Le Seuer Pea Pasta with Red Gold Tomatoes

didn’t take one of its ingredients for your famous pasta dish.  But more on that in a minute.

First thing’s first.  Welcome to the first of two #MeatlessMonday Saturday edition posts.  Yes, yes, it’s been well-documented that having #MeatlessMonday on a Tuesday, Wednesday, etc., etc. is just weird.  But I’m making up for lost time.  I missed a few weeks, but I’m back in saddle just in time for lent.  Just remember, on Fridays when you’re not eating meat, you can eat vegetarian.  You’ll love it.  Promise.

Okay, back to the dish.  As I said above, this recipe is in no way an attempt to copy world famous Chef Jasper Mirabile’s Pasta alla Nanni, though I will admit it was a huge inspiration.  In fact, I hadn’t had Le Seuer peas in years until I went to Chef’s restaurant and he served up a  pasta the Pasta alla Nanni to my wife and I.  Now, they’re back to being a pantry staple in the BWD household.

So, to Chef Jasper I give a nod of thanks and I promise that since you won’t give out the recipe for Pasta alla Nanni to anyone (including BWD, Jr.), I won’t publish any guesses on how to make it.  But I bet I can come close.

With that being said, there’s another ingredient to our battle.  The secret ingredient.

Sorry, I channeled Iron Chef there for a second.

In all seriousness, a little while ago, Red Gold tomatoes sent me the coolest freaking tin of product.  It had three cans of Red Gold tomatoes (sauce, diced, and diced with green chilies), a recipe book, a refrigerator magnet, and a model Red Gold truck that my son loved so much he wrote me a thank you card for it.  So cool. 

So I’ve been holding those cans for something special when I realized that my Red Gold tomato sauce would be perfect for a recipe like this.  Seriously, if you have been using generic tomato suace, I highly recommend you try a good quality sauce like Red Gold tomato sauce next time .   There is definitely a dfference with good ingredients.

Le Seuer Pea Pasta with Red Gold Tomatoes Recipe

As far as recipes go on BlogWellDone.com, you’re not going to find one much easier than this one.

You will need:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic (or 1 tablespoon garlic powder)
• 1 can Red Gold tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon basil
• Spaghetti noodles
• 1/2 can Le Seuer peas
• Parmesan cheese to taste

Get some very well salted water boiling for the spaghetti.

In a skillet over medium-high heat heat, add the olive oil.  When warm, add the onion and a pinch of salt.  Cook until the onions are translucent, about 4 minutes.  Add the garlic, cook 30 seconds.

Add the Red Gold tomato sauce and basil. 

Drop the pasta right about now.

Cook until the sauce has started to boil, then add the peas.

When the noodles are done, toss them in the sauce.  Top with parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Picture taken from RedGold.com

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Now, I’m not one to go ga ga for a movie star, but I really like the movies Goodfellas and Bulworth (both starring Mister Sorvino) so it was kind of cool when someone from Paul Sorvino Food sent me two jars of sauce: one of marinara and the other of vodka sauce.  It was even cooler when I came home to find my wife watching Goodfellas and I could go in to the pantry and grab one the jars (which feature a picture of Mister Sorvino) and ask “Look familar?”

It was less of a thrill when she replied “No.  Who is the guy on the jar?”

Anyway, that’s neither here nor there.  It was still pretty cool to review a sauce made by one of the stars of arguably the greatest mafia movie ever (yes, I preferred it to The Godfather. What you gonna do about it??)  And yes, I realize Mister Sorvino is an actor, but let me say he’s a supremely good actor.  Maybe a little too good.

So, just in case, let me say in no uncertain terms that Paul Sorvino Foods’ sauces are the best pasta sauces I’ve ever had.  No questions asked.

