Sheet Pan Pasta with Broccoli

Lat Year's Post: Spiced Pecans
Two Years Ago:  Sugar Snap Pea Salad

This is an innovative alternative to the traditional baked pasta with broccoli and cheese, that uses a sheet pan to roast the broccoli and then crisp up the pasta and topping while warming the ricotta.  The whole thing goes very fast since you boil the pasta while the broccoli roasts and broiling at the end takes only a few minutes, making it much faster than a baked pasta.  Another time-saver would be to buy pre-cut broccoli florets, at which point this whole meal could be made in about 40 minutes.

The recipe is slightly adapted from one by Melissa Clark of the New York Times. She emphasized that since this is such a simple recipe with few ingredients, the quality of each ingredient really matters.  In particular, she suggested going to a cheese shop to buy the best quality artisan ricotta you can find rather than the typical supermarket tub.  And this would also be a great recipe to use a really fun pasta shape - just be sure the pasta is approximately the same size as the broccoli for ease of eating.

As for my adaptations - I cut down on the amount of broccoli to 2 pounds (she called for 2.5 pounds) and you can see it's still plenty of broccoli - and 10 ounces of pasta rather than 12 ounces.  With the adaptations, this still makes 4 generous servings.  If you use her 2.5 pounds of broccoli and 12 ounces of pasta I would say it would serve 6 and hopefully you have a big sheet pan to boot.

Be sure to use your best quality olive oil to drizzle over the finished dish, squeeze on some lemon juice and shower with freshly ground black pepper.

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Sheet Pan Broccoli Pasta

Serves 4

2 pounds broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed

¾ teaspoon kosher salt, more as needed

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

10 ounces medium-sized pasta such as rigatoni, or similar-sized other shapes

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup panko bread crumbs

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more as needed

12 ounces best quality, whole milk ricotta

Fresh lemon juice, for serving

Heat oven to 425d.

On a rimmed baking sheet, toss together broccoli, oil, ¾ teaspoon salt and the red pepper flakes.  Roast until tender and browned at the edges, 18 to 25 minutes, tossing halfway through.  Remove from the oven and set the oven to broil.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil.  Cook pasta according the package directions; drain.

In a small bowl, stir together Parmesan, panko, lemon zest, a pinch of salt and the black pepper.

Toss cooked pasta with broccoli on baking sheet.  Season with salt and pepper, then dollop with ricotta.  Sprinkle with the Parmesan mix, drizzle generously with oil, and broil until topping is crisped and golden, 2-3 minutes.  Watch closely so the topping doesn’t burn.  Place portions in individual shallow bowls, then sprinkle with lemon juice, drizzle with a little additional olive oil, and shower with coarse black pepper before serving.

Pesto for the Freezer

 Last Year's Post: Watermelon Gazpacho
Two Years Ago:    Apple, Bacon and Fontina Stuffed Acorn Squash

Pesto is one of the best ways to preserve a little sliver of summer to be brought out in the middle of winter - bright and aromatic basil with garlic, pine nuts, cheeses, olive oil and butter, it's one of my favorite ways to eat pasta.  Even if you don't have an herb garden, it's worth going to the farmers market to pick up a big bunch of basil at the end of summer so you can freeze several small jars.  Pesto is very versatile and can be used in sandwiches, on roast chicken or fish, and of course tossed with pasta.  Today we tossed it with spaghetti and served it with grilled shrimp, which was perfectly complemented by the bright garlicky pesto flavors.

I found this recipe many years ago in the "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking" by Marcella Hazan.  Although there are lots of pesto recipes out there, I particularly like this one for freezing because it tells you to leave out the cheeses and butter until after you thaw the pesto.  Adding them at that point makes the pesto taste much fresher.  Also, she tells you to beat the cheeses and butter in by hand rather than in the blender, which gives the pesto a more interesting texture.  Two really good tips.  I'm actually surprised that I haven't shared this recipe before - it's one of two essentials I make every fall to freeze, along with this roasted tomato salsa that I think is the best salsa ever.

