Breakfast Pasta

I wasn’t always a breakfast person. Growing up, we usually had a bowl of cereal and milk or some frozen waffles. But as soon as I left for college, I discovered the beautiful and alluring world of morning pastries. Cinnamon rolls, scones, muffins, and croissants are all among my favorite items to eat. Once I married Nick, who doesn’t have a astonishingly high tolerance for sweet things like I do, I started getting into savory breakfast dishes like eggs and bacon, breakfast sandwiches, omelettes, scrambles, casseroles, etc.

This Breakfast pasta joins the best parts of a savory breakfast with linguine pasta and it’s a match made in heaven. It’s hearty and filling and faintly rebellious-feeling because you’re actually eating BREAKFAST for dinner as legitimately as you possibly can.

This was even better the next day because the sauce had more time to meld. The sauce meaning the gooey cheese, scrambled eggs, and bacon! YUM!

Thanksgiving Morning - Cinnamon Rolls!

I like Thanksgiving brunch a lot more than dinner. I know, blasphemy. I just never have a hankering for any of the traditional Thanksgiving dinner items. Turkey? I prefer chicken. Cranberry sauce? Too sweet and I dislike the texture and consistency. Sweet potato marshmallow whatever? WAY too sweet. Gosh, I sound like a Thanksgiving killjoy but honestly, the only things I eat are the bread rolls and mashed potatoes.I don't even like pumpkin pie.

So I've been thinking about what I want to serve at our family dinner table when I host someday. I want dishes that reflects our heritages (Italian, Norwegian, and Vietnamese) and I want to start traditions. One of those traditions will definitely involve having everyone wake up to the smell of freshly baked cinnamon rolls. I've never used a yeast-based cinnamon roll recipe because I prefer my cinnamon rolls to be more dense and not so light and fluffy. This recipe was by far the best I've tried in the non-yeast based category and I was so surprised to find that it originally came from Cooking Light.

I added about 1/2 cup of raisins on top of the dough before I rolled it. I found it difficult to roll these tightly but they turned out great nonetheless. They get squished in by their neighbors and generally keep the shape they're intended to.

I ate these for breakfast and as a late-night snack for a few days....so wonderfully soft and microwaves well if you want to eat it hot again!


Happy Thanksgiving, readers! I hope you have a delicious and restful and love-filled holiday weekend. Whatever you like to eat, I hope it's available in abundance for you and your loved ones! :)

Grilled Pork Spring Rolls

This week at mmmarilynn, I tried to gather recipes that you could use for Thanksgiving but when it comes down to it, these are all recipes that probably only *I* would use for Thanksgiving. Well, Brown Butter Sea Salt cookies are definitely a holiday treat anyone could enjoy but I’m less certain about the general appeal towards Grilled Pork Spring Roll (I didn't use pork patties, just thinly sliced pork from the Asian Market).

Yet, I proclaim that spring rolls make delightful appetizers. They’re fresh, light, and compact (you can eat them while standing at a party). They come in many different varieties; you can put pork, chicken, shrimp, or tofu (another plus for being easily vegetarianized/veganized) and whatever vegetables you want inside while the sauce can be customized to have a peanut butter or soy sauce or hoisin sauce or fish sauce base. The combinations abound so that I never get tired of this fresh and healthy appetizer.

If I were hosting Thanksgiving dinner, these would definitely be on the dinner table. In fact, it’s almost always at the Ly family Christmas gatherings and I am much obliged because, as I said, these are light and don’t fill you up like other dangerous appetizers!

This recipe is my favorite rendition of the spring roll –the flavors of the meat and the sauce meld together really well and something about grilled pork just wins me every single time.

Bon Apetit! Counting down the days until it’s days of eating in San Diego with our family : ) 

Some hints on how to roll these so they look pretty. It actually took me a while to finalize the art of spring rolls but you basically put the meat down first in the middle (but closer to you than the actual middle if you're sitting and doing the rolls)  and then layer the vegetables on top in the same direction, and finally add the noodles. You'll want the meat to show through the wrap when you're done wrapping so you put down what you want visible first. 

When you roll it, just fold the sides towards the middle, and then the bottom half (closer to you) over the mixture tightly. Spring roll wrappers are pretty elastic and have some give to them so make it tight. Keep rolling towards the top of the wrapper, or away from you. It's definitely hard to put those instructions into words but the best part is these will taste good no matter how they look.

