I write this as our good friend and neighbor A is visiting and keeping us company :). Spinach pasta – yet another childhood favourite of mine. If I was having a sick day, mum would either make spinach pasta or tuna-potato-salad… mmmh. This pasta is SO much better than any dried pasta or someone else’s fresh pasta, even, because it’s so ridiculously fresh and delicious. Spinach pasta with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a sprinkle of coarse salt, and a bit of freshly-made pesto mixed in may very well be my favourite meal. The best part – you can freeze a ball of dough and then make some months later!

Spinach Fettucine

Adapted From Korean American Mommy’s Homemade Spinach Pasta

Ingredients:

• 8 oz fresh spinach
• 1.5 cups organic  AP flour
• 3 cups organic whole-wheat flour
• 1 tsp coarse salt
• 1 full egg (cage-free, brown, organic)
• 6 egg yolks  (cage-free, brown, organic)
• 3 tbsp EVOO
• filtered water

Process:

1. Place 1 tblspn of the olive oil a large pan to heat, and place in all the spinach. Blanch until bright green and cooked through and squeeze it through a paper towel to remove some moisture; then place into a food proessor bowl.
2. Add the flour and salt and process together until a thick green meal comes together.
3. Add the egg yolks, full egg, and remaining oil through the feed tube. Then add a bit of water, 1 tsp at a time, until the dough comes together into a ball.
4. Divide your dough ball into 8 tiny balls.
5. Flour a countertop and rolling pin and roll one of the 8 balls of dough into as thin a rectangle as possible
6. Flour it a bit more and then run the rectangle through a pasta machine, going as follows for a 6-setting machine: 4-6 times through 6; 4 times through 5; 4 times through 4; 3 times through 3; 3 times through 2; 2 times through 1
7. Then use your pasta attachment for cutting- I use fettucine- and cut your pasta! Then flour a bit more, toss together, and you can either cook immediately or place in an airtight container in the fridge or wrap in plasticwrap and freeze.

Serving suggestion: When boiling fresh pasta, do as follows: set water, 1 tsp coarse salt, and 1 tsp olive oil to boil. Place in fresh pasta and boil the pasta for no more than 5 minutes- usually 2-3. Place in a bowl and toss lightly with oil, sprinkle on parmesan cheese and/or pesto, and a few fresh basil leaves. You’ll be happier in life, guaranteed.

It’s always lonely to be by yourself at home and when my mother left for Paris with my grandmother, that left my father doing just that- being home alone! Remedy: have him over for dinner! (NOT Silence of the Lambs kind of “have you over for dinner”, though…) I figured that my father would perhaps be a bit unsettled by some of my more experimental foods… and his standards are quite exceptionally high, as the gifted chefs in the family are all on his side (minus my mother, of course), so… traditional-ish it was!

I decided to do something very familiar and comforting: confit some tomatoes in the oven, bake some chicken so that it’s juicy and tender, and toss it in some whole wheat pasta shells and housemade pesto, with some shaved parmiggiano on top. What can go wrong there?

It was really quite delicious, and the leftovers were super convenient for bringing in to work the next week. This is a great keep-in-the-fridge-for-a-few-days dish, and a rather simple one as well. The sweetness of the tomato cuts into the nuttiness of the pesto, while the cheese on top adds some hints of earthiness that makes the whole thing come together quite nicely.

Whole Wheat Chicken ‘n Pesto Shells with Tomates Confites

Ingredients:

• 1 lb (1 box) whole wheat pasta shells
• 1 box (usually 8-12 oz) cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 generous cup house-made pesto
• 3-4 medium-sized chicken breasts
• extra-virgin olive oil, kosher salt, freshly-cracked black pepper
• parmiggiano reggiano (or reggianito) to shave

