Three Cheese Pasta Salad

Wow! That was a long break, I've been trying to get back to blogging but LIFE has interfered. However, there was quite a bit of cooking going on and I am going to be sharing some of the best stuff from the past few months, so buckle up!
To start, here is an amazing three cheese pasta salad--you can use up the last of the cherry tomatoes and basil from the garden in this one.

Three Cheese Pasta Salad
3/4 lb Rotini, hot, cooked according to package directions
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, smashed and chopped very fine
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked back pepper
Make dressing in a large bowl. Toss in hot Rotin, cover and let stand for at least 5 minutes.
Prepare the following and stir into the warm pasta all at once.
1/2 cup grated carrot
1 diced yellow bell pepper
1/3 cup roughly chopped artichoke hearts, packed in water
1.3 cup diced celery
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
3 cups halved cherry or grape tomatoes
1/3 to 1/2 cup roughly chopped pistachios
6 ounces string cheese, sliced into 1/4 inch thick rounds
6 ounces diced fresh mozzerella
4 ounces freshly grated Pecorino Romano
Check for seasonings and add salt and/or vinegar if needed. Serve at room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers.

Hints: I salt the water generously when cooking pasta. The hot pasta will absorb the oil and vinegar nicely. It will also cook the garlic slightly, mellowing the raw bite. Measurement of the veggies can be loosely adhered to, or use what you have on hand--zucchini or cucumber, roasted butternut or banana squash, beets or brocolini. This makes a large salad, perfect for taking to a pot luck or buffet. A great salad to make a day ahead.

I got a few really nice complements on this salad (and not one complaint). The pistachios add crunchy, salty goodness to the mix with out breaking down over time. The two types of mozzarella are mild but satisfying. The tomatoes are of course best when sun ripened and juicy. And who doesn't love fresh basil?

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Succulent, spice rubbed pulled pork, cooked slowly with lovely peppers--this is a hit! Use it for tacos, burritos or enchiladas. Works great as a sandwich filling, too. Or use it to sauce some pasta. Tremendously versatile, extremely tasty.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Peppers
1 teaspoon each chili powder, ground coriander, rubbed sage,
1/2 teaspoon each black pepper, ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon salt, hickory smoked preferred
1 tablespoon each Mexican oregano, brown sugar
1 tablespoon canola oil
3 pounds boneless pork roast
2 large red or orange bell peppers
1 large sweet onion
1 teaspoon salt

In a small bowl, mix together the spices, herbs, smoked salt and brown sugar until thoroughly combined. Pat pork dry with paper towels. Rub the herb mixture into the pork on all sides. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium high heat and add oil to pan. Sear pork for 3 to 4 minute on at least two sides. Clean and slice peppers into thin strips about 2 inches long. Peel and cut onion into slivers about 2 inches long. Sprinkle the veggies with 1 teaspoon of salt. Layer veggies and meat in a slow cooker, scraping any of the fond from the meat skillet on top. Cover and cook for 8 hours on low (or 6 hours on high). Shred the pork with a fork before serving. Serve onions and peppers on the side.

Hints: Browning the meat is critical to a good end product. There will be a fair amount of liquid in the slow cooker at the end. It can be thickened with some cornstarch if you like. This can make two meals or can be used all at one time for a larger group. Add some Quesso Fresco, cilantro and lime for tacos. Use with whole grain buns and the thickened sauce for sandwiches. Or stir into cooked bowtie pasta and top with Romano and fresh basil.

This dish has a hint of spiciness but some of us added hot pepper sauce and liked it that way. The fork tender meat is delicious and pairs well with nearly anything. Cooking slow and low allows the flavors to meld in a wonderful way.

Stuffed Shells with Lemon Garlic Sauce

Ricotta and Romano cheeses mingle with artichoke hearts and spinach to stuff these lovely shells. Finished with a lemony garlic browned butter sauce, they make a great center piece for any meal.

Spinach, Artichoke and Cheese Stuffed Shells
16 jumbo pasta shells
1 egg
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded Romano cheese
3/4 cup chopped fresh spinach
2/3 cup chopped artichoke hearts
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Bring 2 quarts of salted water to a boil. Cook shells for 5 to 6 minutes. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Drain and set aside to cool slightly. Beat egg in a mixing bowl. Add cheeses, spinach, artichoke, chives and salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly. Grease a baking dish with a bit of olive oil. Using a spoon, stuff shells with cheese mixture and place in baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Serve with red sauce or lemon garlic sauce.

