BLT Mac and Cheese

If I close my eyes I am eight years old again, curiously watching my mother and grandmother eat a shared BLT on wheat toast. The tomatoes are from Mom's garden; Grammie fried the bacon and toasted the bread while Mom was outside picking them. I was instructed to set the table and to find myself something to eat since I couldn't stomach the thought of a raw tomato. As we sit together around the end of the dining room table I watch, speechless, as they savor the sweet, salty flavors and crunch through crisp lettuce tucked between two slices of caramel colored wheat toast.

Did it really happen that way? Were the tomatoes from Mom's garden? They might have been. She's always grown them (except this year...) and Grammie often did the cooking (even at Mom's house...) and I always dutifully did what I was told... no, wait, scratch that last one. That certainly never rarely happened.

Mascarpone Meatballs & Farmer's Market Pasta

These mascarpone meatballs are so tender and flavorful they just melt in your mouth. Fragrant with herbs and just a hint of spice they pair beautifully with a variety of sauces for pasta or just sop them up with a crusty loaf of bread for a quick and filling lunch.I love them paired with fresh vegetables and a roasted pepper sauce - my Farmer's Market Pasta.

Like many people I have beautiful memories of my Mom making tomato sauce and meatballs. It was an all day affair that mostly involved shooing me out of the kitchen. This was probably wise since when Mom wasn't looking I would take one of her worn wooden spoons and scoop out a meatball to eat. So hot I would almost burn my tongue, but so worth it for the way they fell apart when bitten into, sauce dripping from the wooden spoon.

Pastalove Bloghop - Meyer Lemon and Ramp Pasta with Arugula

A creamy combination of Meyer lemons and ramps, sprinkled with fresh arugula and tossed in fettucine make for a fresh, yet satisfyingly decadent, pasta dish. While both ramps and Meyer lemons may sound exotic or unusual depending on where you live, they can generally be found along the East coast in the spring at farmer's markets or specialty produce stores.

Boston's Haymarket and Pasta for One

I'm very pleased to be guest posting at Healthy Foodie Travels today. Kiri writes a delicious blog filled with cuisine from around the globe, world markets, and culinary traditions and recipes from her travels. In honor of Kiri's theme of healthy foods I decided to travel through my own backyard of downtown Boston to the Haymarket and the North End to find the ingredients for this healthy pasta dish with shredded Brussels sprouts, chickpeas and pine nuts.

I hope you'll hop on over to Healthy Foodie Travels to check out the recipe and while you're there stay for Kiri's delicious world travels! 

Enjoy!

Greenslove Bloghop - Kale and Beet Ravioli with Gorgonzola and Walnuts

These homemade ravioli are not only gorgeous and vibrant, they are absolutely delicious. The earthy, fresh flavors in the pasta are elevated to haute cuisine levels with a creamy gorgonzola filling accented with toasted walnuts. Served over fresh sautéed kale this dish makes an impressive first course to an elegant meal.

In Italy you often see pasta recipes as il primo or first course. In a traditional dinner (or Sunday lunch) this would be followed by il secondo or second course; usually a meat or fish based entree accompanied by i contorni, side dishes - usually vegetables. Both portions tend to be small so one isn't too full. Of course, by the time you've had your antipasto (which translates literally as "before the meal"), saved some room for qualcosa dolce (something sweet), and washed it all down with plenty of good vino you're pretty full and ready to fare un sonnellino (take a nap).

A Lasagna Hat-Trick : Grilled Eggplant, Sausage & Peppers, and Bolognese

I really want to call this Grilled Eggplant Sausage & Peppers Bolognese Lasagna but that is just too much of a mouthful... an awesomely delicious mouthful, but a mouthful nonetheless. I'd also love to call this "the best damn lasagna you ever ate" but even though I am made of awesome, I'm not quite that cocky. So, instead I offer you a lasagna hat-trick featuring interpretations of three well-loved Italian-American dishes:

• Grilled eggplant - a classic in antipasti and a lighter substitute for that other favorite: eggplant parmigiana.
• Sausage and peppers - an Italian-American favorite of street vendors, backyard barbecues, and ball games.
• Bolognese sauce - an homage to my second home of Bologna, Italy and one of the most beloved exports to Italian-American cuisine.

This isn't a classic lasagna by any means. There is no ricotta, no egg to act as a binder. It is simply layer upon layer of deliciousness. 

Acorn Bowls - Just add Stuffing

One of my favorite things about autumn is all of the great winter squash that becomes available. My local markets recently had locally grown delicata, butternut, pumpkin, hubbard, spaghetti squash, buttercup, and one of my favorites: acorn squash.

One of the things I like best about acorn squash is its size - it's just right for two people, or one person plus leftovers. Since my husband works nights I might as well live alone when it comes to dinner! The shape of this squash is also perfect for stuffing with the filling of your choice since it becomes it's own little bowl. No need to make a trip to [insert name of your favorite trendy home goods store here] for a ceramic bowl in the shape of a pumpkin (cute tho' they are)!

Here is an easy stuffed squash recipe that makes the most out of the season's bounty:

Throwback Thursday - Tuna Noodle Casserole

As classic as casseroles are in American cooking they are unusual and exotic fare for me. The only remotely casserole-type dish we ever ate growing up was lasagna. As a child I was mesmerized when I went to friends' houses and saw creamy concoctions stuffed with noodles and vegetables. If there was a crispy bread crumb topping I assumed I had died and gone to heaven (don't even get me started on my best friend's nana's noodle kugel... a sweet casserole? Hello!). My mother's cooking was (and still is) excellent but decidedly not the typical American diet I saw at my friends houses. Mom was taught how to cook by her own European born and raised mother, as well as heavily influenced by the fabulous New York City restaurants she frequented BC (Before Children). As an adult I appreciate the techniques, flavors and experiences my mother's cooking exposed me to; but as a child I craved the creamy casseroles I saw my friends' mothers preparing.