Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes have been a family favorite since 2010. They’re rich, nutritious, and just a tad bit fussy for potatoes, which makes them a favorite for Thanksgiving and other holidays.

Most recipes for sweet potatoes play on their sweetness, turning them into sweet potato casserole or sweet twice baked potatoes. While I love me some sweet potato casserole (I’m team pecan crumble/streusel on top!), this recipe is refreshing because sweet potatoes are wonderful in savory recipes and this one really lets them shine.

This recipe is adapted from Williams Sonoma’s “Savoring America” cookbook. I was gifted this cookbook as a teenager and several recipes in there have become staples in my family over the last decade plus. This recipe is one of my favorites from there.

This Fluffy Key Lime Pie is from the “Savoring America” cookbook, also!

I’ve adapted this recipe to keep all the flavor while lightening it up a bit. Since we often make these for holidays or around the holiday season, we didn’t feel the need to have these so decadent when there is so much other rich and decadent food. This version uses less butter and milk instead of heavy cream. Bacon is optional, with the original calling for 4 chopped slices that get cooked along with the onion and garlic. Bacon, while delicious, can overtake dishes. We don’t normally add it, and don’t miss it! These are plenty flavorful without it.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses and ethically and responsibly made items. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

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Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Serves about 8

Ingredients:

• 4 sweet potatoes, unpeeled

• 2 Tbsp / 28g cooking oil

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 6 oz / 180g (about 4 cups) chopped spinach or other similar green

• 2/3 cup / 158g chicken or vegetable broth

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

• 4 Tbsp / 56g butter, softened

• 1/3 cup / 79g milk

• 1/2 cup / 50g grated Parmesan cheese

• salt and pepper, to taste

• 1/2 cup / 57g shredded Swiss or Gruyère cheese

Directions:

Oven 350°F / 177°C.

Bake the Sweet Potatoes

1. Poke the surface of each sweet potato all over with the tines of a fork.

2. Bake in preheated oven until soft and easily pierced with a knife, about 1 - 1 1/4 hours. Remove from oven.

3. When cool enough to handle, cut each potato in half lengthwise and carefully scoop out the flesh with a spoon and place in the bowl of a food processor or regular bowl, leaving a thin lining of flesh in the skin about 1/4” thick.

Make the Filling

1. Heat oil in a large fry pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, a couple of minutes. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant.

2. Add spinach and broth, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted and broth has mostly evaporated, about 5-7 minutes. Turn off heat.

3. Pulse sweet potato flesh with rosemary in a food processor until smooth, or use a handheld mixer. Add butter, milk, and Parmesan and pulse or beat until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.

4. Add spinach mixture to sweet potato mixture and mix until combined.

5. Divide evenly among sweet potato skins and top with Swiss cheese.

6. Bake until potatoes are heated through and cheese is melted, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Jenny’s Notes:

• Spinach is my favorite and readily available option for these, but some other options include collard greens, swiss chard, or any other of your favorite greens. Cooking time may vary, depending on green chosen and how long it takes to become tender.

• Any good melting cheese that you desire can be used on top of these.

Yield 8

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

45 Min

Cook time

1 H & 45 M

Total time

2 H & 30 M

Print

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Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Savory Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes are both rich and delicious with a smooth, cheesy filling with herbs and greens, perfect for holidays or any time.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 4 sweet potatoes, unpeeled
• 2 Tbsp / 28g cooking oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 6 oz / 180g (about 4 cups) chopped spinach or other similar green
• 2/3 cup / 158g chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 4 Tbsp / 56g butter, softened
• 1/3 cup / 79g milk
• 1/2 cup / 50g grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup / 57g shredded Swiss or Gruyère cheese

Instructions

Bake the Sweet Potatoes

1. Oven 350°F / 177°C.
2. Poke the surface of each sweet potato all over with the tines of a fork.
3. Bake in preheated oven until soft and easily pierced with a knife, about 1 - 1 1/4 hours. Remove from oven.
4. When cool enough to handle, cut each potato in half lengthwise and carefully scoop out the flesh with a spoon and place in the bowl of a food processor or regular bowl, leaving a thin lining of flesh in the skin about 1/4” thick.

Make the Filling

1. Heat oil in a large fry pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, a couple of minutes. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
2. Add spinach and broth, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted and broth has mostly evaporated, about 5-7 minutes. Turn off heat.
3. Pulse sweet potato flesh with rosemary in a food processor until smooth, or use a handheld mixer. Add butter, milk, and Parmesan and pulse or beat until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add spinach mixture to sweet potato mixture and mix until combined.
5. Divide evenly among sweet potato skins and top with Swiss cheese.
6. Bake until potatoes are heated through and cheese is melted, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Notes

• Spinach is my favorite and readily available option for these, but some other options include collard greens, swiss chard, or any other of your favorite greens. Cooking time may vary, depending on green chosen and how long it takes to become tender.
• Any good melting cheese that you desire can be used on top of these.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

258

Fat

14 g

Sat. Fat

7 g

Carbs

27 g

Fiber

4 g

Net carbs

22 g

Sugar

6 g

Protein

7 g

Sodium

400 mg

Cholesterol

31 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 1 half potato.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2024/7/9/twice-baked-sweet-potatoes

savory twice baked sweet potatoes, cheesy sweet potatoes, Thanksgiving sides

dinner

American

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Taco Salad

Taco salad is a classic in my family. Seasoned beef, 2 kinds of beans, cheese, tomatoes, onion, and enough lettuce to be able to call this a salad, all tossed in creamy homemade thousand island dressing. It’s delicious.

I’m not sure who was the original genius to decide to turn a taco into a salad and use a mayonnaise and ketchup based dressing, but it works, and it works so well. I highly recommend you make your own thousand island dressing! It’s very easy.

My earliest memories of this salad were probably because it was one of my brother’s favorite meal requests. Over the years it has slowly morphed into the version we make today, which is a bit more wholesome than the original. Where a bag of Doritos used to be used, we now use tortilla chips. Store-bought thousand island dressing has been replaced with this much more flavorful homemade (7 ingredient) thousand island dressing. A packet of taco seasoning has been replaced with our own mix of spices. Sometimes we make it with beef, sometimes we keep it vegetarian for a lighter meal. All in all, we’ve moved this away from processed foods in favor of using more whole foods, and it’s only better for it. What used to be my brother’s taco salad, has become everyone’s favorite taco salad.

Listed below is more or less the quantities of ingredients we use, but this is one of those recipes where you can measure with your heart! In fact, my mom’s recipe doesn’t even list quantities on some things because we just add as much as we want. Want less beans? Use 1 can instead of 2. Love tomatoes? Use more than 2! Is cheese your love language? Use as much as you want! You get the idea, it’s very easy to adjust according to your tastes.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses and ethically and responsibly made items. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe from my mama

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Taco Salad

Serves 6-8 as a side dish

Ingredients:

• 2 heads of romaine lettuce, washed and chopped

• 1 lb ground beef, cooked with 1 packet taco seasoning

• 2 medium tomatoes, diced

• 1 small onion, diced small

• 1 (14.5oz) can of black beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 (14.5oz) can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 1/2 cups Thousand Island Dressing, or to taste, recipe here

• 8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

• 4 oz tortilla chips or Doritos, lightly crushed

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, toss lettuce, beef, tomatoes, onion, pinto and black beans together.

2. Just before serving, add dressing and toss to combine. Lightly toss in cheese and chips.

3. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Jenny’s Notes:

• Shredded chicken is also delicious in this instead of beef.

• This salad is also wonderful served without meat, as a vegetarian dish.

• Ingredient quantities are very much customizable to your liking.

• If you anticipate having leftovers, only toss chips into the amount you think will be eaten. You can always add more chips, but leftovers with chips get soggy.

Yield 6-8

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

20 Min

Total time

20 Min

Print

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Taco Salad

Romaine lettuce, taco seasoned beef, pinto and black beans, cheese, tomato, onion, and chips all tossed together in a creamy homemade Thousand Island Dressing.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 2 heads of romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
• 1 lb ground beef, cooked with 1 packet taco seasoning
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 small onion, diced small
• 1 (14.5oz) can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (14.5oz) can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups Thousand Island Dressing, or to taste, recipe here
• 8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
• 4 oz tortilla chips, lightly crushed

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, toss lettuce, beef, tomatoes, onion, pinto and black beans together.
2. Just before serving, add dressing and toss to combine. Lightly toss in cheese and chips.
3. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Notes

• Shredded chicken is also delicious in this instead of beef.
• This salad is also wonderful served without meat, as a vegetarian dish.
• Ingredient quantities are very much customizable to your liking.
• If you anticipate having leftovers, only toss chips into the amount you think will be eaten. You can always add more chips, but leftovers with chips get soggy.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

594.37

Fat

30.01 g

Sat. Fat

8.4 g

Carbs

73.09 g

Fiber

21.71 g

Net carbs

51.38 g

Sugar

21.54 g

Protein

16.06 g

Sodium

1152.99 mg

Cholesterol

40.54 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 8 servings, including beef and homemade dressing.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2024/8/12/taco-salad

best ever taco salad, vegetarian, summer recipe, side salad, healthy taco salad

dinner

American

Did you make this recipe?

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Cozy Lentil Curry

Cozy lentils cooked to perfection with flavors of ginger, garlic, and curry, served over rice. Easy, nutritious, and filling for when you want a comforting meal.

Something about August sits different. It’s still summer, yet somehow, inexplicably, you can feel that maybe before you’re ready, fall will be here. School starting, shorter evenings, cooler weather. Curries are one of my favorite cozy weather dishes. They’re easy to make and there are so many! While I love summer and all the summer no-cook or grilled dishes that go along with the season, I do start to miss cooking and hearty dishes. Those hot days where it’s too hot to turn on the oven are hard on me! Michigan summers are mild compared to Florentine summers, but I was still excited that this week held some cooler days that felt perfect for this lentil curry with rice.

I first started making this curry in Florence, I think it was during 2020 and have been making it regularly ever since. I love to add spinach to get in some vegetables, and I would often make it in a crockpot while also adding rice and more water straight to the crockpot; curried lentils and rice all cooked up together!

A note about ground coriander

McCormick Gourmet Organic Ground Coriander, 1.25 Oz

While most of the ingredients in this recipe would be considered pantry staples, the biggest exception for me would be ground coriander. (Coconut milk might not be a staple for everyone, but if you make Asian dishes frequently it is!!) Now, a little pet peeve of mine is recipes that sound wonderful but call for one or more obscure ingredients that are “essential”, but also ones you’ll never use again. You know what I’m talking about, right? Well, normally I would be tempted to skip or find a substitute for ground coriander since that has never been a spice I’ve really used. The first time I made this recipe I somehow had coriander seeds in a spice grinder. It was a labor of love to hand grind 1 1/2 tsps, but I was surprised at how good it was! It’s not that you can taste the coriander itself, but the one time I didn’t have enough I could actually tell and missed the depth of flavor it lended. Bottom line, you can make this curry without it, but if you plan on making this again I would get yourself a bottle of ground coriander!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses and ethically and responsibly made items. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe adapted from Janet’s Munch Meals

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Cozy Lentil Curry

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp oil

• 1 onion or shallot, diced small

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger

• 1 Tbsp curry powder

• 1 Tbsp cumin

• 2 tsp chili powder or paprika

• 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander

• 1 cup / 210g dry lentils

• 1 (15 oz) can diced or crushed tomatoes

• 1 (14 oz) can coconut milk

• 2 cups / 474g vegetable broth or water

• salt and pepper to taste

• Several handfuls of spinach, 100-200g spinach, finely chopped, optional

• Rice, cilantro, red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, for serving, optional

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook for several minutes, until translucent.

2. Add garlic, ginger, curry, cumin, chili powder, and coriander and cook for about 3 minutes, until toasted and fragrant.

3. Add lentils, tomatoes, coconut milk, broth, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil.

4. Lower heat, cover, and allow to simmer for 25-30 minutes or until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally. Add more liquid at any point, if necessary.

5. Stir in spinach and cook for another minute or two.

6. Serve over rice with cilantro and red pepper flakes, as desired.

Jenny’s Notes:

• This lentil curry can also be made in a crockpot: Place all ingredients in crockpot and stir. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours, or until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally and adding any extra liquid as necessary.

Yield 4-6

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

5 Min

Cook time

45 Min

Total time

50 Min

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Cozy Lentil Curry

Cozy lentils cooked to perfection with flavors of curry, ginger, and garlic, served over rice for a meal that is quick, nutritious, filling, and easy on the budget!

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1 onion or shallot, diced small
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 Tbsp curry powder
• 1 Tbsp cumin
• 2 tsp chili powder or paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 cup / 210g dry lentils
• 1 (15 oz) can diced or crushed tomatoes
• 1 (14 oz) can coconut milk
• 2 cups / 474g vegetable broth or water
• salt and pepper to taste
• Several handfuls of spinach, 100-200g spinach, finely chopped, optional
• Rice, cilantro, red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, for serving, optional

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook for several minutes, until translucent.
2. Add garlic, ginger, curry, cumin, chili powder, and coriander and cook for about 3 minutes, until toasted and fragrant.
3. Add lentils, tomatoes, coconut milk, broth, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil.
4. Lower heat, cover, and allow to simmer for 25-30 minutes or until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally. Add more liquid at any point, if necessary.
5. Stir in spinach and cook for another minute or two.
6. Serve over rice with cilantro and red pepper flakes, as desired.

Notes

• This lentil curry can also be made in a crockpot: Place all ingredients in crockpot and stir. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours, or until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally and adding any extra liquid as necessary.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

497.79

Fat

29.02 g

Sat. Fat

21.57 g

Carbs

48.62 g

Fiber

20.69 g

Net carbs

27.95 g

Sugar

10.59 g

Protein

17.68 g

Sodium

705.08 mg

Cholesterol

0 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 4 servings, not including rice.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2024/4/2/lentil-spinach-curry

curried lentils, vegetarian, vegan, cheap meals, budget meals, curry

dinner

Asian

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Green Tofu and Vegetable Curry

This Green Tofu and Vegetable Curry is one of the easiest in our repertoire. A good green curry paste and coconut milk carry the flavor in the sauce, while a quick sauté on some green vegetables of choice and baked tofu bring this quick and tasty meal together in no time.

You can use just about any vegetable you choose in this dish, but I love keeping it all green. Goes with the green curry paste, and keeps it feeling fresh and spring-like, you know?

Tofu: to bake or to pan-fry?

You have the option of pan-frying or baking the tofu. Baking overall takes longer, but it’s less hands on, so may save you time in the end. It’s also a healthier alternative to pan-frying. Pan-frying, though, will always give you the edge on perfectly crispy, golden tofu. Baking can also get you crispy tofu, don’t get me wrong, but it’s just a little different. Baking is my preferred method!

If you choose to bake, there are actually two different ways you can go about this. Normally, after the water has been pressed out of the tofu, it would be lightly breaded in cornstarch and oil before being baked. This way is delicious and I highly recommend it.