Okay, in all seriousness, Paul Sorvino Foods opened in 2007 when Mister Sorvino decide to release a series of food products based on his mother’s recipes.  Undoubtedly, his mother was a great cook because her sauce, even after it survived the jarring and shipping process was nice and rich and chunky.  That was a very pleasant surprise and more like what I expect from an Italian restaurant.  The vodka sauce was a lot smoother, but creamier.

And how do they taste?

Let’s start with the vodka sauce.  I am not the world’s greatest alla vodka sauce fan.  I like my vodka, I just don’t like it with tomatoes.  With that said, if I had to do penne alla vodka, I’d probably reach for a jar of Paul Sorvino Foods’ sauce.  I really like both its sweentess and its pronounced tang.  I especially liked the lack of overpowering alcohol flavor.  When fixing for guests, I might add a pinch more red pepper flake, but that’s because I like heat and I want it to balance the sweet.

On the other hand, the marinara was definitely my favorite.  When we first tried it, I took some straight out of the jar and put it on my noodles (shells in this case, because they are BWD, Jr. friendly)  and the sauce tasted fine, but it was a little thin. 

After dinner was over, I got to thinking about the thinness of the sauce and went back and read the label.  Sure enough, it said that the marinara needed to be simmered before eating.  So I put it in a sauce pan over medium heat (per the label) and let it bubble away for 10-15 minutes.

The resulting sauce was so much better.  The flavors were bolder, the chunky tomatoes broke down and gave the sauce a much richer tomato flavor, and the chunks of garlic got soft and perfumed the marinara.  Much, much better.  Much better.

So, my suggestion is that you try Paul Sorvino’s mama’s marinara and vodka sauces.  My recommendation is that you set them to simmering about the same time you get your pasta water boiling.  Cleaning the extra pot will definitely be worth all that extra flavor.

The picture was taken from Facebook.com/PaulSorvinoFoods and is used without explicit permission.

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Lentils Are Not Catfood

Hold your hats, ’cause it’s

Lentil Soup Time!

Now, first of all, you may be wondering what’s up with the cat.  Well, I believe that kitty there truly encompasses what most people think of lentils.  People seem to that that they look like cat food, sometimes they smell like fat good, and, of course, if it looks like cat food and smells like cat food, it’s probably cat food.

Well, I say no way!  Lentils are really good, especially if prepared properly.

However, that’s the key…preparing them properly.  The good news is, it’s just not that hard!  Once you master that trick, you will be on your way to wonderful lentils every time!!

Also, I mentioned this recipe has “pistou.”  Don’t be afraid of the term, pistou is just pesto without the nuts!

Making Lentil Soup

This recipe was inspired by my friend Chef Jasper,who serves lentil soup in his restaurant every Monday.   He gave me some pointers on how to cook the lentils and I totally ripped off the pasta idea from him.  With that being said, I tried to take this recipe in a different direction.  Not because his wasn’t good, but because I wanted to do something a bit different.  However, I did keep the pasta in the recipe.  If you have any left over from the night before, heat it up and add it in for a nice heart twist.

Anyway, I hope I succeeded in making something original.  If not, well, sorry Chef!

You will need:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 2 stalks of celery
• 2 cups of vegetable stock
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 1 cup green lentils
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 bunch basil
• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/4 cup cooked pasta

First, make sure your pasta is cooked.

Next, in a soup pot add the olive oil and let it get hot over a medium flame.  Then add the onions and the garlic.  Saute until the onions are translucent.  Add the onions and celery and cook for 4 minutes with a pinch of salt.  This will help caramelize their sugars and give the soup a slightly different taste.

Next, add the stock and the cilantro and stir well.  Bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat. 

Once boiling, reduce the heat so that the broth is just barely boiling (aka simmering) and add the lentils and cayenne pepper.  Cook for 45 minutes or until the lentils are soft.

While the lentils are cooking, put the basil in a food processor and pulse 4-5 times.  Then slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the pistou is a thick paste.  This will go over the soup and needs to be a bit thicker than a pesto sauce.  You probably won’t need 1/2 cup, but it’s better to have more than not enough.

