Some variation of pasta with broccoli is usually our fall-back meal. You know, the meal you make when you a) are missing an ingredient for the meal you had planned to make, b) you are tired after a long day of work, or c) don't feel like cooking and it's this or calling the neighborhood pizza place. I am a creature of habit and could eat the same thing every day, but Justin likes a little variety.

When I saw this recipe, I was intrigued by slow-cooking the broccoli, as well as putting breadcrumbs on pasta. I didn't think I would like the crunchiness on top, but it is now my new favorite pasta topper. The rough texture and crunchiness is the perfect compliment to the soft pasta. While this isn't exactly in the "just as fast as ordering pizza" category, it's just as easy and you won't feel guilty for having dessert afterwards!

Slow-Cooked Broccoli Pasta with Crunchy Lemon Breadcrumbs

1 1/2 lbs broccoli
1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
4 cloves fresh garlic, peeled
Salt
2-3 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. butter
1 1/2 cups fresh, roughly textured breadcrumbs (made from stale bread)
Red pepper flakes (optional)
1 lemon
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups small pasta (I used penne)

Break down your broccoli as follows: cut the thick stems from the florets, peel and cut them into 1-inch chunks. Break the florets into pieces. If the garlic cloves are small (the size of an almond) leave them whole. Cut larger cloves into halves or quarters.

Pour 1/3 cup of olive oil into a large stock pot or dutch oven. Add the broccoli, garlic and a pinch of salt. Add about 2 or 3 Tbsp. of water and put on the lid. Place over a medium low flame and cook until you can hear the liquids starting to simmer (about 10 minutes.) (It's fine to peek in the pot to see how things are going.) Turn the flame down as low as possible and continue cooking until the broccoli is limp and completely soft, about another hour. Turn off the heat but keep the lid on your pot.

In a large frying pan, heat up the oil and butter and add the breadcrumbs (and optional red pepper flakes) and sauté until the crumbs begin to brown. Add a small pinch of the salt and turn off the heat. Using a microplane or a fine grater, carefully grate just the peel from the lemon and toss in with the crumbs.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in salted boiling water according to package direction until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Remove the broccoli from the pan with tongs until the only thing left in the pot are the cooking liquid and the garlic cloves (which will be quite soft.) Smash the cloves against the sides of the pot and mix them into the liquid and pour it over the broccoli. Toss the pasta, the broccoli and juices together and sprinkle on the breadcrumbs.

Source: adapted from the kitchn

Because of the recent east coast heat wave (90s and humid, ugh), I have been doing my best to avoid cooking using the oven. We had some leftover artichoke hearts in the fridge, so this recipe was perfect using pantry staples. It was a light cream-based pasta that was perfect for a weeknight meal.

Spaghetti with Artichoke Hearts and Tomatoes

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 can (14.5 oz) artichoke Hearts, drained
1 can (14.5 Oz.) diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup heavy cream
½ cups chicken broth (more as needed)
½ tsp. nutmeg
Salt And Pepper, to taste
1 pound thin spaghetti
1 cup Parmesan, freshly grated
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley (or other herbs), chopped

Melt olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add artichoke hearts and tomatoes, and stir and cook for 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in salted boiling water according to package direction until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Reduce heat on your artichoke mixture to low. Stir in cream and chicken broth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook over low heat until heated through, then turn off heat.

Place drained pasta in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 cup Parmesan, then pour sauce over the top. Add parsley, and toss lightly to combine and coat; add a tiny bit of additional chicken broth if sauce seems too thick.

After making a tomato-basil tart, I had an enormous amount of basil that I didn't want to go to waste. Pesto is perfect for pasta, fresh bread, grilled chicken, pizza and many other meals, so I decided to make some basil pesto to freeze. This pesto far surpasses store-bought pesto from a jar. Next time I make this, I want to try it with sun-dried tomatoes. Yum!