Process:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and place a Silpat or other silicone mat on a baking sheet (large enough to fit all your chicken on)
2. Set a pot of water to boil for pasta; salt generously and drop in 1-2 tsp olive oil into the water
3. Measure out pesto and leave on the counter so it can warm while you prepare the rest of the dish
4. Lightly coat a second baking sheet with olive oil (just brush on a very thin coat)
5. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half (whichever way you like) and arrange (fairly haphazardly, really) on the baking sheet. Salt lightly and sprinkle with herbs or spices if desired (my mother uses Herbes de Provence; I’m a fan of a pinch of paprika/cumin/coriander). Drizzle with more olive oil on top.
6. Clean the chicken breasts and arrange on the baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Flip and repeat so that both sides are coated and seasoned.
7. Once the oven is sufficiently hot, place the tomatoes on the bottom rack and the chicken on the top rack (if you have two racks, that is) of the oven
8. Once the water is boiling, place pasta in water and cook as directed; I like mine just a bit al dente (it’s what the Italians do)
9. Bake the chicken for about 10 minutes, then flip the oven using kitchen tongs, a glove, and patience/care. Don’t burn yourself with that oven door open! You can always take the sheet out, flip, and return to the oven if you’re not too lethargic. While you’re at it, rotate the tomato pan.
10. After another 10 minutes, take your tongs and press upon the chicken. If there’s a lot of give, leave it in for another few minutes- you’re looking for the outside to be golden brown and for the inside to have only a bit of give. The squishier it is, the less cooked- and unfortunately, sashimi chicken isn’t a good dish to try :)
11. Once the tomatoes are drying out a bit and are blistering, you can remove them from the oven. The amount of time they spend in there is totally up to you- if you have the time, roasting them at a lower temp (360 or so) for longer yields even better results; this is the ‘quick version’
12. Remove the tomatoes and chicken from the oven and let cook for a moment.
13. Once pasta is cooked, drain (but not excessively, a little water in this is fine) and place in a large mixing bowl. Using kitchen tongs, cut the chicken into large, wide (but fairly thin) strips. Add to bowl. Scrape tomatoes as-is into bowl as well. Scoop in the pesto, and mix. Add salt and pepper to taste, and drizzle in a bit of olive oil. Shave the cheese on top and…. voila!

It’s one of those go-to standbys for me because I don’t need to consult a recipe and it has infinite variations. Sometimes I also confit some bell peppers (red/yellow/orange)… sometimes with herbs, sometimes with spices… carrots work nicely, too, when baked with cheese. You get the idea- pick the brightly-coloured vegetable(s) of your choice! And then dig in :)

I had the fortune of finding a book H had been lusting after (her words) for her birthday- and as it’s a cookbook of Giada’s, we naturally had to break it in by making something out of the book. H suggested we try her pasta ponza. I was afraid of the capers, but decided to try being brave for her, and so we set out on it. We followed the recipe rather closely- minus using all red cherry tomatoes (no yellow), using whole wheat shell pasta in lieu of ziti, and a mix of grated Reggianito and parmesan in stead of Pecorino Romano. The capers were a bit much for me, but I love the tomatoes, the breadcrumbs, and the idea in general- I plan to bake crusted tomatoes in the future, because that was delicious! As for the capers… I’ve gotten better about being open to foods, but it looks like this is one I’ll continue to have difficult with (which is ironic and sad, as I love balsamic vinegar).

Pasta Ponza

Following Giada de Laurentiis’ Pasta Ponza

I’m not going to bother with reposting the recipe because: a) I’m feeling lethargic and it is rather late; b) we didn’t change very much, so the recipe structure is the same; c) I’m now thinking about balsamic vinegar and my mind has drifted. My writing out this recipe now may result in something off-topic and involving dreaming of Modena, so I think I’ll refrain :). That said, this pasta was a simple one with tons of flavour, and would make a terrific week-time dish to make in a large batch with leftovers for lunch at work!

I’m putting this one in the accident category because the sister and I were not huge fans- we’re adding ‘white sauces’ to the list of ‘things Odile has trouble cooking’… but the boyfriend rather enjoyed it and H thought that it looked good (did not get to taste), so this may be another white-sauce-that-actually-worked-I-just-didn’t-think-so. Alas, we’ll most likely never know because as I did not like it, I’m not likely to try it again. :) You’ll have to give it a shot and let me know your thoughts!

I believe its taste may have been altered by the fact that I used a very sweet wine for the sauce (the boyfriend gave the sister a bottle of Muscat Canneli for her 21st and she opted to choose that night for its opening… it had a lovely flavour, but very, very sweet) whereas something a bit more dry might have been a better choice. Should you experiment with it and experience different results, please do let me know- it’d be nice to hear someone else’s thoughts on this one!