Brown Butter Sea Salt cookies

If you’re one of my coworkers, you’re probably sick of Brown Butter Sea Salt Cookies but I, for one, am not. I am completely addicted and have been making batches and batches of these cookies (5 so far...) in an effort to crack the recipe from the Brown Butter Cookie Company, which is just up the coast in California. Nick’s boss recently got us some when he heard I was doing a holiday bake sale and they are AMAZING. They sell for $12.95 per dozen and the cookies, though small (bite-size or 2 bites at best), are worth every penny. They have the most unique texture (almost crumbly but well-packed enough that they don’t fall apart, and still soft and shortbread-ish) and amazingly subtle flavor. I knew I’d have to replicate it or else I’d burn a hole through our savings ordering more and more of them online.

Unfortunately, I have not replicated these golden, edible treasures. The recipes I’ve found online point you in the general direction of the originals but never quite close enough. BUT that’s okay because these recipes still make really good cookies that are almost as addictive. Any time butter is browned and sea salt is sprinkled on top of something, you’ve got a winner in my book.

My recipe below comes closer to the original in texture. The key is to really brown the butter, almost to the point of burning (just watch carefully and when you start to smell the nuttiness, it’s close to done), allow it to come to room temperature (I usually pop it in the fridge once the sugars and vanilla have been stirred in), and then add just enough flour to create a slightly sandy texture to the dough (it should be a bit crumbly and you can use a cookie scoop to pack it into the right form). The video on the company website also has you sprinkling salt on after baking; I’ve done before and after and don’t think it makes any difference. With that, I give you a wonderful dessert for your guests this season whether it be for the Thanksgiving table or Christmas coffee bar.

 

1 stick of butter

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1 tablespoon white sugar (I found it just not quite sweet enough without the white sugar)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup of flour plus a few more tablespoons to get it to that “sandy” texture
1 tsp baking soda

Sea salt for sprinkling

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter until it starts to caramelize (i.e. become the color of caramel but it won’t attain that texture). Pour browned butter into a medium bowl and stir in the sugars and vanilla. Refrigerate for about half an hour until it has cooled. Add in flour and baking soda until well-mixed. Make tablespoon-sized balls and flatten the top a bit your hand or back of spoon so the cookie is about 1” thick. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly golden. Sprinkle with salt

Carmelitas- Burning the caramel!

Some girlfriends and I get together every other week to bake and to hang out on Sunday nights. It’s been a growing tradition that I look forward to more and more.

One week, we decided to make carmelitas, an oat cookie bar with a layer of salted caramel inside. Sounded absolutely delightful.

The recipe turned out a little more cimplicated than expected (it had to go into the oven three separate times to bake each layer separately) notwithstanding the salted caramel recipe. I had made salted caramel several times before for ice cream and rice krispies treats and salted caramel bars, so I volunteered to do it again.

Except I burnt it. Badly. 

 

As I’ve mentioned before, salted caramel is tricky and you can never truly make it without paying strict attention to what you’re doing. A few pointers. Don’t stir the sugar and water. It should start to bubble and crack and then turn brown, at which point you can swirl the pan a bit to get it to even out. As soon as it turns amber, you add your butter, stir, remove from heat, and whisk as you add the warmed heavy cream. Each time I make it, I admit that the salty level varies, the caramel texture varies, and the color of the caramel varies. I think this is one of those times that the process is more of a scientific technique than it is an artistic craft.

Luckily, we had people in the kitchen who actually follow recipes to a tee (unlike me) and made it PERFECTLY the second time. 

So when you make mistakes, drown your wounded pride in alcohol. Or surround yourself with professional baking friends who forgive you for burning the caramel.

(On a side note, this recipe for salted caramel is really too sweet for my taste and not salty enough. I like the one for David Leibovitz Salted Caramel Ice Cream more)

Tiramisu Bundt Cake: Half a Cup of Milk Makes a Big Difference!

People often ask me if I prefer baking or cooking more. Most days, I think I enjoy the process of both equally. I treat baking and cooking the same – I like to follow a recipe very haphazardly and adjust as I go depending on what I notice are weaknesses in the recipe or simply adjusting based on personal taste (less sweet, more dense, bigger volume, etc. when it comes to baking, and almost always more seasoning and double the sauce/liquid when it comes to cooking). It allows for creativity and calls for smarts – you can’t just zone out. At the same time, I’m good enough at both baking and cooking that I don’t have to focus TOO hard. It’s the perfect balance of staying awake and alert yet relaxing and going with the flow. This is why I enjoy it and do it every night.

