A Hungry Bear

acorn squash lasagna

I love making a big lasagna on Sunday so I’ll have something to heat up during the week. This is a great recipe that I found on Serious Eats, when I was searching for ways to prepare all the acorn squash we’ve been getting from our CSA the past couple of months. The parmesan-sage sauce is a great complement to the sweet squash; I’m sure you could substitute butternut squash as well.

Ingredients: 3 small acorn squash, 1 onion, 6 cloves garlic, 1 cup ricotta cheese, 4 Tablespoons butter, 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh sage, 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 4 cups whole milk, pinch grated nutmeg, salt, pepper, 1.5 cups grated Parmesan cheese, 2 eggs, 15 no-boil lasagna noodles. (more…)

gnocchi with sage cream sauce

Gnocchi may take a lot of work to prepare, but fortunately they are served best with the simplest of cream-based sauces. This would also work well with any type of pasta, if you’re feeling indulgent.

Adapted from Epicurious.

Ingredients: 12 ounces gnocchi (frozen), 5-6 minced sage leaves, 2-3 shallots, handful of chopped walnuts, 2 Tablespoons butter, 2/3 cup heavy cream, 3/4 cup white wine. (more…)

pasta with sun-dried tomato cream sauce

If there’s anything good about getting a cold, it’s having an excuse to make rich comfort food. I’ve been fighting off a bug for over a week now, and I’ve decided the best way to cope is with a lot of pasta. This recipe is perfect if you have a cold because it’s easy to make when you’re groggy from cough medicine, the red pepper flakes will clear up congestion, and if you add arugula (or spinach), it’s an immune system booster too.

Adapted from May 2009 Gourmet.

Ingredients: 3-4 ounce hunk of pancetta, 5-6 sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, 1 medium onion, 3 garlic cloves, 3/4 pound pasta (I used strozzapretti, but any shape would work), 1 large bunch baby arugula (or 1 5-ounce package), 1/2 cup grated parmesan, 1 cup heavy cream, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, 10 kalamata olives, pinch dried red pepper flakes. (more…)

jamie oliver’s spaghetti tetrazzini

When I first purchased Jamie Oliver’s cookbook, Jamie’s Italy, I seriously considered making every recipe in the book. I’m not sure why I slowed down with that quest, since I picked it back up again the other day and found another 10 things I want to cook right away. This particular recipe is a great way to use up some leftover roast chicken (the original starts with uncooked chicken thighs) - almost everything else is from the pantry.

Adapted from Jamie’s Italy.

Ingredients: 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, 1 pound chicken (2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken, or 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs), 1 tablespoon butter, 2 cloves garlic, 4-6 ounces fresh crimini mushrooms, 3/4 cup white wine, 1/2 pound dried spaghetti, 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, 1 cup grated parmesan cheese (plus more for serving), 1 sprig fresh basil leaves, olive oil, salt, pepper. (more…)

martha stewart’s perfect mac and cheese

It’s been too long since I tried a new mac and cheese recipe. The good news is that, in this very post, I’m going to share the best recipe I’ve ever tried. The bad news? That it could possibly be the last, since I don’t know if I’ll ever want to cook another version. The description in Bitten, NY Times’ food blog, calls this addictive, and they aren’t kidding - I was eating it straight out of the dish (even before I baked it).

Adapted from Martha Stewart’s recipe published on the NY Times blog, to adjust for smaller portions (and removing the original breadcrumb crust).

Ingredients (serves 6-8): 5 tablespoons butter, 4 cups whole milk, 4 tablespoons flour, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 3 cups grated sharp cheddar (about 14 ounces), 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated Gruyere or 1 cup grated parmesan (or, use a combination of both gruyere and parmesan), 3/4 pound dried pasta (elbow, penne or other small shape). (more…)

pastitsio: greek pasta & lamb casserole

I’ve been saving this recipe in my binder since late last year, when I saw it in the December 2008 issue of Gourmet. As I’ve mentioned before, my mom is a little obsessed with Greek food (her name is Yia-Yia, not grandma!), so whenever I see an interesting Greek dish I want to make it for her. I kept waiting for the right time to make this when I was visiting her, but the need for a make-ahead pasta this week finally meant I was making it, whether she was here to enjoy it or not. I love the sweet cinnamon, clove and allspice flavors used in this dish; it’s an unexpected but interesting contrast to the meat and cheese.

Adapted from December 2008 Gourmet.

Ingredients: (meat sauce) 1.5 pounds ground lamb, 1 onion, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 garlic cloves, 1 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes, 4 thyme springs, 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon ground allspice, 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves; (bechamel sauce) 4 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons flour, 4 cups whole milk, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 cup grated kefalotyri cheese (or substitute parmesan), 3 egg yolks; (for the pasta) 1 pound penne pasta, 1 cup bread crumbs, 1/4 cup grated kefalotyri cheese (or parmesan). (more…)

linguine with summer succotash

Seeing Food Inc. (twice in the past week) has made me more grateful than ever for our recent discovery of fresh vegetables delivered from a local farmer - and also more inspired to try a vegetarian dinner every now and then. The sauce for this dish is simply pureed fresh corn, with all the flavor coming from the basil and tomatoes. To add a little more protein, I threw in some fresh mozzarella ciliegine (the little mozzarella balls). If it’s too hot to cook wherever you are, try this recipe - it only takes about 10 minutes of active cooking.

Adapted from Epicurious.

Grocery list: half a package of linguine (8 ounces), 1 pint baby heirloom tomatoes, 2 small squash or zucchini (could also use green beans or sugar snap peas), 1 large bunch basil, 4 ounces fresh mozzarella (ciliegine or slices of whole mozzarella), 3 ears corn. (more…)

dinner with the marshes: sausage and pepper pasta

Last month I had the good fortune to work a few days at the home office of my coworker and his wonderful family. I have heard about his sausage and caramelized bell pepper pasta before, and even attempted to make it once. But I was WAY off… And it wasn’t just the view of the California mountains, lakes and state park we overlooked on the patio eating it, but it really did taste 1000 times better. My original interpretation of the dish didn’t capture the sweetness of the peppers, or the ground fennel. So when I went home, it was a top cooking priority to make this the right way. And I think the Marsh family would be proud (well, at least of the final dish, probably not my view of our condo complex)!

Grocery list: one pound Italian sausage (3-4 links), 3/4 pound dried pasta, 2 tablespoons fennel seeds, 4-5 garlic cloves, 5-6 bell peppers, olive oil, sugar, salt. (more…)

asparagus and goat cheese pasta

Everyone needs a one-dish meal like this one. I used asparagus because it had been in my fridge for a few days waiting for inspiration, but you could also use zucchini, broccoli, sugar snap peas, or whatever vegetables are in season. I also added a couple of grilled chicken breasts that I had made a few days prior, to add protein. The actual dish itself was creamy with a satisfying crunch from the asparagus, and just the right citrus-herb balance from the lemon and basil. It takes about 15 minutes, plus however long it takes to bring a pot of water to boil. Perfect for a weeknight! (more…)

carb up: pasta with parmesan and pepper

I’ve been trying to not cook as much pasta for dinner lately, per A’s request (he takes his plate cleaning seriously around here, and he thought it was starting to show). But a few days ago, when A had left for school, I couldn’t take it anymore. I just wanted pasta, with no vegetables getting in the way. So I made a grown-up version of a childhood favorite (buttered noodles - wonder where I get my pasta obsession from!) with asiago and parmesan cheese. Next time you need to get your pasta fix, try this one. (more…)