Fusilli alla Vodka with Basil, Parmesan and Garlic Breadcrumbs

We just discovered the deliciousness that is pasta in vodka sauce. I’ve seen it on restaurant menus, but finally got the itch to make it after two of my favorite food bloggers and recipe creators posted their versions recently, Sarah Nasello and The Smitten Kitchen.

Most of the versions I’ve seen are vegetarian, but a couple, like Sarah’s, add a small amount of pancetta, which must add a lovely flavor. And all the recipes included heavy cream. Because I eat vegetarian, obviously, the pancetta was out, and, also, because I try to eat heart healthy as often as possible, I wanted to omit the saturated fat laden cream.

I have found an amazing substitute for heavy cream and it’s super simple. Raw cashews soaked in water overnight, then drained and blended at high speed with water and a pinch of salt. There you have it, plant-based cream with no unnatural ingredients, using nuts that are vitamin and mineral rich, and most importantly, make a rich and satisfying replacement.

And what does the vodka add to the dish? It’s hard to put my finger on it, but according to the food lab folks at Serious Eats, “Vodka does alter the flavor of the sauce in a pleasing way. It adds a touch of heat and a bit of a sharp bite that help balance out the sweetness of the tomatoes and the cream. Is it absolutely necessary? No, but vodka sauce just wouldn’t be, well, vodka sauce without it.”

Often made with penne, or, like the Smitten Kitchen’s, with rigatoni, I used fusilli, because that’s what I had on hand. Any of the three will work equally well.

To add texture, I sprinkled the finished dish with crunchy, garlicky breadcrumbs, along with fresh basil and additional parmesan. It all came together as a wonderful full meal, with the only drawback being there were no leftovers. Enjoy!

Fusilli alla Vodka

• Servings: 2-4
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Adapted from this and this Bon Appetit recipe

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled and grated

¼ cup tomato paste

2 tablespoons vodka

½ cup cashew cream (recipe follows; it will probably make more than you need)

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

8 ounces fusilli pasta, preferably whole wheat (I used the Trader Joe’s Organic Whole Wheat Fusilli); penne or rotini would also work

½ ounce finely grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

1/8 cup chopped fresh basil

Garlicky Panko Breadcrumbs, for topping (recipe follows)

Heat 1 tablespoon butter and olive oil in large skillet over medium. Add shallots and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until paste is brick red and starts to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Add vodka and cook, stirring constantly, until liquid is evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add cashew cream and red pepper flakes and stir until well blended. Season with salt and pepper, to taste; remove from heat.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of well-salted boiling water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain, reserving ¾ cup pasta cooking liquid. Add pasta to skillet with sauce, along with remaining tablespoon butter and ¼ cup pasta cooking liquid. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly and adding more pasta cooking liquid, as needed, until butter has melted and a thick, glossy sauce has formed, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add ½ oz. parmesan, tossing to coat.

Divide pasta among bowls, topping with breadcrumbs, basil, and extra parmesan. Makes 2 generous servings as a main course, 4 as a side dish.

Cashew Cream

½ cup raw cashews

Water

Pinch of salt

Place cashews into a small bowl and cover with water. Let stand 8 hours or overnight. Drain cashews and place into a high-speed blender. Add 1/4- to 1/3 cup water. Blend about 2 minutes, stopping once to scrape down sides of blender. Check for thickness and add more water if necessary. You want this to be the thickness of heavy cream. Add a pinch of salt and blend another minute. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Garlicky Panko Breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon butter

1 large garlic clove, peeled and lightly smashed

½ cup panko breadcrumbs

Pinch of salt

Cook butter and garlic over medium-low heat, swirling until garlic is fragrant and foaming subsides, about 2 minutes. Add panko and stir to coat evenly. Cook, stirring often, until breadcrumbs are golden brown, about 4 minutes. Season with salt.

Spaghetti with Cauliflower Meat Sauce

A little over two years ago when I posted this Cauliflower Taco Meat recipe, I mentioned wanting to tweak it with Italian seasonings to be used in things like lasagna, spaghetti sauce, and stuffed peppers. Well, it took me two years and several versions, but it’s finally exactly what I wanted it to be.

