Creamy Corn Pasta with Basil

Corn is at the height of it's season, here in Utah, and so I'm always on the lookout for new and tasty ways to prepare it. This summer pasta dish, based on a recipe by Melissa Clark, features corn in a surprisingly tasty way. The corn flavor, which takes center stage, is kicked up by green onions and basil. Off season, I would use frozen corn, because it's what I usually have on hand, but it would be even better with fresh corn, cut from the cob. If you do use frozen corn, thaw and drain it, first. I don't normally keep fresh basil hand, so I used dried. If you have it, though, use 1/3 cup and toss it in at the end, omitting the dried basil and parsley. This sauce cooks quickly, so you will be able to make it at the same time you're cooking the pasta. Just start on the sauce after you set the water to boil, keeping an eye on the pot so you know when it's ready to add the pasta.

Makes 4 servings.

Takes 30 minutes to make.

Ingredients

12 oz. dried pasta such as farfalle, orcchiette, or small shells

1 Tbl neutral oil, such as canola

1 bunch green onions (about 8), trimmed and thinly sliced, keeping the greens and whites divided

2 cups fresh corn kernels

3 Tbl butter

1 1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

1 Tbl fresh minced flat leaf parsley leaves

1 Tbl lemon juice, or more, to taste

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, or more to taste

Extra-virgin olive oil (optional)

Salt and pepper, as needed

Directions

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add 1 Tbl salt and the pasta. Cook until just 1 minutes shy of al dente, according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

In the meantime, Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat, until shimmering. Add the scallion whites and a pinch of salt. Cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup of water, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper, and 1 3/4 cups of corn, reserving the remaining 1/4 cup. Simmer until the corn is heated through and almost tender, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool, slightly. Puree the mixture in a blender, adding more water as needed to form a thick, but still pourable, sauce.

In the same skillet, add the butter and melt over medium-high heat. Add the reserved 1/4 cup of corn, along with the dried basil and red pepper flakes, if using.  Cook until the corn is tender, about 2 minutes. Don't stir it more than once. Letting the corn, and the butter, brown will make it all the more flavorful, just don't let it burn. Add the corn puree and heat through for about 30 seconds, just to combine the flavors.

Once the pasta is cooked and drained, returning the pasta to the same pot it was cooked in, if needed, add the sauce to the pasta along with 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking water. Toss to coat and cook over medium heat for 1 minute more. Add more of the reserved water as needed if the mixture seems too thick.

Off the heat, stir in the parsley and lemon juice. Add additional salt and black pepper, to taste. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese, remaining sliced green onion, and a drizzle of olive oil, if using.

 

Macaroni and Cheese for Adults

Let us all bow our heads in thanks to Kraft Foods for packaging macaroni and cheese in a form we don't have to turn the oven on to make. My kids love it, anyway. My youngest thrives on the stuff. That and ramen noodles. It's cheap, and a lot of people will eat it.

Except my wife. I'm not a real fan, either. I don't hate it like my wife does, but I can't stand to eat it like it is. The sauce is usually runny and, although it's made with cheese by-products (what the heck is a cheese by-product?), tastes like its was only placed next to real cheese in the hopes that it might get an idea of what it should taste like. It didn't work, but hey, they tried.

I've always got to add something to it, too. Cut up hot dogs, creole seasoning, and catsup come to mind. Everything crappy tasting gets covered up by catsup and hot sauce, doesn't it?

As much as my kids love the packaged stuff, and the off-brands are too expensive, I'm all about good flavor. I want a macaroni and cheese dish an adult can enjoy. Something I can enjoy without trying to drown out the taste with cayenne pepper and castup. Something that actually tastes like it has cheese in it instead of cheese byproducts.

This recipe for macaroni and cheese does exactly that. As much as I like Noodles and Company as a fast food chain, I like this mac and cheese much better than theirs. Or the stuff at the supermarket deli. Sorry guys. I'm eating at home, tonight.

Fresh bread crumbs work best. Don't bother with over-priced, days old crap from the grocery store. Pulse 3 slices of bread in your food processor until they turn into course crumbs. It will take you all of 2 minutes and it's much tastier.

If you can, use whole milk. 2%, or skim milk, won't be creamy enough. If you're going to go all out with real cheese, it makes no sense to skimp on the milk.

Equipment Needed

Small saucepan or microwave safe bowl

Mixing bowls

Measuring cups and spoons

Large pot or Dutch oven

9” x 13” baking dish

Rubber spatula

Ingredients

8 Tbl unsalted butter, divided

2 cups fresh breadcrumbs

1 Tbl salt

1 lb elbow macaroni, or other small curvy pasta

1 garlic clove, minced

1 pounds colby-jack cheese, shredded (about 4 cups)

8 oz. extra-sharp cheddar Cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp water

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

6 Tbl all-purpose flour

3 1/2 cups whole milk

1 3/4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth.

salt and pepper, to taste

cooking spray

Directions

In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil over high heat.

While you're waiting, combine the mustard and water in a small bowl. Stir until smooth and set aside.

