Simple Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes, Basil, and Parmesan Cheese Recipe

This was a simple pasta dish I made for lunch the other day with some of the Pasta Gravy I got from my April Hatchery Box! I wouldn't call the Pasta Gravy anything super special, but it was very spicy! If you like spicy things, especially sauces it might be for you. But you can always use a regular marinara sauce. I just served the pasta and sauce with some fresh chopped basil, tomato slices, and Parmesan cheese. This dish is very quick and easy to make, but it looks so colorful and fun for the Summer or anytime of year.

Lasagna Recipe

I went up to Lake Tahoe this past weekend for a little last minute getaway with B and his brother. While, they were out snowboarding I was in the hotel getting some work done (I'm a terrible snowboarder and I get too frustrated, so I've given up long ago), and making lasagna for dinner! It was a little weird that there was no snow at the hotel ground level, the guys said the snow on the mountain was pretty good. They went to Heavenly, but last time we went to Squaw and they had much more snow at the hotel, but less on the mountain! I think next time the plan is Kirkwood, they always seem to have tons of snow, even with the drought, and low snow levels.

Luckily our hotel had a kitchenette and I brought all the necessary ingredients. Other than forgetting to bring the egg, and the pan with the sauce filled to the top while it was cooking, I didn't have any big problems cooking it in our suite. I brought a cooler with our ingredients, and an aluminum pan for the lasagna. I cooked and put it all together before the guys came back, and just popped it in the oven once we were ready for dinner. You can serve it with a Casesar salad or garlic bread, or beer like we did!

Quinoa Salad with Asparagus, Feta Cheese, and Olives

I made this quick and easy Quinoa Salad for dinner last night, and it turned out very delicious! I don't think I've ever had quinoa before or cooked with it, so it was a bit of an experiment. I modified the recipe quite a bit, as I always seem to do, so the recipe below is my altered version, with the link being the actual recipe I semi-followed. You can kind of treat this salad like a Greek salad as well, and add any other ingredients you might put in a Greek salad, such as cucumbers, kalamata olives, or even some red onion might be good.

Piccino Restaurant Review

This is a special restaurant review because it's for one of my all time, (if not my absolute) favorite restaurants in San Francisco. I recommend anyone visit it because they are a very seasonal restaurant, using produce that's in season, and they change the menu everyday. I'm including in this post all of the photos, so far, of the food I've had.

I think one of the great things about Piccino is that if you don't have reservations, they usually have a seat at their counter bar seats, which are right in front of the kitchen, so you can watch them making your food. I find the counter seats are usually where I want to be sitting. They have regular tables, but I find them to be a little too dark at night for photos!

Another great thing is that they have a smaller cafe, where you can order coffee, or pizzas and sandwiches to go. It's right next to the main restaurant, so you can pop in there to grab lunch to go. I want to mention that unless you're getting a dinner second course dish, most of these are too small on their own, and you'll want to get a few menu items to share. Even if you get pizza, get about one for each person unless you're getting a bunch of other menu items. We usually just go through the menu that day and pick 3-4 menu items we want and share everything. They're very good about bringing extra clean  plates for each course.

Salads:

Pear, Pecan, and Blue Cheese Salad

Pasta with Bacon and Brussels Sprouts

This turned out to be a very simple and easy dish to make. And since I only had a few ingredients on hand, namely bacon, pasta, and brussels sprouts, it was the perfect dish. If you think you don't like brussels sprouts, I highly recommend trying to cook them in this dish, because it makes them crispy and gives them great flavor. And don't laugh at my paper plate because in the place I am, there are never any clean plates.

Lemon Pepper Shrimp Scampi

I finally had a night at home, and my usually my mom gives me a recipe she wants me to make. Tonight, it was Lemon Pepper Shrimp Scampi with Orzo. I just used frozen shrimp, rinsed it under cold water, and then peeled it. Drain it on some paper towels, then use for the recipe.

*Don't worry, I'm posting this the same night I made it, but I will be getting to past posts I have saved up in iPhoto.