Lemon Garlic Browned Butter Sauce
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter, divided
2 garlic cloves, smashed, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a small sauce pan, stirring until butter foams. Add garlic, chives and lemon zest, continue to cook and stir for 2 minutes or until butter has browned and garlic is golden. Remove from heat and add lemon juice, remaining butter and salt. Stir until butter is melted. Spoon over shells or toss with hot pasta.

Hints: Don't over cook the shells or they will tear when you try to stuff them. I use canned artichoke hearts, about half a 15 ounce can. You could use lasagne noodles coated with the filling and rolled up instead of the shells. Or spinach crepes. The sauce could be used for pork or chicken cutlets.

These shells make a great brunch dish or a lovely light dinner. The garlic and lemon flavors play off the cheeses beautifully. Your family and guests will really appreciate this dish.

Pasta w/ Kale and Sausage

Kale makes another appearance in a pasta dish with this recipe. I am enjoying cooking with kale and my family and friends seem to like it as well. Even if the health benefits were fewer, it would still be included in our diets. Although this dish with the sausage and cream is not one I would label "healthy", the kale helps a bit and I would definitely label it "tasty".

Kale and Sausage Pasta Sauce
3/4 pound Italian sausage, bulk style or removed from casings
1/2 cup sliced leek, white part only
3 cups roughly chopped kale, tough stems removed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup cream
4 servings cooked pasta
Romano cheese for serving

In a medium size skillet, brown sausage over medium high heat, crumbling it as it cooks. Remove cooked sausage from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Place leeks in the pan and saute for 2 minutes. Add the chopped kale and salt and toss with tongs until kale is wilted, another minute or so. Deglaze the pan with the water, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen the fond. Return the sausage to the pan along with the vinegar. Continue cooking and stirring until water has reduced by about half. Add the cream, stir well and remove from the heat. Toss pasta with sauce and serve with grated Romano cheese.

 Hints: A mild sausage will yield a milder result than a hot Italian sausage will. Green onions can be used in place of the leek. Any pasta will do, from spaghetti to butternut squash ravioli. You could deglaze with chicken or beef stock but water works fine and the sausage doesn't need additional flavoring. Adding pine nuts or fresh basil would be great. So would diced apple and a little sage. Just like any pasta sauce, versatility is part and parcel.

This quick cooking dish means you can have dinner on the table in the time it takes to boil water and cook pasta. Hot, hearty and flavorful with a serving of veggies, it's a keeper.

Chicken Noodle Soup w/ Apples and Rosemary

This one is for you Amy--Merry Christmas! You asked for a "twist" on Chicken Noodle Soup...here it is. I hope you all enjoy!

Chicken Noodle with Apples and Rosemary
6 cups water
2 chicken breast halves
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup diced onions
1 cup diced celery
2 cups peeled, diced Granny Smith apples
1 tablespoon chicken stock paste
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
2 cups fusilli (cork screw noodles)
Bring water to a boil in a large sauce pan. Add chicken, salt and pepper. Reduce heat and cook until chicken is opaque and no longer pink. Place chicken on a cutting board and allow to cool. Strain liquid to remove any sediment then return to pot. Adjust heat to medium high and add onions, celery, apples, chicken stock paste and rosemary to liquid. Continue to cook while preparing chicken. Remove and discard skin and bones from breasts. Cut meat into 1/2 inch cubes. Add pasta and chicken to soup. Cook until pasta is done. Check for seasoning, adding salt if necessary. Serve hot.

Hints: You can use boneless, skinless breasts if that is what you have. Think about adding a bit more stock paste if that is the case as the bones and skin add some flavor. The tart apples are good for this savory soup; a sweeter apple would add too much sugar. A bit of sage would be a good addition. Use any kind of pasta; and up the amount if you want a heartier, less brothy soup.

The apple and rosemary flavor are subtle but very pleasant additions to basic chicken noodle soup. It is an easy "twist" and will play well with the children, I think. Let me know how it goes. Happy cooking!

Sundried Tomato and Almond Pesto

Red is the new Green? This recipe was inspired by my recent trip to Austria. This is a red pesto that packs a WOW flavor punch. Toss with pasta or spread on a sandwich or use as a pizza base, if fact anyway that you would use a basil pesto, this tomato almond pesto will work. I think combining a bit of green and some of this red pesto could be remarkably on target this Holiday season!