The recipe is very easy to prepare so you can make multiple batches if you have a lot of basil (highly recommended).  I would freeze the pesto in small jars because a little goes a long way - the 1/3 cup or so in one of my jars will make plenty of pesto (when the cheeses and butter are added) to top four pieces of chicken or fish, or to toss with enough pasta to feed 2-3 people.

The beautiful green color, fragrance and fresh taste will be a huge reward for you in the middle of winter for just a little effort at this time of the year.

printable recipe

Pesto for Freezing

Makes approximately 2/3 – 3/4 cup of pesto, enough for 6 servings of pasta.  The recipe may be doubled or tripled.

2 cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves, rinsed and patted dry (or use a salad spinner)

½ cup good olive oil

2 tablespoons pine nuts (plus more, toasted, for garnish, optional)

2 -3 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese*

2 tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese*

3 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature*

16 - 20 ounces of pasta, cooked and drained*

Coarse salt and pepper*

Put the basil, olive oil, pine nuts, garlic cloves, and salt in a blender and mix at high speed, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed with a rubber spatula, until evenly blended.

To Serve Immediately:

 Pour the pesto into a bowl and beat in the two cheeses by hand (this results in a more interesting texture and better flavor than if added to the blender).  When evenly incorporated, beat in the softened butter.  Before adding the pasta, add a tablespoon of pasta water if the pesto seems thick.

Add the hot pasta to the pesto and toss to coat evenly.  Serve at once, garnished with additional toasted pine nuts (optional) and a sprinkling of coarse salt and coarse pepper.

To Freeze for Later:

Pour the pesto (without cheeses and butter) from the blender into small jars, cover tightly, and freeze.  Before using, thaw overnight in the refrigerator.  When completely thawed, beat in the cheeses and butter as described above.  Adding the cheeses and butter at this time rather than before freezing gives the sauce a much fresher flavor.  Frozen pesto will keep for up to 6 months.

  

* Not needed until later if you’re planning on freezing all the pesto.

Baked Italian Sandwiches

 Last Year's Post: Pinchos Morunos

Two Years Ago:   Seafood Cobb Salad

School has started, which means everyone's schedule has gone crazy again.  Football games, after-school activities and other commitments make it really difficult to sit down as a family to eat dinner.  I'm posting these hot sandwiches because they're a great make-ahead solution for a busy workday or a hungry teenager that comes home in the evening.  Everything is assembled in advance - all you have to do is throw however many sandwiches you want into the oven.  I think you could even put the foil-wrapped frozen sandwiches in a slow cooker and turn it on for a few hours while you're gone to a game, or heat the sandwiches before leaving home and throw them in an insulated bag to take to a chilly outdoor game to eat hot - they're really versatile. Although this combination is totally delicious (if I do say so myself), after you make them one time you'll start thinking up your own combinations, tailoring the meats, spice levels and other elements to your family's tastes.

The recipe as written makes 5 sandwiches, but I would strongly suggest doubling it (or making two varieties) to keep in your freezer.  They're very easy to assemble.  The only key is to get rolls that aren't overly squishy (such as hamburger buns) - you want the outer crust to be a little more sturdy so it holds its shape when you pull out the insides.  Hard rolls, ciabatta rolls, or other round-ish sturdy rolls are perfect.  If you could find round pretzel buns they'd be really good also.  Heating the sandwiches in the oven does several things:  it melts the cheeses into gooey goodness, it causes the pesto to permeate the bread and other ingredients with fragrance and flavor, it uniformly heats all the ingredients as opposed to just the outside, and it causes the exterior of the roll to because slightly crisp without becoming really crunchy.  Although I like paninis and grilled sandwiches as much as the next person, this treatment is slightly different and just as good.

Don't be afraid to pack the sandwiches tightly because they'll shrink down a little as the cheese melts. You just don't want them over-stuffed so the tops don't fit and they leak as they're heated.

While we were eating these last night The Lawyer told me how good they were. I remarked that I would definitely have one for dinner when he's gone next week.  His reply?  "Don't eat them all".  Enough said.

printable recipe

Baked Italian Sandwiches

Makes 5 sandwiches

3 ounces (about ½ cup) pitted Kalamata olives, chopped

1/3 cup chopped red onion

4-5 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

6 ounces shredded mozzarella

1 cloves garlic, minced

5 round sandwich rolls, ciabatta rolls, or hard rolls

3-4 ounces pesto

5 slices provolone cheese

5 ounces thinly sliced salami (about 30 slices)

½ shredded Parmesan

Combine the first five ingredients (olives through garlic) in a medium bowl and set aside.