Sometimes, though, that kind of lackadaisical mental commitment leads to mistakes that aren’t good (there are often good mistakes made in the kitchen where the result is a surprising success).

In the case of this Tiramisu bundt cake, my blunder did not have any redeeming qualities. As you all know, tiramisu is one of my Top Three desserts for its lightness and its flavors (not too sweet, espresso-y and rummy). Although the bundt cake takes the lightness out of the original form of this dessert, it actually makes it into my other favorite form of dessert: ultra-dense and moist. I don’t like in between desserts like cake and cupcakes or semi-soft cookies (the Nestle Tollhouse cookie recipe comes to mind). I either want a chiffon cake and tiramisu and macarons or I want fudgey brownies and loaf pan cakes and bittersweet chocolate cookies.

So, the tiramisu bundt cake was supposed to be a most excellent riff on the original. But I forgot a ½ cup of milk. Somewhere in those three 1/2 cups of milk, I stopped counting after 1. Haha. And then I wasn’t sure if my 2^nd cup was my 2^nd or 3^rd one and since the batter looked normal enough, I stopped.

The cake turned out dry. Since there wasn’t enough liquid in there, I think more kahlua and coffee evaporated than was necessary. So it was also bland. I was sad. And upset. Very upset that I wasted ingredients, wasted oven energy, wasted time.

I have a very hard time letting go of mistakes but oddly enough, bringing up the ugly past (and blogging about it) helps me let go of it. I mess up once in a blue moon and you know what to do on those days? Grab a Blue Moon and move on.

(Note: This is probably a great recipe so don’t knock it! YOU could still try every recipe I post about this week (another good reason to share them)!)

A Big, Heaping Spoon of Humility

This week's theme at the Art of CrEATing is "humility." This issue has been weighing on the blog part of my mind and it suddenly sprung to the foreground this weekend and became inescapable. It's led me to make a confession in a valiant effort to sustain honesty on this blog. Here it is:

I am sometimes wrong.

Very wrong.

I published a burger rubric recently (you can read it here) that struggled to peacefully convey my disdain for Father's Office, my commendation of Umami, and ultimately, my throning of Golden State as the best burger in LA. Right now, you might be sighing because you're sick of me talking about burgers (did I mention we ate four this weekend?) but be patient and you will experience some rare and public humiliation of Marilynn. Who doesn't want to see some of that?

The story is I dragged two friends and Nick's brother to Golden State after much vocal praise of Golden State. After promising waves of ecstasy from the first bite to the very last, I found myself hanging my head in shame because the burger was tame, forgettable, and just plain. Good, but plain.

What happened? I blamed it on the fact that Golden State uses seasonal and local ingredients. I blamed it on the staff for having an "off night" due to busyness. In the end, it might have been any combination of those things and more, but what I learned was 1. I can't vouch for other people's reactions because I am not other people i.e. keep my opinion to myself because it is, after all, MY opinion (or more realistically, express my opinion but don't force it down people's throats) and 2. No one, no chef, no burger is perfect. We are all flawed in some way (that is a whole other religious and philosophical belief I need heavy reminder of).

Tom (our brother) then went to Father's Office with Nick the next night and said it was the best burger. Harumph.

Therefore, I cede Golden State's reign as #1 burger to Father's Office. I admit I was wrong. I admit that everyone I was fighting against was right. I admit that sometimes I like to be bossy and opinionated just to create conversation. I admit that I don't know everything there is to know about anything, even if it happens to be my favorite topic.

So in that vein of me being wrong (wow, that's so weird to say), this week is a week about mistakes and mess-ups that have happened in my kitchen. It's not useful blogging but it's real. Although I bake and cook something new every single night of the week (except Saturday when we go out), I obviously don't post about everything. Sometimes a recipe I try is simply good but not great, and I like to post the fabulous stuff, hoping I've done enough research so you can just visit this blog and trust that whatever's on here is excellent. But sometimes, just sometimes, I mess up a recipe. I botch a batch of cookies. And those weigh heavily on my ego because I'm a perfectionist. I hide those instances. I fret about them in my bed and plead for validation from Nick.

It's ridiculous I know. But, I am ridiculous in many ways. Hopefully that's part of why you enjoy this blog. One can only hope.

This it the first burger Tom had. A homemade Comme Ca burger (It was deemed the perfect burger by New York Times. Hey, they said it, not me!) with homemade burger buns that were absolutely amazing (I made it once with the brioche recipe included in the article but those didn't turn out well). These buns were sturdy and strong yet soft and easy to eat. I highly recommend making them!