Once the lentils are done, ladle into bowls over the pasta, top with pistou and any extra parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Thanks to xueexueg for the picture!

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Also, happy World Pasta Day!  Good grief, so much going on.  We better get right into

Penne with Basil and Pumpkin Bechamel

Wow…so let’s see…  This recipe is my #meatlessmonday post for Meatless Monday. 

It’s also the last of the 2009 Nude & Eco-Cheap Cooking recipes for this year (boo!  I know, I’m bummed.)  I’d team up with the awesome Shawna Coronado for any cooking challenge anywhere and I am going to miss all her delicious veggies.  Still, as winter touches the Midwest, all her nude (no chemicals) eco-friendly veggies are going away and without the veggies, it’s hard to feed a family of four for less then $10.50! 

But, if she’s up for it, I’m would love to see a 2010 Nude & Eco-Cheap Cooking Initiative!

Oh, and before I forget,  it’s also World Pasta Day, which can only be celebrated by eating pasta.  Which is how we get to this crazy recipe  I dreamed up. 

Making Penne with Basil and Pumpkin Bechamel

This recipe is going to be a tiny bit time consuming since we’re going to make our own pumpkin puree with fresh out-of-the-garden pumpkin.  You can substitute canned, but it won’t be as good or as cheap!  After that, it’s merely a case of making the bechamel and eating.

You will need:

• 1 Sugar Pie Pumpkin (free from Shawna’s garden)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (free for the challenge)
• Salt and pepper (free for the challenge)
• 1 package penne ($3.00)
• 2 tablespoons butter (50 cents)
• 2 tablespoons flour (free for the challenge)
• 3 cups heavy cream at room temperature ($5.00)
• Pinch of nutmeg (25 cents)
• 4-6 leaves basil, sliced thinly (free from Shawna’s garden)

That’s a total of $8.75!  Another successful challenge.

Preheat your oven to 350.

Cut the pumpkin in half, remove the seeds and coat with olive oil.  Then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.  Put the pumpkin on a cookie sheet cut side down and roast for 45 minutes or until fork tender.  Then remove from the oven.

Once it’s cool enough, peel the pumpkin, cut it into chunks and puree in the food processor.  If the puree is too thick, you can loosen it with a little water, broth, or cream.  Add a little extra salt and taste for flavor.  It’s not going to taste like pie or anything because it’s not seasoned for that.  It should have a mild, earthly flavor instead.

Next, prepare the pasta to package directions in well salted water.  Remove while al dente.

When the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a skillet over a medium flame.  When the butter is melted, mix in the two tablespoons of flour to form a paste.  Continue to cook for about 30-60 seconds or until you get a nutty aroma.  Then pour in the room temperature cream and let it get warm.   Finally, add the pumpkin and let the sauce thicken.

Serve the sauce on the penne.  Top with basil.

And enjoy this final 2009 Nude & Eco-Cheap Cooking recipe!

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Those of you who follow me on Twitter may have seen me mentioning a meal I recently had at Jasper’s in Kansas City, MO.  Some of you may have even gotten the chance to see the picture I took of some of the amazing food Chef Jasper made for us.  Others probably saw the repeated comments that at any moment, I was sure I was going to burst.  Despite the worries about my own mortality, that meal was sooooo worth it.

Jasper – The Tradition

To set the stage for this meal, I should let you know that the Mirabile family has been serving up outstanding Italian food to hungry Kansas Citians for over fifty years.  It all began in 1954 when Leonard Mirabile opened Jasper’s with his son Jasper.  According to their website, back then you could get a three course meal for seventy-nine cents.  (I can only imagine how fat I’d be if I could still get Chef Jasper to cook for me for seventy-nine cents…  Yikes.)

