It’s Monday and my goal today is to get life in order. Or, as close to order as I can. I know, that’s a big goal. But see, in the two weeks since I started working, Ryan and I haven’t yet adjusted to the dual-working family. To get specific with you, our laundry is mountainous, the bathroom needs cleaning, the fridge is bare, and we are jet-lagged and exhausted from a quick and wonderful trip to Raleigh, NC (which I’ll tell you more about tomorrow for Tourist Tuesday). We need to get organized and we’re both home today, so this is our moment.

And sometimes, getting it all together, starts with a good meal.I can’t function when I’m hungry, so I need something yummy to pep me up for my chores. I heard about this recipe from the America’s Test Kitchen podcast and I was intrigued. I love garlic and I love pasta. Pasta is my favorite food and my favorite “I just can’t do anything more complicated after work” dinner. But sometimes tomato sauce gets old, so a new sauce spices up the routine.

However, garlic can be a bit tricky. Sometimes too much garlic gets stuck to my very soul. It oozes from my pores, it clings to my breath, and the smell lingers on my hands. Sure, it’s near Halloween, but I’m not trying to scare off any vampires. Garlic smell keep to yourself! But this recipe is great because it doesn’t do any of those things! This recipe gives you a mellow roasted flavor that only lingers on your taste buds. That’s where it should be, and not anywhere else.

I especially like to make this meal after work because it is pretty quick. And this recipe uses ingredients already in my pantry but still feels a little bit fancy and special. I like the peppery arugula paired with crunchy walnuts and tangy balsamic. Yummy and easy – what more could I ask for? My life is already started to get sorted.

Final thought: buy your garlic already peeled. Yes it’s more expensive, but you’ll need a lot. And if you peel the garlic yourself then your hands will smell like garlic and then the promises I made above will be lies. Don’t make me a liar, buy already peeled garlic and your prep will be quicker and easier. Ok, now back to my chores! Enjoy your Monday.

Messy level: Three spoons and only because of the food processor. I love using a food processor until I have to take it apart to clean and realize that 2 minutes of blitzing leads to 4+ pieces of cleaning. Isn’t life hard? Just kidding. Don’t let the three spoon get you down, because the whole cooking process is pretty quick.

Pasta with Garlic Sauce, Arugula, and Walnuts

 

Print

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Author: Cook's Country

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 50 garlic cloves, peeled (1 cup)
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 8 ounces arugula
• 1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
• Grated pecorino romano cheese

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the garlic and oil. Cover and cook until the garlic is browned all over. Stir occasionally. America's Test Kitchen says 6-8 minutes, but for me it's been like 12 minutes.
2. While the garlic is going, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot.
3. Once the garlic is browned, add the broth, balsamic vinegar, ¾ tsp salt, and ½ tsp pepper. Bring to the garlic mix to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for for about 5 minutes. The garlic is ready when you can easily stab it with a fork.
4. While your garlic is simmering, your water should have come to a boil. Salt the water generously and add in you spaghetti. Cook until al dente (look at package but about 8-10 minutes). Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water.
5. When the garlic mixture is finished, transfer it into a food processor. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute.
6. Drain pasta and return to the pot. Pour the sauce over. Add some of the reserved pasta water if you'd like to thin out the sauce.
7. Mix in the arugula and chopped walnuts. Sprinkle with cheese.

3.5.3226

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Part of the reason I love Rome is that I studied abroad there seven years ago during my junior year. Living in Rome was the first time I was away from home for so long and the first time I lived in a city. I ate so much pizza, pasta, and gelato. My roommates and I also cooked dinner together almost every night and befriended the local shop owners. We’d buy the fresh pesto and the guys in the store would give us free chocolate. My roommate Inga became one of my best friends, and with our upstairs neighbors Charlie and Michelle, we tore up the city.

We toured all over and took lots of day trips to nearby gardens and beaches. We went dancing at Coyote Bar in Testaccio, which depending on your point of view is a bar that is super authentic/divey/sketchy. We befriended the DJ and he’d let us dance on the stage and he’d play any song we liked. My classes were also awesome. I took Italian, Classics, and two art history classes. My art classes were mostly outside touring churches, museums, and ruins. It was all the best parts of college amplified. I remember going out dancing, coming home at 6am to the fruit vendors opening their stands. My friends and I went to bed for about three hours and then went to meet an Italian friend of a friend who was going to show us a church. Hope you enjoy the throwback pictures – try not to judge the duck face.