I liked these homemade versions even more than the ones at the restaurant just because I could control the portion a little bit better (these were still ridiculously filling, don't get me wrong!) and the sauce to meat ratio (I felt like it was a bit too saucy at the restaurant but I added more lettuce and onions and less sauce to create a bit of crunch at home). This is definitely a must-try-at-home if you're a burger snob like me!

Bread+Meat Day 3: Chicken Shawarma

Try saying "Shawarma" three times fast. I can't even say it once. But what I can say is this dish is delish (now try saying "this dish is delish" three times fast). It came, surprisingly, from the magazine called "Cooking Light" but this Chicken Shawarma wrap packs a punch of flavor. The chicken is marinaded overnight, so make sure to provide time for that. Since I don't have a grill, I always use our broiler pan as a substitute. It has yet to fail me and always produces nicely charred pieces of meat, as you can see below.

The dressing on top is a rich and delectable one that tricks you into thinking that you're eating a filling and appetizing wrap from a street vendor. Yet, it's a simple dressing of Greek yogurt (I always buy my yogurts full fat), lemon juice, dill, and salt and pepper. It's a totally guilt-free indulgence to add an extra dollop of it on your wrap.

You should probably serve this on homemade pita if you really want to be impressive. I was feeling somewhat lazy so I took the shortcut of Garlic Naan from Trader Joe's frozen section. Thrown on a bed of romaine, red onion, and tomatoes, and this was a meal you just want to eat over and over again. And you can, because it is healthy enough to make you feel glad you ate three instead of just one. At least that's what we told ourselves! :P

Bread+Meat Day 2: Hoisin Pork Wraps!

Ever since I made carnitas and barbacoa in my slow cooker, I've been entranced by its ability to transform huge chunks of red meat into tender, juicy, and intensely flavorful bites of what is no longer meat but a whole magical meal in and of itself. The next recipe is an Asian twist on Mexican burritos. If you're like me and are looking for an excuse to use your slow cooker and visit your favorite butcher at your local farmer's market, here's a great recipe to try.

Basically, this is a bbq pork wrap made with hoisin sauce, a very popular Asian condiment. I know it best as the the accompaniment to big, steaming bowls of fresh pho but it's also used as a dip for spring rolls and as flavoring for other Chinese and Vietnamese dishes. It's very tasty and sweet, much like American barbecue sauce, but it definitely has a more soy-based flavor profile. I would recommend getting Lee Kum Kee brand if you can.

While the meat was tenderizing in the slow cooker, I was at work all day building up the excitement of coming home and opening the door to a WHAM of fantastic smells. I was not disappointed at all. I opened the slow cooker with sheer delight and poked at the meat, which fell off the bones with the lightest touch of a fork. I wrapped these in lavash wraps (which broke very easily, so I'd recommend tortillas instead) and served with Asian Peanut Cabbage Slaw for some crunch and fiber on the side. Absolutely scrumptious. The recipe makes a lot of food, so make sure to invite people over or force feed your coworkers at lunchtime like I did.

All About the Bread and El Carmen!

Two Great, Cheap Finds

As I form and understand my personal food philosophies more and more each day, I’ve come to find that I almost always enjoy the cheaper, semi-hole-in-a-wall places a lot more than the famous chef, $$$$, multiple-course dining places. Granted, I always love a semi-fancy date at a place with great service, awesome décor, and exciting, new food creations, but for day-to-day and week-to-week thrills, I love eating burgers and beer, gourmet sandwiches, brunch, or cheap Thai and Mexican food the most. Here are two more places to add to that list of places that won't break the bank and will certainly satisfy my appetite and self-proclaimed foodie palette:

1. All About Bread 

Bay Cities is the famed Italian deli in Santa Monica. It has darned good sandwiches and is always brimming with customers, many of whom are celebrities. They’re known for their Godmother sandwich with the works (Boar’s Head Genoa Salami, Mortadella Coppacola, Ham, Prosciutto, Provolone and Mayo, Mustard (Yellow, Honey or Dijon), Onions, Pickles, Tomatoes, Lettuce, Italian Dressing & Mild or Hot Pepper Salad). I’m pretty sure they make their own bread (lovely crackly top with insides that are similar to ciabatta bread).