Since 1954, Jasper’s has seen a lot of change.  For instance, they moved from their original location on Wornall to Watt’s Mill on 103rd and State Line.  They have also gone from a neighborhood restaurant to one of the most decorated restaurants in the country, earning a Mobil Four Stars for dining excellence, the AAA Four Diamonds and DIRONA award (among others).  The restaurant has also seen a third generation of Mirabile, Jasper’s sons Leonard and Jasper, Jr., enter the restaurant business.

Chef Jasper – The Culinary Icon

However, Jasper’s is more than a restaurant.  If there is a food event in Kansas City, Chef Jasper is probably there.  He teaches numerous classes all over the Kansas City area, on such varied topics as making mozzarella to teaching kids the joy of cooking.  He has cookbooks.  He has a radio show on AM 710.  His smiling face can be found in any Hen House market.  He works with cheese producers to evangelize good, artisan cheeses.  He helps local food producers.  He knows everyone.

In other words, there may be no single name more synonymous with food in Kansas City (which is saying a lot, since Kansas City is starting to establish itself on the culinary map.)

Jasper’s – The Menu

And there I was with Mrs. WellDone at Chef Jasper’s invitation eating the best (and by several pounds of food the largest) meal I have ever eaten.

For reference, here’s the menu:

1. Lobster cappuccino with pancetta and foam
2. Shrimp Scampi alla Livornese Over Polenta
3. An “Appetizer” of Eggplant Othello and Lobster Ravioli
4. Half a loaf of good Italian bread
5. Caprese Salad with Mozzarella Made Tableside, Heirloom Tomatos Chef’s Wife Grew, Basil, and a Homemade Balsamic Reduction
6. A Pasta “Tasting” Consisting Of
   • Pasta Nanni with Prosciutto, peas, romano, mushrooms, and tomato sauce
   • Gagootsa sauce (Italian gourd) sauce over ditali pasta
   • Rigatoni with a Melon cream sauce
7. For our entrees:
   • Five hour slow roasted pork shank
   • Chicken Saltimbucco
8. For dessert:
   • Peach Napolean with Chef’s mama’s pastry cream
   • Death by Chocolate
9. After Dinner Drink:
   • Homemade Amaretto
   • Homemade Limoncello
   • Homemade Anisette
10. House Wine

With a menu like that, I don’t even know where to start describing everything.  It was all amazing.  However, in the interest of space, I will limit this article to the two times in the meal when the food was so good I lost the ability to speak English.  (Later, I’ll talk about more of the food and maybe sniff out a recipe or two.)
 

Pasta Nanni – The First Moment of Silence

The first time I lost the ability to speak was when I took the first bite of the pasta nanni.  It came served on a long plate with three individual sections, one for each of the pastas on the tasting menu.  I didn’t know what it was, and frankly, I was far more excited about the gagootsa sauce.  However, I think the nanni was closest to me, so I started with it.

Mere words defy the flavor of the pasta.  I can tell you there was salty Prosciutto, earthy tomato, sweet peas, savory mushrooms, and rich cream.  But those are just words.  They cannot convey how perfectly those ingredients worked together.  The saltiness of the Prosciutto was perhaps the lead flavor, but the tomato sauce and the peas wouldn’t let that flavor dominate.  Then there was the touch of cream, giving the dish just enough richness to take it from great pasta to something magical.

As a side note, I have two regrets from the evening at Jasper’s.  The first was that I shared any of that pasta with my wife and the second was that I saved some it for later.  See, our entrees arrived with the pasta course, so there was other pasta, pork osso buco and my wife’s chicken to eat.  All the while, the pasta nanni got cold and while it was good when I got back to it, it was nothing compared to when they first brought it out.  Plus, I think my wife ate all the Prosciutto.  Which is a crime in some places I think.

To this day, I still want more.  I will not consider my life complete unless I can go back to Jasper’s and eat that pasta again. 

Chef Jasper’s Chicken – Pure Bliss

The second moment of bliss so intense words failed me was when I ate my wife’s chicken dish.  When she ordered chicken Saltimbocco, I laughed. 

