Mushroom Carbonara with Orecchiette

I found one additional recipe that I’ve been waiting to share from Bon Appétit’s popular recipe list. Most of these popular recipes are comfort food dishes- no surprise!

This vegetarian carbonara has wonderful rich flavor from the deeply browned mushrooms combined with shallots and garlic. Genius. The luxurious sauce is made with the traditional Italian method, using egg yolks and cheese. This recipe is from Bon Appétit, contributed by Molly Baz. Very nice.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• Kosher salt
• 1 1/2 lbs crimini or button mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
• 6 garlic cloves
• 2 medium shallots
• 1 cup parsley leaves with tender stems (about ½ bunch)
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/4 cups (4 oz) freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (I used Parmigiano-Reggiano)
• 1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more
• 4 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lb orecchiette

1. Fill a large pot with water and season well with a few big pinches of salt. Bring to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, tear off and discard stems of mushrooms, then tear them into quarters (or in halves if small). Transfer to a medium bowl.
3. Lightly smash and peel the garlic cloves, then thinly slice.
4. Peel and finely chop the shallots.
5. Coarsely chop the parsley.
6. Whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, Parmesan, and freshly ground black pepper in another medium bowl; set aside.
7. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high for a good 3 minutes. You want to get the pan very hot since adding the mushrooms is going to lower the temperature of the surface of the pan.
8. Toss mushrooms and 4 T extra-virgin olive oil once in pan to coat in oil. Cook, tossing once every 4–5 minutes (but mostly undisturbed), until mushrooms are mostly golden brown, 13–16 minutes. This will take some time and they will let out a lot of moisture before they start to brown.
9. Once mushrooms have been cooking for about 10 minutes, put the orecchiette into boiling salted water and set a timer 2 minutes shy of al dente according to package directions.
10. When the mushrooms are deeply browned, reduce heat to medium-low and add garlic, shallots, and 1½ teaspoons of salt. Cook, stirring often, until aromatics are softened but not browned, 30–60 seconds.
11. When pasta is 2 minutes shy of al dente, reserve 2 cups pasta cooking liquid, then drain pasta.
12. Add pasta along with 1 cup pasta cooking liquid to mushroom mixture. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often to finish cooking the pasta and absorb liquid, about 2 minutes (this is why you’re cooking the pasta 2 minutes shy of al dente; it allows for the flavors to meld as the pasta finishes cooking in the sauce).
13. Remove from heat and let cool 1 minute. (Don’t skip this step—if the pasta is too hot when you add the egg mixture, it will turn into scrambled eggs instead of a luxurious sauce.)
14. Add 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid to reserved egg mixture and whisk to combine and loosen eggs.
15. Gradually add egg mixture to pot, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon and adding more pasta cooking liquid as needed to loosen things up, until a very creamy, luscious sauce coats all noodles.
16. Add parsley and stir again to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning for salt.
17. Divide pasta among bowls. Top with Parmesan and a few cranks of pepper.

European-Style Crusty Bread

On Long Island, this bread would be called really good Italian bread. 🙂 The King Arthur Flour website titled it “The Easiest Loaf of Bread You’ll Ever Bake.” I think this may be true!

My husband is a bread guy, so I’ve made one of our favorite loaves a few times in the bread machine during this self-quarantine. It may be a little bit easier to use a bread machine, but not significantly. This loaf was a nice change- completely different- crusty on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside.

This simple recipe is from King Arthur Flour.com. I weighed the flour, made the dough in a stand mixer, and used a proofing oven. My daughter declared that it was the best bread she’s ever had in her life!

Yield: 2 loaves

Time: 2 hours 10 minutes

• 4 1/2 to 5 cups (542g to 600g) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
• 1 tablespoon (11g) granulated sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
• 2 1/2 teaspoons table salt (not kosher) (I used fine iodized sea salt)
• 1 2/3 cups (379g) water, lukewarm (90°F to 110°F)
• cornmeal, for coating the pan

1. Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess.
2. Stir together all of the ingredients (except the cornmeal) in a large bowl, starting with 542g (4 1/2 cups) of the flour. Use a sturdy spoon, or your stand mixer equipped with the beater paddle. Mix until everything comes together in a rough, shaggy mass of dough.
3. If you’re using your stand mixer, switch to the dough hook and knead the dough at medium speed for about 7 minutes, until it’s smooth, elastic, and feels a bit bouncy. If the dough doesn’t form a ball that clears the sides of the bowl, sprinkle in just enough of the additional flour to make this happen. (I sprinkled in 1-2 additional tablespoons of flour.) (*If you’re kneading the dough by hand, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, using some of the additional 1/2 cup of flour called for. Fold the far edge of the dough back over on itself towards you, then press it away from you with the heels of your hands. Rotate the dough 90°. Repeat this fold-press-rotate process with a rhythmic, rocking motion for about 6 minutes. When fully kneaded, the dough will be bouncy and smooth.*)
4. Lightly grease a bowl with cooking spray. Place the dough in the bowl; turn to coat.
5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or another airtight cover, and let the dough rise at room temperature until it’s doubled in size, about 1 to 2 hours. If your kitchen is particularly cold (below 65°F), place the bowl of dough in your turned-off oven with the oven light on. (I used a proofing oven.)
6. Gently deflate the dough and cut it in half. Pat each half into a rough 6” x 8” oval.
7. Working with one piece of dough at a time, grab a short side and fold the dough like a business letter (one short side into the center, the other short side over it). Use the heel of your hand to press the open edge of the “letter” closed.
8. Gently pat and roll the dough into a log about 10” long. Repeat with the remaining piece of dough.
9. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; generously sprinkle with cornmeal. The cornmeal will keep the bread from sticking and give it a crunchy bottom crust.
10. Place the loaves, seam-side down, on the prepared baking sheet.
11. Let the loaves rise, lightly covered with greased plastic wrap, for 45 minutes. They should become nicely puffy. Gently poke your index finger into the side of one of the loaves; if the indentation remains, your bread is ready to bake. (I used a proofing oven.)
12. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 450°F, preferably on convection.
13. For extra-crusty crust and a great rise, add steam to your oven as follows: While the oven is preheating, place an empty cast-iron frying pan on the lowest rack. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in the microwave or on the stovetop.
14. When your bread is risen, use a sieve to dust the loaves with a thin coat of flour. Then make three or four 1/2” deep diagonal slashes in each loaf; these slashes will help the bread rise evenly as it bakes. (Next time, I plan to cut the slashes deeper.)
15. Place the bread in the oven and pour the boiling water into the frying pan below. Quickly shut the oven door. Wear good oven mitts during this process to shield your hands and arms from the steam.
16. Bake the bread for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and a loaf sounds hollow to the touch when you tap it on the bottom. The interior temperature of the bread should register at least 190°F on a digital thermometer.
17. Turn the oven off, crack the door open, and allow the bread to remain inside for 5 additional minutes; this helps keep the crust crisp.
18. Remove the bread from the oven and cool it on a rack. It’s best not to cut into the bread until it’s cooled down a bit; cutting into hot bread can negatively affect its texture.
19. Store the bread, well-wrapped, at room temperature for a couple of days. Freeze for longer storage.

Note: An equal amount of active dry yeast can be substituted for instant yeast. Add it along with the other ingredients, no additional proofing is necessary.

Creamy Caramelized Broccoli Soup with Lemon Zest & Chile

I have a few very GREEN soups to share. 🙂

This soup is described as “a lot more interesting than your average vegetable purée” because the broccoli is caramelized before being incorporated in the soup, adding a greater depth of flavor. By only caramelizing one side of each floret, leaving the other side bright green, the broccoli’s sweetness is preserved. It was quite delicious.

This recipe was adapted from Dinner: Changing the Game by Melissa Clark. The soup was inspired by one served by Andrew Feinberg at his former restaurant, Franny’s in Brooklyn. Next time I will make 1 1/2  to 2 times the recipe to have more leftovers! 🙂

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 8 T extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
• 2 heads of broccoli (about 2 pounds), separated into small florets, stems peeled and diced
• 2 1/2 tsp Kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 2 T unsalted butter
• 1 large Spanish onion, diced
• 5 to 10 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving
• 1/4 tsp red chile flakes
• 8 to 10 oz potatoes, thinly sliced (peeled, if desired)(I used unpeeled Dutch yellow baby potatoes)
• 1/4 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1 1/2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice, from 1/2 a lemon, plus more to taste
• grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving
• flaky sea salt, for serving

