Linguine & Smashed Tarragon Peas with Pistachio-Panko Crumbs

Happy Earth Day! What a great day to renew some vows to take care of the earth, whether it be to recycle more, shop at the local farmer's market, start a composting bin or to make more veggie meals. Here's a great veggie meal that is tasty and doesn't take a lot of time. The smashed peas adds the creaminess of this dish, so you won't even miss the cream and what I love about making pistachio-Panko crumbs is they are a great substitute for grated cheese. And the best part, you have a great meal on the table in no time, which is great on a day like today, so you can spend some time outdoors. Enjoy!

• 4 oz. linguine, cooked al dente
• 1 heaping cup petite peas, cooked and roughly smashed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon julienned sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil
• 2 tablespoons plain Panko crumbs
• 1 teaspoon raw pistachios, minced to the texture of Panko
• a few leaves of fresh tarragon, roughly chopped
• sea salt

First, start off by making your pistachio-Panko crumbs. They can easily burn, so they require a little extra attention. In a heavy bottomed pan, heat a tablespoon of the olive oil on low heat, when the oil is not quite sizzling toss in the Panko crumbs, give it a good stir and add in the pistachio crumbs and a nice amount of sea salt. Keep stirring the crumbs allowing them to lightly brown. Once they are golden, allow them to dry and drain on a paper towel. While you cook the linguine, in a heavy bottomed pan on low heat, heat a tablespoon of the olive oil and the sun-dried tomatoes until the oil is sizzling, add in the smashed peas until heated through. Toss in the tarragon and season with sea salt and keep warm, until the linguine is cooked. Once the linguine is done, drain, reserving a tablespoon or more of the pasta water. Toss the linguine and water with the peas. Divide among plates, or share from one and top with the crumbs. Serves 2, double or triple, as needed.

Cavatelli & Baby Kale

"Cavatelli and Broccoli" rolls off the tongue a lot easier than "Cavatelli and Baby Kale" but it satisfies the taste buds sitting on the tongue, just the same or pretty close. As many times as I've tried to make cavatelli and broccoli at home, it doesn't come out as good as from a restaurant. But if I'm completely honest here, I like when the cavatelli and broccoli are slicked with garlicky oil and I like to dip my bread into the pools of oil sitting on the bottom of the plate, (no judgement please, lol) slick and shiny, resembling mini ice skating rinks. My bread, being skates, gliding along the slippery plate. So, I've given up recreating the exact dish at home but have found a nice substitute for the broccoli found in the salad section, baby kale. And it makes a nice dish at home that's quick, easy and tasty. Perfect for this hustling and bustling time of year. Enjoy!

• 13 oz. bag frozen cavatelli
• 3 cups tightly packed baby kale, roughly chopped
• 8 cloves of garlic, smashed and finely minced
• 2 quarts of water
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil plus a drizzle for the pasta water 
• sea salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a large pot, bring the water up to a boil and add in the bouillon cube and a drizzle of olive oil. Stir well, so the bouillon cube dissolves. Add more salt if needed. Toss in your cavatelli and cook for about 5 minutes, until they rise to the top. Drain them and reserve 1/4 cup or more of the pasta water. In the meantime, in a large pan, combine the garlic, butter and olive oil and saute on low heat, stirring often until the garlic turns nice and soft, if you see it beginning to brown, add a tablespoon or two of the pasta water to slow down the cooking process. Once the garlic is soft, toss in the kale until wilted. It doesn't take long at all for it to wilt. Toss in the cavatelli and 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Season with sea salt if needed and fresh ground black pepper. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and give it a nice toss. Drizzle with a little extra olive oil if you like. Makes 2-3 servings.

Black Ink Spaghetti with Squid

Everyone will scream in horror and run from the table, when they see squid tentacles falling over the plate, unexpectedly reaching and grasping to take hold of any helpless victim that falls in their path. (Ok, maybe not scream but it will be fun for sure, it's not every night that you have black ink spaghetti and squid tentacles for dinner.) For some reason the theme song from Jaws keeps playing in my head, when the shark is oh so close and everyone runs from the water, screaming, just as everyone will run from that dinner table. That was a great movie. I really need to watch Jaws over the weekend! Speaking of weekend, everyone have a great one and enjoy the fall foliage, carving pumpkins and grasping tentacles that you have to fight off, for dinner. ;)

