Basil Pesto

Ahhh pesto - such a humble sauce. A few simple ingredients come together to make a classic pasta dish that's hard to beat. Our herb garden really did well this year (well, not all herbs, but most did fine) and we found ourselves with a ton of extra basil... not a bad thing! I decided that it was time, once and for all, to try my hand at a yummy basil pesto. Traditionalists will tell you that pesto should only be made with a knife or mortar and pestle - no food processors or other electronics. Well, sorry traditionalists, but I don't have an extra 30 minutes to spend in my kitchen milling a pile of herbs to fine bits. (I'm sure it tastes awesome. If you have the time and patience to make it by hand, by all means go for it... and bring me some when you're done!). I chose to use my food processor for this because it is just so darn convenient.

Beautiful Basil From Our Herb Garden

Because pesto is such a simple sauce, it's vital to use the best ingredients you can manage. That means no "parmesan" out of a green-lidded can, kiddos. Use the real stuff. Trust me. Also, look for basil that is young with smaller leaves if possible. I find that when basil matures and flowers it tends to get bitter, which will impact the flavor of your sauce (ick). Finally, take the time to toast the pine nuts. Holy cow do they taste so much better when you toast them! 

If you have a pile of basil lying around, or if you just love pesto, please give this a try. It's the best version I've found, and pretty darn simple as well! Enjoy!

Basil Pesto

serves 4

Ingredients

2 cups packed basil leaves, rinsed and patted dry

1 clove garlic

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan or pecorino cheese (yes, the real stuff), plus extra for serving

1 pound dried pasta (I prefer whole grain spaghetti, but use what you like)

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water while you make the sauce. Reserve some of the cooking liquid before draining.

In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, pulse the basil, garlic and pine nuts until minced. You might have to stop and scrape down the bowl a couple of times if you have some runaways. Through the feed tube, slowly drizzle in the olive oil with the food processor running. Add the parmesan cheese and pulse a few times to incorporate. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Toss together the pesto and pasta until well combined. Add a few splashes of pasta cooking water to help the sauce stick (I know it seems counter-intuitive, but the starchy water is like glue!) and toss again. Portion into serving bowls and top with a little more parmesan cheese. Yum!

p.s. This sauce would also be great on top of chicken or steak... mmm

Chicken Parmesan Burgers

Chicken Parmesan Burgers... yum! I read about this idea online but had a tough time finding a recipe that was easy and had enough flavor for me, so I just made up my own version! I took the best parts of chicken parmesan and the best parts of a delicious burger and smooshed them together into one glorious concoction. The best part about this burger? You get the flavor of chicken parm without the deep frying, so they are (almost) guilt free. I hope you enjoy these :o)

Chicken Parmesan Burgers

Makes 4 burgers

Ingredients

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp. fresh parsley, minced

3 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped (divided)

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

pinch cayenne pepper

1 lb ground chicken

1 egg

1/2 - 1 cup breadcrumbs

4 slices provolone cheese

4 ciabatta rolls

1/2 cup marinara sauce, heated

Melt 1 tbsp. of the olive oil in a medium skillet. Add the onion and sautee over medium heat until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sautee 2 minutes longer. Stir in the parsley, 1 tbsp of the basil, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Remove from the heat.

In a large bowl, mix the chicken, egg, 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs, and onion mixture with your hands until well combined. If the mixture is too wet, add more breadcrumbs until the mixture stays together enough to form patties. Split the mixture into four equal parts and form each one into a patty 1 inch thick. Put on a plate in the fridge for 30 minutes for the flavors to meld.