I also love Rome because it is where I fell in love with Ryan. He and I had been dating for less than two months when I left for Rome. I was sad to leave him and worried about what was going to happen. But it all worked out. Ryan had studied in Rome the year before me and set me up right. He lent me guidebooks to the city. He lent me The First Man in Rome, a historical fiction book about the Roman Republic, which sparked my interest in the city’s history. He also made me a map and marked off his favorite places to eat and tour. We also talked over Skype every day (and I had a headset like a telemarketer). We even met up in Spain for spring break. When I left Rome, I couldn’t wait to one day come back together.

Anyway without further ado here are pictures from this weekend’s trip. We took the bus from Ciampino to Termini and then walked to our rental flat in Campo dei Fiori.

We dropped our bags and then stopped for pizza. It was glorious! So crunchy, the ingredients so fresh, and also so tasty!

After that we decided to hike over toward the Vatican. We passed Castel Sant’Angelo. And we admired St. Peter’s Basilica and the beautiful piazza designed by Bernini.

But our real reason for heading that way was to eat at Old Bridge Gelato. It is the best gelato we have ever had. The places is a small hole in the wall on the way to the Vatican Museum’s entrance. It doesn’t look like much, but for €2 you can have heaven.

We then walked over toward Ryan’s old place. We sat one some nearby steps and people watched. We also went to the grocery store and loaded up on Kinder chocolates, lemon Fanta, and buffalo mozzarella. Ryan made me laugh so hard that I spit out soda (and then people stared at us).

After that we went back to Campo dei Fiori and got dressed for dinner. We went to Alfredo e Ada, a place I went to seven years ago with my art history TA and his friend who were visiting Rome. The restaurant  is down a windy road, it is cozy, and the interior is wood paneled. They have a small menu, written on the paper table cloth, that lists just a few options for first, second, and side courses. It’s simple and with some of the best cooked pasta I’ve had.

The next day we walked our butts off. I did a rough Google mapping of what we did, and we walked somewhere around 13 miles. We walked around the grounds of Villa Borghese, we looked down on the Piazza del Popolo, we ate pizza at Ryan’s favorite shop Pizza Rustica. And we walked to the Spanish steps and down Via del Corso and looked in the shops.

Then we went to the Forum. As students Ryan and I used to visit the Forum all the time. Visiting used to be free, but now it costs €12 for the Forum, Colosseum, and Palatine. We were sad that it wasn’t free anymore, but we were happy to pay the price. We also saw some new ruins we hadn’t seen before.

After that we headed to the Colosseum, which was so much better than I remembered. I didn’t remember being able to go up as high as we did. The stairs were really steep but worth the climb. They had a small museum exhibit about the inner working of the Colosseum and they showed how animals were lifted into the arena. They also had skeletons of bears, wolves, and boars! It was crazy.

For dinner we crossed the Tiber and went into Trastevere. We ate at Carlo Menta, which was where my friends and I used to go. The food is pretty good and the price is amazing. Instead of both ordering a first and second course, Ryan and I decided to share three pastas. We had pesto gnocchi, carbonara, and cacio e pepe. The pesto was so good and I realized I haven’t had good pesto since the last time I was in Italy.

After dinner we walked around Trastevere and it brought back so many memories! Ryan and I walked from dinner to my old apartment building. It reminded me of walking home from school, of going out for breakfast at a nearby cafe, and the time Inga and I tried to play Italian Bingo but couldn’t figure out how to do it. To get to my apartment you used to have to walk through a dirt lot and alley way. Today, it is under construction and being paved. It looks much nicer, but I sort of missed the grit and scary charm (below is a before and after). The apartment building itself looks like the same and still has the same graffiti. It was great fun checking it out and reminiscing about what it was like the first day we arrived.

On Sunday we decided to be more low key. We spent a lot of time at the Pantheon, which is my favorite building in Rome. It is an architectural marvel. I just love it. Inside is a perfect sphere! You could fit a giant basketball inside. Also creating the dome with an oculus – just freaking genius.

We also spent some time at Piazza Navona eating mozzarella and people watching.Before dinner we went to Lungo Il Tevere, a summer festival along the Tiber. Then we went back to Trastevere for dinner. I like Trastevere a lot because there are so many vendors selling jewelry, art, and nonsense things. There are also lots of outdoor restaurants where you can just look around and absorb the wonderful city. It’s a busy and vibrant area. Monday was our last day. We visited Santa Maria Maggiore and a few other sites. We made sure to eat more pizza and gelato. Also, we found shady spots and relaxed. I loved just being in the city, looking at the beautiful buildings, and feeling like a part of the Rome. I made Ryan promise me that would come back every 7-10 years forever. I continue to love Rome.

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What’s changed since last time? I had a recipe. I found it in my cookbook Melt by Stephanie Stiavetti and Garrett McCord. I decided I’d trust them and their recipe because I loved their chorizo macaroni and cheese. Last time I didn’t have a recipe and I was just winging it. But this time, maybe things would be different. Maybe the flavor combinations would be delicious. Maybe the pasta would redeem itself and not taste so nasty. Maybe I could eat a whole bowl.