Basil Pesto

4 oz. fresh basil leaves
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
2 Tbsp. pine nuts, toasted
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
3 oz. Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

Place all ingredients in the work bowl of a food processor. Puree until smooth. Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

Hello, dear readers! I'm so excited to be back in the blogging world after my winter absence. Although I thought I would come back with plenty of spring inspired desserts, I felt like making some comfort food last week due to the dreary weather. (Thankfully, this week is sunny and beautiful, so I have plenty of light and lemony recipes on the way!) In my eyes, next to Macaroni and Cheese, Lasagna is the best possible comfort food. This has been my go to lasagna recipe for years, and it never fails to impress. The prep time is fairly minimal, and it perfect to prepare in advance or put in the freezer for a rainy day. If you are having gloomy weather, or just feel like curling up on the couch with something warm and comforting, give this lasagna a try.

Classic Italian Lasagna

I love anything with Sesame - sesame chicken especially - and I have been hoarding two recipes for sesame noodles for some times now. I laughed when I realized they were the exact same recipe! So I figured, it must be good, right? This recipe couldn't be easier to prepare and was just what my taste buds were looking for. Flavorful, yet not overpowering - the perfect Asian side dish.

Justin, on the other hand, didn't think it was quite as perfect as I did. He thought it lacked a very important ingredient - peanut butter. (As a side note, until recently, I didn't realize most sesame noodle recipes had peanut butter in them - good to know!) Seeing as how I am fatally allergic to the creamy (or chunky) goodness, I couldn't exactly try it out to see if Justin was right. So if you are a purist like me, this recipe is perfect as is. If you are more like Justin, add a little peanut butter and let me know what you think!

Nothing says Italy like good food, and nothing says Italian food like pasta. So after I made homemade sauce and meatballs, I knew I had to take the plunge and try my hand at pasta making. I was afraid to attempt it on my own, so I called Mrs. Walk and said, "Let's have a pasta party!" She and I made the pasta together while our husbands played pool and drank beer patiently waited for dinner.

I know many of you readers (at least those who haven't attempted this) won't believe me, but we were actually surprised at how easy it was! It is definitely time consuming, but the pasta maker does most of the work for you - you just need to get in a good rhythm. And honestly, no store-bought pasta can compare to the flavor and texture of homemade noodles. We ate them with my homemade sauce, but I ate leftovers with just olive oil and garlic, and they were still superb. Even if you don't have a pasta maker, you too can make noodles at home. Just have a good rolling pin handy. :-) We already have plans to have another pasta party, but we want to make a day of it so we can freeze some for later use. (You can refrigerate the noodles for up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month.)

Homemade Pasta Noodles
serves 4

2 cups all-purpose flour

4 large eggs
Olive oil
Fresh basil, chopped

Mound flour in center of a large work surface or large bowl. Make a well in the middle and crack eggs into the well. Using a fork, beat the eggs and slowly incorporate flour, beginning with inner rim of well. When flour is incorporated, gather dough together to form a rounded mass, adding flour as needed to handle.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, knead dough on low speed until dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Wrap dough in plastic wrap, and let rest for 30 minutes at room temperature before using.

Divide dough into 4 pieces; keep 3 pieces covered with a slightly damp kitchen towel. Before handling the dough, dust your hands, the machine and any accessories with flour and lightly flour your work surface. Flatten dough to a shape somewhat narrower than pasta machine opening and feed through machine's widest setting (7 on my machine). As pasta emerges, gently support it with your palm and guide it onto the work surface. Fold dough in thirds, and roll out again, using flour as necessary. Repeat process until dough emerges in smooth and supple, about 8-10 times.

Now it's time to thin the dough. Dust pasta lightly with flour to prevent sticking, if necessary. Roll dough progressively through the thinner settings, without folding, 2 times per setting, until you have reached your desired thickness. (We did ours to 4.) If pasta sheet becomes too long to work with easily, cut it into 2 pieces. Allow pasta to rest for 10 minutes before cutting.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly dust with flour. Feed the pasta sheets through the cutting attachment, and lay flat on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pasta sheets. If not cooking immediately, tightly cover with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator.

Bring a pot of salted water to a roaring boil. Add the pasta, and cook for 2-5 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente. Drain the pasta and toss with olive oil and fresh basil. Enjoy!

Source: adapted from Martha Stewart Living, April 2000

This is another recipe I made for the housewarming party we had last month, but unfortunately I didn't get to try any of it at our party! I made it again to accompany the lemon-basil grilled chicken and it has now become my fall-back dinner side dish. I have never been a huge pasta salad fan, but this one really changed my mind; anything with cheese and garlic-infused oil gets my vote! I will definitely keep this pasta salad in our rotation.