This hearty, meaty spaghetti sauce of my dreams will now be in regular rotation in our kitchen. Versatile cauliflower, along with meaty portabellas and healthy omega-3 fat-packed walnuts comes together with herbs and a rich red sauce to create a spaghetti dish I’m confident could hold its own in a cook-off against one made with ground beef.

You could use your favorite red sauce recipe, jarred marinara, or the quick homemade version I included that’s pulled from the headnotes of the Smitten Kitchen’s Stuffed Eggplant Parmesan, which sounds amazing in its own right.

Both the cauliflower meat and the sauce, if you’re making your own, can be done a day or two ahead, which would make this perfect for a weeknight.

To give it an extra dose of veggies, I sautéed some chopped onion and spinach from our garden with a little red wine before adding the sauce and meat. Feel free to leave that out if you’d like. Served over whole wheat spaghetti and topped with a little parmesan (omit for a vegan version) and fresh basil, you’ve got an amazing comfort food meal without the typical saturated fat and cholesterol. What could be better!?! Enjoy!

• Servings: 4
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Cauliflower Meat
3 cups cauliflower florets

1 ½ cups chopped cremini mushrooms

½ cup chopped walnuts

¼ cup tomato sauce

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon fennel seeds

½ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon dried marjoram

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet.

Place cauliflower, mushrooms, walnuts, tomato sauce, salt, fennel seeds, onion powder, marjoram, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor and pulse on and off until the texture of ground beef. I found it easier to get the right texture by doing this in two batches, half of each ingredient in each batch. The first time I made it I did it all at once and half of it was almost like a paste—still tasted great, but just not the right texture. Transfer mixture to the baking sheet and spread it out in an even layer.

Bake for 30 minutes, stirring once at the half-way point.

Spaghetti or marinara sauce–homemade, jarred, or this quick Smitten Kitchen recipe:
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pot over medium, add 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and a pinch or three of red pepper flakes, and a little dried oregano, if you wish. Cook for one minute. Add a 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (it will splatter, be careful) and stir (I used a can of whole San Marzano tomatoes and crushed them with a potato masher once in the pot). Cook at a simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until you get the saucy consistency you want. This yields 3 cups.

To bring it all together
8 oz. regular or whole wheat spaghetti

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

½ of a medium yellow onion, chopped

A couple handfuls of fresh spinach, chopped

A splash or two of red wine

Salt & pepper

Freshly grated parmesan cheese, optional

Torn fresh basil leaves for garnish

Place a big pot of well-salted water on the stove and bring to a boil. Cook spaghetti according to package instructions. Drain and return to pot to keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and sauté for several minutes until beginning to soften. Increase heat to medium-high and add spinach and red wine, plus a little salt & pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach has wilted and wine has mostly cooked off.

Turn heat back down to medium and add 2 to 2 ½ cups red sauce. Add about half of your cauliflower meat (reserve the rest for another batch). Bring to a simmer and cook until heated through.

Pile pasta into bowls and top with cauliflower meat sauce, parmesan, and basil. Take a big whiff of all this wonderfulness, and dig in. Makes about 4 servings, with enough “meat” left for another batch.

Oregano-Hazelnut Pesto

Right now, we’re experiencing the kind of growing weather where everything is thriving. That perfect combination of sun, heat, and humidity that has your garden practically exploding. Especially my herbs. It’s times like this that I start to panic and wonder how will I ever use all the basil, sage, thyme, tarragon, and oregano.

Today my panic was focused on the oregano. Our tomatoes are weeks from being ready so that great tomato-oregano combination won’t happen for a while, but my oregano plant badly needed trimming. I began to wonder if there is such a thing as oregano pesto or would that be too strong a flavor? Yes, oregano pesto is a thing, my online research told me, and I was intrigued by a recipe that used hazelnuts in the pesto. That partial bag of hazelnuts buried in my freezer would finally get used!

