Ina's Weeknight Bolognese

I have to confess:  Ina is my new best friend, or obsession, whatever you want to call it.  I love Ina Garten and can read her cookbooks like novels.  Her beautiful pictures.  Her comments about each recipe.  In the last year, I have read 4 and am already stalking the next one(s!) I want!  I have tried a handful of recipes from each book, and she has never disappointed.  So, I shall share a few from my recent Ina-adventures; this being the first.

A friend who enjoys cooking almost as much as me said this is one of her and her husband's favorites.  A good bowl of spaghetti is always comforting.  But, this according to my friend, "is as close to a bowl of pasta from Italy as I have tasted since Italy."  That review of an Ina recipe was all the reason I needed to try this one!   And now I recommend it to you!  (from Ina Garten's How Easy Is That? cookbook)

- 2 tbsp olive oil

- 1 lb lean ground sirloin

- 4 tsp minced garlic (4 cloves)

- 1 tbsp dried oregano

- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

- 1 1/4 cups dry red wine, divided

- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

- 2 tbsp tomato paste

- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

- 3/4 lb dried pasta, such as orecchiette or small shells

- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, lightly packed

- 1/4 cup heavy cream

- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large (12 in) skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the ground sirloin and cook, crumbling the meat with wooden spoon, for 5-7 minutes, until the meat has lost its pink color and has started to brown.  Stir in the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 more minute.  Pour 1 cup of the wine into the skillet and stir to scrape any browned bits.  Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 tbsp salt, and 1 1/2 tsp pepper, stirring until combined.  Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a tbsp of salt, a splash of oil, and the pasta, and cook according to the directions on the box.

While the pasta cooks, finish the sauce.  Add the nutmeg, basil, cream, and the remaining 1/4 cup wine to the sauce and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened.  When the pasta is cooked, drain and pour into a large serving bowl.  Add the sauce and 1/2 cup Parmesan and toss well.  Serve hot with Parmesan on the side.

Wonderful!  Absolutely wonderful!  

   It serves as a great change from the American spaghetti supper, not to replace but adds to the meal rotation in a deliciously Italian way.  Double and freeze half for later.  You'll not be sorry!

Pasta with Peanut Sauce and Chicken

Asian.  Pasta.  Better the next day.  Good cold or hot.  Take out made at home.  

I am absolutely still on my Asian kick.  My pantry is expanding toward Asian; my house eats something Asian-inspired at least once a week these days.  Such a good buck-stretcher, left-over user, and crowd pleaser at this house.  

This one absolute fits all that.  Everyone enjoys it!  Comes mostly from the pantry, yes please!  And it tastes like Friday night take out, just made at home.  I am a sucker for this type recipe.  This comes from a friend (the same friend who shared "Citrus Chicken," a few posts ago); I love recipes from friends!  

- 12 oz linguine 

- 1 cup chicken broth

- 6 tbsp rice vinegar

- 4 tbsp soy sauce

- 4 tbsp peanut butter

- 1.5 tbsp minced garlic, about 4 cloves

- 1 tsp ground ginger

- 1 tsp crushed red pepper (or less/more to taste)

- 2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed or shredded

- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

- 1/4 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts

Cook the pasta according to package directions.  Drain and keep warm.

While pasta cooks, combine broth and next 6 ingredients in a small sauce pan.  Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a simmer, stirring occasionally.

Add the broth mixture to the warm pasta; stir well.  Add chicken and cilantro; toss gently.  Sprinkle with peanuts.  Allow pasta to sit a few minutes to absorb sauce.  Serve and enjoy!!

Truly perfect for a take-out mood!

Southwest Chicken Pasta

This is probably my favorite mac 'n cheese!

- 1 lb penne or corkscrew pasta

- 2 tbsp vegetable oil

- 4 6oz boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces

- 1 tbsp ground cumin

- 1 tbsp ground coriander

- 2 tbsp chili powder

- salt and pepper

- 1 large yellow onion, chopped

- 3 garlic cloves, chopped

- 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

- 2 tbsp unsalted butter

- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour

- 2 cups milk

- 3/4 lb sharp yellow Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 1/2 cups)

- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

- 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Salt the boiling water and cook teh pasta until slightly undercooked.

While the water is coming up to a boil, preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat with the vegetable oil.  Season the chicken with cumin, coriander, chili powder, salt and pepper.  Add the seasoned chicken to the hot skillet and cook until lightly brown, about 4-5 minutes.  Add the onions, garlic, and jalapenos and continue to cook for 5 minutes.  While the chicken is cooking with the onions, make the cheddar sauce.

In a medium sauce pot, melt the butter and add the flour to it.  Cook for 1 to 2 minutes over moderate heat, then whisk in the milk.  When the milk comes to a bubble, stir in the cheese, cilantro, and parsley with a wooden spoon.  Season with a little salt and pepper and remove the cheese sauce from the heat.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it back into the large pot, add the contents of the chicken skillet and all of the Cheddar sauce, and stir to combine.  Transfer to a baking dish and place the broiler to lightly brown.

This is so yummy!!

