Orecchiette with Mini Chicken Meatballs

While the rest of the world feels like baking sweet cookies and pies, autumn makes me crave savory food. The cool air and gloomy skies make me want to spend all day making soup and bread. Stick-to-your-ribs kind of food... comfort food.

Well we've had plenty of that cool and gloom since October hit... it's rained ten out of the fourteen days we've had so far. Is it sick that I love it? Sometimes I think I should move to Seattle, because I'm happiest in a hooded sweatshirt with the fresh smell of rain in the air. Give me a warm latte and an umbrella, and I'll spend more time outside this time of year than during the summer. I'm an autumn girl, through and through.

This is a perfect autumn pasta dish. It's a great way to use up any straggling tomatoes left over from summer's bounty, and the hearty chicken meatballs give it amazing savory flavor. Plus there are three different kinds of cheese in it. Like gratuitous amounts of cheese. How can you say no to that? And well, you know me... I love any excuse to eat pasta. With a warm, broth-based sauce, hearty chicken meatballs, and melty mozzarella cheese, it's almost as comforting as a big bowl of soup!

Spinach-Stuffed Shells

Is it weird that I'm a 22 year-old food-lover, who has a blog that's almost a year old, and I have never until this week tried stuffed shells? It's not that I haven't wanted to... this recipe (in one form or another) has been on my mind for years. I've seen countless recipes, countless mouth-watering photos, countless claims of heavenly flavor and consistency... why oh why has it taken me so long to try this dish?

Well let's just say, friends... I think I have a new favorite meal.

I've always been a big fan of lasagna. Starchy pasta, creamy cheese, gratuitous amounts of tomato-y, basil-y, galric-y marinara... what's not to love? And, after perusing the ingredients lists on most of the recipes I found, I wondered how much different stuffed shells could be from lasagna. Not that it really needed to be different. After all, I do love me some lasagna.

But somehow these are different. In the same way that calzones and pizza are comprised of essentially the same things but somehow totally crave-able in completely different ways. But, most importantly, stuffed shells are different from lasagna in an amazing, I-could-eat-this-every-night-of-the-week kind of way. Not kidding folks... new favorite meal, right here. :)

Pasta with Proscuitto & Peas

I love recipes that require a little simmering time. I'm a huge multi-tasker - verging on ADD sometimes, but don't tell anyone - and I'll frequently find any excuse to step away from the stove, even for just a moment to look at or do something else. So I love when I get to prep a few ingredients, get them simmering beautifully, and walk away. It feels like a little surprise, to suddenly have an extra half hour or more to fritter away on facebook accomplish important things.

But what I love more than my extra free time, is the amazing, tastes-like-I-slaved-all-day-over-a-hot-stove flavor that usually results. It's almost like the recipe agrees to keep my secret about that whole time away from the stove thing, like a good friend who'll keep your economics teacher from finding out that you totally cut class. What they don't know won't hurt 'em, right?

And trust me, your secret is totally safe with this recipe. With knock-your-socks-off full-bodied flavor, no one will know you only put about 15 minutes worth of work into it. All anyone will know is that they want to eat it again and again. ...and that's what it's all about. :)

Spaghetti Carbonara

Cristina Ferrare is a woman after my own heart. As you may remember, I have a serious addiction to pasta. And apparently so does she, because there are 15 pasta recipes in her cookbook. Pasta has it's own section... like it its own food group or something. Does anyone else think it ought to be?

I also have a serious mad on for bacon. So of course I got a little excited when I saw the ingredients list for this recipe. My two favorite things in one dish... I knew it had to be good. And oh boy was it. So good the boy didn't even complain about the peas (which were actually a very nice complement to the salty bacon and tender pasta). And so good that everyone at work the next day was a little envious of my leftovers when I took them for lunch... always a good sign, right? Plus, for a creamy sauce, it was surprisingly light and didn't make me feel like I needed to throw my sweatpants on when I was done. An all around winner in my book.

So thanks, Cristina, for feeding my pasta addiction. I love you. :)

Penne with Roasted Tomatoes, Garlic, and White Beans

Is there anything better than roasted garlic? If there is, someone please introduce me because I need to try it. NOW.

In the meantime, I'll go on believing that if heaven exists, it must be overflowing with roasted garlic, basil, and Parmesan cheese. I simply cannot imagine a better combination of flavors.

It's no wonder I couldn't wait to try this recipe.

