Baked Penne with Cauliflower and Pancetta

I'm a sucker for melty, cheesy, toasty, crunchy, baked pasta. This penne dish with roasted cauliflower, heaps of fontina cheese, crisp pancetta and a savory creamy garlic tomato sauce checked all of those boxes for me. Perhaps not ideal nearing swim suit season (I keep reminding myself that it's rapidly approaching despite the recently chilly temps)- however the splurge was well worth it.

Serves 6 Ingredients:
- 1 pound of penne pasta
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 4-6 ounces of diced pancetta or bacon
- 1 to 1 1/2 jars of your favorite marinara sauce
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 4 large cloves of garlic, minced or grated
- 4 sprigs of fresh thyme (or half a teaspoon of dried)
- 1/3 cup freshly chopped parsley
- 2 cups of Italian Fontina cheese (could substitute mozzarella), grated
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Cut the cauliflower into florets- drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast on a baking sheet at 375 degrees for approximately 35 minutes (until tender and golden brown.) This can be done in advance.


Boil the pasta per package directions. After draining it- toss it back in the pot with a drizzle of olive oil to keep it from sticking together. Set aside. Pour cream into a large sauce pan over medium low-heat.

Add the grated garlic and simmer for 5 minutes or so until warm and fragrant. Don't let it boil. Add 1 to 1/2 jars of marinara to the saucepan and cook together for another 5 minutes until warmed through.



Toss the cauliflower and half of the cheeses (save the other half for the topping) into the pot with the cooked pasta.

**Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the sauce to serve alongside the past. Pour the remaining sauce over the pasta and then add the parsley and thyme. Toss together with a large spoon and then transfer to a buttered/sprayed baking dish. (roughly 9 x 13 in size). You could also freeze half of the pasta at this point as well if you're cooking for 2. (John and I ate left overs for days..)

Top the pasta with the remaining cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until melted and brown.

If making ahead of time, you can freeze or refrigerate the baking dish covered tightly with foil and plastic wrap. Bake covered with foil for an extra 15-20 minutes if its cold when it goes into the oven.

While the pasta bakes, cook the pancetta or bacon in a skillet over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil until crispy and brown. (About 4 minutes) Spoon the cooked bits onto a paper towel lined plate to drain. Serve the pasta with a spoonful of the extra sauce in the bowl and ateaspoon or so of the pancetta/bacon bits over the top.




By the way if you think you don't like cauliflower- you probably haven't tried it roasted versus the boring old boiled-to-death variety. It's truly delicious and adds the perfect element of toasty flavor and texture to the pasta. And don't skip the fresh parsley! You'll be glad its there.

Adapted from recipe found on foodandwine.com.

Bolognese Sauce

I know I've blogged about Bolognese before but I want to share this latest iteration because John and I believe that I have finally perfected it! John is an afficianado of Bolognese so this is quite a feat for me. This sauce is heavenly served with your favorite fresh or dried pasta and some good crusty bread.

Fresh Bolognese Sauce:
1/2 or 2/3 pound of sweet Italian Sausage
1/2 pound ground beef (we used Chuck)
1/2 of a large onion, diced
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups of fresh wild mushrooms, sliced (we used shitake, baby bellas would work too)
1/2 teaspoon of dried crushed rosemary
1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon of kosher salt and some black pepper
1/3 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 1/2 cups of jarred marinara or tomato sauce
1/4 cup of fresh parsley, chopped

Saute the onion in olive oil over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the sausage (remove from casing) and ground beef and brown over medium high heat, breaking apart with a spoon while it cooks. (I skimmed off some of the residual oil with a spoon as the meet cooked down to avoid a super oily sauce.) When the meat has almost browned all over, add the mushrooms- cooking for 3-4 minutes. Then add the garlic, dried herbs, peppers and salt- cooking for another 2-3 minutes.

Add the white wine to deglaze the brown bits from the pan- cooking until the liquid it is almost completely evaporated. Next add the stock, cooking 2 minutes before adding the tomato sauce or marinara. Turn the heat down to med-low/low and simmer for at least 15 minutes until everything comes together to a rich looking sauce.

I like an even consistency to my bolognese, so I use an immersion blender to break it down at the very end. I pulse the blender to avoid pureeing it, the goal being to blend the mushroom and meat bits together into a cohesive sauce. Stir the fresh parsley in at the very end to give it a freshness of flavor.

