Besotted Gourmet » Italian Food

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter Thyme Sauce

Jessica — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 19:24:50 +0000

I’m always curious to know what people shop for in a supermarket and why? What one person considers a staple, another considers a rare occasion treat. I remember being 13 years old, being at a friend’s house, and they had an enormous, family-sized bag of M&Ms in the pantry… 2 hours later, they didn’t, because I had managed to polish off the vast majority of the bag – I was both permanently hungry and had a much faster metabolism as a teenager. Sadly, only one of those things has changed… but I digress…

The reason for my voracious and greedy appetite was the fact that a bag of M&Ms never entered my own pantry. This was a treat and luxury that I could never have dreamed of – candy, open and available at a moment’s notice – and the cunning little imp in me couldn’t pass up the opportunity to over-indulge.

15 years later and I marvel at what others keep in their pantries, and have no doubt that my own shopping habits raise a few eyebrows. I was walking through the grocery store last week, passed a display of Parmesan Cheese, and mindlessly picked one up, as it is a critical staple in my household. It wasn’t until PT looked into my cheese drawer and pointed out that I had 7 different cheeses in there that it occurred to me that I may be deeply strange in this particular respect… possibly in others, but we’re talking about cheese right now.

I have two bricks of Parmesan, an aged Gouda, Mahon, Emmenthaler, Gruyere, and two aged Cheddars. That’s normal, right?

They make a great snack, and they’re awesome when you have to whip up something comforting and cheesy in a pinch, like a Sweet Grilled Cheese, Aglio e Olio, or Sweet Potato Gnocchi, which is just little bundles of amazing deliciousness.

I was a little intimidated when I first decided to make these little orange-jeweled gnocchi, but it turned out to be far easier than some of the more ambitious doughy items I’ve attempted (ahem, pie crust – not easy when you have less than 2 square feet of counter space), and it’s instantly impressive when you tell people that you made your own pasta.

Toss these in a little brown butter with thyme and serve with a big salad or hearty winter vegetables for a delicious mid-week dinner.

Enjoy!

Click here for a printable version of the recipe

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter Thyme Sauce, Serves 4

Adapted from East Village Kitchen

Prep Time: 1 Hour

Total Prep Time: 1 Hour

Ingredients:

For the Gnocchi:

1 1lb. Yam

6oz. Ricotta Cheese

½ Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated

1 Tbls. Brown Sugar

1 Tsp. Salt

1/2 Tsp. Nutmeg

1 1/3 Cup Flour

For the Browned Butter Thyme Sauce:

½ Cup Butter

3 Tsp. Thyme, chopped

Salt & Pepper to taste

Preparation:

Prepare the yam by placing it in a large pot filled with cold salt water; bring the water to boil with the yam inside and allow to boil for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, remove the yam and allow to cool until just warm to the touch and set the boiled water aside.

Scrape the yam flesh into a large bowl and add the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, nutmeg, salt, brown sugar, combine well with a fork.

Add the flour, ½ cup at a time and blend until the mixture is soft and dough-like.

Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, and, slowly rock the dock back and forth between the the bottom of your palms and heels of your hand. You’ll see it slowly start to elongate and become rope-like. As much as possible, focus on any areas of the dough that are remaining thick and try to get the rope’s width as even as possible.

With a sharp knife, cut off 1-inch pieces of the dough and set aside on a lined cookie sheet. I’m boring, and leave my little gnocchi unadorned, but you can feel free to mark with an insignia (fork tines, back of spoon, a personal stamp, etc.)

Bring the pot of yammy water to boil again, add a bit more salt, and toss the gnocchi in in batches – just be sure not to crowd the pot, and cook for 5-6 minutes.

Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon, place in a bowl and cover with tin foil to keep warm.

Meanwhile, get on making your brown butter sauce by heating the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat for 5 minutes, until it starts to bubble and turn brown. Skim some of the bubbles off of the butter and add the thyme (be careful, it will crackle and pop!). Turn the heat down to the lowest setting, just to keep warm while you cook the rest of your gnocchi.