Pasta with Tomato Sauce and Basil

I decided to make a simple pasta dish for dinner, and I used up this interesting pasta shape we had around the house. All I did was cook the pasta in boiling water, heat up some pasta sauce in a pan with some olive oil, and diced tomatoes. Then added the drained, cooked pasta to the sauce. Mixed with some grated Parmesan cheese, and topped with some chopped fresh basil from the garden! Easy, simple and delicious!

4th of July: Macaroni Salad and Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I was able to go visit the boyfriend for 4th of July, so him, his brother, and a friend got started on making some pulled pork for pulled pork sandwiches ahead of time. I wouldn't be able to get there until late, but I made some macaroni salad and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies ahead of time. I love this macaroni salad recipe, it's so good! For the oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, I just took my normal chocolate chip cookie recipe, and added about 2 cups of oats. Turned out great, and 4th of July was a lot of fun!

Sausage, Mushroom, and Pepper Pasta and Cupcakes

I made some late birthday cupcakes for myself after seeing an article in the Food Network Magazine about making frosting colors. So I chose a couple colors and just made some box cupcakes, and frosted them with homemade frosting. They were colorful and delicious!

I also made some pasta for dinner, which wasn't a recipe, I just kind of threw together some things we had in the fridge. I cooked the sausage and mushrooms until they were cooked, and in the mean time cooked up some fresh pasta. I added some peppers to the sausage/mushroom mixture and then added part of a can of crushed tomatoes. I seasoned it with some salt, pepper and some red pepper flakes, then added the drained, cooked pasta to the sauce. Mix it all together and grate some parmesan cheese over the top, and top with fresh basil. Then eat it! It was a delicious mix of ingredients, and it was just some stuff we had leftover in the fridge. 

Pasta Carbonara

I have made some form of pasta carbonara many times before, but so far this is my favorite recipe. It's made even better with fresh pasta, which I highly recommend getting if you're going to attempt this recipe. This is also great with some sliced sausage or vegetables added. Serve with some toasted French bread!

Here's the recipe adapted from Food Network

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 ounces pancetta or slab bacon, diced
• 1 teaspoon diced garlic
• 2 tablespoons white wine
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 9 ounces fresh fettuccine
• 1 cup grated Parmesan Reggiano (Original recipe calls for Pecorino Romano. I like the Parmesan better, but either will taste great. Or you could do half and half of each)
• 2 egg yolks
• Fresh chopped parsley
• 
  
• Directions:
• 1. Put the water in a large pasta pot and bring it to a boil over medium heat.
  2. Add the oil and bacon to a large saute pan over low heat. Cook the bacon until crisp, being careful not to burn it, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for 5 seconds. Add the wine, cream and black pepper. Cook until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Drop the fresh fettuccine into water and stir to separate strands. When pasta is just undercooked remove it from the water and add it to the pan with the sauce. Gently stir for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat, add 1/2 the cheese and the egg yolks and stir, being careful not to break the noodles. Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl or platter and garnish with the remaining cheese and parsley.

Ravioli With Fried Sage, Asparagus And Walnuts

This recipe is extremely versatile. I have made it twice now, with almost completely different ingredients, and both were amazingly delicious! The recipe below is the original recipe, and I'll note the varying ingredients I added to one version I made. The photo is from the first version I made, which differed from the original recipe quite a bit, including cauliflower and pistachios, and topped with some grated parmesan cheese. 

Here's the recipe adapted from The Sacramento Bee

Ingredients:*
10-ounce Package Fresh Cheese Ravioli
3 Tbsp Ghee
Pinch Red Pepper Flakes
5 large Fresh Sage Leaves (Left Whole)
1 Bunch Asparagus, bottoms trimmed, cut into 2-inch lengths
⅓ cup Toasted Walnuts, lightly chopped
Salt And Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the ravioli and asparagus and cook according to package directions, then drain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the ghee. Add the red pepper flakes, walnuts and sage leaves, then fry until the sage is crisp.

3. Remove the sage from the pan and set aside. Return the pan to the heat and add the asparagus. Sauté until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes.

