Chef T's Eggplant Balls + Rigatoni Al Forno (or Baked Ziti)

 Chef T original. Thanks to Ottolenghi for the eggplant bowl inspiration

Eggplant Balls (makes twice as much as you need, and also makes a mean sandwich filler)

2-3 eggplants cubed and roasted till super soft and sweet

12 oz to 1lb fake meat

Bread crumbs

Parmesan or Romano

Egg

Herbs, if you like

Could mess around with things like anchovies, if you like

Tomato Sauce

Lots of olive oil, lots of garlic, 28 oz can tomato puree, lots of oregano, maybe basil if you like, salt, pepper, a little red pepper flakes, smoked paprika if you are feeling like an Italian heretic, and a tsp of sugar.

Mozzarella Cheesy Goodness

1 lb mozzarella, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

Ricotta Cheesy Goodness

15oz ricotta

7 oz creme fraiche

zest of some nutmeg

Pasta

1 lb rigatoni or ziti, par-boiled for 5 minutes in salted water, drained

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. In a large sided 9 x 13 pan, cover bottom with a thin layer of marina sauce. 

3. Somehow, fit the par-boiled pasta, mozzarella, most of the ricotta mixture, eggplant balls, and marinara sauce into the casserole dish. Top off with a little more sauce and then with globs of the ricotta mixture.

4. Bake until done, at least 30 minutes but maybe longer. Experiment with cover and not covering with foil, but definitely have some significant time without foil. 

Zach's Famous Chips and Salsa

Zach's Famous Chips and Salas

This recipe is one of those classics that is so simple yet so good. My friend Zach developed this recipe and brought it to my house, and it was so delicious! It makes an incredible appetizer, which is a whole category of recipes that I'm really looking forward to developing. Thanks, Zach!

Ingredients: 

Tortilla chips (Note: you could use a lot of types of chips here, but I really like tortilla chips)

Salsa (Note: you can go red or green. I like red.)

Instructions:

1. Pour part of the salsa into a bowl. Not a dish. A bowl. I like a medium-sized bowl to prevent spilling.

2. Just start going at the salsa with the chips. Start dipping. When I dip, you dip, we dip. Try to get a good ratio of salsa to chip.

Chef T's Cannellini Bean Stew

Chef T's take on America's Test Kitchen's Tuscan white bean soup. This comes out great in the Instant Pot but is do-able on the stove. I'm sure you could throw in some white wine if you had it around, too. Great for late winter/early spring.

1 lb white beans

Salt

1/2 ounce dried porcini or other dried mushroom (optional but delicious)

A good amount of olive oil, 2-4 tbsp

1 onion, chopped

3 medium carrots, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped 

1-2 stalks celery, chopped (optional, but good if you have them)

3 anchovy fillets (and why not a put a little anchovy oil in as well). Feel free to substitute patis (fish sauce)

Too much garlic, chopped. At least 8 cloves.

16 oz can tomatoes, whole and then crushed by hand or just diced, with tomato juice

1 big bunch curly kale (not dino kale)

2 bay leaves

Parmesan rind, if you have one

1.5 tsp salt. Feel free to substitute whatever amount of soy sauce has the same amount of sodium

Heaping tablespoon white miso paste (optional)

1 sprig rosemary

Instructions

1. Soak 1 lb of cannellini beans in a gallon of water with 3 tbsp salt for at least 8 hours, preferably 24. Drain and rinse thoroughly. More maximum garlic, go on and throw lots of garlic powder in the salty bath, too.

2. Soak the dried porcini in 2 cups warm water for at least 20 minutes. Drain, reserving the water. Chop the mushrooms. 

3. Heat pot over medium. Add oil. When oil is hot, add onion, cook for 7-10 minutes.

4. Add carrots, green bell pepper, celery, and anchovy. Cook for 5 minutes.

5. Add too much garlic, cook for 30 seconds to a minute

6. Add tomatoes (and their juices), kale, 6-8 cups water (use the liquid reserved from the dried mushrooms if you did this), drained cannellini beans, bay leaves, salt, and Parmesan rind

7. Cook. If using Instant Pot, go for 35 minutes at high pressure followed by 20 minute natural release. If doing stovetop, cook a long time until the beans are tender.

8. Take the soup off the heat. Put in the rosemary, give it a stir, and let it steep for 15 minutes, then remove. Remove the bay leaves and the Parmesan rind (if you want). Throw in the miso paste and stir.

NY Times Orecchiette with Corn, Jalapeño, Feta and Basil

NY Times Orecchiette with Corn, Jalapeño, Feta, and Basil 

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019464-orecchiette-with-corn-jalapeno-feta-and-basil

This was tasty and quick! I wouldn't be opposed to throwing in some anchovy fillets next time. I seeded the jalapeno. 

• 1 pound orecchiette
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 jalapeño, finely chopped
• 5 ears corn, shucked and kernels removed (about 3 1/2 to 4 cups kernels)
•  Kosher salt
• 8 ounces crumbled feta cheese
• ½ cup torn basil leaves, plus more for serving
•  Flaky salt, for serving (optional)

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until it is just short of al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta cooking water.
2. While pasta cooks, make the sauce: In a 12-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add jalapeño, and cook until softened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add corn, and cook until it begins to brown in spots, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt. Add 1/4 cup of pasta water and bring to simmer and cook until reduced by half, about 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Add pasta to skillet, tossing to coat with sauce. Add feta cheese and an additional 1/4 cup of pasta water, tossing until pasta is slick and glossy with sauce. If needed, add in another 1/4 cup pasta water. Stir in basil. Transfer to a large bowl and scatter with remaining basil. Season with flaky salt, if desired.