1lb. uncooked pasta (I used penne rigate)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3-4 vine-ripened tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted and chopped (I omitted this)
Handful of fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips

Cook pasta in salted boiling water according to package direction until just past al dente. Drain well. Transfer to a serving bowl. While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Saute' the garlic until sizzling and golden, stirring frequently (a few minutes). Be careful not to burn the garlic. Pour the garlic and oil over the warm pasta and toss well. Add the mozzarella cheese, half of the Parmesan and salt and pepper, to taste. Mix well and let the noodles cool slightly. Just before serving, top the noodles with the chopped tomatoes, basil, toasted pine nuts (if using) and remaining Parmesan cheese. Serve room temperature.

I feel any good Italian cook should be able to make a great spaghetti sauce. I have wanted to try for some time, but was concerned it wouldn't taste good enough for Justin, who is particularly picky about his "red sauce." He may be only 25% Italian, but his taste buds seem to claim otherwise. When I saw this recipe, I decided to go out on a limb and give it a try. When Justin finally went to the stove to give it the official taste test, I held my breath in anticipation of him saying, "Oh. It's... good," which in Justin-speak means, "thanks for cooking, but it's not quite what I was hoping for." After taking a heaping spoonful, he looked at me square in the eye and told me it was the best sauce he has ever had. I was shocked! We had a leftover jar of store-bought sauce in the fridge, and Justin was upset we have to eventually use it, instead of using my homemade sauce. The meatballs were also fantastic; they were the perfect compliment to the sauce. I will definitely be making this over and over again. Next time, I will double the batch so I can jar some in addition to freezing a couple individual batches. Definitely give this one a try!

Homemade Spaghetti and Meatballs

For the sauce:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (29 oz.) can tomato puree
1 (29 oz.) can tomato sauce
2 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup of water
1 bay leaf (optional)

For the meatballs:
1 lb. ground beef or ground turkey
1/2 cup bread crumbs, divided
1/4 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt

To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion to the pot and saute' until tender, about 5-8 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, stirring, about 1 minute. Add the tomato puree, tomato sauce, parsley, basil, oregano, salt, sugar and water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Add bay leaf and let simmer with tilted lid for at least 2 hours.

To make the meatballs, in a medium mixing bowl, combine 1/4 cup of the bread crumbs with the milk. Let the bread crumbs soak for 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix thoroughly. Form the mixture into meatballs (I was able to make 20). Add the meatballs to the simmering sauce about 45 minutes before the sauce will be finished cooking. Let simmer with tilted lid for 45 minutes.

Remove bay leaf from sauce and discard, then remove meatballs with a slotted spoon. Using an immersion blender, blend sauce until smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender, scoop out 2 cups of the sauce and carefully blend in your traditional blender. Add meatballs back to sauce. Serve over freshly cooked pasta, with shredded Parmesan and fresh basil, if desired.

Source: adapted from Annie's Eats, originally Brown Eyed Baker

(As said in Joey's voice) "Pasta? Good. Milk? Good. Cheese? GOOD." Macaroni and Cheese is the ultimate comfort food. What could be better than cheese and pasta together? I don't think anything more perfect exists. (Besides oreo ice cream sandwiches of course.) To this day, when I have a sore throat, the only thing that makes me feel better is hot macaroni and cheese. And it is such a versatile dish - you can throw in veggies, meat, bread crumbs; you can add some hot sauce and seasoning to give it a kick; or you can just leave its cheesy goodness plain and simple. (Am I obsessing too much?)

I prefer a simple macaroni and cheese, and this recipe definitely fits the bill. I have been using it for a couple years and my 12 year old sister-in-law requests it every time she comes to visit. If you are looking for an all-American, super simple mac and cheese recipe, definitely read on friend... read on.

Easy Cheesy Macaroni and Cheese

1 lb. elbow macaroni
3 cups Colby longhorn cheese
3 cups New York sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup milk (I use 1 or 2%)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a pot of slightly salted water to a boil. Cook macaroni for 10 minutes, then drain. Run cold water over the noodles to cool. (This will prevent the noodles from melting the cheese before going into the oven.)