Once all of the gnocchi are cooked, toss in with the brown butter sauce, mix around, plate, serve, and enjoy!

Stuffed Peppers

Jessica — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 00:36:11 +0000

There are certain recipes that, for no very good reason, we keep in the culinary attic – treasures that remind us of good-times gone by, but that we oh-so-rarely trot out. Stuffed peppers are just that type of treasure – a meal that my mother cooked perfectly and frequently that is as unpretentious as it is delicious.

Herbed and spiced meatballs stuffed inside of fresh peppers, blanketed in a light, fresh marinara sauce and baked until bubbly and aromatic. Serve with a big heaping of garlic bread, a big glass of red wine, and lots of napkins (they tend to get messy!) and enjoy a little march down memory lane.

Click here for a printable version of the recipe

Ingredients:

For the Peppers

6 Large Bell Peppers

1lb. Ground Beef

1 Cup Onions

1 Egg

2 Tbls. Parmesan, grated

2 Tbls. Parsley, chopped

2 Tbls. Basil, chopped

1 Tsp. Dried Oregano

1 Cup Dried Breadcrumbs

1 Tbls. Kosher Salt

½ Tsp. Pepper

1 Cup Water

More Salt & Pepper to taste

For the Marinara

1 28oz. Can Whole Peeled Tomatoes,

3 Tbls. Olive Oil

½ Cup Onions, finely chopped

1 Tbls. Garlic, chopped

1 Bay Leaf

1 Tbls. Fresh Oregano, chopped

Salt & Pepper to taste

Preparation:

Get started on the marinara first…. Open the can of tomatoes, drain the juice into a separate bowl, and crush the tomatoes in the can with your hand into chunky pulp. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized sauce pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook for an additional 30 seconds.

Pour in the tomato juice, bring to a boil, and allow to boil down for 5 minutes. Add the pulp from the can, along with a half-can of water, the salt, and pepper, reduce the heat to medium, and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.

Stir in the oregano and allow the sauce to simmer for another 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, get on preparing the rest of the stuffed peppers.

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Prepare the peppers by cutting off the chop and removing the interior ribbing and seeds. Cut a small slice off of the bottom of each pepper, to allow them to stand upright in a glass baking dish. Sprinkle the interiors with salt and pepper and set aside.

Combine the following ingredients in a medium-sized bowl: ground beef, egg, cheese, parsley, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, breadcrumbs, and onion. Stir together lightly with a fork. Pour the water into the bowl, and mush the ingredients together well with your hands until the meat mixture is uniform.

By this point, the marinara should be done. Remove from the heat and remove the bay leaf.

Spoon a small amount of the marinara into the bottom of each pepper. Fill the rest of each pepper with the meat mixture – if there is leftover meat mixture, simply roll into meatballs and place around the peppers in the dish.

Cover the peppers and the meatballs with the remaining marinara, cover tightly with tin foil, and pop into the oven for 1 hour.

Remove the peppers from the oven, remove the tin foil, scoop out 1-2 peppers per person, plate, serve, and enjoy!

Linguine with Summer Tomato Sauce

Jessica — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:17:28 +0000

Things have been a little hectic around Chez Besotted lately, but the brisk Fall air, ushering in the change of seasons has me very excited for some of my cold weather favorites – chicken stock and soup, pies, and scones, and braised meats.

But, there’s still just enough summer left in the air for a de-constructed Summer tomato sauce, made with farm-fresh tomatoes. This is a no-cook, light and easy week-night dinner (unless you count cooking the pasta) that really capitalizes on the flavor and brightness of local tomatoes.

Aside from the pasta, the only other cooking involved is done by the vinegar in the sauce. This is one of my favorite tricks for keeping flavors really light and fresh, but still ‘cooking’ out the face-puckering bite of things like garlic, onions, and ginger. Any acid – vinegar, lemon, lime, and orange juice – ‘cook’ the items that they are marinading, including meats, herbs, and vegetables. It’s the same principle used in ceviche, any salad dressings that you’ve made that use raw garlic, and even the green beans in mustard vinaigrette recipe.