Another way, as in the recipe below, is simply baking the tofu, no coating no fuss. This results in a crisp, almost chewy tofu that is another great option. I choose this method when crunched for time or cooking for people who prefer to eat lighter.

I paired the bake method with this particular curry recipe to keep it as simple and straightforward as possible. However, feel free to bake/fry tofu in your favorite way before tossing in the sauce with the veggies!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses and ethically and responsibly made items. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe adapted from New York Times

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Green Tofu and Vegetable Curry

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

• 1 14oz / 400g block of firm or extra-firm tofu

• 1 Tbsp / 14g cooking oil

• 1 onion, sliced

• 1 bunch of asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces

• 1 cup snow peas

• 1 14oz / 400g can of coconut milk

• 2-4 Tbsp / 36-72g green curry paste

• Juice of 1 lime

• Rice, lime wedges, cilantro, sesame seeds, etc. as desired, for serving

Directions:

Prepare the Tofu

Oven preheated to 400°F / 205°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat.

1. Place tofu block between some paper towels and press to absorb extra water. Repeat until tofu feels dry and no more water comes out. You can also do this ahead of time by placing something heavy over the tofu and paper towels, such as a bowl or pot, and leave it for several minutes.

2. Slice tofu into 1-inch cubes. Disperse tofu cubes evenly onto prepared baking sheet.

3. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until light golden.

Cook Vegetables and Sauce

1. Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add onions, asparagus, and snow peas; cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to get some color, about 2-3 minutes.

2. Add coconut milk and green curry paste to pan and stir to combine. Simmer until sauce starts to thicken.

3. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice and tofu.

4. Serve over rice with desired garnishes.

Jenny’s Notes:

• Use whichever vegetables you like best, the recipe as written above is the winning combo of veggies that we liked, while keeping it a fun green theme. Some ideas include using corn kernels, carrots, broccoli, kale, bell peppers, fennel, etc. Just keep in mind the approximate cooking length of the veggies you’re adding. Hardy root vegetables like carrots will take a bit longer, while veggies like broccoli, especially if you like them with a bit of a crunch like I do, will take just a few minutes until al dente perfection.

• Certain veggies like broccoli and kale tend to “absorb” the sauce more than others, so if using these you might find your dish overall less saucy.

• To avoid soggy vegetables, make sure not to cook them all the way through before you add the sauce, as they will still cook once you add the sauce.

• Green curry pastes can vary in spiciness, so I would advise starting with just 2 Tbsp of curry and tasting for spice level before adding more.

Yield 2-3

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

15 Min

Cook time

30 Min

Total time

45 Min

Print

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Green Tofu and Vegetable Curry

Creamy, spicy, springy curry with tofy and green veggies served over rice. A quick and simple curry!

Ingredients

• 1 14oz / 400g block of firm or extra-firm tofu
• 1 Tbsp / 14g cooking oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 bunch of asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup snow peas
• 1 14oz / 400g can of coconut milk
• 2-4 Tbsp / 36-72g green curry paste
• Juice of 1 lime
• Rice, lime wedges, cilantro, sesame seeds, etc. as desired, for serving

Instructions

Prepare the Tofu

1. Oven preheated to 400°F / 205°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat.
2. Place tofu block between some paper towels and press to absorb extra water. Repeat until tofu feels dry and no more water comes out. You can also do this ahead of time by placing something heavy over the tofu and paper towels, such as a bowl or pot, and leave it for several minutes.
3. Slice tofu into 1-inch cubes. Disperse tofu cubes evenly onto prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until light golden.

Cook Vegetables and Sauce

1. Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add onions, asparagus, and snow peas; cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to get some color, about 2-3 minutes.
2. Add coconut milk and green curry paste to pan and stir to combine. Simmer until sauce starts to thicken.
3. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice and tofu.
4. Serve over rice with desired garnishes.

Notes

• Use whichever vegetables you like best, the recipe as written above is the winning combo of veggies that we liked, while keeping it a fun green theme. Some ideas include using corn kernels, carrots, broccoli, kale, bell peppers, fennel, etc. Just keep in mind the approximate cooking length of the veggies you’re adding. Hardy root vegetables like carrots will take a bit longer, while veggies like broccoli, especially if you like them with a bit of a crunch like I do, will take just a few minutes until al dente perfection.
• Certain veggies like broccoli and kale tend to “absorb” the sauce more than others, so if using these you might find your dish overall less saucy.
• To avoid soggy vegetables, make sure not to cook them all the way through before you add the sauce, as they will still cook once you add the sauce.
• Green curry pastes can vary in spiciness, so I would advise starting with just 2 Tbsp of curry and tasting for spice level before adding more.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

736.72

Fat

60.15 g

Sat. Fat

39.85 g

Carbs

30.97 g

Fiber

9.42 g

Net carbs

21.55 g

Sugar

10.97 g

Protein

29.01 g

Sodium

43.1 mg

Cholesterol

0 mg

Nutritional information is approximate, based on 2 servings, not including rice or garnishes.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2024/4/8/green-tofu-and-vegetable-curry

Green curry, spring curry, coconut milk curry

dinner

Asian

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

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Sticky Lemon Tofu

Last updated September 27, 2024

Crispy tofu with a zingy, sweet, and super flavorful sticky sauce over rice makes for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.

Serve with your favorite garnishes and you’ll feel like you’re eating takeout, but it’s actually much healthier!

Inspired by Chinese takeout “lemon chicken” but made with tofu instead. Meatless, nutritious, and you can choose to add veggies, as you wish.

The tofu can be baked or fried, depending on your preference, either way resulting in delicious, crispy bites of tofu that are just asking to be covered in a sticky lemon sauce. I prefer baking them, it’s healthier and the oven does the work while I work on the sauce. Either way is delicious and simple, though!

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Sticky Lemon Tofu

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

For the Crispy Tofu

• 1 14oz / 400g block of firm or extra-firm tofu

• 1 Tbsp / 14g oil

• 1 Tbsp / 17g soy sauce

• 1/4 cup / 40g cornstarch

For the Lemon Sauce

• 1/2 cup / 119g chicken broth or water

• 1/4 cup / 56g lemon juice

• 2 Tbsp / 34g soy sauce

• 3 Tbsp / 60g maple syrup

• zest of 1 lemon

To sautè

• 1 Tbsp / 14g cooking oil

• 2-3 green onions, sliced

• 1 Tbsp grated or minced fresh ginger

• 4 cloves of garlic, minced

For Serving

• Rice

• Garnishes such as sliced green onions, sesame seeds, red chili flakes, and/or lemon slices

Directions:

Make the Crispy Tofu

1. Place tofu block between some paper towels and press to absorb extra water. Repeat until tofu feels mostly dry and no more water comes out. You can also do this ahead of time by placing something heavy over the tofu and paper towels, such as a bowl or pot, and leave it for several minutes.

2. Slice tofu into squares and toss together with the oil, soy sauce, and corn starch until evenly coated.

   Pan fry:

3. Heat a large fry pan over medium heat and add tofu. Fry for a few minutes until golden, then flip tofu over. Add more oil to pan as needed to get a nice golden crust on the tofu. Remove from heat when done.

   OR Bake:

4. Disperse tofu cubes evenly onto a parchment paper or silpat lined baking sheet. Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F / 205°C for about 30 minutes, or until light golden and crispy. Ideally, flip tofu halfway through baking.

Make the sauce

1. Whisk together all ingredients for the sauce; set aside.

Sauté

1. Heat oil in a large fry pan over medium heat. (Can be the pan you used for the tofu if you pan-fried it).

2. Add green onions, ginger, and garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant.

3. Add lemon sauce ingredients to pan and bring to a simmer.

4. Add in tofu, carefully stir to evenly coat tofu in sauce. Allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens.

5. Serve with rice and garnishes, as desired.

Jenny’s Notes:

• Veggies can be added to this dish if desired. I like snow peas and broccoli, which can be added at the very end with the tofu into the sauce. Put a lid on and let the veggies steam for a few minutes, or until desired tenderness is achieved.

• If pan frying the tofu, you can flip the tofu with tongs, or simply sauté/flip the tofu using the pan. The second way is faster, but requires a bit more skill and you have less control over which sides of the tofu land down.

• Instead of maple syrup you can also use 1/4 cup / 50g of sugar or brown sugar. Or, 3 Tbsp / 63g of honey, which lends a slightly different flavor.

Yield 2-3

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

15 Min

Cook time

40 Min

Total time

55 Min

Print

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Sticky Lemon Tofu

Crispy tofu nuggets tossed in a super flavorful sticky lemon sauce inspired by Chinese takeout Lemon Chicken, served over rice.

Ingredients

For the Crispy Tofu

• 1 14oz / 400g block of firm or extra-firm tofu
• 1 Tbsp / 14g oil
• 1 Tbsp / 17g soy sauce
• 1/4 cup / 40g cornstarch

For the Lemon Sauce

• 1/2 cup / 119g chicken broth or water
• 1/4 cup / 56g lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp / 34g soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp / 60g maple syrup
• zest of 1 lemon

To sautè

• 1 Tbsp / 14g oil
• 2-3 green onions, sliced
• 1 Tbsp grated or minced fresh ginger
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced

For Serving

• Rice
• Garnishes such as sliced green onions, sesame seeds, red chili flakes, and/or lemon slices

Instructions

Make the Crispy Tofu

1. Place tofu block between some paper towels and press to absorb extra water. Repeat until tofu feels dry and no more water comes out. You can also do this ahead of time by placing something heavy over the tofu and paper towels, such as a bowl or pot, and leave it for several minutes.
2. Slice tofu into squares and toss together with the oil, soy sauce, and corn starch until evenly coated.
3. Pan fry:
4. Heat a large fry pan and add tofu. Fry for a few minutes until golden, then flip tofu over. Add more oil to pan as needed to get a nice golden crust on the tofu. Remove from heat when done.
5. OR Bake:
6. Disperse tofu cubes evenly onto a parchment paper or silpat lined baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 400°F / 205°C for about 30 minutes, or until light golden and crispy. Ideally, flip tofu halfway through baking.

Make the sauce

1. Whisk together all ingredients for the sauce; set aside.

Sauté

1. Heat oil in a large fry pan over medium heat. (Can be the pan you used for the tofu if you pan-fried it).
2. Add green onions, ginger, and garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant.
3. Add lemon sauce ingredients to pan and bring to a simmer.
4. Add in tofu, carefully stir to evenly coat tofu in sauce. Allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens.
5. Serve with rice and garnishes, as desired.

Notes

• Veggies can be added to this dish if desired. I like snow peas and broccoli, which can be added at the very end with the tofu into the sauce. Put a lid on and let the veggies steam for a few minutes, or until desired tenderness is achieved.
• If pan frying the tofu, you can flip the tofu with tongs, or simply sauté/flip the tofu using the pan. The second way is faster, but requires a bit more skill and you have less control over which sides of the tofu land down.
• Use whichever kind of cooking oil you prefer. I simply write “oil” since specifying often gets people thinking they must use a specific oil, when really you can use any high-heat cooking oil (peanut oil, avocado oil, some use olive oil, etc.)
• Instead of maple syrup you can also use 1/4 cup / 50g of sugar or brown sugar. Or, 3 Tbsp / 63g of honey, which lends a slightly different flavor.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

476.8

Fat

23.04 g

Sat. Fat

2.04 g

Carbs

47.45 g

Fiber

2.93 g

Net carbs

44.51 g

Sugar

20.62 g

Protein

21.78 g

Sodium

1742.63 mg

Cholesterol

1.18 mg

Nutritional information is approximate, based on 1 serving if recipe serves 2. Does not include rice or garnishes.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2024/3/15/sticky-lemon-tofu

Sticky lemon tofu, chinese takeout lemon chicken

dinner

Asian

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Tofu and Broccoli Stir Fry

Last Updated September 7, 2024

This Tofu and Broccoli Stir Fry is deliciously salty, satisfying, and nutritious.

My family makes this recipe quite a bit, it’s quick and easy, providing protein and vegetables and a carb, if you serve it over rice.

If you’re watching your salt intake, you might prefer to use a low-sodium soy sauce and broth. Using low-sodium ingredients allows you to have more control over how salty your dish is, whether or not you actually may need low-sodium for health reasons.

This dish is also delicious meat-ified…by that I mean, with chicken instead of tofu. I’m not a vegetarian, and I love this recipe both ways. If making with chicken, you’ll want to cut it into cubes or bite-sized pieces. You can still coat the chicken in the cornstarch, and proceed with recipe as written. You’ll simply want to cook the chicken thoroughly, before adding in the garlic and ginger and finishing the stir fry. Voila! Meat-ified.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

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Tofu and Broccoli Stir Fry

Serves about 3-4

Ingredients:

• 1 14oz / 400g container of extra-firm tofu

• 2 Tbsp / 15g cornstarch

• 1 cup / 237g vegetable or chicken broth

• 3 Tbsp / 42g soy sauce

• 2 tsp / 10g sugar

• oil, for pan

• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 cups broccoli florets

Directions:

1. Open and drain tofu. Wrap tightly in paper towels, place on a plate or cutting board, and place a weighted object on it, such as a bowl. Once the paper towel is soaked through, change them out for fresh paper towels. Repeat until paper towels remain mostly dry. Slice tofu into approx. 1/2” / 1cm cubes. Toss in a medium bowl with the cornstarch.

2. Combine broth, soy sauce, and sugar; set aside.

3. Generously drizzle an iron skillet or other non-stick pan with oil; place over medium-high heat.

4. Fry tofu until golden brown and crispy, about 3-5 minutes. Flip the tofu, and fry other side until golden brown, another 3-5ish minutes.

5. Lower heat to low; Add ginger and garlic and stir, until fragrant and sizzling, about a minute.

6. Add in broth mixture and stir occasionally, until it starts to simmer.

7. Add in broccoli, cover, and let sit for 2 minutes for “al dente” broccoli, or a couple more minutes for softer broccoli.

8. Turn off heat and serve over rice.

Suggested toppings: red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, sliced green onions, etc.

Jenny’s Notes:

oven baked tofu

• In an ideal world the tofu is prepared a bit in advance, so it has ample time to release as much water as possible. However, you can also wrap the tofu just 2x in paper towels. It only takes a couple minutes and still gets a good amount of water out. You may need more cornstarch in this case since the tofu will be moister, and that’s perfectly fine. Frying time may also take a few minutes longer, for the water to evaporate and get a proper crisp on the tofu.

• If you prefer to bake tofu instead of frying: Prepare tofu as in step 1, than transfer onto a silpat or parchment paper lined cooking sheet. Bake in an oven preheated to 400°F / 205°C for 25-30 minutes, or until crisp and golden. Stir tofu once or twice during baking time. Add tofu into simmering sauce, let simmer for a few minutes, then add in broccoli to finish.

• This is wonderful with red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, cilantro, and green onions sprinkled on top for garnish.

Yield 3-4

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

20 Min

Cook time

15 Min

Total time

35 Min

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Tofu and Broccoli Stir Fry

Crispy tofu with lightly crunchy broccoli in a salty stir fry sauce makes for a quick and satisfying dinner that is as good as take-out!