And I did eat the whole bowl! And it was pretty good!

One thing that made this version better is that I bought the gluten-full pasta. Last time I accidentally bought gluten-free, and I think that must give the pasta a different flavor. Last time the pasta was gummy and really bitter. This time it had the expected pasta texture and had only a slight bitter hint. Last time, the pasta made the whole apartment smell like delicious chocolate. This time, there was hardly any fragrance. I don’t know exactly why there was a difference, but there definitely was one.

But, what really made this recipe tasty and interesting was the combination of flavors. It has sweetness in the cherries, salty and creaminess from the cheese, and a nice crunch from the arugula and hazelnuts. By the authors’ own admission this recipe is a bit “esoteric,” but I think it was fun to try something a little bit unusual. This recipe is a simple way to spice up the mid-week meal. And to conclude, I’ll just go out on a limb and say it, chocolate pasta is back in my good graces.

This recipe is from the cookbook Melt. I made some adaptations based on the amount of money and time I wanted to spend finding ingredients. Instead of hazelnut oil I used olive oil and I omitted the cocoa nibs.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tbsp maple syrup

3/4 tsp mustard powder

sea salt

ground black pepper

1/2 cup hazelnuts

12 ounces chocolate pasta

5 ounces Bucherondin, roughly broken (I found this easily at Whole Foods, but you can use any soft goat cheese)

1 cup pitted cherries

2 cups whole arugula

Ingredients

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.

2. In a small bowl (or jar with a little) mix together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, maple syrup, mustard powder, salt and pepper. Whisk (or shake) until combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

3. Place the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until the skins darken and blister. The nuts will start to smell nice.

4. While the hazelnuts are roasting, start the pasta. Cook the pasta in boiling water until al dente.

4. Remove the hazelnuts from the oven and wrap them in a dishtowel and leave them to steam for 1 minute. Rub the nuts in the dishtowel to rub the skins off.

5. Roughly chop the nuts and set them aside.

6. When the pasta is done drain it. Arrange portions into separate bowls.

7. Scatter the Bucherondin, cherries, and hazelnuts over the pasta. Mix in the arugula. Pour the vinaigrette over the pasta.

8. Mix and eat!

Messy level: Three spoons. This recipe is messy because pitting cherries is a little annoying, crumbling cheese is sticky, and the hazelnut skins will get everywhere. It’s not such an unruly messy, but I want you to know what you’re getting into.

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The first recipe I watched was for soup au pistou and I knew it was the perfect winter soup. Yes, it calls for green beans and basil so technically it might be more of a spring soup, but it’s everything I want right now. It’s cold, it’s windy, and sometimes dreary and I want soup. This soup is hearty without being heavy, full of vegetables, and the pistou (kind of like a pesto) gives the broth a robust flavor.

Now, this recipe is adapted from Julia Child’s for a few reasons. First, she used just water in her broth. I used a mix of water and chicken broth because I had an open container of broth in the fridge that had to be used. You could definitely use all water, more chicken broth, or even vegetable broth. Second, Julia calls for either leeks or onions and I used a mix of both. The reason being my leeks didn’t go as far as I thought they would.

The third adaptation is that Julia has a beautiful gilded soup tureen and I do not. Does anyone have a soup tureen anymore? Julia makes the pistou, then puts it in the soup tureen, and then slowly mixes in the soup from her pot. It looked beautiful, but… really? Since I don’t have a soup tureen do I really need to use two pots? I don’t think so, and I’ve come up with my own solution for those of us lacking in a soup tureen. If you have a soup tureen, I’d love to know it. Send me a picture or write in the comments below!

Ingredients:

3 quarts liquid (water, chicken broth, or vegetable broth)

2 cups diced waxy potatoes (I used Yukon gold)

2 cups diced carrots

2 cups diced leeks, or onions, or a combination of the two

1 tbsp salt

1 15oz can of white navy beans, drained

1/3 cup broken spaghetti (Julia used orzo, I just smashed up some pasta)

2 cups green beans, cut to 1″ length

ground black pepper

Pistou:

4 cloves crushed garlic (I just minced 4 cloves of garlic then smushed them a bit)

4 tbsp tomato paste

1/4 cup chopped basil

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup olive oil (or a little more or less to your liking. Julia Child said between 1/4-1/2 cup)

Directions:

Prep step: Chop all your vegetables!

1. Bring liquid, potatoes, carrots, leeks/onions, and salt to a boil in a large pot (6 quart pot would be best).

2. Once it’s come to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 35 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper to your liking.