Melt 2 Tbl of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat (or use the microwave, about 30 seconds). Toss with the breadcrumbs and set aside.

Once the water is boiling, add 1 Tbl salt and the macaroni. Cook until mostly tender, about 10 minutes.

While the pasta is cooking, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, making sure the top rack is in the middle position.

Drain the cooked pasta in a colander, and leave it to fully drain while you continue.

Wipe the pot dry and return to the stove. Over medium heat, add the rest of the butter to the pot to melt it. Stir in the garlic, mustard mixture, and cayenne pepper. Cook about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Stir in the flour and cook until golden, about 1 minute.

Add the milk and broth slowly, whisking it into the flour mixture until smooth. Bring it to a simmer, reducing the heat to medium-low sow it doesn't boil. Cook until slightly thickened, whisking it often to avoid burning; about 5 or 6 minutes.

Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk in the colby-jack and cheddar cheese until it's completely melted into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Stir in the cooked macaroni, breaking up any clumped bits, until well combined.

Spray a 9” x 13” baking dish with cooking spray. Pour the macaroni mixture into the dish and spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the top.

Bake on the center rack until golden brown and bubbling; about 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

You can easily customize this recipe. Play around with the kinds of cheese you use, just be careful with hard cheeses like extra-sharp cheddar. By themselves, they could make the dish really greasy. I used a combination of extra-sharp cheddar and a colby-jack blend because that's what I had on hand, but straight colby cheese with the cheddar would have stronger flavor. Get creative! Try gorgonzola or blue cheese cut with queso fresco, if want to. Add cooked and chopped bacon or cooked hamburger. Add chili powder with the cayenne and garlic. Brown the butter and add Andouie sausage. Why not? If you come up with something interesting, I'd love to hear about it in the comments, below.

Spaghetti and Meatballs - A Meaty Romance

What could be more romantic that the scene in Disney's Lady and the Tramp where our protagonists share a plate of spaghetti and meatballs, ending in their first kiss? Swoon!

Am I the only one that has a hard time thinking of wads of meat as romantic? It's just weird. Pasta, maybe, but cooked meat wads? They were dogs. Dogs are meat eaters. I guess is makes a kind of perverse sense. But, seriously?

Romance aside, it's hard to beat a tasty, moist meatball, smothered in thick tomato sauce, gently resting on top of a pile of spaghetti, cooked just al dente. Sigh. Maybe I'm a romantic after all.

First, meatballs should be tender. I don't want to bounce them off the walls or play table tennis with them, thank you. Fortunately, this recipe delivers in that department. I make a quick tomato sauce of my own for use with this recipe, but you can use canned, if you must.

Grating your own Parmesan is best. The measurements given are for the grated form, not the solid block form. In case you don't know, bulk sausage is sausage sold before being formed into casings. If you can't get it that way, remove the meat from the casings before proceeding.

Equipment Needed

cutting board

chef's knife

garlic press (optional)

saucepan

measuring spoons

wooden spoon

mixing bowls

large skillet

Ingredients

For the sauce:

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbl extra-virgin olive oil

2 14.5-oz cans, diced tomatoes

1/2 Tbl dried basil (or 2 Tbl fresh, minced)

1/4 tsp sugar

salt and pepper as needed

For the meatballs:

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 grated Parmesan cheese

2 slices good white bread

1/3 cup buttermilk or plain yoghurt

3/4 pound of ground beef (80% lean)

1/4 pound of bulk Italian sausage, mild

1 Tbl dried parsley (or 2 Tbl fresh, minced)

1 large egg yolk

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

olive oil

1 pound spaghetti noodles

More grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions

Pour about 4 quarts of water into a large cooking pot and set it on a a cold burner. Don't start heating it just yet. We just want it to be ready to go.

For the sauce:

Add the olive oil to a saucepan. Heat both over medium heat until the oil is just starting to shimmer. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, but not brown, about 30 seconds. Stir in the canned tomatoes, along with the canning liquid, and the dried basil. If using fresh basil, save it for later. Using an immersion blender, blend the tomato mixture enough to break up the heavy dice, but still leave small chunks. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Stir in the sugar and season with salt and pepper to taste. If you are using fresh basil, add it now. Set aside.

For the meatballs:

Cut the crusts from the bread and tear into small pieces. Add the bread and buttermillk, or yogurt, to a large bowl and mash into a paste. The Italians call this a “panada.” Add the ground beef, Italian sausage, grated Parmesan, egg yolk, minced garlic, 3/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper to the bread mixture. Stir to combine.

Using 2 – 3 Tbl of the meat mixture at a time, roll it between your palms to form them into 1 1/2-inch balls. You'll end up making about 12 - 13 meatballs, this way. Make sure they're packed pretty well, so they don't fall apart while cooking, but don't overdo it.

Now is the time to turn the heat under the pasta water up to high, to bring it to a boil.

