Pumpkin Pesto

Sometimes I am reminded, in a slap in the face type of way, that I've gotten too comfortable with something. It's usually not parenting, but last weekend as I was shrugging off my 1-year-old's fall, and helping her back up as I do so often - she's still working on stability, my mother in law noticed that her eye was bleeding. My sweet baby had slit her eyelid open and bashed up her eye, on my watch, while I was casually and nonchalantly responding to her cries. She's normally such a tough little girl. We've had tumbles down stairs, a fall on a bike, and countless other stumbles, all of which produced only a few tears. So I tend not to fret over her bumps and bruises these days. But seeing her eye in such bad shape made me re-think my easy-going attitude. She's totally fine, by the way. I think it's me that's scarred.

I thought it would be fun to make a pumpkin pesto, not a just pumpkin seed pesto - there's a million of those recipes out there, but a pesto sauce made from actual pumpkin with a pumpkin taste. Maybe I was a little too confident. My initial attempts weren't that great. It either didn't have enough pumpkin flavor, or the spices weren't right. But actually, it was a good thing, because I really had to think and just experiment, and that's something I haven't done in a long time. So, this is me, reminding myself not to get so comfortable!

For the pesto:

2 cloves garlic
3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 tablespoons grated/crumbled Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons canned pumpkin (plain, no spices)
3/4 cup pepitas
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/3 fresh sage leaves
1/2 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor add all ingredients minus 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.  Blend until smooth, slowly adding in the reserved oil.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Excellent with squash filled raviolis or crackers with goat's cheese!   

Fusilli with Golden Beets, Beet Greens and Toasted Walnuts

Summer orientation started this week, so life is busy, busy, busy.  I was on maternity leave last year so I missed the whole shebang.  But this year, I am making up for it.  Presentations, presentations, presentations.  It's the name of the game right now.  Last week I was talking to parents about dropping their child off at college.  Don't ask me how I am qualified to speak on this topic.  I'm not; but I did a lot of research, and I had an amazing team helping me put it all together. It's a tough time...and I am SO glad I don't have to deal with it for another 14 years!   

Believe it or not, one of the best parts of my job in summer is that we eat in the UCSB dining commons.  They are award winning.  They use as many local and sustainable ingredients as they can.  And, they have a huge variety of food at every meal.  Last week they had an amazing beet salad that I missed out on, so I was inspired to find my own beet recipe.  This one was great.  I was a little sceptical about beets and pasta, but the combo was super tasty.  And easy...noticing a theme in this blog?!  So, try this out for a quick, easy, fresh summer pasta; no orientation needed.  

Recipe slightly adapted from Epicurius,

1/3 cup walnuts, chopped


4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 large onions, quartered lengthwise through root end, sliced crosswise (about 4 cups)

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 bunches 2-inch-diameter golden beets with fresh healthy greens; beets peeled, each cut into 8 wedges, greens cut into 1-inch-wide strips

12 ounces fusilli pasta

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving

Heat heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add walnuts and stir until lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Transfer to small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons oil and onions to same skillet and sauté until beginning to soften and turn golden, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to sauté until onions are tender and browned, about 30 minutes longer. Add garlic and stir 2 minutes. Scatter beet greens over onions. Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons oil over; cover and cook until beet greens are tender, about 5 minutes.


Meanwhile, cook beets in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer beets to medium bowl. Return water to boil. Add pasta to beet cooking liquid and cook until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot.

Stir onion-greens mixture and beets into pasta. Add pasta cooking liquid by tablespoons to moisten. Season with salt and coarsely ground black pepper. Stir in 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese. Divide pasta among shallow bowls. Sprinkle with walnuts. Serve, passing additional cheese.

Pasta and Veggies with Rosemary

Okay, what just happened?  Oh yeah, I had a second baby, went back to work full-time, and adopted a dog.  Guess what took a back seat?  Blogging, right..along with just about every other non-essential thing I usually enjoy doing.  Things come up and I ask myself, "Is this going to take more than 10 minutes?"  If the answer is yes, I'll usually pass.  That's okay, I wouldn't trade it.  But, I have had to scale back a lot of things, including time-consuming cooking projects.  The other night I threw this together last minute and we really enjoyed it.  It was quick, easy, and super tasty...just my style right now. 