1. In a large soup pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high to high heat. (I used a large enameled cast iron pot.)
2. Add about 1/3 of the broccoli, just enough so that it covers the bottom of the pan in a single layer without crowding. Cook the broccoli without touching it- until it is dark brown on one side (leave one side bright green), 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Transfer the broccoli to a large bowl, and repeat with the remaining broccoli, adding another 2 tablespoons oil for each batch. When all of the broccoli has been browned, season it with 1 teaspoon of salt.
4. Reduce the heat under the soup pot to medium-low. Add the butter and remaining 2 tablespoons of oil.
5. When the butter has melted, add the onions garlic, pepper, chile flakes, and 1/2 tsp of salt. Cook the onion-garlic mixture until the onions are soft and translucent, about 4 minutes.
6. Add the potatoes, 4 cups of water, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook until the potatoes are just tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
7. Add the broccoli, cover again, and cook until it is tender, another 10 to 15 minutes.
8. Stir the lemon zest into the soup.
9. Using an immersion blender (or working in batches in a blender or food processor), coarsely purée the soup, leaving some small chunks for texture, if desired. (I puréed the soup until smooth.)
10. Stir in the lemon juice.
11. When serving, finish with grated cheese, a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkling of black pepper and flaky sea salt.

Butternut Squash, Sage, & Ricotta Manicotti

I made this baked pasta dish to serve on Thanksgiving Eve. My Mother-in-Law asked that I post the recipe so that she could make it to serve to vegetarian guests. It was such a compliment! This post is quite belated- oops.

This recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart Living’s Everyday Food. I used manicotti noodles instead of lasagna and modified the proportions. I boiled the squash in the salted pasta water but may roast it instead next time to enhance its flavor. It was cheesy, creamy, and rich comfort food.

Yield: Serves 8 to 10

• 6 T olive oil, plus more for baking dish
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 (8 oz each) packages manicotti (there will be leftover noodles)
• 1 butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 4 large shallots, chopped
• 3/4 cup milk (I used whole milk)
• 2 tsp finely chopped fresh sage leaves, plus 16 to 20 whole leaves
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 (15 oz each) containers of whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, preferably on convection.
2. Lightly oil a 9×13-inch baking dish. (I used cooking oil spray.)
3. In a large pot of boiling, generously salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Using tongs, transfer pasta to a rimmed baking sheet.
4. Add squash to boiling water and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain squash and transfer to a bowl. (Alternatively, the squash can be roasted at 425 degrees, preferably on convection roast, until lightly browned and tender, about 25 to 35 minutes.)
5. In a small skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium. Add shallots, season with salt and pepper, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
6. Transfer sautéed shallots to the bowl with the squash and add 4 tablespoons milk, chopped sage, and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper. Mash with a fork until a rough puree forms.
7. Fill a gallon ziplock bag with the squash mixture. Cut an opening in one bottom corner of the bag, large enough to fit the opening of the manicotti noodles.
8. Pipe the squash mixture into the manicotti noodles, about 1/4 cup each. Place each filled noodle into the prepared baking dish. (I had 8 cooked noodles leftover.)
9. In a bowl, combine ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan, and 1/2 cup milk and season with salt and pepper.
10. Spread ricotta mixture over cannelloni and top with remaining 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan.
11. Bake until warmed through, about 25 minutes.
12. Broil until top is browned, 2 to 3 minutes.
13. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium to medium-high. Fry whole sage leaves until crispy, 15 to 20 seconds. Drain on paper towels.
14. Serve the casserole topped with fried sage.

Cauliflower Bolognese

This healthy, hearty, and tasty vegetarian dish is from one of Bon Appétit’s “healthy-ish” issues. It initially had a mixed reception from the meat lovers in my house because the sauce closely resembled meat sauce in appearance and texture- but not in taste, of course. They gobbled it up in the end. 😉

This recipe was adapted from Bon Appétit, contributed by Andy Baraghani. I increased the amount of garlic, used freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and reserved pasta water to adjust the consistency of the sauce (and to reheat leftovers). I served it with roasted asparagus. Yum.

Yield: 6 servings

• 12 oz mushrooms, such as shiitake or crimini, stems removed
• 1 medium head of cauliflower (about 2¼ lbs), broken into florets
• 6 T extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 4 T unsalted butter, divided
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 6 to 10 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 chile, such as serrano, Holland, or Fresno, thinly sliced, or ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 T finely chopped rosemary
• ⅓ cup double-concentrated tomato paste
• Kosher salt
• 1 lb rigatoni
• 2 oz finely grated Parmesan (about 1 cup), plus more for serving (I used Parmigiano-Reggiano)
• 3 T finely chopped parsley
• freshly grated zest of 1/2 to 1 lemon