Now I know I said the other day that I don't really like tomatoes... but this recipe just might make me change my mind. Roasting the tomatoes under high heat completely changes them, into something velvety and very sweet. Seriously... they just about melt in your mouth. Combined with the creamy cannellini beans and the pungent roasted garlic... and the nutty pasta and the fresh, aromatic basil... it's basically heaven on a plate. Give it a try and you'll understand why this recipe just jumped into my top five favorites.

Pasta with Fresh Roma Tomato Sauce

I wish I could say I liked tomatoes. Every summer I watch so many people revel in the flavor of sun-ripened tomatoes, juicy and plump and fresh. They look so good... nestled amongst fresh mozzarella and basil in a caprese salad, or the crown jewel atop a juicy grilled burger. But I just can't do it. Well, at least not raw. But I do love them cooked! I love them stewed and added to a warm winter soup, roasted with garlic and served over crusty bread, or cooked down and pureed into a lovely sauce...

...such as this one.

If you're like many people at this time of the summer, you've probably got a garden overflowing with tomatoes. Consider yourself lucky, as my humble little apartment does not afford me the pleasure of a garden.   But no matter. The point is, you should definitely make this sauce. It's a great way to use up some of those overabundant vegetables, and it's downright delicious. Imagine, Roma tomatoes, naturally sweet in their own right, simmered down until they are soft and succulent, together with summer sweet carrots, pungent onion, and earthy celery. Can you smell it? Now add a little white wine - go ahead, pour some for yourself too - and simmer away until the sauce is rendered luscious and sweet. Pour over your favorite pasta, sprinkle on a little Parmesan cheese and some fresh basil, and prepare to be amazed. All that flavor with no extra seasonings? Really? Really. It's really that simple. And that delicious.

Italian Stuffed Turkey Burgers

Now that June is finally here, I think it's officially grilling season! Not that it really feels like it here in Boise, with the monsoon-like weather we've been having. The days without threat of rain are few and far between, although I did manage to get my first sunburn of the summer while out cheering Megan on at Special Olympics last Saturday! It doesn't matter though... growing up, my parents would grill almost every day, rain or shine, even in the snow. The only reason I've waited so long to grill anything this season is that our propane tank has been empty and both the boy and I have been either too busy or too lazy to refill it. But that is an excuse no longer! Let the summer grilling begin!

I've been in the mood to grill a really good burger for a long time, but I'm trying to eat a little lighter these days since my appointment for dress alterations is in 2 weeks. But when I saw this recipe in my Ellie Krieger cookbook, I knew I had to try it. Even though previous experiences with ground turkey have left me wanting - for flavor and juicy-ness - I will always jump at the chance to stuff anything with roasted red peppers and mozzarella.

Well talk about a hit! These burgers were fan-freaking-tastic. Plump and juicy and full of flavor, these bad boys had everything I look for in a good burger. I added a little dried Italian seasoning to the ground meat before pattying - just because I felt like the recipe was practically begging for it - and it complemented the sweet, smoky red peppers perfectly. Next time, I think I'll marinate some beefsteak tomatoes in a little balsamic vinegar and grill them a little, and top the burgers with a slice and a fresh basil leaf... can you imagine how tasty that would be? But as is, these burgers are great. Even the beef-loving boy said he'd eat these 5 days a week. Give them a try and you'll understand why!

Tuscan Tortellini Soup

I love making (and eating) soup. No matter whether it's blowing snow or scorching heat, I'll never turn down a good bowl of soup. There are just so many reasons to love soup. Let's explore this.

1. What's more comforting than a bowl of warm broth and a hunk of crusty bread? Ok, maybe a cup of hot chocolate is a close second, but let's be honest here.
2. The combination possibilities are endless. You can take the most random ingredients and flavors and throw them in a pot together, and 9 times out of 10 you'll get something delicious.
3. If it's homemade and broth-based, you can almost guarantee that it's healthy. It's pretty hard to screw up broth and vegetables. (Just be sure you always use low sodium canned ingredients whenever you can.)

The thing is, I used to think making soup was all-day ordeal. Soup, to me, meant something that needed to simmer on the stove for an hour or two to taste good (and granted, some do). But this soup took that idea and blew it out of the water. It can be ready in a just half an hour. Oh trust me, it still tastes like it took that two-hour bath, but without all that waiting. Who knew you could have something comforting, filling, and healthy - and this damn delicious! - for dinner in 30 minutes? Rachel Ray would certainly be proud.