1/2 an eggplant, salted, drained, and then cubed in 1/2" pieces
1 zucchini, diced
1 tomato, diced
10-15 black olives, sliced
1 bunch spinach, chard, or other greens
3 Tablespoons good quality olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
1/2 pound pasta, any shape

Cook pasta according to package directions.  In a frying pan, saute garlic gently in olive oil for 1-2 minutes.  Add eggplant and zucchini and stir occasionally 2-3 minutes.  Add spinach or greens and stir occasionally until tender.  Add remaining ingredients until well mixed.  Season with salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese to taste. 

NOTE: Salting and draining the eggplant will keep it from absorbing all the oil when you put it into the frying pan, so don't be tempted to skip this step.  It really does make a difference. 

Artichoke and Spinach Lasagna

I had the chance to see a few old high school friends over the holidays.  It has been a lot of years, but some bonds never change.  I love seeing how people's lives unfold.  Even though the end results were partly surprising, in hindsight, it's easy to see how choices from the early teen years have led them to their current places in life.  For one, fame.  For another, fortune.  And, for another, philanthropy.  All three, so impressive. In all honesty, it did make me question what I had accomplished in life...


This lasagna was a bit of an ego booster!  It felt like something I threw together last minute, but got such rave reviews from our dinner guest (one of those successful high school friends).  Plus, it was nice to make a vegetarian dish that didn't feel like it was lacking a key ingredient, aka meat! 


From www.allrecipes.com


Ingredients:
cooking spray
9 uncooked lasagna noodles
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic
1 (14.5 ounce) can vegetable broth
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 (14 ounce) can marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1 (28 ounce) jar tomato pasta sauce
3 Cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 (4 ounce) package herb and garlic feta, crumbled


1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.



2.Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add noodles and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.


3.Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium-high. Saute onion and garlic for 3 minutes, or until onion is tender-crisp. Stir in broth and rosemary; bring to a boil. Stir in artichoke hearts and spinach; reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in pasta sauce.


4.Spread 1/4 of the artichoke mixture in the bottom of the prepared baking dish; top with 3 cooked noodles. Sprinkle 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese over noodles. Repeat layers 2 more times, ending with artichoke mixture and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle crumbled feta on top.


5.Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover, and bake 15 minutes more, or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.


 

Linguine with Roasted Butternut Squash Sauce

I admit it.  I grocery shop without a list.  If any of you have been under the false assumption that I am supremely organized and have it all together, I have news for you.  I'm not and I don't.  I've survived this long in life simply because I have a decent memory, and after two children, I have to say, that too seems to be going.  What was I talking about again?  Oh right, my memory, yeah.  Anyway, I don't totally meander about the store.  I have a mental list, or shall we call it a feeling for what I need?  But, rarely do I enter the store with anything written down.  That would involve taking the time to scribble it and then remembering to bring it and then remembering to look at it.  Who has the time?  It probably won't shock you to hear that I often end up missing one or two ingredients for a recipe.  I've been wanting to make this pasta dish for a long time now, but not surprisingly, I always seemed to be one or two ingredients shy and didn't want to sell it short by making substitutions.  I'm so glad I didn't.  You've got to try this.  It was amazing, and definitely unforgettable!        

Recipe by Marina (see her blog: http://www.yummymummykitchen.com/)
Serves 4

1 medium sized butternut squash

1 head of garlic, halved crosswise

1/2 a medium onion, sliced

pinch of sugar

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

8 sage leaves, torn

extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons butter
1 lb linguine, rigatoni or other favorite pasta, cooked al dente


Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Slice squash lengthwise and brush with olive oil. Drizzle the garlic halves with olive oil and wrap loosely in foil. Place squash and garlic on a baking sheet and roast until tender, about 45 minutes for the squash and 30 minutes for the garlic. Cool enough to remove skin.  Save half of the squash and garlic for a later use.   
 While squash and garlic are roasting, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and a pinch of sugar, and cook until caramelized, about 10 minutes.


