Pasta with corn, zucchini, and sausage

Adapted from Bon Appetit and Spend with Pennies

Ingredients:

• 2 red bell peppers, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound hot Italian sausage
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1 small zucchini, sliced
• pinch of red pepper flakes or chili powder
• 16 oz pappardelle
• 28 ounces canned whole tomatoes with juices
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels (from 2 ears — I only bought one)
• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 2 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Chop bell pepper, and onion into 1″ pieces. Toss with garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning.
3. Spread in a single layer on a foil-lined pan and roast 20 minutes. Stir and switch oven to broil. Broil 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender and have some light browning on the edges.
4. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high. Add sausage and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, 6–8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to a plate.
5. Reduce heat to medium and cook garlic in same pot, stirring occasionally, until light golden around edges, about 2 minutes. Add basil sprigs and Aleppo-style pepper (flakes / powder); cook, stirring, until basil is wilted, about 1 minute. Add sliced zucchini (if you have).
6. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente; drain, reserving 2 cups pasta cooking liquid.
7. Add canned tomatoes, corn, and ½ cup pasta water to pot and cook, stirring often, until corn is mostly tender, about 3 minutes. Season to taste (salt, pepper, etc.) and add in roasted vegetables.
8. Stir in pasta and 1 cup pasta cooking liquid. Then add butter and cook, stirring, until butter is melted and sauce is smooth and creamy. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until sauce reaches desired consistency.
9. Add 2 oz. Parmesan in several additions, stirring after each addition until sauce is smooth. Return sausage to pot and cook, adding a splash or two more of cooking liquid if needed to loosen sauce, until flavors meld, about 1 minute. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until sauce reaches desired consistency. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
10. Divide pasta among shallow bowls; top with basil leaves and more Parmesan.

On one recent episode of Bob’s Burgers, Gene (“Summer Is Awful. There’s Too Much Pressure To Enjoy Yourself”) asks for fried zucchini on his panini from Grandpa Nini’s Grand Paninis. I was also longing to do a more traditional Italian zucchini cream sauce with heavy cream, which I might try in a few weeks. Jesse thinks this recipe is complicated and he’s not wrong, but he also said it was “really really good”.

~Jessica

Chicken parts soup

Adapted from Food52

Ingredients:

• 3-4 chicken drumsticks
• 1 medium onion (or 2 shallots), peeled and diced
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2-3 medium (1 big) carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1-2 celery ribs (or zucchini), chopped
• 1/2 pound short pasta (or baby potatoes)
• 1 pinch ground chili powder, cumin seeds (toasted) , coriander
• 1 tablespoon butter
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 2 quarts water
• Lemon juice, to finish (optional)

Directions:

1. Fill a soup pot with about 2 cups of water and add the chicken drumsticks. Place the pot on the stove and bring to a simmer. Allow the water to simmer for one to two hours, skimming off the foam. The longer you let this go, the sweeter the soup will be.
2. While the water comes to a boil, prepare the vegetables.
3. After the two hours, the water will have some color from the drumsticks, and the meat will have pulled back tightly from the bones and be very loose. Remove the drumsticks from the water and place them on a plate to cool. Keep the water on low heat so that it stays hot, but does not boil.
4. To a medium saucepan, add the butter and a splash of olive oil over medium-low heat.
5. Once the butter has melted, add the minced garlic. Allow it to sit over the heat for about thirty to forty seconds (don’t let it burn) and then add the onion.
6. Raise the heat to medium, and stir the onions and garlic together until the onion is very lightly browned. Add a good pinch of salt and a couple grindings of black pepper and stir to combine.
7. Scrape the garlic and onions from the pan into your still-hot pot of (now) stock. Return your pan to the heat and add another splash of olive oil.
8. When the oil is hot, add the carrots. Add the ground ginger and a good pinch of salt, and allow the carrots to sit over the heat until they have slightly caramelized. I usually chop my carrots in one inch pieces, so by the time the edges have caramelized the middles are still crunchy. Stir so that the ginger and salt get absorbed.
9. Scrape the carrots from the pan into your still-hot pot of (now) stock and garlic and onions. Return your pan to the heat and add another splash of olive oil.
10. When the oil is hot, add the celery and a good pinch of salt. Give the celery a quick minute over the heat, stirring to incorporate the salt, and then add the celery to the pot.
11. You know the drill. Follow suit with the greens (don’t forget to season). However, I usually don’t add the greens to the pot – I just keep them to the side and add them to the bowls of soup as I ladle it out, depending on who likes what. Feel free to add the greens to the soup or not.
12. By now, your chicken drumsticks which have been hanging out on a plate should have cooled enough for you to handle. Remove the meat from the bones and chop the meat into roughly one-inch pieces. Add the meat to the pot. If you wanted to add the bones back into the pot to coax some more flavor out of them, you could do that as well (but remember to fish them out).
13. Let the pot of (now) soup simmer on the stove-top while you boil water for the pasta and cook it to al dente.
14. Taste the soup. Because we have seasoned the vegetables as they cooked and then added them to the pot, there should be a good depth of flavor in the broth. If it is still bland, add a healthy pinch of salt to your taste. If the soup has reduced substantially, you can add some low-sodium chicken stock or water to bulk it up.
15. Once the pasta is al dente, it’s just an assembly line: get a bowl, put in some noodles, put in some greens, ladle a few big scoops of soup with all the goodies in it, squeeze some lemon on top, and serve.

