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Grown up mac and cheese.

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Grown Up Mac and Cheese

What is it about the simple things in life? You know what I mean. The things that are unassumingly the best part of your day. The sun coming out exactly when you step outside, your baby’s laughter exactly when you need it, that unexpected phone call with good news, Jake still being alive in Scandal. Whew.

This pasta is that. It’s almost embarrassingly simple. We’re talking five ingredients including the pasta. It comes together beautifully; think parmesan cradled noodles, and all that’s left to do is pour yourself a good glass of wine and indulge. You just made yourself grown up mac and cheese which, obviously, has now become the best part of your day.

Grown Up Mac and Cheese
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Ingredients
  1. 1 package spaghetti
  2. 1/4 cup good olive oil
  3. 1/4 cup good parmesan
  4. 15 cracks of freshly ground black pepper
  5. few pinches of salt
  6. 1/3 cup pasta water
Instructions
  1. Cook pasta according to package directions in salted water.
  2. Whisk together remaining ingredients. Toss with cooked pasta, top with more parmesan and black pepper and serve immediately in deep bowls.
Adapted from Dinner A Love Story
Adapted from Dinner A Love Story
A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/

 

Roasted caprese pasta salad.

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roasted caprese pasta salad

Is there anything better than fresh caprese in the summer? The sunshine-filled tomatoes almost melt into the fresh mozzarella, while the basil gives it that distinct summer punch. It’s the quintessential summer dish that is oh so missed during the long winter months.

Look, tomatoes outside of summer can be pretty, um, bland. Roasted up with some olive oil, garlic, oregano, dab of honey, salt & pepper? Well, you’ve got yourself some pretty darn good flavors going on.

Toss the whole tray of roasted tomatoes, juices included, with some fresh pasta, mozzarella, and basil, and what you’re left with is this roasted caprese pasta salad, a very pretty and delicious meal. Huge bonus that can be enjoyed in the dead of winter… or summer!

Roasted Caprese Salad
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Ingredients
  1. 1 pound red and/or yellow grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
  2. 2 teaspoons dried oregano, crushed
  3. 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  4. 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  5. TBS honey
  6. 1/4 cup olive oil
  7. 1 16 ounce package dried rotini pasta
  8. 1/3 cup olive oil
  9. 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  10. 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
  11. 8 ounces small fresh mozzarella balls or cubed fresh mozzarella (cut into smaller chunks if preferred)
  12. 1/2 cup basil, torn
  13. salt & pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Arrange tomato halves, cut sides up, in a foil-lined 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Sprinkle with oregano, garlic, and salt; drizzle with the 1/4 cup olive oil. Roast tomatoes, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes or until light brown and shriveled. Set aside.
  2. Meanwhile, prepare pasta according to package directions; drain. In a large bowl whisk together the 1/3 cup olive oil, the vinegar, and pepper. Add warm pasta to bowl; toss to coat. Let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add the tomatoes and any drippings from the pan, the mozzarella, and basil to the pasta. Toss while warm to combine. Top with salt & pepper. Serve at room temperature.
Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens
Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens
A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/

All good things.

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french onion beef stroganoff

Oh. Hi there, comfort food.

It doesn’t get much better than this. Caramelized onions, browned mushrooms, fresh herbs, steak, and egg noodles all topped with perfectly shredded Guyere cheese. Man, what else is there to say?

Well, one tip that may help you, perhaps. This isn’t your go-to quick weeknight meal. This one takes a bit more time. I worked away at the stove while I had two happy boys sledding in the sunny yard on yet another day off school. And I enjoyed every minute. Sometimes it’s good to slooooow things down a bit. Caramelize, sauté, sear, deglaze, brown.

All good things. All good things.

This is the recipe for your next chilly day stuck inside, or Sunday dinner with your family. Just don’t count on leftovers.