It’s been a while since we’ve had pasta, so why not an oregano pesto penne pasta? Shallots for good measure, some quality parmesan because hello, Italian pasta dish, and a little lemon zest to finish. I’ve included the recipe below the pesto instructions–I think you’ll like it!

Fully prepared not to like this oregano version, I was pleasantly surprised and now have a new favorite pesto. The oregano was not overwhelming, and the hazelnuts brought a lovely, unique flavor. I’m looking forward to using some the of the leftover pesto on pizza this week. Enjoy!

 

• Servings: 1 1/2 cups
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Inspired by this recipe

1 cup fresh oregano leaves (discard the stems)

½ cup unsalted hazelnuts

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt

In a small skillet, toast hazelnuts over medium-low heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir often so they don’t burn. Cool slightly.

Place oregano leaves, hazelnuts, lemon juice, and garlic into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until well mixed. With machine running, slowly drizzle in olive oil. Scrape down sides and process until mixture is mostly smooth. Add salt, to taste.

Refrigerate, covered, until use. Keeps about 4 days. Freeze for longer storage.

Great on pasta (recipe follows), a little mixed into scrambled eggs, as a dip for good quality bread, in place of red sauce on pizza, or a dollop swirled into a bowl of soup. Makes about 1 ½ cups pesto.

Penne Pasta with Oregano-Hazelnut Pesto, Shallots, and Lemon Zest

8 oz. penne pasta, regular or whole wheat

1 medium shallot, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Oregano-hazelnut pesto (about half of above recipe)

¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, optional

Grated zest of one lemon

Cook pasta in a pot of well-salted boiling water, according to package directions. Reserve about ½ cup of pasta water before draining.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.

Return drained pasta to pan and add shallots, pesto, parmesan (if using), and about a third a cup of reserved pasta water. Toss to coat pasta until sauce becomes creamy. Add a little more pasta water if necessary. Transfer pasta to serving bowls, top with lemon zest and additional parmesan, if desired. Makes 3-4 servings.

Creamy Chickpea Pasta with Spinach and Fresh Oregano

Another one of those more-than-the-sum-of-its-parts kind of recipes, these seemingly simple, rather ordinary ingredients come together to wow you. I’m so happy when that happens!

This dish showed up a while back in the daily New York Times Cooking email, which I’ve mostly ignored since they started charging a membership fee to access their recipes. Occasionally though, I’ll read it, and sometimes, am able to avoid that paywall and access recipes. No rhyme or reason to it, but when it works, I’m thrilled.

Switched up a bit from the original recipe, I used fresh oregano instead of rosemary (not a huge rosemary fan) and evaporated milk instead of heavy cream (to lighten things up). Whole wheat spaghetti makes this a bit healthier too, so even though it’s is a pasta dish, there’s no reason to feel guilty.

As the Times notes, you can sub a different bean (white beans, perhaps) or different greens (I think Swiss chard would be delicious), and the addition of spices such as ground coriander, toasted fennel seeds (I will try this next time), or smoked paprika would be nice.

Back to my more-than-the-sum-of-its-parts description, this truly is a “wow” dish, just as perfectly suited for a weeknight meal as it is for a dinner party. I’ve served it to company and received rave reviews, and it’s also one of Pete’s and my favorites. Make this! Enjoy!

• Servings: 4
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From New York Times Cooking

Kosher or sea salt

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 (14 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary or a tablespoon fresh oregano, plus more for garnish

½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper, or ¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Freshly ground black pepper

1 large shallot, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

1 cup heavy cream (instead I used evaporated milk to lighten it up—it was still plenty rich)

1 six-ounce bag baby spinach (about 6 packed cups)

12 ounces spaghetti or bucatini (I used whole wheat spaghetti)

½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Lemon wedges, for serving

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.