4. Toss well, then add the drained ravioli and asparagus and toss again. Crumble the fried sage leaves into the dish, then season with salt and pepper.

*Note: For the other version I made, which I actually liked a little bit better, I used regular butter instead of ghee, left out the sage, used half a bunch of asparagus and 1/4 of a head of cauliflower, and substituted half of the amount of walnuts for pistachios. Top with some grated parmesan cheese. This version was tastier, in my opinion, but both were quite good.

Chicken Piccata

While once again trying to clean out the freezer, I found a couple of leftover chicken breasts and this recipe and I set to it. I was also lucky enough to find some fresh fettucine pasta in the freezer which I served with the chicken. I was never able to find fresh pasta at the grocery store I went to in San Diego, but now that I'm back home, I am going to try and use it anytime I'm serving pasta. It is so much better than dry, and I think it has a better texture and taste. Do try and use it if you can, it is totally worth it. I also served some toasted bread with butter alongside the dish. The sauce is quite tangy, but delicious and must completely cover the pasta and chicken. It's better this way!

Here's the recipe adapted from Pioneer Woman

*Note: I had trouble getting the sauce to thicken on it's own, so I aded in some flour. I recommend adding this in before you start on the sauce, so it has a chance to cook and not clump. I changed the directions to reflect this addition.

Ingredients:

2 Whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
Kosher Salt To Taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
4 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour, plus more for sauce
2 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Olive Oil½ cup Dry White Wine⅓ cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 Whole Lemon⅓ Cup Heavy Cream
Chopped Fresh Parsley¾ pound Fresh Fettucine Pasta

Directions:

1. Have a pot of water simmering for the pasta.

2. If chicken breasts are overly thick, pound until slightly flattened. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides, then dredge in flour. (Or do what I did, and slice them in half lengthwise)

3. Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the chicken breasts at one time until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes on each side; a little longer if breasts are thicker, a little shorter if breasts are thinner. Remove to a plate. Monitor the oil/butter mixture to make sure it doesn't burn. Decrease heat as needed!

4. After removing the chicken, have the heat on medium to medium-low. Pour in wine and chicken broth, and squeeze in the juice of two lemons. Whisk the sauce, scraping the bottom of the pan. Allow sauce to cook and bubble and thicken until reduced by about half. Sprinkle in a little salt and pepper as it's cooking.

5. Reduce heat to low and add in about a Tbsp of flour. Whisk until smooth. Pour in cream. Whisk together and allow to cook for a couple of minute until sauce thickens. Taste and adjust seasonings or other ingredients. Expect the sauce to have a real tang to it; counter it with a little more broth and cream if it's too strong! Sprinkle in some chopped parsley and stir.

6. Right at the end, cook pasta until al dente---do not overcook!

7. With tongs, place a medium-sized mound of pasta on a plate. Place a cooked chicken breast beside it, then spoon sauce over the chicken and the pasta. The sauce is strong, so no need to drown it. Sprinkle a little minced parsley over the top.

Macaroni and Cheese Grilled Cheese

I had some leftover macaroni and cheese and decided to make it into a grilled cheese sandwich. I was surprised by how good it was, but then again, how could it not be good? Macaroni and cheese melted between two pieces of bread grilled in butter? Delicious. No real recipe here, just take some leftover macaroni and cheese (preferably chilled, it holds together better) and grill it between two slices of bread with some shredded cheddar cheese to hold it all together.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Cauliflower

I was never really fed macaroni and cheese as a child, so I have taken to it as an adult. I know I've made this several times, but I loved the addition of cauliflower to it, so I want to post that here. Basically I made the same version I posted earlier, but with the addition of about a cup of chopped cauliflower. Don't cook it beforehand, or it tends to be kind of mushy. I also used bowtie pasta here, since we didn't have any macaroni. It is very delicious, try out this variation! Check out the link for the original recipe, and cook the same way as posted there.

Fettucini All'amatriciana with Mozzarella Meatballs

I saw this recipe on an episode of Giada, and decided to make it for dinner since we kind of had all the ingredients. Well almost, I made some changes.