Grilled fresh mozz with Sundried Tomato Pesto

Sundried Tomato and Almond Pesto
1/2 cup blanched almonds (see hints for easily blanching your own)
4 ounces sundried tomatoes and the oil they are packed in (1/2 an 8 ounce jar)
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup Romano cheese, grated
3/4 cup cherry, grape or pear tomatoes
3/4 teaspoon salt
Extra virgin olive oil as needed for proper consistency
Place almonds in a food processor bowl and pulse 7 or 8 times. Add remaining ingredients in order listed while blades are running and process until smooth. You may need to scrap down sides of bowl occasionally. Add additional olive oil as needed for proper consistency. Serve at room temperature. Refrigerate leftover pesto.

Rotini with Sundried Tomato Pesto

Hints: Blanch almonds by bringing 2 cups water to a boil. Pour 1/2 cup whole almonds into the water and continue to boil for 1 minute. Drain almonds in a colander and rinse with cold water. Place on a paper towel and slip skins off of each nut. Dry off on paper toweling and use according to recipe.

The skin comes off in one piece as the nut "pops" out

Tightly covered, the pesto will stay fresh at least a week in the fridge.

The photo above is of the pesto made with golden pear tomatoes and is more orange than pesto made with red grape or cherry tomatoes. Color adds a dimension that contributes to how pleasing the food will be. Taste and aroma and texture are all important and sometimes a cook will ignore color and/or presentation. Lost opportunity to enhance the experience.

   

Meatballs!

Meatballs. You gotta love 'em! Plain or fancy, small or large, rustic or refined, they are usually a hit for lunch, dinner or as hors d'oeuvres. I upped the "Italian" in this recipe by using pepperoni and Romano. I pretty sure they will continue the "hit" streak for you; they did for me!

Meatballs w/ Red Sauce & Pasta

Meatballs with Pepperoni and Beef
1 1/4 lbs lean ground beef
4 to 5 ounces pepperoni slices, regular or turkey
2 ounces Romano cheese, plus more for serving
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/3 cup milk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
1 tablespoon olive oil
Cooked Pasta
Red Sauce (Fillipo Magestro's recommended) 
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place beef in a large mixing bowl. Grind pepperoni slices in a food processor or blender and add to bowl. Grate cheese and add to bowl. Add salt, crumbs, milk, eggs and basil. Mix together lightly until thoroughly combined. Put olive oil on a baking sheet and place in oven to heat up. With your hands, form meat mixture into balls about the size of large walnuts (this will make about 30 meatballs). Remove baking sheet from oven and place meatballs onto hot oil. Return to oven and bake for 30 minutes. To serve, combine meatballs with sauce and serve over pasta (or toss with pasta); top with additional Romano cheese.  

Hints: Using the pepperoni gives all the flavor you need and makes the meatballs quite light textured. A food processor grinds the pepperoni up so fast, but a blender will do the same thing, however it will work better if you blend a handful at a time. I use my food processor to grate the cheese as well. Oven baking the meatballs takes less oil and allows them to cook through but you could opt to pan fry them to get the outsides a bit crispier. You could opt for ground turkey and turkey pepperoni to keep these beef free if you like. They could also be made bit sized (bake about 20 minutes) and served in the sauce with toothpicks as an hors d'oeuvre.

Spaghetti and meatballs are a classic. Comfort food made by Mamma. I never have tried to make meatball subs but I think these would be great for that as well. Let me know if you try.

Bacon and Tomato Pasta

Bacon and Tomato sandwiches are classic--we have ours pan grilled in butter with a smear of Miracle Whip and salt. Here is the same flavor profile with a few key additions: rosemary, pine nuts and Romano cheese.

Bacon and Tomato Pasta
8 slices bacon
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 cup halved grape tomatoes
1/2 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
8 ounces pasta shells (I use whole grain)
Place a large sauce pan filled with 2 quarts of salted water on stove and bring to a boil. Heat a skillet to medium high heat. Snip 1/2 inch pieces of bacon into hot skillet and cook until bacon is almost done, stirring frequently. Remove all but about 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat. Reduce heat to medium and add in pine nuts. Continue cooking and stirring for about 1 minute. Add in rosemary and cook another minute. Add tomatoes, toss and turn off heat. Cook pasta to al dente (about 7 minutes for medium shells). Stir bacon tomato mixture into hot shells along with 1/4 cup cheese. Serve hot with additional cheese on top.