In a wide, deep skillet, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the chickpeas, oregano (or rosemary), and Aleppo or crushed red pepper. Season generously with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until chickpeas start to caramelize at their edges and pop, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer about half of the chickpeas to a bowl. Reserve for garnish.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the shallots and garlic to the skillet, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are softened, about 3 minutes. Add the heavy cream (or evaporated milk) and cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Turn off heat, stir in the spinach and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add the pasta to the boiling water. Cook the pasta until a couple minutes short of al dente, according to package directions. Do not drain the pasta, but, using tongs, transfer the pasta directly from the pot to the spinach and cream sauce. Add 1 cup pasta cooking water and the Parmesan. Cook over medium-high, stirring vigorously with the tongs, until the sauce is thickened, and pasta is al dente, about 2 minutes. Add a splash of pasta water to loosen sauce, if needed

Transfer to bowls, and top with reserved chickpeas, rosemary or oregano, and freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately with lemon wedges for squeezing on top—the lemon gives it that perfect finish! Serves 4.

Italian Meatless Balls

I’ve been working on my Christmas menu ever since Thanksgiving and have changed my mind several times, but finally settled on spaghetti and meatballs. Real meatballs will be served for most, with a meatless version for the vegetarian (me) and those wanting to try something different.

I made this Smitten Kitchen meatball recipe for the carnivores and used aspects of the same recipe for the veggie version, with the main ingredients from my Cauliflower Taco Meat as the base. The cauliflower florets, mushrooms, and walnuts are pulsed in the food processor with a little tomato sauce to make what actually looks a lot like raw ground beef. In addition to the ingredients from the meat recipe, I added fennel seeds, oregano, and marjoram for more Italian flavors.

I made these three times, tweaking things a bit with each version, to arrive at what I think are a pretty great vegetarian Italian meatball. I froze them and the “real” meatballs and will serve them in sauce with spaghetti on Christmas. They would also be good in a meatball sandwich, served on pizza, and as an appetizer with dipping sauce (a mixture of apricot preserves, barbeque sauce, and a little Dijon mustard is quite tasty!). Enjoy!

• Servings: 30 balls
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3 cups cauliflower florets

1 ½ cups chopped cremini mushrooms

1 ½ cups chopped walnuts

1/3 cup tomato sauce

¼ cup chopped curly parsley

¼ cup freshly grated parmesan or romano cheese

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 to 1 ½ teaspoons fennel seeds

½ teaspoon dried marjoram

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment and set aside.

Place cauliflower, mushrooms, walnuts, and tomato sauce in bowl of a food processor and pulse until the texture of raw finely ground beef.

Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix to thoroughly combine. Form mixture into 2-inch balls; I used a #30 cookie scoop (press meatballs a bit to pack them before rolling into balls). Place on prepared baking sheet.

Bake balls about 20 minutes, until lightly browned and firm. Makes about 30 balls.

Use in spaghetti, meatball sandwiches, as a pizza topping, or with a dipping sauce as an appetizer (we’re talking a mixture of apricot preserves, barbeque sauce, and a little Dijon mustard—yum).

Lobster Mushroom Pasta

Last weekend at the Stillwater Farmers’ Market, I picked up a couple varieties of mushrooms I hadn’t had before, lobster and chicken of the woods. A local forager harvested them from area forests and sold them at his stand, along with chanterelles. Joking around, I asked if he had lots of experience and knew what he was doing so we wouldn’t be poisoned. He laughed and said when people ask, he usually points to the lobster mushrooms and tells them that’s what they should buy if they want to off their husbands. Okay, that didn’t really make me feel any better.

Lobster, chanterelle, and chicken of the woods (l-r).

The amusing mushroom man explained that the lobster mushrooms had a seafood-like flavor and the chicken of the woods variety, covered with barbeque sauce and grilled, would taste just like chicken. Interesting. They were expensive too, about $20/pound, but I figured that was a lot cheaper than lobster.

Not really sure how to prepare my new-found treasures, I decided to just do a simple pasta dish with the lobster mushrooms. There were lots of lobster pasta recipes out there, so why not just sub lobster mushrooms? You can’t go wrong with shallots, garlic, butter and thyme, right? And white wine, half & half, and parmesan aren’t likely to mess up a dish either. It all came together wonderfully, with the promised seafood flavor a happy surprise.