In the meantime, pour olive oil into a skillet to a depth of about 1/4 inch. Heat over medium-high until the oil starts to shimmer. Carefully add the meatballs, one at a time in a single layer. Cook until nicely browned, gently turning once through the cooking cycle, about 10 minutes. Remove the cooked meatballs from the pan and transfer them to a paper towel line plate. Pour off the remaining oil in the skillet to discard it.

Reduce the heat to medium and return the skillet to the stove. Pour in about a cup of the sauce and deglaze the skillet, scraping up the yummy browned bits (or “fond”) off the bottom. Stir in the rest of the sauce and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and return the meatballs to the skillet. Cover and let simmer while the pasta cooks.

The pasta water should be boiling about now. Add the spaghetti and 1 Tbl salt. Cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and drain the rest.

Remove the meatballs from the sauce and set aside on a clean plate. Add the reserved pasta water to the tomato sauce and stir in to “loosen” the sauce. Taste the sauce, adjusting the seasoning if needed. Pour the sauce over the cooked spaghetti and toss to coat.

Divide the pasta between four bowls. Top with meatballs, more grated Parmesan cheese as desired, and serve.

Makes 4 large servings.

The Joy of Cooking (Cheeseburger) Pizza

As a kid, I thought there were only a limited number of things that you should put on a pizza. Things like pepperoni, Italian sausage, peppers, olives, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, cheese, and the like. You know. All the things you can order at any local pizza chain. As an adult, I put away childish things (except for acting childish once in a while) and learned that there is so much more out there in pizza land. Chicken, artichoke hearts, fresh herbs, eggs, broccoli, spinach … well, I'll skip the spinach, but you get the idea.

Let's face it. Pizza is basically flat bread with edible stuff on it. Why limit ourselves to just a few ingredient combinations? And don't think that cheese and sauce are sacred. Not all pizza has cheese. Early Italian pizza was just sauce baked flat bread with tomato sauce. American's added the cheesy bits. Not all pizzas have sauce, either. Some just pile the other ingredients on. I'm not suggesting we treat pizza like herbed foccacia with a few olives dotted on it (although we could). Let's just broaden our horizons a little.

A few months ago I got this weird idea of turning various classic salads and sandwiches into pizza. I've since learned there are a few chefs already doing that, but more than one person can have a good idea so, I'm not going to apologize.

What about a cheeseburger pizza? That's a classic American sandwich. I fooled around, making a couple different ways, and they were pretty good. I have no idea what the actual ingredient amounts were. I was winging it. The listed ingredient amounts are guesses. Just don't put on too much of any one thing. When it comes to pizza, piling too much stuff on doesn't make it better.

When I make cheeseburgers, I use sharp cheddar. Because cheddar can get greasy when it melts, which is fine when it drips off the burger, but not so fine on a pizza, I opted for a combination of mozzarella, colby, and Monterey jack.

Ingredients

pizza dough

1 Tbl vegetable oil

1 small yellow onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 half pound ground beef

3 Tbl cup tomato sauce

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

3 Tbl dill pickle relish

1 half tomato, diced

2 cups colby jack cheese (or a bit of colby and Monterey jack), grated

1 leaf romaine lettuce, torn into 2 inch pieces

1 ½ Tbl catsup

salt and pepper

Directions

Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat, until shimmering. Add half of the onion, setting the rest aside, and a dash of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just softened. Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and cook until no longer pink. Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds more, until fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, Fahrenheit.

Roll out the pizza dough onto a pizza pan, baking sheet, or whatever you use for pizza, and let it rest while you get everything else ready.

Mix the tomato sauce and mayonnaise together, about 3 parts mayo to 1 part tomato sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Better yet, use my fry sauce recipe. Spread the sauce in a thin layer over the pizza dough. This is the “secret sauce” part of the burger.

Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly over the sauce. Next, sprinkle the ground beef/onion mixture, chopped tomato and the remaining chopped onion. Lastly, sprinkle on the colby jack cheese.

Bake in the oven for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the dough is cooked through and the cheese is melted and toasty. Rotate the pan halfway through, to ensure even cooking. Remove from the oven.

Squeeze most of the liquid from the pickle relish, and dot all over the pizza. Decoratively squeeze catsup in thin lines, next (I used a crosshatch pattern). Finally, spread the lettuce pieces over the pizza. Slice and serve.

Please don't consider my recipe gospel. Add various herbs and spices to the meat mixture. Hold the pickles; hold the lettuce. Use mustard. Blue cheese, would be a great substitution for the, colby-jack mixture. The point is to have tasty, tasty, pizza fun.

Broccoli and Garlic Alfredo

Alfredo sauce is a rich, delicious, creamy classic for pasta. Sometimes it can get boring, though. It can be a bit much as a main course, too. Some people will kick it up by adding a cooked chicken breast. Not a bad choice, but white on white seems a bit much for me, most days. What about adding a bit of green and use up some leftover broccoli, instead? Some garlic would be nice, too. Traditional Alfredo sauce doesn't have any.