Last weekend I was laid low by some bad shrimp from takeout. Jesse made this as a restorative.

~Jessica

Pasta con zucchine e pancetta e ricotta

Adapted from Cooking with Rosetta and Il Cucchiaio Argente and Giallo Zafferano

Previous vegetarian attempt here

Ingredients:

• 500 g Farfalle
• 2-3 Zucchini
• 20 g olive oil
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 100 g pancetta, cubed
• salt, to taste
• a pinch of black pepper
• parsley, to taste
• 200 mL (3/4 cup) ricotta, plus more for garnish
• some fresh basil
• 1 small fresh green or red chili, minced (optional)

Directions:

1. Boil 4-6 qts. water (for pasta) in a 8 qt. pasta pot, then add salt.
2. In the meantime, wash and dry the courgettes. Trim them and then grate them with a grater with large holes, or slice into thin (⅛ inch) rounds. Salt lightly and toss.
3. In a fairly large pan, pour the olive oil and heat it over low heat together with whole clove of garlic. Brown the pancetta.
4. As soon as the oil is hot, add the courgettes. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally; then remove the garlic. Fry until golden on both sides. Fry the basil a few minutes with this to infuse the flavors.
5. In the meantime, boil the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain it, keeping a little pasta water.
6. Add the pasta directly into the pan with the zucchini, together with a little cooking water. Cook for a few moments, stir and then turn off.
7. Top with some ricotta salata and pasta water, to make a sauce.

I couldn’t find ricotta salata at the local Whole Foods, although I have seen it in DeCicco & Sons in Westchester, of course. Next time I wouldn’t mind subbing with creme fraiche or mascarpone for the fresh ricotta, although the flavor was good. I halved the amount of pasta and zucchini, to make half as much. I used jalapeno pepper, although now my left pointer finger is numb from touching it. I would also be willing to try dicing the zucchini instead of grating them, though julienne sounds like a tad too much work..

~Jessica

Chicken zucchini dumplings

Adapted from The Woks of Life

Ingredients:

• 1 medium zucchini, seeds removed and shredded
• 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons ginger, minced
• 1/2 pound ground chicken
• ½ teaspoon white pepper
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
• 2 packages dumpling wrappers (see recipe from Pork dumplings)

Directions:

1. Take the shredded zucchini, put it in a clean kitchen towel, and squeeze out as much water as you can. Add it to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
2. In a wok over medium low heat, add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and the minced ginger. Allow the ginger to fry in the oil until fragrant, 2 minutes. Add to the bowl of zucchini.
3. To the bowl, add 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, ground chicken, ½ teaspoon white pepper, 1 teaspoon sugar, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, and 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine. Mix well, stirring vigorously in one direction for about 5 minutes, until it resembles a paste.
4. Wrap the dumplings and place on a parchment lined baking sheet, so that the dumplings are not touching each other. You can fry them right away, or cover the dumplings with plastic wrap and freeze them on the tray. Once frozen solid, you can transfer them to freezer bags and store for up to 3 months.
5. You can boil them, steam them, or fry them. Frying tastes best, boiling is quickest (especially if you have many hungry mouths to feed), and we tried steaming with Napa cabbage leaves and sesame oil in a metal steamer.

• 

  photo courtesy of Nina

Serves 6. Would love to whip out the bamboo steamer next time! Don’t forget some chili oil for dipping sauce (preferable over black vinegar, in my opinion).