Here's the recipe adapted from Giada.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cooking Time: 1 hour | Difficulty: Easy | Serves: 3

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Olive Oil
6 ounces Bacon, diced
1 Yellow Onion, finely chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
Pinch Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1 (14-ounce) Can Crushed Tomatoes (I used fresh tomatoes, because we had them)
½ tsp Kosher Salt, plus more for seasoning
½ tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper, plus more for seasoning
½ cup Grated Pecorino Romano
Meatballs:
1 small Onion, grated¼ cup Chopped Fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley
⅔ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese, plus ¼ cup
⅓ cup Italian-Style Bread Crumbs
1 large Egg
2 Tbsp Ketchup
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
¼ tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1 tsp Kosher Salt, plus more for seasoning
½ tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper, plus more for seasoning
16 ounces Ground Beef
2 ounces Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, cut into 16 (½-inch) cubes
1/2 pound Bucatini Or Other Long Pasta (I used fettucine)

Directions:

1. For the sauce: In a large heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta and reserve. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and the cooked pancetta. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Stir in the cheese and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

2. For the meatballs: Position an oven rack in the lower ⅓ of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

3. In a large bowl, combine the onion, ½ cup parsley, ⅔ cup Parmesan, bread crumbs, egg, ketchup, garlic, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Add the beef and veal. Using your hands, combine all ingredients gently but thoroughly. Shape the meat mixture into 16 (1 ½-inch-diameter) meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet. Make a hole in the center of each meatball and place a cube of mozzarella inside. Reform the meatball so that the mozzarella is completely covered with the meat mixture. Bake the meatballs for 15 minutes until cooked through.

4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and place in a large serving bowl. Add the meatballs and sauce. Toss gently and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley and Parmesan.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese, Version 2

I was never really given macaroni and cheese as a kid, so I've been binging on it as an adult. I've been watching the new Pioneer Woman show on FoodNetwork, and she made her macaroni and cheese, and got me craving it again. So I whipped some up for a snack. I made a few changes, just to add some extra flavor, but it turned out creamy and crunchy on the top. It was so tasty! My mom even ate some, and she usually makes a face every time I make it.

Here's the recipe adapted from Pioneer Woman.


Prep Time: 15 min | Cooking Time: 25 min | Difficulty: Easy | Serves: 3


Ingredients:
2 cups Dried Macaroni (or other spiral pasta)
½ Whole Egg Beaten
⅛ cup Butter
2 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
1 ¼ cups Whole Milk (I used 2% since we always have that on hand, but would be better with whole)
2 tsp (heaping) Dry Mustard
8 ounces Cheddar Cheese, Grated
¼ tsp Salt, More To Taste
¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper
½ tsp Cayenne Pepper
¼ tsp of Freshly Grated Nutmeg
Paprika, to sprinkle the top with


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.


2. In a small bowl, beat egg.


3. In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn.


4. Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low. Add cayenne pepper and nutmeg. 


5. Take ¼ cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth.


6. Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth.


7. Add in almost all of the cheese and stir to melt. Leave enough to top the macaroni before it goes in the oven. 


8. Add salt and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! DO NOT UNDERSALT.


9. Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine.


10. Top with extra cheese, sprinkle the top with paprika, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.


11. Let cool for a few minutes and then serve. 

Three Cheese Tomato Tart, Tortellini Pasta Salad, and No Bake Raspberry-Lemon Cheesecake

Sorry it's been so long since I last posted, but I have been at work almost non-stop for a week and a half! I'm exhausted, but so glad I finally had a break to cook dinner! Naturally, I went all out and made 2 dishes and a dessert. They all turned out delicious, but dinner was quite rich. Dessert was a little lighter, but quite sweet and tangy. Without further ado...

Three Cheese Tomato Tart
Here's the recipe adapted from The Kitchn.