Italian Club Sandwiches

I wasn't planning to post about these.

No, my next post was going to be about the butternut squash soup I'm going to try my hand at tonight.

These were simply supposed to be an easy weeknight dinner, with a little something different for a change of pace.

But after one bite out of these savory... flavorful... heavenly sandwiches... 

...I knew I had to share.

This is quite possibly the most delicious sandwich I have ever eaten. Chewy focaccia, light, fluffy egg crepes, salty, crispy bacon, savory, thin-sliced turkey,sharp provolone cheese... and all with that distinctive zing of pesto. The only problem I have with this sandwich is that I can't stop eating it. 

I got the recipe from Giada De Laurentis on the Food Network website while I was looking for appetizers. She recommends cutting them up and serving bite-sized portions as finger foods... and they would be perfect for any kind of get together. But trust me, once you take one bite of these delicious sandwiches... you won't want to share.

Dinner Party: Italian Cream Cake

I am a firm believer that one cannot have a party without dessert. :)

This cake was the crown jewel of my dinner party. All things considered, it turned out quite beautiful... as a very novice cake decorator, my frosting didn't turn out quite as smooth as I had hoped, but it still made a pretty centerpiece for the table, nonetheless. And that's just the outside. The cake itself was light and melt-in-your-mouth moist with a mature, sweet flavor thanks to the toasted pecans and coconut that went into the batter. And while I was afraid that the cream cheese frosting would be too rich, it was the perfect compliment to the nutty, decadent cake... creamy and sweet without overpowering the other flavors in the cake. The three layers were pretty to look at once it was cut too, and gave a little testament to the amount of work than went into it, as well.

Dinner Party: Crostini Alla Romana & Toasted Ravioli

Crostini Alla Romana
from Food Network

Crusty bread, salty prosciutto, melty mozzarella... what more could you ask for?

Ingredients
12 1/2 slices baguette or ciabatta
12 thin slices prosciutto
1 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into slices


Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375. Bake slices of bread until crispy and golden around the edges, about 8 minutes. Place prosciutto slices and mozzarella on the crostini and return to the oven to melt the cheese, about 8 minutes more.

I think next time I will improve this by doing 2 things. First, I will prebake the crostini for about half the time - after baking for a total of 16 minutes the bread was almost too crunchy, and was a little painful to eat. Secondly, I will use more of both the prosciutto and the mozzarella, so we will have more flavor from the toppings and less of the bread. The recipe from food network also includes a sage butter for drizzling, which I opted not to make because I ran out of time. Including the sage butter may also improve the dryness of this crostini.

Toasted Ravioli
from Cookbook Confessions

These tasty little numbers were a huge hit. Crispy on the outside, soft, gooey cheese on the inside, and the perfect size for an appetizer... 2 bites and you're done. They paired well with both marinara and alfredo sauces for dipping, as well. If you plan to make these for a dinner party like I did, plan to make a lot... these guys go fast!

Ingredients
2 tablespoons whole milk or buttermilk
1 egg
1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 package refrigerated ravioli
3 cups vegetable oil for frying
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
marinara and/or alfredo sauce for dipping

Directions
1. Combine milk and egg in a shallow bowl. Place breadcrumbs and salt in a shallow bowl. Dip ravioli in milk mixture, then coat with breadcrumbs.
2. In a large heavy pan, pour the oil to a depth of 2 inches. Heat oil over medium heat until a small amount of breading sizzles and turns brown when added. Fry ravioli, a few at a time, 30 seconds - 1 minute per side or until golden. Drain on paper towels.
3. In the microwave or on the stove, heat desired sauce for dipping. Sprinkle the ravioli with Parmesan cheese and serve immediately with the hot dipping sauce.

Dinner Party: Winter Minestrone

Hot soup is always a comfort. Whether you're sick with the flu or simply trying to beat the winter chill, even a can of hot condensed soup will do the trick. But this soup... this is no meager can of chicken and stars. This soup is hearty.

With its large chunks of carrot, celery, and potato and the creamy cannellini beans, this soup is almost more like a stew, and it'll keep hunger at bay for hours. The pancetta adds a deep, savory flavor that takes this dish from a decent vegetable soup to a flavorful work of art. Serve with a hunk or two of crusty bread and you've got a hearty, comforting meal, that I'd wager would even melt the icy heart of the abominable snow man.