Baked Rigatoni

I love pasta. Pasta makes me happy. Pasta in red sauce, pasta in soups, pasta in salads with greens and good cheese. I could go on (but I won't, out of consideration for you and your attention span).

It's not just the pasta, though. I love making tomato sauces and playing with the flavors. I love how different the sauces can taste just by adding different elements or changing the cooking times on a core group of ingredients.
It wasn't that long ago that I made Spaghetti with Bacon and Fennel. This dish, which is also a tomato sauce with fennel, tasted completely different. Brighter, warmer. The vegetables add body and depth of flavor to the sauce. I wanted the sauce to be the highlight, so it's lighter on cheese than most baked pastas, which usually seem to be half cheese.

I used about 2 ounces of goat cheese in this, which made the sauce incredibly rich and creamy without being heavy. It may sound a bit odd, but give it a try, and let me know what you think.

Baked Rigatoni
4 serving
1 lb ground pork
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 bulb fennel, diced
3/4 c shitaki mushrooms, chopped
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/4 c red wine
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 T dried oregano
1 T Italian seasonings
1 T pesto
8 oz rigatoni
6 oz assorted grated cheese*
2 T grated Parmesan
*I used 2 oz Colby, 2 oz Monterrey jack, and 2 oz goat cheese.

1. Preheat the oven to 375.
   
2. Heat 1 T of the olive oil in a high-sided skillet over medium high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the ground pork and cook until browned, 5-7 minutes. Remove the pork from the pan and set it aside for now.
   
3. To the same pan, add an additional 1 T olive oil and allow it to warm. Add the onion, celery, carrot, fennel, salt, and pepper to the pan. Saute until tender and just slightly browned, 10 minutes.
   
4. Stir in the mushrooms and cook until slightly tender, 5 minutes. Once the mushrooms are slightly tender, pour in the red wine and scrape the bottom of the pan. Allow the mixture to simmer gently until most of the liquid has evaporated.
   
5. In a separate bowl, mix the crushed tomato, oregano, pesto, and Italian seasoning. Pour the tomato mixture into the pan and simmer for 20 minutes.
   
6. While the tomato mixture simmers, cook the pasta according to package directions and grate the cheeses. Drain the pasta and add the pasta and all the cheese EXCEPT the Parmesan to the pan and stir to combine.
   
7. Move the pasta to an oven-proof dish and sprinkle the Parmesan on top. Bake 20-25 minutes until browned.
   
8. Enjoy.

Dandelion Greens with Roasted Hazelnuts

I love the sharp bitterness of dandelion greens. A friend told me once that dandelion greens remove the winter impurities from our systems. Whether that's true or not, I'll leave up to others. For me, it's enough to know that some things pair very, very well together. The sharpness of the greens blends with the creamy smoothness of the goat cheese and the rich nuttiness of the roasted hazelnuts. The pear and blueberries add more texture and flavor to round out the salad.

Dandelion Greens with Roasted Hazelnuts
4 serving
1/4 c hazelnuts
2 oz goat cheese
1 bunch dandelion greens
1 d'anjou pear, sliced
1/4 c blueberries
vinaigrette

1. Roast hazelnuts at 375 for 10 minutes, shaking the pan periodically. Remove from the oven and let them cool. As they cool, the skins will crack. Rub the hazelnuts in a clean dishtowel to remove the skins. Roughly chop the hazelnuts.
   
2. Wash the dandelion greens and remove the bottom third or so of the stem. Place the greens in a serving bowl.
   
3. Chop the pear into bite-sized pieces.
   
4. Add the remaining ingredients to the salad; toss to combine.
   
5. Serve with a plain or raspberry vinaigrette.

Smoothies

Smoothies are wonderful weekend breakfasts. I suppose, technically, they'd be great weekday breakfasts, but I never think to make them unless I'm having a Lounge Around on the Couch Day. Since that makes me sound lazy, I'll also tell you that I really like these smoothies right after a run.

Usually, I use yogurt, but this time I happened to have some kefir in the fridge. Kefir is a yogurt-like beverage, and it made the smoothie a touch more tart, and that much more delicious.

The other reason I love this recipe is because I can use my immersion blender. I got it for Christmas and I love it so much that I look for recipes that require blending, just so I can use it.

Smoothies
1 serving
1/2 c plain kefir (or plain, unsweetened yogurt)
2 T peanut butter
3/4 c roughly chopped strawberries
1/4 c blueberries
milk, as needed

1. Pull out your trusty blender and combine the kefir, peanut butter, strawberries, and blueberries. Add milk, if necessary, to thin the consistency a bit.

English Muffin Pizzas

I mentioned recently that when left to my own devices, I sometimes have cheese and crackers for dinner. This week will be one of those weeks. When Clive travels, I always have english muffin pizzas at least once.

My mom made these when my brother and I were little. I love the crispy edges of the english muffin and the happiness of melted cheese. For me, these are the definition of comfort food. They've become my go-to dinner of choice when I'm on my own for dinner and don't want to spend a lot of time cooking (or doing the dishes afterward).