Hints: I like to take off most of the bacon fat but you can use more if you want. I just tilt the pan and spoon out the excess. The fresh rosemary is great but you could substitute dried or another herb. Larger tomatoes could be diced and used in place of the grape tomatoes. Yellow pear tomatoes are just fabulous in this dish. The tomatoes will warm up and just begin to release their moisture, tasting very fresh. No garlic or onion in this dish but you certainly could add them while cooking the bacon. A hit of red chili flakes would be a good addition. If you prefer Parmesan it will work as well as the Romano.

Pasta is one of my favorite go to meals. Simple ingredients can transform into something special when given an Italian twist. How did they get to be such good cooks? Fresh herbs and veggies are remarkable and bacon makes any meal tastier.

Pumpkin Gnocchi w/ Apple Bacon Sauce

All things pumpkin are in season now. Here is an Italian inspired dish that can be varied in many ways. (See Hints for other suggestions.)

 








Pumpkin Gnocchi with Apple Bacon Sauce
1 cup pumpkin puree (I used canned this time)
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated if you can)
2 to 2 1/2 cups flour (I use part whole wheat)
Mix pumpkin and egg together in a mixing bowl. Add salt and nutmeg and mix again. Stir in 1 1/2 cup flour. Add more flour as needed to make a dough that can be handled but is still slightly sticky. Using two teaspoons, scoop out 1 teaspoon of dough at a time and shape into little footballs then put a dent on one side and drop onto a floured board. (Use a gnocchi board if you have one, of course.) Bring two quarts of water to a boil with about 2 teaspoons salt in the water. Drop the gnocchi in the boiling water about 15 to 20 at a time. Cook for approximately 4 minutes (they should pop to the top after about 2 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon and cook another batch. Keep gnocchi warm. Toss with Apple Bacon Sauce and chives and serve warm.

Apple Bacon Sauce
5 strips of bacon, diced
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
3/4 cup finely chopped apple
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup apple cider
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup half and half
1 to 2 ounces Romano cheese
2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives
Brown bacon over medium high heat in a skillet. Remove bacon and set aside. Keep 1 teaspoon of the bacon fat in the pan. Sprinkle sage over fat and stir for one minute. Add apple and butter to pan. Cook and stir for about 4 minutes. Add cider and vinegar and cook another 4 minutes or until liquid has reduced to half. Take off heat. Stir in half and half and Romano cheese.  Toss with gnocchi and top with chives.

Hints: The gnocchi can be topped with a simple butter or cream sauce flavored with nutmeg. It is a heavy version of gnocchi, not as light as gnocchi made with riced potato. The apple bacon sauce is good on angle hair pasta or butternut squash ravioli. That the great thing about pasta, nearly anything goes! Use your imagination and enjoy!

I love making Italian dishes. And anything is better if it has Bacon in it. Autumn is my favorite time of year and cooking in Autumn is a joy because of the abundance of fresh produce and the opportunity to be creative with it.

Tuna and Mozzerella Pasta

My sweet, sweet daughter invited me to lunch today and this is what she made while I held the little one (7 weeks old now!). Thanks a ton beautiful Mother of little Grandson...

Sophie's Thursday Pasta (because today was Thursday)
6 cups water for boiling
1/3 to 1/2 cup pesto
4 ounces fresh mozzarella, cubed
1 can oil packed tuna, drained
Cook pasta until al dente. Drain then mix in pesto and mozzarella while pasta is still hot. Finally stir in tuna. Serve hot.  

Hints: The wagon wheel (rotelle) pasta hold onto the sauce and tuna very well. It is a great choice. Soph says she would never use whole grain pasta--never saw it in Italy, ever. This would serve 4 people.

Quick and absolutely delicious! So healthy too! Served with arugula salad and lovely white peaches. The flavors were so complimentary on the plate. The lemon dressing on the salad was a great counterpoint to the tuna pasta. The sweet peaches balanced the bitter arugula and the dense pasta was a great texture balance to the greens. It was a perfect lunch for today. Hope others can enjoy the feeling as well as the food. Thanks again Sophie! 