3. Add beans and spaghetti. Let them cook for about 10 minutes.

4. Right after you’ve added the beans and spaghetti, make the pistou. Place the garlic, tomato paste, basil, and Parmesan cheese in a large bowl. Use a wooden spoon or pestle and mash up the ingredients until you form a lumpy paste. Then, slowly, about a teaspoon at a time, mix in the olive oil. Add olive oil until you have something the consistency of pesto. I used about a 1/3 of a cup in total oil. Set aside until soup is finished.

5.  Add the green beans. Cook for 5-10 minutes. You want them to be a bit crunchy, but cooked through. Basically, stay away from mushy green beans.

6. When soup is done, add 1-2 cups of soup to your pistou. Whisk the soup and pistou until smooth. Then, gently pour the pistou soup into the rest of the soup post. Mix that together until the broth is a beautiful red-orange color throughout.

7. Serve and enjoy!

Messy level: Honestly, for the number of ingredients, I’m surprised to give this recipe 1 spoon. There is so little mess! All I had to do was chop, heat, and mix. You’ll end up with very few dishes and almost no splatter. This recipe is a winner!

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And then, I was on my way to work listening to the America’s Test Kitchen podcast and it got me to curious about how to cook the best tasting pasta.  They were talking about salting pasta and they asserted that salting pasta makes a huge difference in taste. Could it really be that serious? They said that it especially made a difference when you put sauce on your pasta. They said if you tested it at home, you’d definitely be able to tell the difference.

Could I really tell the difference? I had to know. Ryan didn’t think salt vs no-salt would make much of a difference. I thought we could tell the difference without sauce, but once the sauce was on I didn’t think we’d know the difference. And so, with our hypotheses set we were ready to test.

The Experiment:

1. In two large pots I boiled 10 cups of water (2 and a half quarts).

2. I measured out 10 ounces of pasta and split that in half (the amount is a bit random but it’s about what we had in the house).

3. When the first pot came to a rolling boil I added 5 ounces of pasta.

4. When the second pot of pasta came to a boil I added 1 tbsp of salt and then I added the pasta. If your eyes are popping out of your head at 1 tbsp of salt, don’t worry it doesn’t all get absorbed into the pasta. As well, after doing a lot of research experts say pasta water should taste “like the sea” and that a good ratio is 1 tbsp to every 2 quarts of water. Once you drop in that salt, taste the water. I definitely tastes like the sea.

5. I cooked the pasta for 9 minutes until it was al dente.

6. I drained the non-salt pasta first, then drained the salted pasta.

7. I tasted the non-salt pasta plain, then salt pasta plain, then non-salt with sauce, then salt pasta with sauce.

8. After I tasted I made a sample for Ryan, who did not know which pasta was which before tasting. The first one he tried was salted pasta, and he knew it immediately. He then sort of sampled back and forth and tried all four combinations of pasta.

Conclusions: 

We could definitely taste the different between salted and un-salted pasta when it was plain. Although plain pasta tastes fine ordinarily, when compared right next to the salted pasta, it tasted bland.

Ryan and I were most surprised about the difference the pastas took on when we tasted them with sauce. Ryan simply said that the salted pasta “made the sauce taste better.” I agreed. I found that with salted pasta, the sauce tasted more complex and interesting. So, America’s Test Kitchen was completely right!  They said that adding salt to the water is the only chance you have to season pasta. I never thought of it like that, but it does make sense, and as I tasted it does make a difference. I’ll be sure to salt my pasta water from now on!

The post Pasta Taste Test appeared first on Cooking is Messy.

But I thought about it and said, why not?! Let’s lean into the holiday season of hearty foods, decadent meals, and rich desserts. Now, don’t get crazy and give up your exercise routine, but let’s wait until January 2nd to worry about our meals. So here’s a great meal that will make you feel cozy on a cold day, that’s great to serve to holiday house guests, and will provide you with workday lunches you’ll eagerly gobble up.

The way I make this recipe, I make the sauce using Marcella Hazan’s recipe, which I first mentioned in my pici post. If you do the whole recipe the way I do, it should take you about an hour. If you’re going to use jar sauce, I think this should take you about 30 minutes.

Now, I know most of the time a recipe like this is called baked ziti. I’m calling it baked rigatoni because it’s my favorite noodle to use. Rigatoni’s large and textured shape makes it perfect for sticking to cheese, sauce, and meat. In my opinion, rigatoni allows you to have the perfect bite. But, if you’re interested in other pasta, I’ve used penne and ziti before and I also think you could use macaroni or fusilli.

Last but not least, I don’t usually measure when I make this. I like a lot of cheese and sauce. Feel free to find your perfect balance of ingredients. I hope you enjoy and can find space in your belly for this great meal.

Adapted from Marcella Hazan’s tomato sauce recipe and the Amateur Gourmet’s baked ziti recipe.