Cut the top third off each roll and pull out most of the soft interior bread from both the tops and bottoms, being careful not to break through the crust.  Softly press the interior of the rolls and tops to create as much space as possible.

Brush the interior of the rolls and tops with a light layer of pesto, then layer ingredients in the following order:  one slice of provolone, 5-6 slices of salami, the shredded mozzarella mixture, and the Parmesan.  Gently press down on the top of the ingredients so the sandwiches will fit together tightly.  Replace the lid on each and press together.  Wrap each sandwich tightly in foil.

At this point, the sandwiches may be frozen for up to several months.

To bake, preheat the oven to 350d.  Do not remove the foil before baking.  If frozen, bake the sandwiches for 45 minutes.  If not frozen, bake the sandwiches for 25 minutes.  Unwrap and serve.

Rustic Greens and Potato Pie

Last Year's Post: Lentil Soup with Spicy Italian Sausage
Two Years Ago:  Savory Breakfast Scones

We all know that dark leafy greens are really good for us, but getting them into your diet is sometimes the hard part.  We also know it's good to eat vegetarian once in a while.  This rustic pie is a delicious option to meet both of those goals.  It's very flavorful and has a rich, creamy texture from the potatoes and cheese.   It's warm, earthy and hearty, perfect for a fall dinner on a cool night.  Serve it with a bright salad of corn, cherry tomatoes and green onions to balance all those earthy flavors.

It would make a wonderful meal for any vegetarians you might happen to know.  Or, you could always add cooked sausage or bacon to the pie if you're serving people who really want meat - and they'll still get the nutritional value of the greens.

I always like to talk about ingredient substitutions.  In this recipe you can use any combination of greens that you want - I chose half kale (bold flavor) and half spinach (milder flavor) but chard, collard greens or mustard greens would also work.  Regarding the cheese, I think you could substitute pretty much any cheese you want for the Gruyere - blue cheese would be an especially interesting choice.  If you go for blue cheese, for some reason a little voice in my head tells me that chopped walnuts would be a good addition.  Blue cheese and walnuts go well together.

This type of rustic pie is also called a galette or a tart.  As I mentioned, it's hearty enough to be a dinner entree, or you could cut it in small pieces served cold for a tapas party.  I particularly like this type of rustic pie because you don't have to be overly perfect with the pie crust - if the edges crack when you roll it out, no big deal - it's just that much easier to fold over the filling. 

The key is to make sure the greens have released their liquid and the liquid has evaporated prior to taking them off the heat, otherwise the filling may give up a little liquid when you cut the pie.  One tip is to set the greens aside for a few minutes to cool.  Drain any liquid that may have accumulated in the bottom of the bowl or pan before adding to the potatoes.  By the way, this goes for any greens added to any pie or quiche - you'll often see recipes for chopped spinach that tell you to squeeze all the liquid out prior to adding it to the other ingredients.  Same principle.

After that it's really easy to add the filling to the pie crust, fold the edges up and over, brush with a little egg and bake.  Although I didn't try it myself, I don't see any reason why you couldn't prepare the pie in advance and refrigerate it covered with plastic wrap, then bake it after coming home from work.  It might take a few more minutes in the oven since it's cold.

If you've been having a hard time figuring out how to get those dark leafy greens into your diet, this might just be the way.

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Rustic Greens and Potato Pie

Serves 4-6

Note:  A simple salad of cherry tomatoes, corn and green onions dressed with a little olive oil is an excellent accompaniment.

1 pie crust (homemade or store-bought)

¾ lb small boiling potatoes, such as Yukon Gold or Red Bliss

1 medium onion

2 pounds cooking greens, such as chard, spinach, kale, collards, or a mixture

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 ounces Gruyere cheese

1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 cup ricotta

1/8 teaspoon fresh-grated nutmeg

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Scrub the potatoes and cut them into 1 ½” pieces; place in a medium saucepan.  Add cold salted water to cover by 1”.  Bring the water to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to low and simmer the potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender when pierced with a knife.