There’s no heat involved, but the acid breaks down the food in the same way that heat would, easing and mellowing the flavor, and it does it beautifully here. Enjoy!*

*Obviously, it goes without saying that this method would not be used to ‘cook’ food to kill bacteria and should only be used on foods that could otherwise be eaten raw.

Click here for a printable version of the recipe

Linguine with Summer Tomato Sauce, Serves 4

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Total Time: 15 Minutes

Ingredients:

1lb. Linguine

2 Tbls. Olive Oil

4 Medium-Sized Tomatoes, roughly chopped into cubes

½ Cup Parsley, chopped

½ Cup Basil, chopped

4 Cloves Garlic, chopped

1 ½ Tbls. White Wine Vinegar

½ Cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Preparation:

Set a pot of water to boil, seasoned with salt and 2 Tbls. olive oil, for the pasta.

In the mean time, place the chopped tomatoes, parsley, basil, and garlic in a large bowl, and mix together.

Pour the vinegar on top and mix well. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes, or until the pasta is nearly done cooking.

Cook the pasta in the boiling water according to the packages instructions.

Just before the pasta is done cooking, whisk the extra-virgin olive oil into the tomato mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Once the pasta is done cooking, drain and add to the tomato mixture, mixing well. Divide among four plates, serve, and enjoy!

Shrimp Scampi – Pantry Dinner

Jessica — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:49:40 +0000

First, I can not believe that it has taken 6+ Months of Besotted’s existence for me to put up this Shrimp Scampi recipe. It’s one of my favorites (more so than my other favorites), is a consistent crowd pleaser, and is easy enough to make for a Weeknight Dinner, and it’s just butter-heavenly delicious.

It also has the added, though unintended, benefit of vindicating my slightly-neurotic frugality. I have to me a few confessions – I buy in bulk…. A LOT, I buy meat on sale and freeze it, I scan my grocer’s circulars for special deals, and I am adamant that they give me my $.10 off for using my own carrier bag. I know that I should be more focused on letting my culinary creativity guide me, and I do often, but, the fact is, I love to penny pinch.

Ahhh – it feels good to get that off my chest!

Now, those little tendencies of mine – to buy the bag of organic lemons instead of an individual (and save a $1.00 on 8), to stock up on 9-15 count shrimp when they were on SUPER sale and pop them into the freezer – meant that when I was bone-weary from a long run and utterly unenthused about the idea of 1) going to the market and buying ingredients for dinner 2) ordering take-out 3) not eating, I suddenly remembered my frozen shrimp and knew instantly what I could make for dinner.

Really, the only ingredient in this dish that may not be readily available in your refrigerator is the shrimp, but, there’s no reason not to buy frozen shrimp from the fish counter. I shop at Whole Foods, and the man behind the fish counter told me that the shrimp come in frozen, they de-frost them for display, but they usually have a whole bunch still frozen in the back, which can easily be transferred to your freezer, and they’ll be the exact same quality when you de-frost them as they would be when you buy them de-frosted in the store.

Everything else is simply pasta, parsley, Parmesan, pepper (who doesn’t like a little alliteration with their dinner?), lemons, and salt, which is easy enough to beg, borrow, or steal.

One last note, this recipe is adapted, nee, stolen from inimitable Ina Garten. I’ve tried tweaking it, I’ve tried reducing the butter portion, omitting the Parmesan, doing something to not feel gluttonous while watching nearly a stick of butter dissolve in the pan, but it always comes off as a disappointing ersatz version of hers. She may be the bathing-suit-season anti-christ, but the woman knows how to make food taste good, and, thus, I give you the recipe, very nearly unadulterated.