• 4 oz. black ink spaghetti, cooked al dente
• 3/4 pound squid tentacles
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed and finely minced
• a pinch of red pepper flakes *optional
• 2 cups good marinara sauce
• 3 tablespoons light cream
• fresh ground black pepper
• sea salt, if needed

In a Dutch pot, on low heat combine the olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes. Saute for 5 minutes, until the garlic gets soft. Add the marinara sauce and heat until it's simmering, about 5 minutes. Add the squid and simmer for about 5 minutes until the squid turns opaque and is pink and purple in color. Scoop the squid out, leaving the sauce in the pot. On high heat, bring the sauce to a boil for 2-3 minutes, add in the cream, pepper and salt. Heat for another 2-3 minutes, until thickened. Toss in the squid and spaghetti, gently toss and enjoy! Serves 2. Double or triple the recipe as needed. Enjoy!

Candele Lunghe in a Tomato Beef Sauce

Can also be called, "Worms in Tomato Sauce" for the older boys and girls that delight in a little bit of "ILLLL!" and "YUCK!" and similar squeals of the Halloween season. This is great to make on Halloween, before the kids go out trick or treating. You can make this ahead and just heat it up in the oven, the day of. Or you can even make it over the weekend and freeze it. (Just defrost before baking.) This is great for an adult Halloween party also! If you can't find candele lunghe you can use bucatini in its' place. And you can certainly use ground turkey instead of the ground beef, I actually prefer turkey over beef any day, but found free range, grass fed organic ground beef that I couldn't pass up. You can always make this dish vegetarian also! It's really important, to use a marinara sauce that isn't laden with oil, otherwise the pasta will be swimming in oil and you will get an ill and a yuck, but not the kind you were anticipating, that comes with a giggle, lol. Enjoy and have a happy weekend!

• 1 pound candele lunghe pasta,broken in half, cooked al dente
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
• 5 small tomatoes, like Campari, roughly chopped equalling a cup
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed and minced
• 1 24 oz. jar good marinara sauce (or a little larger)
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
• 1 juniper berry
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 clove
• sea salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• olive oil for drizzling
• 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Begin by heating up a drizzle of olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan, add the beef, juniper berry, bay leaf, clove, paprika, salt and pepper. Saute the meat until browned, breaking it up as needed and cooked through, set aside. In the same pan, add a drizzle of olive oil and saute the tomatoes and the garlic on low heat for about 10 minutes, until the tomatoes and garlic are cooked through. Add the jar of tomato sauce and cook for ten minutes. Discard the juniper berry, bay leaf and clove and add the beef to the sauce.

Use a nice amount of olive oil when cooking your pasta, so they don't stick to each other. Stirring the pasta often. Drain carefully and , use tongs to handle the hot pasta and spread out the noodles on parchment paper, so they don't stick to each other. Spoon 2 cups of the sauce down in a 13x9 pan and top with a layer of tightly packed candele lunghe.

Spoon on 1 cup of ricotta cheese. Follow by 2 more cups of tomato sauce. Top your sauce with another tight layer of the pasta. Spoon on another cup of ricotta cheese, followed by a layer of pasta. Ending with the remaining tomato sauce. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top and bake in a 350 degree, preheated oven for 30 minutes. This serves 6-8.

King Oyster Mushroom Parmesan

I love chicken and eggplant Parmesan! And I think it's the one dish that almost everyone enjoys. The other day, I grilled up some king oyster mushrooms and they were so delicious, I immediately thought, "This needs to be Parmesan-ed." Juicy breaded meaty mushrooms, swimming in a good marinara sauce topped with bubbling hot cheeses placed on top of a oh-so-perfect mound of spaghetti. What's not to love? Such soul satisfying comfort food, on a chilly, almost autumn night. The only thing needed to complete the meal is a green salad tossed with an olive vinaigrette and a nice glass of wine. There is something bad about this meal, I gotta admit, you just want more of it, lol. It's just that good! Serves 6.

• 10 oz. king oyster mushroom, about 3, bottoms trimmed
• 1 25 oz. jar good marinara sauce, warmed through
• 4 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 2 eggs, beaten
• canola oil, for frying
• 3/4 pound spaghetti, cooked al dente

Wipe your mushrooms clean with a damp cloth. Next, trim the mushroom caps, lengthwise, so they are even with the stems, so it's easier to fry. You can reserve the trimmings for another use. You can toss them into a broth, soup or stew, to give it a little extra flavor. Cut your mushrooms lengthwise, so they are about 1/4 inch thick.

