So I recently decided to go back on the rotating-menu plan for dinners each week, mostly because I was getting sick of the "What do you feel like tonight?" "I don't know, what do you want?" "I don't know, wanna just get take out?" routine. So a few weekends ago, I took several hours and planned out six weeks' worth of menus with some new recipes to try and, of course, some new favorites. One of the new recipes is this penne dish, from a junk mailer I got once called Fine Cooking Magazine. And oh-my-freaking-gosh you guys. This dish. Is. The. Bomb.
Best of all, it re-heats really, really well. So I can make this full four-serving recipe, then have enough leftover to eat for lunch the next day. Score!
Ingredients:
- kosher salt, pepper
- 8 oz. fresh baby spinach (about 10 lightly packed cups)
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (adjust according to taste)
- 12 oz uncooked penne (about 3 1/2 cups)
- 3/4 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola
- 3 tbsp chopped fresh chives
Make sure there's a rack positioned in the center of your oven, then preheat to 350 degrees. While it's heating, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Put the spinach in a colander in the sink.
Spread the walnuts out evenly on a baking sheet and toast until dark golden-brown, about six to eight minutes. You'll be able to smell them when they're ready. Oh man. I just started drooling. When they're done, set aside to cool.
Cook the penne to al dente. Reserve about half a cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta in the colander over the spinach. This, and the hot pasta lying on top of the spinach for the next few minutes, actually cooks the greens. How cool is that?
Add the gorgonzola and cream to a 10- to 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and bring to a gentle boil. Add pepper to taste, as well as a pinch of kosher salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is slightly thickened and the gorgonzola is mostly melted. It should take about two to three minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium, add the pasta and spinach, and stir to coat. Add half of the walnuts and chives and stir again to combine. Cook until the pasta absorbs some of the sause, about two minutes more. If the mixture gets too thick, add some of the reserved cooking water to loosen it up. Season to taste with salt and pepper, if needed. Dish out into serving bowls and top with the remaining walnuts and chives, and try not to wolf it down like a starved person. (Trust me, it's harder than it sounds!)
I'm so excited to stop by our apartment complex's pool after lunch today! It opened this weekend of course, and the high for today is supposed to hit the lower 90s, so it couldn't be more perfect. I still have a bit of work to do, but that can wait till this evening. It's a pool day!
For dinner, I think I might do this recipe from a few weeks ago. I adapted it from one of Rachael Ray's cookbooks, and it's just fantastic. I season it with some applewood-smoked sea salt from a shop in the North Market here in Columbus. It really adds some depth to the dish!
Tilapia with Balsamic Brown Butter and Creamy Tomato Farfalle
Ingredients:
- extra virgin olive oil
- 5 slices bacon (I like to use applewood smoked), chopped
- 2 shallots or 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 6-oz cans plain tomato sauce
- 4 tilapia filets
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 box farfalle bow-tie pasta
- about 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
- 1/4 cup cream
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- fresh basil (optional)
Start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil. While that's heating, heat about a tablespoon of oil in a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Add the chopped bacon and cook until crisp. Add the onions and season with salt and pepper, cooking until tender but not quite browned, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and simmer for about 10 minutes so all the flavors mix together.
Season the fish with salt and pepper, dust with the flour and shake off any excess. Heat about 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side, until it flakes easily with a fork. Remove to a separate plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
While the fish is cooking, salt the pasta water (here's where I use the applewood smoked salt) and add the pasta, cooking to al dente. Also, stir the frozen peas into the tomato sauce. Bring it back up to a low simmer and add the cream. Season with salt and pepper if needed. (Again, I throw in some of the applewood smoked salt if I think the dish needs a bit more smokey flavor. I use regular salt if the bacon has done its job.)
Add the 3 tablespoons butter to the pan the fish cooked in. Brown over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, then stir in the balsamic vinegar and simmer until it reduces by half, about a minute or two. Pour over the fish.
Drain the pasta, toss with the sauce and wilt the basil into the sauce if using. Serve together.
I worked in a dining hall in college. You won’t be surprised to hear that most of the food was just not good—mass-produced food rarely is. But there was one dish that I really liked. Loved. So much so that I actually went to the head cook and asked her how she made it. So I scaled down the recipe (hey, no one’s cooking for 150 here) and voila! Springtime spaghetti. (Perfect timing, too; it just started heating up here!)
Ingredients:
- 1 box of spaghetti or linguine
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1-2 whole carrots
- fresh dill
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 zucchini
- 1 pint heavy cream
- Parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. While you’re waiting for that, julienne the carrot(s), bell pepper and zucchini. (Note: cucumber also works for this, as I discovered when Matt--aka Boyfriend, he said he doesn't mind if I use his name--accidentally bought the wrong produce. I think I like it better with cucumbers, in fact.) I like to use my mandolin to julienne the carrot and zucchini/cucumber to ensure equal cuts, but I usually do the bell pepper by hand.
Also, chop up your dill. How much you use is up to you; I usually use an entire pre-packaged container from Kroger (minus the stems), which is about a quarter of a cup. Or something like that. I could be entirely wrong. I love dill though, so for me, the more the better.
By now, your pot of water should be hot, but not quite boiling. Grab a very large frying pan and melt the butter in it over medium heat. I usually use more than two tablespoons, but I’m a sucker for butter. I can’t get enough. It’s really not healthy.
Mince the garlic while the butter is melting. I use a knock-off SlapChop that my grandma gave me for Christmas one year. It’s so easy! I wish I had the knife skills to mince garlic evenly by hand, but I'm kind of a klutz. Fake-SlapChop seems safer.
When your water comes to a boil, add a big helping of salt to flavor it. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions, minus a minute or two so it's al dente. Drain it and return to the pot.
While the pasta is cooking, add the garlic to the pan with the butter and sauté for about a minute. Then add the carrots and dill (set a little extra aside for garnishing), sautéing for about three to four minutes. Then add the red pepper and zucchini/cucumber, sautéing for another two or three minutes. Add the cream and let it come up to a simmer (you may need to increase the heat if your pasta is done cooking at this point).
Once the mix is bubbling gently, add the Parmesan. Again, I don’t measure and I love parm, so I use way more than is probably necessary. I’m guessing that about one-third of a cup should do it. Maybe half a cup. Stir everything together, and turn the heat down or off altogether. Then add the pasta and let it finish cooking in the creamy, dilly deliciousness. Garnish with extra dill and Parmesan as desired. Makes enough for about four people.
Best news? This dish is great as leftovers. Just make sure you reheat it relatively soon after you cook it, within a few days, or that cream will get really, really gross. Trust me.