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Ingredients

• 1 14oz / 400g container of extra-firm tofu
• 2 Tbsp / 15g cornstarch
• 1 cup / 237g vegetable or chicken broth
• 3 Tbsp / 42g soy sauce
• 2 tsp / 10g sugar
• oil, for pan
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups broccoli florets

Instructions

1. Open and drain tofu. Wrap tightly in paper towels, place on a plate or cutting board, and place a weighted object on it, such as a bowl. Once the paper towel is soaked through, change them out for fresh paper towels. Repeat until paper towels remain mostly dry. Slice tofu into approx. 1/2” / 1cm cubes. Toss in a medium bowl with the cornstarch.
2. Combine broth, soy sauce, and sugar; set aside.
3. Generously drizzle an iron skillet or other non-stick pan with oil; place over medium-high heat.
4. Fry tofu until golden brown and crispy, about 3-5 minutes. Flip the tofu, and fry other side until golden brown, another 3-5ish minutes.
5. Lower heat to low; Add ginger and garlic and stir, until fragrant and sizzling, about a minute.
6. Add in broth mixture and stir occasionally, until it starts to simmer.
7. Add in broccoli, cover, and let sit for 2 minutes for “al dente” broccoli, or a couple more minutes for softer broccoli.
8. Turn off heat and serve over rice.
9. Suggested toppings: red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, sliced green onions, etc

Notes

• In an ideal world the tofu is prepared a bit in advance, so it has ample time to release as much water as possible. However, you can also wrap the tofu just 2x in paper towels. It only takes a couple minutes and still gets a good amount of water out. You may need more cornstarch in this case since the tofu will be moister, and that’s perfectly fine. Frying time may also take a few minutes longer, for the water to evaporate and get a proper crisp on the tofu.
• If you prefer to bake tofu instead of frying: Prepare tofu as in step 1, than transfer onto a silpat or parchment paper lined cooking sheet. Bake in an oven preheated to 400°F / 205°C for 25-30 minutes, or until crisp and golden. Stir tofu once or twice during baking time. Add tofu into simmering sauce, let simmer for a few minutes, then add in broccoli to finish.
• This is wonderful with red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, cilantro, and green onions sprinkled on top for garnish.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

223

Fat

11 g

Sat. Fat

1 g

Carbs

16 g

Fiber

3 g

Net carbs

13 g

Sugar

2 g

Protein

16 g

Cholesterol

2 mg

Sodium

1322 mg

Nutritional information is approximate, based on 3 servings, not including rice or garnishes.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2023/8/18/tofu-and-broccoli-stir-fry

stir fry, tofu, broccoli, takeout, Chinese takeout, vegetarian dinner

dinner

Asian

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Broccoli Cheddar Pasta

Last Updated September 6, 2024

If the name of this pasta sounds familiar, it’s because you might be thinking of Panera Bread’s Broccoli Cheddar Soup. That’s exactly what you should be thinking, because this pasta is an ode to the soup.

Growing up one of my favorite meals was what we called “broccoli carrot cheese soup”. I would only get it every now and then, as my mom’s version included the likes of Velveeta cheese and didn’t line up with what she normally fed her family. No matter how much broccoli and carrots you put in the soup, they just won’t offset the mysterious substance that is Velveeta Cheese.

My childhood love of the soup led me to think, why couldn’t you recreate it as a pasta? You know, make the cheesy soup a little thicker so it’s like a sauce, then add pasta? Basically macaroni and cheese with broccoli and carrots. But you know, sans Velveeta.

Seemed like a great idea to me! While it normally takes at least a few tries, if not many, when I’m creating a new recipe or idea, this was one of the few instances where the first try turned out pretty great. Some things are just meant to be, ya know?

While the classic soup uses cheddar, I don’t use cheddar when I make this in Italy. Cheddar is only sold in select stores in Italy, almost always in slices, and is not the cheapest. For these reasons, I use my go-to melty cheese, Fontal. And a bit of Parmesan, because Italy. Cheddar is the original choice for the soup, and is often used as a melting cheese in many recipes, and one of my favorites to use when I’m making this in the States. On the other hand, you don’t have to use Fontal or cheddar, use your favorite melting cheese!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe by Jenny Nicole

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Broccoli Cheddar Pasta

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

• 8oz / 250g (1/2 package) short pasta, such as shells, fusilli, macaroni, etc.

• 2 Tbsp / 28g butter

• 1 head of broccoli, chopped into small pieces

• 2 medium carrots, sliced into half or quarter moons

• 3 Tbsp / 23g all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup / 118g vegetable broth or water

• 1 cup / 237g milk

• 1/4 tsp turmeric

• salt and pepper, to taste

• 1 cup / 114g shredded cheddar, fontal, or similar cheese

• 1/4 cup / 25g grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Bring water to boil in a large pot and cook pasta according to directions. In the meantime you can start the sauce.

2. In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add broccoli and carrots and cover with a lid, stir frequently. Cook until vegetables start to become tender, about 12-15 minutes.

3. Remove lid and turn heat down to low. Add flour and stir until it has coated the vegetables.

4. Add broth and stir until thickened.

5. Add milk, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly. Allow mixture to start to thicken each time before adding the next 1/4 cup of milk.

6. Add turmeric, salt and pepper, and cheeses; stir until all the cheese is melted and the sauce is homogeneous.

7. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving some of the pasta water.

8. Add the pasta to the sauce and stir to evenly coat. If a thinner sauce is desired, add some of the reserved pasta water.

Jenny’s Notes:

• You can cook the broccoli and carrots in a couple different ways:

  • Sauté/steam them as in the recipe above

  • Steam them and make the sauce separately, adding the steamed veggies to the sauce after the cheese

  • Boil them with the pasta. If you choose this boiling method, you can add the veggies at the same time as the pasta which will result in very soft veggies, or add them in half way through to retain a bit of bite. Drain pasta and veggies as you normally would the pasta, then add all to sauce.

Yield 3-4

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

10 Min

Cook time

25 Min

Total time

35 Min

Print

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Broccoli Cheddar Pasta

Cheesy pasta with plenty of broccoli and carrots, just like the beloved Broccoli Cheddar soup!

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Ingredients

• 8oz / 250g (1/2 package) short pasta, such as shells, fusilli, macaroni, etc.
• 2 Tbsp / 28g butter
• 1 head of broccoli, chopped into small pieces
• 2 medium carrots, sliced into half or quarter moons
• 3 Tbsp / 23g all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup / 118g vegetable broth or water
• 1 cup / 237g milk
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 cup / 114g shredded cheddar, fontal, or similar cheese
• 1/4 cup / 25g grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Bring water to boil in a large pot and cook pasta according to directions. In the meantime you can start the sauce.
2. In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add broccoli and carrots and cover with a lid, stir frequently. Cook until vegetables start to become tender, about 12-15 minutes.
3. Remove lid and turn heat down to low. Add flour and stir until it has coated the vegetables.
4. Add broth and stir until thickened.
5. Add milk, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly. Allow mixture to start to thicken each time before adding the next 1/4 cup of milk.
6. Add turmeric, salt and pepper, and cheeses; stir until all the cheese is melted and the sauce is homogeneous.
7. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving some of the pasta water.
8. Add the pasta to the sauce and stir to evenly coat. If a thinner sauce is desired, add some of the reserved pasta water.

Notes

You can cook the broccoli and carrots in a couple different ways:

• Sauté/steam them as in the recipe above
• Steam them and make the sauce separately, adding the steamed veggies to the sauce after the cheese
• Boil them with the pasta. If you choose this boiling method, you can add the veggies at the same time as the pasta which will result in very soft veggies, or add them in half way through to retain a bit of bite. Drain pasta and veggies as you normally would the pasta, then add all to sauce.

As in just about all recipes, if you really love cheese you can always add more! Or less, for that matter.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

507.33

Fat

25.49 g

Sat. Fat

14.46 g

Carbs

48.60 g

Fiber

6.33 g

Net carbs

42.27 g

Sugar

3.16 g

Protein

22.70 g

Cholesterol

71.17 mg

Sodium

781.05 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 3 servings.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2021/3/24/broccoli-cheddar-pasta

broccoli carrot cheese soup, broccoli cheddar pasta

Dinner, pasta

American

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In these photos i used whole wheat radiatori pasta

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Labor Eggplant Parmesan

Last Updated September 6, 2024

This Eggplant Parmesan is, apparently, labor-inducing magic.

If you’re pregnant and at full term (39 weeks), there’s an Italian restaurant that serves an Eggplant Parmesan that could help you go into labor, or so say hundreds of women. Too good to be true? Probably. I was certainly a skeptic. But it didn’t keep me from being curious!

The best part? They have the recipe up on their website so you don’t have to go to Georgia to have your baby!

Please note: If you are not expecting a baby, this recipe won’t make you go into labor. That’s good news, so everyone can enjoy this dish.

What’s the deal with this Eggplant Parmesan?

Down in Cobb County, Georgia, this Italian restaurant, Scalini’s, has their walls lined with photos of women and their babies, hundreds of them. What do they have in common? They all ate Scalini’s famous Eggplant Parmesan within 48 hours of going into labor. You can visit their site here and read some of the moms’ testimonies.

We know it can’t be the restaurant or their atmosphere, since the recipe is online and many moms from all over have made this and have their own Eggplant Parmesan babies!

By now I can’t even remember how I first came across this story. In fact, you may already know about it, it’s been on What to Expect, Today’s Parent, and others.

It seemed comically incredible to me, and I immediately decided I would have to make this a bit later on in my pregnancy. I of course gave no stock to its magical labor powers, reading the testimonies it seemed like a lot of coincidences. If you’re past your due date and you go into labor, uh, sorry but how do you know it was the eggplant? Chances are you would’ve gone into labor anyway! Or so I was inclined to think. But like eating spicy food, dancing, curb-walking, and any other means a woman might resort to for getting labor going, it seemed harmless and fun, one more thing to try. And I think women like to actively get labor on because not only are we uncomfortable and can’t wait to meet baby, but we also like to feel like we’re doing something and not just sitting around like…glowing whales?

My Eggplant Parmesan Labor Story

One fine September eve when I was 40+3 weeks pregnant I decided it was time to have some fun and try this parmigiana. It had only reached about 90°F/32°C that day, so naturally the first thing I decided to do would be to turn on the oven.

The whole making of this dish took me longer than I anticipated, so many eggplant slices! So after several hours on my feet in a hot kitchen I was feeling quite tuckered out. I had had plans with my husband to go out for our nightly passeggiata and it kept getting later and later. Finally the parmigiana was out of the oven and ready, so good. Worth it!

I later went out onto our little patio to cool down in the evening air and make some calls. No one answered, and I had this strange forlorn feeling, like something was about to happen and I couldn’t get ahold of anyone. My mom eventually called me back, and we laughed and talked until late. I had started having some more regular Braxton-Hicks shortly before and during the call, and I joked that maybe I should start practicing with my pregnancy app contraction timer so the first time I’m not trying to use it is in actual labor.

We hung up at almost 1am my time, on the premise that I should sleep. On reentering the apartment I saw the parmigiana again and had to eat another couple bites. I had barely laid down when I felt what was unmistakably a real contraction. Some more ensued and I started keeping track for real on the contraction timer. They were coming regularly and the more I moved the faster and harder they came. I didn’t get a wink of sleep as a contraction would wake me up anytime my eyes started to close, and eventually my body decided to evict all of the Eggplant Parmesan. A few hours later we were at the hospital. Almost exactly 24 hours after eating this Eggplant Parm my son was born. Am I believer now? I just might be, or yet another coincidence…

What is Eggplant Parmesan?

An Italian dish known as Parmigiana di Melanzane or often simply parmigiana, it consists of layers of deep fried eggplant, tomato sauce, and cheese. It’s as heavy and wonderfully delectable as it sounds.

Eggplant Parmesan is a rather labor intensive dish (no pun intended!). The eggplants need to be salted and sit for an hour, the marinara sauce needs to simmer for an hour, then there is the breading and frying of the eggplant, and the actual assembly and baking. To make things easier you can make the marinara ahead. You can also make the whole dish ahead of time, it makes for wonderful leftovers OR you can refrigerate it or freeze it before baking. One Italian recipe I was reading even went as far as to claim that time itself was one of the most important ingredients for an unbeatable parmigiana, time for the flavors to meld after it’s assembled and baked.

This particular recipe is a family recipe from Scalini’s restaurant. From what I know of Parmigiana, this is pretty close to the original dish, albeit slightly Americanized. I don’t mean that scathingly, as not everything that’s not the original is automatically bad. Often people tend to fall on two sides of this “issue.” They don’t know/don’t care what the difference is, or they’re righteously indignant that a restaurant could call itself Italian and serve, say, Fettuccine Alfredo. I do, however, think it’s important to understand what the original dish is meant to be, while appreciating that it may evolve into something different, especially as it’s served in different countries over the years. An Italian restaurant in Italy is naturally going to be different than an Italian restaurant in America, each having different clientele, differing availability of ingredients. This being a family recipe handed down in an Italian immigrant family, I’m sure they know the following stuff better than I!

That said, the main differences between the classic recipe and this one, are the following:

• In Italy the eggplants in parmigiana are typically deep fried: I’ve mostly seen them fried as is, but some do batter in flour, egg, or both before frying. Scalini’s batters in flour, egg, and bread crumbs, but only directs to sauté.

• The marinara usually would be simmered with salt, pepper, and onion, with fresh basil added in the last few minutes. Scalini’s uses oregano and several other spices. This right here is often what tips me off to an “Americanized” dish: we love to add more spice, more cheese, etc. Again, it’s not wrong, just different. I happen to think both ways can be delicious.

• Scalini’s uses a generous amount of ricotta alongside parmesan and romano, the classic usually calls for just Parmigiano and mozzarella, although some use caciocavallo and yet others use provolone or a scamorza bianca.

In other Italian recipes for Parmigiana di Melanzane I’ve seen some of the following suggestions:

• As far as the classic recipe goes, you can leave the skin on the eggplant, peel it, or peel it in stripes, depending on your preference. I recommend leaving it on for 3 main reasons: The skin is where most of the nutrients are, where most of the flavor and texture is, and it’s easier to leave it on.

• Choose firm, ripe, dark purple globe eggplants.

• While this recipe doesn’t specify, it’s often recommended to remove some of the extra water from the fresh mozzarella as well. Simply squeeze the mozzarella between paper towels until the paper towels remain mostly dry. This could be skipped if you choose a drier cheese such as caciocavallo or provolone in place of the mozzarella. Others recommend using a mozzarella closer to its expiration date, when it has naturally lost some of its water. (See note below though, as it may be why Scalini’s doesn’t say to remove the water.)

• Some recipes in Italian say to layer in this order: eggplant, mozzarella, sauce, parmesan. They say finishing with mozzarella on top may cause it to become too dry and burn. You’ll notice this recipe finishes with mozzarella only on top. I didn’t have problems with the mozzarella burning, but I also didn’t remove too much water from the mozzarella first so that could be why.