If you happen upon these somewhat freaky-looking, neon reddish-orange beauties, either while foraging or at your local farmers’ market, try this recipe; I think you’ll really like it. Enjoy!

• Servings: 3-4
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2 tablespoons butter, divided

1 medium shallot, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 ounces lobster mushrooms, cleaned and cut into ½ inch chunks

1 teaspoon minced thyme leaves

A couple splashes dry white wine

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

A handful of baby greens (I used a bagged mixture of baby power greens from Trader Joe’s)

½ cup freshly grated parmesan or parmigiano reggiano

¼ cup half & half, cream, or whole milk

8 ounces whole wheat spaghetti, linguini or any long, thin pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, generously salt the water, then cook pasta according to package directions. When done, reserve about ½ cup of the pasta water and then drain pasta and return it to pot. Cover and keep warm.

While the pasta is cooking, in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and add the shallots and garlic. Cook until the shallots have softened, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and thyme and cook until mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Add salt & pepper to taste. Increase heat to medium high and add the wine. Stir, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook until the wine has mostly cooked off.

Return heat on the pan to medium and add the second tablespoon of butter. Once it’s melted, add the greens. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the greens are wilted, but still bright green.

Add the mushroom mixture, cheese, and half & half to the warm pasta. Toss until combined. Add enough of the reserved pasta to make a sauce. Serve pasta in bowls. Makes 3-4 servings.

Zoodles and Crispy Tofu in Spicy Peanut Sauce

Zucchini noodles (zoodles) were one of the first things I planned to make when I got my spiralizer a couple years ago. And then I proceeded to spiralize potatoes, sweet potatoes, and beets many times for a number of recipes, but not zucchini. As much as I wanted to replace my pasta with zucchini noodles, I just couldn’t—it was a cooked zucchini texture thing.

Even with the suggestion of doing half pasta and half zoodles, I still resisted. It wasn’t until I came across a few recipes where you—wait for it—leave the zucchini raw, that I saw the zoodle light. They wouldn’t be mushy, they wouldn’t be soggy. It would be an al dente experience and I was on board!

Making just a few tweaks to this Pinch of Yum recipe, we’ve got a new summer favorite that’s quick enough to pull together on a weeknight and there are always leftovers for brown-bagging the next day. When packing your leftovers, keep the sauce separate and mix it in just before eating, otherwise the zoodles will absorb the sauce and you’ll lose the creamy sauciness that makes for a truly special dish. Enjoy!

• Servings: 4-6
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Adapted from this Pinch of Yum recipe

One 15 oz. block of extra-firm tofu (I like Trader Joe’s organic)

1 tablespoon peanut oil

3-4 medium zucchini, ends trimmed (a combination of green and yellow zucchini looks especially nice)

Sliced scallions, for garnish

Sesame seeds, for garnish (I like the look of black sesame seeds, but white are just fine)

Spicy peanut sauce:
½ cup smooth peanut butter, preferably natural (or make your own, recipe here)

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil (then add water to measure 1/3 cup)

1/3 cup tamari (wheat free) or soy sauce, reduced sodium if you have it

¼ cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoons Asian chili paste such as sambal oelek

1 ½ tablespoons sugar

1 large clove garlic, peeled and minced

1 heaping teaspoon of fresh grated ginger root

To remove excess moisture from the tofu, place the tofu block between a couple layers of paper towels and set on a cutting board. Top with another cutting board and weigh it down with a large can of tomatoes or a couple cookbooks. Let sit for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile spiralize your zucchini and set it aside.

To make the spicy peanut sauce, place all sauce ingredients in a jar and shake until well combined.

Cut pressed tofu into bite-sized pieces. Heat peanut oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, add tofu to pan and cook one side of tofu pieces until golden, about 3-4 minutes. Turn pieces and cook another 3-4 minutes.

Add ½ cup of the spicy peanut sauce to the tofu and let simmer for a few minutes. Using a spatula, turn tofu pieces, scraping sauce and any brown saucy bits from the bottom of the pan. Repeat the simmer, turning, and scraping a couple more times until tofu is crispy brown.