Equipment needed
rasp grater
measuring cups and spoons
Dutch oven or large pot
large nonstick skillet
colander
whisk

Ingredients
1 small head of broccoli
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 cups heavy cream
1 pound spaghetti or other pasta
2 tablespoons butter
pinch of nutmeg
salt and ground black pepper, as needed
chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Directions
Remove the florets from the broccoli, cutting any large ones in half. Remove the tough outer layer from the stem. Cut the peeled stem into 1-inch pieces.

Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in a large pot or Dutch oven.

In the meantime, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the broccoli and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about  30 seconds. Add the cream to the skillet and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until thickened, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover and keep warm.

When the water comes to a boil, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the past is tender but still a little firm, about 10 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot.

Working quickly, whisk the butter, nutmeg, and Parmesan cheese into the cream mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the sauce to the pasta and toss to coat. If the sauce is too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water, just a little at a time, to loosen. Garnish with additional Parmesan cheese, ground black pepper, or chopped parsley, if desired

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Peanut Butter Ravioli with Raspberry Sauce

My good friend and cookbook author, Mark Hansen , issued a challenge from his Dutch oven cooking blog some time ago to deconstruct/reconstruct a peanut butter sandwich. He made a killer desert in the Dutch oven, of course. Not being a Dutch oven guy, I took a little different route. My version takes it’s inspiration from the Italians: peanut butter ravioli with a raspberry jelly sauce.

For those who don’t know, deconstructing a dish is a way of learning more about how the ingredients work by tearing a dish down into its component parts. In this case: bread, peanuts, fruit and sugar. Bread can be further subdivided into wheat flour, eggs, water or milk, and oil. Reconstruction is taking those components and putting them back together in new ways to create a new and original dish. When I do deconstruction/reconstruction, my goals are to create a magic experience as people enjoy familiar flavors in new ways. Not all of my experiments work out. This one is a keeper.

I’m not going to kid you. This dish takes a bit of work, mostly because I make my own pasta dough. You could use commercially prepared pasta doughs such as fresh lasagna noodles, egg roll wrappers, or wonton wrappers. If you use my pasta dough recipe, you won’t need the whole thing. 1/4 to 1/2 will make plenty of raviolis.

Special thanks to my “sous chefs,” a.k.a. my children: Art Girl and the Boy.

Equipment needed
Measuring cups and spoons
Mixing bowls
Large spoons
Pasta roller (optional)
Pastry brush
Spray bottle with clean water (optional)
Kitchen knife
Pastry/bench cutter (optional)
Large pot or Dutch oven
Small strainer or sifter

Ingredients
1/2 batch of fresh egg pasta dough
1 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup confectioners sugar, plus extra for dusting
1/2 cup raspberry jam
2 tablespoons water

Directions
Working with about 1/4 of the dough at a time, roll it out into long rectangular strips using a pasta roller. Work your way down to the next to the last setting. You want these to be thin and flexible, but not too thin. Lay the dough out onto slightly damp towels to keep them moist until you need them. This post about rolling and cutting pasta dough will help you.

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the peanut butter and confectioners sugar to create a kind of soft dough. It’s okay if it’s a little sticky, but not too much. You may need to adjust the amount of sugar to compensate for the varying oil content in different peanut butters. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.

To assemble the raviolis, roll the peanut butter mixture into small balls, about 1-inch in diameter. If the peanut butter mixture becomes too soft to work with, put it back in the refrigerator for a few minutes to firm up.

Lightly flour your work surface and lay out one sheet of pasta. Position the peanut butter balls on the pasta sheet in two rows, about 1 1/2-inch apart. Using a pastry brush, moisten the spaces between the peanut butter with a bit of water. Drape another pasta sheet over the top and gently press down between the peanut butter to seal. If the dough is too dry and starts to crack as you lay it out, or doesn’t stretch well over the filling, spritz it with a bit of water from the spray bottle to loosen it.

Using a sharp knife or pastry cutter, cut the raviolis apart and trim the ends. Knead the trimmed dough back into the rest so you don’t waste it. Using a pastry knife or thin spatula, transfer the raviolis to plates and refrigerate about 5 minutes, or until ready to cook.

Now it’s time to make the jam sauce. In a small saucepan over medium heat, mix the jam and water. Remove from heat and allow to cool while you cook the raviolis. You may need to adjust the mount of water to create the desired consistency. You want to be able to pour it well, but not be too thin.

Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in a large pot. Reduce to a simmer. Remove the raviolis from the refrigerator and gently add them to the water. Simmer for about 3 minutes, until the ravioli is all floating on top and the pasta is cooked. Remove from the pot and drain on clean kitchen towels. (Don’t use paper towels. The pasta will stick to them and them you’ll have bits of paper on your pasta.) Work in batches so you don’t crowd the pot. Let them cool to room temperature.

Now it’s time to assemble the plates. Place 5 or 6 raviolis on each plate. Using a small strainer or sifter, dust the top of the raviolis and the plate with confectioners sugar. Drizzle the jam sauce over the raviolis and serve. Stand back and watch the magic as your family and friends devour them.

Makes 8 – 10 servings.