Click here for a printable version of the recipe

Shrimp Scampi, Serves 4

Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Family Style

Ingredients:

For the Pasta:

1lb. Linguine

1 Tsp. Kosher Salt

3 Tbls. Olive Oil

For the Shrimp Scampi:

4 Tbls. (½ Stick) Butter

3 Tbls. Olive Oil

6 Cloves Garlic, chopped

1lb. Jumbo Shrimp* (see note for preparation)

2 Tsp. Kosher Salt

½ Cup Parsley, chopped

1 Lemon, zested

3 Lemons, juiced

¼ Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes

Salt & Pepper to taste

Grated Parmesan to taste

Preparation:

Set a pot of water over the stove to boil; add in the olive oil and kosher salt.

In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat until the butter has fully melted. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the shrimp, sprinkle with the kosher salt and saute for 2-3 minutes each side. Remove from the heat.

By this point, the water in the pot should be boiling. Add the linguine, broken in half, and cook for 8 minutes.

To your saute pan, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes. Mix well.

Remove the pasta pot from the heat, drain the cooked pasta and return to the pot. Pour the scampi mixture over the pasta and toss to combine.

If serving for company, slice little lemon rounds or half-moons for garnish. Otherwise, sprinkle with Parmesan, grab a fork, dig in, and enjoy!

*Note: How you prepare the shrimp for cooking is a matter of personal preference. Peeling the shrimp beforehand is a good idea if you’re serving for company, as its presentation (and eating process) is much cleaner. Also, the shrimp do seem to do a better job of absorbing the flavors. I sometimes leave the shell on while cooking because it takes less time to prepare and leaves the shrimp more tender and less likely to overcook. However, eating becomes a messy situation, so make sure there are plenty of napkins and no onlookers that you wouldn’t want to see you with butter-smeared fingers. It really is a matter of personal preference.

Parmesan-encrusted Zucchini and Summer Squash Medallions

Jessica — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 19:24:32 +0000

I am boldly plowing my way through a refrigerator full of veggies with some, admittedly, mixed results. Anchovy frisee was not so good. In fact, it was so bad, I couldn’t eat it.

Ah well…. But, this little gem of a culinary epiphany is well-worth documenting, sharing, and trying, and I would encourage all of you inundated with zucchini and summer squash (whether from your own garden or a farm share) to embrace the flour, egg, and bread crumb combo.

Gorgeous little gems....

There is a bit of fiddling – as there typically is with the parmesan-ing process – but nothing that takes more than 20 minutes of not-hard-at-all work. And the results are well worth it.

Enjoy!

Click here for a printable version of the recipe

Parmesan Zucchini and Summer Squash, Serves 4

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Frying Time: 15 Minutes

Total Prep Time: 45 Minutes

Ingredients:

1 Zucchini, cut into ½ inch slices

1 Summer Squash, cut into ½ inch slices

1 Cup Flour

2 Tsp. Salt

1 Egg

2 Tbls. Water

1 Cup Dry Bread Crumbs, split into 3rds

1 Tbls. Red Pepper Flakes, split into 3rds

1 Tbls. Dried Basil, split into 3rds

4-6 Tbls. Olive Oil for Frying

Parmesan to Taste

Preparation:

Heat 3 Tbls. of the Olive Oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.

Beat the egg and water together in a small bowl.

Set 4 plates onto the counter. In the first, mix ½ Cup of the flour and 1 tsp. of the salt. In the second, pour the beaten egg and water. In the third, mix 1/3 Cup of the bread crumbs and 1 Tsp. each of the dried basil and red pepper flakes. Leave the 4^th plate empty for the breaded veggie pieces.

Henry Ford would have been proud!

Working in batches of 4, dredge the veggie pieces well in the flour, shaking off any excess. Cover in the egg mixture, allowing it to drip dry, before proceeding to cover the veg pieces well with the bread crumbs.

Just about ready to hop into the hot oil....

Once you’ve completed 4 veggie pieces, sprinkle with parmesan and lay, parmesan-side down, in the hot olive oil. Sprinkle the top with a bit more parmesan and cook each side for 3 minutes.

While the first batch is frying, dump out the remaining bread crumbs on the plate and make a fresh batch (it’s time-consuming, but very much worth it). About half-way through, you will also have to replenish the flour and salt with the remaining ½ cup and teaspoon.

