Eggplant Parmesan

I'm in love with eggplant parmesan, but it happens to be one of the richest foods that I always regret eating after the fact. Particularly when I order the dish in a restaurant, my hands and feet bloat up from all the salt added to the eggplant and I end up feeling miserable and vowing to never again order it.

Then there's this Martha Stewart recipe that allows me to wear the same size clothing the next day, and I don't even have to use soap and water to get my wedding ring off at the end of the day. I always serve this with farfalle tossed with a little of the homemade marinara (homemade marinara is best, in my opinion--that store bought jarred sauce just doesn't hold a candle to the fresh taste of a fresh marinara that you can make huge, cost-effective batches of).

Eggplant Parmesan
From Martha Stewart

1 large eggplant (2 pounds), sliced 1/2 inch thick crosswise
1 tablespoon olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup fat-free (skim) milk
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup homemade or best-quality store-bought marinara sauce
1/2 cup grated part-skim mozzarella
1/3 cup grated Parmesan

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Arrange eggplant on two rimmed baking sheets. Brush eggplant on both sides with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until golden brown and very tender, 20 to 25 minutes, turning slices and rotating sheets halfway through.

2. Meanwhile, make sauce: Off heat, in a medium saucepan, whisk together 1/4 cup milk, flour, and garlic. Gradually whisk in remaining 3/4 cup milk and 1/2 cup marinara sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and cook until pink sauce has thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Spread cup marinara sauce in the bottom of a shallow 2-quart baking dish. Alternate layers of baked eggplant with pink sauce. Dollop with remaining cup marinara sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake on upper rack until browned and bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes.

Tomato and Feta Baked Shrimp Pasta

What a crazy month. First, the inevitable end of the semester grading tornado pretty much knocked out any available free time I had, and then the beginning of summer session knocked out any chance I had of returning to some level of sanity.

In addition....I'M MOVING! Yes, I'm leaving the Palouse, headed back to the midwest, and am now firmly entrenched in the very exciting but very time consuming process of setting up housing and wrapping up loose ends here in Pullman. Needless to say, I've been making a lot of quick and easy dishes for dinner.

Quick and easy is exactly what this shrimp and feta bake is, and if you happen to have vegetable orzo on hand, it can also be colorful. I imagine you could also substitute Israeli couscous, which I'm trying next time. Serve it with a spinach salad or some warm, crusty bread for a light and healthy weeknight meal.


Tomato and Feta Baked Shrimp Pasta
From Closetcooking

1/2 cup orzo (I used a whole wheat orzo)
1 tablespoon oil
1 onion (chopped)
2 cloves garlic(chopped)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups tomatoes (peeled and chopped)
1 teaspoon oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup fresh herbs (chopped, parsley, basil, dill, mint, etc.)
2 green onions (sliced)
1/2 pound shrimp (peeled and deviened)
1/2 cup feta (crumbled)

Directions:
1. Cook the orzo until al dente.
2. Heat the oil in a pan.
3. Add the onion and saute until soft, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
5. Add the white wine, tomato and oregano and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and stir in the herbs and green onions.
7. Mix the sauce, orzo and shrimp, place in a baking dish topped and top with the feta.
8. Bake in a preheated 425F oven until the shrimp is cooked and the sauce is bubbly, about 10-15 minutes.

Mushroom Marinara

Please excuse the strangely reddish pink hand holding the beautiful pasta to your left. I absolutely adore strozapretti pasta, and not just because strozapretti means "priest choker" in Italian, but also because of the texture of this pasta in my mouth. It's like long macaroni with a seam down the middle, and it tastes simply divine in macaroni and cheese dishes, or along with a simple marinara sauce.

I cook sans meat three or four days a week (if you couldn't tell by the preponderance of vegetarian recipes I have posted), and mushroom marinara is a great upgrade from simple marinara. If you're looking for a quick and easy weeknight vegetarian meal, this one's for you!





Mushroom Marinara

2 tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup onion, chopped
12 oz. mushrooms (shitake, button, baby bella, etc.)
Good splash of red wine
1-15 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
Fresh shaved Parmesan cheese to serve
Fresh ground pepper to taste
Directions
1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and saute until onions are soft. Add mushrooms to the pan and saute until mushrooms darken and soften. Once cooked through, add a good splash of red wine and cook 1-2 minutes, or until reduced. Add diced tomatoes with their juice to the pan, along with the tomato paste, basil, and oregano. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Serve tossed with your favorite pasta and sprinkled with shaved Parmesan.