You can drizzle honey over the ravioli if you’d like, but it isn’t nearly as good. The acidity of the raspberry jam provides a balance for the sweetness of the rest of the dish. In fact, I’ve been thinking that adding a teaspoon of lemon juice to the jam sauce might be even better. Other fruit jams would be tasty as well.

Baked Ziti

Baked ziti is a perfect example of how versatile pasta can be as a base for casseroles. In this recipe, mozzarella provides the binding agent. Fresh mozzarella is preferred for moisture and creaminess, but regular block mozzarella can be used. If ziti can’t be found, other kinds of  short, tubular pastas such as macaroni, rigatoni, or penne will work nicely.


Equipment Needed
Cutting board
Chef’s knife
Garlic press (optional)
Box grater
Rasp grater or micro-plane
Measuring cups and spoons
Dutch oven or large pot
Large skillet
Colander
9” x 13” glass baking dish
Large spoon

Ingredients
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon salt, for boiling water
4 quarts water
1 pound ziti
2 tablespoon olive oil, separated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt, for sauce

Directions
Placing a rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Begin bringing the water to a boil in a Dutch oven or large cooking pot to cook the pasta.

In the meantime, make the sauce. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the canned tomatoes, crushed and diced, along with their canning juice. Cook until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in the basil, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Remove from the heat.

When the water is boiling, add 1 tablespoon salt and the ziti. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the ziti is mostly tender, but still a little firm, about 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and return to the Dutch oven. Stir the tomato sauce into the ziti, tossing to coat.

Grease a 9” x 13” glass baking dish with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Spread half the ziti mixture evenly into the dish. Sprinkle half the mozzarella cheese and half the Parmesan cheese evenly over the pasta layer. Repeat, layering with the remaining ziti and cheeses.

Bake until the cheeses turn golden brown and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

TNT: A Dynamite Tuna Recipe

One of many questions that plague those of us who attempt to rotate our one-year’s food storage is, “Just what am I supposed to do with all this canned tuna?” That question is second only to “What am I supposed to do with all this hard wheat?”

I dislike canned tuna. You wouldn't know it, considering the number of recipes I've got that use canned tuna. You see, the rest of my family loves it so, I’m stuck trying to figure out how to cook with it in ways that won’t make my stomach revolt all over the kitchen table.

Fortunately, I understand culinary genius. Not mine, thank you. Everything I know, that works, came from somewhere else. I’m not talking about celebrity chefs, either. I’m talking about the true guardians of the ultimate in culinary creations: Italian grandmothers.

If anyone can take something horrible and turn it into something delicious, it’s little Italian grandmothers. Say what you want about the influence of French cuisine (and I often do), it’s the Italians who make food worth eating. Fortunately for me, I have a couple of cookbooks written by Italian grandmothers. One of them even includes a recipe for tuna noodle casserole that actually tastes great.

Based on a recipe by Juilia de la Croce, this version goes way beyond school cafeteria fare. I've simplified it a bit for everyday cooking. The addition of sour cream gives it creaminess and helps it stay moist in the oven. My wife calls it "T-N-T:" tuna, noodle and tomato. For a tuna dish, I think it's dynamite.

Equipment needed
Mixing bowls
Measuring cups and spoons
Dutch Oven or other large cooking pot with lid.
Medium saucepan
9 1/2 x 13 inch baking dish
Aluminum foil

Ingredients
14 oz. canned tuna, drained
Milk (as needed, optional)
2 1/2 cups Tomato Sauce
1/2 teaspoon Dried Basil
Salt and Pepper, to taste
3/4 pound Egg Noodles, or dried taggliatelle
4 quarts Water
1 tablespoon Salt
2 1/2 cups Sour Cream
Cooking Spray
1 teaspoon Dried Parsley
1/3 cup Grated Romano Cheese, or other hard cheese (optional)

Directions
This first step is optional, but will reduce the "fishiness" sometimes associated with canned tuna. Put the drained tuna into a small bowl and add enough milk just to cover. Let sit for 5 minutes and drain off the milk.

Bring the tomato sauce to a simmer in small saucepan. Add the basil and tuna. Lightly simmer for 3-4 minutes to marry the flavors. Add salt and pepper to taste.

In a Dutch Oven or other large cooking pot, bring water to rolling boil Add salt and pasta. Stir the pasta and cover the pan. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until halfway done, about 4 minutes. Reserve 1/3 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta and rinse in cool water to separate the noodles. Drain well and set aside.

Add reserved pasta water to sour cream and blend. Set aside.

Generously spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Pour 1/3 of the tuna/tomato mixture on the bottom and spread evenly. Arrange 1/2 of the cooked pasta, evenly, over the top. Smear half the thinned sour cream over the pasta. Cover with another 1/3 of the tuna/tomato sauce. Spread remaining pasta over that and cover with remaining sour cream. Finish with the remaining tomato sauce and use a spatula to smooth and blend slightly. Sprinkle parsley evenly over the top. Cover with grated cheese, if using.

Spray the reflective side of the foil with cooking spray first, to help avoid sticking, and cover the pan, reflective side down. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 10 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until bubbly, about 5 minutes more. Remove from the oven and allow it to settle for about 5 minutes, then serve.