Baked Rigatoni

 

Print

Ingredients

Tomato Sauce

• 1 28oz can whole peeled tomatoes
• 5 tbsp butter
• 1 medium onion

Meat

• olive oil
• 1 medium onion, minced
• salt
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb ground beef
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper
• ½ tsp smoked paprika (optional)
• salt

Everything Else

• 1 lb box of rigatoni
• 8-10 oz ricotta cheese (so a bit more than 1 cup)
• 8 oz ball of mozzarella (or larger!)
• ¼ cup grated parmesan

Instructions

1. We're starting with the tomato sauce. Put the can of tomatoes in a medium sauce pan. Take a knife and roughly cut up the tomatoes in halves or quarters. This isn't the serious, it just helps everything break down.
2. Cut (and peel) the onion. Cut the onion in half from end to end, not across the equator. Put the onion halves and butter in the tomato sauce.
3. Heat the sauce on medium high until it's simmering. Then turn the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes. Set your kitchen timer! Over the 45 minutes, stir occasionally and use your spoon to smash and cut up the tomatoes.
4. Preheat your oven to 450°.
5. When the timer says 25 minutes left, heat the olive oil in a medium skillet on medium-high heat. Add the minced onion and garlic. Cook until the onion is soft but not yet brown (about 7 minutes).
6. Once the onions and garlic are ready, add the ground beef. Add the crushed red pepper, salt and paprika, if using. Cook until brown. Break up with your spoon as you cook it.
7. When the meat is finished pour out any excess fat and grease from the pan. Then set the meat side, it will wait until everything else is ready.
8. When the timer says 15 minutes left, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
9. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta. Cook until it is al dente (about 6-8 minutes). This means, when it still has a chew to it. Cook it about 2 minutes less than you usually would, when it's just on the cusp of being ready but is still a bit tough. The pasta will cook more in the oven.
10. Drain the pasta using a colander.
11. The sauce should be done by now. Remove the onion and throw it away. Add the cooked ground beef and the pasta to the pot of sauce. Mix it thoroughly.
12. Add the ricotta to the pot. Mix a little, but try to leave some chunks of ricotta showing.
13. Pour half of the pasta-beef-sauce mix into a 9"x13" pan. On top of that half, add half of the Parmesan and half of the mozzarella.
14. Pour the other half of the pasta mix and then top that with the rest of the cheese.
15. Cook in the oven for 15. The sauce will be bubbling and the cheese will be a bit brown.

3.2.2925

Messy Level  I’m giving this three spoons only because the pasta, meat, and sauce, and final product are all cooked in different pans, so that means there’s a lot of dishes. Also, pouring the rigatoni mix can be a little hard and sauce can splatter. I don’t really find this that messy, but my dishwasher might disagree.

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Last Saturday I was hanging out with my friends, Mala and Anna, and we decided to try out the chocolate pasta. I’m lucky to have very adventurous friends – although maybe now they’ll be more wary of my cooking. We decided to try the pasta, sans bacon, since I didn’t have any. We were going to go basic: oil, crushed red pepper, maybe a little Parmesan.

So I boiled the water and dropped in the pasta. The  kitchen filled with the most decadent chocolate aroma. It smelled like hot chocolate. But that is not descriptive enough to truly convey how great it smelled. It smelled like hot chocolate on Christmas. It smelled like when you have hot chocolate and curl up with a blanket and a book on a rainy day. It smelled like when you’re a kid and you come in from a long day of sledding and you’re face is pink and cold and your mom has hot chocolate waiting. It smelled like the best hot chocolate of your life.

And that’s probably the worst part because that smell was a lie. A horrible, disappointing, lie. Smell and taste are supposed to be so intricately linked! If a dish smells good, then that is supposed to indicate that the food will taste good.

After the pasta had been cooking for a bit, I fished out one almost-done chocolate noodle to taste. It was gummy and pretty flavorless – like what I imagine mushy sawdust would taste like. I had read that chocolate pasta doesn’t taste like a candy bar, but that there was still some chocolate flavor. This tasted nothing like chocolate. Now I was worried. I gave half of the noodle to Mala, who very kindly suggested that it wasn’t done yet and we should withhold judgement.

The water was turning a dirty brown. Dark brown, like when you’ve let a tea bag steep for too long. Was that where all the chocolate flavor was? I don’t know, because unfortunately I didn’t taste the pasta water.

But, my bold friends and I powered forward. We drained the pasta, served ourselves small portions, and added our toppings. Crowded around the table, I took my first bite and declared, “this is bad!” Anna tried to be supportive, and said some things along the lines of “it’s not good, but it’s not that bad. It’s not the worst.” 