The recipe below is Scalini’s exact recipe, to best preserve its baby’s-a-comin’ magic. Some of the directions I may have re-worded to make them a bit more clear. You’ll also find my usual recipe notes at the bottom, some of the questions I came across while making this and ideas to make things easier.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

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Eggplant Parmesan alla Scalini’s

Serves about 8-12

Ingredients:

For the Eggplant Parmesan

• 3 medium eggplants, washed

• 1 cup / 120g flour

• 6 eggs, beaten

• 4 cups / 400g fine Italian bread crumbs, seasoned

• olive oil for sautéing

• 8 cups marinara sauce, recipe below

• 2 cups / 500g ricotta cheese

• 1/2 cup / 50g grated Romano cheese

• 1/2 cup / 50g grated Parmesan cheese

• 1/2 lb / 227g fresh mozzarella, grated

For Scalini’s Marinara Sauce

• 3 Tbsp / 42g olive oil

• 1 cup onion, chopped

• 2 Tbsp chopped garlic

• 8 cups chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

• 1 tsp oregano

• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

• 1/8 cup chopped fresh sweet basil

• pinch of thyme

• pinch of rosemary

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp black pepper

Directions:

Make the Eggplant Parmesan:

Oven preheated to 375°F / 190°C. 9x13in / 23x33cm or similar size baking dish.

1. Slice the eggplant into 1/4in / 1/2cm slices.

2. Line eggplant slices on paper towels. Lightly salt them, cover with more paper towels, and place something heavy on top of them. This will drain excess moisture. Allow to sit for about an hour.

3. When the hour is up, heat a small amount of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Take one slice of eggplant and dip in flour, then dip in beaten eggs, then dredge in breadcrumbs. Place in hot pan and cook on each side until golden brown. Repeat with remaining slices of eggplants, adding more oil to pan as needed.

4. In the baking dish, spread enough marinara sauce to generously cover the bottom. Add a layover of eggplants, then spread some ricotta, Romano, and Parmesan cheese over eggplants. Repeat layers until within about 1/8in / 1/4cm from the top.

5. Evenly sprinkle mozzarella over top.

6. Bake for about 25 minutes or until hot and bubbling. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Make the Marinara Sauce

1. In a large pot over medium heat, lightly sauté onions in oil for a few minutes.

2. Add garlic and cook for another minute.

3. Add tomatoes and bring to a boil.

4. Turn heat to low and add remaining ingredients; stir and cover. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Jenny’s Notes:

• Scalini’s recipe doesn’t specify what size baking dish to use, so I guessed. I halved this recipe and used an 8x8in / 20x20cm baking dish and ended up with quite a few eggplant slices leftover. I did not halve the marinara recipe and made the full 8 cups, hoping to have leftover. However I didn’t have much leftover. If you’re making the full 9x13ish recipe above, you might want to consider making more than 8 cups sauce. Any leftovers you can use on pasta, as a dip for breadsticks or garlic bread, on pizza, or anything else you like marinara on.

• The hour that the eggplant is sitting and sweating is a good moment to make the marinara. Then the marinara can simmer for its hour while you start frying the eggplant. Otherwise you can make the marinara sauce 1-2 days ahead.

• Cup and Tbsp measurements are a bit less common than indicating the amount of vegetable/fruit, 1 onion, 1/2 an onion, etc. If you don’t feel like measuring the onion and garlic, I used 1 medium-large onion and 6 garlic cloves and it turned out great.

• Seasoned Italian breadcrumbs are not a thing in Italy, only plain breadcrumbs exist, so that is what I used. I could have added a bit of dried oregano, basil, parsley, garlic and onion powder to make my own Italian breadcrumbs, but I opted not to since the marinara is already quite generously spiced.

• I ended up needing quite a bit more flour and even breadcrumbs than called for, this will all depend on the size of your eggplants. The important part here is making sure all the eggplant slices get breaded rather than following the recipe precisely.

• When it comes to sautéing the eggplant, you may want to use 2 pans simultaneously to fry them up, to make it go quicker. Otherwise, you could choose to deep fry them as is traditional (but use a frying oil such as refined peanut oil, not olive oil for deep frying) or bake them. I baked some of mine and thought it worked nicely and saved a lot of time. I’ve also read of Italians grilling the eggplant for a lighter version.

• 1/8in seems like a very close and precise measurement for filling the baking dish, you can play it by, uh, eye, and stop where you feel comfortable. I left a touch more space so the marinara wouldn’t bubble over while baking.

Yield 8-10

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

1 H & 20 M

Cook time

1 H & 25 M

Inactive time

1 H & 10 M

Total time

3 H & 55 M

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Eggplant Parmesan alla Scalini's

Thinly sliced eggplant breaded and fried layered with a flavorful, homemade marinara and plenty of ricotta, parmesan, romano, and mozzarella. An Italian classic.

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Ingredients

For the Eggplant Parmesan

• 3 medium eggplants, washed
• 1 cup / 120g flour
• 6 eggs, beaten
• 4 cups / 400g fine Italian bread crumbs, seasoned
• olive oil for sautéing
• 8 cups marinara sauce, recipe below
• 2 cups / 500g ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup / 50g grated Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup / 50g grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 lb / 227g fresh mozzarella, grated

For Scalini’s Marinara Sauce

• 3 Tbsp / 42g olive oil
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp chopped garlic
• 8 cups chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/8 cup chopped fresh sweet basil
• pinch of thyme
• pinch of rosemary
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

Instructions

Make the Eggplant Parmesan

1. Oven preheated to 375°F / 190°C. 9x13in / 23x33cm or similar size baking dish.
2. Slice the eggplant into 1/4in / 1/2cm slices.
3. Line eggplant slices on paper towels. Lightly salt them, cover with more paper towels, and place something heavy on top of them. This will drain excess moisture. Allow to sit for about an hour.
4. When the hour is up, heat a small amount of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Take one slice of eggplant and dip in flour, then dip in beaten eggs, then dredge in breadcrumbs. Place in hot pan and cook on each side until golden brown. Repeat with remaining slices of eggplants, adding more oil to pan as needed.
5. In the baking dish, spread enough marinara sauce to generously cover the bottom. Add a layover of eggplants, then spread some ricotta, Romano, and Parmesan cheese over eggplants. Repeat layers until within about 1/8in / 1/4cm from the top.
6. Evenly sprinkle mozzarella over top.
7. Bake for about 25 minutes or until hot and bubbling. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Make the Marinara Sauce

1. In a large pot over medium heat, lightly sauté onions in oil for a few minutes.
2. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
3. Add tomatoes and bring to a boil.
4. Turn heat to low and add remaining ingredients; stir and cover. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Notes

• Scalini’s recipe doesn’t specify what size baking dish to use, so I guessed. I halved this recipe and used an 8x8in / 20x20cm baking dish and ended up with quite a few eggplant slices leftover. I did not halve the marinara recipe and made the full 8 cups, hoping to have leftover. There was not much leftover. If making the full 9x13ish recipe above, consider making more than 8 cups sauce. Any leftovers can be used on pasta, as a dip for breadsticks or garlic bread, on pizza, or anything else you like marinara on.
• The hour that the eggplant is sitting and sweating is a good moment to make the marinara. Then the marinara can simmer for its hour while you start frying the eggplant. Otherwise, make the marinara sauce 1-2 days ahead.
• Cup and Tbsp measurements are a bit less common than indicating the amount of vegetable/fruit, 1 onion, 1/2 an onion, etc. If you don’t feel like measuring the onion and garlic, I used 1 medium-large onion and 6 garlic cloves and it turned out great.
• Seasoned Italian breadcrumbs are not a thing in Italy, only plain breadcrumbs exist, so that is what I used. I could have added a bit of dried oregano, basil, parsley, garlic and onion powder to make my own Italian breadcrumbs, but I opted not to since the marinara is already quite generously spiced.
• I ended up needing quite a bit more flour and even breadcrumbs than called for, this will all depend on the size of your eggplants. The important part here is making sure all the eggplant slices get breaded rather than following the recipe precisely.
• When it comes to sautéing the eggplant, you may want to use 2 pans simultaneously to fry them up, to make it go quicker. Otherwise, you could choose to deep fry them as is traditional (but use a frying oil such as refined peanut oil, not olive oil for deep frying) or bake them. I baked some of mine and thought it worked nicely and saved a lot of time. I’ve also read of Italians grilling the eggplant for a lighter version.
• 1/8in seems like a very close and precise measurement for filling the baking dish. I left a touch more space so the marinara wouldn’t bubble over while baking.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

689.69

Fat

27.88 g

Sat. Fat

11.16 g

Carbs

79.97 g

Fiber

10.93 g

Net carbs

69.04 g

Sugar

16.07 g

Protein

33.24 g

Cholesterol

189.44 mg

Sodium

1434.96 mg

Nutritional Information is approximate. Based on the recipe as written, or approximately a 9x13in / 23x33cm dish providing 8 servings.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2021/1/11/8wxyybc3bfjrebtg8bnkgwcj6gm278

Labor inducing, how to induce labor, eggplant parmesan, authentic Italian recipe, Eggplant parmigiana, Parmigiana alla melanzane, Scalini's

dinner

Italian

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White Bean Carrot Burgers

Last Updated September 4, 2024

Summer is almost upon us, and with the warm weather comes all the best summer foods. In America that usually means all the cookouts, potato salads, watermelon, lemonade, corn on the cob…

White Bean Burger with spring greens, pickled onions, and melted and caramelized goat cheese

You know what the ironic part is? Growing up, or really until I moved to Italy, I wouldn’t have considered the classic American barbecue foods as personal favorites. At all. I could easily pass on hot dogs, hamburgers, potato salads, corn on the cob. I do love watermelon and lemonade, though! It wasn’t until being in Italy for awhile that I started to crave these American foods, especially in the summer. Nostalgia for the homeland. And that’s saying something, coming from the person that, as long as I wasn’t offending a host, would make myself a hamburger, but without the burger. Yes yes, I am aware that I’m weird. I love hamburger condiments!

Veggie burgers!

I’ve always loved veggie burgers. Give me all the fake meat, vegetable, or bean burgers! And condiments. Oh yes. (For my meat-loving friends, you would be proud to know that yesterday for the first time in my life, I ordered a non-vegetarian burger from a restaurant. I split it with my husband, but still. I enjoyed it, and more importantly, it was my idea!)

There are so many good veggie burgers out there, and I love how everyone and every restaurant seems to have their own take on them. So many different vegetables to choose from, and different ways to prepare them.

I recently had a hankering for some black bean burgers. Alas, I had no black beans, only white beans, and this was during the lockdown in Italy, so I couldn’t just walk to the store for some beans on a whim. White bean burgers it would have to be. I didn’t have a white bean burger recipe handy, but I tried the one i’m sharing with you today and found it very tasty!

It’s very simple, mostly white beans, carrots, onion, bread crumbs, and an egg to hold it together. It’s the perfect vessel for all your favorite condiments, or eaten as is, without a bun.

My one recommendation? Make these pickled onions to go with the White Bean Burgers! Did you know you can assemble pickled onions in less than 5 minutes with ingredients you most likely already have on hand, and you can use them after they’ve sat for only 30 minutes?! Seriously, too simple, you will never hesitate to add pickled veggies to your dishes again!

Pickled Onion

• 1 red onion, thinly sliced

• 2 Tbsp / 28g red wine vinegar

• 2 Tbsp / 28g water

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp sugar

1. Mix all ingredients briefly, then let sit until needed, preferably 30+ minutes, swirling the onions in the vinegar mixture occasionally. Likewise, you can also cover and keep in the fridge for up to a week.

2. This recipe is easily doubled, tripled, etc. for your needs. You can also use other types of onions, but red onions are the prettiest in my opinion!

That’s my one recommendation. Serve these burgers with pickled onions. If I were to give you more than one, I might suggest avocado, a fried egg, some sprouts, goat cheese…

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen

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White Bean Burgers

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

• olive oil

• 1 small onion, diced

• 2 tsp / 10g tomato paste

• 3/4 tsp salt

• dash black pepper

• 1/2 cup grated carrot, about 1 medium

• 2 tsp / 10g apple cider vinegar

• 1/4 cup / 25g breadcrumbs

• 1 15oz can / 425g white beans such as cannellini, navy, etc., drained

• 1 egg

• burger buns, condiments, as desired

Directions:

1. Add a bit of olive oil to a large fry pan over low heat. Add the onion and cook until softened and starting to turn golden, about 8-10 minutes.

2. Add tomato paste, salt, pepper, and carrots, stirring frequently, until carrots soften and start to turn golden, about another 8-10 minutes.

3. Add vinegar and stir, using it to deglaze the pan and get off any bits stuck to the bottom. Once the vinegar is evaporated, turn off heat and scrape mixture into a medium bowl.

4. Add breadcrumbs and white beans, mixing well and smashing the beans. Smash well or leave a bit chunky, as you wish. Taste and add more salt and pepper, as desired.

5. Add the egg and mix well. The mixture should be soft but able to make a patty, but not soupy or crumbly. If the mixture seems too wet, add another 2 Tbsp or so of breadcrumbs and let mixture sit for a few minutes to allow the breadcrumbs to absorb some of the moisture.

6. Heat 1-2 Tbsp olive in a large fry pan over medium heat. While the pan is heating up, shape up the bean mixture into about 4 medium patties. Fry however many patties can comfortably fit into the pan at one time, about 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown and firmed up.

7. Serve immediately with buns and condiments.

Jenny’s Notes:

• The bean mixture can be made a day or two in advance and stored in the fridge until ready to fry. The burgers can also be fried and frozen for quick meals.

• To make these burgers vegan, you can try using a chia or flax egg instead of the regular egg. I haven’t personally tried this, but in theory it should work! Let me know if you do.

Yield 2-4

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

10 Min

Cook time

30 Min

Total time

40 Min

Print

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White Bean Carrot Burgers

Easy to whip up white bean burgers with carrot, they pair perfectly with your favorite buns and condiments for a healthier cook out!

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 tsp / 10g tomato paste
• 3/4 tsp salt
• dash black pepper
• 1/2 cup grated carrot, about 1 medium
• 2 tsp / 10g apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup / 25g breadcrumbs
• 1 15oz can / 425g white beans such as cannellini, navy, etc., drained
• 1 egg
• burger buns, condiments, as desired

Instructions

1. Add a bit of olive oil to a large fry pan over low heat. Add the onion and cook until softened and starting to turn golden, about 8-10 minutes.
2. Add tomato paste, salt, pepper, and carrots, stirring frequently, until carrots soften and start to turn golden, about another 8-10 minutes.
3. Add vinegar and stir, using it to deglaze the pan and get off any bits stuck to the bottom. Once the vinegar is evaporated, turn off heat and scrape mixture into a medium bowl.
4. Add breadcrumbs and white beans, mixing well and smashing the beans. Smash well or leave a bit chunky, as you wish. Taste and add more salt and pepper, as desired.
5. Add the egg and mix well. The mixture should be soft but able to make a patty, but not soupy or crumbly. If the mixture seems too wet, add another 2 Tbsp or so of breadcrumbs and let mixture sit for a few minutes to allow the breadcrumbs to absorb some of the moisture.
6. Heat 1-2 Tbsp olive in a large fry pan over medium heat. While the pan is heating up, shape up the bean mixture into about 4 medium patties. Fry however many patties can comfortably fit into the pan at one time, about 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown and firmed up.
7. Serve immediately with buns and condiments.