Meanwhile, cut cheese into 4 wedges each. Shred cheese, alternating between Colby and cheddar.

In a 9x13 baking dish, use half the pasta to make a layer of noodles, then cover with half the cheese. Repeat, using the rest of the pasta and cheese. (If you are making this ahead of time, this is the time to cover and put it in the refrigerator until you are ready to put it in the oven.)

Divide the butter into 4 pieces. On the top layer, place one piece of butter in each quadrant. Pour milk over the top very lightly and evenly.

Bake macaroni and cheese uncovered for 1 hour. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

As promised, I am finally blogging about my shrimp lasagna rolls! I usually make a ground beef/ground turkey lasagna, so I was so happy to try a different base in these rolls. I added quite a bit of seasoning to the shrimp when I cooked them, and it really added some kick. I will definitely be adding these to our rotation. (If you didn't see my earlier post, check out my prosciutto and spinach lasagna rolls.)

Shrimp Lasagna Rolls

6 lasagna noodles
1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
3/4 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 oz.) container ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning (plus more for seasoning shrimp)
Pinch of nutmeg
1 3/4 cups marinara sauce, divided
Shredded mozzarella cheese, for topping

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a roaring boil. Boil the noodles until just tender, but still firm to bite, about 8 minutes. Drain. Arrange the noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet to prevent them from sticking.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp to the skillet, and generously season with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Add the garlic to the pan and saute' shrimp, stirring often, until cooked, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Coarsely chop the cooled shrimp and place in a bowl with 1 cup ricotta cheese, the Parmesan, egg, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste, and the nutmeg. Stir to combine.

In another bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce with the remaining ricotta cheese. Stir until smooth.

In an 8x8 baking dish, spread the remaining 1/4 cup marinara sauce to cover the bottom. Lay lasagna noodles on a work surface. Divide the shrimp mixture evenly between the noodles and spread over the full length of each. Starting at one end, roll each noodle like a jelly roll. (Make sure not to squeeze or the filling will come out the sides.) Lay the filled lasagna noodles seam side down (without touching) in the baking dish. Spoon the creamy marinara sauce over the top and add shredded mozzarella.

Cover tightly with foil. (If you are making these ahead of time, you can put them in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook.) Bake until heated through(about 20 minutes). Raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees, uncover lasagna rolls, and bake until cheese on top starts to brown, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes. Serve with additional marinara sauce.

Source: adapted from Annie's Eats originally from Everyday Pasta by Giada De Laurentiis.

Justin and I are hosting Easter at our house for the second year in a row. I don't like ham, so it's always a challenge to decide what food to serve. I prefer something I can cook either in the oven or the crock pot, because I don't like to be chained to the stove while everyone is eating appetizers and salad. I also need to be able to make it ahead of time, so we are free to do what we want during the day. (Last year, I didn't get dinner on the table until 8:00 pm, because we didn't get home until 6:00 from sightseeing around Baltimore. I was a little stressed that evening, so I think the easiest thing to do is just prepare everything early so I can just pop it in the oven.)

On this chilly Sunday, we wanted something warm and cozy. (Can food be cozy? I think so.) I had some leftover ricotta mixture from Lasagna I made earlier in the week, so stuffed shells sounded perfect. (Some of the proportions may be a little weird, because I had a third of my ricotta mixture left over.)

Ingredients

24 jumbo pasta shells
10 ounces ricotta cheese
2/3 cups mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, divided
4 tsp. fresh parsley
1/3 beaten egg
3 cups canned tomatoes
1 cup broccoli (optional)

Cook shells al dente and drain. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, 4 tsp parmesan cheese, parsley, beaten egg (discard remainder of egg), and broccoli (if applicable).

Pour 1 cup tomatoes over bottom of 13 x 9 dish, breaking up tomatoes with fork. Spoon one rounded tsp cheese mixture per shell and place open side up in one layer in pan. Pour remaining tomatoes over and around shells. Sprinkle the remainder of the parmesan cheese over the tomatoes.

Cover with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Now, onto red velvet cupcakes for dessert...

Source: Me!