Spaghetti Bolognese

Mmm mmm mmm. The other day I was reminiscing about our Mediterranean cruise from last May. It left from the closest port to Rome, Italy. Of course I consumed more pasta, pizza, and gelato than a normal human should have in the couple of days we saw the sites. So with all this reminiscing, I naturally got hungry…hungry for the simple joy of spaghetti!

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Spaghetti Bolognese

4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 pound spaghetti, cooked*
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3/4 cup beef broth
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1 (14.5 ounces) can crushed tomatoes
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

*I had an Oxo container with regular and whole wheat spaghetti all mixed together…that is why mine is different colors. 🙂

Directions:

Cook the spaghetti according to the directions on the package. Strain and set aside.

In a large pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Next, add the ground beef and pork. Cook for 10 minutes or until well browned, making sure to break up any big pieces. Add tomato paste, stir, and cook for 1 minute.

Pour in the broth and red wine. Stir, and cook until it is reduced by about half, about 10-12 minutes.

Finally, add the crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, and Herbes de Provence, and stir well. Reduce heat to low, and cover with a lid. Allow the sauce to simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove the lid, stir the sauce, and cook for a further 5 minutes. Taste test, and if needed add additional salt and pepper.

Divide the spaghetti among four bowls and ladle the sauce on top. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve immediately.

Enjoy!!

“My sisters like cooking at my place. It has a bit more room, and the food tastes a little bit better. A big pot of spaghetti and sauce, some warm French bread – works all the time. I think I’ve been eating pasta for 26 years.” – Tom Brady

Stuffed Pattypan Squash

Pattypan squash! This past weekend, my husband and I made a trip to the Hill Country of Texas. Much to our delight, it was littered with local produce stands. As one of our souvenirs, along with our 6 bottles of wine, we decided to get some home grown veggies and fruit. One of the gems we came away with was, yup, pattypan squash. I couldn’t say no to it’s cute shape. I ended up stuffing it and serving it as a gluten-free side dish during a weekday dinner.

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Stuffed Pattypan Squash

4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 4 small/medium sized pattypan squash (I picked out ones that were roughly the size of my palm.)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup of baby brown mushrooms, diced
• 1/2 bell pepper, diced (I used red and green since I had some left over.)
• 1/4 cup white onions, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup brown rice, already cooked
• 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/4 cup ricotta cheese, part skim
• 1/4 cup shredded cheese (anything you have on hand or your favorite – I used mozzarella)

Directions:

Heat a medium pot of water over high heat. Once the water comes to a boil, add the pattypan squash. Cook for 15 minutes. Once time has elapsed, remove from water, and allow to come to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cover a small baking sheet with foil, and spray with nonstick olive oil cooking spray. Set aside for later.

In the sauté pan over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Add the mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, and garlic. Cook until the veggies have softened, about 5-7 minutes.

Place the cooked vegetables in a medium mixing bowl, and add the rice, parmesan cheese, seasonings, and ricotta cheese. Set aside.

Take each squash, cut off the end with the stem so that they sit flat on the larger bottom side. Using a small paring knife, cut out a deep pocket.  Repeat with the rest of the squash. Keep half of the flesh you cut out, and eat or discard the tops (but not the stem if you eat it silly!).

Chop it up, and add it to the mixing bowl. Stir the contents of the medium bowl well.

Stuff each squash with the mixture, and place on the prepared baking sheet.

Place the baking sheet in the oven, and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and top with cheese. Return the sheet to the oven for 4-5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.

Serve warm.

Enjoy!!

“You know, when you get your first asparagus, or your first acorn squash, or your first really good tomato of the season, those are the moments that define the cook’s year. I get more excited by that than anything else.” – Mario Batali

Asparagus Risotto

Creamy risotto goodness. Risotto is one of thosecomfort foods that I especially enjoy in the winter months. It always makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Asparagus Risotto

4 servings as a main dish/6-8 servings as an appetizer or side dish

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 2 cups water
• 1.75 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup white onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• Parmesan cheese, grated, for serving

Directions:

Start by blanching the asparagus. Place a large pot of water over high heat, and bring to a boil. Salt the water. Once the pot of water is boiling, add asparagus, and boil for 2 minutes. Remove and drain immediately and place in a bowl of ice water (to “shock” them…aka to stop the cooking). Drain and set aside.

In a medium pot, bring 2 cups water and chicken broth to a light simmer.

Return to the first large pot and place over medium heat. Add olive oil, and swirl to coat the bottom. Next, add the onion and cook until it’s softened and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid burning.

Add the rice, salt, pepper, and thyme; stir and cook for 1 minute.

Add the cooked asparagus and green peas. Mix to combine well.

Add the cooked Stir in 1 cup broth mixture and cook until liquid is nearly all absorbed while stirring constantly. Add remaining broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until liquid is absorbed before adding the next increment of broth/water mixture.

Spoon risotto into each of 4 bowls if you are serving this as a main dish or divide onto serving dishes if it’s a side. Top each serving with Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!!

“He couldn’t tell one good risotto from another good risotto. It was the scene. It was the newness of the restaurant. ” -Michael Gould