Pasta Bolognese

I didn't really set out to make bolognese sauce, but I sort of realized partway through the day that I had all the ingredients for it if I did some tweaking.  This sauce was really good but make no mistake, this is not marinara.  I don't really have a lot of experience with bolognese, so I was surprised at how much flavor this had but also how filling it was.  Luckily the leftovers reheated really well.

Serves 6

4 strips bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, minced
1 cup sliced baby portabella mushrooms
1 lb ground pork
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup dry red wine
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
6 oz can tomato paste
Salt and garlic salt to taste
1 lb pasta, for serving
Parmesan cheese, for serving

1. In large skillet with lid, saute bacon pieces until browned and crispy.  Remove bacon pieces and set aside, but reserve drippings in pan.
2.  Saute garlic and onions in bacon drippings until soft and opaque.  Add mushrooms and saute until soft.  Add pork and brown until pork is no longer pink.  Stir in oregano and basil.  Add beef broth and red wine, simmering until liquids in the pan are reduced by about half.  Add tomatoes and tomato paste.  Stir browned bacon pieces into sauce, season to taste, and cover sauce.  Simmer sauce on low for about 30 minutes to combine flavors.  Serve sauce over pasta, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

Week 17 Box

This was the last box that we will get this year, the newsletter this week informs me.  It was a little strange in its proportions (for example, the box had one brussell sprout in it) and a lot of it was already of a somewhat-questionable freshness.  Many of the sweet potatoes have already been thrown away because they were already moldy.  What is listed below is what I saved.  It should also be mentioned that the herbs listed here are actually from my mom's garden, so they were in extremely plentiful quantities.

• Carrots
• Garlic bulb
• Sugar pumpkin
• Butternut squash
• Oregano
• Basil
• Thyme

Baked Penne

I still had marinara sauce from the last time I made some, so I thought I would make something different with it.  I have made something like this before, but I wanted to try it with a few new things added in.  It still tastes delicious, even more so with the changes.  Notice that the tags include ingredients from the marinara.

Serves 4-6

3 cups uncooked penne
3 cups meatless marinara, homemade or jarred
5 oz Italian sausage
1 cup chopped swiss chard
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 cup shredded Italian cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, undercooking slightly.  Drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, brown sausage in a small skillet.  Add swiss chard and cook until chard is wilted.  Set aside.
3. Also while pasta is cooking, mix ricotta and egg together in small bowl.  Add Parmesan cheese and garlic salt and stir well.  Set aside.
4. Grease a 9x13 inch glass baking dish and set aside.
5. In pasta saucepan, mix cooked pasta with sausage mixture and marinara.  Pour half of the pasta mixture into the greased baking dish and smooth.  Dollop ricotta mixture over pasta and smooth into an even layer over pasta.  Top with remaining pasta and smooth this pasta layer to hide the cheese.  Sprinkle shredded cheese over pasta.
6. Bake penne in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until bubbly.  Serve hot.

Sausage Manicotti

With a lot of herbs to use and some free time in the afternoon, a more complicated dinner seemed in order.  The way I made this dish it took some time, but notice that there are substitutions listed.  Making this dish with sausage and marinara, it has a lot of flavor from a lot of different herbs.  It was just a nice bonus that it also got rid of a lot of my excess herbs.  Notice that the tags of this post are for all of the ingredients, including what is in the sausage and the marinara.

Serves 3

1/2 batch fresh sage sausage or 8 oz sausage
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1 egg
7 manicotti noodles
1 1/2 cup marinara without meat or canned marinara sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Brown sausage in skillet.  Place crumbles in heatproof bowl and cool for 5 minutes.
2. Stir Parmesan cheese, ricotta, and garlic salt into sausage crumbles.  Add egg and mix well.  If necessary, refrigerate until you are ready to use.
3. Cook noodles according to package directions.  Undercook noodles slightly.  Rinse noodles in cold water and allow to sit in cold water until used.
4. Placing your hand over one end of the noodle, spoon filling into other end.  The filling does not need to reach your hand.  When one end is full, flip and place your hand over full end and fill the other end of the noodle.  Full noodle should be placed in a greased 8-inch square glass pan.  Fill remaining noodles in this manner and place in one layer in pan.
5. When all noodles are full, pour sauce over filled noodles.  Smooth sauce over noodles and top with cheese.
6. Bake manicotti in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until bubbly and brown.  Serve hot.

