Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables

I actually made this long time ago but I didn't realize that I didn't post it until I was looking through some old pictures. This was around the time of our annual holiday potluck with my college friends and I always like to try something new for it. My boyfriend is vegetarian so I wanted to make sure that were was something he could eat at the party. This would be my first attempt at a truly vegetarian dish. 

Courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

• 2 red peppers, cored and cut into 1-inch wide strips
• 2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 summer squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 4 cremini mushrooms, halved
• 1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch strips
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1 tablespoon dried Italian herb mix or herbs de Provence
• 1 pound penne pasta
• 3 cups marinara sauce (store bought or homemade)
• 1 cup grated fontina cheese
• 1/2 cup grated smoked mozzarella
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/3 cup for topping
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

On a baking sheet, toss the peppers, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and onions with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and dried herbs. Roast until tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for about 6 minutes. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is still hard. Drain in a colander.

In a large bowl, toss the drained pasta with the roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, cheeses, peas, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix, until all the pasta is coated with the sauce and the ingredients are combined.

Pour the pasta into a greased 9 by 13-inch pan. Top with the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan and butter pieces. Bake until top is golden and cheese melts, about 25 minutes.

Review

First of all, the picture does not do it justice. That is just a terrible photograph and I wish I had a more well-presented picture of this dish. I should have plated it right away and taken a picture. Second of all, there was a slight complication because my boyfriend and I had to go to another holiday party before the one with my friends so the dish was sitting in the oven (turned off) with aluminum foil, which ended up hardening the top layer of the pasta dish and making it taste overcooked. Regardless of the fact, I actually still enjoyed the dish. I loved everything that went into it and I just know if I didn't overcook the top layer then it would have been perfection. But that's okay, first time around I am bound to make mistakes. I will definitely make this again and retake the damn picture to make it look more delicious. 

Basil Pesto Linguine

One day, I was asking my boyfriend what to eat for dinner. I was thinking about some fast food places but he told me that I should cook some basil pesto pasta. I was so damn lazy, but he kept giving me a hard time about how I don't cook anymore and I could save money if I just stopped eating out so often. He was right. I got up and and marched right down to Safeway and picked up some basil pesto ingredients.

Courtesy of foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

• 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino cheese (see Cook's Note)

Directions

Combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add 1/2 cup of the oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

If using immediately, add all the remaining oil and pulse until smooth. Transfer the pesto to a large serving bowl and mix in the cheese.

Boil some linguine for about 9 minutes. Drain the water and stir in the a few spoonfuls of pesto into the pasta until the noodles are coated enough to your liking. Place on a plate and dice some fresh tomatoes to place on top. 

Review

This was the first time I had ever made pesto. And to be honest, I have had pesto maybe only once in my entire life so my technique in making this pasta dish could be a little off and I wouldn't really know the difference. Anyway, this dish is incredibly easy to make. Boil some pasta, throw some pesto ingredients into the food processor, and combine. Nothing at all too complicated. And the dish came out pretty well. My only issue with this was that I think I added too much cheese (I never thought I would ever make that statement). But I just followed the recipe pretty strictly, although looking back at it I think I should have slowly added the cheese until I thought I put enough. Regardless, it was still a tasty dish. Just some lesson learned for the next time I make it.

Thanks

When people tell me they keep up with my blog and that they thoroughly enjoy reading it, I just scream like a little girl on the inside. And on the outside I'm just like, "Oh, cool thanks," in my attempt to be nonchalant.

It has been about 3 years and I feel like I have gotten so far from where I used to be. But I still don't think I am that great. The pictures look amazing, but I argue that I'm just a pretty good photographer. I wish I could be good enough to audition for MasterChef with some conviction. That could happen in this lifetime, who knows. And I still want to take cooking classes but those are always so expensive. One thing I know for sure is that I have developed a love for cooking (washing dishes, on the other hand, not so much).

What matters most, though is that I've grown so much as a home cook and it helps that I have such supportive friends who keep pushing me forward. Sorry this blog entry doesn't have any food pictures or recipes, but I just wanted to thank everyone for reading my blog. All the small gestures of support and compliments keep me motivated and it challenges me to cook even better food.

Golden Tofu Stufffed with Ginger Spice Vegetables

I'm pretty sure I found this recipe on Tumblr but I am not quite sure. I just saw the picture and I thought it looked amazing. On top of that, it sounded wonderfully light and healthy. 

Courtesy of comocomecami.com

Ingredients

• 1 piece firm tofu - cut in half diagonally into 2 triangles
• 1 small cucumber - julienned
• 1 small carrot - julienned
• 1 handful of bean sprout
• 2 Tbs seasame seeds
• 4 Tbs raw honey
• 1/2 Tbs grated ginger

Directions

Cut the tofu and pat it really dry on paper towel. Brown each triangle in a heated pan until golden brown, and set it aside to cool down.

Mix the soy sauce, honey, grated ginger, and sesame seeds in a small bowl and add the julienned cucumber, carrots, and sprouts. Cut a slit on the tofu, and create a pocket with a small spoon. Stuff some of the vegetables into it and enjoy it with the remaining marinated vegetables.

Review

When I first saw this recipe, I thought it had so much potential. However, my execution was really off. The biggest problem with it was the tofu. I could not brown them to the crisp that I wanted them to be. And on top of that, I did not slit the tofu well enough. There was just too much tofu with each bite and it didn't taste right. The last thing was the vegetables, which came out just decent. They came out really soggy and something just wasn't right about the marinade. I didn't necessarily think it was disgusting, but I was not particularly impressed with the dish at all. I will have to make a second attempt to try to redeem this.