When I saw it on the menu, I didn’t think it was anything special.  It’s a Roman dish of chicken breast, ham, a little cheese, and some tomato sauce.  Traditionally, it’s rolled, but Chef Jasper says that it dries out the chicken too much so he left it unrolled.  There’s also a sauce made from lemon, stock, white wine, butter, and sage.  But still, when I saw it on the menu, I wasn’t excited.  I came for the big, the fancy, and the impressive dishes with hard names to say (ie osso bucco.) 

Don’t get me wrong, the pork was fantastic, but the chicken Saltimbocco was unreal.  It just worked.  The chicken was moist and the ham was perfect for adding a bit of salt, a bit of pork fat, and a bit of flavor.  The tomato sauce was gently nestled on to the chicken and added a nice bit of earthy tomato taste.  Then there was just enough cheese to top the dish to add a bit of extra saltiness and keep the dish together. 

Then there was the sauce.  That slightly citrusy, slightly tangy, slightly sagey butter-lemon-sage sauce.  To be honest, I shouldn’t like the sauce.  Citrus and wine together are about my least favorite sauce pairings, but there was I soaking it up with a piece of bread.

More than the ingredients, that dish worked because of the artistry.  You can probably find a frozen dinner with the same ingredients as that chicken Saltimbocco, but you probably can’t find a hundred chefs in the world who could make them absolutely sing like Chef Jasper.  I just can’t get over how there should be nothing special about an unrolled rolled chicken dish, but in a master’s hands, it was simply sublime.

Like the pasta, I would say that I wouldn’t consider my life complete unless I went back and had that dish it again, but I took care of it already.  So that part of my life is complete.  Though I am kinda jonsing for it again.

Chef Jasper Mentioned Melon Pasta Special

Also, I should mention the Rigatoni melon, which was the completely odd, but absolutely fantastic pasta dish with a sauce of melon, parmesan cream, and a little bacon.  If that sounds familiar, you might have seen Rachel Ray make it in her magazine, though Chef Jasper assures me his was the better version because of the bacon.  I refuse to argue against either Chef Jasper or bacon.

What amazed me was that dish its utter potential for chaos.  When you mix sour/salty parmesan cream with sweet melon and salty/fatty bacon, you should have a mess on your hands.  However, in the hands of a master, that combination was something both my wife and I loved.

And so that just part my meal with Chef Jasper.  I plan to talk about so many other parts of that dish and everything I learned from talking with him.  But for now, I need to go.  I hear some pasta nanni calling my name.

The logo was taken from Jasper’s website.

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Roasted Red Peppersa

Homemade Creamy Tomato Red Pepper Sauce

Happy 2009 Nude & Eco-Cheap Cooking Initiative and happy #meatlessmonday!  Hopefully you are enjoying many a meatless dish tonight, but if you’re out of delicious meatless ideas have I got one for you?!

This one is super simple and delicious.  I was actually inspired to make it when eating at Em Chamas (please no nasty comments about getting meatless recipes from a Brazilian barbecue…)  They have this fantastic cheese ravioli dish on their buffet made from a sauce of tomatoes and roasted red peppers that was just terrific.  Right next to it, they have a tomato-based chicken stroganoff that is light, creamy, and more than a little tangy.  So I got the idea to blend them together and make a delicious creamy tomato red pepper sauce.

Better yet, you can make it for less than $11.50 as part of the 2009 Nude & Eco-Cheap Cooking Initiative.  If you’re not familiar with the challenge, Shawna Coronado grows chemical and pesticide-free (ie nude) vegetables and I turn them into a dinner for a family for four for less than $11.50.  Ready for the recipe?

Making Homemade Tomato Red Pepper Sauce

This recipe is done in three quick steps.  Bake the tomatoes, roast the red peppers, and mix.  You can use jarred red peppers if you want, but I much prefer the fresh taste of red peppers I have roasted myself.