Notes

• The bean mixture can be made a day or two in advance and stored in the fridge until ready to fry. The burgers can also be fried and frozen for quick meals.
• To make these burgers vegan, you can try using a chia or flax egg instead of the regular egg.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

469.92

Fat

10.68 g

Sat. Fat

2.08 g

Carbs

69.20 g

Fiber

15.37 g

Net carbs

53.83 g

Sugar

4.95 g

Protein

26.37 g

Sodium

1035.03 mg

Cholesterol

93.00 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 1 veggie burger if you make two larger patties, no bun or condiments.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2020/6/6/white-bean-burgers

vegetarian, veggie burger, white beans, white bean burger, healthy burgers, pickled onions

Vegetarian, sandwiches

American

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White Bean Potato Soup

Last Updated August 30, 2024

This soup is packed full. Packed full of flavor, packed full of vegetables and good stuff, and therefore packed full of nutrients. Did I mention it’s also vegan? Because it is, at least if you don’t sprinkle any of that wonderful cheese over the soup at the end.

While I love beans, and I love potatoes, and just about everything else in this soup, I honestly wasn’t expecting it to be as good as it was. It is so full of flavor and so satisfying, and I didn’t even have any wine on hand to add!

This soup boasts, besides beans and potatoes, onions, carrots, garlic, kale, with a hint of rosemary, spice, and white wine to tie it all together.

While the main soup season might be coming to an end, I decided to finally post this recipe because

1. during these crazy coronavirus times it seems everyone and their brother are baking bread up the wazoo and revving their sourdough starters, at least judging by social media and the shortage of flours and yeast in the stores…and this soup pairs wonderfully with some good homebaked bread!!

2. this soup has many ingredients, but most are pantry staples which makes this ideal to whip up for dinner without having to go to the store. Even if you’re missing one or two things, this soup is so flavorful you can easily swap out vegetables or omit one with a still tasty result.

3. many of these ingredients are also cheap, which means you get a hardy meal for just a few dollars, which is helpful in these uncertain financial times

4. we’ve had an unusually cold few nights and days for April here in Florence, which made me think of this soup..

5. soups are so easy, and recipes like this are rewarding for my friends who may be deciding to expand their cooking skills with all the newfound time on their hands.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe slightly adapted from Clever Eats

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White Bean Potato Soup

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp oil

• 1 medium onion, diced

• 1 stalk of celery, diced

• 1 carrot, diced

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 15oz / 400g cans of white beans, drained (any kind, such as cannellini or navy)

• 2 potatoes, cut into small chunks

• 1 Tbsp / 16g tomato paste

• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary or 1 Tbsp chopped fresh

• 1/2 tsp sweet paprika

• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, optional

• 1/2 cup / 119g white wine, or more broth or water

• 7oz / 200g fresh or frozen spinach or kale, lightly chopped

• 2 cups / 474g vegetable broth

• salt and pepper, to taste

• extra virgin olive oil and parmesan or pecorino cheese, for finishing

Directions:

1. In a large stockpot or dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrot and cook, stirring occasionaly, until onion begins to turn translucent.

2. Add the garlic, then add the beans, potatoes, tomato paste, rosemary, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Cook for a minute or two, stirring frequently.

3. Add the wine and stir until it is almost evaporated.

4. Add kale, broth, and salt and pepper to taste.

5. Raise heat and bring soup to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

6. Ladle soup into serving bowls, top with parmesan or pecorino cheese and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with warm, crusty bread. Buon appetito!

Jenny’s Notes:

• If you prefer to cook dry beans instead of using canned, as I do, a good rule of thumb is to take half the weight of called for canned beans and cook that amount of dry beans. Different dry beans absorb slightly different amounts of water, but generally speaking they double in weight when cooked. So if you need 800g as in this recipe, I would cook 400g of dry beans.

• You can choose to peel your potatoes before chopping or leave skin on, either way is fine if you ask me! Leaving skin on is easier and more nutritious (more fiber!), just be sure to wash them well before using.

• If you have a rosemary plant, you can also add a clean sprig straight to the soup, then remove when you are ready to serve the soup.

• In a pinch, you can always just use water instead of broth, although you will lose some flavor depth. If you have any bouillon cubes, you can also dissolve those into the soup following the bouillon dosing instructions.

Yield 4-6

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

15 Min

Cook time

35 Min

Total time

50 Min

Print

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White Bean Potato Soup

A hearty and nutritious soup bursting with flavor, featuring white beans, potato, kale, onion, garlic, carrots, and celery with a touch of rosemary and a splash of white wine.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 stalk of celery, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 15oz / 400g cans of white beans, drained (any kind, such as cannellini or navy)
• 2 potatoes, cut into small chunks
• 1 Tbsp / 16g tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary or 1 Tbsp chopped fresh
• 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, optional
• 1/2 cup / 119g white wine, or more broth or water
• 7oz / 200g fresh or frozen spinach or kale, lightly chopped
• 2 cups / 474g vegetable broth
• salt and pepper, to taste
• extra virgin olive oil and parmesan or pecorino cheese, for finishing

Instructions

1. In a large stockpot or dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrot and cook, stirring occasionaly, until onion begins to turn translucent.
2. Add the garlic, then add the beans, potatoes, tomato paste, rosemary, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Cook for a minute or two, stirring frequently.
3. Add the wine and stir until it is almost evaporated.
4. Add kale, broth, and salt and pepper to taste.
5. Raise heat and bring soup to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
6. Ladle soup into serving bowls, top with parmesan or pecorino cheese and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with warm, crusty bread. Buon appetito!

Notes

If you prefer to cook dry beans instead of using canned, as I do, a good rule of thumb is to take half the weight of called for canned beans and cook that amount of dry beans. Different dry beans absorb slightly different amounts of water, but generally speaking they double in weight when cooked. So if you need 800g as in this recipe, I would cook 400g of dry beans. You can choose to peel your potatoes before chopping or leave skin on, either way is fine if you ask me! Leaving skin on is easier and more nutritious (more fiber!), just be sure to wash them well before using. If you have a rosemary plant, you can also add a clean sprig straight to the soup, then remove when you are ready to serve the soup.In a pinch, you can always just use water instead of broth, although you will lose some flavor depth. If you have any bouillon cubes, you can also dissolve those into the soup following the bouillon dosing instructions.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

426.89

Fat

8.57 g

Sat. Fat

1.21 g

Carbs

65.80 g

Fiber

14.44 g

Net carbs

51.36 g

Sugar

5.02 g

Protein

20.23 g

Sodium

542.01 mg

Cholesterol

1.07 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 4 servings and includes using wine and toppings.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2020/4/4/white-bean-potato-soup

white bean soup, potatoes, kale, spinach, vegan, healthy, vegetarian, carrots, white wine, spinach, celery, onion, garlic

Soup, Dinner

American

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Butternut Squash and Sage Pasta

Last Updated October 10, 2024

It’s fall and not only has the Charlie Brown Great Pumpkin arrived, but so have all the gourds!

There are many types but the good news is they are all deliciou and are often quite interchangeable. Unless you’re making spaghetti squash. Then you need spaghetti squash.

In fact today’s recipe is, in a way, spaghetti squash. The principal difference is that instead of the noodles being spaghetti squash the actual spaghetti is covered in a wonderfully flavored, creamy, cheesy, butternut squash sauce! With sage, apple, onion, celery, and basically all of the best autumn flavors in one. Even just the first step of this dish, sautéeing onions in butter, made me so happy and nostalgic. Why? Because onions cooking in butter reminds me of my mom’s stuffing recipe. And it’s the best, obviously.

Making this pasta is quite simple, cooking some veggies on the stove and then blending them at the end. Finish some spaghetti in the sauce, sprinkle with Pecorino Romano cheese and you’ve got yourself a delectably seasonal meal!

I love it so much. In fact, it makes quite a bit of sauce so I am able to stick some in the fridge AND freezer! The quantity of sauce may vary slightly depending on how thick or thin you like your sauce and how exact you are with vegetable ingredients. I tend to be over-generous on portions.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe adapted from Jake Cohen at the feedfeed

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Butternut Squash and Sage Pasta

Serves 4-6 with leftover sauce for another meal

Ingredients:

• 4 Tbsp / 56g butter

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 1 1/2 pounds / 675g peeled and chopped butternut squash

• 2-3 stalks celery, chopped

• 1 apple, peeled and chopped

• 1 generous Tbsp of chopped fresh sage

• 3/4 cup / 178g milk

• 1 lb / 500g spaghetti

• 1/2 cup / 50g shredded parmigiano reggiano

• 1/2 cup / 50g shredded fontal or other good melting cheese

• 1/2 cup / 50g shredded pecorino romano, plus more for finishing

• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions, stirring occasionally, until mostly translucent, about 5 minutes.

2. Add squash, celery, apple, and sage; continue to cook until things start to caramelize, about 5 minutes.

3. Add milk. Stir and cover, allowing to cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. The milk may look a bit curdled, this is fine since everything will be blended in the end.

4. While the vegetables are simmering, place a large pot of water over high heat. Just before boiling, generously salt the water. When water is boiling and salt has dissolved, add pasta and cook according to package directions.

5. When vegetables are tender, blend with an immersion blender or transfer to a blender. Blend until smooth. If sauce is too thick to blend easily, thin out with some pasta water or milk. Return to pot and stir in all three cheeses; salt and pepper to taste.

6. When pasta is cooked al dente, drain, reserving 2 cups / 474g of pasta water. Return pasta to pan and toss in desired quantity of sauce. If sauce is too thick, add some reserved pasta water and toss until desired consistency is reached, adding more pasta water as needed.

7. Serve with a generous dusting of pecorino romano.

Jenny’s Notes:

• This recipe makes a generous amount of sauce, so you can choose to refrigerate the leftovers (will probably be enough for another 1 lb / 550g package of pasta) for a few days or stick it in the freezer for a future quick dinner!

• Cooking time for vegetables will depend on how large or small they are chopped, and may need slightly more or less time than stated.

• Feel free to use other kinds of squash or even pumpkin. The other night when I made this the store had run out of Butternut so I selected another Tuscan variety and it was lovely! Keep in mind that different squashes may have different starch levels and may affect how thick or thin the sauce will end up, which you can adjust by adding pasta water at the end.

• Play with the cheeses you use! Parmigiano reggiano, or parmesan, is a wonderfully nutty, aged cheese that you probably already have because it is amazing on almost everything. Fontal is an inexpensive but wonderful melting cheese which I generally have on hand, but you could also use gruyere, gouda, fontina, cheddar, etc. The one I recommend you splurge on would be the Pecorino Romano, which is an aged sheep’s milk cheese. There are many different varieties, those aged in walnut leaves or with truffles, young or aged, easily identified by the word “pecorino” usually followed by it’s defining factor. Pecorino Romano is one of the most exported cheeses from Italy and is aged a minimum of 5 months, giving it a wonderful sharp flavor that pairs so well with our velvety, squashy pasta today.

Yield 4-6 + extra sauce for another meal

Author Jennyblogs

Cook time

40 Min

Total time

40 Min

Print

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Butternut Squash and Sage Pasta

A perfectly seasonal pasta with a creamy, cheesy butternut squash and sage sauce.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp / 56g butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds / 675g peeled and chopped butternut squash
• 2-3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 apple, chopped
• generous Tbsp of chopped fresh sage
• 3/4 cup / 178g milk
• 1 lb / 500g package spaghetti
• 1/2 cup / 50g shredded parmigiano reggiano
• 1/2 cup / 50g shredded fontal or other good melting cheese
• 1/2 cup / 50g shredded pecorino romano, plus more for finishing
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a large pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions, stirring occasionally, until mostly translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add squash, celery, apple, and sage; continue to cook until things start to caramelize, about 5 minutes.
3. Add milk. Stir and cover, allowing to cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Note: The milk may look a bit curdled, which is fine since everything will be blended in the end.
4. While the vegetables are simmering, place a large pot of water over high heat. Just before boiling, salt the water. When the water is boiling and salt has dissolved, add pasta and cook according to package directions.
5. When the vegetables are tender, either blend with an immersion blender or transfer to a blender. Blend until smooth. Stir in the three cheeses and salt and pepper to taste.
6. When the pasta is cooked al dente, drain, reserving 1 cup / 237g of pasta water. Return pasta to pan and toss in desired quantity of sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water until desired consistency is reached.
7. Serve with a generous dusting of pecorino romano.

Notes

• This recipe makes a generous amount of sauce, so you can choose to refrigerate the leftovers for a few days or stick in the freezer for a future quick dinner!
• Feel free to use other kinds of squash or even pumpkin! Just keep in mind that the different squashes may have different starch levels and may affect how thick or thin the sauce will end up, which you can adjust by adding the pasta water at the end.
• Play with the cheeses you use! Parmigiano reggiano, or parmesan, is a wonderfully nutty, aged cheese that you probably already have because it is amazing on almost everything. Fontal is an inexpensive but wonderful melting cheese which I generally have on hand, but you could also use gruyere, gouda, fontina, cheddar, etc. The one I recommend you splurge on would be the Pecorino Romano, which is an aged sheep’s milk cheese. There are many different varieties, those aged in walnut leaves or with truffles, young or aged, easily identified by the word “pecorino” usually followed by it’s defining factor. Pecorino Romano is one of the most exported cheeses from Italy and is aged a minimum of 5 months, giving it a wonderful sharp flavor that pairs so well with this velvety, squashy pasta.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

375.87

Fat

23.82 g

Sat. Fat

14.35 g

Carbs

68.67 g

Fiber

8.85 g

Net carbs

59.83 g

Sugar

13.66 g

Protein

21.97 g

Sodium

691.50 mg

Cholesterol

66.70 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 4 servings.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2019/11/9/butternut-squash-pasta

pasta, fall recipe, butternut squash, sage, seasonal pasta, pecorino romano, butternut squash sauce

dinner, pasta

American

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---

Caprese Risotto

Last updated August 28, 2024

You know risotto, right? That creamy Italian rice dish, usually cooked with a splash of wine? And you also know Caprese salad, the traditional Italian salad consisting of just tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil? (I gave you a nice preface to today’s recipe by sharing the recipe for Insalata Caprese Tradizionale last month on the blog.) Do you know what happens when you combine these two ideas into one dish?

You get a delicious creamy, rice dish with flavors of tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil! Risotto is usually a pretty hearty, comforting dish, better for cooler months, but this one has delicate summer flavors so you can have a risotto for every season. Because It’s mid September, my family back home in Michigan has been wearing jackets and pants for weeks, meanwhile it’s still in the mid 30’sC / 90’sF here in Florence. I’m dreaming of cooler weather, breaking out the sweaters and cozy socks, lighting candles, and making hearty chilis, soups, and everything pumpkin spice and nice. And risotto. So I compromise with a taste of summer, the remnants of summer Italian produce, and a comforting cooler month recipe.

