STUFFED SHELLS

Adapted from Love and Lemons

Ingredients:

12 oz jumbo shells

24 oz jar of marinara sauce

16 oz ricotta cheese

¼ c grated pecorino cheese, grated

½ lb low moisture mozzarella cheese, grated and divided in half

¼ c sun dried tomatoes, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

10 oz frozen spinach, thawed, drained and chopped

Zest from 1 lemon

1 t pizza party seasoning

1 t oregano

¼ t salt

¼ t pepper

Chopped fresh parsley

Methodology:

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Cook the shells to al dente according to their package.  Drain and set aside on a baking sheet to cool. 

Spread half of the sauce in the bottom of a 9"x13" baking pan, and set aside, reserving remaining half of sauce in the jar.

Mix all remaining filling ingredients but the sauce, reserved mozzarella and parsley in a large bowl.  Stuff each shell with approximately 2 T filling,  using a small cookie scoop, and arrange in 5 rows of 5 atop the spread marinara sauce (filling in any gaps with extra shells).

Top with reserved sauce and mozzarella, cover with foil, and bake 25 minutes, or until sauce and cheese are bubbling.  Serve sprinkled with parsley. 

SAUCE MORNAY

For 8 oz pasta:

1 T butter

1 T flour

1/2 c milk

1 c grated cheese 

CAULIFLOWER AND PASTA CHEESE

Recipe adapted from Recipe Tin Eats

Ingredients:

8 oz cavatappi pasta, cooked al dente

1 head cauliflower, cut into medium florets, tossed in oil, and roasted at 430°F for 15 minutes

4 T unsalted butter

3 1/2 T flour

2 c milk

1/2 t salt

1 1/2 - 2 c (1/4 lb) aged gouda, grated

1 c cheddar, grated

Methodology:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

For the sauce Mornay: melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium low heat, add the flour, and whisk until the flour just begins to take on color, about 3 minutes.  Whisk in the milk and continue cooking until the sauce has thickened.  Mix the cheeses and add all but 1 c, whisking until they melt, and the sauce is smooth. 

Pour half the sauce into a medium bowl, and toss with the pasta.  Scrape into one half of a 9" square pan.  Toss the roasted cauliflower with the sauce remaining in the saucepan, and scrape into the other half of the square pan.  Top with remaining 1 c combined cheeses.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, cool for 10, and serve.

ORZO WITH GREENS AND LEMON

 Recipe from @recipesbyanne

4 servings.  I served this with pan-fried salmon.

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

250 g (~8 oz) orzo pasta

1 t better than bouillon, mixed in 400ml boiling water

1/2 lb snow pea tips (or 1 bunch asparagus, tough ends peeled, cut into 1" lengths)

Zest from 1 lemon

Juice from 1/2 lemon

1 t dried Italian herb mix (or 1/2 t each dried basil and thyme)

1/2 t salt and 1/4 t pepper, or to taste

Methodology:

Add the oil to a large pan over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are very soft and some are turning golden. 

Add the orzo and stir frequently, until most of the orzo is lightly toasted.

Add the bouillon water, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.  

Uncover, throw in the snow pea tips, and cover to cook 2-3 minutes. Stir, then cook until the orzo is done (it might already be done).

Once the orzo is cooked, toss in the zest, juice, herbs and salt and pepper, taste again, and serve!

N.B.: The original recipe includes 1 T butter and 50 g parmesan, to finish, but I found the dish flavorful and rich enough. 

BA'S BEST BOLOGNESE

From Bon Appetit's website, now behind a pay wall

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

3 T olive oil

1 lb ground beef, 20% fat

3 oz thinly sliced pancetta, finely chopped

1/3 c tomato paste

1 c white wine

2 c chicken stock

1 c milk

pinch of nutmeg

1 bay leaf

1 t fish sauce

fresh pasta, with some pasta water reserved

parmigiano to serve

Methodology:

Pulse onion, carrot and celery in food processor until very finely chopped.

Heat oil in large dutch oven over medium flame.  Break beef into 1 1/2"-2" chunks and lightly brown, stirring but not breaking apart, 6-8 minutes.  Remove from pot and reserve.

Add pancetta to pot and cook until fat has rendered and meat is crisp, 5-8 minutes.  Add onion mixture and cook until vegetables are very soft.  Add tomato paste and cook until it begins to darken and vegetables are beginning to stick.  

Add beef and wine, and cook, pressing down and smashing beef, until the wine has evaporated, and the meat is very finely ground. 

Add stock, milk, nutmeg, bay leaf and fish sauce.  Reduce heat to very low, so only a few bubbles are visible, and cook until beef is very tender, 2 - 2 1/2 hours.  Taste, and add more fish sauce if called for.  

Cook pasta as directed on package, and mix pasta, sauce, and a bit of pasta water to emulsify.  Add parm and serve with a big green salad.

SPAGHETTI CARBONARA

Serves 2

Ingredients:

7.6 oz dry spaghetti
5 slices bacon, sliced into 1/4" pieces
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 c grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
2 eggs, warmed in the shell in hot water
Freshly ground black pepper
Chile flakes, optional 


Methodology:

Cook the pasta until al dente, according to the package.

Meanwhile, gently fry the bacon over medium heat, tossing, until all pieces are crisped, and the fat has rendered.  Remove the bacon from pan using a slotted spoon, reserve.  Pour off all but 1 T of bacon grease from pan.  Return the pan to low heat and toast the garlic slices in the bacon grease until they are just golden.  Pour garlic and bacon grease into the bowl you intend to serve from.

Add grated cheese and eggs to serving bowl, whisk to combine into an emulsion.  Add reserved bacon pieces and many grindings of black pepper.

Drain pasta when ready, reserving 1 c of pasta cooking water.  Toss pasta immediately with egg mixture, tossing constantly until pasta is coated.  If mixture appears dry, add pasta water by the tablespoon until pasta appears coated in a thin layer of sauce. 

Top with additional grated cheese, black pepper and chile flakes, if desired.  Enjoy.

KIMCHI UDON

Modified, from Bon Appetit
Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

2 servings of dry udon noodles or 3/4lb fresh noodles, prepared according to instructions

2 T shallot oil
1 1/2 C finely chopped kimchi
1 T gochujang
1 C kimchi juice
1/2 t chicken better than bouillon
2 T butter

3 scallions, finely sliced on diagonal
Toasted sesame seeds
1 gently fried or poached egg per serving


Methodology:

Heat the shallot oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the kimchi and gochujang and cook, stirring, until the kimchi softens and the gochujang caramelizes a bit, about 4 minutes.  Add kimchi juice and better than bouillon and cook until reduced, about 3 minutes.

Add the drained noodles and the butter and toss until the sauce thickens and coats the noodles, about 2 minutes.

Serve, topped with scallions, sesame seeds and egg.

LATE WINTER / EARLY SPRING ORECCHIETTE

Ingredients:

6.5 oz. orecchiette pasta
7 cups of kale
8 asparagus spears

Sauce:
3 garlic confit cloves
3 pieces of shallot confit, chopped
4 oz. creme fraiche
4 oz. greek yogurt
2 t. Penzey's Fox Point seasoning
1/2 c. grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Salt and pepper to taste


Methodology:
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, and add pasta. 1 minute before the cooking time has elapsed, add the kale and asparagus to the pasta pot.  Cook for an additional 3 minutes, then drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

Meanwhile, heat the garlic confit in a large skillet and mash it with a fork.  Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and heat carefully, without allowing it to boil.  When pasta is drained, add it to the skillet and cook, mixing constantly, for 1 minute.  Top with grated cheese, taste for seasoning, and serve.