Repeat the process with the remaining veggie pieces (you should make about 4 batches of 4 pieces).

When the veggie pieces have done frying, lay them on paper towels on a cooling rack for 3-5 minutes.

Plate the zucchini and summer squash, sprinkle with a bit of sea salt, serve, and enjoy!

Basil & Herbed Caesar Salad

Jessica — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:23:51 +0000

Some people spend Sunday mornings reading the paper (or news online), some go to brunch, some stay in bed, cuddling with their significant others. What do I do? Search for new recipes and dream up ways to use the new basil & herbed dressing I made the day before.

Sounds a bit obsessive, no? Well, it would if you’re accustomed to store-bought dressings with their gag-worthy sodium levels. Thankfully, this dressing was of a different variety and so wonderfully delicious that it trumped even my new farm share lettuces and freshly baked croutons.

It was from this month’s issue of Gourmet, and it was spectacular – light and ethereal, with just the right amount of zing (from lemon and anchovies) and sweetness from basil.

Now, before you turn the page at the mention of vile anchovies, let me assure you that this dressing has no distasteful fishy flavor and should not be reserved for ardent anchovy enthusiasts alone. Serve it secretly to anyone and they will never know that there are anchovies, they will only know that this dressing is D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S.

I made the traditional caesar salad, but the dressing recipe would be fantastic over any greens and vegetables.

Click here for a printable version of the recipe

Basil & Herbed Caesar Salad, Serves 4
Adapted from Gourmet Magazine

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Baking Time: 15 Minutes
Total Time: 25 Minutes

Ingredients:

For the Salad:

1 Baguette, cut into 1 inch slices
2 Tbls. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tsp. Salt
1 Tsp. Pepper
½ Cup Parmesan, Shaved
1 Lb. Romaine Lettuce, washed, dried and rough-chopped

For the Dressing:

2 Garlic Cloves
1 Egg
1 Lemon, Juiced
3 Anchovies or 1 Tbls. Anchovy Paste
6 Tbls. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Cup Basil Leaves, Rough Chopped
½ Cup Flat-Leaf Parsley, Rough Chopped
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375°.

Toss the baguette pieces with the extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Spread evenly in 1 layer on a cookie sheet and toast in the oven for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in the bowl of a food processor or chopper, blitz the garlic. Add the egg, lemon juice, anchovies, and pepper to the bowl and blitz again until smooth. Add the extra-virgin olive oil, and blitz until emulsified. Add the parsley and basil, and (you guessed it!) blitz again until the mixture is green and the herbs are finely chopped. Take a taste and add salt and pepper, if you like, but it should taste heavenly.

Just tell yourself, anchovies are NOT the enemy, and believe me when I tell you, they make this dressing taste fantastic!

Once the toasts are out of the oven and cool enough to touch, break them up a bit. In a large serving bowl, mix together the Romaine Lettuce, herbed dressing, croutons, and the shaved parmesan, toss well, serve, and enjoy!

Aglio e Olio – Bright Summery Pasta for Dreary Days

Jessica — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:33:06 +0000

Can all the Bostonians/New Englanders/Northeast Corridorites agree that the rain is getting just a tad old… I’ve only been back for 3 days and it’s already wearing on me, so I can’t imagine what it’s doing to those of you that have been enduring this for a week now.

Which is why, I thought that a little summery, sunshiney pasta dish would be just the thing to make us all feel, if not believe, that the warm weather really is right around the corner.

I know I say this about a lot of things, but Aglio e Olio really is my to-die-for dish. It easily makes the list of top 5 foods I would take with me to a desert island, not to mention the fact that it holds a bit of sentimental nostalgia for me.

Back when I first started cooking for myself (a subject that has been coming up quite a bit recently), aglio e olio was my premiere go-to for weeknight dinners. It had all of the characteristics of a perfect meal:

Simplicity
Deliciousness
It used beautiful fresh ingredients and allowed them to come through
It required almost no real skill but still made me feel supremely competent, which is a feat not achieved by most recipes.

