Butternut squash lasagna

When we were being inundated with autumn squash this past fall, I needed to find creative ways to prep it. I don't remember where I heard of this idea or how I came up with it, but I made it last week and decided it was blog-worth.

Ingredients

Sauce

1 medium butternut squash - pealed, seeded, and cubed

milk

salt

pepper

Filling

Part skim ricotta (1 medium container)

1 egg

bacon - chopped, cooked, and drained

1 teaspoon rubbed dried sage

salt and pepper to taste

Nuts and bolts

No boil lasagna noodles

Smoked gouda cheese-shredded

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F

2. Prep sauce: Steam squash until soft - about 15 minutes, whir in blender with milk, salt and pepper adding enough milk to make smooth

3. Fry bacon, drain

4. Mix ricotta, bacon, egg, salt, pepper, and sage

5. Construct lasagna in large baking dish: sauce, no boil noodles, then ricotta, repeat

6. Top with shredded gouda

7. Bake until bubbly - about 45 minutes

Summer Ice Box Pasta

I threw this together last night with items we were trying to use up from our last CSA delivery. We get a new delivery on Wednesday, so sometimes Tuesday night it's a fun chore to figure out how we can throw together what we have left over.

What we had on hand were some long, thick green beans with purple speckles, I don't know exactly what they were, tomatoes, garlic, and some nice Greek feta that gets moldy pretty quickly.

It is imperative to use the proper pasta method, which allows for the flavor of the sauce to permeate the pasta. Otherwise what you get is bland pasta with sauce sitting on top with a weird texture contrast. I'll describe it for those of you who aren't familiar. If you're a proficient cook, I apologize for the detail. Some of my friends and family have probably never learned to cook pasta this way, so I thought it might be fun to explain it to them. It makes such a world of difference.

What I was thinking about when I cooked this up was Italian style green beans cooked in 'maters and what I got was much much better! We loved it so much that there is no picture as evidence.

Ingredients
1 lb whole wheat angel hair pasta
2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1-2 cups green beans trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces
2 cups diced fresh tomatoes OR 1 large can good quality diced / or whole tomatoes (San Marzano are my favorite)
2 T fresh basil or 1 t dried basil
kosher salt
4 oz. feta cheese
kosher salt
pinch sugar

Instructions
1. Fill VERY large pot with cold water, cover and bring to boil. More water is better.
2. While the water heats up, heat oil in a large skillet over medium- high heat.
3. Add onion, saute until translucent.
4. Stir in garlic, cook 1 minute. Add large pinch of salt to onion-garlic mixture.
5. Stir in green beans, add large pinch of salt, and saute about 2 minutes until start to turn bright green.
6. Stir in tomatoes (if using canned, include liquid). If using dried basil, stir in now....otherwise wait.
7. Season with 2-3 pinches of salt and one pinch sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and let simmer.

8. Your pasta water should be boiling. Season LIBERALLY with salt....I'm talking a good handful. If you don't season your pasta water, your pasta will be bland.
9. Add pasta to water, stir well. Cook until about 2-3 minutes shy of being done...which in the case of whole wheat angel hair is only about 3 minutes.
10. RESERVE 2-3 CUPS HOT PASTA WATER, strain pasta. Don't worry about getting all the water out. That water is going to add body and flavor to you sauce.
11. Transfer partially cooked pasta to skillet with sauce and toss well. Spoon in 2-3 ladles of pasta water and let the pasta water blend with sauce and become absorbed into pasta until pasta is al dente (taste it to know if it's done).
12. Move pasta and sauce to very large bowl, season with another 2 pinches of salt.
13. Crumble feta over pasta and stir well.

What you'll get by adding the salt a little bit of time is that every part of your sauce will be well seasoned, it won't be salty I promise. By finishing the cooking of the pasta in the sauce, the flavor of the sauce will be permeate the pasta. And the combination of the starchy pasta water, plus the feta will make a delightfuly velvety texture that you can't replicate by cooking sauce separately and just dumping it on pasta. That would end up a watery mess.