French Onion Beef Stroganoff
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Ingredients
  1. ¼ cup unsalted butter
  2. 3 onions, sliced
  3. 1 clove garlic, chopped
  4. 1 bay leaf
  5. 1 sprig thyme
  6. 6 oz mushrooms, sliced
  7. 1 tablespoon olive oil
  8. 1.5 lbs round steak, cut into chunks
  9. Kosher salt and black pepper
  10. All-purpose flour
  11. ¼ cup red wine
  12. 1½ cups beef broth
  13. ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  14. 3 cups egg noodles
  15. ⅔ cup sour cream
  16. 1- 1½ cups grated Gruyere or Swiss
  17. Parsley, to top
Instructions
  1. Melt the butter in a large pan (with sides) over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaf, sprig of thyme, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper and cook until the onions are soft and nearly caramelized, about 20 minutes. Add in the mushrooms (with a little more butter, if necessary), and saute until the mushrooms are soft and slightly browned and the onions have caramelized, about 5 more minutes. Remove the onions and mushrooms to a bowl.
  2. Heat a tablespoon of oil over medium-high, and sprinkle the steak with salt, pepper, and flour. Saute until browned, about 3 minutes. Remove the steak and set in the bowl with the mushrooms and onions.
  3. Deglaze the pan with the red wine (so fun!). Add in 1½ cups beef broth and ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce and bring to a low simmer. Add back in the steak, mushrooms, and onions and let simmer, covered, until the broth reduces slightly and the steak is cooked, about 8 minutes.
  4. As you wait for the broth to reduce, cook the egg noodles according to the package. Drain and set aside.
  5. Remove the beef mixture from the heat and add in the ⅔ cup of sour cream, stirring well. Mix in the cooked egg noodles.
  6. Top with 1 to ½ cups grated Gruyere. If in a ovenproof pan, put under the broiler until cheese is melted and browned. Top with chopped parsley and serve.
Adapted from Host the Toast
Adapted from Host the Toast
A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/

3 minute dinner.

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3 minute dinner rotisserie chicken pesto fresh pasta

First it was the ever so famous 30 minute meal. Then it went to 15 minutes, then 10. But now? Meet the 3 minute dinner. Seriously. 

As a part of my Dinner: Impossible rotisserie chicken post, I had my eye on this recipe. It totally played off of this concept, which I’m a huge fan of, and adding warm rotisserie chicken on top? Genius.

Not to mention once I got my water boiling, the (fresh) pasta cooked for 90 seconds. I drained it, swirled in the pesto, plopped it in a bowl, and topped with sliced chicken, parm, and freshly cracked pepper in under 3 minutes. 

Ok – does it get any easier? (Or more delicious?)

No. It doesn’t.
C

Rain rain go away.

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yellow & green pasta

It was a gray summer day – the kind that just doesn’t seem fair and had me singing ‘rain rain go away’ over and over again to B as we splashed in the puddles and hunted for frogs.

I knew dinner needed to be a bit of comfort, but we’re still talking super hot muggy temps, so something light(er) had to be on the agenda. I had spied a pasta recipe in my mom’s new cookbook, A Modern Way To Eat, and knew I had my answer.

Whole wheat pasta, fresh green summer herbs, diced avocado – all brightened up with lemon zest and of course, parmesan.

This was right up my alley. Add in a bit of grilled chicken for M, and we have a winner all around.

We ate this in deep bowls in our screened in porch while the rain pelted down. It was one of those rare moments where each and everyone of us was happy, full, content… and for a brief moment, quiet.

……laughing – who am I kidding? M and I were inhaling this in the few brief minutes that B was content with a popsicle melting all over the couch while watching Full House. L was up in his room for pushing B off the couch, hard, and his yelling of “Not fair! I never want to see you again!’ serenaded us through our dinner.

Cheers!

Here’s hoping the sun cracks through for the weekend – happy Friday friends!
C

Yellow & Green Pasta, Round II
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Ingredients
  1. 1 box whole wheat spaghetti
  2. olive oil
  3. 1 shallot, minced
  4. 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  5. zest of 1 lemon, plus juice for topping
  6. large handful fresh basil, chopped
  7. large handful fresh parsley, chopped
  8. 2 ripe avocados, diced
  9. freshly grated parmesan
  10. salt & pepper
Instructions
  1. Cook the pasta in salted water according to package directions.
  2. In a large skillet, saute the shallot in a little olive oil for a few minutes over medium heat. Add in the garlic until it just starts to brown. Remove from the pan and stir in the zest and fresh herbs.
  3. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid from the pasta. Drain pasta and toss in the skillet with the reserved cooking liquid. I added in extra olive oil and this point. Season with salt & pepper.
  4. Top with avocado, parmesan, and additional lemon juice should you prefer. (I went heavy on this, as well as the parm).
A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/
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