Dip your mushroom slices into the egg, followed by the bread crumbs. Have everything breaded and ready to go into the oil. Heat up your canola oil on low to medium heat. Fry the mushroom slices for about a minute to two minutes per each side. Drain on paper towels and move them onto a paper bag. Fry in batches, until all of them are done. Next, take half of the sauce and pour it into a heavy weight 13x9 inch baking pan. Arrange the mushroom slices so they all fit in one layer.

Top with the remaining half of the tomato sauce and the grated mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Place in the oven, about 6 inches away from the broiler, which is set on high. Broil for 8 minutes, until bubbly and browned on top. Every oven is different, so keep that oven light on and keep an eye on it, so it doesn't burn. Enjoy!

Egg Pappadelle with Beef Ragu

It's been a little chilly on the east coast. And as the chill comes in, the sweatpants come out. It's not a pretty picture, lol and I just want carbs, carbs and more carbs! And the best carb, welcome cooler weather dish to make, is a hearty beef ragu, that simmers on the stove for a couple hours and is tossed with pappadelle. It's comforting-soothing-the-soul type of dinner fare, it's just satisfying. This is great to make on a lazy Saturday or Sunday, where you have a little more time. Use good Parmesan cheese to top your pappadelle with and you will be in love with this dish. This beef ragu recipe makes 8 servings. So you can enjoy half today, and freeze the rest for another day. Serves 4. Enjoy!

• 1 1/2 pounds beef chuck short ribs, on the lean side
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1-2 porcini mushroom bouillon cubes
• 4 cups water
• 2 pounds fresh garden tomatoes
• 2 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream *optional
• a pinch of Vegeta or any all purpose seasoning that you like
• a few basil leaves, minced
• fresh ground black pepper
• sea salt
• 8 oz. egg pappadelle, cooked al dente

Lightly salt your beef ribs. In a Dutch oven heat up the olive oil on low to medium heat, once sizzling add in the beef ribs meat side down. Let your meat get a nice brown crust and turn over to brown the other sides. Keep an eye on your meat as it can burn easily. Brown the side with the meat closest to the bone last. Once your beef is browned, add in four cups of water and bring to a boil. Add in a porcini mushroom cube and taste to see if you need to add another. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for one hour. In the mean time, bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch the tomatoes. Gently drain them and let them cool. Once cool enough to handle, peel your tomatoes and roughly chop them. To your tomatoes, add your garlic and with a hand immersion blender, blend until smooth. In a small Dutch oven, melt your tablespoon of butter. Once your butter is sizzling, add in the tomato puree. Let it simmer for 30 minutes on its' own. When your hour is up simmering the beef broth, carefully remove the beef and add to the tomato sauce along with 1 cup of the porcini beef broth. The remaining beef broth can be frozen for future use or served before the pasta with freshly made garlic croutons. Bring your tomato and beef to a boil. Once you have a boil going, lower the heat and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Once the hour is up, remove the beef and the bones, by this time, the meat is so tender that its' fallen off its' bone. Let the tomato sauce continue simmering. With a knife, carefully remove the chewy tissue that is closest to the bone. It's a little tough and you don't want that up against a perfectly tender pappadelle noodle. Cut the meat up and naturally with a fork, you will be able to break up the meat almost shredding it. Once broken up, put it back into the pot, until it is simmering again. Once simmering again, add in the heavy cream, Vegeta, basil and the fresh ground pepper and stir. Gently toss in the pappadelle so they are all coated with the beef ragu. Put on those comfy sweat pants, sit in a comfy chair and enjoy. ;)

Champagne Grapes & Gorgonzola Cheese Sauce with Spaghetti

As I stood at the stove waiting for the the water to boil, I yearned for something a little more interesting for dinner but I didn't want to sacrifice time. I wanted something quick but something gourmet. I love September for many reasons and the different varieties of grapes available are one of them. I love Concord and Champagne grapes, they are always a treat for me, come this time of year. I could eat a bunch of Concord grapes for dinner and be a happy girl. As I stood there, tossing the spaghetti into the boiling water, salting it and giving it a drizzle of olive oil, I thought of the Champagne grapes that I planned to munch on, while looking through the Vogue September issue. Once I opened the fridge and saw those grapes, they were practically begging to be combined with the Gorgonzola cheese that was sitting on the second shelf and the spaghetti that was boiling away on the stove. Was I excited, as I put away that jar of roasted garlic tomato sauce, as deeply satisfying it is, at times. This dish doesn't take much time but tastes like it took all day! I loved this dish and I hope you do too! This serves 3, but it's so good, that it could just end up serving 2. ;)