Makes 8 servings.

Pasta Shells with Broccoli and Sausage

There are hundreds of recipes for pasta with a variety of cooked vegetables making up a crude sauce. One favorite features small shell pasta, or conchiglie, with broccoli and sausage. Roasted peppers play a big role, as well.

This recipe for pasta with broccoli and sausage is relatively simple, and very quick to make. It shouldn’t take much more than about 30 minutes from start to table. It’s simple ingredients, and quick cooking time, make it a perfect weeknight meal. You can use your own roasted red peppers, or canned.

For more variation, you can substitute sun-dried tomatoes for the red peppers, or broccoli rabe for the broccoli.

Pecorino Romano is the cheese of choice for this dish. You can substitute Parmesan if Romano is unavailable. This sauce works best with shapes that will grab onto the bits of vegetables and sausage. Small shells are readily available at my grocery store, but other small pasta shapes, such as penne or orecchiette, will do nicely.

Equipment needed
Cutting board
Chef’s knife
Garlic press (optional)
Rasp grater or microplane
Measuring cups and spoons
Dutch oven or large sauce pot
Skillet
Large spoon
Colander or mesh strainer

Ingredients
4 ounces Italian sausage
1 cup roasted red peppers
6 medium garlic cloves
1 bunch broccoli, about 1-1/2 pounds
2 ounces Romano cheese (about 1 cup, grated)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1 pound small shell pasta
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, for the skillet
1 tablespoon salt, for the pasta water

Directions
Squeeze the meat out of the casings and discard the casings. Rinse the roasted peppers and cut into thin strips. Peel and mince the garlic. Cut the florets off the broccoli head. Slice the larger florets into 1 inch pieces by slicing through the stems. Trim the bottom of the large stalks and peel the outer layer. (Peeling the outer layer removes the bitter parts of the broccoli stalk.) Cut the peeled stalks into 1/4-inch thick pieces Grate the Romano cheese with the rasp grater or microplane. You should have about 1 cup of cheese after grating.

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil over high heat for the pasta. While it's coming to a boil, you can work on making the sauce.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the sausage in the skillet, breaking it into small pieces, until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the roasted red peppers and garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Stir in the broccoli, 1/2 tsp of salt, and 1/2 cup water. Cover, and cook until the broccoli begins to turn bright green, about 2-4 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking until most of the liquid is evaporated and the broccoli is tender, about 5 - 7 minutes more.

When the water in the dutch oven begins to boil, add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta shells. Cover and simmer until the pasta is almost tender, but still a little firm (al dente), about ten minutes.

Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta shells in a colander and return to the pot. Stir in the broccoli and sausage mixture, grated Romano cheese and 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil. Add reserved pasta water to "loosen the sauce" if needed. Add more salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed.

Makes 6 servings.

Spaghetti with Garlic, Olives, and Herbs

Posting two pasta dishes in a row? You've think I'd gone pasta crazy. I'd have a hard time arguing that, but in this case, it's actually my oldest daughter, Writer Girl. The one who likes making candy? She's discovered she likes to make pasta dishes, too.

This offering is a simple, vegetarian, spaghetti recipe that gets it's flavors from aromatic olives, garlic, and herbs. It's a perfect break from heavier meals. The original recipe comes from Julia Della Croce, but this is our version. modified to make it slightly easier to make.

Equipment needed
Large Skillet
Small Skillet
Large saucepan
Measuring cups and spoons
Kitchen knife


Ingredients
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
6 large Garlic cloves, Very finely chopped
3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon Fresh Marjoram, chopped
1/3 cup Black Olives, Pitted and Sliced
Pinch Red Pepper Flakes, crushed
1 pound Spaghetti
Salt, to taste
1/4 cup Fresh Bread Crumbs, lightly toasted

Directions
Combine all but 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil and the garlic in a deep, broad skillet. Turn the heat to medium low and saute until the garlic softens and begins to color lightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley, marjoram, olives, pepper flakes and warm through, about 20 seconds. remove from heat.

Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of salt and the spaghetti. Cook until al dente, stirring frequently to prevent the strands from sticking together. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking water to moisten the pasta sauce.

While the pasts is still dripping and moist, transfer to the skillet with the sauce and toss together. If it needs more moisture add a little of reserved cooking water.

In a separate small skillet, heat remaining olive oil and add the bread crumbs. Saute over medium low heat, until crunchy. Sprinkle the crumbs over the pasta, and serve.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Fusilli Pasta with Tomatoes and Olives

October 25 is World Pasta Day, or so the people at Buca di Beppo Italian Restaurant tell me. Who I am to argue? I've never needed an excuse to eat pasta, but passing up a chance to celebrate it would go against my foodie nature.

It's also the beginning of fall, and all those wonderful tomatoes are more than ready to be eaten. Either that or canned. Before you get your canner out, let me offer this recipe that's heavy on that fresh tomato flavor, and will help us all celebrate World Pasta Day: Fusilli with Tomatoes and Green Olives. While the pasta must be cooked, this is a salse crude – an uncooked sauce.