I've tried a dozen bolognese recipes and I'm pretty sure this one is the keeper! The beef is rich (I've actually swapped this out for ground turkey which I thought was great for a lower fat option), the sweet pork sausage adds depth of flavor with the flavors of fennel seed, and the mushrooms add an earthiness and lightness to the sauce.

This sauce was the PERFECT match for our homemade potato gnocchi!

Potato Gnocchi

John and I celebrated Valentine's Day together in the kitchen cooking dinner, with some music and a great bottle of wine... much more fun than fighting the crowds at the overpriced fix prix restaurants for sure. For a special occasion, we tend to start with the wine and work backwards to the menu. In this case it was Miner 's Gibson Ranch Sangiovese from California- one of my very favorites of all time. Its hard to find but I assure you worth the hunt (or the expense of having the good people of Miner Family Vineyards mail it to your doorstep.)

From the Sangiovese we arrived at pasta, specifically a rich bolognese, and we decided homemade potato gnocchi would make for a fun and interactive Valentine's Day project.

Potato Gnocchi (recipe courtesy of Michael Chiarello)

Serves 3-4 people

2 large russet potatoes
4 eggs yolks
1/2 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
1 cup of all purpose flour (a bit more for dusting)

Scrub and dry the potatoes. Pierce the potatoes to the center 6-8 times with a pairing knife and then bake at 350 degrees for one hour. When they are cool enough to handle, cut them in half and scoop the flesh out into a bowl. Press the potato through a ricer into another bowl. (If you don't have a ricer you can pick one up at Walmart or Target for $16-$18).

Measure two heaping cups of the riced potatoes (careful not to pack the potatoes down, you want them light and fluffy) onto a large board or clean countertop dusted lightly with flour. Mound the potatoes, forming a well in the center and then add the egg yolks, cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg to the center.


Mix the yolks into the potatoes using your fingers until everything is incorporated. Then sprinkle half a cup of the flour and press it into the potato mixture using your knuckles. Fold the dough over itself and press down again. Sprinkle more of the flour over the dough, folding and pressing until the dough looks cohesive. Resist the temptation to knead the dough like bread.

We didn't use the full cup of flour but if the dough gets too dry, you can add a splash of water. John halved the dough and rolled it into two long snake like ropes, about an inch thick.

He then cut the ropes into half inch pieces using a knife.

You could cook them just like this but rolling them down the tines of a fork gives them ridges that help the sauce hang onto the dumplings.

Once they were rolled, we placed the gnocchi in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with a clean kitchen towel. We dusted them lightly with flour to ensure that they didn't stick together. We let them rest and dry for 30 minutes before we boiled them. The gnocchi could also be frozen after a few hours of drying as well.

Fresh gnocchi cook up in no time so once we have everything else for the meal ready, we boiled them (in two batches) in a large pot of salted water for 3 minutes or until they floated to the top of the water. Give the water a strong stir before dumping the gnocchi in- the moving water keeps them from sinking into a pile at the bottom of the pot. You don't want them to stick together. As soon as they start floating to the top, I scooped them out with a strainer into a colander in the sink.

As soon as both batches had cooked, we poured all but 1/4 cup or so of the cooking water out. We then added the gnocchi back to the pot (with the remainign cooking liquid) and spooned in a few generous scoops of fresh sauce - tossing it gently together before serving. (Topped with fresh parmesan of course.)

Fresh gnocchi would be great with a simple marinara sauce, a pesto cream sauce, or maybe gorgonzola cream sauce. I think the ticket is to keep it simple so that you can really appreicate the pasta.

I tell you these gnocchi (prepared primarily by John while I was making the sauce) were delectable- light, fluffy and flavorful. Avoiding over handling the dough ensures they are tender and fishing them out of the cooking water the very second that they float to the surface prevents them from getting mushy. AND this bowl of pasta paired perfectly with our special bottle of wine. (As did the homemade chocolate pudding! Check back soon for that recipe!)