• 1/2 pound spaghetti, cooked until al dente
• 1 cup of Champagne grapes
• 1 cup loosely packed crumbly Gorgonzola cheese plus a few slivers for garnish
• 2 oz. light cream
• 1/2 pat unsalted butter
• a few hazelnuts, crushed and roughly chopped for garnish

In a non-stick pan, melt the butter on low to medium heat until it sizzles, add the cream and cheese, stir with a spatula until the cream thickens up and the cheese melts. This only takes about a minute or two. Add the grapes and increase the heat to high until the grapes are warmed through. This takes about 3 minutes. I'm telling you, this dish is so quick to pull together! The only time consuming part of this dish, is the water boiling for the spaghetti and pulling the grapes off their branches! Pour over the spaghetti and combine well. Garnish with the a sliver of cheese and the chopped hazelnuts. Enjoy!

Rigatoni & Asparagus with Lemon Ricotta Cream

Over easy eggs can finish a meal like nothing else. And this creamy and lemony pasta dish is complete once it's topped with a silky smooth, over easy egg. Once the yolk breaks over the dish and falls into the tiny crevices of the rigatoni, there is nothing more you need! The best part of this dish, it's so quick to put together! This is great in a pinch for dinner but I think it would be nice served for brunch also. This serves 3-4 people.

• 1/2 pound rigatoni, cooked al dente
• 1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed to the length of the rigatoni and blanched
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• zest of 1 lemon
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 4 tablespoons heavy cream
• freshly grated nutmeg, just a touch
• fresh ground pepper
• sea salt
• 3-4 eggs
• 3-4 pats unsalted butter

When I cooked my rigatoni, about half way through I threw in the asparagus but if you are unsure of times, you can cook it separately. (Anything to avoid more dishes, lol) Combine the ricotta cheese, heavy cream, lemon zest, juice, nutmeg, salt and fresh ground pepper until well combined. Into the lemon ricotta cream, pour in the rigatoni and toss  gently until each piece of rigatoni is coated. Top each serving with an over easy egg cooked in butter and pass around the freshly ground pepper. Enjoy!

Spaghetti with Arugula & Potato Pesto

Arugula, one of my favorite bitter greens. I love simple arugula salads with sweet tomatoes, a few oil cured olives, a little ricotta cheese, topped with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh ground pepper. I even like it with my turkey burger. But there are times that arugulas' strong bite can be overwhelming and I want a more of a mellowed out arugula flavor and that's where this arugula and potato "pesto" comes in. This is great to use up any arugula that you may have lingering in that rectangular plastic container. The potato takes the arugulas' edge off and gives the pasta a nice creaminess, without heavy cream. This is a quick meal to make on a hurried night. This makes 3 servings.

• 1/2 pound spaghetti cooked al dente
• 1 medium size potato, peeled, quartered and cooked until fork tender
• 1 cup tightly packed baby arugula, trimmed of stems
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley
• 1 clove of garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 heaping teaspoon raw walnuts plus more for garnish
• 1 heaping tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese plus more for garnish
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• fresh ground pepper
• sea salt

In a deep bowl, combine the arugula, parsley, garlic, walnuts, cheese and olive oil with a hand blender. Season with fresh ground pepper and sea salt to taste. Add more garlic if you like. Once your potato is cooked though, break it up with a fork until the potato is about pea size. I let it cool a little before I broke it up. Lightly toss the spaghetti, pesto and potato together until well combined. The potato, once tossed with the spaghetti and pesto will break down a little. I didn't toss it too much because I kinda enjoy the little bits of potato swirled around with the spaghetti especially when combined with the walnuts pieces and grated cheese. Enjoy!

Tomato & Butter Gigli with Ricotta Salata Crumbs

Julia Child would have celebrated her 100th birthday today and I have a feeling, if she can see all of us celebrating her life, she would be a happy lady. I should have made a coq au vin or a French onion soup today in her honor but I used enough butter that I think it would have made her smile. ;) I loved watching her cook on Sunday afternoons, I think she was on at 3pm. I got lost as I watched her cook and fell in love with her passion, charm and humor. And she loved butter as much as I did, lol. This dish celebrates that love, combining butter with garden ripe tomatoes and gigli pasta. Enjoy!