Fusilli, is a long, thick, corkscrew shaped pasta and if often confused with rotini, its twisted cousin. Rotini has a tighter helix; fusilli is more like very long, twisted macaroni. Either pasta will do for this sauce, however.

If you want to use other types of pasta, that's fine. Almost any will do, but I would recommend something that will be able hold on to the chunks of tomato and olive.

Equipment needed
Kitchen knife
mixing bowls
measuring cups and spoons
large saucepan

Ingredients
3 ounces Green Olives, chopped
10 Fresh Basil Leaves, torn into small pieces
1 pinch Red Pepper Flakes
2 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3/4 pound Tomatoes, fresh vine ripened or cherry tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 pound Fusilli (corkscrew) Pasta
Salt, to taste
Ground Black Pepper, to taste
Parmesan, mozzarella, or capers to garnish

Directions
Combine the tomatoes, olives, basil, red pepper, garlic and olive oil in a small bowl. Let marinade while the pasta cooks to blend the flavors. If you don't have fresh basil, a few teaspoons of dried basil will do nicely.

Bring 4 quarts of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta cook until al dente, then drain.

Add salt and pepper to the sauce, seasoning to taste. Toss with the cooked pasta. Top with mozzarella cheese, capers, or grated Parmesan as desired. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 – 6 servings

Tuna with Garlic and Spaghetti

Canned Tuna and I are not the best of friends. I've come to respect it more, over the last year, but it's one of those things that I'll eat because I should, not because I want to. We've been encouraged by various health officials to eat more fish, because of the Omega-3 content. Canned tuna is inexpensive, and readily available at most supermarkets, so I'm using it as part of my “weekly fish dish” at home.

My wife and kids like canned tuna. It's completely weird.

Because I've decided that the benefits outweigh my personal feelings in this case, I'm always on the lookout for new ways of preparing tuna. Here's one that helps smother the flavor of the tuna in garlic. I originally posted this as Kitchen Monki, but here it is for my gentle readers who haven't made it over there, yet.

When preparing canned tuna, I always soak the tuna in a little milk, after draining it. Soaking in milk pulls out the unpleasant “fishiness” so often found in canned tuna, making it much more palatable. Just make sure to drain off the milk before adding the tuna to the dish.

Equipment Needed
Can opener
Mixing bowls
Large skillet
Measuring cups and spoons
Large sauce pot

Ingredients
14 ounces of tuna (two small cans will do)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3/4 cup white wine
1 tablespoon dried parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3/4 pound dried spaghetti noodles (or linguine)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Lemon Pepper Seasoning as desired.


Directions
Completely drain the liquid from the tuna and put in a small bowl. Add just enough milk to cover. This will take away some of the unpleasant "fishiness" so often found with canned tuna.

Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat until the butter melts and stops foaming. Add the garlic and allow it to soften, about two minutes. Do not let it brown.

Drain the milk off the tuna. Add the tuna to the skillet and stir it in. Add the wine and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, to allow the alcohol to cook off. Add the lemon juice. Cook until a slightly think, fairly smooth sauce forms. Season liberally with the pepper and then stir in the parsley. Add salt and additional pepper as needed.

While the sauce is cooking, fill a pot with water (about 4 quarts) and bring to a boil. Add about 1 tablespoon of salt to the water and then add the pasta. Cook until 'al dente.'

Drain most of the water from the pasta, toss with the sauce, and serve. Sprinkle with lemon pepper seasoning for an extra kick, if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

Photo by Stasys Eidiejus

Spaghetti w/Cauliflower, Broccoli, Mustard

Cauliflower is not my favorite vegetable. This is one of only a handful of recipes that actually gets me to buy it. Blended with the broccoli and mustard butter, the cauliflower gives body to the sauce. It has a light flavor that

This recipe is inspired by a similar recipe from Deborah Madison and Edward Espe Brown, founders of Green's Restaurant, a vegetarian restaurant on San Francisco Bay. To be honest, I've never been there. I just have the Green's Cookbook.

I've modified their original recipe to make it a little easier to prepare with ingredients I had on hand. For example, they used fresh spinach pasta, I used dried spaghetti. Fresh is probably better for this dish. I think it would be perfect over almost any flavored pasta, or even whole wheat pasta. The lovely and light flavors of the sauce enhance the flavor of the pasta, without covering it up.

Equipment needed
Large pot
Electric mixer or whisk
Mixing bowl
Frying pan
Measuring cups and spoons
Chef's knife

Ingredients
16 oz. dried spaghetti or other pasta
7 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons Dijon or other strong mustard.
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced.
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley, or 2 teaspoon dried
3 cups cauliflower florets, broken into tiny pieces
2 cups broccoli florets, cut into small florets
salt and pepper as needed
Parmesan, or other hard grating cheese.

Directions
Place the butter, along with the mustard, onion, garlic, vinegar and parsley, in a mixing bowl. Cream together with an electric mixer or whisk, and set aside. This can be done well in advance and refrigerated if needed.