Marinara

I had a lot of herbs left over, even after making pesto, so marinara was put on the menu for this week.  Whenever I have made marinara in the past--and it's been a while--I made it on a weekend and simmered it for hours to reach the right consistency.  On a weeknight, I don't really have hours and hours.  By putting it in the slowcooker, it simmered all day.  I saved myself even more time by chopping the herbs, garlic, and onion and browning hamburger the night before.  However you make it, it's very satisfying.

Serves 6-8

3/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 cup basil leaves
1/2 cup oregano leaves
7 cloves garlic
1 small onion
1 lb hamburger, browned (optional, but I used)
2 28-oz cans diced tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1 1/2 cups water
2 teaspoons garlic salt
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

1. Finely chop parsley, basil, and oregano leaves.  I used my food chopper to do this.  Place herbs in large stockpot or crockpot. 
2. Mince garlic and onions.  I used my chopper for this as well.  Place with onions and garlic in pot or crockpot with herbs.  Mix in hamburger, if using.  Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, water, and garlic salt.
3. If using stockpot, place on medium high heat until it reaches a simmer and reduce heat to low to simmer for at least 2 hours.  For a crockpot, place sauce on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours.  Serve marinara with spaghetti, ravioli, or your choice of pasta.  If you have leftover sauce, it can be frozen for later use.

Week 7 Box

The root vegetables are starting to show up in my box now.  Weird thing is that a lot of the root vegetables, like beets, that were in this box showed up in June last week.  The box here might seem sort of herb-heavy, but that's because those actually came from my mom's garden.  The herbs will likely be featured in a number of recipes this week.  Pesto has already been made.

• Cabbage (purple)
• Kale
• Swiss chard
• Beets
• Onions
• Potatoes
• Zucchini
• Green beans
• Oregano
• Basil
• Italian flat-leaf parsley
• Rosemary

Pizza Pasta

I had a lot of odds and ends in the refrigerator, which means casserole night.  This one came out well and, bonus, took some of the CSA ingredients I had floating around.  Anything that involves a topper of browned cheese, I like. (A note about the pictured bakeware: I love this baking dish.  It is the perfect size for casseroles, it heats evenly, it cleans easily, and it is pretty.  I have it in blue, since it matches my dishes, and it can be found at this link Le Creuset Stoneware 11-1/2-Inch Oval Baking Dish, Cobalt Blue)

Serves 3-4

2 cups pasta (I used mini wheels)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 green onions, sliced
1/2 tablespoon butter
1 small can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 14 oz can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano
1/2 cup cut up pepperoni (I used turkey pepperoni)
1 cup pizza cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, removing from heat and draining a few minutes before pasta tests done.  Pour into greased casserole dish and set aside.
2. Saute garlic and green onion in butter until soft.  Toss with pasta in casserole dish.  Add mushrooms, tomato sauce, oregano, and pepperoni.  Stir well and smooth top.  Sprinkle cheese evenly over casserole.
3. Bake casserole in 350 degree oven until bubbly and brown.  Let set 5 minutes before serving.

Penne with Creamy Tomato Sauce

I am one of those people that is very food-suggestible.  Most food commercials are probably made for people like me because the second I see something like macaroni and cheese, all I can think about for dinner options until I break down and make it is "man, macaroni and cheese sounds really good."  I happened to catch a show on the Cooking Channel last night that showed someone making penne in a tomato sauce.  Tonight, I made this for dinner.  It was everything I hoped it would be.

Serves: 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 spring onion, chopped (or about 2 tablespoons regular onion)
1 cup chopped spinach
3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
2 14oz cans petite diced tomatoes, drained
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon red wine
2 cups penne
4 oz cream cheese (I use the 1/3 less fat kind)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1. In heavy saucepan, heat oil over medium heat.  Add garlic and onion. Saute until tender, 1-2 minutes.  Stir in spinach and oregano until wilted.  Pour tomatoes over sauteed mixture and stir well.  Stir in bay leaf, sugar, and wine.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 1 hour or until tomatoes start to break down and any liquids are absorbed.
2. Once sauce has been simmering for 30 minutes, begin preparing pasta.  Prepare according to package directions and drain well.  Set aside.
3. Turn heat off below tomato sauce.  Stir cream cheese and Parmesan cheese into tomato sauce, mixing until smooth and melted.  Add penne to creamy tomato sauce and toss until evenly coated.

Week 3 Box

The amounts in this week's box were of a more-manageable size, which I appreciate. It has been extremely hot and humid here, so I would think the summer vegetables are growing early and the late-spring ones are probably dying early.  It also means that this week's box contained a lot of herbs.  Using those will be a special challenge.

• Spinach (smaller quantity)
• Snap peas
• Lettuce
• Collard greens
• Sage
• Dill
• Thyme
• Oregano