Tag Archives: Pasta

Blushing Mozzarella Marinara (and a Lesson in Psychology)

Have you have had a week from hell? You know, the kind when you have a million deadlines approaching, presentations in every class, you’ve got no car because you got rear-ended, and you’re sick as a dog? I don’t know about you, but when I have weeks like that, my body begs for something cheesy, comforting, and downright indulgent. It is the only kind of fuel powerful enough to keep me from burning out in the face of a turbulent week.

This phenomenon in which hard times call for delicious food is quite common. In fact, we can explain it using psychology:

  • The brain detects a stressful event. This is called a stressor. (Ex: finals)
  • The stressor will then elicit a coping response, which is anything I do to try and lessen the stressor’s effects.
  • In this case, the coping response is to seek out a big bowl of delicious, cheesy, and heartwarming food then eat myself into a coma.
  • This is what we refer to as “emotion-focused coping.” It doesn’t solve the problem per say, but man, do I feel better after stuffing my face with some indulgent comfort food.

See? The need for food in troubling times is completely logical. So it only then makes sense that when you find yourself fighting in the epic battle that is you vs. the world, you need something truly mouth-watering and sinful to make it through.

Last week, when I was having my own “hell week,” my mind sent me a message: “CHEESE. LOTS. PASTA. NEED NOW.”

See? That’s how bad it was. My mind was so beaten up that it could barely form a coherent sentence. Luckily, I’m pretty good at decoding the language of my own brain, so I jumped right on that. The result was this luscious Blushing Mozzarella Marinara.

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Holiday Sides: Fontina-Mascarpone Baked Mac & Cheese

White Christmas? Psht. What you really need on Christmas day is a pan full of this luscious white mac and cheese. Its cheesy white surface is speckled with fresh parsley like fallen evergreen branches, resembling a wondrous wintery scene.

This mac and cheese is decadently cheesy and creamy thanks to the Fontina’s impeccable melting quality. The mascarpone also lends a hand to make this the creamiest, dreamiest mac ever.

Now, I’ve got a confession for you little cookies. I messed up on my first go-around with this mouth-watering mac. You see, I made it for Thanksgiving and there were too many dishes for our small oven. So, I pre-baked it then tossed it in again later when there was room to warm it up. I wound up cooking it longer than I was supposed to. Bad idea.

The once beautifully smooth and plentiful cheese sauce dried up like a prune. It was like it was never there at all, vanished into thin air (or slurped up by the monster that lives in my oven). No joke; there was no sauce to be seen, just naked penne. My gracious family ate it all the same. Sure, it was dry as a bone, but it had good flavor. However, I was determined to redeem myself.

So, the next night, I completely remade the sauce, poured it over the barren leftover pasta, and baked it for the correct amount of time this time. When I pulled out the bubbling pot of pasta blanketed in a sea of creamy, snow white cheese sauce, I rejoiced. Simultaneously, I kicked myself for not properly following the directions the night before. This was what should’ve been present at my Thanksgiving table, this glorious vessel of smooth and bountiful cheese.

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Linguine with Brown Butter Sage Sauce

Pasta is a multifaceted food. It’s essentially a shape-shifter, resembling everything from curvy Cavatappi to pin-straight Spaghetti. And the pastabilites are endless. You can make classic mac & cheese, rich baked pastas, layered lasagnas, stove top skillets, or simply smother the pasta in an array of delicious sauces. Marinara, alfredo, bechamel, oh my! Is there anything pasta can’t do?

I must admit that all of the different options can be overwhelming. How does one choose between making, say, pasta primevera or pasta carbonara? Sometimes, the solution is simpler than it seems. A pasta dish with a multi-step sauce and all kinds of add-ins can be delicious no doubt, but there are occasions when less is more.

Take for example this Linguine with Brown Butter Sage Sauce. It’s one of the easiest pasta dishes out there, requiring minimal ingredients and effort, but yielding a sauce that’s overflowing with flavor and complexity.

The magic here is in the browned butter. Nothing adds flavor quite like this stuff. Plus, sage is such a delicious and warm herb. Pair it with fresh garlic, and you can’t lose.Brown Butter Sage Sauce sounds so fancy, and it tastes it too. But really, anybody can make this. It’s one of the “essential sauces,” a recipe you should know, master, and always have on hand when you need a quick pasta fix.

