We followed this recipe: https://www.budgetbytes.com/2016/07/pasta-5-ingredient-butter-tomato-sauce/ Our modifications: we used 28 oz canned crushed tomato and a few sprigs fresh oregano in lieu of whole peeled tomatoes and dried oregano. We also added a dash each crushed red pepper and sugar to the sauce. The toasted breadcrumbs add nuttiness and mouthfeel to this dish. (Jan. 2017)
Tag: italian
Pasta with roasted eggplant and tomato purée
We followed this recipe: https://smittenkitchen.com/2008/01/rigatoni-with-eggplant-puree/ Our modifications: 2 small Asian eggplants; 1 lb (1 1/3 pint) Campari tomatoes, quartered; 1 bulb garlic (peeled); and 1 lb penne (instead of rigatoni). We toasted the pine nuts at 325 in our toaster oven until lightly browned (about 3 mins). We also finished the pasta with a glug… Continue reading Pasta with roasted eggplant and tomato purée
Italian wedding soup
We tried this recipe: http://www.goodinthesimple.com/favorite-soup-italian-wedding-soup-recipe-cant-beat/ Our modifications: first, because the meatball mixture was too liquidy, we supplemented it with about 4 oz minced beef and about 2 Tbsp plain breadcrumbs. Second, we used shredded (not ground) Parmesan in the mixture and did not add any additional Parmesan directly to the soup. Third, we increased the… Continue reading Italian wedding soup
Spaghetti bolognese for two
We tried this one-pot recipe (we used a 14-inch wok) from America’s Test Kitchen Dinner for Two magazine. The online recipe is available here: https://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/64-weeknight-pasta-bolognese (subscription required). Once we turned off the heat, I added about 2 tsp each of red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar. (Jan. 2017)
Simple lasagna with hearty tomato meat sauce for two
We tried an America’s Test Kitchen recipe from their Dinners for Two magazine; access to the online recipe requires a subscription: https://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/361-simple-lasagna-with-hearty-tomato-meat-sauce Unfortunately, our loaf pan was too small to fit the recipe (which presumably requires a 9x5 loaf pan), so we ended up having to transfer it to an 8x8 baking dish, breaking the… Continue reading Simple lasagna with hearty tomato meat sauce for two
Italian-style turkey mini-meatballs
We tried this recipe: http://www.skinnytaste.com/skinny-italian-meatballs-turkey-1-p/ We made the following modifications: (1) we first sautéed 1 medium onion (chopped) in olive oil, then added the crushed garlic cloves and sautéed for a minute before adding the crushed tomatoes and herbs; (2) we replaced half (28 oz) of crushed tomatoes with 29 oz chopped canned tomatoes that… Continue reading Italian-style turkey mini-meatballs
Italian-style penne with meat sauce
We tried this recipe: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/penne_pasta_with_meat_sauce/ Our modifications: first, we used 28 oz crushed tomato in lieu of chunky tomato sauce, which we added immediately to the cooked garlic-onion mixture and let simmer for while we browned the ground beef separately and cooked the pasta. We also doubled the amount of garlic. Second, we used fresh… Continue reading Italian-style penne with meat sauce
Rigatoni with oven-roasted zucchini
Preheat oven to 450, with sheet pan in the oven. Cut 2 lb of zucchini (5-6 zucchini) into 1-inch cubes, then toss in 1-2 Tbsp olive oil and about 1 tsp salt. Pour onto the heated sheet and roast until browned and tender (about 30 mins), tossing a few times to brown evenly. Separately, heat… Continue reading Rigatoni with oven-roasted zucchini
Italian bucatini with chicken sausage and bell peppers
We tried this recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/bucatini-with-sausage-and-peppers-56389445 We used spicy chicken sausage instead of sweet turkey. At first, we found the sauce a bit too thin, but we later realized that this is intentional so that the bucatini can soak up the sauce. We also recommend preparing the sauce in a Dutch oven, since the cooked pasta… Continue reading Italian bucatini with chicken sausage and bell peppers
Italian-style eggplant bolognese
We tried this healthier take on bolognese, which uses a combination of minced beef and cubed eggplant. Recipe here: http://www.myrecipes.com/m/recipe/eggplant-bolognese. We found the favor a bit flat, so we added a dash of fruit-infused white balsamic vinegar at the end. (Aug. 2016)
Cooking Adventures 