Sherry-Glazed Chicken, Steamed Broccoli, and Whole Wheat Penne in White Wine Yogurt Sauce

Adapted from Chicken in White Wine and Yogurt Sauce from Cooks.com (for the sauce)

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, skinned, cleaned (no fat! preferably organic!)
• 1/2 cup dry dessert cream sherry
• 2 large stalks fresh broccoli
• 1/2 box whole wheat penne pasta
• 3 tblspn soy butter (1 for chicken, 2 for sauce)
• 3 tblspn AP organic flour
• 1 cup low-fat organic plain yogurt (I used Stonyfield- mom gave some to me :) )
• 1/4 cup white wine (I used Muscat Canneli)
• Sea salt & freshly-cracked black pepper
• Olive oil, for tossing pasta + pasta water

Process:

1. Boil water for pasta as directed on pasta box. Add a bit of soy butter or olive oil + salt to the water when putting it on the heat to avoid sticking. Cook as directed (I like it just slightly al dente), drain (but save about 1/3 cup pasta water for later), and place in a large bowl. Toss with a drizzle of olive oil and set aside with a warm towel on top to keep in the heat.
2. Rinse broccoli stalks, then cut into small chunks and place on a plate. Take a very damp paper towel, place on top of the place so it is fully covered (no problem if it’s hanging off the sides!) and place in microwave for 2-3 minutes, until the broccoli turns very bright green. Leave outside with the paper towel on for an additional minute, then discard the towel and toss the broccoli in with the pasta.
3. Place 1 tblspn soy butter in a small sautee pan with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Once it begins to bubble, put in the chicken breasts and sear on all sides, until a nice brown colour emerges. Then add in the sherry and let sit, keeping the chicken on medium heat and turning it over every 2-3 minutes to even the glaze. It should begin to caramelize and bubble. Once the chicken is fully cooked (press down on it gently with your tongs to check. If there’s any squishyness or give, it’s not done; if it feels firm, take it off the heat!) and place on a cutting board. Keep reducing the sauce until it’s a thick, bubbling glaze, and pour slowly over the chicken. Let sit for a minute or two so it can absorb the glaze. Then, cut the chicken into 3/4-inch cubes and add to pasta and toss.
4. For the sauce, melt the remaining 2 tblspns of soy butter in another pan (a larger saucier this time). Once it begins to bubble a bit, add the flour, and slowly mix it, then add the broth in a slow and steady stream, and continue to mix all the while pouring. Then add the yogurt, wine, salt, and pepper, turn off the heat, and stir until it’s a thick, smooth sauce. Pour onto the pasta and toss lightly so that everything is evenly coated. Serve with fresh herbs on top for garnish, and keep that pasta water handy in case the sauce continues to thicken while on the pasta.

And there you have it! Give it a go and let me know how it works out for you- I’m sure you’ll do a better job of it than I did :). And as for the chicken, there’s no specific need for the glaze (especially if you go with a more dry wine, you could match it with something less sweet on the chicken) but it’s a bit of a tradition at my house. And you can switch around the broccoli for some other vegetable, switch the chicken for another meat… really, a rather fluid dish. Oh, and mushrooms are a classic with this one, but mushrooms scare me, hence their absence… feel free to add them back in for your variations!

I proved quite fully with this dish that my sister and I sadly realllly can’t handle the slightest bit of spice. We had this conversation at dinner while eating this:

Sister: (fanning self slightly)

Boyfriend: (nomnomnomnom)

Me: Boyfriend, is this not spicy to you?

Boyfriend: Ahm… no? Should it be?

Sister: To me, on a scale of 1 to 10, this is a 7. Hot hot hot hot!

Boyfriend: To me this is… mmh.. maybe a .7, on that same scale.

So as you can see, to the average person (or perhaps to the usual spicily-tolerant Asian boy), this is not that spicy- in which case the title is inaccurate- but as it was spicy to me, I’m keeping the name. So stricken. :) It’s certainly a tasty dish, and quite healthy, at that.