These are endlessly adaptable, which makes them easy to love. Spinach, onions, kale, sausage, blue cheese - they're all candidates, though perhaps not at the same time. And the best part? They cook on a foil-lined baking sheet, so dishes? Not so much.

English Muffin Pizzas
1 serving
1 english muffin
1 T tomato sauce (or spaghetti sauce)
2 slices mozzarella
2 mushrooms, sliced
4 slices pepperoni
1/2 t oregano

1. Cut the english muffin in half and put it on a foil-lined baking sheet.
   
2. Spoon the tomato sauce onto the english muffins and add the oregano.
   
3. Turn on the broiler and heat the english muffins for 2-3 minutes, just to warm the sauce and add a touch of crispiness.
   
4. Remove the pan from the oven and add the mushrooms, pepperoni, and mozzarella. Return the pan to the oven, leaving the door ajar, and cook for 5 minutes, until the cheese is browned and the pepperoni is getting crispy on the edges. Be sure to watch them carefully; the broiler typically goes from 'warm' to 'blackened' very quickly.
   
5. Serve with a green salad.

Macaroni and Cheese

For a long time, I didn't like macaroni and cheese.

I know.

I can't believe it either. I don't like things that are texturally the same. I have a similar issue with risotto. I get bored, then I start to actively dislike it, and before you know it, I've maligned two perfectly good dishes because I'm an oddball.

Meh.

Once I started cooking more regularly, though, I realized that I could tweak recipes and make thing however I wanted. Substitute this for that. Take out things I dislike and add things I do like. And that? That is why macaroni and cheese will forever be on my list of perfect foods.

This recipe originally came from my grandma, who introduced me to the idea that macaroni and cheese didn't have to come from a box. For that, I will be forever grateful. I took the recipe and tweaked it, because I'm contrary and like mushrooms.
Did I lose you? Sorry. I got sidetracked.

This macaroni and cheese has sauteed mushrooms and onions that add a depth of flavor and deliciousness. It also has bacon, because I seem to be a on a bit of a bacon kick lately. Make of that what you will.

Before the oven:

After the oven:

Macaroni and Cheese
1 t olive oil
1/2 c onion, chopped
1/2 c crimini mushrooms, chopped
1/2 c shitaki mushrooms, chopped
1 glove garlic, minced
1 t paprika
2 T flour
3/4 c whole milk
1/2 c monterrey jack cheese, grated
1/2 c mozzarella cheese, grated
1/4 c parmesan cheese, grated
spiral pasta

1. Preheat the oven to 375.
   
2. Cook the pasta according to package instructions, drain, and set aside.
   
3. Heat a Dutch oven over medium high heat, adding the oil when the pan is slightly warm. Add the onion and cook 2-3 minutes. Slide the mushrooms and paprika into the pot and cook until softened, 10 minutes. Add the garlic and heat until fragrant, 30 seconds.
   
4. Sprinkle the flour over the onion and mushroom mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the flour is slightly browned, 2-3 minutes.
   
5. Pour the milk into the pan, scraping the bottom well, and add the cheese. Stir to combine and allow the milk to heat through. The mixture will thicken.
   
6. Scrape down the sides (if you're baking the macaroni and cheese in a different pan, transfer it now) and sprinkle the top with Parmesan. Move the pan to the oven and bake for 30-45 minutes until the top is browned and slightly bubbly around the edges.
   
7. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then serve and enjoy.

Spaghetti with Fennel and Bacon

Spring-like weather is here and all sorts of flowers are blooming (none of which I can name. Wait. That's not true. I can name daffodils. And dandelions. Those are flowers). Flowers aside, once the sun goes down, the temperatures do, too, so it's still safe to eat super hearty pasta. This one has fennel (that's the fennel on the left there). Crispy!

Sauteed until softened and just barely caramelized, the vegetables make the pasta decidedly hearty and awesome.

A giant handful of parsley brightens the pasta with happy little flecks of green.

This is a really delicious dish that does a nice job of being both hearty and just this side of spring-like. Plus, it has bacon in it. Did I mention the bacon? Looooove the bacon.

Spaghetti with Fennel and Bacon
Serves 4
1 strip bacon
1/4 c red onion
1/4 c carrot, chopped
1/4 c celery, chopped
1/2 c fennel, chopped
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 (15 oz) can chopped tomatoes
1/4 c red wine
2 T parsley, chopped
1 T fennel fronds, chopped
spaghetti

1. Heat a dry pan over medium high heat for about a minute. Add the bacon and cook until crisp and most of the fat has rendered. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside.
2. Add the chopped vegetables, salt and pepper to the bacon fat in the pan and saute until the vegetables are tender and slightly browned, 10 minutes.
3. Use the wine to deglaze the pan and scrape all the yumminess off the bottom. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, then add the tomatoes.
4. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer about 30 minute to allow the flavor to meld.
5. Meahwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions.
6. Serve with grated Parmesan and a glass of wine.
Because wine is good with pasta.

Evidence of Spring: Flowers

Ok, that last one isn't technically a flower. It's something I bought to replace other plants that didn't fare so well under my care.