Stuffed Shells

When it comes to comfort food, one of the all time favorites in my family is Stuffed Shells. Where some Italian families specialize in spaghetti and meatballs, baked ziti, or lasagna- this is the Cobetto's go-to. Its perfect for a quiet Sunday dinner at home, or to feed a hungry crowd at a gathering. (Its vegetarian friendly too...) Ingredients: 1 package of large pasta shells 3-4 cups of your favorite jarred marinara or my "staple tomato sauce" *see recipe below 2 1/2 cups of ricotta cheese 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheeese 3/4 cup of frozen chopped spinach (thaw and squeeze dry with papertowels) 1/3 teaspoon nutmeg 2 eggs - lightly beaten 1-2 cups of shredded mozzarella for sprinkling over the top Cook the pasta per the package directions, minus 2 minutes of cook time. (They'll continue to soften when they bake so I air on the al dente side when boiling.) I drain the pasta and then run it under cool water in the strainer to stop the cooking process. I then immediately separate the shells and set them in the baking dish I'm going to use so that they don't stick together. Next I assemble the filling-combine the cheeses with the spinach and the eggs- season the mixture with kosher salt, black pepper and the nutmeg. Its important that you squeeze as much water out of the spinach as possible to keep the filling light and fluffy. Line the bottom of a large baking dish with a scant cup of the sauce and then begin stuffing the shells. Fill the shells with a heaping tablespoon (like one you'd eat with) of the cheese mixture. It should be peaking out but not overflowing.

Arrange the shells in a single layer and then spoon more of the sauce over the top. I don't cover them entirely, maybe a tablespoon of sauce over each shell. Top with some additional mozzarella and/or parmesan cheese and cover with foil. If you want to cook them right away, bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove the foil for the last 10-15 minutes or so to toast the cheese a little bit.

You can also keep store the unbaked shells in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours or in the freezer for up two months- (be sure you wrap well with plastic wrap and foil.) Add 15 minutes or so to the bake time if your shells are coming straight from the fridge. Another 15 minutes if frozen.

My Staple Tomato Sauce:

1 medium onion- finely diced (I pulse in the food processor)

3 large cloves of garlic- minced (or pulsed with onion in the processor)

2 teaspoons of dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2- large (28 oz) cans of diced tomatoes and the juices (I like the Red Gold Brand)

2/3 cup water

1 tablespoon of sugar

1/4 cup fresh basil, sliced

Sautee with the onion in 3-4 tablespoons of good olive oil for 4-5 minutes until soft but not brown. Add the garlic and dried herbs - cooking one minute more. Add the tomatoes, water and sugar and simmer over medium or medium low heat for 30-40 minutes. Finish with the basil at the very end. (This makes a chunkier sauce. If you prefer you can use one can diced tomatoes and one can of sauce or you can puree the sauce to the desired consistency before serving.)

*If I'm making my own sauce for the shell recipe, I would do that first or even a day or two before. I like to keep a batch on hand in the freezer as well.

(Mostly) Turkey Bolognese

John had the day off on Friday and because he is wonderful- he spent the majority of it cleaning/repairing/projecting around the house for me. I told him that I would prepare the dinner of his choice as a reward. He requested pappardelle bolognese and his mom's chocolate pie. (I made one big pie this time.) With the holidays rapidly approaching, I wanted to lighten it up a bit so I made my variation of Michael Chiarello's Chicken Bolognese recipe. I love his approach because the recipe comes together in 30 minutes or so (versus your simmered all day kind of sauce which is great too) and it has all the the flavor without all of the fat. Ingredients: 1 lb of ground turkey 0.5 lbs of Italian pork sausage (I used hot) 1 medium yellow onion (chopped) 4 large cloves of garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon of dried, crushed rosemary (or crush it with your hands) 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes (or to your taste) 1/3 cup of white wine 1 cup (a little more) of chicken stock roughly 2 cups of jarred marinara or tomato sauce (I use marinara if I have it) 1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley 1 pound of fresh or dried pasta (Per the recipe via the link above, definitely use the porcini mushrooms if you have them on hand- I didn't this time.) In a heavy bottomed pot or skillet, heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Sautee the onions 3-4 minutes or until almost tender. Next add the turkey and sausage (turn the heat up a bit to med-high) and cook until browned, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks. As soon as its browned all over, add the garlic and herbs and cook for one minute longer. Add the white wine and cook, stirring to scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan, until its almost entirely evaporated. Next goes the chicken stock and marinara/tomato sauce. Cook everything together over medium low heat for 10-15 minutes or until the flavors have come together. Use chicken stock to thin the sauce to the desired consistency. At this point, I use my immersion blender to break down the larger chunks of turkey and sausage a bit more. I just pulse it a few times. I like the sauce chunky but to have an even consistency. (You can also do this with a few pulses of the food processor if you don't have an immersion blender- or you can leave it as is if you like.) I wait to stir in the fresh parsley just before serving. I made fresh pappardelle pasta using the pasta machine John got me for Christmas last year (he claims I don't use it enough). Pappardelle are the widest of the pasta noodles to my knowledge, roughly an inch wide. Pappardele with bolognese was one of John's go-to orders when we were in Tuscany for our honeymoon 3.5 years ago. Something about the wide noodles scooping up the chunky sauce just works. Transfer the cooked pasta into the pot with the sauce as soon as the pasta is done cooking. Reserve a ladle or two of the pasta cooking water and use that to thin the sauce if necessary once the pasta has been tossed together with the sauce. (The noodles tend to soak up some of the liquid and you want to be sure you have a silky sauce versus a sticky one.) Serve with a generous sprinkling of grated parmesan cheese and a bit more parsley if you like. Confession.. I did not take any pictures (we were visiting and drinking wine with my parents while cooking and I forgot.) this picture was borrowed from the Internet but I assure you mine looked very similar except that I was less stingy with the cheese.)