Mangia!

Vegetable Macaroni with Four Cheeses

Macaroni and cheese is the ultimate comfort food, but I often struggle to eat vegetables on the side when faced with a heaping helping of cheesy goodness. To help counteract this disturbing occurrence, I often bake vegetables into my casserole in hopes that I'll be comforted AND hit my daily vegetable intake. In the past, I've used peas, corn, assorted frozen vegetables, butternut squash, but this time I had on hand a couple of small yellow bell peppers, a container of baby spinach, and a large tomato that needed to be used.

I also used brown rice pasta in lieu of traditional macaroni, as I really like its subtle nutty flavor, but you could use whatever macaroni you see fit. I won't come along and second guess you.



Vegetable Macaroni with Four Cheeses

1 1/2 cups brown rice pasta
1 3/4 cups skim milk, divided
4 tbsp. all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. dijon mustard
1/2 cup cubed brie (rind removed)
1 cup freshly grated reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup freshly grated white cheddar
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
Fresh ground black pepper
2 yellow bell peppers, diced and steamed
2 cups baby spinach, shredded
1 large tomato, cut into slices

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil a pot of salted water, add brown rice pasta, and cook for 13-14 minutes, or a few minutes less than package directions. Drain pasta and set aside
2. Heat 1 1/2 cups skim milk over medium heat, until steaming. Mix remaining milk and flour in a small bowl or cup, and then drizzle the slurry into the steamed milk. Add dijon mustard and brie to milk mixture. Whisk and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until thickened. Remove from heat and add sharp and white cheddar, stirring until melted.
3. Add steamed bell pepper and spinach to melted cheese mixture, dump macaroni in pot and toss to coat. Pour macaroni mixture into a baking dish coated with cooking spray, sprinkle Parmesan on top, and cover with slices of tomato. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until bubbling and tomatoes are soft.

Clara's Pasta with Peas

Have you seen the YouTube episodes documenting Depression era recipes, hosted by the very adorable Clara Cannucciari? Well, you need to. The second I started watching one of these videos, I knew instantly that Clara grew up in Chicago. The accent was a dead give away, but she also sounded JUST like my own grandmother and seemed to cook similar dishes to her. She also cuts things with a paring knife--no chopping board or chef's knife--and my mother used to do the same. Watching these videos was like watching a familiar friend. Needless to say, I was hooked after just one episode.

This is my favorite recipe from Clara's series, as it combines some of my most beloved flavors. Now, I know it seems strange to use canned peas when frozen is so much better for you, and it probably seems odd to pair pasta with potatoes, but just go with it. JUST.GO.WITH.IT. Here's the video recipe:



Apparently, there is a book out you can buy from Amazon, and I think I might just have to pick it up!

Pesto Penne with Cherry Tomatoes

I like to keep a few handy staples on hand for quick dinners, so I usually make large batches of pesto and pasta sauces, and then freeze them in individual ziploc bags. For this meal, I also happened to roast a whole pound of whole cherry tomatoes earlier on in the week, so dinner was a snap to assemble.







Pesto Penne with Cherry Tomatoes

2 cups cherry tomatoes
1 tsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 tbsp. pesto
1/4 cup pasta water
6 oz. whole wheat penne

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Combine cherry tomatoes, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Pour out onto a baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions. After draining pasta and reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta water, return pasta to the same pot and toss with pesto and roasted tomatoes. Add pasta water a smidge at a time if mixture needs thinning out. Taste for seasoning and serve immediately.

Note: For a quick and easy pesto recipe, click here.

Linguine with White Clam Sauce

I think I may be becoming a pasta-holic. Are there meetings for such an addiction? Not that I'd attend them since I'm still in denial. I remember not really enjoying this particular dish as a child, but as my tastes matured in adulthood, I realized that perhaps I did actually enjoy it, I just resisted. Why would I resist? Well...see above. I knew it would turn into an addiction that refused to not be fueled.