You will need:

• 8-10 red tomatoes, cut in half and deseeded (free from Shawna’s Garden)
• 2 tablespoons salt and pepper (free due to the rules of the challenge)
• 2 tablespoons dried basil (50 cents)
• 3 red peppers, tops and seeds removed (free from Shawna’s Garden)
• 6 tablespoons oil, divided (free due to the rules of the challenge)
• 1 onion, diced ($1.00)
• 2 cloves garlic, diced (50 cents)
• 1 pinch red pepper flake (10 cents)
• ½ cup heavy cream ($2.00)
• 1 package cheese ravioli ($5.00)

Total: $9.10

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Arrange the tomatoes on a baking sheet and sprinkle on the salt, pepper, and dried basil. Bake 30-45 minutes or until the tomatoes are shriveled and ugly.

While the tomatoes are baking, put the peppers in a plastic bag with 4 tablespoons of oil.  Shake well.  Cook the peppers (see below.)

Once the peppers are black, put them in a bowl and cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap.  (I prefer this over the paper bag for purely sanitary reasons.)  After about five minutes, the skin should largely peel off.

Now, into the food processor go the tomatoes and the red peppers.  Pulse until they have reached the desired consistency.  Some people will want a very chunky mixture.  Others will want it smooth.  Both are fine.

Last step for the sauce.  In a skillet over medium-high heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and let it get hot.  Then add the onions, garlic, and red pepper flake (in that order so the garlic and red pepper don’t burn) and a pinch of salt.  Cook until the onions are translucent.  Then add the tomato/pepper mixture and bring to a boil.  Let it simmer while you make the pasta.

Last step (I promise.)  Make the pasta.  Mix. Enjoy!

Notes:

1. If you have a gas burner, you can put the peppers directly on the fire and char the peppers until the outer skin is black.  (You will need to turn the pepper 3-4 times.)  If you have a grill, you can do the same.  If you have neither, you’ll need to use your broiler by putting the peppers on a baking sheet on the highest rack possible and broiling the peppers until they are charred.  Again, you will need to turn the peppers 3-4 times during broiling.
2. Sometimes you hear that leaving the peppers in the bowl will let the skin just come right off with no effort.  Maybe those people have a higher class of pepper or have black belts in roasted red pepper, but I have never had the skin come completely off.  There are always little bits that don’t want to come off.  So I say, if you are having skin issues, that’s okay.  It happens to the best of us.

Thanks to Ross Catrow for the picture.

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The White Album- Perfect Music to Listen to for a White Meal

Okay, so the fashionistas all agree that you can’t wear white after Labor Day, but, I’m wondering about eating white after Labor Day.  Think about it.  If you can’t wear white, you’re probably wearing darker colors and if you spill… yikes!  Who knows…maybe tomorow the manner experts are going to outlaw fettuchini alfredo, sugar cookies, and White Russians!!

Just in case, maybe you should try this all-white Labor Day menu.  It’s not exactly the most waistline-friendly, but that’s not my fault.  I was trying to think of what was white and, of course, I thought of heavy cream!  It’s not my fault this meal is so creamy and delicious.  I have to make sure every one gets one last white meal during Labor Day.

You know, just in case.

An All White Labor Day Feast

Okay, by the way, this feast will be completely meatless as benefitting my normal #meatlessmonday tradition.  If you want some meat, I’d go with scallops.  They’re white and juicy…just the kind of thing that would be perfect to get forbidden if the anti-white-food-after-Labor-Day league gets their way.

The menu for today is going to be easy, but totally delicious.  For starters, there will be a platter of roasted root vegetables (turnips, celery root, and parsnips are all white.)  Dinner will be a lovely combination of fettuccini alfredo, cauliflower au gratin, and garlic bread (you can cut the crusts off to be safely white if you want.)  To bring the meal home, dessert is a white chocolate cheesecake.  Oh, and to drink?  White Godiva chocolate martinis will wash it all down.