Martha's Mac and Cheese

When it comes to classics like macaroni and cheese, Ms. Martha Stewart will not steer you wrong. You can guarantee that you won't get an abbreviated, low-cal, low-fat or monkeyed around with variation of the dish... you'll get the.real.thing. And boy did I ever with this mac and cheese recipe.

I will admit to you that twice before I attempted to make mac and cheese, both times failing miserably. I think I subconsciously told myself "surely skim milk or whole wheat pasta will do" or "we don't need quite that much cheese"... wrong. If you're going to do it- you must do it right. Martha's Macaroni and Cheese: (adapted from http://www.marthastewart.com/)

1 cup of panko bread crumbs 1 stick (8 tablespoons) of unsalted butter at room temperature 5 1/2 cups milk 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for water 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 5-6 dashes of hot sauce (I like Texas Pete) 4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar cheese 2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyère cheese 1 pound elbow macaroni *I promised you that I wouldn't monkey with this but I used panko instead of the cubed white bread Martha calls for. Also, while I used all six and a half cups of the cheese, I used a few different kinds based on what was in my refrigerator. It was some combination of sharp cheddar, gruyere and an Italian blend of cheeses. **NOTE: This recipe makes a BOAT LOAD of macaroni and cheese. From this one recipe, I was able to make one 9 x 13 baking dish full to take to a pot luck and a second smaller dish that I saved at home for dinner the next night. John and I could barely finish it.... 1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place the panko bread crumbs in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, melt 2 tablespoons butter in the microwave. Pour the melted butter into the panko, and toss. Set aside. 2. Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. (I actually boiled my pasta first and then used the same pot to make the cheese sauce.) When the butter bubbles, add the flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. 3. While whisking, slowly pour in the hot milk a little at a time to keep mixture smooth. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick, 8 to 12 minutes. 4. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyère (or 1 cup Pecorino Romano); set the cheese sauce aside. 5. Cover a large pot of salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook the macaroni until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir the macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce. 6. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyère (or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano), and the panko over the top. Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes.

Gnocchi Pomodoro (kind of)