“No,” I insisted, “this is gross, bad, and a disappointment.”

Mala took one bite and said she wouldn’t eat  anymore. In fact, all three of us agreed we weren’t going to eat more. The pasta was bitter, gummy, and unappealing. It tasted bitter like when you buy very pure, very dark chocolate – but there was no richness or chocolate flavor to counter the bitterness. It gave immediate bad breath and made me want to brush my teeth. We all dumped our bowls into the trash. And then we complained, moaned, and hypothesized about what could have happened.

Did I do something wrong? Maybe. But we all felt like I just boiled pasta, how could that have changed it?

Could it be that it was gluten-free? No, we decided. Each of us had eaten gluten-free pasta before and had never had such disastrous results.

Was it the toppings? I’m not sure, but companies make chocolate bars with pepper. And Anna rightly pointed out that, “oil and cheese make everything better.” Also, we felt like the pasta tasted so bad that even if we had gone with strawberries and whipped cream, it still would have tasted bad.

I didn’t expect chocolate pasta to replace regular pasta. I didn’t expect it to be like eating a candy bar. But, what I’d hoped for was a new flavor, something that would be surprising and delightful.  This was none of that.

Do you know what I did wrong? Or have suggestions on what could have gone differently? Out of intellectual curiosity, I’d love to know.

The post Chocolate Pasta – A Horrible Disappointment appeared first on Cooking is Messy.

And then I tried a roasted acorn squash stuffed with rice and lentils. It came out under cooked and under seasoned. That was probably a recipe that with a little tweaking I could get right, but I was still disappointed.

But one meal worth writing about was my lunch on Monday. I had off for Columbus day and my friends Ashley and Mala came over. We had a pretty fancy lunch despite some lazy hostessing on my part. And by lazy hostessing, I mean that 75% of the dining table was covered with a puzzle of Abraham Lincoln that I’m working on, and I also made them use paper plates. In spite of that, lunch actually turned out quite nice and now I wish I had taken more pictures.

We started out with a cheese plate. Ashley brought apple-cinnamon covered goat cheese. I had never had goat cheese coated in anything but herbs, so it was cool to try. We also had Gruyere and cheddar, which I served on my fancy cheese platter with the fancy cheese knives.

For our lunch we had a salad (that Ashley made), pici pasta, and homemade tomato sauce. Ashley’s salad was a great combination of sweet, from the fruits, and a sharp saltiness, from the blue cheese. The pear she used was a little soft, which was actually really nice because it soaked up the dressing. And the addition of pecans made for a nice crunch.

The recipes for the pici and tomato sauce I adapted from the Amateur Gourmet. We were all skeptical of how well the pasta would come out and we were delighted that it actually tasted like pasta. We did have some issues with shaping the pasta. The Amateur Gourmet said to shape the pasta, put it on a plate, and toss it with flour before putting the pasta into boiling water. We did that, but we must not have used enough flour because all the pasta stuck together and Mala and I ended up ripping the heap of dough apart and throwing in random sized pieces into the water. The three of us agreed it would have been easier to bring the water to a boil, then shape the pasta, then immediately throw it in the water so the shape would be less weird. Because of the random shaping, some of the fatter pieces were heavy and reminded me of gnocchi. But, if you roll thinner pieces it really tastes just like pasta. Though in the end, I think we were all impressed that we made homemade pasta for lunch.

The pasta sauce was my favorite part. I learned about it from the Amateur Gourmet, but the original author is Marcella Hazan. This recipe is SO EASY and SO DELICIOUS. I really don’t think I’m overselling it. There’s this pasta restaurant that Ryan and I love called Pasta Mia. The pasta there is so good that we always overeat because we want to soak up as much of the good flavor as possible. The first time I made this recipe I thought, “this smells like Pasta Mia.” But I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to influence Ryan. Then he took a bite and said, “this is like Pasta Mia.” So if Pasta Mia means anything to you, then you’ll know this sauce is good. If Pasta Mia means nothing to you, sorry. You should still try it because it’s so simple and comforting and tasty.

Anyway, today’s post has three recipes and I hope you enjoy!

Ashley’s Salad–

Ingredients:

(Portion amounts based on your taste preferences)

arugula

sweet and spicy pecans

crumbled blue cheese

1 pear, sliced

dried cranberries

balsamic vinaigrette

Directions: 

1. Mix arugula, pecans, cheese, pear, and cranberries in a large bowl.

2. Dress with balsamic vinaigrette. Serve!

Tomato Sauce –

Ingredients:

1 28oz can of whole peeled tomatoes

5 tbsp butter

1 medium onion, peeled and cut in half.

Directions:

1. Empty the can of tomatoes into a pot. Use a knife and roughly cut up the tomatoes. Don’t get crazy with this, just cut the tomatoes in halves or quarters.

