Pasta Carbonara

Cheese, bacon, and pasta. What’s not to love? I decided to make this a little healthier by adding in peas, I think mushrooms would go great too (with a splash of vermouth for pop!) but the mushrooms we had went bad. Next time! Ingredients (serves 6 – 8): 1 lb pasta of your choice 6…

Pasta Ratatouille

This recipe comes from Bon Appetit, but I liked it so much I’m recreating it here for future use! I got my Misfits Market box the other week, and amongst the fruits and veggies I got zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and onions. The first thing I thought of when I saw these ingredients, was to go…

Farro Risotto with Roasted Asparagus and Zucchini

This is a recipe I got from Hello Fresh, rewritten here because it’s absolutely delicious. I’ve changed the ingredient amounts and steps slightly. Ingredients (serves 6-8): 1 bunch of asparagus, top 2″ of the flowery parts set aside, and stalks cut in 1/2″ rounds 2 medium/large zucchinis, yellow or green, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced…

Vegetable Dumplings with a Ponzu Dipping Sauce

I had a barbecue the other week, and bought too much cole slaw. I only made dressing for one of the bags, and still had the other, and thought to myself, what can I do with a bunch of pre-shredded carrots and cabbage? Turn it into dumpling filler, of course! So I bought some premade…

Heirloom Tomato and Cucumber Quinoa Salad

This quinoa salad is perfect for summer! Light, refreshing, and easy to make. Ingredients (serves 4): 4 cups cooked quinoa (cook quinoa in a 2:1 ratio, 4 cups water to 2 cups quinoa to make 4 cups cooked, I usually use 1 cup chicken broth instead of 1 of the cups of water). Cook ahead…

Bacon Macaroni and Cheese with Caramelized Shallots and Onions

This is beyond decadent and is essentially a heart attack waiting to happen. But it is winter, and I am in need of comfort food! I decided to experiment with some alcohol and bacon in this one, and it turned out ooey, gooey, and incredibly rich. The bread crumb topping adds an essential crunch to…

Pasta with Roasted Peppers, Artichokes, and Chicken Sausage

I spent last weekend in Connecticut and came back to Brooklyn relaxed, mellow, and with leftover uneaten food from the trip. I got to take home some pretty tasty looking chicken sausage, and was trying to think of ways to cook it. Breakfast? Barbecue? …Pasta? Obviously, I ended up doing the latter. Since the chicken sausage was…

Summer Squash Perciatelli

I’m a big fan of squash and zucchini in the summertime. You can grill it, sauté it, or, as done here, make a pasta dish with it! I concocted this summery pasta dish in order to make use of those seasonal summer squash and (surprise) summer citrus. Ingredients: 1 lb perciatelli (or other spaghetti-type pasta) 3 lemons,…

Pasta Salad with Tomatoes and Feta

This is one of my favorite recipes to make for barbecues. I’ve started having to make twice this amount because it disappears so fast! Tastes very fresh and summery. Ingredients: 1 lb pasta (gemelli or penne work well) 3 tsp lemon zest juice of 2 lemons (roughly 2 tbs) 2 tbs white wine vinegar 4 cloves of…

Lemon Ricotta Pasta

This makes for a nice and light summer pasta dish, and a great way to incorporate summer citrus! 1 lb pasta (I used mostaccioli rigati) 6 tbs butter 2 garlic cloves, minced zest of 2 lemons juice of 2 lemons 1.5 cups ricotta salt and pepper to taste 1 cup chopped basil 1/3 cup pine…

Meatlover’s Lasagna

Sometimes you just need to whip up some comfort food that revolves around meat and cheese. I’m in the process of taking my teacher certification exams, and am definitely in need of comfort food that lasts a few meals so I can just heat it up and get back to studying! Serves 12. Ingredients: 1 tbs olive…

Cold Peanut Sesame Noodles

This recipe is ridiculously simple to make, and fulfills my cold sesame noodle craving. Also great for leftovers and doesn’t need to be heated, so perfect for bring-to-work lunches. Ingredients: 1 10oz package of lo mein (one could substitute this for a 1lb package of spaghetti, but it doesn’t quite taste the same) 1/3 cup…