In a food processor, pulse the peeled squash, peeled roasted garlic, Parmesan cheese and caramelized onions until smooth.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the sage and simmer until fragrant and butter just begins to brown. Stir into the squash mixture. Thin with pasta water and/or milk until desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in cooked pasta and top with more Parmesan cheese.

Roasted Cauliflower Pasta Bake

The best thing about living in a house with no air conditioning, on the hottest day on record in Southern California, is...you can turn your oven on and it really doesn't make your house any hotter! Two days ago it was 110 at my house.  Not the best day for a casserole, but oh well.  This one was a keeper.  There was just one thing that would have made it even better: 60 degree weather!




Adapted from a recipe in Rachel Ray magazine. 


1 large head cauliflower, cut into small florets
1/2 Cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
3/4 pound bow tie or ziti pasta
One 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pasta seasoning
1 Cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 Cups pitted kalamata olives, drained and chopped
1/4 Cup flat leaf parsley
1/2 Cup bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese


1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  On a rimmed baking sheet, toss cauliflower with 1/4 cup olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Roast, stirring halfway through, until browned, 20-25 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Lower the temperature to 350 degrees. 


2. Meanwhile, in a large pot of salted water, cook the pasta until al dente.  Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.  Return the pasta and cooking water to the pot and stir in the crushed tomatoes, mozzarella, olives, the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and half each of the parsley, bread crumbs, and Parmesan cheese.


3. Pour the mixture into a 2-quart baking dish; top with the roasted cauliflower and remaining bread crumbs and Parmesan.  Bake until heated through, about 10 minutes.  Sprinkle remaining parsley on top.

Linguine with Clam Sauce

The parsley seems to be our best growing herb in the herb garden. When we planted it I thought I'd rarely use it, but it has been surprising how many recipes call for fresh parsley. Our daughter also got to take sprigs of it to day care to feed to the class guinea pig, Rosemary. The kids loved watching her munch away at it and the teachers appreciated the treat. Rosemary spent the weekend with us once and was in guinea pig heaven with all the fresh parsley she got to eat. But then, one day, we took parsley in. I watched as the kids fed it to her, and left feeling like it was just an ordinary day. Upon picking our daughter up, we all had notes in our mailboxes that Rosemary had passed away that day. Oh dear...my first thought, could it have been the parsley?? Oh please no. Hopefully Andrew did not put down some pesticide or slug pellets the day before, yikes! I read the note and talked to the teacher. She reassured me that Rosemary's demise was a result of heat stroke and not our parsley. Phew!

We are all going to miss little Rosemary. I can't pick parsley without thinking of her. So, when I made this recipe the other night I took a moment to mentally wish her well and apologize for not bringing parsley more often!

This recipe comes from a friend's mom. It's incredibly easy and so tasty. You can make it with fresh clams and fresh pasta, or use canned clams and dry pasta. Either way, it comes out great.

Serves 4
1 pound of linguine cooked
3 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley
3 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons milk
2-3 garlic cloves minced
1/2 Cup Parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 10.5 ounce cans minced clams (or use fresh clams)
dash of red pepper flakes
dash of dried basil
Wondra flour

Saute garlic in butter and olive oil. Add clam juice only. Simmer 10 minutes. Then add milk, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, clams, red pepper flakes, and basil. Thicken sauce by adding more parmesan cheese and a small amount of Wondra flour. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve immediately

Roasted Beet Risotto

We planted six beets this year and the birds ate all but one of the plants.  So, having hoped to get half a dozen beets, we ended up with one.  We looked at it a few times and debated if it was ready to pull out of the ground.  We certainly didn't want to pull it out too soon, especially if it was our only chance at a fresh beet.  Today, it looked just right.  About half of it was poking up from the top of the soil and the leafy bit was fairly big.  It turned out to be perfect timing.  Now...what to do with this beet, hmm.  We knew we couldn't go wrong with roasting it and putting it over some greens.  But, I wanted to do something a little more interesting.  I had bookmarked this recipe awhile back and thought it looked interesting.  Having never made it before though, I hoped we wouldn't waste our only beet if it didn't turn out so great.  And, I have to say, I am not generally a huge fan of risotto.  It always seems like a lot of effort for a lackluster meal.  Andrew feels the same way, so this really was a leap of faith.  Well, I am now converted.  This risotto was so good.  The contrast of the tangy onions and the sweet beets all topped off with a little sour cream and dill.  What could be better?  It's comfort food at its ultimate best.   