Sophia Loren once said "everything you see I owe to spaghetti," and I'm inclined to believe her. There's something simple yet decadent, hearty, and absolutely worth it about a big pile of noodles lightly coated in delicious sauce. And, of course, I always think of this image of her cooking in a gorgeous dress with fiery red hair (many people make fun of me for wearing 1950s style dresses in the kitchen, but hey, if Sophia Loren did it):





Linguine with White Clam Sauce
(Okay, I admit I didn't have linguine...only thin spaghetti. Hush, now)

1/2 package whole wheat linguine
2 6.5 oz. cans chopped clams, drained with liquid reserved
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 c. white wine
2/3 cup skim milk
3 tbsp. all-p flour
Salt and pepper
Parmesan and chopped parsley, to serve

1. Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Heat olive oil and butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and clams to the skillet and cook until garlic is fragrant. Increase heat to medium high, add lemon juice and white wine to the pan, along with one cup of reserved canned clam liquid. Simmer until liquid is reduced by half and turn heat down to medium low.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions and drain (do NOT rinse). In a bowl or measuring cup, combine flour and milk. Add mixture to skillet and heat through 3-4 minutes, or until sauce mixture thickens. Add more canned clam juice to thin out, if necessary, and taste for salt and pepper. Pour pasta into skillet and toss to combine. Serve with fresh chopped parsley and freshly grated Parmesan.

Mangiare!

Mussels Marinara with Pasta

I adore mussels. I adore pasta. I adore mussels and pasta. You can see where I'm headed with this. I'm lucky to have a pretty adventurous hubby, and even though he was a little worried about trying this dish, he ended up loving it. Whew! Next up: clams!!

I should apologize for the horrible quality of the photo for this post, but I changed out the lightbulbs in my kitchen, and I just can't seem to get any photos right. Maybe one of these days I'll figure it out.




Mussels Marinara with Pasta
(From The Best Italian Classics)

1 lb. mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded
1 cup white wine
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
2 canned cups crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
8 oz. whole wheat pasta

Directions
1. In a pot, simmer white wine, garlic, and bay leaf for 3-4 minutes. Turn heat up to high and add mussels to the pot and cover. Cook 4-8 minutes, or until the mussels open up. Remove mussels and set aside.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions.

3. Turn heat down to medium. Add olive oil and tomatoes to the pan, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until sauce thickens. Add fresh basil and mussels to the pot to heat through, and pour mussels and sauce over pasta. Lightly toss to combine. Serve.

Homemade Pasta with Shrimp, Slow Roasted Tomatoes, and Truffle Oil

I mostly eat whole wheat pasta these days, but when I'm in the mood for some traditional pasta, nothing beats making it yourself. I've talked to a lot of people who are afraid of the process (or, in fact, dread it), so I figured I'd include some photos that might help people visualize just how simple a process making pasta really is.

1. You start with 2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour and 4 eggs (at room temperature). Pour your flour out onto a flat, very clean surface like a countertop, and create a well in the middle of the flour. This is where you'll pour the eggs in. See Photo 1 below.















Photo 1.

2. Work the flour and eggs together by hand. At first you might think the mixture will never actually come together, but have a little patience and enjoy using your hands and getting dirty. Knead the dough once it does come together by folding it in half and pressing down hard. Ten minutes of kneading is usually the magic number for me. Once the dough is nice and kneaded, sprinkle a little flour on it and put a bowl over the dough. Let rest for at least 30 minutes. See Photo 2 for what the dough will look like once it has rested and risen.















Photo 2.

3. Cut the dough into 4 equal parts. See Photo 3.















Photo 3.

4. Take each dough section, one by one, and roll through pasta machine on each setting (1-6). You can also roll out the dough by hand using a rolling pin. Once rolled out, run pasta sheets through pasta cutter. See Photo 4 below.















Photo 4.

5. Arrange pasta on a pasta drying rack or on a clean counter surface. Let dry out for about an hour (or two!). See Photo 5.















Photo 5.

Now that you have wonderful fresh pasta, here's a great way to use it!

Pasta with Shrimp, Slow Roasted Tomatoes, and Truffle Oil

1 1/2 c. cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 lb. fresh pasta
1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. olive oil, divided
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. truffle oil
Chopped, fresh Italian parsley
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine halved tomatoes, salt, pepper, and 1 tsp. olive oil. Toss to coat and pour onto a baking sheet. Bake in oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

2. Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add garlic and shrimp to pan. Cook shrimp 2 minutes a side, or until pink (This is also the point at which I start boiling the pasta for 2-3 minutes). Add slow roasted tomatoes to the skillet and toss mixture. Drizzle truffle oil over shrimp mixture and toss to coat. Remove from heat and add cooked pasta to the skillet. Serve with Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

Winter is the time to eat loads of butternut squash, and I know I certainly do. One of my favorite things about squash is its versatility, and while I love it roasted, I also love it pureed in soups and sauces. Since I also happen to be a major pasta fanatic, a pasta sauce with butternut squash was a logical choice for a cold and snowy winter treat.