It should also be mentioned that there is a very unique synergy to this dish, an alchemy achieved by the blend of ingredients that is hard to achieve when even one is omitted. Luckily, most of the ingredients happen to be staples, so there is no great chance that you will be without one, but do make the effort to use them all, nonetheless.

Click here for a printable version of the recipe

Algio e Olio, Serves 2

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Total Time: 20 Minutes

Ingredients:

½ lb. Linguine

3 Tbls. Olive Oil

6 Cloves Garlic, rough chopped

¼ Cup Parmesan, grated

½ Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes

1 Lemon, juiced

1/3 Cup Parsley, rough chopped

½ Tsp. Sea Salt

½ Tsp. Pepper

3 Tbls. Best Quality Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Salt for boiling pasta

Preparation:

Bring a pot of salted water to boil.

Over medium-low heat, heat the olive oil and sweat the garlic for 15 minutes in a large saute pan. (I’m adding a Glossary Page for these terms, but sweating garlic means that you cook it over very low heat to infuse the oil with its flavor; there should be no activity in the pan, no sizzling. The only evidence that anything is happening will be a wonderful, light garlic smell that permeates the kitchen after about 5 minutes.)

Once the water has come to a boil, add the linguine and cook for 7 minutes.

Once the linguine has cooked, drain the pasta, but leave it very damp as the cooking water will help the sauce to glide easily over the noodles.

Toss the linguine into the saute pan, still over the heat. Add the parmesan, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, parsley, salt, pepper, and extra-virgin olive oil to the pan and mix well to the coat the linguine with tongs.

Serve with extra parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Un-Classic Pesto

Jessica — Wed, 13 May 2009 12:00:05 +0000

I love the change of seasons in New England. From September through March foodies wade through the produce offerings in our local stores (our farmers’ market hibernate through the winter) and pick at sad, defeated-looking, uber-expensive summer produce, and we are instantly reminded why we must make every effort to eat local and seasonal, because the alternative is simply not worth the cost.

But then Spring rolls around, and rather than getting a few measly basil leaves for $4, we’re offered a veritable basil tree for $1.99. It really does boggle the mind…. and it also leaves one with the challenge of what to do with all of that access produce. In the case of basil, the simple solution is to make pesto, and it boggles my mind (again) why people don’t make it more often.

Basil is, it must be said, a bit of a prima donna… it is all lush deliciousness, but, at its heart, it is very fragile – it can not be stored in the refrigerator, as it will turn black, it can not be handled too roughly, as it will bruise, it’s rather expensive, and it simply doesn’t keep that long on the counter. Yet, we return to it again and again because of its unique, exquisite flavor.

I make pesto for little other purpose than to use up extra basil (and because it’s wonderfully delicious and versatile). Pesto is, at its core, a mash of basil, nuts, garlic, and cheese, bound together with extra-virgin olive oil. The exact measurements are really based on your own preference.

Don’t fret too much about the exact types of any of the ingredients – feel like trying Pecorino instead of Parmesan, go for it. Most versions of pesto call for walnuts, but I had hazelnuts lying around (and generally prefer them), so that’s what I used, instead. As high-maintenance as basil is, pesto is just as equally low-maintenance.

Click here for a printable version of the recipe
Un-Classic Pesto

Ingredients:

½ Cup Hazelnuts

¼ Cup Pignolis (or Pinenuts)

1 ½ Cup Basil

9 Cloves Garlic

1 Tsp. Salt

1 Tsp. Pepper

¾-1 Cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

½ Cup Grated Parmesan

Preparation:

Heat the toaster or conventional oven to 200°. Cover a cookie sheet or the toaster oven’s tray with tin foil, place the hazelnuts and pignolis on the tray/sheet and toast in the oven for 5 minutes, or until you can smell toasty nuts (the sign that they’re done).

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes, or until you can touch them without burning your fingers.

Remove the shells from the hazelnuts (a tedious job, but someone has to do it). Put the hazelnuts, garlic, and pignolis in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until well ground.

Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper to the bowl. While the processor is running, pour the extra-virgin olive oil through the shoot. I don’t typically measure the olive oil, but simply eye-ball it until it reaches my desired consistency, which is a slightly more liquid-y paste (about ¾ of a cup); this allows me to use the pesto as a spread, as well as a sauce. You can always add more olive oil, but it’s hard to take it away.

Add the grated parmesan and process for another minute or so. The basil should be very fine, and the consistency should look easily spreadable, but still somewhat thick.

Serve over pasta (add a bit of the hot water that the pasta cooked in to ensure even coverage), toasted baguettes, as a sandwich spread, etc. Also, pesto freezes very well, so don’t worry about tossing it in tupperware and keeping for another time.

Classic Lasagna

Jessica — Tue, 05 May 2009 12:00:21 +0000

Lasagna is not something that I frequently crave, but when that craving does strike, nothing but fat noodles dripping with a beefy tomato sauce and pounds of cheese will do.

This particular craving hit a few weeks ago, and I went searching for an appropriate lasagna recipe. Most of my cookbooks featured recipes that attempted to create a sophisticate of this very rustic dish – lots of herbs and spices that I had never entertained as a possible addition to a lasagna recipe – and I dismissed them immediately.

I finally came across a recipe in my Here in America’s Test Kitchen cookbook that looked like it would fit the bill – all meat, tomatoes, cheese, and pasta – with nothing to mar or detract from the dish’s soothing tastes and textures.

The one indulgence I did include was substituting real mozzarella for the shredded, bagged version. I simply sliced it into large rounds and layered it throughout. It was a small touch, but you can really taste the distinction.

We’re running out of chilly nights, so make this one while you can…

Oh, and one last thing… for those of us without 8 mouthes to feed, this freezes perfectly. Just cut into your desired portion size, pop into some tupperware, and into the freezer it goes until you get another comfort food craving.

Click here for the printable version of the recipe

Classic Lasagna, Serves 8

Adapted from Here in America’s Test Kitchen

Ingredients:

For the Tomato Meat Sauce

1 Tbls. Olive Oil

1 Onion, finely chopped

6 Cloves of Garlic, minced

1/3 lb. Ground Beef

1/3 lb. Ground Veal

1/3 lb. Ground Pork

½ Tsp. Salt

½ Tsp. Pepper

¼ Cup Heavy Cream

1 28oz. Can of Pureed Tomatoes

1 28oz. Can of Diced Tomatoes

For the Cheese & Pasta Layers

15oz. Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese

1 ¼ Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated

½ Cup Basil Leaves, chopped

1 Egg, lightly beaten

½ Tsp. Salt

½ Tsp. Pepper

8oz. No-Boil Lasagna Noodles

16oz. Fresh Mozzarella, sliced into rounds

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375°.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to make sure they don’t brown.

Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the ground meats, salt, and pepper, and cook for 4 minutes, using a wooden spoon to break up any big clumps of ground meat.

Add the heavy cream and stir constantly for 4 minutes. Add the cans of tomatoes, diced and pureed, and bring to a simmer. Once the mixture starts to slightly boil, turn the heat down to medium-low and cook for another 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, remove from the heat and set aside.

To make the cheese mixture, mix the ricotta, 1 cup of the parmesan, basil, egg, salt, and pepper in a bowl until well-blended. Set aside.

Now for the layering…. this was always the fun part when I was a little girl, mainly because it was the only one that I was allowed maximum involvement.

Smear the bottom of a casserole dish (13×9) with enough meat sauce to cover it thinly. Add a layer of noodles on top – don’t worry if they don’t fit perfectly, you can either leave small gaps or break a few noodles to measure. Add a layer of the cheese mixture by dropping large dollops of the mixture on top of the noodles and spread with the back of a spoon.

