Extra zucchini?

Make this amazing pasta dish from Smitten Kitchen.

Sesame Noodles

We all love this side dish a lot. My kids inhale it.

2 t. sesame oil
1 garlic clove, minced
3 T. tahini (sesame seed paste)
Chili sauce to taste
3 T. Soy sauce
2 T. Rice vinegar
2 T. Sugar
1/2 t. Salt

1- 12(ish) oz. pkg. Udon noodles (I suppose you could use linguine)

Wisk together all items except noodles.

Cook noodles according to pkg.; rinse with cold water, but I like them a little warm.

Add sauce to noodles and mix.

Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and/or chopped scallions.

I'm making this tonight and my mouth is already watering.

This is our blue-prize winner of a marinara sauce. So, it doesn't start with fresh tomatoes, but it fits into my busy schedule.

Dyer's Favorite Red Sauce

2 T olive oil
1/2 small white onion, diced
1 large clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes and juice, pureed (or, blended in pot with stick blender like I do-- much easier)
1 T sugar
1 t. salt
1/4 t. dried oregano
1/8 t. black pepper
1/4 t. red pepper flakes (don't leave these out!)
2 T. butter
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1 T. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 T. freshly grated Parmesan

In med. saucepan, heat oil over med-high. Add onion and saute 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and stir 1 minute more. Add tomatoes, sugar, slat and simmer 15 minutes. Add oregano, pepper, red pepper and simmer 15 minutes more.

Remove from heat and stir in butter scallion, parsley and cheese. Serve immediatley or cool and freeze.


We rarely serve it with additions like meatballs or such because it is so good alone. But you certainly can use it for lasagna, etc.

Puttanesca Sauce

I really love this recipe because it is so yummy, quick and it makes my husband happy. Also it can be made solely out of pantry and fridge-door ingredients. This sauce does require that you like anchovies. If you've never tried 'em, don't knock 'em.

3-4 T. olive oil
3-4 cloves of garlic sliced
1 24 oz. can diced tomatoes (with juice)
1 T. tomato paste (optional if you want sauce thicker)
8 wee little anchovy fillets (they come in a cute little tin), minced
20-25 kalamata olives, halved (this is not as many as it seems)
3 T. capers, rinsed if you want
hefty pinch of crushed red pepper
salt to taste
chopped parsley (optional as it is a non pantry ingredient)
grated Parmesan cheese

Saute garlic until just golden in hot oil (heated over med heat), add tomatoes and simmer 5 minutes. Add anchovies, tomato paste, olives, capers, red pepper and salt. Simmer 10 minutes more. Stir in parsley if using. Serve over linguine or other pasta and sprinkle with cheese.

not your usual (nor quick and easy) lasagna bolognese

but oh so worth the time for a sunday dinner or something special. i'm generally not a big fan of lasagna BUT some close friends of ours in germany made this for us several years ago and i've never looked back. john and i have made this several times over the last few years and are never disappointed.

p.s. - i am not a huge fan of pancetta, so often leave it out but some of you out there might really enjoy it.

Lasagna Bolognese (Slow and Delicious)

Ingredients:

Bolognese Sauce:

2 oz. diced pancetta, finely chopped

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

4 Tbsp unsalted butter

11 oz ground beef

4 oz ground pork (I've used ground turkey on occasion and have been happy with it)

4 oz ground italian sausage (I've used veal in place of the sausage or the beef)

1 freshly ground clove

dash of cinnamon

1 tsp freshly ground pepper

2 lb peeled and chopped tomatoes (or 1 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes, packed in water)

1 cup whole milk

1/2 tsp sea salt

Bechamel Sauce:

2 cups whole milk

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup cake flour (use all-purpose if you don't have cake flour on hand - no need to make a special purchase)

freshly grated nutmeg to taste

Lasagna:

About 16 sheets of an Italian brand of lasagna noodles (enough to make four layers in a 13x9 inch backing pan)

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

The Process:

The Bolognese:

(Can be made a day or two ahead of time - keep in the refrigerator in an air tight container)

1. Make the soffritto - combine pancetta, onion, celery and carrots in a saute pan with butter and cook over medium heat until onion turns pale.

2. Add the beef, sausage and pork to the soffritt0 and increase the heat to high; cook until browned. Sprinkle with spices: clove, cinnamon and pepper.

3. Stir in the tomatoes, bring to a simmer and reduce heat to medium. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. If using whole canned tomatoes, break them up as you add them to the sauce.

4. Add milk and season with sea salt. Then turn down heat and simmer for 2 and 1/2 hours. Stir at least every 20 minutes. (If possible, definitely give the sauce the full 2 and 1/2 hours - the sauce changes quite a bit as it simmers.)

The Bechamel:

5. Heat the milk until almost boiling in a heavy bottomed sauce pan. In a separate pan melt the butter with the flour over low heat. Stir rapidly with a spoon. Cook this for 1 minute and then remove from the heat.

6. Slowly add half the hot milk to your butter and flour mixture. During this process stir constantly.

7. Return the milk, butter, flour mixture to low heat until the sauce begins to thicken. Add the remaining milk slowly while stirring - working it into the thickened sauce. Continue to stir until it comes to a boil

8. Season with some salt and grated nutmeg. Continue stirring until the right consistency has developed (until it coats a spoon thickly). Remove from heat.

The Lasagna:

9. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cook the lasagna noodles according to the instructions (I've used the non-boil kind and it worked out fine). Drain boiled lasagna noodles and rinse in cold water. Lay the individual noodles on kitchen towels, not touching, so they do not stick together.

10. Spread a little olive oil around the inside of the baking pan. Only use pyrex or stainless steel. Aluminum pans don't mix well with the sauce and will case it to taste very acidic. Put a layer of lasagna down first. Layer on a third of the bolognese sauce, then a third of the bechamel sauce. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. Repeat two more times. Top with a final layer of noodles and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.

11. Put lasagna on the middle rack of the pre-heated oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the top begins to get lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool 5-10 minutes before serving.

Mmmmmm, mmmm good.

Ah, Carbonara!

I found my new carbonara recipe. When I've tried it in the past, it has ended up much too "raw eggy". However, this recipe turned out just perfect. I hight recommend trying this, it is so good. It is very, very kid friendly and is super quick to make.

Carbonara Pasta

Salt and pepper
1 lb. farfalle pasta (the bowties)
1-2 T. olive oil
1/4 lb. pancetta (or thick cut bacon)
1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
5 or 6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 c. dry white wine
2 large egg yolks
1/2 c. grated Romano cheese (I mixed some Parm in, too)
parsley for garnish if you have it.

Put up a pot of water to boil and add salt and farfalle. Boil 8-10 minutes.

In the meantime, heat skillet over med-high heat. Add oil and bacon. Brown 2 minutes. Add pepper flakes and garlic. Cook 3 min. more. Add wine and stir up brown bits from bottom of pan.

Beat yolks and add 1 ladleful of pasta water while stirring.

Drain pasta and add to skillet with pancetta. Pour egg mixture over pasta. Toss rapidly to coat. Remove from head and add cheese, lots of pepper and a bit of salt. Continue to toss pasta until it soaks up egg mixture-- a few mintues. Serve with green salad.