John and I were brainstorming for a last minute dinner recipe the other night and we both landed on pasta. Though at first we agreed, John was feeling a hearty, sausage or meat red sauce while I was envisioning something light, fresh and summery. I found some gnocchi in the pantry and decided I could satisfy both parties with a Gnocchi Pomodoro with Sausage- almost like a deconstructed Bolognese. Though most might be skeptical about the idea of gnocchi from a box, I assure you that there are some great ones out there. (If you're not familiar, gnocchi is a bite-sized, Italian potato dumpling served like a pasta with some sort of sauce.) Delallo's brand Italian foods (pasta, jarred sauce, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, jarred roasted peppers, etc.) can be found in Krogers as well as Sam's Club, perhaps a few other groceries now as well. Believe it or not, Delallo's a family owned deli, bakery and Italian grocery up in Jeannette, Pennsylvania- the town over from Greensburg, PA where my Dad grew up. Second to spending time with my grandparents, a visit to Delallo's is always the highlight of our trip. This place is AMAZING I tell you. Mrs. Delallo is over 90 years old now I believe yet we see her behind the cheese counter every time we visit. They have an olive bar a mile long, every type of cured meat or fresh Italian cheese you can dream of, and a bakery that would make you think you'd died and gone to heaven. (Fresh Italian breads, some stuffed with pepperoni or roasted peppers, fresh filled cannolis, biscotti, and Amaretti cookies. The grocery section is brimming with high quality import items- olive oils, vinegars, jarred and canned vegetables, dried pastas, sardines, anchovies, etc.) Its a little slice of Italian heaven on Earth. I digress.. so the main takeaway here is look for Delallo's on your grocery's shelves- the gnocchi is amazing and could not be simpler to prepare. One box (this recipe) serves three generously, MAYBE four people but barely. The gnocchi cooks up very quickly-so you wait until you have everything else ready before you drop it in to boil it for 3 quick minutes. Stir the gnocchi into the boiling water to ensure the dumplings don't stick together. You MUST avoid overcooking it or it will become mushy. I drained it right away and then tossed back in the pot with a few spoonfulls of the sauce. The sauce that I prepared is a simple Pomodoro made with garden fresh summer tomatoes. I used the first few Roma tomatoes as well as a large handful of grape tomatoes fresh from my very own garden. I added one medium sized Better Boy tomato from my mother's garden as well. Simple Pomodoro Sauce: 3 tablespoons good quality olive oil 1/4 cup of diced onion 2 cloves of garlic, minced or grated 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 1/2 teaspoon died oregano 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar Approx 3 cups of roughly chopped fresh tomatoes of any variety salt and pepper I start the olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. I then sauteed the onion for 2 minutes until barely translucent. I then add rest of the ingredients through the vinegar and cook together, stirring, for 2 more minutes. I then add the tomatoes, season with a pinch of salt and pepper and let cook together over medium heat for 20 minutes or so until the flavors marry together and the sauce reduced slightly.

While the sauce was simmering, I quickly browned half a pound of sweet Italian sausage in skillet- crumbling it into bite sized pieces with the help of a wooden spoon. This is where the "bolognese" twist on the recipe comes in. I like a traditional Bolognese sauce but often times John and I prefer a homemade marinara or tomato sauce with some browned Italian sausage crumbled in instead. So when it was time to serve, I spooned some of the Italian sausage crumbles (drained on a paper towel first) into the bottom of a pasta dish. I then spooned some of the tomato sauce over and topped the sauce with a heap of the perfectly cooked gnocchi. Lastly I sprinkled some fresh parmesan (purchased during my last Delallo's visit) and sliced a few basil leaves over for some added flavor.

For my plate however I omitted the sausage and simply ladled the tomato sauce in the bottom of the dish under my gnocchi which I also dusted with cheese and basil. I think the presentation was fun and a little bit "Top Chef-esque" this way but you could also toss the gnocchi into the sauce before plating if you prefer. This is truly a great staple 30 minute dinner and worked out to be the perfect "his and hers" pasta recipe too.

Fettucine with Peas, Asparagus and Pancetta

The minute the May issue of Bon Appetit hit my front door step, I had a hankering for the cover recipe for Fettucine with Peas, Asparagus and Pancetta. Mind you mine wasn't nearly as beautifully plated or photographed, but it certainly was delicious.

Recipe from Bon Appetit magazine, also found on Epicurious.com: •12 ounces fettuccine or penne •3 ounces pancetta or bacon, chopped •1 1/4 pounds asparagus, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces •2 cups shelled fresh green peas, blanched 1 minute in boiling water, drained, or frozen peas (do not thaw) •1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced, white and pale green parts separated from dark green parts •2 garlic cloves, pressed •1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving •1/3 cup heavy whipping cream •3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil •3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice •1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel •1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided •1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil, divided *I also added two or three large handfuls of fresh baby spinach as well. Cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot. Meanwhile, cook pancetta in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 teaspoon drippings from skillet. Add asparagus to drippings in skillet; sauté 3 minutes. Add peas, green onions, and garlic; sauté until vegetables are just tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add vegetable mixture, 1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid, baby spinach, 1/2 cup Parmesan, cream, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon peel, half of parsley, and half of basil to pasta. Toss, adding more cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls if needed. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Transfer to large bowl. Sprinkle pancetta, remaining parsley, and basil over. Serve, passing additional Parmesan cheese. Though the sauce had some heavy cream it in, the acidity of the lemon and the freshness of the herbs really lightened up the flavors. Using the pasta cooking water is a great way to avoid using much cream to get a silky sauce.