To cook: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Heat the remaining oil on a grill pan or large skillet over medium high heat. Cook the burgers until golden brown on each side, approximately 4-5 minutes and then transfer to a cookie sheet. Finish cooking the burgers in the oven until they are cooked through and juices run clear. When the burgers are nearly done, distribute the remaining basil over each burger, then top with a slice of provolone and place under the broiler for 2 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

To assemble you can either spread the marinara on the rolls, or use it as a dipping sauce on the side. Either way works great! Yum! :o)

Bolognese Sauce

One of my goals is to create the perfect pasta sauce. I don't care if it's quick, time consuming, easy, hard, or complicated, I just want to create the perfect pasta sauce. While I love a good marinara, this bolognese was pretty darn close to perfection! By using a variety of meats, I was able to obtain a good depth in flavor. There are several ingredients, but all of them blend together to make a delicious meat sauce that sticks wonderfully to pasta - just toss in the pasta at the end and toss. As an alternative, use this sauce with ricotta and lasagna sheets to make a delicious meat lasagna! Enjoy :o)

Bolognese Sauce

Makes Enough for one 11x13 lasagna 

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 lb sweet Italian sausage (no casing)

1/2 lb ground beef

1/2 lb ground pork

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 medium onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 6 oz. can tomato paste

1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 cup beef stock

1 tbsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a large, heavy bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the sausage, beef, and pork and cook until browned and cooked through. Add the carrots, onion, celery, and a pinch of salt and cook until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 2 minutes more. 

Stir in the tomato paste to coat the meat and vegetable mixture. Once coated, add the beef stock and bring to a simmer. Allow the meat and stock mixture to simmer for 5 minutes or until it has reduced by about half. Add the crushed tomatoes and dried herbs (you could also use an Italian Herb seasoning blend here). Bring the sauce to a simmer, lower the heat to medium low, and cover. Cook the sauce at a light simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent the bottom from sticking or burning.

After the sauce has cooked for 30 minutes, remove the lid and season to taste with salt and pepper. Continue cooking with the lid off until desired thickness is reached, about 5 minutes.

Toss with pasta, or use in a lasagna for a yummy meal! :o)

Meatballs and Marinara Sauce

Spaghetti and meatballs is a classic meal that is an all-around crowd pleaser. It is one of the earliest dinners I remember eating, probably because it was captured on film - it's hard to resist taking a picture of a kid covered in marinara sauce! My mom has a very distinct, very popular "spaghetti sauce" and meatballs recipe. Now that I make it on my own, I have added a few twists to suit my taste as well as Andy's, but it is all inspired by the original sauce and meatball recipe that my mom still makes. Everyone seems to have their own version of meatballs and sauce, and after many (many) experiments this is the final recipe that we like the best... we like it so much I actually wrote it down! Serve this sauce over spaghetti for a comforting meal any time of year. Enjoy :o)

Italian Meatballs 

makes approximately 2 dozen

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef (80/20 works well)

1/2 lb. ground pork

1 egg

1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs (use a slice or two of white bread and pulverize in the food processor)

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup grated onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 tbsp. dried Italian seasoning

3 tbsp. olive oil

Mix together the breadcrumbs and milk. Add all other ingredients except the meats and mix very well. Add in the beef and pork and mix well until the breadcrumb mixture is evenly distributed. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil. Roll the meat mixture into balls approximately the size of golf balls (or whatever size you want, you will just end up with a different quantity). Add the meatballs in two or three batches and brown all over. Remove to a plate and continue browning all meatballs. Meatballs will not be cooked through and they will finish cooking in the sauce. Make the sauce in the same pot.

Marinara Sauce

makes approximately 1 quart

Ingredients

1 large onion, diced fine

2 carrots, peeled and diced fine

2 stalks celery, diced fine

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. dried parsley

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1 tbsp. tomato paste

1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano

1 tsp. sugar

Drain some of the excess fat from the pot used to brown the meatballs leaving enough to coat the bottom. Add the onions, garlic, carrots and celery as well as the salt and pepper and cook over medium low heat until softened, approximately 10 minutes. Add the herbs, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, and sugar and stir well to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer and add the meatballs and any juice that accumulated on the plate. Cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes to prevent the bottom from burning. If you would like a smooth sauce, remove the meatballs and puree the sauce until smooth, then return the meatballs to the sauce. If you don't mind some veggie pieces, leave the sauce as-is. You might need to add extra salt or pepper to taste. Serve over spaghetti or use the extra sauce in other dishes.