Put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. When the water starts to boil, salt the water to taste and drop in the broccoli and cauliflower. Return the water to a boil and cook the vegetables for about 1 minute. Remove the vegetables with a strainer, return the water to a boil, and add the pasta to the water.

While the pasta is cooking, melt the flavored butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cooked broccoli and cauliflower to the pan, along with 1/2 cup of the pasta water, and cook over medium heat for a few minutes to heat through until the sauce reduces slightly. Add the lemon juice and toss well. Cover the pan and turn off the heat.

When the pasta is done cooking, drain the water and toss with the sauce, along with salt and a generous amount ground black pepper to season. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Makes 4 servings.

Ravioli with Bacon Blue Cheese Sauce

I came up with this recipe for a contest I found on FoodBuzz. Kraft foods was promoting their Buitoni ravioli line. I didn't win, but it got quite a bit of attention from the FoodBuzz community. My family certainly thought this sauce was a winner. I've modified it slightly since the contest.

This creamy sauce, inspired by bacon blue cheeseburgers, is quite rich. I have been warned by various recipe books not to make pasta sauce with blue cheese. The flavors are just too strong, they say so, of course I had to prove them wrong.

I'll admit, this is best eaten on the day you make it. Letting it sit in the refrigerator will make the blue cheese flavor too strong for pasta. But I love blue cheese. I love bacon. I love pasta.

Death to conventional wisdom! Bring on the flavor!

This recipe was designed with meat ravioli in mind, but I suspect it will work with any good pasta.

Equipment needed
Saute pan
Kitchen knife
Spatula
Sauce pans, one medium, one large
plastic wrap
Measuring spoons
Measuring cups


Ingredients

1 lb. bacon
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup ricotta cheese
4 tablespoons blue cheese, crumbled (or more if you like)
1 cup heavy cream
1 /2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried chopped parsley, or 1 tsp freshly chopped parsley
1 /4 tsp ground black pepper
1 egg, beaten (optional)
2 tsp lemon juice
additional salt, pepper, and chopped parsley to taste
18 oz package of meat Ravioli, fresh or frozen

Directions

Remove the egg from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature while you prepare the rest of the sauce. The egg is optional. It will add a bit more thickness and body, but you may find you don't need it.

Cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy. Chop into small pieces and set aside. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the melted bacon fat.

Add the melted bacon fat and the butter to a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Melt the butter. Add the ricotta cheese and 2 Tbl of the blue cheese, stirring with a whisk until melted and smooth. Add the cream and stir until smooth and well combined. Remove from heat and stir in the bacon, salt, parsley, and pepper.

Beat the egg, if using, and add it to the cheese mixture, mixing thoroughly. Return to the heat and gently cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens and starts to get bubbly, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the lemon juice and remove from the heat. Add more salt, pepper, and parsley to taste. Cover the sauce with plastic wrap, so the plastic wrap is just touching the surface, to avoid a skin forming on the top while the pasta cooks.

Cook the ravioli according to the package directions. Drain the cooked ravioli and add the sauce, mixing gently, and covering each piece with sauce. Pour the ravioli into individual serving bowls and garnish with the remaining bacon, blue cheese, parsley and additional freshly ground black pepper.

Makes 4 main dish servings


Picture by Dominic Morel

How to Make Spaghetti Pie

When my wife cooks spaghetti, she cooks spaghetti. Lots of spaghetti. Enough to last for a week spaghetti. She mixes in canned spaghetti sauce with all of it so we can't re-purpose it with different sauces.

I don't like eating the same thing day in and day out so, I needed a solution. This recipe for Spaghetti Pie, adapted from Best Recipes Magazine, helps me add variety to our left over spaghetti, and saves me from boring food.

The fact that it's delicious doesn't hurt, either.

Ingredients

3 cups cooked spaghetti (left overs are acceptable)
1/2 pound mild Italian sausage, casings removed if any (or use ground beef)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (I used button mushrooms, but crimini's would be great)
1 green pepper, chopped
3/4 cup canned marinara (spaghetti) sauce
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 eggs
1 tablespoon butter, melted.
1 cup Ricotta cheese
2 teaspoons dried parsley (or 2 tablespoons, freshly chopped)
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Olive oil

Directions

Grease a 9-inch pie plate with olive oil and set aside.

Heat more olive oil in a large skillet and saute the sausage, crumbling it, the onion, mushrooms and pepper until the sausage it cooked and no longer pink. Spoon off the fat and remove from the heat.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Reheat the leftover spaghetti in the microwave, removing excess sauce if needed. In a large bowl combine 1 egg with 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese and the melted butter. Add the spaghetti and toss to mix well. Spread he spaghetti mixture in the bottom of the pie plate, making a 1/2-inch thick rim up the sides of the plate, like the crust of a pie.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining egg, remaining Parmesan cheese, parsley, and Ricotta cheese. Spread over the bottom of the crust. Top with meat mixure.

Place on the center rack of the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese and bake for 5 minutes more to melt the cheese. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.

Makes 6 servings.

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