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Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese: My Favorite

Every Fall, I patiently await the arrival of two things: pumpkin & butternut squash. I’ve been going pretty pumpkin-happy lately, but good ol’ butternut squash has been getting the cold shoulder. I knew it was time to turn my attention toward this slightly sweet squash. And what better way to do that than with one of my all-time favorite recipes?

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Judgement Time: Olive Garden’s Stuffed Rigatoni

I love Olive Garden. I don’t care if it’s not “authentic” Italian or if it’s laden with calories; it’s delicious. But I am very unfortunate, my little cookies, because my closest Olive Garden is 45 minutes away (no DQ, no Cheesecake Factory, no Wegman’s…how does anyone live here???). Luckily, when I make my monthly trek to the Wegman’s in Syracuse, I also make it a point to have a nice lunch with my mother. Where did we graze after we ventured to Weggie’s last weekend?

Olive Garden, of course!

You see, I just had to get to the Garden to try their new Cheese-Stuffed Rigatoni. They have 2 varieties: rigatoni with grilled chicken and a roasted garlic alfredo sauce or with sausage and a tomato-alfredo, plus an extra layer of melted cheese. I opted for the second, minus the sausage of course.

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Harvest Gnocchi w/ Squash & Kale

Some recipes you know are going to be amazing before the fork ever reaches your mouth. You spot it online or in a cookbook or, in my case, the latest issue of The Food Network Magazine, and you think, “That’s going to be so good!” Well,I’ve got to be honest, I didn’t feel that way when I first saw this this Gnocchi w/ Butternut Squash & Kale. It looked good, don’t get me wrong, but I didn’t figure it’d be anything special. I still went ahead and bookmarked it because it was surprisingly healthy and sang of Fall. Did I think it would “wow” me? Not really. Well, allow me to put my foot in my mouth because this dish wowed me six ways to Sunday.

This Gnocchi with Butternut Squash and Kale sang a beautiful harmony of deliciousness. The note I really heard was “flavor.” So much flavor! I never would’ve expected it. The butternut squash’s slightly sweet taste spreads itself out onto the kale and the gnocchi while all three elements act as sponges for the beautiful butter and the dynamic vegetable broth. Right there, we’re talking flavor power. But it doesn’t stop. With every bite, fresh garlic sauteed in the butter says, “Hello, I’m garlic. I’m here and I’m awesome.” Illusive red pepper flakes hang out in the background, only to give you a kick in the butt at the end of every mouthful. Last but never least, salty parmesan lends a hand to bind all of the flavors together and add that cheesy bite you’ve got to have. It’s just the right amount of cheese, not overboard, but definitely present. With all of these delicious flavors working together, I went from “I’m sitting down to a nice, warm Fall dinner,” to “Hello, I’m awake and so are all of my tastebuds.”

This is a simple dish, but it’s incredible. It’s buttery, hearty, garlicky, cheesy, and it’s got flavors coming at you in all directions. You get a wonderful textural circus too with the kale that’s still got a bit of bite left in it, the gooey parmesan cheese, the tender butternut squash, the soft little gnocchis, and the crunch of  walnuts. Your mouth will be so delightfully entertained by this dish. It’s a wake-up call to your tastebuds.

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Mac & Cheese Grilled Cheese – 3 Ways

If you’ve never had a mac & cheese grilled cheese, then you’ve never lived. It’s exactly what it sounds like: creamy mac & cheese stuffed into a sandwich with sharp cheddar cheese and grilled until melty and golden brown. Some of you skeptic, health-conscious folk might be thinking that’s just way too much starch in one sandwich. WRONG. Those were my inital thoughts too, but alas, that is not so. Mac & cheese and grilled cheese work harmoniously well together, creating a euphoric eating experience unlike any other. It’s a fusion of the ultimate comfort foods that results in a sublime soul food hybrid. This, my friends, is heaven.

If you’re still not convinced, let’s take a look at the facts. Macaroni and cheese is essentially starch and cheese. Grilled cheese is essentially starch and cheese. Starch and cheese are BFF’s. Therefore, to fuse them together is only right. It’s starch and cheese to the tenth power. (There’s your science, happy?)