Meanwhile, finely chop the onion (about 1 cup).  Thoroughly rinse and spin dry the greens, remove the tough stems, and chop the leaves (about 24 cups).  (The tougher the greens, the finer you should chop.)

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until hot.  Reduce the heat to medium-low; add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Add half the greens and cook for 4-6 minutes, until wilted.  Remove the greens with tongs to a medium bowl.  Repeat with the remaining greens.  Return the first batch of greens to the skillet and cook everything for 2 minutes more, or until any liquid that collected in the skillet has evaporated.  Set aside.

When the potatoes are done, drain and mash using a potato masher.  Combine the potatoes and greens in a large bowl and set aside to cool slightly.

Roll the pastry out to make a 12” round.  Fit the pastry into a 9-inch pie plate; press against the sides of the plate allowing the excess to hang over the edges.  Put the pie plate in the refrigerator while preparing the remaining ingredients.

Grate the Gruyere (about ½ cup) and Parmigiano-Reggiano (about 1/2 cup); fold the cheeses into the potato mixture along with the ricotta, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste.

Lightly beat the eggs, reserving one tablespoon.  Stir the rest of the eggs into the potato mixture and spoon the filling into the pie plate.  Gently fold the overhanging pastry over the filling, pleating as necessary to make it fit.  It will make a border covering the edges of the filling but the center will be uncovered.  Brush the pastry with the remaining 1 tablespoon egg.

Bake the pie for about 40 minutes or until the filling is heated through and the pastry is golden.  Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Tomato Crumble

Last Year's Post: Smoky Peanut Mole with Pork Tenderloin
Two Years Ago:  Chicken Pasta Salad with Fresh Herbs and Corn
More Tomato Recipes: The Best Salsa Ever, Gazpacho, Tomato Olive Melts, Roasted Tomatoes

The very idea of a tomato crumble is intriguing, don't you think?  Most of us are familiar with fruit crumbles that are mixed with sugar and topped with a sweet streusel before baking.  In this version, ripe tomatoes are tossed with herbs and topped with a savory breadcrumb-parmesan-pine nut mixture before baking.  I made a trip to my local farmer's market this week and found beautiful tomatoes and herbs so I immediately thought of this recipe.

I first tasted it when The Lawyer's sister Marne made it for a family gathering.  It really caught my attention because baking intensifies the tomatoes' flavor and melds it with the herbs so it literally explodes with flavor.  It makes a lot so it's great for family gatherings or pot luck dinners but I would also encourage you to make it any night as a side dish to go with grilled steak, chicken, lamb, or even halibut or swordfish.  I served it with seared tuna and fresh corn on the cob and it was a total feast just for the two of us. It would also make a great vegetarian dish with the addition of a little tofu and served over rice or couscous. Leftovers?  Excellent!  Here are just a few of the many ways you can use them.

• Toss with hot cooked pasta for dinner, or cooked and cooled pasta for a salad.  Add any other leftovers or cheese of choice.
• Use as a filling for an omelet.
• Use as a topping for toasted french bread slices along with some black olives to make bruschetta.
• Make a tart or quiche using the tomatoes as a main ingredient.
• Pizza!
• Layer on french bread with sliced zucchini and other favorite vegetables; top with a slice of mozzarella and broil until browned for an open-face veggie melt.
• Re-warm gently and use as a chunky topping for meat.
• Make a contemporary twist on a BLT by using the baked tomatoes in place of fresh and arugula in place of lettuce along with bacon, then grill on a griddle or panini press until warm and crisp.
• Top baked potatoes with the tomatoes and a little sour cream for stuffed baked potatoes.
• Add to a breakfast sandwich with eggs and cheese on an English Muffin.

You get the idea.  Leftovers are like gold in this case.

The crumble is very easy to make.  You start by coring the tomatoes and cutting them in half, then gently squeezing them and poking out the seeds with your fingers.  I also removed the lighter-colored, more dense pieces connected to the seeds.  Here's a visual to show you what I removed.

Then you cut the tomatoes into chunks and let them drain 20 minutes in a colander to remove some of their water.

