Spaghetti pie with pecorino, black pepper., and broccoli raab

We tried this for brunch: https://smittenkitchen.com/2016/01/spaghetti-pie-with-pecorino-and-black-pepper/ Instead of 8 oz pecorino, we used 6 oz pecorino and 2 oz parmesan. We also added about ½ tsp crushed red pepper to the egg mixture. Finally, I concur with Smitten Kitchen that the springform pan needs to be tightly wrapped with foil to avoid unwanted spillage. I… Continue reading Spaghetti pie with pecorino, black pepper., and broccoli raab

Simple tomato butter spaghetti with toasted breadcrumbs

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)

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

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

Sichuan chicken dumplings

We tried this Andrea Nguyen recipe: http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2010/10/sichuan-crescent-dumplings-recipe-zhong-jiaozi.html We made the following modifications: first, for the filling, we used minced chicken (dark meat) instead of pork and added 6 oz drained, minced water chestnuts for texture. Second, for the sauce, we used 1 Tbsp neutral vegetable oil (grape seed oil) in lieu of 1 Tbsp chili… Continue reading Sichuan chicken dumplings

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