I had some manchego cheese leftover from a different dish the other day.  I used the manchego cheese and added a chile in adobo sauce.  This became a wonderful adult mac 'n cheese!  As is, the recipe is southwest flavored, but no real "spicy" to it.  A great family mac 'n cheese!

Random trivia:  this is the first Rachael Ray recipe I remember making after Will and I got married, about 3 months in.  I tried to cook like her with all my pots going at the same time.  I accidentally turned on the wrong burner.  I scorched one of our new pots so badly I had to send it back to the company to see if they could fix it.  When they couldn't, they sent me a new pot!

Classic Marinara

I have posted lots of marinara sauces on here.  But, I feel like they each offer something different.  This one is super tasty, a true classic marinara.  Not spicy, not loaded with veggies, not new and improved, just truly a  classic marinara sauce.  The best offering, though, is that it is EASY!  

- 2 (32 oz) cans crushed tomatoes   I used Dei Frateli brand.  They are so tasty, and the ingredient list is one that you know all the words. 

- 2 garlic cloves

- 1 onion, peeled and left whole

- 2 stalks of celery , cut in half

- 2 carrots, peeled and cut in half

- 1/2 tsp kosher salt

- 1/2 tsp black pepper

- 2 dried bay leaves

- 2 to 3 tbsp butter at room temperature

- 5 fresh basil leaves  (I didn't have this, still yummy, but imagine would be a great addition)

In a large pot, add the crushed tomatoes, garlic, onion, celery, carrots, salt, pepper, and bay leaves.  Simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens, about one hour.  Remove and discard the garlic, onion, celery, carrots, and bay leaves.  Turn off the heat; add the butter and fresh basil leaves.  

If you like a more fine texture, puree in batches.  The sauce can be made one day ahead (also freezes well!). 

Thanks to Giada for another super yummy and easy marinara!  This is super versatile.  We had one evening as part of a veggie evening (angel hair and marinara with roasted broccoli and carrots), and then we had a different evening (half that had been frozen from this batch) with eggplant parmesan.  Definitely a great one when you need something easy and hands-off.

Italian Chicken and Couscous

This dish used to be a staple in my supper rotation. It's been a little while since I made it, but a great friend ("the roommate") asked for the recipe and now I think I need to make it again soon! It makes a great main dish or a great side if you minus the meat. Add a salad or a green vegetable and you have your meal!

- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 can stewed tomatoes, drained, with 1/2 cup of the liquid reserved
- 1 lb chicken, cut into strips
- 1 med onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
- 1 1/2 tsp fresh or 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 med zucchini, sliced (I like using both squash and zucchini for color)
- 1/2 pkg (10 oz size) couscous (3/4 cup)

Heat oil in 10-in skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic in oil 1 minute, stirring frequently.

Stir in reserved tomato liquid, chicken, onion, oregano, and pepper. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink in center.

Stir in broth; heat to boiling. Stir in zucchini, couscous, and tomatoes, breaking up tomatoes with a fork or snipping with kitchen scissors. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand about 5 minutes or until couscous is tender and liquid is absorbed.

So yummy!
This is taken from Betty Crocker's Cookbook (The Big Red Cookbook from Betty Crocker). This cookbook was a gift from my mom when I moved out on my own for the first time. She said every new cook needs a cookbook with all the basics like this one. This one has served me quite well; my roommate and I tried out more than a few of these recipes in our first months/years on our own. Thanks mom!... and Betty!

Eggplant Parmesan Lasagna

Wanting eggplant, loving the last dish I made, putting any nesting energy I have into cooking, ... this dish is what I came up with. It was good!

- 8-12 thin slices of eggplant
- flour
- 2 eggs
- Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

- ~half box of pasta, cooked to al dente, 1-2 minutes less than pkg directions (optional. I didn't have any meat for this dish, so I wanted to add a little pasta to add to the heartiness factor.)

- half to full jar of favorite marinara sauce (we are spicy marinara people here!)

- 1 1/2 tbsp of butter
- 1 rounded tbsp of flour
- 1 cup milk
- salt, pepper, a pinch of nutmeg

- mushrooms
- 1-2 tbsp butter

- 2/3 - 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, or other Italian cheeses

Add a couple tablespoons of olive oil to a saute pan on medium heat. Dredge eggplant slices in flour, then egg, and then breadcrumbs. Saute slices in pan until browned, approx 2-3 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, cook pasta. Heat marinara on low heat.

When finished with eggplant, saute mushrooms in pan with butter.

In last pan, melt butter. Whisk in the flour, then the milk. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. If desired, stir in some of the shredded cheese.
Build the lasagna. First, half of the eggplant slices. Half marinara sauce, half mushrooms, half pasta, half bechamel sauce, and then top with a little cheese. Repeat layers, ending with enough cheese to top.

So tasty!! Worth the effort, especially if you love eggplant parmesan the way I do!