• 1/2 pound gigli pasta or any pasta with ridges, cooked al dente
• 1 pound cherry tomatoes, smashed and halved
• 1 shallot, cut in half lengthwise, sliced thin and divided
• 1 large garlic clove
• 1 ciabatta roll, broken up into crumbs
• a few purple & green basil leaves, ripped up
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• a handful ricotta salata cheese, crumbled, (about a half a cup)
• sea salt 
• fresh ground pepper

In a pan, combine 2 tablespoons of the butter and half of the shallot slices. Let this cook for about three to four minutes until the shallot is softened and begins to brown. Once it begins to brown, add in the ciabatta crumbs, a little salt and a little basil. Let the crumbs get crisp and brown a little bit. Once they are almost done, add in the crumbled ricotta salada until warmed through, stirring often. Into a dutch oven, combine 2 tablespoons of the unsalted butter, olive oil, the remaining shallot and the garlic on low heat. Let it cook until the shallot and garlic are softened, about five minutes. Add in the tomatoes and let them cook on low heat for about ten minutes. If there is still alot of liquid in your pan, increase the heat to high until the liquids have reduced, add in the basil leaves, sea salt and ground pepper. Toss the pasta with the sauce and serve with the ricotta salata crumbs. This serves 3-4.

Portabella Mushroom & Goat Cheese Pennoni Dish

Mushrooms, how do I love thee, let me count the ways...and this is one of them. This is going to sound a little strange but I was really in the mood for a cheese steak sandwich but didn't have the steak or the rolls. lol So I tried to translate those flavors into a pasta dish using portabella mushrooms for the meatiness and goat cheese for the cheese factor. And I'm not going to say I hit the nail on the head, lol but I will say this dish was decadent and delicious and if you are a mushroom lover and are celebrating goat cheese month ;), you will enjoy this dish!

• 1/2 pound pennoni pasta, Ziti, farfalle or rotini would be a great substitute
• 1/2 pound portabella mushrooms, cut in half then cut into strips about the length of the pasta, cooked al dente
• 1 cubanelle pepper, seeded, quartered and sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed and minced
• 1 good small tomato, diced
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
• 5 tablespoons heavy cream
• sea salt
• fresh ground pepper

In a Dutch oven, combine the butter, olive oil and the garlic. Let it saute over low heat until the garlic is soft. Add in the mushrooms, pepper, tomato and season with a little salt, saute on low heat for half an hour on low heat. The liquids will release so increase the heat on high for about five minutes until the liquid reduces. Keep an eye on it and stir if needed because it can easily burn. After it reduces stir in the goat cheese and the heavy cream. Stir until the goat cheese has melted into the sauce and is warmed through. Season with sea salt if needed and fresh ground pepper and stir in the cooked pasta. Serve this right away, nice and hot! Serves four.

Spaghetti Korma

Going out for Indian food is such a treat for me because the nearest Indian restaurant is a about an hour away. So when I go, I savor all of the intense gorgeous flavors. I love the heat of the tandoori, the creaminess of a korma sauce, the crunch of poppadoms, refreshing raita sauce and a cooling mango lassi. I could have a mango lassi for dessert and be a happy girl. But when I want that Indian flavor at home, I make a pretty easy spaghetti korma. You can always serve the korma over basmati rice or have a nice bowl served with naan bread for a more traditional Indian meal but the spaghetti korma is fun and unexpected! This isn't a hot and spicy curry sauce, more of a spice infused sauce but if you want more heat, you can always add Sriracha sauce!  A touch of Sriracha sauce does wonders to this dish! And I love taking a bite of naan bread and coming across a coriander seed, so I added a little more of them to the sauce, so adjust the seasonings to your liking! Enjoy!

• 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 head cauliflower, trimmed, using only the florets, reserving the stalks for another use
• 1 10 oz box frozen peas
• 1 small Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 cups water, as needed
• 2 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 3/4 teaspoon ginger powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon five spice powder
• 2 cardamon pods, left whole
• sea salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 1 pound spaghetti, cooked al dente
• crushed pistachio nuts, for garnish

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and add the sliced onion. Saute on low heat until translucent then add all of your spices. You can always add a little bit and then add more as you need. Stir your spices until fragrant, then stir in the tomato sauce and 2 cups of water. Let this come to a boil and simmer for about half an hour, until the liquids reduce. Add in your cauliflower florets and 1 cup of water, if needed. Only add the water if your sauce is too thick, if the sauce begins sticking on the bottom, add more water. Simmer your sauce until the cauliflower is cooked through, about half an hour. Stir in the frozen peas and simmer for a few minutes. Next, stir in the heavy cream and the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, let it simmer for a few minutes until it thickens again. Discard the cardamon pods and toss the spaghetti with the sauce, topping more of the korma sauce on top and garnish with pistachio nuts. This serves 6-8 people. Great for leftovers too!