To serve, place zucchini noodles in individual bowls and top each with a ¼ cup of spicy peanut sauce, stirring to coat the zoodles. Top with some tofu pieces, sliced scallions, and sesame seeds. Makes 4-6 servings.

Pasta with Sausage, Sage Butter and Parmesan

A couple weeks ago I featured a pasta dish with some of the fresh herbs I’m growing. One I didn’t use then was sage. Having not done a lot with sage other than almost burn the house down during my first attempt at making a sage brown butter sauce, lessons were learned and I was now ready to ease back into that sage/butter combination, but with a lot less butter.

Initially a bit concerned with the amount of sage in this recipe, there was no need to be. In fact, the quantity I include below could even be increased if you’d like. Using a modest amount of butter adds to the creaminess of the finished dish, but doesn’t make it overly rich. The addition of the freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano adds a comfort food factor, with no heaviness.

Fresh greens, either from your garden or the farmers’ market, dressed with homemade vinaigrette, would be a wonderful first course. Enjoy!

• Servings: 4
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Adapted from this Mark Bittman recipe

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

8 ounces pasta, such as ziti or penne, preferably whole wheat

3 to 4 ounces Italian sausage, chopped (I used Trader Joe’s Sausage-less Italian, one link)

2 tablespoons butter

About 20-30 small to medium fresh sage leaves

½ cup or more freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Zest of half a lemon

Freshly squeezed juice of half a lemon

Bring a large pot of water to a boil; generously salt it. Cook pasta until it is tender, but not quite done.

While pasta water heats, brown sausage in a small pan until done. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet large enough to hold the cooked pasta over medium heat. Add butter and sage leaves. Cook until butter turns nut-brown and sage shrivels, then turn heat down to low.

When the pasta is just about done, scoop out about ½ cup of the cooking water.

Drain the pasta. Immediately add it to the butter-sage mixture, stir in the sausage, and raise heat to medium. Add about 1/3 cup of the pasta water and the lemon juice; stir. Cook for about 30 seconds, or until some of the water is absorbed and the pasta is al dente.

Stir in cheese and lemon zest; the sauce will become creamy. Thin it with a little more reserved pasta water if necessary. Season liberally with salt & pepper to taste, and serve immediately. Sprinkle with more cheese if you’d like.

Penne in Herbed Yogurt Sauce

With us having prime growing weather lately, my patio herbs are going nuts and needed a good trim, so dinner featuring fresh herbs was a no-brainer. Tangy Greek yogurt and whole wheat pasta seemed like good vehicles for an herby dish and what’s not made better by buttery garlic and onions?

This meal comes together quickly so is perfect for a week night. Add a glass of chilled rosé and any stress from your work day will melt away while you recharge with a fresh and light supper, ideally al fresco. Enjoy!

Lemon Thyme

• Servings: 4
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Inspired by this Food.com recipe

10 oz. penne pasta, preferably whole wheat (I love Trader Joe’s organic)

2 tablespoons butter or non-hydrogenated margarine, divided

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, cut in small dice

¼ teaspoon salt (plus more salt for the pasta water)

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

¾ cup Greek yogurt at room temperature (I used 2%)

½ cup chopped fresh herbs, such as mint, basil and lemon thyme (parsley and regular thyme would work too)

Freshly ground black pepper

Heat a large pot of generously salted water to boiling. Cook pasta in boiling water according to package directions. Drain and return to pot.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon butter or margarine and the olive oil in a cast iron or other heavy skillet over medium heat. When hot, add onion and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions begin to brown, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 3-4 additional minutes. Remove from heat and add remaining tablespoon of butter or margarine and stir into onion-garlic mixture until it melts.

Toss drained pasta with yogurt. Add onion-garlic mixture and pepper to taste. Mix well. Stir in fresh herbs. Transfer to a serving platter. Makes about 4 servings.

