparently have caused my boyfriend to be “fished out” so I decided to make a chicken dish with another favorite ingredient of his: olives. Pasta Puttanesca normally includes a tomato sauce with olives and capers. This Cooking Light version of Chicken Puttanesca is simplified to make it easy enough for a weeknight dinner.
Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups tomato-basil pasta sauce
  • 1/4 cup pitted and coarsely chopped kalamata olives
  • 1 tablespoon capers
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1/4 cup (1 ounce) pre-shredded mozzarella cheese
  • Chopped fresh basil

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