Ditalini & Dandelion Greens Soup

Cooler, rainy weather has arrived! And that calls for soup! For anyone that isn't familiar with dandelion greens, they are a super bitter green that you can toss into salads combined with a milder one like bibb lettuce. Or you could saute them with a little olive oil and butter for a simple way to dress them and really enjoy the green for what it is. If you aren't a fan of bitter greens you can still make this soup using spinach. And for a leaner version instead of the pork sausage, you can use chicken or turkey sausage. For a veggie version, you can use veggie broth and throw in some cooked beans and wild rice. Great way to use the leftover pesto from Monday's recipe (July 16th post). This serves 4. Soup tastes great warm! Enjoy!

• 1 bunch of dandelion greens, about 4 cups tightly packed
• 1 1/2 cups ditalini pasta, cooked
• 1 pound bulk Italian pork sausage
• 32 oz. chicken broth, low-sodium
• 3 garlic cloves, smashed and minced
• 1 teaspoon dried mushrooms. I used champignon but any kind will do, if large just chop them up a little bit.
• 1 heaping teaspoon sun dried tomatoes packed in olive oil, minced
• 4 eggs, cooked over easy
• 4 teaspoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup basil pesto
• sea salt
• fresh ground pepper

Trim the tougher stems of the greens and roughly chop them, into small pieces. In a dutch oven, saute the sausage, stirring it and breaking it up often. Once the sausage is cooked through, stir in the garlic and the mushrooms. Saute for about five minutes. Stir in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. This soup is low in broth so you can always add more. Once it boils toss in the dandelion greens and the sun dried tomatoes. Cook on low heat for ten minutes. Toss in the pasta and give your soup a good stir. Adjust the seasonings if needed. If I'm not using my own chicken broth and using store-bought I like to get low sodium because you can always add more salt but you can't take it away. Once your soup is done, you can make your eggs in the butter. Ladle your soup into bowls, top each bowl with an egg and you can top with pesto or leave your pesto in a bowl to pass around. The soup is so good once your break the yolk, it thickens the soup beautifully and adds such great flavor.

Ziti with Creamed Cucumbers, Mushrooms & Sun Dried Tomatoes

Sauteed cucumbers tossed in a creamy sauce with sun dried tomatoes and earthy mushrooms combined with ziti hits the spot quickly on a busy night! It's a special little dish that will put a smile on your face. :)

• 1/4 pound ziti rigati, cooked al dente
• 1/2 seedless cucumber, peeled and quartered to about the length of the ziti
• 5 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cut julienned sun dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
• 3 oz. heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
•  sea salt & freshly ground pepper
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a colander salt the cucumbers and let them sit for about 20 minutes to draw the liquid out of them. Take a paper towel and pat them dry. In a dutch oven, melt the butter until it sizzles on medium heat, add in the cucumber until they brown lightly. Stir in the mushrooms until they brown and cooked. Next stir in the sun dried tomatoes with a little of the olive oil and saute for a few minutes. Add in the heavy cream and bring to a boil until it thickens. Season as needed with salt and fresh ground pepper. Stir in the cooked pasta and combine well. This serves 2, top with fresh Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

String Beans & Pennoni

There was about a month that my mom went through a string bean phase. She made them every possible way that she could with tomatoes. Sometimes she put extra onions and garlic, other times lots of dill or parsley. She left them whole, other times she trimmed them short. Sometimes fresh tomatoes were used instead of jarred marinara sauce. I would barely finished the first batch and there was already a call that the next batch was ready. And she always said they were better than the last. lol. I ate alot of string beans, lol. And would remix the recipe sometimes, including a not so tasty string bean salad but mixing it with pasta was the best. And I found myself craving it the other day, and I think once you try it, you may too!