~Jessica

Pan roasted chicken and vegetables

Adapted from Natasha’s Kitchen and Taste of Home

Ingredients:

• 2-3 medium yellow potatoes, unpeeled and sliced into 3/4″ to 1″ thick pieces
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 carrots, sliced into 1/2″ thick rounds
• 4 cloves of garlic, 2 cloves finely chopped
• 1 large zucchini, sliced into 3/4″ thick rounds
• 2 red, yellow or orange bell peppers, cut into 1″ pieces
• 1.5 Tbsp garlic salt, or to taste
• Freshly grated black pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 2 tbsp. Canola or olive oil
• 4 skin-on chicken thighs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425° F. In a large bowl, combine potatoes, carrots, onion, oil, 4 whole garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon rosemary and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; toss to coat.
2. In a small bowl, mix paprika and the remaining salt, rosemary and pepper. Sprinkle chicken with paprika mixture; arrange over potatoes and carrots. Transfer to a Dutch oven or baking pan coated with olive oil, roast uncovered at 450˚F for 10 minutes. The chicken will roast until a thermometer inserted in chicken reads 170°-175° and vegetables are just tender (about 35-40 minutes total).
3. Combine the zucchini, bell peppers, and 2 cloves sliced garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove roasting pans from the oven and quickly place the rest of the vegetables evenly over the top. Return to the oven and roast an additional 20-25 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are tender and easily pierced with a fork.
4. Remove chicken to a serving platter; keep warm. Roast until vegetables are tender, 8-10 minutes longer. Stir vegetables to combine; serve with chicken.

• 

• 

• 

• 

I had the vegetables I wanted for my classic vegetable soup dish, but no pot or Dutch oven big enough to hand blend it. So I thought to try out the glass Pyrex baking pan I just acquired and bake some this cold weekend for dinner. The vegetables (especially the potatoes) took a decent extra time to cook through, but the Staub Enameled Cast Iron Fry Pan cooked considerably more than the Pyrex Glass Baking Dish. THIS TASTES SO GOOD.. I never got tired of reheating leftovers. In fact, it tasted better each time.

~Jessica

Punjene tikvice

Adapted from LMU München. Serves 4-6. Step by step photos and video here.

Ingredients:

• 2 small onions, minced
• 500 g ground bison (sub for beef)
• 4 tablespoons oil
• 3 garlic cloves
• 70 – 80 g rice (uncooked)
• Salt, pepper, “Vegeta” seasoning, paprika
• 4 tomatoes
• 4 zucchini, halved lengthwise
• Potato slices for closing the zucchini (optional)
• 150 mL white wine
• 200 mL tomato puree
• 2 tbsp. ketchup
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp. sour cream
• 150 g. Trappista cheese (or gouda)

Directions:

1. Filling: Fry the 3/4 of the onion (minced carrot optional) in oil. Add the meat, then the wine, season with salt and pepper, and stir. Cook until the liquid evaporates. Add the tomato puree, ketchup, 2 dL of water, and simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes.
2. Zucchini: While the filling cooks, cut in half and scrape out the seeds from the zucchinis with a small spoon until you have a boat. Save the insides for later. Blanche the zucchini in salted water for 3 minutes each. While this is blanching, take the reserved zucchini innards, chop them fine, then add half of it to the meat sauce. 
3. Salsa: Peel the tomatoes, chop it fine. Sauté it in olive oil and 1/4 of the onion and garlic. Add spices to taste. This “salsa” is finished after cooking 15-20 minutes.
4. Roux: In a separate bowl, whisk 1 egg and 2 tbsp. sour cream and some Vegeta seasoning.
5. Layer the tomato sauce in the bottom of the baking pan. Then place the zucchini on top. Fill each zucchini half-full with the meat and cap off with a thin slice of potato (optional). Pour 2-3 tbsp. of roux over each. Sprinkle with the grated cheese.
6. Bake at 200 deg. C (392 deg. F) for 20-30 minutes, until a golden color is achieved.

• 

• 

• 

• 

There were many suggestions from the PhD student who shared this recipe that varied from the original recipe, like adding raw rice to the meat (like arroz con pollo), which we did do, along with diced bacon, which we did not. Their roux also involved heating 50 ml of oil, then adding flour spoonful by spoonful until a pudding consistency is achieved (~ 15 seconds), as well as a half a teaspoon of paprika, while the faux roux we did was much easier. The zucchini in the other recipe was cooked in a pot of boiling water, so that the water didn’t touch the inside filling, but sort of steam cooked it? Which was confusing, so baking it seemed much more straightforward.