They'll still release water when they bake, which is no big deal - just use a slotted spoon to serve the tomatoes if you don't want as much liquid.  But I would definitely save the liquid with your leftovers, so you can use it depending on the next dish you make.

While the tomatoes drain you prepare the breadcrumb-parmesan-pine nut and butter topping.  Although the recipe calls for fresh breadcrumbs, I think using panko crumbs would work equally well and might even be a little crunchier.  After the tomatoes drain you simply place them in the baking dish, sprinkle in the herbs and toss them around, then top with the breadcrumb mixture and bake.  It's a great and different way to use some of the fresh tomatoes from your garden or the farmers market at this time of the year.

printable recipe

Tomato Crumble
Serves 6 to 8

Olive oil
2 1/2 to 3 lb. summer tomatoes
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, plus sprigs for garnish (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, plus sprigs for garnish (optional)

1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs, made from day-old peasant white bread, including the crust
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, preferably Parmigiano Reggiano
1/2 cup pine nuts
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Arrange a rack at center position and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Oil a shallow 2-quart baking dish and set aside.

Stem tomatoes, then halve horizontally. Squeeze halves lightly to extract juice, then scoop out seeds. Cut into 1-inch chunks and drain chunks in a colander for 20 minutes. (The amount of liquid that drains from the tomatoes will vary depending on the variety of tomato.)

Spread the tomato chunks in the baking dish. Add the basil, rosemary, salt and several grinds of black pepper, and toss.

Mix together the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and pine nuts in a large bowl. Add the butter and mix well with your hands until mixture is crumbly. Spread the mixture on top of the tomatoes.

Bake the tomato crumble until the topping is crisp and slightly browned and juices are bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven. Do not worry if there is liquid in the pan; you can spoon it out or leave as is. (The crumble can be prepared 3 hours ahead. Cool and leave at room temperature. Reheat in a preheated 350-degree oven until warm, about 15 minutes or longer.)

Garnish the center of the crumble with fresh basil and rosemary sprigs (optional).

Healthy Homemade Spaghetti and Meatballs

If you'd like to receive notification of future Cracked Pepper posts you can sign up at left. I typically post once per week. Last Year's Post: Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

There are few meals that are more comforting than spaghetti and meatballs.  But why take the time to make it from scratch?  The over-riding reason for me is because you can control the fat and sodium while customizing the recipes to your taste.  Both of these recipes - the meatballs and the sauce - are healthy versions but still full of flavor.  In particular, the meatballs are made with chicken and turkey sausage and then baked before putting them in the sauce.  They're tender and delicious and would make a great meatball sub, or made in a smaller-sized version they're great in soups or as appetizers with a dipping sauce.  Before discovering this recipe we had previously bought frozen turkey meatballs that we liked, but they're very high in sodium.  I actually like this recipe better because the meatballs have more flavor and aren't as dense in addition to being lower in sodium.  If you like spicy food you could always substitute hot Italian sausage for the mild version called for in the recipe.

This is a good weekend project because the sauce takes a while to cook.  Make the meatballs while the sauce is cooking and freeze them for later. Tip: if you freeze them on a pan or rack before putting them in a freezer bag, they don't stick together and you can take out as many as you want.  You don't even have to thaw the meatballs - just drop them in a pan of sauce and they'll be nice and hot when the sauce is heated.

Both recipes make a lot so you'll have quite a few meals or you can hold a big family gathering.  The sauce is versatile and can be used in all kinds of recipes - lasagna, baked pasta dishes, chicken parmigiana, etc.

I always use low-sodium versions of canned tomato products whenever possible to keep the sodium content down, and I also like to use one can of fire-roasted tomatoes in this recipe to give it a little extra flavor and because I like the little black flecks.  It's a good basic recipe that you can vary by increasing or decreasing the spices.  Freeze the sauce in several meal-sized containers that you can later thaw and add olives, mushrooms, or whatever you want for that meal.