This Caprese Risotto is a bit of a mix between Italian and American cuisines. It’s a risotto and involves all the ingredients from Caprese, but that doesn’t necessarily make it Italian. It’s one of those dishes stuck in the in between, and that’s ok. If it’s anything, it’s American. And I thought I should let you know that, so I don’t give you the false impression that I’m giving you some nonna’s recipe passed down for generations. Nope, this is me being American, taking one thing and combining it with another to create something that doesn’t fall into any category really. That’s one of my pet peeves actually, when I see recipes labeled Italian this or Tuscan that…just because something has oregano, basil, sun-dried tomatoes, or parmesan, does not make it Italian. Especially if it’s a meat, usually chicken is what I see, mixed with pasta. That’s a big no-no in Italy. Pasta is a primo piatto, or first course, and chicken and proteins are always a secondo piatto. You will also never find chicken on pizza. Or pineapple. This doesn’t mean to say you can’t do these things, of course you can, but just keep in mind that it is not Italian. After that, call it as you wish. Oh, and hand me a nice slice of pizza with pineapple, ya? Thanks.

Back to this summery risotto. When I first was making this I wanted to make sure the tomato flavor was closer to a fresh, sun-ripened tomato as it would be for Caprese, and not pungent and salty/sweet like we associate with a lot of canned tomato soups. I love tomato soup, just not the flavor that I was going for here. By using fresh tomatoes and getting saltiness from just the low-sodium broth, this turned out quite nicely. Add the creamy, pull-apart cheesiness from the mozzarella and the sweet, nutty basil, you’ve got a winner summer dinner! If you like, although not traditional to the Italian Caprese salad, add a drizzle of balsamic vinegar at the end. This dish isn’t traditional, so I feel ok about adding it. ;)

Bonus, this dish is also effortlessly gluten-free.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

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Caprese Risotto

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 6 cups / 1,422g low-sodium vegetable broth

• 2 Tbsp / 28g olive oil

• 1/2 onion, diced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 1/2 cups / 278g arborio rice, uncooked

• 1/2 cup / 119g white wine, optional

• 3 medium tomatoes, chopped

• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered

• Parmigiano reggiano (parmesan) rind, optional

• 1 1/2 tsp fresh oregano, or 1/2 tsp dried

• about 16 fresh basil leaves, sliced into ribbons

• 1/2 cup / 50g grated parmigiano reggiano

• 200g fresh mozzarella, sliced into chunks

• extra virgin olive oil, more cherry tomatoes, basil leaves for garnishing, and balsamic vinegar if desired

Directions:

1. Heat broth in a pan over low heat.

2. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and simmer for a few minutes, until starting to turn translucent.

3. Add garlic and rice, stirring occasionally, until rice is toasted and just starting to turn translucent on the edges; about 3-4 minutes.

4. Add the wine slowly, stirring all the while, until mostly absorbed by the rice.

5. Add all of the tomatoes, stir until heated through. Add parmigiano reggiano rind, if using.

6. Begin adding heated broth to the rice mixture, 1/2 cup / 119g at a time, stirring and allowing broth to be mostly absorbed before adding the next bit. As you near the end of the broth, start checking the rice every minute or two. When it looks cooked and is al dente when tasted, remove from heat. You may not need all the broth, but make sure it’s not too dry or thick. You’ll want to pull it from the heat when it still looks a bit soupy, as it will continue to cook and absorb liquid. (Thick, moundable risotto is a technically overcooked risotto. It should lazily settle back into the plate if you try and mound it.)

7. Add oregano, basil, parmigiano, and mozzarella. Stir until parmigiano is melted and mozzarella is stringy. Remove any chunks of parmigiano reggiano rind before serving.

8. Spoon risotto onto plates, drizzle with olive oil and garnish with cherry tomatoes and basil leaves. Drizzle with a bit of balsamic, if desired. Serve immediately.

Jenny’s Notes:

• In a pinch you can use a 14.5oz / 411g can of diced tomatoes instead of the 3 medium tomatoes. Fresh tomatoes will always be better but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do!

• If using wine, try using a dry white wine, nothing too aged or overpowering, as this is a risotto with more delicate, summery flavors. Think Pinot Blanc, Gewurztraminer, a young Riesling, etc. Whichever wine you use in your cooking should ideally be served with the meal. Because of this, it is mistaken to use the “cheap” wines in cooking and then bring out the nice stuff for the meal. Remember, you’re cooking out (most of) the alcohol, not the flavor.

  In fact, because of the delicate flavors of this risotto I don’t always add wine, but it’s up to you if you do! Wine is traditional in risotto. :)

• If you have only bouillon cubes or normal-sodium broth on hand, you can substitute part water for the broth to keep the sodium levels down. I recommend using 4 cups / 948g worth of broth/bouillon broth and 2 cups / 474g water.

• Using heated broth speeds up the cooking time so you’re not waiting for the broth to simmer and be absorbed between each addition. I have, however, made risotto many a time before I learned this trick, and although it takes a bit longer to cook when adding cold or room temp broth, it won’t in any way ruin your risotto.

• Parmigiano Reggiano (parmesan cheese) is another ingredient typically used in risotto. It’s not used in caprese but it lends a cheesy hand to the mozzarella which is quite mild.

• Another idea I’m drooling over right now, would be to add a nice portion of burrata on top of the plated risotto right before serving. Burrata is very similar to mozzarella, except it’s softer. It usually comes in round form, and the moment you cut into it the super soft, creamy center oozes out. Oh yes. Oh yes please.

  If you don’t live in Italy chances are burrata and even fresh mozzarella will cost you, so you may opt for one or the other in this recipe. If your budget allows, go for both!! Here in Italy fresh mozzarella can be found easily for 2-3euro a pound.

Yield 4-6 servings

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

45 Min

Total time

45 Min

Print

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Caprese Risotto

Creamy risotto playing off the classic Italian summer dish of caprese; tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, parmesan cheese and a hint of oregano.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 6 cups / 1,422g low-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 Tbsp / 28g olive oil
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups / 278g arborio rice, uncooked
• 1/2 cup / 119g white wine, optional
• 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
• 1 1/2 tsp fresh oregano, or 1/2 tsp dried
• about 16 fresh basil leaves, sliced into ribbons
• 1/2 cup / 50g grated parmigiano reggiano
• 200g fresh mozzarella, sliced into chunks
• extra virgin olive oil, more cherry tomatoes, basil leaves for garnishing, and balsamic vinegar if desired

Instructions

1. Heat broth in a pan over low heat.
2. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and simmer for a few minutes, until starting to turn translucent.
3. Add garlic and rice, stirring occasionally, until rice is toasted and just starting to turn translucent on the edges; about 3-4 minutes.
4. Add the wine slowly, stirring all the while, until mostly absorbed by the rice.
5. Add all of the tomatoes, stir until heated through.
6. Begin adding heated broth to the rice mixture, 1/2 cup / 119g at a time, stirring and allowing the broth to be mostly absorbed before adding the next bit. Keep an eye on the rice; when it starts to look cooked and is al dente when tasted, remove from the heat. You may or may not need all the broth, but make sure it’s not too dry or thick. You’ll want to pull it from the heat when it still looks a bit soupy, as it will continue to cook and absorb liquid. (A thick, moundable risotto is a technically overcooked risotto. A correctly cooked risotto should lazily settle back into the plate if you try and mound it.)
7. Add oregano, basil, parmigiano, and mozzarella. Stir until parmigiano is melted and mozzarella is stringy.
8. Spoon risotto into plates, drizzle with olive oil and garnish with cherry tomatoes and basil leaves. Drizzle with a bit of balsamic, if desired. Serve immediately.

Notes

In a pinch you can use a 14.5oz / 411g can of diced tomatoes instead of the 3 medium tomatoes. Fresh tomatoes will always be better but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do! If using wine, try using a light white wine, nothing too aged or overpowering, as this is a risotto with more delicate, summery flavors. Think Pinot Blanc, Gewurztraminer, a young Riesling, etc. Whichever wine you use in your cooking should ideally be served with the meal. Because of this, it is mistaken to use the “cheap” wines in cooking and then bring out the nice stuff for the meal. Remember, you’re cooking out (most of) the alcohol, not the flavor. In fact, because of the delicate flavors of this risotto I don’t add wine, but it’s up to you if you do! Wine is traditional in risotto so you may think me odd that I don’t add it. :)If you have only bouillon cubes or normal-sodium broth on hand, you can substitute part water for the broth to keep the sodium levels down. I recommend using 4 cups / 948g worth of broth/bouillon broth and 2 cups / 474g water. Using heated broth speeds up the cooking time so you’re not waiting for the broth to simmer and be absorbed between each addition. I have, however, made risotto many a time before I learned this trick, and although it takes a bit longer to cook when adding cold or room temp broth, it won’t in any way ruin your risotto. Another idea would be to add a nice portion of burrata on top of the plated risotto right before serving. Burrata is very similar to mozzarella, except it’s softer. It usually comes in round form, and the moment you cut into it the super soft, creamy center oozes out.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

423.93

Fat

21.69 g

Sat. Fat

8.54 g

Carbs

36.34 g

Fiber

2.31 g

Net carbs

34.03 g

Sugar

7.25 g

Protein

16.20 g

Sodium

714.71 mg

Cholesterol

42.80 mg

Nutritional information is approximate and based on 4 servings.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2019/8/29/caprese-risotto

gluten-free caprese, risotto, rice, tomatoes, fresh basil, fresh mozzarella, parmesan cheese, parmigiano reggiano, burrata, Italian recipe, oregano, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, white wine, which wine to use in risotto

dinner, vegetarian

Italian, American

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Insalata Caprese Tradizionale - Traditional Caprese Salad

Last Updated August 26, 2024

Insalata Caprese, often just referred to as Caprese, is by now known the world over and has been adapted into many different dishes and styles. In today’s post we are going to cover the traditional Italian Insalata Caprese, unaltered and in its purest form. How the Italians make it. Leave aside the Caprese grilled cheeses and Caprese pasta for just one second.

Insalata Caprese (EEN-sah-lah-ta cuh-PRAY-zay), or Caprese Salad is an Italian dish consisting of merely 5 ingredients: fresh mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil, and a touch of salt, maybe pepper. Oregano is also added sometimes. That’s it, simple and fresh.

Because there are so few ingredients, no cooking required, and little spice, the quality and freshness of the ingredients are of upmost importance. This is one of the golden rules of the Italian kitchen. In fact, I would say that any caprese salad you’ve eaten in the States is probably a far cry from the shining beacon that it is here in Italy. This is not through any fault of your own, but Italy has certain protected regions and methods for making foods, with rigorous control checks and rules, which holds the product to high standards.

You may be familiar with some of these rules, especially if you seen some Italian wine bottles. You might have noticed special seals that read DOC or DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata or Denominazione di Origine Controllata Garantita), which basically act as a quality seal. One such wine, considered one of the kings of Italian wine, Brunello di Montalcino, will always have the DOCG seal because it can only be grown in the Montalcino region near Siena which has ideal soil and climate for this particular wine. If it doesn’t have the seal, don’t buy it. Hazelnuts, mozzarella, how to make a Neopolitan pizza, and many other food items and processes, sometimes connected to a specific region, are protected by law in Italy.

I just mentioned mozzarella, so you may be understanding how I managed to go on that long spiel and still connect it to today’s subject matter. :) Suffice to say, Italian mozzarella, the good stuff, is in a class of its own.

That’s the beauty of Italian summers, where lunches are made up of ripe tomatoes, a slab of cheese, a drizzle of olive oil. Maybe with a hunk of fresh, salty focaccia. Or maybe just prosciutto and melon.

But maybe you aren’t IN Italy, and you’re wondering how you can make the best Insalata Caprese possible? Let’s dissect the ingredients real quick before getting into the recipe.

Suggestions for selecting ingredients for the Insalata Caprese

• Tomatoes. You want the freshest, tastiest tomatoes available. The most widely used in Italy would probably be the tomato variety “cuore di bue” or literally, “ox heart,” which originated in America. There are two prinicipal varieties of cuore di bue, Arawak and Albenga. These tomatoes are ideal for salads because they have a thin skin, great flavor, and very few seeds and water inside. They are not usually very round, but fall into the ugly tomato category with lots of ridges. As they say, the uglier the tomato, the more delicious it will be. If you can’t get your hands on a cuore di bue, use your favorite, fresh tomatoes. In the States I often go for an heirloom tomato.

• Mozzarella. You’ll want the freshest mozzarella possible, which might not be that easy to find unless you know a cheese producer. Traditionally the mozzarella di fiordilatte is used (normal cow’s milk mozzarella), but if you want to up your game, go for the more expensive mozzarella di bufala (buffalo mozzarella) which can also be protected by one of the laws we were talking about above, this time the DOP.

• Basil. Fresh basil, torn into pieces if desired and ideally added just before serving so it can’t even think about wilting. I mention torn, not sliced, because Italians have this thing against cutting basil with a knife, or it touching metal for that matter.

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I cannot stress enough to you the importance of having a good bottle of olive oil on hand. In Italy there are usually two kinds of olive oil, those used for cooking, and those use for drizzling just before serving. Select your oil carefully, paying attention to where it is produced, when, and when it expires. Olive oil generally has a best if used by date of two years from being bottled. So if you find a bottle that expires in a year or less, you know that bottle has already been sitting on the shelf for too long and is best used for cooking. Also pay attention to wording like “produced in” or “bottled in.” The latter may mean that olives were brought in from elsewhere and merely bottled in Italy so they could write that on the bottle. No really, there are so many shady practices when it comes to olive oil, it can be hard to decipher the great ones, especially when dealing with imported bottles. My mom used to order bottles straight from Italy to get some of the high quality stuff. Basically, you don’t want to pay less than $15 for a bottle in the States. Frantoio Franci and Laudemia are two very high quality brands. If you know your EVOO’s, select a light and fruity oil.

• Salt and Pepper. Usually just the tomatoes are salted, and pepper is completely optional.

• Oregano. Oregano is also optional, but a bit of fresh or dried is a nice touch!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses and ethically and responsibly made items. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

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Insalata Caprese

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• about 1/2lb / 200g fresh mozzarella

• 2 medium tomatoes

• a few fresh basil leaves, whole or torn into pieces

• extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

• salt and pepper, to taste

• fresh or dried oregano, optional

Directions:

1. Slice the mozzarella and the tomatoes into equally sized slices and place on a plate.

2. Drizzly lightly with olive oil and sprinkle tomatoes with salt. Sprinkle with a bit of pepper, if desired.

3. Garnish with basil leaves and oregano; serve.

Jenny’s Notes:

• It may seem strange, but some recommend to serve the mozzarella at room temperature. If the mozzarella is cut while cold it may lose more water, interacting with and changing the flavor of the tomatoes. If the mozzarella is losing lots of liquid regardless, it may not be as fresh as desired.