Adapted slightly from www.bbcgoodfood.com, called Creamy Beetroot Risotto.  See the web site if you want the British measurements!
Serves 2 (easily doubled)

1 medium fresh beetroot
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp of butter
1/2 an onion , finely chopped
1 garlic clove , finely chopped
250g risotto rice
1/4 Cup of white wine
2 Cups hot vegetable stock
handful grated parmesan
4 Tbsp sour cream
handful chopped fresh dill


1.Heat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and trim the beets and cut into large wedges. Place on a large sheet of foil on a baking sheet. Toss with 1 tbsp olive oil, season, then cook for 45 minutes - 1 hr until the beets are soft.



2.Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil with the butter in an ovenproof pan with a lid. Tip in the onion and garlic, then cook for 3-5 mins until translucent. Stir in the rice until well coated with the butter and oil. Pour over the white wine, then let the mixture bubble away for 5 mins.


3.Stir well, then pour over the stock. Stir again, cover and place in the oven. Cook for 15 mins until the rice is soft. Remove the beets from the oven. Whizz ¼ of them to make a purée, then chop the remainder into small pieces. Stir most of the Parmesan, the beet purée and chopped beet through the risotto, then serve with some sour cream dolloped over and the dill and extra Parmesan scattered on top.

Easiest Tomato Sauce Ever!

I'm the simple type.  I like to wear basics, jeans, t-shirts, sweaters, and so forth.  You don't often see me in anything too trendy or even colorful for that matter.  I pack light.  I'm not into gadgets or knick knacks.  I just recently got a texting plan, and I probably wouldn't own a laptop if it wasn't for my techy husband.  I like just about everything in my life plain and simple, except my food.  I love spice and heat and interesting flavors.  So, when I came across this recipe I thought, nope, not for me.  I like lots of flavor in my pasta sauce!  But, I just couldn't ignore the fact that people on cooking blogs everywhere kept raving about it.  I couldn't imagine what could be so great with only 3 ingredients (4, if you count salt).  There was no garlic, no olive oil, no basil, no red wine (sinful), just canned tomatoes, an onion, and butter.   Butter, in tomato sauce?  It didn't even sound right.  Well, despite loving food that is anything but simple, I am a sucker for easy!  And this certainly seemed easy.  Amazingly, this sauce was anything but simple once it was done.  It was rich, flavorful, sweet, savory, mellow and intense all at the same time.  I wouldn't have believed it 'til I tried it and I highly recommend that you do too!  

From www.smittenkitchen.com and Marcela Hazan's Essentials of Italian Cooking          

Serves 4 as a main course; makes enough sauce to lightly coat most of a pound of spaghetti


28 ounces (800 grams) whole peeled tomatoes from a can (San Marzano, if you can find them)

5 tablespoons (70 grams) unsalted butter


1 medium-sized yellow onion, peeled and halved


Salt to taste


Put the tomatoes, onion and butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a simmer then lower the heat to keep the sauce at a slow, steady simmer for about 45 minutes, or until droplets of fat float free of the tomatoes. Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat, discard the onion, add salt to taste (you might find, that your tomatoes came salted and that you didn’t need to add more) and keep warm while you prepare your pasta.

Note: I used a potato masher at the end to further crush my tomatoes.  I found it tedious to try and crush them against the side of the pan.  The masher worked just fine.