When I was a kid we didn't go to restaurants because we were "too young to behave properly in  a public restaurant".  Seems like a quaint idea today, doesn't it?  Anyway, take-out was the alternative and spaghetti was the first restaurant take-out food we had, so that fact alone made it incredibly exotic to me.  (Our family isn't Italian and my mother never made spaghetti at home.)  Even today spaghetti is a fun meal to me.  Make it from scratch for (or maybe even with) your family and it will be special for you too.

click here for a printable recipe version

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Makes 9 cups of sauce and 20 – 30 meatballs depending on size

For the meatballs:

¾ lb ground chicken
½ lb chicken or turkey Italian sausage, casings removed
2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs
2 teaspoons minced garlic (two cloves)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
¼ cup freshly grated Romano cheese
¼ freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
3 tablespoons milk
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
Salt and pepper

 For the sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
½ cup dry red wine
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried marjoram
½ dried basil
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes, undrained
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

Hot cooked pasta

To Prepare the Meatballs:

Preheat the oven to 350d. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Romano, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently but thoroughly with your hands (plastic gloves are helpful).  Make any size meatballs you want, rolling them gently in your hands to make a smooth ball, and place on the parchment-lined pan.  Bake for 30 minutes until cooked through and lightly browned.  Set aside to serve with spaghetti sauce or freeze for later.  To freeze:  wait until the meatballs are thoroughly cool, then place the entire pan in the freezer until the meatballs are solid.  Remove the meatballs from the pan and place in a zip lock bag; freeze.  To reheat, place frozen meatballs into sauce and heat on medium for approximately 15 minutes.

To prepare the sauce:

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat; add onion and sugar.  Cook 5 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally.  Stir in wine; cook 1 minute.  Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer 1½ - 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Serve meatballs and sauce over hot cooked pasta with additional Parmesan on top.

Pasta Primavera

Last Year's Post: Special Brunch - Egg Strudel

Pasta Primavera literally means "spring pasta" and it's one of the first dishes I think of in spring.  It's characterized by light and fresh flavors, aromatic herbs, and beautiful, colorful vegetables.  Although many versions have a heavy cream sauce, somehow that doesn't seem like such a great idea when swimsuit season is around the corner.  This version is originally from Cooking Light magazine and although the sauce tastes very luxurious, it's great to know that it fits within a healthy lifestyle.  The sauce contains a small of amount of cream and white wine which both add to the rich flavor without adding a lot of calories or fat. Lemon juice, garlic, grated fresh Parmesan and lots of parsley and basil make the sauce incredibly flavorful and fresh-tasting.   Some pasta primavera versions also add shrimp or chicken, but the traditional version is meatless.  Feel free to add either if you want a more substantial meal, but I like it just as it is.

Since vegetables are the focus, it's important that they're beautiful and perfectly fresh.  Baby vegetables are particularly appropriate in this dish, such as the tiny asparagus tips and miniature bell peppers that I found.  If you can find tiny carrots or pattypan squash they would be great also,  or feel free to substitute your favorite vegetables for any of the ones listed in the recipe.

Along the same lines, feel free to substitute your favorite type of the pasta for the bow ties - I just thought they looked festive.  The pasta, vegetables and sauce are tossed together for a minute or so over medium heat to allow the sauce to coat everything well, and the dish is served warm or at room temperature - perfect for a spring dinner.

printable recipe

Pasta Primavera

Serves 4

Note:  any combination of your favorite vegetables may be used – baby carrots, sugar snap peas, baby pattypan squash, zucchini, and yellow squash all work well.  Cooked chicken or shrimp may be added also.

8 ounces bow tie pasta (or penne or cavatappi)

3/4 cup frozen peas (not thawed)

1 ½ cups small asparagus tips

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 cup seeded and sliced multi-colored bell peppers

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup dry white wine

1/3 cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

¼ cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

¼ cup thinly sliced fresh basil

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Lemon slices or quarters for garnish (optional)

Bring a large pot of water to boil and add pasta; cook according to package directions.  During the last minute of cooking, add the peas and asparagus tips to the pasta water (if the asparagus tips are medium to large, increase cooking time but still add the peas during the last minute).  Drain and return to the cooking pot.