Presto: Pesto

Pesto
3 ounces Romano cheese
4 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
juice from 1/2 lemon, optional
Process cheese in a food processor until crumbly. Add basil leaves, garlic and pine nuts. Pulse several times. Turn processor on and slowly pour in olive oil. Add salt and lemon juice, if using, and process until smooth. Toss with hot pasta. Store in an airtight container with a thin layer of olive oil on top to help maintain the bright green color. This is enough sauce for 16 ounces of dried pasta, sauced generously.

Hints: I know, I know...Parmesan cheese is the classic flavor but I just adore Romano and Parmesan is just so-so to my tongue. Make the switch if your tongue disagrees with mine. A food processor is such a boon here, almost a necessity. Use more oil if you want to thin the sauce out a bit more. Another way to go: replace the pine nuts with walnuts. Pesto works great as a sauce base for pizza instead of a red sauce. Add it to lasagne. Spread it on a sandwich like Sophie's fresh mozzarella.. Rinse and use the basil right away as it will darken quickly once you begin working with it. Grow basil! If you have a garden spot at all, grow basil! Lots of it and different kinds! Let me know if you have any extra you want to get rid of.

Another multi-use sauce. A bit of pesto can transform a dish. It pairs well with fish, chicken, pork, beef, tofu, quinoa, etc. The smell is fabulous. This is a very quick sauce to make and some days that is exactly what one needs.  

Tasting Party!

I had a good time yesterday on Studio 5 and feel like I learned lots. It was so interesting to see how things are done back stage and off camera. Thanks to Bill and Neal for helping to carry the load, (you guys look like you work out)! The following links are to recipes already posted and then I'll finish with recipes that are new. The idea of a tasting party is a good one but these recipes also are fabulous as Holiday fare.

Chilled pear soup , diced caprese salad, coconut black rice

Bacon wrapped dates, arugula lemon salad, chocolate ginger balsamic glaze

Chilled Pear Soup   (served as shooters)
Coconut Black Rice  (served in Chinese soup spoons)
Arugula and Lemon Salad  (with the addition of paper thin lemon slices)
Chocolate Ginger Balsamic Glaze  (mixed in with and garnishing diced fruit)

Diced Caprese Salad (or Topping for Bruschetta)
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, diced
1/3 cup diced red onion, (optional)
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar (optional)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons chopped kalamata olives
Mix tomatoes, cheese and onion (if using) in a bowl. Reserve some small basil leaves for garnish and roughly chop the rest. Stir in chopped basil, all but one tablespoon olive oil, vinegar (if using) and salt. Set salad aside. Heat a small skillet over medium high heat. Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil to hot pan. Cook chopped olives for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally then remove from oil and set aside with reserved whole basil leaves for garnish. Serve salad in small bowls with garnishes. Or top sliced, toasted baguettes with salad. Or stir in diced toasted baguette pieces for a bread salad.

Hints: Using larger tomatoes and dicing them up is fine. As always, garden tomatoes are the best! Taste to adjust salt, oil and vinegar to get it just how you like it. I don't pack the basil down to get the 1/4 cup, they are just loose leaves. Also great tossed with angel hair pasta. I often omit the toasted olives.

One of my all time favorite dishes. I never tire of this combo and crave it in the winter but the tomatoes are never quite right from October to May. One of the best things about summer is a vine ripened tomato!

Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Dates
12 pitted dates
6 slices partially cooked bacon
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
2 tablespoons roasted small pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
Carefully slit each date open. Stuff blue cheese crumbles into the cavity and top with 6 or 7 pepitas. Cut bacon slices in half and wrap 1/2 a bacon strip around each date. Secure with a tooth pick. Bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes. Serve hot or warm.

Hints: The bacon needs to be almost fully cooked in order to crisp up nicely by the time the cheese melts. (I buy the Hormel brand at Costco that is already cooked.) Larger dates are easier to work with. Don't slice all the way through the date or the softened cheese will melt out. You could substitute chopped pistachios for the pepitas and another semi soft cheese for the blue. These can be made ahead, refrigerated and cooked on the fly during a party. I replaced the toothpicks with cocktail forks in the above photo--which is great for a tasting party.

This is a take off of a sandwich  I blogged about earlier.  Sweet, savory and salty all at once. (It is a good sandwich!) Taking your favorite dishes and tweaking them into appetizer dimensions may be a bit challenging but nearly always results in a NEW favorite.
 