14. Consume pasta.

An aside: my personal blog is about to spill into my food blog a bit here. Using this method always makes me think of my dad. If you knew my dad, you'd be scratching your head right now because he didn't cook, at all. His idea of cooking was boiling hot dogs. So, my mother makes this really delicious Italian sausage tomato sauce that is one of my husband's favorites. My parents really love B, so when we visit, my mom will frequently have either pasta with the sauce or a baked pasta dish using the sauce awaiting us. Upon our arrival, we were always tired, but happy to be in their home and very happy to get some food and my parents would sit down with us even if they had already eaten. One of these nights, my father felt it necessary to explain to me that it is important to finish cooking the pasta by mixing it with the sauce. I have no idea where he learned that, but it makes me laugh to think about that.

He and I had a lot in common in our lives, but our taste in food was not one of those things. Yet somehow, many of my memories of him and everyone who has been important to me are totally wrapped up in food. And this is one of the reasons I take so much care and effort to make sure that what we eat has been prepared with love. An unhealthy relationship with food? Perhaps.

Pasta Puttanesca

Saw this recipe on Ellie Krieger's "Healthy Appetite" on the food network about a week ago. Made it, loved it. I don't know how closely it resembles the traditional Italian version, but it was great. It could be made vegetarian if you omit the anchovie paste. Just maybe add a little extra salt (not too much because the olives and capers are salty).

Ingredients

8 ounces whole-wheat thin spaghetti, vermicelli or angel hair 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley 1/4 cup pitted chopped Spanish or Greek olives 2 tablespoons capers 1 teaspoon anchovy paste 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon dried 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, preferably "no salt added" 3/4 cup chopped fresh arugula 1/4 cup grated ParmesanBring a large pot of water to a boil, add pasta and cook according to the directions on the package. Instructions While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over a medium flame. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the parsley, olives, capers, anchovy paste, oregano and crushed red pepper to the skillet, and saute for 2 minutes more. Add the tomatoes and simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir in the arugula and simmer for 1 minute more, until the greens wilt slightly. When the pasta is done, drain it and add it to the skillet, tossing it with the sauce to combine. Top with grated cheese. Nutrition Information Nutritional analysis per serving Calories: 283 Total fat: 6 grams Saturated fat: 2 grams Protein: 12 grams Carbohydrates: 47 grams

Marinara Magnifica

This is my favorite spaghetti sauce in the world. It is rich, tangy, a little bit sweet, and a little bit spicey. It cooks for a long time, but prep is easy which makes it perfect for a Saturday or Sunday. The recipe makes alot, so I usually freeze batches to thaw and reheat. You'll never want to return to jarred sauce again. (Source, Alysha via Cooking Light)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
6 cups chopped onion (about 3 medium)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
6 garlic cloves, crushed
2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes, undrained
2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
2 (6-ounce) cans tomato paste

Preparation

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat; add onion and sugar. Cook 30 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Stir in wine; cook 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Natalie's Special Shrimp Pasta

I created this pasta dish as an homage to my favorite pizza at Brixx in Chapel Hill. I felt like having the ingredients one night, but didn't feel like making pizza dough, so I decided to turn it into a pasta sauce. I usually just kind of throw it together, so do not take the amounts listed literally. Do, however try it as it is quick and delicious. So delicious that I have no picture. We ate it too quickly. You can also omit the shrimp if you are a vegetarian. The goat cheese will melt over the hot pasta and make a creamy sauce.
Ingredients
1 lb pasta (I use whole wheat spaghetti)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup roasted red peppers chopped and drained
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes chopped
1/2 - 1 pound shrimp shelled and deveined (I buy ez peel for ease)
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes (less or more depending on how spicy you like it)
Salt (preferably kosher)
goat cheese (small log)
2-3 tablespoons fresh basil chopped
Preparation
1. Bring large pot of water to boil, salt liberally
2. Add pasta
3. While pasta cooks heat olive oil in very large skillet over medium high heat
4. Add sundried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, red pepper flakes and large pinch of salt-cook 2 or three minutes
5. Add shrimp, cook about 2 minutes until JUST opaque, reduce heat to medium
6. Pasta should be 1-2 minutes short of being done
7. Strain slightly undercooked pasta (reserving some pasta water) and add to skillet and toss with peppers, tomatoes, and shrimp
8. Spoon in 2 or 3 ladles (2 cups) of pasta water skillet
9. Finish cooking pasta with peppers, tomatoes, and shrimp until liquid has been absorbed
10. Remove from heat
11. Crumble goat cheese and basil over pasta and mix well
12. Serve and garnish with parmesan if you so desire