NYT Cheesy Baked Pumpkin Pasta

NYT Cheesy Baked Pumpkin Pasta with Kale

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019598-cheesy-baked-pumpkin-pasta-with-kale?ds_c=71700000052595478&gclid=CjwKCAiAn7L-BRBbEiwAl9UtkIueDWVuPtBrbHFqVEG3FE1Ql9YbHOGaTMmPCTJitYnEjhzIowwAoRoC13wQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

This was tasty and great addition to the autumnal casseroles. The pumpkin flavor makes a nice touch. The kale was also key and provided great texture. I pretty much cooked it as is although I put in a huge thing, probably more than the recipe entailed. Not a bad thing, but the garlic flavor made it a little harder to taste the other stuff. I'd go two "standard" sized garlic cloves next time.

Butter, for greasing the pan

1 pound medium pasta shells or tubes, like conchiglie rigate or penne

1 bunch kale (about 1 pound), ribs removed, chopped into bite-size pieces

½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes

1 heaping tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, plus more for garnish

1 heaping tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, plus more for garnish

 About 1 heaping cup coarsely grated Parmesan

 About 1 heaping cup coarsely grated Gruyère

 About 1 heaping cup coarsely grated Fontina or mozzarella

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin purée

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for pasta water

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ cup heavy cream

¼ cup vegetable broth

½ cup whole-milk ricotta

Steps

Heat oven to 500 degrees and butter a shallow 2-quart/9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Cook the pasta in the boiling water for 4 minutes, adding the kale for the last minute. Drain the pasta and kale, rinse under cold water, then transfer to a large bowl along with the red-pepper flakes and the chopped herbs. 

In a blender, add the pumpkin, garlic, salt, pepper, cream and vegetable broth. Blend until smooth. (If you don’t want to use a blender, add the pumpkin, salt and pepper to a large bowl and use a spoon to break it up into a smooth mixture. Slowly whisk in the cream and vegetable broth until mixture is smooth, then grate in the garlic.) Add the sauce to the bowl with the pasta. Add in most of the grated cheese, reserving about 1/2 cup, and stir to coat.

Transfer the pasta into the baking dish, then dollop the ricotta over top and sprinkle remaining grated cheese. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until brown and bubbly. If you want the pasta really browned, broil it for 3 to 5 minutes, watching carefully. Allow the dish to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, and garnish with additional chopped herbs before serving.

 

Five-Ingredient Creamy Miso Pasta

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020979-five-ingredient-creamy-miso-pasta

Super tasty and quick!

INGREDIENTS

           Kosher salt

• 16 ounces spaghetti, linguine or bucatini
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons white (or red) miso
• 4 ounces Parmesan, finely grated (1 packed cup)
•  Kizami nori, furikake or thinly sliced seaweed snacks, for garnish (optional)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Reserve 1 1/2 cups pasta water, then drain the pasta.

Add the butter, miso and 1 1/4 cups pasta water to the pot and whisk over medium heat until miso breaks down and liquid is uniform, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the pasta and Parmesan and cook, stirring vigorously with tongs until cheese is melted and sauce emulsifies. (The key word here is “vigorously.” To achieve a silky smooth pasta instead of a gloppy one, put your cacio e pepe skills to work.)

Divide among shallow bowls and sprinkle with nori or furikake, if using. 

NY Times Stir-Fried Cucumber with Tofu

NY Times Stir-Fried Cucumber with Tofu 

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021338-stir-fried-cucumber-with-tofu

FOR THE STIR-FRY:

• 2 large cucumbers (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled in alternating vertical stripes, seeded, then cut on the bias 1/4-inch thick
•  Kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 (14-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, crumbled
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
•  Finely chopped scallions, toasted white sesame seeds and steamed rice, for serving (optional)
•  Freshly ground white pepper

FOR THE SAUCE:

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon Sichuan chile flakes

PREPARATION
Place cucumbers in a bowl, add 1 teaspoon salt, and gently massage the pieces. (This helps to release some of the water.) Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes until the cucumbers are slightly wet and pliable to the touch.
Prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients with 1 tablespoon water.

Prepare the stir-fry: Heat a wok or a large skillet over high. When smoking hot, add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Add the tofu, season generously with salt and pepper, and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes until the tofu is partly golden. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Wipe the wok or skillet clean, and keep off the heat until the cucumbers are ready.

Drain the cucumbers and rinse under cold running water. Drain well, then pat dry with a clean kitchen towel.

Heat the wok or skillet back over high heat. When hot, add the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Add the garlic and allow to sizzle for just 10 seconds, then toss in the cucumbers, stir-frying for 2 minutes. Return the tofu to the wok and toss well.

Add the sauce and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the cucumbers look glossy. Taste and season well with salt and white pepper. Top with scallions and sesame seeds, and serve with rice, if using.