Spicy Tomato & Cheese Whole Grain Penne Bake

Ingredients:

• 5 tiny sweet white onions
• 4 fresh cherry tomatoes
• 3/4 tsp minced garlic
• 2 tblspn soy butter
• 1/2 box whole grain penne
• 3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/8 tsp each of cayenne pepper, paprika, coriander, cumin, garlic powder
• 1 28-oz can of organic diced tomatoes in juice
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/3 cup shredded mozarella
• 2 chicken breasts, cleaned
• 1/3 cup dry cream sherry
• 1 tsp each of dried oregano, basil
• 1/2 cup grated Reggianito (Argentine Parmesan)
• sea salt & freshly-cracked black pepper

Process:

1. Dice onion fairly finely and place in sautee pan with 1 tblspn soy butter, garlic, and sprinkling of salt and pepper
2. Once it begins to bubble and brown, add in the spices (red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, paprika, coriander, cumin, garlic powder) and continue mixing until red/golden in colour
3. Add in the entire can of diced tomatoes and their juice, and the lemon juice and put on medium low heat; stir occasionaly, allow to bubble and thicken
4. Heat water to boil and cook penne according to your preference or box instructions (I like it a bit al dente, with salt and olive oil to prevent sticking). Rinse lightly, then pour into a greased deep baking dish.
5. Place the cherry tomato slices over the pasta (see picture) along with half of the cheese, and drizzle lightly with olive oil (optional)
6. Pour thickened tomato sauce over the tomato slices and pasta, and smooth out to where it’s evenly laid. Sprinkle on a bit more cheese.
7. Preheat oven to 355 degrees F.
8. Sautee 1 more tblspn of soy butter with a spinkle of salt and pepper until bubbling; then add in the chicken breasts. Sear on both sides until no more ‘pink flesh’ is visible- then add in the sherry and reduce to a caramel-y sauce. Glaze the chicken with this and remove onto a cutting board.
9. Cut the chicken into large cubes, then put back into the sautee pan (hope you didn’t clean it, you want that fond de sauce in there!) and continue to sautee for 2-3 minutes until browned on all sides.
10. Sprinkle the herbs onto the top of the tomato sauce mixture, evenly spread about the dish.
11. Remove the chicken from pan and place evenly on top of tomato sauce/herbs/cheese.
12. Grate the Reggianito on top, sprinkle with a bit more salt and pepper, and place in oven for 20 minutes approximately, until the cheese is melted and golden.
13. Allow to cool slightly, then serve warm (may fall apart- be wary and be ready to catch falling pieces)

If you can handle spice, then up the spiciness by adding more cayenne and red pepper flakes. But if you’re a spice wimp, like me, then you needn’t add more, this is already plenty :).

This recipe is one perfected under my mother’s wing. She is an expert at herb-baked vegetables. Tomatoes, carrots, and zucchini are her most oft-baked ones, though at times another variant can be seen at the dinner table. This dish utilizes the strength of tomato to intensify flavour and make for a fun way to make tomato pasta without the usual pastasauce standby. It’s a convenient do-ahead-er and can be eaten cold out of the fridge (though I find it far better when warm!)

Herb-Baked Tomato Trottole

Ingredients:

• 4 large vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced into 1/3-inch slices
• 1/2 box trottole pasta
• 1/4 – 1/3 cup herbs de provence (or mix of dried basil, oregano, parsley)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan or gruyere cheese
• sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper

Process:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
2. Arrange tomato slices on a baking sheet flat and touching, with little space in between tomato slices. If any pulp falls outside of the slices, place back inside so that no pulp is outward-facing
3. Sprinkle herbs evenly over all tomatoes- feel free to add more herbs if you so desire! They’re fantastic, what’s not to like? Then sprinkle on salt and pepper.
4. Drizzle olive oil over the tomatoes evenly
5. Place baking sheet in oven (top rack) and immediately bring temperature down to 360 degrees F. Put on a timer for 20 minutes.
6. Boil water (quantity as directed on pasta box) with a pinch of salt and 1 tsp olive oil (to prevent sticking) for pasta
7. Once boiling, cook pasta as directed on package (I like mine to be a bit al dente, like the Italians). Set aside 1/4 cup of the pasta water, then drain pasta, rinse lightly, and place in a large bowl.
8. Check tomatoes. If the edges look crisp and darkened, remove from oven. If not, keep baking for another 5-10 minutes as necessary until edges become crispy.
9. Scoop baked tomatoes onto the pasta and toss. Sprinkle with cheese and season as needed, and voila! Simple, delicious pasta. Just don’t forget to turn off the oven :)

Yes, it’s very simple. But yes, it’s surpirisingly flavourful considering the few ingredients used. And you can substitute any kind of pasta for the trottole- I just happened to find the shape very amusing, and they were on sale. I’d suggest penne or rotini as the best alternatives, but try whatever you like!