Prep Time: 45 min | Cooking Time: 30 min | Difficulty: Easy | Serves: ~9 slices


Ingredients:
2 Ripe Heirloom Tomatoes, cut into ⅛-inch slices 
1 Sheet Frozen Puff Pastry
3 Tbsp Light Mayonnaise
½ cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese (I may have accidentally used too much cheese, so measure it!)
½ cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
2 Tbsp Finely Chopped Basil
Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese, to taste
Kosher Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°.


2. Lay out the tomato slices on a large sheet of paper towels. Cover with more paper towels and allow to drain for approximately 30 minutes (this is crucial to not getting a watery tart). Meanwhile, remove the sheet of puff pastry from the freezer and allow to thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes.


3. Unfold the puff pastry onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, pinching to close any holes in the seams. Using a fork, prick the dough all over to prevent it from puffing up during baking.


4. Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise over the entire puff pastry. Sprinkle evenly with shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. Arrange the tomato slices over the cheese. Season generously with kosher salt and pepper. Grate a generous amount of Parmesan cheese on top and garnish with freshly chopped basil.


5. Bake for 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and the cheese is melted. Remove the pastry from the baking sheet and let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Cut into 9 squares and serve immediately.


Tortellini Pasta Salad with Bacon, Broccoli and Basil
Here's the recipe adapted from Cookin' Canuck.


Prep Time: 10 min | Cooking Time: 15 min | Difficulty: Easy | Serves: 4-5


Ingredients:
12 Oz. Cheese Tortellini
4 slices Bacon (or just use a 1/4 cup of real bacon bits, which is what I used because we had it and we didn't have bacon)
1 Head of Broccoli
Vinaigrette:
¼ cup White Wine Vinegar
2 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
1 ½ tsp Honey
1 tsp Kosher Salt
½ tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
½ cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
6 large Basil Leaves, chiffonaded (rolled and thinly sliced)


Directions:
1. Set a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil. Cook tortellini according to package instructions. Drain and immediately rinse with cold water. Drain again. Transfer to a large serving bowl.


2. In a large nonstick skillet set over medium heat, cook bacon until crunchy. Set aside on a piece of paper towel to drain. When cool, crumble the bacon (not too small) and reserve. (Skip this if you used bacon bits)


3. Pour out all but 2 teaspoons of the bacon grease from the pan, increase the heat to medium-high, and add the broccoli florets. Saute until the broccoli is tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir into tortellini.


Vinaigrette:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together white wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper. While whisking constantly, slow pour in olive oil until combined.


2. Pour the vinaigrette over the tortellini and gently toss. Stir the basil into the pasta salad. Serve.


No Bake Raspberry-Lemon Cheesecake
Here's the recipe adapted from My Baking Addiction.


Prep Time: 15 min | Difficulty: Easy | Serves: 6-8


Ingredients:
For The Crust:
¾ cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
1 Tbsp Sugar
3 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted
For The Filling:
⅔ cup Sugar
Zest On 2 Lemons
1 (8 ounce) Package Cream Cheese, softened
2 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1 (8 ounce) Tub Frozen Whipped Topping, thawed
1 cup Fresh Raspberries, slightly mashed with a fork


Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs and 1 tablespoon of sugar and melted butter. Spread the mixture evenly in a glass or metal pie tin.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the sugar and lemon zest until the sugar becomes moist and fragrant. Add cream cheese and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add lemon juice and vanilla mixing to combine. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the whipped topping until well blended, then fold in the raspberries.

3. Spread the mixture over the crust and spread smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. If desired, garnish with fresh raspberries and a sprig of fresh mint.

Fried Macaroni and Cheese!

I told you I was thinking about frying the leftover mac and cheese I had, and I did. It was delicious! I've decided that if I ever open a restaurant, I'm putting this on the menu! I just need to come up with a tasty sauce for dipping. I did top mine with Sriracha, and that was tasty. I pan-fried mine instead of a full fry, just because I hate using a bunch of oil in a big pot. It's much easier to just use a little, and flip them halfway through. Just make sure your oil is hot enough, but not too hot! That way they have enough time to get warm in the middle and not burn on the outside and not get greasy.

Frying up

On my plate!