Americanized Pasta

Pasta Salad w/ Fresh Mozzarella
8 ounces small pasta shells
2 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 orange bell pepper
1/2 small purple onion
1/4 cup sliced black olives
1/4 cup diced sun dried tomatoes (packed in oil)
1/4 cup finely diced celery
2 ounces grated Romano cheese
4 ounces diced fresh mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup coarsely chopped spinach
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (dark will work)
Bring 3 quarts water to a boil. Add 2 teaspoons salt and the pasta shells. Cook for about 6 minutes and drain. Toss with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and set aside. Meanwhile, heat oven to 425 degrees, wash and trim pepper then cut it into eight pieces. Quarter onion and separate layers. Toss pepper and onion with 1 teaspoon olive oil and remaining salt. Place on a roasting sheet and cook in the oven for about 10 minutes or until beginning to caramelize. Remove from oven and roughly chop veggies, reserving some pepper for garnish if desired. In a serving bowl, mix dried tomatoes, olives, celery and roasted peppers and onions. Stir in pasta and mix thoroughly. Stir in cheeses, spinach, basil, the remaining olive oil and the vinegar. Mix well, chill, garnish with peppers and basil leaves if desired and serve.

Hints: (This is an Americanized pasta because it is served cold as a salad which I understand is something the Italians would not do--correct me if I'm wrong on this Sophie or Anne Marie). I was wrong--see comments--thanks Soph! This works great as a warm pasta dish, too. Mix everything but the pasta together with the roasted veggies still warm and then add in the drained hot pasta, toss and serve. Artichoke hearts, hearts of palm, cucumber or crab meat are all great additions. Use all basil and no spinach if you want. Add some chili pepper flakes for a kick. And of course you can switch out Parmesan for the Romano if you must. Don't pack the spinach or basil to measure it.


Summertime means more salads and more grill dinners. Pasta salads are great to make in the morning and then pop in the fridge for the day. Makes dinner so easy--especially if you can con someone else into grilling the meat! 
 

Comfort Food II

Now that is what's called a HIATUS!! I am back to a semi-normal schedule now. How long this will last is certainly up in the air but hopefully I will be able to stay with this blog a bit better in the future. It is really raining today and therefore a good day for homemade Mac and Cheese. Hope you enjoy it!

 

 Macaroni and Cheese

2 quarts water
1 1/2 cup small macoroni, uncooked
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon butter
1/2 cup flour
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon dry mustard
8 oz. mild cheddar cheese (medium cheddar is good, too), shredded
4 oz. Swiss Cheese, shredded
3 oz. Baby Bell cheese (or other semi-soft favorite), shredded or roughly chopped
1 cup fresh croissant crumbs (about 1 large croissant)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bring water to a boil and add macaroni and salt. Return to a boil, cook until tender. Meanwhile, melt 1/4 cup butter over medium high heat in a skillet. Stir in flour and mix until blended. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly with a wire whip. Continue stirring until all lumps are gone and sauce begins to thicken. Sprinkle cheeses and dry mustard onto white sauce. Blend in with the wire whip and continue stirring until all the cheese has melted. Remove from heat. Drain cooked pasta when tender and return to pan. Pour cheese sauce over hot pasta and mix well. Butter sides and bottom of a two quart casserole dish with the remaining butter. Turn mac and cheese into dish. Sprinkle croissant crumbs on top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot.

Hints: Smaller macaroni allows the thick sauce to penetrate more thoroughly. The pasta will not get softer during the baking so be sure it is tender from boiling. This tastes great heated up the next day. I love to serve it with sliced tomatoes or a fruit salad with citrus ginger dressing. This is a rich, heavy dish that is very hearty.


I still like the mac and cheese in the blue box. It reminds me of my childhood and cooking for myself on Friday nights while the folks were out. But this version is so much tastier!

Lasagna!

Is there any better way to feed a whole group of loved ones than to whip up some lasagna? I think not! Here is my "recipe" for lasagna (it is actually pretty free form and uses what you have on hand) --several people have requested I put it on the blog so here you are--Prego!