Pasta primavera… a favourite dish for spring. Amusedly enough, when I was cooking this, there was torrential downpour outside, the windows both whitened with the sheets of rain and blackened with the brooding clouds looming overhead. But I was thinking of bright colours, crisp vegetables, and aromatic herbs, and so came about this take on primavera: hot, steaming, colourful, and with a touch of sweetness. It’s not your traditional recipe for it, but it’s certainly very delicious :)

Cream Sherry Chicken Pasta Primavera

Ingredients:

• 1/2 box dry whole wheat fusilli or other short pasta (penne, farfalle, etc)
• Approx 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2-3 large heads of broccoli
• Approx. 10-12 fresh campari or small roma tomatoes
• 1 cup cream sherry (dessert, dry)
• 1/2 cup minced spinach leaves
• 1/3 cup minced fresh curly-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon soy butter
• 2 medium-sized chicken breasts, cleaned
• Approx 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Process:

1. Set water on to boil for pasta- add water amount as directed on box, adding in large-grain sea salt (pinch) and a drew drops of olive oil so pasta won’t stick
2. Cut broccoli crowns into small florets and pile onto a microwaveable plate
3. Dampen a large paper towel with hot water, squeeze out excess, and place over broccoli plate so that the edges wrap around the bottom and all sides are well-covered.
4. Microwave for approx. 4 minutes; lift paper towel to check cookedness. If steam is rising and the broccoli is a very bright green, then simply leave in microwave to continue lightly steaming- if not, microwave for another 30 seconds to 1 minute until optimally green.
5. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the parsley, spinach, a large pinch of salt and pepper into a mixing bowl; stir together
6. Halve or quarter (depending on your preference and tomato size) tomatoes and toss into mixing bowl.
7. Add in the broccoli; toss all in the oil and herb mixture
8. Drain the pasta and add to the mixing bowl
9. BEFORE tossing pasta, sprinkle on half of the parmesan cheese; let sit 1 minute, then toss (this way the pasta will absorb more of the cheese)
10. Heat the soy butter and a small drizzle of cream sherry in a sautee pan
11. Once bubbling, add in the chicken breasts and brown thoroughly on both sides
12. Once well-browned, add in a bit over half of the remaining sherry and cook on medium until the chicken is no longer squishy (press with tongs or a spoon to test, or simply cut open and then put cut-side down back into the pan)
13. Remove chicken from heat and palce onto a cutting board; spoon on the caramelized sauce it was cooking in. Cut into small chunks and add to the pasta.
14. Toss pasta; then drizzle in the remaining cream sherry, remaining olive oil, remaining cheese, and toss once more.

That’s a lot of tossing, I know :) but I like to have the sauce very evenly distributed. The real key to the flavours here is the cream sherry- it adds a bit of sweetness that’s cut by the nuttiness of the parmesan, making an excellent combination. This one is enjoyable hot as an entree or cold as a pasta salad.

I was rather stressed last Sunday and told myself, I’m in the mood for comfort food today. For me, my favourite comfort foods are cappelini caprese and caprese salad- syrup-y aged balsamic, fresh buffalo mozarella, juicy cherry tomato halves… I happened to have found some fresh cappelini on sale (fresh pasta is like a different world, and such a lovely way to brighten a pasta dish) and was determined to get this one right, as my last attempt was good, but subpar. The pasta was too thick, the mozarella wasn’t truly fresh, I added pasta sauce- which really took away from the flavours…

So I decided to go for Italian comfort and make this happy dish. I lacked two essential ingredients: shallots and fresh basil. Despite this, I decided to make the dish anyway- hence a simple cappelini dish! This one is a make-on-the-go recipe that takes about 15 minutes at most- fresh pasta cooks in 2-3 minutes!

Simple Cappelini Caprese

Ingredients:

• One package (the more pasta you add, the less tomato/mozz per oz of pasta you get- this ratio is up to you!) fresh (really, it has to be fresh to work- you’ll find it in the refrigerated (not frozen) section of the grocery store) cappelini pasta (be wary of those marked ‘angel hair’- make sure it’s really thin. Also, whole wheat is naturally better, if you can find it!
• One can of chunky tomatoes in their juice. I used Muir Glenn, and they’re delicious. The larger the tomato chunks in these, the better- whole or halved works best.
• Approx. a dozen fresh and ripe cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
• One large ball (again, this is up to your ratio) fresh mozzarella di buffula. You’ll know it’s the right kind if it looks soft and very squishy and is packaged in water/liquid. Only remove from the liquid shortly before it’s time to mix it into the pasta to ensure freshness.
• Approx. 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil- will be of highest quality if very dark green in colour and housed in a glass bottle in a cool, dark place.
• Sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper

Process:

1. Cook pasta as directed on package. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and a large spinkling of sea salt to the water right when you turn on the heat- this will help to keep the pasta to sticking once you place it in the boiling water. The fresh pasta should take 2-3 minutes to cook.
2. Chop the cherry tomatoes and open the can of tomatoes while the pasta is cooking, set aside.
3. Drain the pasta, but set aside 1/3 cup of the pasta water to use for later.
4. Place the pasta in a large mixing bowl. Place the cherry tomatoes on top, and pour in the can of tomatoes (feel free to only use half if you don’t want it to be as tomato-y). Make sure you’re pouring in the juices, as well!
5. Add in the remaining olive oil, a large pinch of salt and pepper, and toss thoroughly.
6. Remove the mozz from its liquid and very lightly rinse. Cut into large chunks- the size and shape don’t really matter- and toss into the pasta. You’re doing this last to ensure that the mozz won’t melt into the warm pasta- it’s best when lightly chilled and remaining squishy, not runny!

You’re now set to eat! If you have fresh basil, then after the mozz, toss in some fresh chopped basil on top. I’ve found the onions to really not be needed- the canned tomato juice has a flavour all on its own! But if you can’t live without, you can also find canned tomatoes with onion pieces already inside. It’s magical. This dish is incredibly simple, but really yummy and comforting for a chilly day. :)

Whole wheat pasta. Baked carrots and tomatoes. Herbs. Cheese. Sound familiar? It should.  It’s simply a slightly different variation of one of my pasta standby recipes. Whole wheat pasta- fussili this time, to switch things up a bit- 3/4 of a pound of sweet baby carrots, copious amounts of cheese, herbs, and olive oil, some tomato chunks, and we’re in business. Procedures- see recipe linked above for more detail:

Herbs de Provence Baked Carrot & Tomato Pasta

Ingredients:

1. Half-box of fussili whole grain pasta (or your choice of whole grain pasta)
2. 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
3. 3/4 pound to 1 pound sweet baby carrots, sliced in half lengthwise (hot-dog style, if you will)
4. handfull of cherry or roma tomatoes, diced into large chunks
5. 1 cup shredded mozarella, gruyere, etc- pick a good Italian or French cheese
6. 1/2 – 3.4 cup extra virgin olive oil
7. 1/3 cup herbs de Provence
8. 1 cup tomato-basil/oregano pasta sauce (make your own or get a store-bought) (or use pesto)
9. heavy sprinkling of seat salt & freshly-cracked pepper

Process:

• Preheat oven to 365 degrees F.
• Place carrots (cut) in tight rows on a baking sheet. The closer they are, the better- you don’t want to waste oil, cheese, or herbs that get lost between carrots.
• Sprinkle the herbs over all the carrots, making sure they’re well covered. You can go heavier or lighter on the herbs as desired, and don’t have to go with the Provence mix of herbs, either: any combination of the following works great: oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme, fines herbes, parsley, etc… just makes sure they’re dried, and try to crush them as you sprinkle them onto the carrots. This will release even more flavour. Fresh herbs would burn and dry out!
• Sprinkle on the cheese in the same manner, making sure it’s evenly coating the carrots. Feel free to take my family’s approach of over-cheesing :)
• Sprinkle on the salt, pepper- and any additional spices, should you want to add some
• Once you’re happy with all your other ingredients, add the olive oil last- this will stop the cheese from burning on top and will keep the carrots moist as they bake!
• Place the baking sheet in the top rack of the oven for about 10-15 minutes, until the cheese begins to brown/golden on top
• Then move the baking sheet to the bottom or middle rack and drop the temperature to 350 degrees, allowing the carrots to cook fully through but without applying as much heat to the cheese (so as to not burn and dry out)
• Once the carrots are cooked through (after another 10-15 minutes in the bottom rack), take the baking sheet out of the oven and set it aside for some cooling.
• While the carrots/tomato chunks are baking, prepare your fussili or other pasta (just a half box will give you 4-5 servings!) as designated on your pasta box. I’d suggest sprinkling in sea salt and a small dollop of olive oil into the water.
• Once the pasta is cooked to just being slightly al dente, drain out the water- but save a 1/2 cup of the pasta water and set aside for using later. Place the pasta into a large mixing bowl and add the parmesan and a quick sprinkle of salt and pepper. Toss thoroughly.
• Once the cheese is thoroughly tossed into the pasta, mix in the tomato sauce. If you revese this order, the pasta won’t stick to the cheese very well, and will be stuck within the sauce more than the pasta itself.
• Using a spatula or similar tool, break apart the carrots/tomato chunks- they will have stuck together- and then pour the pile of them into the pasta. Toss thoroughly again, and pour in a bit of the pasta water if things seem too sticky.