White Chocolate Martini

This is recipe is an adaptation of one I found at Godiva’s recipe page.  You can use another white chocolate liqueur if you want, but I don’t know why you would want…

You will need:

• 1 ounce Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur
• 3/4 ounce Vanilla flavored vodka
• 1/2 ounce White Chocolate creme de cacao

Combine all ingredients in a shaker.  Mix. Serve over ice.

Roasted Root Vegetables

Roasted root vegetables are surprisingly delcious.  The roasting process develops great flavor and a light dusting of pepper, salt, and a hint of garlic powder makes them a tasty snack or starter.

You will need:

• 2 parsnips
• 1 turnip
• 1 celery root
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon each salt, pepper, garlic powder

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Peel and cut the vegetables into 1 inch long pieces, about 1/2 inch wide by 1/2 inch high.  Put them in a plastic bag with the spices and shake.

Remove from the plastic bag and put the veggies on a cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until fork tender.

Fettuccini Alfredo

The classic creamy pasta dish.  If this weren’t a #meatlessmonday, you can add some grilled chicken (which would be mostly white.)  Also, if this weren’t an all-white meal, you could add some steamed broccoli and make a great meal.  But it’s a white, meatless meal.  So you can’t.

You will need:

• 4 ounces fettuccini per person*
• 8 ounces butter
• 8 ounces AP flour
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 cups Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon white pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

*This recipe will make enough sauce for four people. 

Cook the pasta according to package directions in well-salted water.

Melt the butter in a high sided skillet and then add the flour.  Mix together to form a paste.  Cook the paste for 1-2 minutes until it starts to darken and smell nutty.  Then add the cream and the cheese.  Stir until the cheese starts to melt and the flour is well incorporated.

Beat the egg and add it to the sauce along with the white pepper and cayenne (yes, it’s a red risk, but we’ll chance it.)  Stir until the sauce thickens.

Pour over the noodles.

Cauliflower Gratin

This is a great side.  Easy to make, delicious, and filled with lots of delicious heavy cream and butter.

You will need:

• 1 stick butter
• 2 heads’ cauliflower florets
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 cups breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt the stick of butter.  Then pour all the ingredients except the breadcrumbs into a baking dish.  Bake for 45 minutes or until the cream has thickened.  Top with breadcrumbs.

Garlic Bread

This is a simple side.  You can use whole grain white bread with the crusts removed or chance a little bit of dark crust and use good Italian bread.

You will need:

• 2 pieces bread per person
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tablespoon butter per slice
• Grated Parmesan cheese to taste

Preheat the broiler about 15 minutes before dinner is served.  Cut the garlic cloves in half and rub the bread with the garlic.  Butter and top with grated cheese.

Broil for 30-60 seconds or until the bread is just getting crisp.

White Chocolate Cheesecake

Okay, it’s dessert time and I am punting.  Here’s a great white chocolate cheesecake recipe I found on the Food Network.  Just don’t use the raspberries!

Putting the Menu Together

Night before:

Bake the root vegetables, cheesecake, and mix the gratin.

An hour before:

Start the gratin baking, butter the garlic bread

30 minutes before:

Set the vegetables, make the alfredo

15 minutes before:

Make the garlic bread

Serving time:

Shake some cocktails

After that…enjoy!

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Now, I must admit, until the last few years, no one in my house ate ziti.  Our baked noddle dish of choice was always lasagna so it was only until recently that I understood the magic that is ziti.  And now, I share it with you!

Baked Ziti

Perhaps I’m not up on my baked noodle trivia, but it has always seemed to me that the big difference between lasagna and baked ziti is the difference between order and chaos.  Lasagna, it seems to these eyes, is neatly stacked layers of noodle, cheese, and sauce whereas baked ziti is a crazy free-for-all of noodles and cheese and ground beef or ground faux beef.  Two different philosophies on life, but both equally good!