• You can use a paper towel on both the mozzarella and tomatoes to absorb any excess liquid, dabbing or letting them sit on the paper towel if they are very wet.

• Contrary to American belief, Caprese Salad does not traditionally have balsamic vinegar. Nor mayonnaise, olives, eggs, or other non-Italian inventions.

Yield 2

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

5 Min

Total time

5 Min

Print

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Traditional Caprese Salad

This classic Caprese Insalata is bursting with summer flavors. Tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, and extra virgin olive oil, just as the Italians would make it.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• about 1/2lb / 200g fresh mozzarella
• 2 medium tomatoes
• a few fresh basil leaves, whole or torn into pieces
• extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• salt and pepper, to taste
• fresh or dried oregano, optional

Instructions

1. Slice mozzarella and tomatoes into equally sized slices and place on a plate.
2. Drizzly lightly with olive oil and sprinkle tomatoes with salt. Sprinkle with a bit of pepper, if desired.
3. Garnish with basil leaves and oregano; serve.

Notes

• It may seem strange, but some recommend to serve the mozzarella at room temperature. If the mozzarella is cut while cold it may lose more water, interacting with and changing the flavor of the tomatoes. If the mozzarella is losing lots of liquid regardless, it may not be as fresh as desired.
• You can use a paper towel on both the mozzarella and tomatoes to absorb any excess liquid, dabbing or letting them sit on the paper towel if they are very wet.
• Contrary to American belief, Caprese Salad does not traditionally have balsamic vinegar. Nor mayonnaise, olives, eggs, or other non-Italian inventions.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

326.94

Fat

25.15 g

Sat. Fat

11.64 g

Carbs

7.00 g

Fiber

1.73 g

Net carbs

5.27 g

Sugar

4.09 g

Protein

19.14 g

Sodium

663.60 mg

Cholesterol

64.09 mg

Nutritional information is approximate and based on 2 servings.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2019/8/23/traditional-italian-caprese

Gluten-free, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, mozzarella di bufala, extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil, fresh oregano, Italian recipe, real italian caprese salad, traditional caprese, authentic italian caprese, how to make the best caprese

Side, Lunch

Italian

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

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Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Pasta

Last Updated August 24, 2024

July pasta month is over and I find I still have pasta dishes I want to share with you! Like this Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Pasta with toasted walnuts.

Several years ago I went through a phase where I wanted everything roasted red pepper. I’m not sure if that was an actual thing in the culinary world, or it just happened to be the first time that roasted red pepper really came to my attention, and thus started noticing and wanting all things roasted red pepper. Pastas and dips, sandwiches and wraps, and anything you could incorporate roasted red peppers into. That smoky, sweet flavor you get from grilling the red peppers was this elusive, elegant flavor profile because I didn’t know how it was made.

Then I found a recipe for roasted red pepper sauce, made it, and was floored by how NOT elusive it is. It’s so attainable. I even grilled my own peppers instead of going for the much easier option of buying a jar of roasted red peppers at the store. And you know what? Even grilling the peppers and peeling off the blackened skin wasn’t nearly as hard as I imagined it all to be. Sometimes those mountains we build in our heads are much more scalable than we make them out to be, even if that’s just learning how to make a dish you really like, as in this example, harhar. Or you come to realize it’s WAY more difficult than you ever imagined, and you were right to wait. Aha!

This was not meant to turn into a inspirational post, back to food.

It’s been a while since I’ve eaten roasted red pepper anything, definitely not much of a thing here in Italy. But I decided, while being inspired and eating so much pasta in the month of July, to make my own little twist of a roasted red pepper sauce. And it turned out really great! Amazing! Delizioso! As I stated above, however, it’s really not rocket science to make, so I should probably calm down. Adding goat cheese and toasted walnuts are no new pairing to goat cheese, but remain such a good combination. Never had nuts on your pasta? At least not that you’re aware of? Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it! Unless you have a nut allergy, then please don’t. (You’ve probably eaten basil pesto on pasta, yes? Pesto is made from pine nuts traditionally, and often walnuts when pine nuts are not available or too expensive. See? You love nuts on pasta and didn’t even know!)

The great thing is, the roasted red pepper sauce actually makes enough for two meals, and freezes well. The next time you want roasted red pepper pasta, just thaw the sauce and boil the pasta. So easy peasy.

For extra easy-ness, you can buy a jar of roasted red peppers or grill them yourself, completely up to you.

Are you vegan or dairy-free? Simply omit the goat cheese or substitute a vegan-friendly cheese!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. Where possible, links are prioritized to small businesses and ethically and responsibly made items. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

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Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Pasta

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 16 oz / 500g spaghetti

• 2 Tbsp / 28g oil

• 1/2 onion, diced

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 16 oz / 454g jar roasted red peppers, drained and sliced

• 1 Tbsp fresh chopped thyme

• 1/2 tsp / 1g chili powder

• 1/2 tsp / 1g turmeric

• 1 tsp / 5g balsamic vinegar

• salt and pepper, to taste

• 3 oz / 85g fresh goat cheese, cut into pieces, optional

• 1/3 cup / 30g walnuts, chopped and toasted, optional

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat, adding salt just before water boils. Cook pasta according to instructions on package. Drain pasta and return to pan, reserving a generous 1 cup / 237g of pasta water.

2. While the pasta is cooking, heat oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until it begins to soften, about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.

3. Add sliced peppers, thyme, chili powder, turmeric, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Cook until peppers are heated through.

4. Transfer all of the pepper mixture to a blender and puree until smooth.

5. Pour half of the roasted red pepper sauce over the pasta and add a bit of the pasta water. Add goat cheese and toss until pasta is well coated and cheese has melted, adding more pasta water to thin out sauce as desired. For a saucier pasta, add remaining half of sauce, otherwise refrigerate remaining sauce for up to 2-3 days or freeze for future use.

6. Plate pasta and top with toasted walnuts.

Jenny’s Notes:

• To roast red peppers yourself, place whole on a heated grill or near an open flame, turning occasionally, until all sides are blistered and start to blacken. You can also roast them on a lined baking sheet in the oven for 30-45 minutes, or very carefully over a gas burner. Once done, place in covered pot, bowl, or re-sealable plastic, anything you can close, to let the peppers steam for about 20-30 minutes. This helps the skin to slip off easily. Then remove stems and seeds, and slice. Proceed as in recipe.

• If you don’t have fresh thyme available, substitute about a scant teaspoon of dried.

• Add more chili powder, cayenne, or hot spice of choice for a spicier kick!

• If you’re in a pinch you don’t have to toast the walnuts, although you miss out on that tasty flavor that comes out of the nut only by toasting. But it will still be delicious!

• Omit goat cheese or replace with suitable substitute to make vegan and dairy-free.

Yield 6-8 servings

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

30 Min

Total time

30 Min

Print

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Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Pasta

Pasta in a smoky, sweet, roasted red pepper sauce with goat cheese and toasted walnuts.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 16 oz / 500g spaghetti
• 2 Tbsp / 28g oil
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 16 oz / 454g jar roasted red peppers, drained and sliced
• 1 Tbsp fresh chopped thyme
• 1/2 tsp / 1g chili powder
• 1/2 tsp / 1g turmeric
• 1 tsp / 5g balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 oz / 85g fresh goat cheese, cut into pieces, optional
• 1/3 cup / 30g walnuts, chopped and toasted, optional

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat, adding salt just before water boils. Cook pasta according to instructions on package. Drain pasta and return to pan, reserving a generous 1 cup / 237g of pasta water.
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until it begins to soften, about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
3. Add sliced peppers, thyme, chili powder, turmeric, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Cook until peppers are heated through.
4. Transfer all of the pepper mixture to a blender and puree until smooth.
5. Pour half of roasted red pepper sauce over pasta and add a bit of pasta water. Add goat cheese and toss until pasta is well coated and cheese has melted, adding more pasta water to thin out sauce as desired. For a saucier pasta, add remaining half of sauce, otherwise refrigerate remaining sauce for up to 2-3 days or freeze for future use.
6. Plate pasta and top with toasted walnuts.

Notes

To roast red peppers yourself, place whole on a heated grill or near an open flame, turning occasionally, until all sides are blistered and start to blacken. You can also roast them on a lined baking sheet in the oven for 30-45 minutes, or very carefully over a gas burner. Once done, place in covered pot, bowl, or re-sealable plastic, anything you can close, to let the peppers steam for about 20-30 minutes. This helps the skin to slip off easily. Then remove stems and seeds, and slice. Proceed as in recipe. If you don’t have fresh thyme available, substitute about a scant teaspoon of dried. Add more chili powder, cayenne, or hot spice of choice for a spicier kick! If you’re in a pinch you don’t have to toast the walnuts, although you miss out on that tasty flavor that comes out of the nut only by toasting. But it will still be delicious! Omit goat cheese or replace with suitable substitute to make vegan and dairy-free.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

425.16

Fat

13.36 g

Sat. Fat

3.05 g

Carbs

62.47 g

Fiber

4.25 g

Net carbs

58.23 g

Sugar

2.89 g

Protein

14.43 g

Sodium

1128.86 mg

Cholesterol

6.52 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 6 servings and includes goat cheese and walnuts.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2019/8/1/roasted-red-pepper-and-goat-cheese-pasta

roasted red pepper, red pepper, thyme, turmeric, garlic, onion, goat cheese, toasted walnuts, pasta, recipe, vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free

Dinner, pasta

American

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

Now we’re being more honest about a real portion size! :)

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Garlic, Oil, and Pepper Pasta - Aglio, Olio, e Peperoncino

Last Updated August 20, 2024

Aglio, olio, peperoncino is a pasta found often throughout Tuscany, and even more often on my table for lunch. It originally hails from Napoli but has become beloved throughout Italy.

It’s simple, so simple, with the classic version requiring just 4 ingredients: spaghetti, garlic, olive oil, and a hot pepper. It’s great to whip up in a pinch because it’s quick and the ingredients are those you probably have in your pantry. It can be on the table in about as long as it takes to boil and cook pasta, plus 2 minutes for mixing. Because of its simplicity, as many Italian dishes are, attention to the quality and freshness of your ingredients will really make this dish shine. (Especially with that olive oil, nice and shiny. :)

There are many slight variations, but they hardly vary more than an ingredient or two. Some use fresh hot peppers, some use chili flakes; some versions call for bread crumbs, others a bit of fresh parsley added at the end, some say to mince the garlic, others slice. Based on these variances, you can always decide to play a bit to find exactly how you like to eat your aglio, olio, e peperoncino pasta.

The version that follows I learned from my husband, the fresh pasta expert. We usually use fresh hot peppers, but will also use chili flakes if we don’t feel like running to the store. It’s pretty close to the classic recipe, with one exception. We add a bit of grated Parmigiano Reggiano and it catapults the pasta to the next level. OH YES, cheese!

A note about using fresh peppers: I’m not actually sure what kind of peppers I use here in Italy. At the supermarket there are usually bell peppers “peperoni” and hot peppers “peperoncini” with no indication what variety they might be. Bell peppers come in red and green, but not always at the same time, and the hot peppers are usually red OR green, depending on the season. I suppose they’re serrano or a similar variety because they’re spicy but not overly so, although they do vary. Apparently Italians are not pepper connoisseurs, you won’t find jalapeño, habanero, serrano, and other pepper types readily available year round! If I were writing this recipe in Italian I would just put “peperoncino,” and everyone would know to get the only kind of peperoncino available from the store. In English recipes we are used to being told more specifics, and writing “1 hot pepper” would not be as helpful. So I wrote serrano on the recipe, but just be aware that you can play around with the kind you use if you want, especially if you think serrano might be too spicy for you!

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Recipe Adapted from the Italian Classic

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Garlic, Oil, and Pepper Pasta - Aglio, Olio, e Peperoncino

Serves about 4-6

Ingredients:

• 500g / 16 oz spaghetti

• 84g / 6 Tbsp olive oil

• 4 garlic cloves

• 1 serrano pepper, or spicy pepper of choice

• generous 1/4 cup /30g grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Bring water to boil in a large pot over high heat. Just before boiling, add some salt.

2. While water is heating up, mince the garlic and dice the pepper. Add the oil, garlic, and pepper to a small pot or pan.

3. When the water boils add spaghetti and cook according to instructions on package. Meanwhile, place the small pan of oil over low heat.

4. Simmer oil for 5-8 minutes; remove from heat when garlic is fragrant and starts to appear to dry with barely golden edges.

5. When pasta is done cooking, drain, reserving about 1/2 cup / 120g of pasta water.

6. Return drained pasta to the pot and immediately add oil mixture, reserved pasta water, and cheese. Working quickly, use two forks to mix and toss spaghetti until oil, cheese, and water have coated the pasta in a light, creamy sauce. Serve immediately.

Jenny’s Notes:

• These measurements are approximate, we never measure when making this, but this is pretty close to our normal. So if you decide you want to use 5 cloves garlic and 2 jalapeños, that’s fine, too, because this is not an overly precise recipe!

• For less heat, remove the seeds of the pepper before dicing. If using chili flakes, don’t simmer them in the oil but add to the pasta with the cheese at the end.

• Look for parmigiano reggiano, which is the best. It can only be called so if it is made and aged in the designated area in Italy according to their regulations. Even if you are a world-class parmesan maker but make it in Wisconsin, it cannot legally be called parmigiano reggiano. This pasta is also delicious with other sharp, aged Italian cheeses. I like a mixture of aged pecorino and parmigiano.

• Keep a close eye on the simmering oil, the garlic goes quickly from perfectly cooked (barely golden) to burnt (anything golden or beyond.) Even if you happen to burn your garlic, it only takes a few minutes to start the oil, garlic, and pepper over again and could still be ready before the pasta even finishes cooking.

• One of the great things about making this is that even if you add too much pasta water, it will eventually evaporate out while mixing. One of the first times I ever made this solo, I added way too much and had a good inch or so sitting in the bottom of my pan. I had already added the oil and cheese and it was too late to dump the extra out. So I tossed and mixed for several minutes, and what do you know, the water eventually evaporated and mixed in, and I ended up with a wonderfully creamy and cheesy sauce.

• When making this in Italy I always use the classic spaghetti option, as this is called spaghetti aglio e olio traditionally. However, the typical spaghettis you find in grocery stores in America don’t hold up as well, so I usually opt to use linguine in the USA.

Yield 6-8

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

25 Min

Total time

25 Min

Print

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Garlic, Oil, and Pepper Pasta - Aglio, Olio, e Peperoncino

A simple and classic pasta dish served throughout Italy with plenty of garlic, olive oil, spicy pepper, and a bit of parmigiano reggiano.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 500g / 16 oz spaghetti
• 84g / 6 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 serrano pepper, or spicy pepper of choice
• generous 1/4 cup / 30g grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Bring water to boil in a large pot over high heat. Just before boiling, add some salt.
2. While water is heating up, mince the garlic and dice the pepper. Add the oil, garlic, and pepper to a small pot or pan.
3. When the water boils add spaghetti and cook according to instructions on package. Meanwhile, place the small pan of oil over low heat.
4. Simmer oil for 5-8 minutes; remove from heat when garlic is fragrant and starts to appear to dry with barely golden edges.
5. When pasta is done cooking, drain, reserving about 1 cup / 237g of pasta water.
6. Return drained pasta to the pot and immediately add oil mixture, reserved pasta water, and cheese. Working quickly, use two forks to mix and toss spaghetti until oil, cheese, and water have coated the pasta in a light, creamy sauce. Serve immediately.