Butternut Squash Sauce for Pasta
(Recipe from Simply Recipes)

1 butternut squash weighing about 2 1/2 pounds
8 ounces of bow-tie pasta
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1/3 cup of chopped shallots
1/2 cup of packed, freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup of heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon of grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Water as needed to thin the sauce

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Cut the butternut squash lengthwise in half* and scoop out the guts and seeds and discard them. Pour 1/4 cup of water into a pyrex or ceramic baking dish and place the butternut squash halves cut side down. Bake for 40 minutes or until a fork easily pierces the squash. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Scoop out the squash flesh from the skins and purée with a blender (work in batches or place in a bowl and use a hand blender). Discard the skins.

2. Fill a pot with water and salt (1 tablespoon of salt for every 2 quarts of water). Set over high heat to bring to a hard boil. Add the pasta and cook at a hard boil, uncovered until al dente.

3. While the pasta is cooking, pour the olive oil into a wide skillet on medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the butternut squash purée and cook for about a minute, mixing it in with the shallots. Add the cream, a tablespoon at a time, slowly stirring it in to incorporate and to avoid lumps. Stir in the Parmesan. Add the nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add water (or chicken stock) to thin to the consistency you want. Take off heat and add the parsley and lemon juice. Cover the pan to keep warm.

4. Check pasta. When ready (al dente) drain and plate. Pour the sauce over the pasta. Garnish with a little extra parsley and Parmesan. Serve immediately.

Shrimp and Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo

All my life, I've had obsessions with certain foods: potatoes, cream cheese, blue cheese, and alfredo sauce. Notice how none of the foods I just listed is a fruit or vegetable? Sigh. One day I discovered that, in fact, I could combine two of my loves together when I dumped cream cheese into an impromptu Alfredo sauce, and it's been a match made in heaven ever since. It isn't exactly an authentic taste of Italy, but when I have a craving for something, I don't really care. I mean, after all, once I really did want to drizzle warm chocolate all over a plate of asparagus, so.....

Shrimp and Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo
1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 16 oz. package fettuccine
2 tbsp. butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup skim milk
1 package Neufchatel cheese (1/3 less fat cream cheese)
4 tbsp. Parmesan cheese

Directions
1. Heat butter in a pan over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for one minute, then add shrimp to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until pink. Remove shrimp to a plate and keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, steam broccoli and cook pasta according to package directions.
3. Add skim milk and Neufchatel cheese, stirring until Neufchatel melts and combines with skim milk. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese into the pan and stir to combine. Turn off heat. Add shrimp and broccoli to pan and toss to coat. Combine with pasta in the pan and serve with more grated Parmesan, if desired.

Scallop Pasta

I love scallops. I can't afford to eat them all of the time, but every now and then--budget be damned--I sneak them onto the weekly menu. I think my love for scallops stems from an early (albeit brief) repulsion in high school. I wasn't a fan of the fishy smell and at first bite I remember not being impressed by the soft texture. Then again, the only time I encountered them were in Greek diners where little pencil eraser-sized scallops made strange, rubbery squeak noises when bitten.

But then something miraculous happened. Seared scallops. They saved me from the terrible pit of repulsion, introducing me to a world where crispy meets a soft tongue massage, and I've been hooked ever since.

This recipe combines two of my favorite things in the world: scallops and peas.



Cream Scallop and Pea Fettucine From Eating Well

8 ounces whole-wheat fettuccine
1 pound large dry sea scallops
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 8-ounce bottle clam juice
1 cup low-fat milk
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
3 cups frozen peas, thawed
3/4 cup finely shredded Romano cheese, divided
1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook fettuccine until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package instructions. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, pat scallops dry and sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the scallops and cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
3. Add clam juice to the pan. Whisk milk, flour, white pepper and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl until smooth. Whisk the milk mixture into the clam juice. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly. Continue stirring until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Return the scallops and any accumulated juices to the pan along with peas and return to a simmer. Stir in the fettuccine, 1/2 cup Romano cheese, chives, lemon zest and juice until combined. Serve with the remaining cheese sprinkled on top.