The result of this experiment gone right is this: you bite into crunchy, golden brown buttered bread with that sourdough tang and your tongue is met by creamy, luscious mac and cheese and more sharp melty cheddar. The best part about this is that there are three delicious ways to make it. Pick whichever you like or make a couple of each like I did. This sammy has no boundaries.

  1. The Classic: Stuff your sammy with creamy macaroni and cheese and top it off by melting on some extra cheddar cheese. It’s the traditional sandwich you love coming together with the classic pasta you also love.
  2. Caramelized Onions: Add a twist to your grilled cheese by topping off all that mac and cheesy goodness with sweet, golden brown caramelized onions. The strong, sweet taste of the onions cuts through the richness of the sandwich, creating a perfect balance of flavors. If you’ve never tried caramelized onions before, now is the time. Even if you hate onions, you will love them caramelized. They don’t taste like your typical bitter onion. They’re cooked low and slow in decadent butter so that they become sweet, buttery, and well, caramelized. Yum.
  3. Pulled Pork (and Caramelized Onions): For those of you who need your meat, this sammy’s for you. In addition to the mac and cheese, fill your grilled cheese with pulled pork. The pulled pork’s sweet, tangy flavor goes amazingly with all that delicious cheese (or so I’m told; I obviously opted for a meat-free version). Top it off with the caramelized onions and you’ve got one slammin’ sammy.If you’re not a pulled pork fan, I imagine that bacon would be delicious too.

By adding onions and/or pulled pork, this becomes more than just a mac and cheese grilled cheese. It’s a complex dish with tons of flavors to offer. However, there’s nothing wrong with the classic either. It’s a cheese lover’s dream!

A few tips before you get cooking:

  1. Use sourdough bread. Yes, just about any bread would work in this sandwich, but the sourdough takes it over the top. It’s distinct but mild flavor is so completely perfect with all of this sandwich’s cheesy goodness. Trust me on this one.
  2. Use a creamier mac and cheese that reheats well. If you use something like Kraft, which we all know does not reheat well, you’ll wind up with a dry sandwich. It’ll be like you’re just eating plain pasta stuffed in between bread. You’ve got to have something saucy. I used the take and make stuff in the little black plastic containers from Wegman’s. It stayed nice and creamy throughout the cooking process. Ideally, you should make Alton Brown’s Baked Macaroni & Cheese, chill it, and use that. It will be perfectly cheesy and creamy, I’m willing to bet. I imagine that Stouffer’s frozen macaroni and cheese would even work since it has a very saucy sauce.
  3. Make sure you plan in advance. Cooking the sandwiches doesn’t take that long, but if you aren’t buying the mac and cheese pre-made like me than you have to have time to cook it and chill it. Also, caramelizing the onions takes quite some time.
  4. Serve some broccoli alongside so you get your greens! It’s a perfect addition to the cheesy goodness. You could also serve it with tomato soup.

Mac & Cheese Grilled Cheese

Recipe adapted from The Food Network Magazine

(Makes six sandwiches)

Ingredients:

  • 1-2 loaves fresh sourdough bread (depending on the size of the loaves), cut into 12 ½-inch slices
  • 10 slices sharp cheddar cheese, ripped in half
  • Leftover mac & cheese or premade/storebought mac & cheese, chilled (I used Wegman’s take and make mac & cheese. I also recommend you make Alton Brown’s Baked Macaroni & Cheese and use that. See tip 2 above)
  • Butter spread (like Country Crock)
  • 2 onions, thinly sliced
  • 6 tbsp. butter
  • optional: pulled pork (homemade or like this)

Directions:

  1. To caramelize the onions: Heat a medium-sized skillet to low heat. Melt the butter. Add the onions and cook low and slow until golden brown in color and caramelized (about 45 minutes). Remove from heat & set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil & spray with nonstick cooking spray.
  3. Assemble the sandwiches: Spread Country Crock (or butter spread) onto one side of each slice of bread. With the buttered side down, lay two cheese halves onto the bread.
  4. Next, put a generous scoop of mac and cheese on top of the cheddar cheese. Pat down into an even, dense layer.
  5. Add optional toppings: caramelized onions and/or pulled pork. Add another half-slice or two of the cheddar cheese.
  6. Place another slice of bread on top, buttered side up, to complete the sandwich.
  7. Bring a griddle to medium heat. Cook the sandwiches one or two at a time, depending on the size of your griddle (and your ability to handle multi-tasking). When the bottom slice of bread is golden brown to your liking, it is time to flip the sandwich. Use two spatulas: one to get under the sandwich and one pressing down on the top of the sandwich as you flip it so the toppings don’t come out. Don’t worry if you lose a noodle or too.
  8. When both sides of the sandwich are golden brown, remove from the griddle and transfer to the baking sheet. Don’t worry if the cheese isn’t fully melted; it will finish melting in the oven. Put the baking sheet in the oven to keep the sandwich warm while your finish cooking the others.
  9. When all of the sandwiches are completed and warmed all the way through in the oven, it’s time to eat!