While the pasta is cooking, heat oil in a medium non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add peppers; sauté 1 minute.  Add salt, pepper and garlic; sauté 2 minutes.  Stir in wine, then add cream and juice and cook 1 minute.  Pour the sauce over the hot pasta vegetable mixture; add cheese and toss for a minute or so over medium heat to allow the sauce to coat all.  Remove from heat; stir in basil and parsley.

Serve in shallow bowls garnished with lemon (optional).

Italian Sausage and Wild Mushroom Risotto

Last year's post: Lemon Chicken and Fennel Pot Pies

I struggled with this post.  Not because the risotto isn't delicious - it definitely is - but because it isn't the prettiest dish I've ever photographed.  Take it as testament to the wonderful taste that I decided to post it anyway.  I published a spring risotto recipe last spring that contained asparagus, peas, pesto and turkey.  (If you're interested you can see the recipe here .)  This risotto is entirely different and definitely a winter dish with its warm and earthy flavors of Italian sausage and wild mushrooms - perfect for a cold and blustery day.  It reheats beautifully so you can make it in advance if you don't want to make it when you get home after a long day.

Risotto (basically a creamy rice dish) isn't at all hard to make, it just requires a fair amount of stirring while you slowly add the hot chicken stock to the rice.  I actually find all that stirring kind of soothing, but then I also like to chop things by hand.  (Anything other than sitting in an office staring at a computer seems sort of refreshing to me.) 

I used half hot and half sweet Italian sausage, but you could use all hot or all sweet depending on how spicy you like your food.  Allowing the sausage to brown and develope a little crust greatly adds to the flavor.

I also used half shiitake and half cremini mushrooms, but you could use other mushrooms although button (white) mushrooms won't give you the same deep earthy flavor.  Portobello mushrooms would be a better substitute.

Although I usually make a point of saying that you can change and substitute ingredients however you want, don't substitute a different kind of rice in this recipe.  Arborio rice has a higher starch content than most rices, which creates the creamy sauce that's the hallmark of risotto when you stir it with hot broth.

It was my own idea to add spinach to the risotto, both for color and because I like to add nutrients to a dish whenever possible.  I was tempted to add some roasted red bell peppers for additional color, but I was concerned they might mask the flavor of the Madeira wine.  Basically I just need to accept the fact that this is a fabulous dish that happens to be primarily brownish, and move on with life.  Try it, and I promise you won't be disappointed!

click here for a printable recipe

Italian Sausage and Mushroom Risotto

serves 4

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 pound Italian turkey sausage (sweet, hot, or a mix), removed from casings
8 oz shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed, sliced
8 oz cremini mushrooms, cleaned and stems trimmed, sliced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 ½ cups Madeira, divided
6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
½ cup (1 stick) butter
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups Arborio rice
3 cups fresh chopped spinach
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the sausage and break up with edge of a wooden spoon.  Allow to brown without stirring for a few minutes, then stir and break up more (if necessary) and allow to brown again.  Add the mushrooms, thyme, and oregano and cook until the mushrooms are tender, about 10 minutes.  Add ½ cup of the Madeira and scrape to deglaze the pan, about 1 minute.  Set aside.

Heat chicken stock in a large saucepan until steaming, then keep warm over low heat.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the rice; stir 2 minutes.  Add the remaining  1 cup Madeira.  Cook, stirring constantly until the Madeira has been absorbed, about 2 minutes.  Ladle in a little hot stock, just enough to barely cover the rice; simmer until almost absorbed, stirring often, about 3 minutes.  Continue to cook until rice is just tender and mixture is creamy, adding more stock by ladlefuls, stirring often and allowing most stock to be absorbed before adding more, until rice is tender but still firm to the bite, about 20-25 minutes.  Stir in the spinach and allow to wilt for a minute or two.

Stir in the sausage mixture.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve, sprinkled with cheese.

Artisan Meatloaf

Meatloaf is very trendy right now - don't be surprised to find it on restaurant menus.  They typically will give it their own special twist, like this recipe.  I know the term "artisan" is over-used but it's the best term I can think of to describe this meatloaf.  It's the best meatloaf I've ever tasted and definitely worthy of company.  What makes it so special?  For one thing, the amazing variety of ingredients - everything from spinach to rosemary to parmesan.  For another thing, it uses a mixture of mild bison and spicy Italian sausage as the meat base.  It's stuffed with mild creamy fontina cheese and finished with a homemade tomato herb sauce.  The combination of flavors is absolutely irresistible.  It cuts beautifully and the leftovers make great sandwiches.