Turkey Meatball Soup

If my Mom is reading this, she must be thinking how ironic it is for me to be posting something like meatball soup.  After all, at the age of 13, I announced I was a vegetarian.  I made this decision after catching a special on t.v. about cattle and chicken raised for slaughter.  It was graphic enough to have converted even the most meat loving man into a vegetable and tofu lover.  I'll admit it though, I fell off the veggie wagon my very first day.  Yep, it's true.  I couldn't last one day.  A friend brought me lunch that day and had picked up hamburgers.  They just smelled so good.  One more day couldn't hurt, could it?  Apparently not.  After that day, I stayed true to this cause for twelve years before deciding it was time for some protein in my diet again.  I now call myself a "recovering" vegetarian, and I couldn't be happier with this decision.  Don't get me wrong, that t.v. special is still vivid in my memory, but maybe time has lightened some of the more disturbing parts?  I can now eat chicken, turkey, a little pork, and fish.  Red meat still hasn't made it past my lips, but I'm okay with that.  Eating some meat has certainly made my life easier.  I get fewer weird looks, rolling eyes, and hippie comments.  There's more than one or two choices on restaurant menus.  And, no one feels like they need to make me anything special when I go to their house for dinner.  Oh, and, my husband no longer makes the "wasting away" comments he used to make when I was cooking only vegetarian!    


This recipe is from Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious.  I skipped the sweet potato puree, but otherwise I followed it pretty exactly.  Staying true to my vegetarian roots, I think you could probably make this with ground soy protein, if you so desire.  The ground turkey was great though!  Also, the recipe says it serves 10, but those would be some pretty small servings!  I'd say this serves six or seven as a meal.


3 ounces whole wheat pasta shapes
Nonstick cooking spray
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (28 ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with the juice
1/4 Cup carrot puree (cooked carrots blended with a little cooking water)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 Cups reduced sodium chicken or beef broth
3 slices whole wheat bread, cubed
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 Cup sweet potato puree (optional, I skipped it)
1/4 Cup non-fat milk
2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1/4 Teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 pound ground turkey


Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water until tender.  Drain and set aside.


Coat a large pot with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat.  When pot is hot, add oil, onion, and garlic.  Cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened, 4-5 minutes. 


Puree the tomatoes and their juice with the carrot puree in a food processor, then add to the pot along with 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  Add the broth, reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 10-15 minutes.  


Meanwhile, put the bread in a large bowl.  Add the egg, sweet potato puree, milk, parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, the pepper, and paprika, and let soak until the bread is very soft.  Stir to break up the bread, add turkey, and mix until smooth.  Form into mini meatballs 1/2-inch in diameter.


Add meatballs to the pot.  Simmer, covered, until the meatballs are no longer pink inside, 12-15 minutes.  Stir in the pasta.  Serve sprinkled with parmesan cheese and some cracked pepper. 

         

Chicken Divan

Ahh, the casserole...it really takes me back, to church potlucks, school luncheons, baby showers, weeknight dinners.  It's the ultimate in comfort food.  Right before our daughter Keira was born, we made three types of casseroles for the freezer to get us through those first weeks of exhaustion.  Luckily our wonderful friends started showing up with food, so we didn't really need them.  But, eventually we made our way through them, and it was great to have a ready made dinner to pop in the oven.  This one was the favorite of the three, and guess where I found it?  That's right, the church cookbook.  I knew it tasted familiar. I decided it could use a couple more ingredients to make it a little more filling, so I added carrots and pasta, and that did the trick.  It's tasty, filling, and guaranteed to bring back a few memories. 

Adapted from the Les Dames de Chaminade Cookbook
Serves 8-10

3-4 Cups chicken, cooked and cubed
1 large bunch of fresh broccoli, cooked
1 Cup carrots, cooked and sliced
1 Cup pasta, cooked
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup
3/4 Cup mayonnaise (or plain yogurt or sour cream)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 Cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 Cup soft breadcrumbs

Arrange broccoli in a greased 9x13" pan.  Layer chicken, carrots, and pasta on top.  Combine soup, mayo, lemon juice and curry.  Heat in a sauce pan and pour over the top.  Sprinkle with cheese and bread crumbs.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through. 