And you’re set! This is a healthy, hearty vegetarian dish that will turn any carrot-naysayer into a carrot-lover… guaranteed to work! Serve it warm for best results, but it’s nicely effective as a cold pasta salad as well for picnics and the like. My only warning there is to watch out for stains- the pasta sauce I used (O Organics) is quite hard to wash out, so if on a picnic, you may prefer to forgo the sauce. I do fairly often, and it’s very yummy, sauce or no- if you do forgo it, add a drizzle of olive oil at the end to give it a bit more moisture. Or, go more Italian and add in some pesto instead!

Penne in almond sauce. Giada, when you made it, it seemed so delicious. So creamy and thick and flavourful, just as you said. And yet… well.

So, I saw Giada make this pasta a few weeks ago, and thus decided I would make it. I picked up the ingredients, read through the instructions, and got started. Unfortunately, the results were not anything that my sister, the boyfriend, or I enjoyed. On the upside, the other two recipients of it greatly enjoyed it… so though I was initially inclined to put this one in the ‘accident’ category, I am unable to do so. The boyfriend suggests ‘partial success’… hmm.

Tips for following this recipe (linked above):

• I noted many a complaint regarding the grainy texture of the sauce on the comments at food network. To rectify this, I first put the almond slivers in a plastic ziploc, onto a wooden cutting board, and beat it with a rolling pin for 2-3 minutes. I then blended the crushed slivers until a meal formed. You can them pour the almond meal into the cream to start making the sauce, but blending them will curb the grainy texture.
• I overcooked the sauce and overtly reduced it. When hot, you really can’t see the effects of the reduction too much, but trust that it’s reducing. Mine ended up being so thick it just stuck to the pasta as a sort of coating- not a sauce. You can go over a bit in terms of time on the heat, but not too much- unless you’re interested in it not being remotely liquid.
• Probably due to my over-reducing, the almond taste intensified to a point that I wasn’t too fond of. Despite loving almonds, there was something about it that set me off. Then again, about half of the people who ate it loved it; about half didn’t care for it.
• Save some of the pasta water to add in afterwards- it’ll help in thinning out the sauce. I took this one for granted and assumed that in a cream sauce it would be unnecessary, but it really would have been very helpful.
• I used Kraft (the green can) parmesan for this as I knew it would take quite a bit of cheese and I wasn’t of a mind to use my good cheese for it. I think this, too, was a mistake- the Kraft cheese (which is not 100% natural parm, in many cases) has a very, very strong smell and taste… use domestic grated from a bulk section if you can, and if not, grate your own. This seems to be one of those cases where it really and truly makes a difference!

Clearly this one’s a hit and miss depending on your tastes. It could go well with other vegetables, too. The peas were very enjoyable, but broccoli or another green veggie could probably go nicely.

Unfortunately, I accidentally lost the pictures I had of this one when in production, so all I have are ‘finished product’ pictures… my apologies!

Mmmh, this one’s a winner. Fresh mozarella, gruyere, domestic parmesan, and parmigiano reggiano… cheese is a wonderful thing.

I’ll share a little secret with you: you can get anyone to like and eat carrots. It’s true, you really can! I’ve discovered a bit of a trick, and as per usual, it deals with the melding of sweet and salty. This dish is the perfect way to introduce some beta carotene into your diet through a yummy, yummy means.

When I’m cooking for more than 2-3 people I have a tendency to migrate towards pasta. It’s easily made in large quantities, is hearty (and you can use whole wheat!), keeps well for leftovers, and can be made in infinite variations. When it comes to meats, I’m too meticulous about cleaning the fat prior to cooking to really make it in bulk, so pasta is a happy alternative.