Once the cheese mixture is spread, add enough mozzarella rounds to adequately cover the layer. Cover the dish with 1 ½ cups of the tomato meat mixture. Repeat layering of ingredients one more time, and finish with a layer of noodles. Spread the remaining sauce over the noodles, cover with remaining mozzarella rounds, and finish with the remaining ¼ cup of parmesan.

Don't worry about the particulars... just layer generously.

Lightly spray a piece of aluminum foil with cooking spray and cover the casserole dish.

Bake for 15 minutes; remove the foil and bake for 25 more minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the casserole dish for 15 minutes.

Cut into generous portions and serve with a hearty green, like sauteed kale.

Enjoy!

A REAL Veggie Dish… Tuscan White Bean Soup with Kale

Jessica — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:00:56 +0000

So, I’ve received just a tiny bit of flack for featuring a veggie dish that contained prosciutto in the Veggie Dinners post and sought to rectify the situation. In my defense, the second recipe was strictly vegetarian, but I understand that there is a ‘truth-in-advertising’ issue with a post titled “Veggie Dinners” that features prosciutto. Lest I invoke the wrath of any more vegetarians, I will own that the base of this soup is a chicken stock – because that is what I always have on hand – but vegetable stock could easily be used as a substitute.

Tuscan White Bean Soup is a recipe that is both categorically healthy – carrots, white beans, and kale constitute its base – and all succor, warmth, and comfort. It is not every recipe that can soothe both the spirit and the body, but this recipe does so perfectly.

This is a lazy, rainy Sunday dish – while it takes a few hours from start to finish, few of the stages require more than the most perfunctory of efforts. There is no vigor with this soup – it is all calm, whiling away the hours, watching rain run down windows, perusing DVD collections, and wrapping-up in a blanket.

This particular recipe is a mix of two separate recipes that I came across. I liked the ingredient list in From Our House to Yours, which features the recipe from Janet Fletcher’s Fresh From the Farmers’ Market, but the preparation was just a tad too tedious for me (and would have turned it into a Lazy Week recipe), so I incorporated a few of the steps from Italian Classics that would help to speed the process up a bit. The result is an easy recipe that can be started late morning and enjoyed early to mid-afternoon.

Click here for a printable version of the recipe

Tuscan White Bean Soup with Kale

Ingredients:

1lb. Dried Cannellini Beans

10 Cups Water

1 Tbls. + 2 Tsp. Salt

¼ Cup Olive Oil

2 Onions; 1 chopped, 1 separated into layers

2 Carrots, diced into ½ inch pieces

4 Garlic Cloves, minced

3 Tbls. Fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley, minced

2 Bay Leaves

4 Cups Chicken Stock, preferably homemade (or substitute veggie stock)

1 Cup Kale, rough chopped

Freshly Grated Parmesan, Salt & Pepper, to taste

Preparation:

Put the dried cannellini beans, 2 Tsp. of salt, and the onion with layers separated into a large stock pot. Cover with the 10 cups of water. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 1 hour.

Remove the pot from the heat and allow the beans to rest in the oniony liquid for another 30 minutes.

Strain the beans and onions and reserve the simmering liquid for use later.

Heat the ¼ cup of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the uncooked onion, carrots, garlic, parsley, and bay leaves and saute for 10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.

Add the drained beans and onions, chicken stock, and 2 cups of the oniony simmer liquid to the pot. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Bring to a light boil over medium-high heat, cover the pot, and turn the heat down to medium-low. Cook the soup, stirring occasionally for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

A few mindless stirs is all the attention this soup will need for the next hour.

Remove the bay leaves from the soup. Take 4 cups of the soup from pot and process in a blender or food processor until pureed. Return the puree to the pot and incorporate well and continue to cook over medium-low heat.

This veggie bean mush will give a hearty substance to the soup.

Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the 1 Tbls. of salt. Add the roughly chopped kale to the pot and boil for 2-3 minutes. Drain the kale and add to the soup.

If the soup is too thick, you can always add in a bit more of the oniony simmering liquid to thin it out, but I tend to like my soup thick.

When you’re ready to serve, add a little bit of freshly grated parmesan, salt & pepper.