So let's talk about bison.  That probably gave some of you pause when you read it in the sentence up above, but it shouldn't.  Bison is a very mild meat that tastes almost identical to beef but it's better for you.  The animals eat grass for food, spend almost no time in feedlots, and are not given drugs, chemicals or hormones.  Bison is higher in iron and vitamin B-12 than beef but has much less fat, cholesterol and calories.  It's even lower in fat and calories than chicken!  Check out this handy little chart that I found online.  I knew bison was lean but I didn't know it was THAT lean.

 

 

I don't eat beef but I love (and eat) bison. We often use it as a substitute for beef in recipes. This particular recipe is made even healthier by substituting turkey Italian sausage for pork sausage. Even though the proteins are lean, the result is still very moist because of all the other ingredients that are added to the meatloaf.  If you're still not convinced, you could certainly make this recipe with ground beef but I would still save the fat and calories in the Italian sausage by using turkey sausage.  You can find spicy turkey Italian sausage links with the other turkey products in your grocer's meat case, and you can find ground bison next to beef in almost every meat case these days.  It costs a little more than ground beef but I really think it's worth it.

 

If you have leftovers and plan to make sandwiches, think about adding something crispy or crunchy for texture variation since the meatloaf is relatively soft.  I had tomato slices and fresh spinach in addition to the meatloaf so I added texture by grilling the Italian roll until crispy.  You could also add crunch by layering sliced radishes or fresh zucchini into the sandwich.

 

 

 

Tip of the day: next time you're at the grocery store pick up a package of plastic gloves like the ones that  doctors use - they're usually by the cleaning products. They come in handy for recipes like this where you need to mix raw ingredients by hand.  That way you know you aren't contaminating the ingredients or vice versa, espcially if you happen to have a cut or scratch on your hands.  Plus they protect your manicure.  Very important.

 

* * click here for a printable recipe * *

 

 

Cheese-Stuffed Meatloaf with Tomato Herb Sauce

Makes 4-6 servings

Like all good meatloaves, the leftovers make great sandwiches, especially in a French or Italian roll.

Meatloaf
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/3 cups chopped onion
1 ½ tablespoons finely chopped garlic
2/3 cup fresh bread crumbs (not dried or packaged)
1/3 cup milk
1 lb ground bison
1/3 lb spicy turkey Italian sausage, removed from casings
2 eggs, beaten
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and moisture squeezed out
2/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/3 teaspoon ground fennel seed
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 ½ teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
5 ounces mild fontina or provolone cheese, cut into 3” long, ½” by ½” strips

Tomato Herb Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup carrots, finely chopped
¼ cup celery, finely chopped
¼ cup shallots, finely chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups Italian-style diced canned tomatoes
1 tablespoon fresh basil
Salt and pepper

For meatloaf: Preheat the oven to 350d. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook 5 minutes until soft. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute. Spoon mixture into a large mixing bowl and set aside to cool.

Combine bread crumbs and milk in a small bowl, and soak 5 minutes. Squeeze any excess milk from bread and discard. Add bread to mixing bowl along with all the remaining meatloaf ingredients except the fontina cheese. Using clean hands, mix until well blended.

Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread half of the meatloaf mixture onto the paper to form a rectangle 4 to 5 inches wide and approximately 9 to 10 inches long. Lay the cheese in 1 or 2 rows down the center of the rectangle, leaving a 1 inch border on all sides. Cover rectangle with remaining meat mixture, ensuring edges are well sealed. 

 

 

 

Plump up loaf with your hands to be 3 to 4 inches thick. Bake 60 to 75 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 150d.

Meanwhile, make the sauce while the meatloaf bakes. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat and add carrot, celery, shallots, and garlic. Turn down to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Chop basil and add to the sauce; simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Cool 10 minutes. Puree in a blender or food processor, adding water if too thick.

Remove meatloaf from oven and let rest 10 minutes. Cut into ½” thick slices and serve with sauce.