2. Add the butter and onion halves. Turn on the heat to medium and bring to a simmer.

3. Once it’s simmering, lower the heat. Let it simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally and use your spoon to smash and crush the tomatoes.

4. After 45 minutes, discard the onion.

5. Serve.

Pici Pasta –

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 large egg, beaten (Mala beat the egg first, then we measured out half)

1 cup water, room temperature

Directions:

1. In a large bowl mix together flour and salt.

2. Add the water and egg. Knead until smooth. (Amateur Gourmet says about 5 minutes)

3. Flatten it and rub it with olive oil. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it sit for 30 minutes.

4. While you’re waiting for the dough, bring  a large pot of water to boil.

5. Generously flour your work surface and hands. Roll out the dough. Cut the dough into desired pieces. (I cut the dough into chunks and then rolled out snakes).

6. Drop the pasta snakes into the boiling water.

7. Boil for 3-4 minutes.  You want the pasta to be cooked through but not raw.

8. Drain, top with sauce. Serve!

Messy level: The salad and tomato sauces are easy 1-2 spoon recipes. The pici though is a 4-spoon recipe. You have to stick you hands in and knead the dough and it get really sticky and caked into your finger nails. Also you have to flour your work surface and roll everything out. It takes a bit of work and makes quite a bit of mess. All this mess is the reason I was  a lazy hostess and opted for paper plates.

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Throughout the store there are jugs of oil and vinegar, and next to them there are small tasting cups and pieces of crusty baguette bread for dipping. I tried a basil olive oil that made me feel like I was sitting outside at a cafe in Rome eating a caprese salad. I tried a blood orange oil that had a nice tangy citrus accent. And I tried a thick syrupy dark chocolate balsamic that tasted like a decadent and sinful dessert. I held myself back though, and just bought a delicious smelling rosemary olive oil that I knew I could use often. I also bought a jar of caramelized garlic because the man from the store raved about it and I like garlic.

And then I also bought the chocolate pasta because I just had to know what it tasted like. There was more practical flavored pasta, like mushroom, sweet potato, and lemon basil – but those will have to wait for another time. I bought the chocolate pasta.

But what do I do with it? My first thought is to make a dessert take on spaghetti and meatballs. I could make some kind of fruit cookie-ball thing and then make a fruit sauce to go on top. But there’s so many other options – berries, Irish cream, whipped cream, nutella….

What would you do with it?

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We started out the week by cooking for our family. Ryan and I made pasta with shrimp and scallops in a white wine sauce. Sounds delicious right? And luckily our family is super nice, and told us that it was delicious. But, in our opinion it was mediocre. Cooking in a rental kitchen is hard folks! It took half an hour to boil water for pasta, we had to chop with a steak knife, and we set off the fire alarm. Everything tasted fine, it just didn’t come out exactly right and so we were disappointed. But after that comic disaster our meals greatly improved. If you’re ever in Stone Harbor here are my recommendations for some places to eat.

Moqueca
Photo credit: Ryan Cazalet

Quahogs From the outside this place looks tiny and can easily be overlooked, but inside is a surprisingly spacious and cozy restaurant. They have indoor and outdoor seating so you can choose your pleasure. I’ve always sat outside, and I feel like it’s not breezy enough and so can be stuffy – but I deal with it because I really like eating outside. Eating here is all about the seafood. Everything is fresh and the textures and flavors are so vibrant and bright that everything is a joy to eat. Start with oyster shooters. It’s so good, I want to make a cold soup out of it. Be careful though, because at $4.50 you can get your bill high pretty quickly. The lobster taquitos are also amazing. When I think of taquitos, I always think of those disgusting logs of mysteriousness that my college friends used to get from 7-11 on the way home from the bar. But these are three small little tacos overflowing with lobster meat. But the best thing you can eat at Quahogs is the moqueca. It’s a Brazilian seafood stew and it’s amazing. The last time I went, six out of eight of us ordered it – and many of us wiped the plate clean. There’s five kinds of seafood, the sauce is out of this world, and it’s slurp it up good. Also this place was on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.

Shore Feast for Two

Mike’s Seafood Yes, there’s more seafood to be eaten. Mike’s Seafood is great because you can get epic meals with multiple kinds of seafood, and some of the options are under $30. This past week I got the Steamed Combo which has shrimp, flounder, scallops, and lobster. How awesome is that? But the best thing I ever got is only on their take out menu. It’s the Shore Feast for Two. Ryan and I shared and for $53 we got what is basically a trough of seafood. It has two lobsters, corn on the cob, potatoes, shrimp, clams, and mussels.  Awesome.