Wasatch Front Lasagna
1 batch red sauce (recipe is located under sauce category-- blog named "Fillippo Magistro")
1 package lasagna noodles (I prefer oven ready so they don't have to be boiled)
1 pound meat (browned ground beef or Italian sausage, chopped pepperoni, or a mixture)
2 pounds total of cheese in at least 3 varieties (mozzarellas-fresh and regular, peccarino ramano, parmesan, ricotta)
2 cups chopped and/or sliced vegetable mixture (choose from: fresh spinach, sauteed mushrooms, orange or yellow bell peppers, zucchini, sauteed eggplant, artichoke hearts, shredded carrots, celery)
1/2 cup pine nuts (optional)
1/2 cup sliced black olives (optional)
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place about 1/2 cup sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Top with 3 noodles. Cover noodles with 3/4 cup sauce. Top with 1/3 of the meat, 1/4 of the cheeses, 1/3 of the veggies, pine nuts and olives. Begin another layer with 3 more noodles and repeat for a total of 3 layers. For the fourth and final layer, use noodles, sauce and cheese only.  Cover baking dish tightly with foil and bake about 45 minutes or until noodles are soft and cheese is melted. Remove from oven and allow to sit for about 10 minutes before uncovering and serving. Enough for about 8 adults.

Hints: This lasagna can be made without any meat at all, just increase the cheese to 2 1/2 pounds or so. I have made it with chicken sausage and that was ok but not my favorite. I have tried it with brocolli or asparagus and didn't care for the flavors. This recipe is good for individual portions and can be frozen--an additional 15 to 20 minutes are required for cooking from frozen. Disposable foil pans work out great.

This is not a traditional Italian style lasagna. In most Italian homes a bechamel sauce is used along with the red sauce and few or no veggies are included. But this one works just great for the Wasatch Mountains and probably else where, too. I hope you enjoy it and so do your loved ones!

Red Pasta Sauce

Fillipo Magistro was my Italian teacher my last semester of college. Each class would end with a recipe. This red sauce was the one his mother would make in Barr, Italy in the 1950's. So fabulous! I have modified it a bit--I don't think he would mind.

Red Sauce

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons crushed garlic

1 large onion, roughly chopped

5 cans (14 oz.) diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons raw sugar

2 teaspoons sea salt

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Heat a deep skillet over medium high heat. Pour in oil. Add garlic and onions. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes or until onions are beginning to brown slightly. Add tomatoes, sugar, salt, basil and red pepper. Using an immersion blender, puree sauce until smooth. Simmer over low heat for an hour or longer. Taste and then adjust sugar and salt if needed. Use as pasta sauce or pizza sauce.

Hints: I use sweet onions (walla walla or vadalia). I also use different types of basil--this time I used half purple and half regular. I like lemon, cinnamon or Thai basil as well. Dried basil will work in a pinch. Use about 3 tablespoons of dried basil for this recipe. Use the best olive oil you can afford. Fillipo's mom added regular granulated sugar but I prefer the raw flavor. I added the red pepper flakes cause I like a tiny bit of a kick.

Fillipo didn't ever give us exact measurements. He cooked by instinct, just like his mother did I am sure. The truth is I don't normally measure things as I am cooking either. But for this blog, I am taking the time to measure what I throw in dishes. So the measurements are accurate but don't let that get in your way of having fun. 

Zucchini Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce

Zucchini, Tomato and Purple Basil Pasta Sauce
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 medium zucchini, quartered and sliced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 cup small cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2 or 3 tablespoons chopped purple basil
salt and pepper
freshly grated ramano cheese for serving
1/2 pound pasta, cooked al dente

Heat saute pan over medium high heat. Add olive oil then garlic and stir for a moment. Add zucchini and cook for several minutes until it begins to brown. Add peppers and continue to cook. When peppers have softened a bit, add tomatoes and basil. Cook for about 3 or 4 minutes then add salt and pepper to taste. Toss with pasta. Pass the ramano cheese around the table.

Hints: Sophie tells me that you can put just about anything with pasta and it will work. Use what you have. This recipe can include (or substitute) onions or shallots, regular basil, asparagus or green beans, spinach, brocolini, mushrooms, celery etc. You could add cooked chicken, shrimp or sausage for a protein source. Add these just before the tomatoes.

Pasta is one of my go to dinners. It is always good, nearly always fast and can usually be done with ingredients on hand. Fresh veggies and herbs with extra virgin olive oil are hard to mess up. I have begun using whole grain pasta and I like it but Soph spent enough time in Italy that she really has a hard time with it. So I just serve it when she is not here.