LOOK AT THAT. How can you not make that?? Hello Cheese Heaven, I’m Colleen. I think I’ll be spending quite a lot of time here…

The Only Spaghetti Sauce I’ll Eat

Pretty much everyone loves spaghetti, right? It doesn’t contain any controversial or offensive ingredients and, well, it’s pasta. This classic dish is a crowd-pleaser, one that most of us have grown up with. Our mothers made it for us, and our mother’s mothers made it for them. So, besides being delicious, spaghetti is comforting. But I’ve got to be honest.

I’m not a huge spaghetti fan.

It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s just that I’d choose a million other foods over it. I like cheesy or creamy sauces. I can even get behind blush sauces. But straight up marinara just doesn’t thrill me. However, there is one exception (there’s always an exception, isn’t there?): My Mother’s Spaghetti. I grew up on this stuff. And I’ve got to tell you something, I love it. It’s one of those old favorites that I never get sick of. Nowadays, I skip on my mother’s meatballs (man, were those good!), but I still enjoy a heaping helping of pasta and smooth, zesty marinara sauce. It’s sweet but not too sweet, and you can control all of the flavors. It can’t be beat.

So what’s so special about this sauce that actually makes me enjoy it? Well, it was passed down from my grandmother on my father’s side. I never got to meet her; she passed away before I was born. It’s really cool though to have a little piece of her with this recipe. I love that about cooking. It brings generations together.

This sauce is not over-complicated. It’s got just the right amount of every ingredient and a modest number of components. Using fresh herbs provides supreme flavor, and letting the sauce simmer low & slow intensifies that. Three different kinds of tomatoes provides the absolute perfect texture. I’ve never seen another sauce in my 18 years with such an ideal consistency. It’s thick and sturdy, but not too thick. It’s still smooth enough to perfectly coat every pasta noodle. The best part is that it’s simple enough to make so that you always get it right. Once you have this spaghetti sauce, you’ll never need any other.

Now, spaghetti sauce has a well-known partner in crime: the meatball. Don’t think that just because I’m a vegetarian, I’m going to leave him out. No, I understand that, for some of you, spaghetti just isn’t spaghetti without meatballs. Well, you folks are very lucky because my mom makes a mean meatball. Sure, it’s been years since I’ve had one, but I don’t forget something that good. They aren’t overpowering or overdone; they’re simple and absolutely perfect. Juicy with an ideal balance of flavors, these are the epitome of classic meatballs done right.

Vegetarians, whip up this sauce with some spaghetti and enjoy a hearty, comforting dinner beyond your most delicious expectations. Meat-eaters, make this easy, sublime spaghetti and top it with a couple perfect meatballs. Everyone’s happy.

 A few tips before you get cooking:

  1. Chop up your herbs, onion, and garlic before you start cooking so you don’t get behind or have a melt-down trying to multitask.
  2. There’s a lot of can-opening to do! Take care of it before you get going.
  3. You can adjust the sugar/seasoning to your tastes.
  4. Multigrain pasta adds so many health benefits to this dish, including protein for vegetarians. Plus, I love it’s heartiness.
  5. Note: You may need more herbs than listed. It’s to taste. So have a little extra you can toss in if you want more flavor.

