Linguine with Zucchini, Lemon, and Mint

      Zucchini here, zucchini there, I've got zucchini everywhere!!  That seems to be the usual cry of gardeners each summer......well, except for this gardener.  I remember one of the first spring seasons, after we had moved into the home we live in presently.  I really wanted to have a garden even though, as I've mentioned before, this Italian hadn't grown up working in one of her own.....sad, but true!  

      So, after hearing my brother-in-law talk about this book he'd been reading on "square foot gardening", I decided to try it out myself.  After all.....the amount of produce one can expect to harvest from this type of garden is really pretty amazing!

      I read and read, planned and planned, had a small area tilled by a friend, set out my 12"x12" markers, bought seeds and some baby plants, and got ready to sow!  I was very excited, thinking about all the wonderful vegetables my family would be eating all summer long...... grown, nurtured, and harvested with my own little hands!

Swiss Chard and Sweet Pea Manicotti

    One of my hubby's favorite meals is a nice plate of manicotti with a delicious tomato sauce and lots of gooey cheese.  So, when I saw this recipe, I just had to try it!  Now, granted, it doesn't include a tomato sauce, but there definitely is no lack of gooey cheese!  And if you're trying to get the kids to eat some more green veggies.......this will work!

Brussels Sprouts, Pasta, and Bean Soup

    I know what you're thinking......"What's the girl (who isn't that "into" soup) doing, sharing another soup recipe?"  Well, what can I say?  It's been cold around here!!  And, when you're feeling chilled, there's just nothing better than a nice, steaming hot bowl of soup to help warm you up!

    I've been making this recipe for years, but I honestly couldn't tell you where it originated.  It's just a recipe I have written out on a card in my recipe box.  It's a great mix of vegetables, with the addition of red kidney beans, for a little protein, and some ditalini pasta.  There's something about it that really brings me back to my grandmother's kitchen.  I think it's the ditalini.  My gramma used it quite a bit.  I've shared a recipe for Pasta and Peas, in honor of her, in another post.  I recommend you check it out!

    Back to today's recipe........this soup is so comforting, so good for you, and so delicious!!  I think I may have to go have another bowl right now!  

Fettuccine with Mascarpone, Toasted Walnuts, and Basil

    O.k. friends......time for some carbohydrates.  This is a rich and delicious pasta dish that goes well with a light salad.  I love the combination of crunchy, toasted walnuts with the creamy mascarpone cheese and the fresh basil!  And.....it's really quick and easy, with only 5 ingredients plus salt and pepper!

Homemade Cavatelli with Fresh Favas

    Well, we are  fully into spring, with the official start of summer just two weeks away.  The kids have finished the school year, so they're on "lazy" time already.  The garden is planted and I have several other projects waiting in the wings to be completed.  It seems that everywhere I turn there's something else that needs my attention......or someone's attention.  And......since I seem to be the one so acutely aware of all of these lovely "projects", I feel compelled to think about them constantly. when I have a little free time. :)  Sorry, I digress.....

     When I think of spring I also think of certain foods..........fava beans being one of them.  It's another  thing that reminds me of my Italian gramma and her large, thriving garden.  So, when springtime comes I start thinking about favas and where I can acquire some.  (Maybe I'll try to grow my own next year.) As usual, I'm the lone little Italian lady regularly asking my local supermarket to order all sorts of things (like favas) that, apparently, no one wants but me. 

Paccheri al Cardinale

                                                                                  
    I've been told that, as a little girl, I had quite a flare for the "dramatic".  If I would begin to carry on about one thing or another, my mom would give me a little look and say, "Alright Sarah".  Why "Sarah", you ask?  After all, that's not my name.  Well, she was referring to Sarah Bernhardt, who was considered the greatest French actress of the later 19th century and one of the best-known figures in the history of the stage.  She had a reputation as a serious dramatic actress.  Now, even as a child, I knew I wasn't  being complimented.  The real message was "Tone it down a little" or "You're being a little over dramatic".

    Today, as an adult, I still enjoy drama, if done well and love things that have something special or unique about them.  This recipe encompasses all of that.  Although I've made and eaten a lot of pasta, in my day, I've never seen any pasta dish done this way before.  Pasta is tossed with a basic tomato sauce, several cheeses, and fresh basil.  Then it's covered with a layer of parchment paper and baked in the oven.  When it comes out, the parchment is cut open and the pasta is served with dollops of fresh ricotta....YUM!

Veal Meatball and Broccoli Rabe Soup

    I can already hear some of you saying, "Veal meatball and what soup?"  I'm glad you asked.  Broccoli Rabe is a leafy green vegetable that is slightly bitter and very popular in Southern Italy.  It is also known as Rapini or just Rabe.  Although you'd assume it's a relative of broccoli, it's actually closely related to turnips.  It's a very healthy vegetable, loaded with vitamins A and C and lots of potassium. I really enjoy the little bit of bitterness and also the fact that you can do so many things with it.  It's great in soups, pastas, just as a side, sauteed with olive oil and garlic (really, what isn't good sauteed with olive oil and garlic??), or even made into a pesto.

Pasta and Peas in Honor of Gramma

    Well, here's another dish to celebrate National Pasta Month.......Pasta and Peas!  While trying to decide which  pasta recipe to share this time, I pretty quickly thought of this one.  It's a dish I remember having many times as a little girl while at my grandparents' house.  I loved being with them and considered it a treat when I could spend the night.  Now, breakfast at gramma's ..... not my favorite. It usually included a soft-boiled egg somewhere and, as a little girl,  I just couldn't deal with that runny yolk.  On the other hand, the pineapple juice was delicious and seemed rather special served in her sweet little juice glasses with the painted oranges around the outside.  After a morning of playing, having a little visit with their beagle,  Queenie, and "helping" grandpa in the garden, gramma would call us in for lunch.  Then the three of us would sit down at their tiny kitchen table to a nice bowl of pasta and peas.  It was so good!

Macaroni with Broccoli

   
    Hey guys, October is National Pasta Month!  Did you know that?  While researching on the net I came across some interesting information about it.  Well, interesting to a pasta loving Italian-American like me.  The first commercial pasta plant in the U.S. was founded in Brooklyn, New York in 1848.  By the turn of the century the industry had grown to the point that a large number of members got together to discuss issues concerning manufacturing and marketing.  As a result, the National Macaroni Manufacturer's Association was established.  It wasn't until 1981 that the name was changed to the National Pasta Association.  Now, that makes sense to me because, as a child growing up, I never remember hearing my parents or especially my Italian grandparents, use the word "pasta".  It was always "maccheroni".

Rigatoni with Red Peppers, Almonds, and Breadcrumbs

     When it's rainy and cold outside I want to stay in my house, wear soft and comfy clothes, and eat comfort food.  Yes, fall has arrived and brought with it the usual cooler temperatures and a few overcast and rainy days.  I've definitely been in the mood for some homey, comforting dishes.  This recipe really does say "comfort" to me.  I mean, what's better than a big bowl of pasta? (o.k., so we're not doing the low-carb thing right now.  Everything in moderation, I always say.)  Add a nice salad and you've got a great family meal.