Notes

• These measurements are approximate, we never measure when making this, but this is pretty close to our normal. So if you decide you want to use 5 cloves garlic and 2 jalapeños, that’s fine, too, because this is not an overly precise recipe!
• For less heat, remove the seeds of the pepper before dicing. If using chili flakes, don’t simmer them in the oil but add to the pasta with the cheese at the end.
• Look for parmigiano reggiano, which is the best. It can only be called so if it is made and aged in the designated area in Italy according to their regulations. Even if you are a world-class parmesan maker but make it in Wisconsin, it cannot legally be called parmigiano reggiano. This pasta is also delicious with other sharp, aged Italian cheeses. I like a mixture of aged pecorino and parmigiano.
• Keep a close eye on the simmering oil, the garlic goes quickly from perfectly cooked (barely golden) to burnt (anything golden or beyond.) Even if you happen to burn your garlic, it only takes a few minutes to start the oil, garlic, and pepper over again and could still be ready before the pasta even finishes cooking.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

257.59

Fat

15.37 g

Sat. Fat

2.72 g

Carbs

24.37 g

Fiber

1.09 g

Net carbs

23.28 g

Sugar

0.94 g

Protein

5.56 g

Sodium

94.52 mg

Cholesterol

4.30 mg

Nutritional information is approximate, based on 6 servings.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2019/7/25/garlic-oil-and-pepper-pasta-aglio-olio-e-peperoncino

aglio, olio, peperoncino, garlic, olive oil, hot pepper, spaghetti, Napoli, pasta, classic Italian pasta dish

Dinner, pasta

Italian

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Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

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Spinach Artichoke Pasta

Last Updated August 20, 2024

This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy something using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Welcome back to pasta month on Jennyblogs!

So far we’ve seen a Thai-inspired pasta, an Italian pasta, and today an American pasta. One of the biggest differences between these cuisines is the amount of cheese used. We Americans really like our cheese! Italian cuisine uses quite a bit of cheese in certain dishes, but it’s usually a seasoned, more pungent cheese (hello, beautiful parmigiano!) used as a finishing touch. Aside from pizza, of course, but even then, their pizzas or not nearly as cheese-blanketed as an American pizza can be!

From that you’ve learned that today’s pasta is going to be cheesy…even if you’ve already learned that my posts are usually cheesy….

You’ve heard of spinach and artichoke dip? That rich, creamy, decadent dip usually found at parties served with little pieces of toast? That one you say you aren’t going to eat because it’s so high-fat, but you just can’t help yourself and end up splurging anyway? Today we’re going to make a Spinach and Artichoke PASTA. As much as I love spinach and artichoke dip, I think this pasta is even better. Plus, there is no sour cream, mayonnaise, or cream cheese involved! It’s still cheesy of course, but you can largely control how much or how little cheese you add, and the same goes for the veggies, in particularly the spinach.

For as much as I love the precision and science behind baking, I’m really coming around to cooking and how versatile it can be!

I mentioned that this Spinach Artichoke Pasta is delicious, right? I made an 8x8in pan once for lunch and my husband and I ate the WHOLE THING in one sitting. I listed the servings as 3-4 for an 8x8in / 20x20cm pan, but don’t be surprised if it becomes only 2 servings! Especially if there are men or growing children involved. Or, just double the recipe and put it in a 9x13in / 23x33cm pan. Problem solved!

Short on time? You can make this ahead of time, store in the fridge, and broil the pasta about 10 minutes before serving, OR you can serve this straight out of the pan and skip the broiling. Sprinkle the cheese on top and voila, you just saved yourself a step.

Recipe adapted from Dam* Delicious (and yes, I just censored that.)

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Spinach Artichoke Pasta

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

• 8 oz / 250g (half package) penne or your choice of short pasta (my favorite are the shells for this!)

• 2 Tbsp / 28g oil

• 1/2 large onion, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 Tbsp / 15g all-purpose flour

• 1/4 cup / 60g water, or chicken or vegetable broth

• 1 cup / 237g milk

• about 5 oz / 150g fresh spinach, chopped

• 7 oz / 200g frozen or canned cooked artichoke hearts, drained/thawed and chopped

• 1/4 tsp nutmeg, or a few grates of fresh, if available

• salt and pepper, to taste

• about 2 oz / 57g fontal or other semi-soft cheese, shredded

• about 2 oz / 57g parmesan cheese, shredded or grated

Directions:

Ungreased 8x8in / 20x20cm pan, if you’re making this ahead of time (see step 8. and 9.)

1. Place a large pot of water over high heat, adding salt just before it boils. Cook the pasta al dente according to directions on package; drain.

2. While you’re boiling the water and cooking the pasta, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook for about 2-3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes or so, until the onion is translucent and garlic fragrant.

3. Add flour and stir, it will absorb all the liquid. Cook 1-2 minutes, until flour is toasted.

4. Slowly add in the water, stirring constantly to make a thick paste (roux), then slowly stir in milk.

5. Bring to a simmer to thicken the sauce; add spinach, artichokes, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until spinach has wilted and artichokes are heated through, about 2 minutes.

6. Remove from heat and add a generous half of the fontal and generous half of the parmesan, stir until melted.

7. Add the cooked pasta and stir to coat.

8. If serving right away, spoon onto plates and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

9. If serving later, transfer pasta to prepared baking dish, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and refrigerate. When ready to eat, place oven rack near top and broil pasta for a few minutes, or until cheese is melty and starts to turn golden.

Jenny’s Notes:

• Instead of fresh spinach you can also use frozen spinach, defrosted, drained, and chopped. Or you can use beet greens, arugula, or other cookable green of choice.

• If you are watching your fat intake, feel free to reduce the cheese and use low-fat milk. On the other hand, if you love cheesy pasta and could care less about the fat, double the cheese!

• Double this recipe and put in a 9x13in / 23x33cm pan!

• If making ahead more than a few hours, I suggest boiling the pasta by 1-2 minutes less than indicated time, as it can become mushy sitting in the sauce. You may also need to add a bit more liquid (water, broth, or milk) to the sauce to compensate for the bit the pasta absorbs.

• If you don’t know what to do with the other half can of artichokes, I suggest 1) making this dish twice within a few days, 2) doubling the recipe, or 3) using frozen artichokes or cooking them yourself so you don’t have to worry about the half can. I usually end up going for option 1, honestly, because making this once just isn’t enough.

Yield 3-4 servings

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

50 Min

Cook time

10 Min

Total time

1 Hour

Print

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Spinach Artichoke Pasta

Pasta in a cheesy, creamy sauce with spinach and artichokes, playing off the flavors of the beloved spinach and artichoke dip.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 8 oz / 250g (half package) penne or your choice of short pasta
• 2 Tbsp / 28g oil
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp / 15g all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup / 60g water, or chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup / 237g milk
• about 5 oz / 150g fresh spinach, chopped
• 7 oz / 200g frozen or canned cooked artichoke hearts, drained/thawed and chopped
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg, or a few grates of fresh, if available
• salt and pepper, to taste
• about 2 oz / 57g fontal or other semi-soft cheese, shredded
• about 2 oz / 57g parmesan cheese, shredded or grated

Instructions

1. Ungreased 8x8in / 20x20cm pan, if you’re making this ahead of time (see steps 9. and 10.)
2. Place a large pot of water over high heat, adding salt just before it boils. Cook the pasta al dente according to directions on package; drain.
3. While you’re boiling the water and cooking the pasta, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook for about 2-3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes or so, until the onion is translucent and garlic fragrant.
4. Add flour and stir, it will absorb all the liquid. Cook 1-2 minutes, until flour is toasted.
5. Slowly add in the water, stirring constantly to make a thick paste (roux), then slowly stir in milk.
6. Bring to a simmer to thicken the sauce; add spinach, artichokes, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until spinach has wilted and artichokes are heated through, about 2 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and add a generous half of the fontal and generous half of the parmesan, stir until melted.
8. Add the cooked pasta and stir to coat.
9. If serving right away, spoon onto plates and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
10. If serving later, transfer pasta to prepared baking dish, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and refrigerate. When ready to eat, place oven rack near top and broil pasta for a few minutes, or until cheese is melty and starts to turn golden.

Notes

• Instead of fresh spinach you can also use frozen spinach, defrosted, drained, and chopped. Or you can use beet greens, arugula, or other cookable green of choice.
• If you are watching your fat intake, feel free to reduce the cheese and use low-fat milk. On the other hand, if you love cheesy pasta and could care less about the fat, double the cheese!
• Double this recipe and put in a 9x13in / 23x33cm pan!
• If making ahead more than a few hours, I suggest boiling the pasta by 1-2 minutes less than indicated time, as it can become mushy sitting in the sauce. You may also need to add a bit more liquid (water, broth, or milk) to the sauce to compensate for the bit the pasta absorbs.
• If you don’t know what to do with the other half can of artichokes, I suggest 1) making this dish twice within a few days, 2) doubling the recipe, or 3) using frozen artichokes or cooking them yourself so you don’t have to worry about the half can. I usually end up going for option 1, honestly, because making this once just isn’t enough.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

488.68

Fat

23.74 g

Sat. Fat

8.73 g

Carbs

47.45 g

Fiber

6.94 g

Net carbs

40.51 g

Sugar

2.65 g

Protein

23.43 g

Sodium

668.13 mg

Cholesterol

38.81 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on 3 servings using water (not broth) and 2% milk.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2019/7/18/spinach-and-artichoke-pasta

spinach artichoke dip, pasta

pasta, dinner

American

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

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Refrigerator Dill Pickles

Last Updated August 11, 2024

Summertime calls for watermelon, lemonade, ice cream, swimming, and cook outs.  And every quintessential cookout will have something to cook outside, usually meat and vegetables in some form.  (I know we're all thinking hamburgers, bratwursts, and hotdogs, but hey, there are some other weird traditions out there, too.)  And if you're cooking out, you're going to need buns and condiments.  And the best condiment award goes to....pickles!!

Not only does it have the best taste (opinion), but it stands alone.  As in, if you eat a pickle, no one will think twice.  But if we see you munching on a romaine lettuce leaf or slurping on a spoonful of ketchup, well, you might get some stares.  Of course, this is coming from someone who doesn't like hamburgers and once ate a romaine sandwich.  As in, onion, ketchup, mustard, and pickles sandwiched between to Romaine lettuce leaves.  Mmmmm.  Yeah, it was weird.  But I was so hungry, and hamburgers were the only option, I rather enjoyed it.  That's now on the worldwide webs.  Maybe I should change my heading to be: "Jenny, the girl who eats condiments like a main dish." Don't worry I won't, only you, my seven followers, are now privy to this information.  Haha.  

Back to pickles.  Now that we have remembered how great pickles are, did you know they are super easy to make at home?  Yes they are, and now you know that too.  Boil some water, throw some ingredients in a jar, chop up some cucumbers, stick them in the fridge, and voila!  Pickles.  

This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy something using these links, Jennyblogs may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps to support Jennyblogs. For further information see the privacy policy. Grazie!

Recipe adapted from my mama

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Refrigerator Dill Pickles

Makes about 24 spears/servings

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups / 830g water

• 1 1/4 cups / 296g white vinegar

• 1 Tbsp / 12g sugar

• 1 Tbsp / 17g salt

• 1 tsp / 2g turmeric, optional

• 4 cups or about 2-3 large cucumbers, cut into slices, spears, or shape of choice

• 2 cloves garlic

• 2 heads fresh dill

• 1 tsp red chili flakes, mustard seeds, or celery seeds, optional

Directions:

1. Stir together water, vinegar, sugar, and salt in a large saucepan.  Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. 

2. In a large glass jar or container, 4-quart or larger, arrange garlic, dill, cucumbers, and any spices you choose to use.  Pour the cooled liquid over the cucumbers, discarding or saving any leftover for another use.  Top with lid, sealing well, and refrigerate.  

3. They will start to taste pickle-y the next day, but for optimum flavor refrigerate at least 3 days before consuming.  

Jenny's Notes:

• I recommend making this recipe once as is to get an idea of the flavor profile, then play around to make it your own!

  1) If you like more bread & butter or sweet style pickles, up the sugar

  2) If you love dill, use more dill

  3) Add sliced onions or bell peppers

  4) Add more red pepper flakes or other hot pepper for more spice

  5) Really, add whatever suits your fancy. The garden is your playground.

• The turmeric is for color, not so much flavor, to get that idyllic yellow pickle.  However, if you could care less about having a yellow pickle or don’t enjoy turmeric, leave it out!  I for one don't think the turmeric is very obvious in this recipe, but it's detectable if you really think about it.  

Yield 24

Author Jennyblogs

Prep time

15 Min

Cook time

10 Min

Inactive time

72 Hour

Total time

72 H & 25 M

Print

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Refrigerator Dill Pickles

Classic dill pickles made in your refrigerator in just 3 days.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups / 830g water
• 1 1/4 cups / 296g white vinegar
• 1 Tbsp / 12g sugar
• 1 Tbsp / 17g salt
• 1 tsp / 2g turmeric, optional
• 4 cups or about 2-3 large cucumbers, cut into slices, spears, or shape of choice
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 heads fresh dill

Instructions

1. Stir together water, vinegar, sugar, and salt in a large saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
2. In a large glass jar or container, 4-quart or larger, arrange garlic, dill, cucumbers, and any spices you choose to use. Pour the cooled liquid over the cucumbers, discarding or saving any leftover for another use. Top with lid, sealing well, and refrigerate.
3. They will start to taste pickley the next day, but for optimum flavor refrigerate at least 3 days before consuming.

Notes

I recommend making this recipe once as is to get an idea of the flavor profile, then play around to make it your own! 1) If you like more bread & butter or sweet style pickles, up the sugar2) If you love dill, use more dill3) Add sliced onions or bell peppers4) Add more red pepper flakes or other hot pepper for more spice5) Really, add whatever suits your fancy. The garden is your playground.The turmeric is for color, not so much flavor, to get that idyllic yellow pickle. However, if you could care less about having a yellow pickle or don’t enjoy turmeric, leave it out! I for one don't think the turmeric is very obvious in this recipe, but it's detectable if you really think about it.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

10.04

Fat

0.04 g

Sat. Fat

0.01 g

Carbs

1.91 g

Fiber

0.20 g

Net carbs

1.72 g

Sugar

1.09 g

Protein

0.25 g

Sodium

276.95 mg

Cholesterol

0.00 mg

Nutritional information is approximate. Based on one pickle spear.

https://jennyblogs.com/blog/2017/7/21/refrigerator-pickles

dill pickles, refrigerator pickles, homemade pickles

condiment, snack

American

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @jennyblogsandbakes on instagram and hashtag it #jennyblogs

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