Posts Tagged ‘pasta’

This is my lazy way of sating my lasagna craving. I can rarely resist a cheesy-red sauce pasta desire but the idea of making a whole lasagna just for me made me groan in laziness, so I decided to take the easy way out. You still get the ricotta and parmesan flavors, the red sauce, the thick noodles, and there’s even the added health bonus of some chopped spinach, except it all comes together in about an hour.

Since the ingredients list is so small be sure to use the best of the best here. Freshly grated parm, quality ricotta, etc. I bought my marinara from a local gourmet grocer that does it fresh on site for their pizza making kits. Also, bee sure to season your cheese filling liberally – don’t be shy with the salt shaker!

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I have a simple philosophy. Almost any vegetable side dish can be turned into an entrée simply by tossing it with pasta and this dish definitely proves it and then some.

Cauliflower is one of those vegetables that isn’t the best thing raw, but can be exponentially improved by roasting which brings out all sorts of awesome caramelization flavors and textures. Tossed with tons of roasted garlic and bright lemon juice, this is a delicious side-turned-entrée no doubt, and thankfully one of those things that could easily be served winter, spring, summer or fall.

Update: Just wanted to say a big “Thank you!” to Fine Cooking magazine for featuring this post in their Best of the Blogs. Thanks again!

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I know, I know, my last update was a slow cooker dish too, but I just had to make something in my crock pot again because look what I got on Friday:

We had our annual prop sale in the test kitchen / studio and tons of wares sent to us from companies and retailers (to test) all went on sale for crazy cheap prices. I got this $65 crockpot for $20 and frankly it looks like a rocketship compared to my old one. And when Pam was giving out packages of short ribs she ended up not using, I snatched up a couple pounds and knew immediately what I’d be doing with them this weekend.

I’ve had this dish bookmarked since right before summer started and finally felt like it was the right time (aka 60° and cloudy) to make them. Braised short ribs are something I’ve lovingly talked about before, and this is a fun Vietnamese twist on the flavors. These short ribs are unbelievably hearty and rich and have a nice subtle flavor from the ginger. The refreshing rice noodles served alongside (or under) help cut the richness of the beef, which may sound like heresy, but once you taste it, you’ll be on board.

Happy Birthday, to me!

Well, yesterday at least.

As much as I adore going out to eat (which I did plenty of during my little vacation home), cooking one of my favorite things for my own birthday sounded just as satisfying, so that’s exactly what I did. Few things please me more than big ol’ bowl of pasta with really really good sauce, and that’s what this is.  One of the best damn bolognese I’ve ever tasted (if I do say so myself).

This sauce is called Sunday Bolognese because it’s an all day, hover-over-your-stove affair. Once you kick things into gear, you better be ready to stir the sauce every 20 minutes for over 3 hours, and that doesn’t include the 90 minutes of prep and pre-cooking before that. To some, that’s a horrible way to spend your birthday. To me, it was perfect. I coddled and loved this sauce into perfection, and was so proud to present it in front of 6 guests at a lovely dinner outside on our patio, it was like a birthday gift to myself. Thick and velvety and just so layered with flavor and texture,  it’s just damn good.

Serve it with some great garlic bread and if you’re really lucky, finish with some fabulous birthday hummingbird cake. (I was very, very lucky).