The Best Spaghetti (and Meatballs)

Recipe by Carol-Ann & Bonnie Bierstine

Meatball Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. 85% lean burger meat
  • 1 envelope of onion soup mix
  • 1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan
  • 2 tbsp. Heinz 57 Sauce
  • salt & pepper, to taste
  • 1 egg

Sauce Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • One onion, chopped
  • 2 8oz. cans of tomato sauce
  • 1 6oz. can of tomato paste
  • 1 29oz. can of tomato puree
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar (or less, if you don’t like your sauce sweet)
  • 1 tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp. fresh oregano, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp. fresh basil, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • kosher salt, to taste
  • optional: parmesan cheese, for topping

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 35o degrees.
  2. To make the meatballs: Put all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix it together with your hands until everything is well incorporated.
  3. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place them 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil & sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
  4. Bake for 20 minutes or until juices run clear. Turn off oven and set meatballs aside.
  5. To make the sauce: Melt butter and olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until translucent, 5-7 minutes.
  6. Add the tomato sauce, paste, and puree. Fill the tomato paste can with water. Add to sauce. Repeat once more.
  7. Add the parsley, oregano, basil, and salt. Stir until well-combined.
  8. Turn the heat down to low. Cover and let simmer for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Test the sauce along the way, adding more sugar/spices as needed.
  9. If using meatballs, add them. Re-cover and cook for at least another 30 minutes.
  10. When ready to serve, cook spaghetti according to box directions (make sure you salt the water!). Drain pasta. Serve a heaping portion of pasta with lots of delicious sauce and a couple meatballs for meat-eaters! Top with parmesan, if desired.

I know everyone probably has their go-to spaghetti recipe, but give this one a try. It won’t let you down. It’s so easy and SO GOOD. It’s a big bowl of comfort (and pasta, hello!).

Judgement Time: Chesterfield’s Restaurant

For my birthday dinner on Monday, my family and I decided to check out Chesterfield’s in Utica, NY. They offer a decent-sized menu, which you can view here, with mostly Italian options (although I wouldn’t classify this as an Italian restaurant). The pasta dishes were what intrigued me in the first place. There seemed to be some tasty vegetarian options.

Atmosphere & Location: Chesterfield’s location in downtown Utica on a rather seedy street is far from welcoming. It’s more of a turn-off. The restaurant was dark-lit, which I personally don’t like, but some people may like that kind of “mood lighting.” I did, however, enjoy the decor. It was simple and modern. The restaurant was broken up into different rooms, which is nice if you’re like me and don’t love huge crowds of people. The separation of the restaurant allowed for a more intimate feel and I didn’t have to worry about people staring at me all night. Atmosphere Rating: 3 stars out of 5.

Service: Our waitress was very nice and accommodating. My only complaint was the wait. It took a little bit longer to receive our appetizers than I would have liked which wouldn’t have been a huge deal had the rest of our meal come at a reasonable time. It took much too long to receive our entrees, especially since the restaurant was dead that night. There was no excuse for it and it was very frustrating. We were hungry! Service Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5.

Food: For appetizers, we ordered the “Famous” Bean Dip and the Chesterfield Mozzarella. Also included with the meal was a complimentary loaf of bread (with marinara sauce for dipping) and salad. For my entree, I ordered the Homemade Hats Baked with Alfredo Sauce. Continue reading →

Fettuccine Alfredo

Some dishes are classics. You’ve had them a million times, a million different ways, and you probably have your preferred version. They’re the kind of foods you don’t mess with. You stick to what’s good because, after all, you shouldn’t fix what isn’t broken, right?

What you can do, however, is perfect something. And that’s exactly what I’ve been trying to do with my Alfredo sauce for years. Fettuccine Alfredo is one of the first dishes I ever made and it is still a go-to favorite. I learned a basic recipe from my mother that I’ve tweaked over time. She used to make Fettuccine Alfredo all the time when I was younger. It was heaven to me. I would request it on my birthday and, sometimes, she’d serve it with chicken, bacon, or broccoli. To this day, it is still one of my absolute favorite foods. Every time I pop into an Olive Garden, I’ve got to have it (no matter how many times I tell myself I’m going to try something new).

Fettuccine Alfredo is definitely a special treat. It’s so indulgent and decadent with a simple perfection that sets it apart from your average pasta dish. Although the recipe is quite basic, it does call for a tricky balancing act when creating the sauce. You need the perfect amount of cheese to achieve just the right thickness and flavor. I’ve had many failed Fettuccine Alfredo attempts. I make it too thick, the sauce separates when I add the pasta, or it’s thin and runny. I think I’ve finally achieved my ideal Alfredo sauce. And I’m sorry, Olive Garden, but your version takes 2nd place to mine. Maybe I could teach you a thing or two? Continue reading →