TJ Wilde Trilogy · Duxbridge Mysteries · Jennifer McCaffrey Mysteries
Expecting our first hard freeze this week. It’s been cold enough that the tomatoes have stopped ripening, so it was time to bring them in. I picked about six pounds, and I expect more than half to ripen, more if I’m lucky.
With cold weather and tomatoes on the mind, it seemed the perfect time for soup!
The tomatoes have been coming in fast this week, so it seemed like a good time to make a nice, fresh sauce with some of them. I also had some ricotta and mozzarella in the freezer. Time to revisit Skillet Lasagna.
Fresh from the garden ingredients elevate this easy weeknight dinner menu. On the board tonight:
MENU
Skillet Lasagna
Patty Squash Sauté
Italian Bread
Peaches
Skillet Lasagna
skillet
saucepan
In the saucepan, cook pasta according to package directions, cooking to al dente (slightly chewy), and drain well.
Meanwhile, in the skillet, brown beef, onion & pepper. Add spices, garlic, carrot, and sauté for 1 minute. Add sauce and paste, stirring well into the meat mixture.
Add pasta, stirring gently to mix.
It’s going to be a busy few weeks as my family and I deal with my dad’s illness. So postings will be brief.
I wanted to talk about cooking shortcuts, which somehow dovetailed nicely into things being so crazy that cooking becomes secondary.
Revisiting a summer favorite:
Pasta Caprese
saucepan and large serving dish
Prepare pasta according to package directions. While it’s cooking, mix the remaining ingredients together. Drain pasta completely (dab with paper towels, if necessary) then add to tomato mixture. Let sit for 10-15 minutes to let flavors blend. Serve warm or you can refrigerate and serve cold.
I use a fairly expensive mozzarella for this dish because it’s softer, tastier, and absorbs more flavors. Any locally produced mozzarella would work. Also, my local farmers’ market has a pasta vendor, who hand-makes many flavors of pasta. This dish works very well with flavored pastas – fire-roasted chili, lemon pepper, tomato basil, red bell pepper – the list goes on. You can also change up the cheese to a Queso Blanco (again, use a fairly expensive or locally produced one), use cilantro instead of basil, and use a chili-flavored pasta for a whole new dish. The possibilities are endless.
As summer is in full swing and my garden struggles along, I realized I had quite a few crushed tomatoes leftover from last year. Time to use a few up, and what better way than a nice spaghetti dinner.
And while my zucchini plants have yet to emerge, there are very nice, small, and flavorful ones at my local grocers.
Annie DeMoranville 