Serbian stuffed zucchini is not anything I’ve had the privilege to try before, but it looked like all ingredients I would be into. We used one big red onion instead of two small white onions because it was on sale, and is healthier, but then I forgot to reserve some for the tomato sauce. We used ground bison instead of beef, Roasted Chicken Base instead of Vegeta, vinho verde instead of white wine, did not have tomato puree, and used leftover cheddar and Monterrey Jack cheese instead of Trappista cheese. Phew! We barely finished it in time before 8pm Pub Trivia virtual, and I blame the line at Hannaford market. Not as much a hit as the chili and soup this week, but still excellent.

~Jessica

Zucchini pepper soup

Adapted from Stella Cooks and the spring vegetable puree

perfect with a grilled cheese

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 head of garlic, smashed
• 1 zucchini, washed and chopped
• 2 bell pepper, washed and chopped (red is good)
• 1 bunch of Korean leeks (Hmart)
• 2 cups of vegetable broth
• 4 tbsp. tomato paste
• pinch of salt, cracked pepper, paprika, thyme, oregano, cumin
• ½ cup of heavy cream

Directions:

1. In a large pot, warm the butter (or olive oil) over medium heat. Gently saute the garlic for a couple of minutes, then throw in the leeks (or onions if you have) and cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until fragrant and soft, stirring constantly.
2. Add zucchini and peppers to skillet and saute for about ten minutes, or until they just begin to brown.
3. Pour the rest of the ingredients (except the dairy) into the soup pot, including the vegetable broth, and heat just to boiling. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and allow to cook for about twenty minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Let cool a bit (to avoid heat splashing in the blender). Remove the soup, in batches if necessary, into a blender or large food processor and puree to desired thickness (I usually prefer smooth soups). Return the pureed soup to the pot. Taste. Stir in salt and pepper as desired.
5. Make sure the soup is well mixed and heated throughout, then ladle out into serving bowls. Sprinkle some scallions or leeks greens on the top, add the cream (milk), and finish with a light dash of paprika. Serve immediately.

• 

• 

• 

I used whole milk instead of heavy cream, but it was delicious before that. I also threw in a handful of pistachios and pancetta to clean out my cupboard (road trip coming up!), but this recipe would have been just as superb without them. I have perfected this soup, and the grilled cheese that complements it. Hooray!

~Jessica

Turkey kofte

Adapted from Jamie Oliver

Kofte Ingredients:

• 1 large zucchini
• 2 scallions
• 1 fresh red chili
• 50 g. pistachios
• 3 sprigs cilantro
• 3 sprigs parsley (omitted)
• 3 sprigs mint
• 1/4 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 large egg
• 500 g. ground turkey
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano

Chili sauce ingredients: (I recommend halving this)

• 4 ripe tomates
• 2 small onions
• 4 cloves garlic
• 4 jalapeno chilies
• olive oil
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. tomate paste
• 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar

Tahini yogurt:

• 250 g. Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp. tahini
• 1 squeeze of lemon juice

Turkish pilav:

• 1 onion
• 2 cloves. garlic
• 300 g. bulgur wheat
• 400 ml. hot chicken stock
• 1 knob of butter
• 80 g. broken rice vermicelli
• 100 g. can chickpeas

Directions:

1. Finely grate the courgette, trim and finely chop the spring onions and green chilli, then chop the pistachios. Pick and finely chop all the fresh herbs.
2. Toast the cumin seeds in a dry pan until smelling fantastic. Meanwhile, lightly beat the egg.
3. Mix all the kofte ingredients together in a large bowl, keeping some pistachios back to garnish, then season well.
4. With wet hands, form 16 kofte, each the size and shape of a small egg. Leave in the fridge to firm up for at least 30 minutes, then thread onto metal skewers, two kofte on each.
5. Cook the kofte under a grill or over a flame charcoal grill, on high for 12 minutes, until juicy, golden brown and cooked through, turning regularly.

1. To make the chilli sauce, halve the tomatoes and onions (there’s no need to peel), and bash the unpeeled garlic cloves.
2. Place the red chillies, tomatoes, onions and garlic on a baking tray. Drizzle with oil and season, then roast for 25 minutes or until soft and slightly blackened.
3. Allow to cool slightly, then carefully remove and discard the stalks from the chillies, the cores from the tomatoes and the skins from the onions and garlic.
4. Add to a food processor, along with the sugar, tomato purée and vinegar. Blitz until smooth and add a lug of oil to make it glossy. Pulse again, then season.