Making Baked Ziti

Really, because ziti is more freeform, it is actually far easier to make than lasagnas.  To do it…

You will need:

• 1 box penne noodles
• Garlic powder to taste
• 1 pound ground hamburger or 1 package faux ground beef
• 1 tablespoon oregano
  
• 1/2 recipe of Elegant Marinara (divided)
  
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup ricotta
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
  
• 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
• Parmesan cheese to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Boil the package of penne pasta noodles according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  However, when boiling the noodles, make sure the water is salty and has a good amount of garlic powder.

While the water is boiling, brown the hamburger in a skillet with salt, pepper and oregano.  If using faux ground beef, crumble with a spatula.  The ground beef can be browned in two tablespoons of olive oil along with the oregano.

Also, while the water is boiling, mix 2 cups of the marinara and cream.

When the noodles are al dente (in other words firm, not floppy) drain them and pour them into a oven-safe dish.  Add the marinara/cream mix and the ricotta with the noddles.

Top with mozzarella, breadcrumbs, and Parmesan cheese.  Bake for 6-8 minutes or until the cheese achieves the desired level of doneness.

Cut into pieces and top with more marinara.  Enjoy!

Thanks to robot-girl for the image.

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Vegetarian Stuffed Shells: The Right Place at the Right Time

So stuffed shells has been one of those dishes that has been a family favorite since my wife and I were dating. I threw it together one night because I thought it might be fun to take traditional lasagna stuffing and put it into shell pasta. My wife loved them. For a while they were the best dish she ever had (or so she said…)

However, stuffed shells require stuffing and, frankly, lasagna speaks to my inner lazy so we do not eat them that offen. Still, we do keep a box of shells around just in case.

Just in case happened this weekend. Normally, we do grocery shopping on the weekends, but last week we just never made it to the store. So come Sunday night, the pantry was bare. No fresh fruit. A few onions formed the bulk of the fresh veggie supplies… We had no bread that was not stale, no milk, no yeast… We were sunk.

What we did have was some Rondele Garden Vegetable spreadable cheese and frozen spinach, a can of tomato sauce, and of course, the abovementioned shells. And thus, we had dinner.

Stuffed Shells

You will need: (meat items are highlighted in orange):

• 2 1/4 tablespoons, salt
• 2 tablespoons, garlic powder
• 1 large box of shell pasta
• 1 package, frozen spinach
• 3 tablespoons, olive oil
• 1 white onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 package faux breakfast sausage or real sausage
• 1 tablespoon, breadcrumbs of smashed crackers
• 1/2 container of Rondo veggie spread
• 2 12.5 oz cans of tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to the 350 degrees.

If you are using real sausage, put it in an oven safe dish and bake for 20 minutes. Once it has been cooked through, drain the grease. If you skip this step, all you will taste is sausage grease.

Make the Shells

Add two tablespoons of salt and all the garlic powder to a pot and add enough water to cover the shells. Bring the water to boil and add the pasta. Follow the cook time listed on the box.

Make the Vegetarian Filling

Take the spinach out of the freezer and let it thaw.

While the pasta is boiling, heat a skillet over high heat. Add two tablespoons of olive oil. When it is hot, add the onion, the rest of the salt, and the garlic. Cook until the onions are translucent. Then add meat (faux or not) to the skillet and cook until fully browned.

Add the spinach and the breadcrumbs to the mixture and cook until the spinach is heated through. Turn off the heat, add the Rondo and stir until well mixed.

Pull out a large baking dish (my wife used a thirteen inch baking dish) and cover the bottom with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and about half of one can of tomato sauce. Then stuff each shell with one heaping spoon full of mixture (do not overstuff unless you want exploded shells.) Put the shells in the baking dish open side down.

Once you are done stuffing all the shells, cover with the rest of the tomato sauce and mozzarella and bake until the cheese is melted and slightly brown.

More Italian Tomorrow

Tomorrow we’ll be talking lasagna and then I think I’ll try bread gnocchi. Then maybe I’ll take the plunge and we’ll do real vegan gnocchi. Until then, enjoy!

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