      

Gnocchi with Spinach, Ricotta, and Portobello Mushroom Sausage

For better or for worse, this whole growing our own vegetables thing has dramatically reduced my trips to the grocery store. I love that I can figure out a whole meal simply by walking outside. But, at some point, you need some basic ingredients to actually pull together a dinner. Tonight I opened up the cupboard to some rice, a granola bar, a few canned goods, a bag of pasta, and a bag of gnocchi. I turned to the fridge…butter, yogurt, salad dressing, some ricotta cheese, half a jar of pasta sauce…sigh. The freezer was equally disappointing with a few frozen vegetables, a couple of leftover sausages, and a carton of ice cream. In the past, I’d just shrug it off, make us some pasta, and call it a night. But, tonight, I couldn’t deny it any longer. I was having that dreaded, “what’s for dinner?” moment, and I could see it in Andrew’s eyes too, not boring pasta again, please not pasta again. Okay, okay, I’ll search my recipes and find something.  I approached this task with skepticism, but sure enough, you really can make something out of nothing.  I found this recipe on the BBC Good Food web site: www.bbcgoodfood.com, added some chicken portobello mushroom sausages and viola!  It was delicious.  I had to use frozen spinach rather than fresh, but it didn't seem to make much of a difference.  If I made it again, I might throw in some roasted zucchini to add another dimension.  But, if you are looking for a tasty and simple dinner, this is your recipe. 

Serves 4

2 cups tomato basil sauce

1 Cup fresh spinach

1 package gnocchi, cooked

1/3 Cup ricotta cheese

2 chicken portobello mushroom sausages, grilled and sliced

parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat the broiler.  Heat the tomato basil sauce in a sauce pan until warm.  Add the spinach and simmer a couple minutes until the spinach wilts.  Season the sauce if needed.  (I usually add some Italian seasoning and garlic powder to sauce that comes out of a jar.)  Meanwhile, cook the gnocchi as directed on the package and grill the sausages on the barbecue untill browned.  Mix the gnocchi, sauce, and sausage and put into an oven-proof dish.  Spoon small bits of ricotta cheese onto the top.  Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and put in the broiler for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.  Serve immediately.    

Grilled Eggplant Stuffed with Spinach and Cheese

Wow, so unlike me to start a blog, but I'm giving it a try. I have an interesting life, lots of great things, and some not so great. So, I thought I'd write about it all and combine it with my new found hobby: cooking! Food can bring up so many memories and emotions and that's what I love about cooking. From the meals I shared with my husband when we first met, to the casseroles my Mom would leave warming in the oven on a night she stayed late at school, I can't eat anything close without thinking of those times.

I have a husband, Andrew, originally from England, who I met on a bike tour of the West Cork coastline in Ireland. We reside in Santa Barbara, CA thanks to a winning coin toss five years ago. Yes, you read that right! We flipped a coin, I won, and the rest is, well, history. Our courtship started in Rome with a magical weekend of eating, drinking, and merriment. I found this recipe which reminded me of those late, lingering, enjoyable dinners that you never want to end. Plus, did I mention my husband is an avid gardener? Eggplant, basil, and tomatoes are taking over our yard! So, here it is:

(Adapted from http://www.yummymummyfood.blogspot.com/)
Serves 4

For the Tomato Basil Sauce:
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
15 cherry tomatoes diced
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
3/4 Cup pasta sauce (any brand will do)
1 Tablespoon tomato puree
1/4 Cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

Heat oil over medium low heat. Add garlic and cook one minute, making sure not to burn the garlic. Stir in tomatoes and balsamic and bring to a gentle simmer. Add tomato puree and pasta sauce. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in basil. While sauce is simmering, prepare the eggplant rolls.

For the Stuffed Eggplant:
4 Japanese eggplants, sliced lengthwise and grilled
1 1/2 Cups ricotta cheese
1/4 Cup parmesan cheese
1/4 Cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 Cup thawed and drained chopped spinach

4 Cups of cooked penne pasta

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix cheeses together and season with salt and pepper (not too much salt, the cheeses are already salty!). Stir in the spinach. Drop cheese mixture onto eggplant slices and roll up. Spread sauce on bottom of baking dish and place eggplant rolls seam side down on top of sauce. Sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered 20 minutes. Meanwhile cook enough pasta for four people (about 2 Cups of dry pasta (it doubles)). Toss pasta in a little olive oil. Remove eggplant from oven and scoop on top of pasta. Garnish with fresh basil and serve immediately.