Why all the talk about Bay Cities when I’m reviewing All About Bread? Well, the Godfather at All About the Bread was identical in flavor and filling but the bread held better in my opinion (they pack a lot of meat and toppings and sauces into these sandwiches). It also just tasted better. Bay Cities is definitely a worthwhile experience with huge lines ALL the time, lots of Italian products (snacks, cookies, olive oils, crackers, jams, etc.), and tons of other things besides sandwiches to try. It's a rite of passage living in LA  but if you want something a little less hectic and a little more sweet in the service department, go to All About the Bread. You won’t be compromising your sandwich snobbiness, you’ll only be enhancing it.

2. El Carmen

I’ve told you before that I live in a city full of food but if I had to choose the neighborhood that is most concentrated with stylish, trendy, newsworthy, and most importantly, innovative and delicious places to eat, it’d be my neighborhood or “Mid-City”. This area, bordered by La Cienega on the west, Melrose on the north, Olympic on the south, and La Brea on the east, includes most of my favorite restaurants like Joan’s on Third, Red O, Mozza, Lucques, AOC, Angelini Osteria, Angeli Caffe, JAR, Cube, La Brea Bakery, Umami, Golden State, Comme Ca, Taste, Blu Jam Café, BLD, Campanile, Tart, The Little Next Door, Jar, Doughboys, Urth caffe….etc, etc.!*(Seriously, yelp all those places and you’ll see that I’m not alone and if you're ever looking for a new place to eat, I personally vouch for all them!)

El Carmen is a fun Mexican place with the best happy hour I’ve ever been to. Before this, I ranked El Gyu-Kaku, Palomino, and Yardhouse as my top places for happy hour but this place outranks them all. The happy hour is only 5-8 but since it’s so close to work, we get there with plenty of time to drink and nosh. The $4 margaritas are stupendous. Very alcoholic and tasty and large. The guacamole and chips is only $2 and includes good, fresh, slightly chunky (just the way I like it) guacamole and some of the best chips I’ve had. You can get large plates of food (like tacos, chicken quesadillas, enchiladas) with rice and beans for $5. The interior is warm, colorful, and fun (not divey or too loud or too crowded). I can’t wait to go here more regularly! 

*Not all of these restaurants are super cheap, but in my opinion, they are all fairly priced for what you get, which is the whole package of ambience, service, portion size, quality of ingredients, and creativity. None of these places are super fancy either (with the exception of JAR). 

Pictures were taken from yelp. I'm about to invest in a new smartphone and will be able to take much better photos on my phone! Yay! 

Bread+Meat Day One: Shortcut Banh Mi

This week at "The Art of CrEATING", we'll be covering a variety of meat+bread dishes. Yep, those dishes that satisfy your huge, caveman appetites and leave you pining for a beer or a nap. For all you healthy eaters out there, this might be a good week to stay away from this blog. JUST KIDDING. Come back! I need your support!

Even though a burger or a sandwich or wrap (all of which will be covered this week) may come out greasy and fatty in a restaurant (which is honestly part of the appeal), they all come out fairly if not extremely healthy when made at home and with the right recipe. I find that flavor isn't compromised (which is not the case with healthified baked goods) even if I use a little less butter (and olive oil instead!) or a leaner meat. And though it's not pictured, I usually serve these with a salad or fruit so there's definitely a nice balance between protein, carb, and fiber :)

The first bread+meat combination is Shortcut Banh Mi. Banh Mi is, in my opinion, the holy grail of all bread+meat combinations. It has the delicacy and art of French cuisine, the flavor and spice of Vietnamese, and the good, old satisfaction of an American sub. These sandwiches usually consist of 10-12" of fresh, French baguette, pate, french buerre, and Vietnamese cold cuts like Cha Lua and Head Cheese, which are both meat delicacies that everyone should try at least once!

Well, this banh mi was called shortcut for a reason. All those ingredients are either expensive, hard to prepare, or both. This recipe does not involve any of the aforementioned ingredients but it does include pickled daikon and carrots, which are always a fabulous, tangy, crunchy accompaniment to almost anything. Instead of sliced jalapeno, this recipe uses a sriracha and mayonnaise sauce. Simply put, the recipe is Americanized and bastardized but oh-so-good nonetheless. It's the best sandwich I've ever made.

Cilantro is a must for me but you can also try Thai basil or mint or the other usual herbs used in Vietnamese cooking.

I would not skimp on the bread because it's just as important as the filling. I got mine from the best bread bakery I've ever been to: La Brea Bakery, owned by Nancy Silverton of Pizzeria Mozza crust fame and soon-to-be Short Order burger bun fame. Toasted slightly, it gives a nice but un-painful crunch to your sandwich.