• 1 pound string beans, trimmed to the size of the pennoni, cut at an angle
• 1/2 pound pennoni, if you can't find pennoni, ziti is a great substitute
• 1/2 a small onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, smashed and minced
• 1 or 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups good jarred marinara sauce
• 1 cup of part-skim ricotta cheese *optional
• chopped fresh dill, parsley or basil to garnish, whatever you are in the mood for. *optional

Bring enough water to a boil for the pasta and string beans. This is great to make if you are busy and want a quick home cooked meal. Once your water comes to a boil, add your pasta, string beans, a little olive oil and salt. What's great is they cook at the same time. In a separate pan, saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil on low heat. Once they are transparent, add the mariana sauce and bring to a boil and simmer for ten minutes. Once your pasta is al dente, drain and toss with your marinara sauce. Divide among your plates. This makes about 4 generous servings. Top with about 1/4 cup of ricotta cheese and some fresh chopped herb. I used parsley because I found a beautiful bunch at the farmers' market that I couldn't resist. ;) Enjoy!

Bolognese Pasta Bake

This is perfect if you are making a nice dinner at home to celebrate the special men in your life on Father's Day, whether they be your own dad, father to your babies, hubby or just an awesome guy. This dish takes some time to make but it is well worth the effort. Give the guys a day off from the grill, not that the gals can't grill! That reminds me of the time my husband told his whole family how great my steaks are! We piled the steaks on the grill and of course, I was so happy to be surrounded by my family, I kinda forgot about the steaks. Oh yeah, you guessed it. They were as burnt as toast! We all scraped at our burnt steaks making a special music together, the scraping done in unison, lol. The steaks were tough, similar to beef jerky, extra burnt flavor added, lol. So...if you are a looking for that comfort food to comfort the special men in your lives, this is a great dish to make minus heating up the charcoal! ;)

• 1 pound good ground pork
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed and finely chopped
• 2 small carrots. finely grated
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 28 oz. can crushed peeled Italian plum tomatoes, if the tomatoes pieces are too big you can crush by hand
• 1 bay leaf
• a few grates of fresh nutmeg
• a few grates of fresh cinnamon
• about 3 small dried mushrooms
• 1 allspice ball
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon Vegeta, or any all-purpose seasoning that you like
• 1 pound of fun pasta, I used dischi, shells and rotini are great, any pasta that will "hug" your sauce and cheese
• 2 pound container part skim ricotta cheese
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a Dutch oven, heat your oil on low heat, add in your shallots and garlic. You want to watch this, don't neglect it, the way I neglected the grill, lol. Stir often, you don't want this to burn. And if any piece does burn discard it, it ruins the sauce. Low and slow is the secret to sweating the shallots and garlic. Once the shallots and garlic are translucent add your ground pork, breaking it up. You don't want to brown the pork just cook it through. Add in your can of tomatoes, bay leaf, a little nutmeg and cinnamon (just a touch), dried mushrooms and the allspice ball. Cook covered for one hour and fifteen minutes on low heat. Stir often so it doesn't burn. Remove the bay leaf, allspice, mushrooms and discard and add in 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter. Taste your sauce and add seasoning if you need to. Cook your pasta, on the slightly under done side, it will continue cooking in the oven. Add a tablespoon of unsalted butter to your pasta. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees. Take half the sauce and spread evenly in a 13 x 9 inch pan. Spread half the pasta (3 cups) evenly on top. Spoon half the ricotta cheese (2 cups) on top of the pasta. The trick to good cheese coverage is using a small spoon. And then using a spatula to spread it out evenly. Follow by layers of the remaining sauce, the rest of the pasta and the cheese. On top of your ricotta cheese you want to grate the Parmesan cheese. Grate it fine and cover every inch of the pan, the best part, crunchy cheesy topping. Put the pan in the oven for about 10 minutes, keep an eye on it and add more time if it isn't as brown as you like. Pair this up with a green salad and dinner is served. Enjoy!




What a beautiful carb!



Cauliflower & Poppy Seed Ravioli with Roasted Asparagus

The first time I made this, was years ago, thinking the cauliflower would be a good filler for the ricotta cheese. I was trying to save some calories and it was pretty good! But it looked like it needed something and I threw in the poppy seeds and it really made this dish fun. This is great for a hearty vegetarian main course. Serve with crusty bread and fresh butter and a garden salad, and I think everyone will be happy.

• 1 small head cauliflower, trimmed so you only use the florets, boiled until soft, drained well and mashed
• 1 1/2 cups part skim ricotta cheese
• 1 package wonton wrappers
• 5 roasted garlic cloves (minced), from an olive bar, (only if you have on hand, I was craving olives the other day and threw these guys in the mix and they were left over, ate the good stuff first, lol)
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon Vegeta seasoning
• 1 big bunch young and tender asparagus drizzled with olive oil and salt, roasted at 450 for 20 minutes
• some unsalted butter, for sauteing the ravioli
• 1 jar good Vodka sauce
• some mint leaves, (optional)

Combine the cauliflower, ricotta cheese, garlic cloves, Vegeta seasoning (if none on hand, that's okay just use a good all-purpose seasoning that you like) and the poppy seeds. Stir well incorporating everything. Start making your raviolis! Take a won ton wrapper, add a tablespoon of filling in the center, dip your finger in water and draw a line around the edges and top with another won ton wrapper and seal closed.