One of the best things about carrots is their meatiness. Even when cooked, carrots (particularly wide little ones like those I used) retain most of their size- which makes them perfect when cooking for people who secretly wish there were meat in the dish (the boyfriend). Here’s the trick to this dish:

• Cook pasta as directed/to your liking (wanting to be traditionally Italian, I made mine a bit al dente)
• Once you remove the pasta from the water and drain it, immediately pour it into a bowl with some sort of liquid (I had about a 1/4 of a cup of EVOO, some pre-grated domestic parm, and freshly-grated gruyere) and toss thoroughly. If you leave cooked pasta completely alone, it may get sticky (this happens less often with whole wheat pasta, but it’s always best to be safe and add a little moisture) Note that adding pasta water alone does not solve this, as the starch from the pasta is still floating in it- add a bit of something else as well!
• I chopped the cherry tomatoes into thirds and tossed them in without making any changes- I personally like their texture as-is. Feel free to cook them, but don’t bake them, it’ll make a mess of your cookie sheet.
• I added about half a container of O Organics tomato-basil pasta sauce. It’s delicious! Make sure you add this AFTER having thoroughly tossed the pasta with the cheese and oilive oil mixture. This way the cheese will fully stick to the pasta and will aid the pasta in sticking the sauce to itself, as opposed to having it swim in the sauce.

The carrots: this is so simple, yet so, so delicious! Slice the carrots in half (length-wise (see pictures below for the steps)) and arrange them as close as you can in rows in a cookie sheet (NOT a flat one without edges- make sure there’s a half-inch of depth to it at the least- a casserole or baking dish will work just as well for this). Once they’re well packed in, sprinkle on sea salt and pepper, and drizzle with EVOO. Now, take a large chunk of mozarella (I use Whole Foods low-moisture part-skim mozza loaf for this. You’ll want to experiment with different mozza’s and see what works best for you. This one is runny enough once hot to where it will well cover the carrots, but still browns very nicely.) and cut slices (about 1/8 of an inch thick) and arrange them over the carrot slices. You can leave some room in between the slices of cheese as it will expand upon melting. Then grate some gruyere onto it (you can forgo this, but to have the full four-cheese effect, go for it!) and sprinkle on some dried herbs (I chose oregano and basil). Put it in the oven for 20-25 minutes (until the mozza is browned, fully covering the carrots, and a bit bubbly- the carrots should look a little wrinkly as well) at 350 degrees.

Once the carrots are done, remove them from the oven, let cool 5 minutes, then break them apart and toss into the pasta. Grate some reggiano parm (imported) on top and you’re set! We were able to very comfortable feed five (with some taking seconds and thirds) and have enough for some leftovers as well.

Christine (one of our guests) doesn’t like carrots (or so her room-mate tells me)… but loves cheese. She enjoyed this so much that she picked all the carrot pieces left at the end and ate them :). That’s the power of this recipe! The carrots are naturally very sweet- so when coupled with a salty, nutty cheese, they become this salty-sweet delicious thing that you can’t get enough of.

Though that was a large number of steps described above, it’s a simple dish (I was able to complete both this and the dessert in an hour- and I’m slow!) which can, as well, easily be made in large batches. Try it and let me know how it works out for you!

Yesterday was Valentine’s Day- and usually the boyfriend and I do some walking or dancing, something simple. He’s not the surprising sort, so I was enthusiastically baffled when he presented me with the most beautiful bouquet of roses, lillies, and lavendar I had ever seen yesterday. It’s gargantuan- and it’s positively lovely :). To say thanks, I wanted to make a particularly enjoyable dinner for tonight. Upon asking what he would like, he mentioned that he had really enjoyed the tortelloni of a few weeks ago. My sister mentioned she had some leftover ravioli she wasn’t planning to have, and so came about the ravioli lasagna.

The contents are whole-wheat prosciutto-chicken ravioli; sauteed carrots, bell pepper, roasted garlic, and tomato in olive oil (cooked like this); and a thick layer of mozarella. Some corriander (I was looking for cardamum but settled happily on this one), large sea salt, freshly-cracked pepper, a drizzle of olive oil… it smelled fantastic, is oh-so-simple, and when plated prettily with some salad, is a sight to see.

Taking pasta- of any sort- adding sauteed vegetables, and baking it with a layer of cheese (of your choice) on top is, I guarantee, an easy way to add class to an already-delightful recipe. Which cheese do you find melts best? Whole Foods has a nice part-skim mozarella that slices nicely and browns perfectly on top.