Vegetarian Lasagna Casserole

This dish was wonderful, probably one of my favorite own-creation recipes! Will's comment was, "This is restaurant-quality. I would order this again when I came back to the restaurant." Will loves my cooking, but this was higher than normal praise! Enough humble commentary, on to the recipe:

I love watching cooking shows, so that I can drool and wish I had more culinary skills and learn as much as I can from them. Yesterday I watched Rachael Ray's show, her Best Recipes of 2011. There were two different lasagna or lasagna-type recipes. This recipe is those two combined with some tweaks of my own. Definitely try it!

- 1/2 box of favorite pasta, cooked about 1-2 minutes less than package directions

- 2 portabella mushroom caps, diced
- about 1/3 - 1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed
- 1/2 jar of favorite marinara sauce (we are currently in love with Harris Teeter's arrabiata sauce; it's quite spicy and rich in flavor); your favorite homemade [spicy] marinara would also be yummy here
- few splashes of broth (I used beef broth) for thinning

for Bechamel Sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp butter
- 1 rounded tbsp flour
- 1 cup milk
- salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg

- 1/2 to 2/3 cups shredded Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta.

At the same time, saute the diced portabella mushroom until tender. Add the thawed spinach to the pan. Stir until well mixed.

Add the spicy (or favorite) marinara sauce. Add a few splashes of broth to thin (if needed). Allow to simmer.

In a separate pan, make the bechamel sauce. Melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, then the milk, and let thicken enough to coat a spoon. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.


Toss the pasta with the mushroom sauce and then arrange in a (9x9) casserole dish. Pour the bechamel sauce over the top in an even layer. Top with parmesan cheese. Broil in the oven to brown the top.

Enjoy!This would be an easy one to double for a 9x13 or to freeze half and eat half. You could really play with the flavor by choosing any sauce. I really liked the bechamel combined with a spicy marinara, because it made it into a creamy spicy marinara. So yummy! This would make a good side dish. Or, a good vegeterian night with some roasted broccoli on the side or a salad starter.

Basic Marinara Sauce

This is a basic, simple marinara sauce. It is very versatile. I have used it over spaghetti, as well as in lasagna and the braciola recipe above. Truly yummy! and worth the bit of extra time to make your own marinara!

- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 small onions, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt, more to taste
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, more to taste
- 2 (32 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
- 2 dried bay leaves

Heat the oil over a medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper to taste. (Sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.)

Admittedly, if I use this as my sauce over spaghetti, I like to puree it in a blender. I love the flavor of the carrots and other vegetables, but not biting into them as much.
found in Giada de Laurentiis's everyday italian.

Spaghetti Squash

I have wanted to try making spaghetti squash for a long time. I finally got enough inspiration to try it! It is as easy as it is tasty!

Split open spaghetti squash. Scoop out seeds. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake in a 425 oven for 45 min to one hour, until squash is tender enough to shred with a fork. It really is so cool to watch a really big squash turn into spaghetti!

I made a whatever-I-have-in-my-pantry marinara sauce. Diced onions, fresh mushrooms, and diced tomatoes. I think next time I would pair a sausage and marinara, or a spicy marinara. The squash is slightly sweet, so salty sausage or spicy would be a good complement.

Let me know if you have the perfect spaghetti squash marinara!

Smoky Roasted Eggplant Pasta

This is soooo good! I served this for a friend's birthday, over wheat pasta with an italian breaded chicken. It was the healthiest chicken parm ever! This pasta could be served with or without the protien. And, the bonus, Anna-Kate loved it!

- 1 medium firm eggplant, halved lengthwise
- 1 head garlic (I didn't have fresh garlic so just seasoned the egglant with garlic powder)
- 2 red bell peppers, roast yourself or use store-bought roasted red peppers
- (28 oz) fire-roasted tomatoes
- pasta of choice

Preheat oven to 425.

Drizzle eggplant with evoo. Season with salt, pepper, oregano. Place face down on baking sheet. Cut ends off garlic to expose cloves. Drizzle with evoo, season with salt and pepper. Wrap in foil and place beside eggplant. Bake for 40-45 minutes

Bring pot of water to boil, with salt in the water. Cook the pasta 10-12 minutes, to al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the starchy water.

Scoop egglant flesh from the skin, adding to a food processor (blender). Add roasted peppers, garlic. Puree.

Heat tomatoes in sauce pan over medium high heat. Crush tomatoes with potato masher. Stir in vegetable puree and starchy reserved water. Heat through. Toss with pasta and serve!

So healthy and so yummy! Thanks Rachael Ray!

Spicy Marinara Sauce

This is so easy and so delicious, better than anything store bought!!

- 3 tbsp EVOO
- 1 small onion, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup pitted black olives (optional - I don't use), coarsely chopped
- 2 tbsp drained capers, rinsed
- 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- generous pinch of dried crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed Italian tomatoes

In a large skillet, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. When almost smoking, add the onion and garlic and saute for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the (olives), capers, 1/2 tsp salt and red pepper flakes, and saute for one minute. Add the tomatoes and simmer until reduced slightly, about 20 minutes. Season the sauce with more salt to taste. (The sauce can be made one day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.)

I use mushrooms instead of olives.
I like using this in a lasagna with hamburger meat and pepperoni.

from Giada de Laurentiis everyday italian