Look at the inside of these tasty morsels!

Here's the recipe adapted from Alton Brown.


Prep Time: 15 min | Cooking Time: 15 min | Difficulty: Easy | Serves: Depends on amount of mac and cheese leftovers


Ingredients:
Leftover Baked Macaroni And Cheese,refrigerated for at least overnight
1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Cayenne
1 Egg Beaten With 2 Ounces Water
1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
Oil For Deep Frying, preheated to 375 degrees
Your favorite hot sauce to top


Directions:
1. Cut refrigerated macaroni and cheese into slices or bite size pieces.


2. Season the flour with salt, pepper and cayenne. Dredge each piece through the flour and gently tap off excess. Dip in the egg wash and then coat with the bread crumbs. Allow them to rest for 5 minutes so the crust can set. Very carefully drop into the oil and fry until golden brown, flip to fry other side. Remove to a baking sheet fitted with a rack and rest for 2 minutes before serving.


3. Top with hot sauce or other favorite topping. 

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

I was hungry last night, but didn't have anything planned for dinner, but I thought that we had the ingredients to this wonderful dish, and we did! I love making macaroni and cheese at home, because I tend to always have the ingredients on hand. I usually make my own stove top mac and cheese, but decided I had some time to whip up the baked version. It was delicious, and there are leftovers I'm thinking about pan frying! Yummy! I cut the dish down to 2 servings, but you can always make more and fit them in a larger casserole dish.

Here's the recipe adapted from Alton Brown.


Prep Time: 20 min | Cooking Time: 45 min | Difficulty: Easy | Serves: 2


Ingredients: Use your best guess for these measurements, closest you can get. Some are a weird amount
2.7 ounces Elbow Macaroni
1 Tbsp Butter
1 Tbsp Flour
1 tsp Powdered Mustard
1 cup Milk
2 ⅔ Tbsp Yellow Onion, finely diced
⅓ Bay Leaf
.167 tsp Paprika
⅓ large Egg
4 ounces Sharp Cheddar, shredded
⅓ tsp Kosher Salt
Fresh Black Pepper
Topping:
1 Tbsp Butter
⅓ cup Panko Bread Crumbs


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.


2. In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente.


3. While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf.


4. Temper in the egg. Stir in ¾ of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.


5. Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.

Strings Italian Cafe

I have another restaurant post for you today! B and I went to Strings Italian Cafe when he was here, and here's what we ordered!

I got the Lasagna Pastry with all Alfredo sauce

B got the Pan Fried Ravioli

Here's the Strings website. We went to the Folsom location, because I had a coupon, but normally I go to the El Dorado Hills location. When you order an entree you get a choice of either a salad or soup and you also get bread (which is amazing!) I always get the house salad, which is topped with sweet raisins and sunflower seeds. B got the Caesar salad, which was also tasty. I love their bread because it's great on it's own, or sopping up the rest of your pasta sauce with. This is partially why I order my lasagna pastry sans meat sauce and all Alfredo sauce instead. I am not a big fan of their meat sauce, it's kind of bland, but their Alfredo sauce is amazing! Garlicky, creamy and great with the bread too. 

I've never tried what B ordered, but the sauce was also delicious with the bread. He scarfed all his raviolis before I even got a chance to ask for a bite, but I think it was also good. The sauce was a spicy tomato cream sauce, and I almost couldn't decide which sauce was better. My dish was basically a lasagna cooked inside an onion, garlic pastry. The lasagna I had at the Folsom location seemed a little undercooked on the inside, which was strange since every time I have ordered it at the El Dorado Hills location, it's been cooked to perfection.

I love the originality of some of the dishes at this restaurant, it's Italian food, with a twist. I also love that the entrees are not too large, but they give you endless bread. So you're full no matter what you order, and you can use all the bread to dip in your pasta sauce. It's usually pretty slow if you go during off times, which is most of the week. So, waitresses are attentive and refill your drinks and bread fairly quickly.

If you haven't been to a Strings restaurant near you, go there and order one of their amazing dishes!