I had thin pancetta slices from the deli counter. It still crisped up nicely however I would have preferred to have heartier pieces. If you can get a solid chunk that can be diced into cubes, you'd probably get more flavor and better texture.

Pasta Primavera with Cherry Tomato Pesto

Spring fever has officially hit the low country with temperatures in the high 70’s and now 80's this past week! The warm temperatures, longer days (and swim suit season right around the corner) I was craving some pasta with fresh spring vegetables or, Pasta Primavera - ironically, meaning "Spring Pasta" in Italian. There is not really an official recipe for this dish. I’ve made it a thousand times- a thousand different ways. I start with whatever looks fresh at the store or in some cases whatever I have in the fridge and it always comes out delicious. The very first thing was to start my pasta pot filled 2/3 of the way with water to boil. I leave the lid on and just let it boil away until I’m ready for it. (If it goes too long, you’ll need to add more water because it evaporates.) Next I prepped my fresh herbs and veggies: 1 bunch of asparagus- ends removed and sliced into 1 inch pieces 1 container of cherry/grape tomatoes- sliced into halves 3 small-medium yellow squash- sliced in half length-wise and then sliced 1 jar marinated artichoke hearts- roughly chopped 1 large shallot, thinly sliced 5 cloves of garlic, minced 1 cup fresh basil- sliced into chiffonade 1 handful fresh parsley- chopped In a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, I sautéed the asparagus and squash in a little bit of olive oil until crisp tender but cooked through. I then transferred them it to a dish and set aside. In the same skillet over medium high heat I added another three tablespoons of olive oil and three tablespoons of butter. As soon as the butter melted I added the shallot, garlic and cherry tomatoes and tossed it all together. I turned the heat down to medium and let it cook for 5-8 minutes until the tomatoes were melting into a sauce and the garlic and shallots had softened. I let this cool a quick minute while I added one box of whole wheat penne pasta to the boiling water along with a generous sprinkle of kosher salt. I set the timer one minute less than the package called for to ensure that the pasta cooked to perfectly al dente. Next I tossed the tomato mixture into the food processor along with ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese, 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, and my basil and parsley. I pulsed the blade until it was all blended together- resembling a pesto-like sauce. At this point my pasta was finished. I drained it and then added it back to the pasta pot- adding the asparagus, squash, marinated artichoke hearts and the tomato-pesto-sauce. I tossed it all together and served with some additional grated parmesan cheese along side. The sauce was much lighter than a traditional pesto but still very flavorful. The vinegar and the artichokes added a little zip to the whole thing. You could easily serve this at room temperature or even as a pasta salad. It would also be delicious with the addition of some grilled chicken or shrimp. It would serve 4-6 people as a main course however we enjoyed eating the leftovers too!

Quick Weeknight Spaghetti with Artichoke Hearts and Parmesan

We have had an action packed week of cleaning, packing...packing and more cleaning... Fortunately we're seeing the light at the end of the tunnel with our house hitting the market this weekend! We were certainly working up an appetite but didn't have much time for dinner prep nor did I want to make a big mess in the kitchen (because that would mean more cleaning...) This super easy spaghetti dinner was really delicious and I used only one pot, one cutting board, and one knife to prepare it. First I put the water on for the spaghetti- I cooked about half of a box for the two of us. I always cook it one minute less than the package directions for the perfect al dente texture. While the pasta was cooking, I minced two large cloves of garlic. On the same board I roughly chopped about half of a can of quartered artichoke hearts (not marinated). As soon as the pasta was finished, I drained it into a collander and into the same pot, turned down to medium heat, I drizzled about 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and added a small pat of butter as well for extra flavor. As soon as it was melted, I tossed the garlic and artichokes in at the same time and stirred to coat everything with the butter and oil. Next I added a scant teaspoon of an Italian spice mixture that we brought back from Italy. It has red pepper flakes and dried herbs-oregano, parsley, and basil, etc. A tiny pinch of each would do the trick plus some kosher salt and black pepper. I cooked the mixture until the artichokes were heated through and the garlic was fragrant- watching closely to be sure the garlic didn't get much color. I then added the pasta back to the pot and gave it all a toss together. I plated the pasta with a very generous dusting of freshly grated parmesan reggiano cheese and buon appetito!