This is a top favorite in our kitchen. It's not super authentic but it's a great twist on an authentic favorite. :)

Butternut Squash Gnocchi and Pumpkin Pie!

I ate my first bite of gnocchi in Florence, Italy and it was heaven. Plush pillows of pasta melted in my mouth like hot bubbles of cheese that weren’t gooey. I wondered why I had never even heard of them before Italy (partly because most people mispronounced the “gn” part of “gnocchi” and said “know-kee” so I *had* heard of them I just hadn’t made the connection between the pasta pillows and that ugly American noise that people uttered) and how I could prevent myself from eating them everyday while in Italy. Well, fortunately for me, almost every pasta was an eye-opening and orgasmic experience for me so I felt no need to stay so loyal to any single pasta type – I was just as happy to gallivant across Western Europe as I was to explore the seemingly infinite pasta varieties.  

I also knew that I could make gnocchi at home without a pasta maker. And I have on many, many occasions. One of my favorites is this healthy fall version. I roasted a butternut squash at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, threw the squash (without skin) into a food processor, and then added whole wheat flour until the dough was not too sticky. I also added salt and Italian seasonings and then split the dough into small rounds. I rolled each round out into a 1/2” thick snake and cut the snake into ¾” parts to make the gnocchi. My sister was visiting so she rolled a fork over the gnocchi to give them that signature "dented stripe" look. 

Boil the gnocchi in water until they float to the top, extract, drain, and then add whatever you want to make your pasta. Since it’s fall (duh), I caramelized some onions, bell peppers, and kale and added a jar of spaghetti sauce. It made for a hearty and memorable meal – memorable because it was another perfect Saturday with my mom and sisters in town and because it harked back to wonderful meals in Italy. 

For dessert, I made a pumpkin pie! I thought it might be too much squash in one meal but apparently, people can deal with two orange-colored courses. I also roasted the pumpkin, pureed it, added a can of condensed milk, 1 tsp of cinnamon, nutmeg, ¼ tsp of cloves, and ½ tsp of ginger. At least I think I did. You might want to look at another recipe because I kind of winged it. 

Of course, it was made even more perfect with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream! 

Marilynn's Holiday Baking sale

Hi friends!

I've officially launched my first holiday bake sale today! I am super duper excited about this opportunity to spread the baked goods love and hopefully add to the holiday cheer. As you know, I love baking and do it almost every night and I'd be thrilled to bake for your next holiday party, Thanksgiving dinner, or just your regular work day (bringing in baked goods is the best way to make your coworkers love you). We are taking orders starting NOW with at least 24 hours advance notice. Deliveries and shipping are not typically made because I'd like to keep costs low and just give the order directly to someone at work or church or who lives nearby (and your friends can pick up from you hopefully!).

If you have any questions, please email or comment on this post! Happy Holidays!

Love,
ML

Pasta+Wine nights

Nick doesn't really like pasta - he finds it too carb-y and thinks most of the sauces are too similar (tomato-based ones at least). I like to disprove him whenever possible and have started to make pasta a lot more often this autumn, especially since it means we HAVE to go out and buy a bottle of red wine to pair it with. Here are two pasta dishes I made recently and they stray from the traditional Italian ones quite a bit, but the heartiness of pasta, the richness of the sauce, and the satisfaction from pairing sauce and pasta are definitely all present in these two recipes.

Another fall recipe that I'm sure you fallophiles will love is this Orzo Pasta with Caramelized Fall Vegetables. I used all the veggies prescribed in the recipe including kale, mushrooms, and sweet potato, but I'm sure you could use anything you desire. It tasted perfectly sweet and was tossed in an Asian-based sauce of soy sauce. Unexpected but fantastic.

One thing I really loved about this recipe is it's sequential logic. While you're caramelizing each vegetable one-by-one, you have time to chop or dice the next vegetable to be caramelized. A very streamlined use of time!

The next pasta is a really, really, really good one that is going straight to classics. It's a Cajun Chicken pasta with chicken, tomatoes, and bell peppers, that is tossed in a cream and white wine based sauce. The cajun seasoning gives it a nice kick and the white wine sauce is light and airy (and pairs well with the leftover wine!).

 

Another thing I appreciate about pasta is that it keeps well as leftovers for Nick's lunch. Things like rice or rice noodles (Asian dishes, unfortunately) don't refrigerate and reheat very well but both of these dinners made for a nice, warm lunch the next day for Mr. Nick!