1. For the tahini yoghurt, mix all the ingredients in a bowl and season with a pinch each of sea salt and black pepper.

1. To make the pilav, peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Add a lug of oil to a non-stick pan over a medium-low heat, then sweat the onion and garlic for 10 minutes. Add the bulgur and stir to coat.
2. Pour in the stock, bring it to the boil, then turn down the heat to very low. Cover with a lid and steam the bulgur for 8 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, melt the butter and cook the vermicelli until the butter turns golden brown.
4. After 8 minutes, add it to the bulgur along with the chickpeas – don’t stir at any point, just replace the cloth and lid and let it steam for another 8 minutes.
5. Turn off the heat and let it stand for 5 minutes – you should end up with a beautifully light and fluffy pilav.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

OMG this utterly takes two hours. The flavors and textures combined together so amazingly, and we regret nothing once we FINALLY sat down, but if we had known it would take that long, in such a very humid NYC summer… At least you can eat all the leftovers cold, cold, cold. Optimism! The recipe makes way, way too much chile sauce — I would halve that recipe for sure. Everything else was in good proportions.

I used white sugar, and apple cider vinegar instead of the recommended ingredients. I didn’t buy parsley or broken rice vermicelli — although I do like rice vermicelli, but neither of us care for parsley over much. Next time! (Just kidding — or at least not in summer. Ever.) We tried “grilling” the kofte and “oven roasting” the vegetables in a cast iron pan, which took considerably more time than the original recipe called for, and made the kitchen (and my apartment) hot, hot, hot. We even tried making the bulgur pilav in the cast iron, but that was unnecessary, and transferred it back to my ceramic pan later on. The turkey is quite lean, so I would love to try this (or another turkey meatball recipe) with ground pork instead. Fatty pork ftw.

~Jessica

Purée of spring vegetable soup

Adapted from Lisa Kleypas “Devil’s Daughter“

Ingredients:

• 2 small zucchinis
• 2 small summer squash
• 2 carrots (I had not)
• 1 red / yellow bell pepper (green was cheaper)
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp. garlic, minced
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cups (chicken) broth
• 4 tbsp tomato paste
• 14 oz. can of white beans, rinsed and drained
• pinch (tsp.) of salt
• pinch of ground black pepper
• pinch of thyme
• pinch of oregano
• ½ cup of heavy cream (or half and half)

Directions:

1. Chop vegetables into ½ inch pieces, to cook evenly.
2. Melt the butter in large pot, on medium-high. Add the garlic, onions, then vegetables. Sauté 10-15 minutes.
3. Add broth, tomato paste, beans, seasonings, and herbs. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes until tender.
4. Blend with a hand immersion blender (I have not, so I did it in batches).
5. Add the cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Serve with buttered croutons, or a grilled cheese.

I had not carrots, but not a big enough pot anyhow. I had 3 on-the-vine tomatoes, so I used that instead of the tomato paste. I ran out of thyme! One of my favorite herbs! I think this is my favorite in the Ravenels series, but this recipe was extra sumptuous, and I had just collected the ingredients for ratatouille, thinking to make a pan satué version (baking is so hot in my apartment, and I haven’t a real baking dish in fact). I loved the description in the book where this dish was served. Can you imagine a 12 course meal? Now if I only had the makings for a grilled cheese…

I’ve gone back to this recipe multiple times, and every time it has been a hit. This is possibly the best vegetable soup, full stop. And if you pair it with the grilled cheese, it really does fill you up.

~Jessie

Pasta con zucchine e ricotta

Adapted from Memorie di Angelina and Galbani

Ingredients:

• 400g (14 oz) short pasta of your choice (I had De Cecco Rotelle)
• 4 medium zucchini, cut into thin slices
• 2-3 shallots, finely minced (used a small brown onion)
• 3 cloves of garlic, whole
• 250g (9 oz) ricotta cheese
• 50g (2 oz) grated Parmesan cheese
• Olive oil
• Butter
• Salt and pepper
• A few fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large skillet or sauté pan, sauté the shallots in abundant olive oil and a knob of butter for a minute or so, until wilted. Add the garlic and zucchini and raise the heat. Toss them as they cook until the zucchini is just tender, about 5 minutes or so. Turn off the heat when the zucchini are done.
2. Mix the ricotta and the grated Parmesan cheese, together with the basil leaves if using.
3. Meanwhile, boil the pasta in well salted water until al dente.
4. Drain the pasta, but not too well and add it to the skillet and toss it with the zucchini over gentle heat. Add the ricotta mixture and mix well.
5. Serve while still warm.

Shallots and onions are not the same, I know. No fresh basil, although a student last week told me, in all seriousness, that I should just buy a basil plant. You’re absolutely right, M. I only had one zucchini, so I would get at least two or three next time. Not my best picture, but I didn’t balance the cheese to zucchini proportion right (only 1 zucchini, correct cheese + mozzarella). Will do better next time ^_^

~Jessica