The Painted Pie This adorable purple bakery sells a small variety of pastries made with seasonal fruits and fresh ingredients. They probably have about six or more options each day, and it’s really quite enough. There are scones fat with fruit chunks, gorgeous pies with star shaped crusts, and light and fluffy quiches. It’s a great way to start the day.

Now when I was a kid, my family used to vacation in Cape May, which is only a short drive from Stone Harbor. My favorite bakery then was La Patisserie. From what I can tell, this place no longer exists in the same format but it seems from my internet research, that bakery is still in Cape May but makes wedding cakes. When I was a kid I thought this place was so cool because they made bread in the shapes of animals. One time my parents let us get a loaf, but unfortunately I don’t remember the shape. But my favorite thing to get was the pig cookie. It wasn’t anything crazy, just a sugar cookie with royal icing and a chocolate chip eye.  But I loved it. So when I started vacationing with Ryan, we’d take a drive to Cape May and pick up a bunch of pig cookies. And then three years ago we went and they weren’t there. The lady at the shop told me they no longer made them. A few weeks later when my mom was in Cape May, she too went in search of pig cookies and found out that the chef left and took the recipe. Anyway, when I found out there were no more cookies I stormed out of the bakery, with Ryan bewildered and hungry behind me. He had wanted to order and I was too upset to stay there a moment longer. A little dramatic yes, but I was sad. And so although there are no more official pig cookies, I still think of them every year.  So now I’m home, and as my tan faded and I was back at work and in the thick of my regular routine, I decided to make my own pig cookies. I wanted to bring back a piece of the vacation to Arlington. They’re not the same cookie, but they make me feel nice anyway. And who couldn’t use a good sugar cookie now and then?

Before we get to the recipes and pictures, let me warn you, I’m having a mild feud with my oven. It’s been running a bit hot so I got an oven thermometer to better understand what’s happening in there. When I went to make the cookies I set the oven, waited for the oven light to go off, and then I checked the thermometer, it said 350° so I was good to go. And then 13 minutes later I took out my cookies and they were brown. BROWN! And the thermometer said 400°. Sigh.  Luckily these cookies still taste good even though some were overcooked. Let’s call the brown ones “pigs in the mud.” I did better on the second batch. Moral of the story – check on your cookies before the timer goes off!

This recipe is adapted from The Art of the Cookie, which is a really gorgeous book that has many yummy recipes and impressive decorating ideas.

Ingredients: 

3 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 large egg

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp milk (the book says heavy cream, but I’m not buying a whole thing of heavy cream for 1 tbsp. I’ve just used milk and it works fine)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt.

2. In another large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. If you use an electric mixer, this takes about 2 minutes.

3. Add the egg and the vanilla to the butter-sugar mixture.  Beat on low speed until the egg is completely mixed in.

4. Still on low, slowly mix in the flour a little bit at a time. Mix until it’s almost incorporated. This means that it’s ok if you can still see bits of flour.

5. Add the milk. Mix until everything is incorporated.

6. Scoop up the dough, press it into a rectangle/square/blob shape and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Stick in the fridge for anywhere between 1 hour to overnight. You can also wrap it super tightly and freeze it for up to a month (that’s what the book says). What I did was I made two blobs of dough, put one in the fridge to make and one in the freezer for later. With the blob I baked, it made 15 cookies.

7. Preheat oven to 350°

8. If you don’t want to make cut out shapes, just tear a little pieces of dough and make small circle cookies. If you want to make shapes, generously flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll out the dough until it’s about 1/4″ thick. You can roll out the dough in stages, you don’t have to do the whole thing at once.

9. Use cookie cutters to make the shapes you want. I made pig and Star Wars shapes. Why not, right?

10. Use a spatula or your hands to place the cookies on parchment paper lined baking sheets. Leave some breathing room between the cookies.

11. Bake until the edges of the cookie are slightly golden. The book says this could take 16-19. In the past it’s taken me 12-13 minutes, and this time with the crazy oven fiasco the perfect time was 10 minutes. So check you oven occasionally to see how long it will take.

12. Let cool for a few minutes… if you can!

13. Decorate!!! I did three types of decorating: sprinkles, royal icing, and gel icing from a tube. The sprinkles I put on after step 10 and before I put them in the oven. The royal icing and gel icing I put on after. I used this royal icing recipe, and then added 2 drops of red food coloring to make pink. Royal icing dries hard, but not crunchy. It’s sweet and reminds me of my old Cape May cookies. I put chocolate chip eyes on the pigs when the cookies were still warm and fresh from the oven.

Messy Level: I’m giving this two spoons. It’s not that messy or difficult to make this recipe. The biggest mess came from all the flour and rolling out the dough. Also sprinkles get every where so that’s a bit annoying, but at least it’s a colorful mess.

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