1. Pulse mushrooms in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a small bowl. Wipe out food processor bowl.
2. Working in 3 batches, pulse cauliflower in food processor until pieces are about the size of a grain of rice (some smaller and some larger ones are fine), transferring to a medium bowl as you go.
3. Heat ¼ cup oil and 2 T butter in a large heavy pot over medium-high.
4. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 4–6 minutes.
5. Add onion and 2 T oil to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is very soft and golden brown, 6–8 minutes.
6. Add garlic, chile, and rosemary and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is softened and mixture is very fragrant, about 3 minutes.
7. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until paste is slightly darkened, about 2 minutes.
8. Add cauliflower and cook, yes, still stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is cooked down slightly and begins to stick to bottom of pot, 6–8 minutes.
9. Season with salt, then keep warm over low heat.
10. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until almost al dente, about 1 minute less than package directions. Reserve 2 cups of pasta water.
11. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pasta to pot with sauce.
12. Add Parmesan, remaining 2 T butter, and 1 1/2 cups pasta cooking liquid. Increase heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente and sauce is clinging to pasta, about 3 minutes.
13. Remove from heat and stir in parsley.
14. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt (it’ll probably need another pinch or two).
15. Finely zest lemon over pasta and toss once more.
16. Divide pasta among bowls. Top with more Parmesan, then drizzle with oil.

Acorn Squash Saltimbocca with Browned Butter Sauce

I almost exclusively roast the acorn squash that I receive in my CSA box. It’s a gold-standard crowd-pleaser. 🙂

After making and absolutely loving both a classic and a summer version of chicken saltimbocca, I was excited to try this unique acorn squash version. Unlike the chicken versions, the squash is roasted instead of fried. After roasting, the skin was tender and completely edible. The browned butter sauce made it amazing- especially because it incorporated sherry vinegar.

This recipe was adapted from Food and Wine, contributed by Ann Taylor Pittman. I reduced the amount of browned butter (and there was plenty!). I served it with roasted CSA beets, kohlrabi and potatoes along with a green salad. It was a sweet and buttery CSA feast.

I served it as a main dish but it could also be served as a seasonal side.

Yield: Serves 2 to 4 as a main dish

• 1 large (1 1/2-pound) acorn squash
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoons kosher salt, plus a pinch more for the sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 16 to 18 medium-size fresh sage leaves, divided
• 8 very thin prosciutto slices, halved lengthwise with ends left intact
• 4 T (1/4 cup, 2 ounces) unsalted butter
• 1/2 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey, for drizzling, optional (I omitted it)

1. Preheat oven to 425°F, preferably on convection roast.
2. Cut squash in half lengthwise; scoop out and discard seeds and membranes. Cut each half into 4 wedges.
3. Toss together squash wedges, oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.
4. Arrange wedges, cut sides down, on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
5. Roast in preheated oven 20 minutes, turning once halfway through. Let cool 5 minutes.
6. Arrange 1 whole sage leaf on rounded flesh side of each squash wedge; wrap 1 prosciutto strip around each squash wedge.
7. Arrange squash wedges on pan, skin sides down. Roast in preheated oven until prosciutto is crisp and squash is tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, melt butter in a skillet over medium-high, stirring often with a wooden spoon, just until milk solids begin to sink to bottom of skillet and brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
9. Add 8 to 10 sage leaves; cook, stirring constantly, just until sage stops sizzling. Remove from heat, and let stand 1 minute.
10. Carefully stir in sherry vinegar and remaining pinch of coarse salt.
11. Transfer squash to a warm serving platter, and spoon browned butter sauce over squash. Drizzle with honey, if desired. (I omitted it.) Serve immediately.

One-Pan Shrimp Scampi with Orzo

This is an incredibly full-flavored one-pan dish. I made it when my mom was visiting because she is such a fan of shrimp. She loved it! 🙂

This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Ali Slagle. Fast and fabulous.

Yield: Serves 4

• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, patted dry
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon juice (from 1 lemon)
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 garlic cloves, minced, divided
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup orzo
• ⅓ cup dry white wine
• 2 cups boiling water, seafood stock, or chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the shrimp, 1 tablespoon olive oil, the lemon zest, red-pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and half the garlic. Set aside to marinate (this step can be done up to 1 hour in advance).
2. To a medium skillet, add the butter, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and remaining minced garlic; heat over medium.
3. When the butter starts to bubble, add the orzo and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until the orzo is toasted, about 2 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent the garlic from burning.
4. Carefully add the wine (it will bubble) and stir until absorbed, about 1 minute.
5. Stir in the water or stock, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until the orzo is al dente, about 12 to 16 minutes.
6. Add the shrimp in a snug, even layer on top of the orzo, cover, and cook until all the shrimp is pink and cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, 2 minutes.
8. Sprinkle with parsley and lemon juice, season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.