Set up your ravioli station with a few large plates, one for the just made ravioli, one for the cooked ravioli. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Throw in about 2 at a time into the boiling water. They cook very quickly, they are done when they rise to the top. Scoop them out with a drainer spoon. Make sure they don't touch each other, because they do stick. On medium heat, melt your butter and saute your raviolis, a few at a time. Top with asparagus, vodka sauce and some chopped mint leaves. I loved it with the mint, a fun little surprise! This serves 6 with about 4 raviolis each. Enjoy & Happy Weekend! :)

Gemelli with Wilted Spring Greens

With effort to eat more salads, I have one of those great big tubs of salad greens in the fridge, and I had a salad or two, but it still felt like a bottomless bowl of greens, that I would never finish. I even tried to reward Daisy with lettuce leaves instead of her usual biscuits, but she gave me a look of disgust as if she was thinking, "What's next? The shelter?" So...I still had them in my fridge, still edible, but too limp and tired for a fresh salad but when combined with pasta, beans and Parmesan cheese, it became a really nice meal.

• 1 pound box of gemelli pasta
• 1 can small white beans, rinsed
• 8 oz. of 50/50 spring mix salad greens
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 small good tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pat unsalted butter
• good Parmesan cheese

Cook your pasta till al dente, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. In a large saute pan, heat your olive oil and garlic, and saute until soft. Add your tomatoes and beans and heat through, until the tomatoes are soft. Now add your salad greens, a little at a time, stirring until they are wilted, adding more and repeating the process, they wilt quickly. Season the greens with a little salt and freshly ground pepper. Add your cooked pasta and butter and stir. Add the reserved pasta water, if needed. Pass around the Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Rustic Potato Dumplings Topped with Sauteed Leeks & Cream

Mmm...I love making this. Especially when it's chilly out, overcast and rainy, like it is today, and I'm craving something comforting. I love cutting into the dumpling, coming across the skin of the potato really gives it that rustic feel. This recipe is a little time consuming, but not as time consuming as making actual dough, because we are using won ton wrappers! It's a short cut that really works. Here is the list of what you need to make this comforting dish...

• 4-5 medium size golden potatoes, skin left on, cut into small pieces
• a package of wonton wrappers
• 2 tablespoons butter, plus a little more to saute your leeks in and the dumplings
• 1 medium size shallot, minced
• 3 oz. of cream cheese
• 1/2 cup of heavy cream, plus some to top your dumplings with
• a leek, cut into about 4 inch strips, blanched

Boil your potatoes in salted water until soft. In a separate pan saute your shallot in butter on very low heat, you want them very soft, melting into your potato mixture. To your potato mixture add your sauteed shallot and melted butter, your cream cheese and heavy cream. Season with salt to taste. You want to roughly mash this, while incorporating all the creaminess of the cream cheese and heavy cream. Yummy. lol In a pot, boil water, a nice deep pot is good, because you are going to be throwing in your dumplings, and you don't want them to stick to the bottom of the pot. I usually have a little set up going, a large platter for the dumplings made, lined with wax paper, another platter for the cooked ones and empty plates to fill with potato dumplings to serve! A lot going on, but I promise it's worth it! You can start filling your dumplings, lay your won ton wrapper down and fill with about a teaspoon of potato mixture. (Any leftover potato mixture can be used as leftovers.) With your finger tips draw a square along  the edges of the won ton wrappers with water. This is so the edges stick and fold it over diagonally.

Drop one or two at a time into boiling water. They cook quickly, in a matter of minutes. The outside of the dumpling turns translucent and they rise to the top. Scoop them out using a drainer spoon. Keep going, forming them, dropping them in the water and scooping them out onto your platter, waiting to be sauteed in butter...Mmm...

In a separate pan heat up your butter till it's sizzling and saute your leeks till a little crispy. Put that in a separate bowl and your heavy cream in a creamer, so everyone can top their dumplings as they like. When everyone is ready to eat, just saute your dumplings in butter and serve. This serves about 4 people. Enjoy!