 

Lemon Ricotta Stuffed Pasta Shells

Whenever I see a photo or recipe for stuffed pasta shells, I think of my late Great Aunt Betty. Betty was my grandma’s youngest sister and lived in the far-off land of Los Angeles with her husband and kids. We took a family road-trip to visit them the summer between my freshman and sophomore year of high school, along the way camping in the mountains of Wyoming, a hotel night in Las Vegas, and on the return trip home, driving through California’s wine country and a stop in San Francisco, a city that stole my young heart.

In LA, we stayed with Aunt Betty and Uncle Tom and they and my cousins took us unsophisticated Midwesterners sightseeing to the worldly locales of Knott’s Berry Farm, Magic Mountain, Tijuana, Universal Studios, and beautiful sandy California beaches. But the best memories from that trip aren’t the roller coasters, bargaining at Mexican market stands, movie sets, or the Pacific Ocean. Me being me, aside from getting to spend time with extended family, the best memories are of the food Aunt Betty made. Specifically her stuffed pasta shells and Napoleons. This 14-year-old was uber impressed with both and we got the recipes so Mom could make them back home. The wonderful flavors are forever imbedded in my mind.

Recently  I saw a recipe for stuffed pasta shells on Heidi Swanson’s 101 Cookbooks, and thought back to Aunt Betty and her recipe. It wasn’t vegetarian, so maybe Heidi’s version could take its place? Yes, indeed!

I’ve been cooking with whole wheat pasta almost exclusively for years, but have yet to find a source for whole wheat or whole grain jumbo pasta shells, even after searching ginormous supermarkets, my co-op, and online. Ultimately I opted for a package of unique (non-whole wheat) lumache giganti found in the Italian section at said ginormous supermarket. In retrospect, regular jumbo shells would have been better vehicles for stuffing, but I love the way these “snail” shells cook to a perfect al dente that held its toothsome bite even after baking.

To Heidi’s quick and simple tomato sauce I added some dried herbs for a little more depth and also sautéed some onion and spinach to include in the filling. Both Pete and I had to really hold ourselves back from eating till our bellies burst. A stuffed shells recipe that even outdoes Great Aunt Betty’s. Next time I might tackle Napoleons! Enjoy!

• Servings: 6
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Adapted from 101 Cookbooks Stuffed Shells

 

Zest of one lemon, divided

Sauce:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling the pan

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more if you like lots of heat

1/2 – 3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

4 medium cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 28-ounce and 1 14-ounce can crushed red tomatoes (San Marzano, if you can find them)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon dried marjoram

Filling:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

½ large yellow onion, chopped

3-4 big handfuls fresh spinach, chopped

1 15 or 16 ounce container good quality ricotta cheese

1 egg, beaten

1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

1 cup grated mozzarella

Additional:
About 25-30 jumbo dried pasta shells or lumache giganti (if you can find them)

½ cup freshly grated parmesan

A couple tablespoons sliced scallions, green part only

Lightly oil a 13 x 9-inch baking pan and sprinkle half the lemon zest over the bottom of the pan. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boiling, and preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the sauce, combine the olive oil, red pepper flakes, sea salt, and garlic in a cold saucepan. Stir while you heat the saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook only about 45 seconds or so until everything is fragrant – you don’t want the garlic to brown. Stir in the tomatoes, oregano and marjoram and heat to a gentle simmer, just a minute or two. Remove from heat, taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Set aside to cool.

For the filling, in a medium sauté pan, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chopped spinach and cook several more minutes until spinach is wilted and soft. Set aside to cool a bit.

In a medium bowl, lightly beat the egg, then add the ricotta and salt and mix to combine. Stir in the mozzarella and remaining lemon zest, followed by the onion-spinach mixture. Set aside.

Cook the shells according to package instructions the boiling, salted water until barely al dente. If you overcook, the shells will tear as you attempt to fill them. Drain and let cool long enough to handle.

Spread 1/3 of sauce across the bottom of the prepared pan. Fill each shell with ricotta mixture, and arrange in a single layer in the pan. Ladle the remaining sauce over the shells, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with the parmesan, and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the shells are cooked through. Sprinkle with sliced scallions. Serve hot.