Vietnamese Pho with Beef

I love Asian cuisine! RJ has been gone all week, and I have been going Asian fusion crazy. He’s not a big Asian food fan, so this explains my serious excitement. I was in the mood for soup, so I found this yummy recipe on the food network website, they never do me wrong! This soup is very easy to make! I could only find the thin rice noodles at the store, so next time I hope to have the thicker noodles for this dish. Beef is definitely the best pick for this soup.

Prepare the rice noodles per package directions.

Place a large pot over high heat, I used my cast iron covered braiser (Giada DeLaurentiis style) . Poke the meat all over with a fork to tenderize it and season with salt and pepper. Cover with a little drizzle of vegetable oil and sear the meat for 2 to 3 minutes per side, then transfer to a plate.

Add the onion and ginger to the pot and cook about 4 minutes. Add the broth, 3 cups water, the star anise and cinnamon stick, reduce the heat and simmer about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, thinly slice the scallions and jalapenos (remove seeds if you want less heat) and tear the cilantro. Thinly slice the meat against the grain, keep aside. Drain the noodles, once drained keep in cold water until you use in the soup.

Add the fish sauce to the broth and boil 5 minutes. Add your mushrooms and jalapenos (this was something extra I thought would be perfect with the soup!) Throw out the ginger, star anise and cinnamon stick. Remove and slice the onion. Divide the noodles among your serving bowls; top with the broth, beef, scallions, cilantro, bean sprouts and onion.

Simple as that! And soo soo good. I even think my husband would like it!

What you’ll need:

• 8 ounces rice noodles (you will find this in the international Asian aisle)
• 12 ounces lean beef sirloin, fat trimmed
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 large onion, halved
• 1 4-inch piece ginger, unpeeled, halved
• 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 5 star anise pods (you will find these in the international aisle with the packages of dried seasonings)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 scallions
• 2 jalapeno peppers, preferably red and green
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
• 2 to 4 tablespoons fish sauce (you will find this in the international Asian aisle)
• 1 cup fresh been sprouts

Pasta Ponza

It was another one of those nights where I decided to throw a bunch of ingredients together and throw it all in a casserole dish! I love pasta dishes that have a little crunch to them, and I happened to have some panko bread crumbs in my pantry. I also have this thing for capers, love em! So I thought I would add those. I needed to use the leftover bacon in the fridge, great excuse to use that! What better than to add some crushed tomatoes with some seasonings and pasta and voila!

So to start, boil a large pot of salted water. Add your pasta and cook according to package directions. I used ziti, but you can use your favorite type of pasta! While your pasta is boiling, take a skillet and cook your bacon on medium high heat. Cook until desired crispiness. Place on a towel to absorb excess grease. When the bacon is cooled, break into small pieces. Rinse off the skillet and dry it. Take your crushed tomatoes and cook on medium heat, add capers, red peppers, pasta water, and seasonings. Cook until it starts to bubble, turn down to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, mix together the panko crumbs, fresh parsley, seasonings, and olive oil. Turn your oven on to high broil. Grab a casserole dish and spray with PAM. Place your pasta, tomato mixture and cheese into the pot and mix. Pour the mixture into the baking dish, top with the panko and bacon mixture.

Place in the  broiler on the top rack and turn the light on. The broiler gets hot fast and you want to be careful not to burn the dish. It only takes about 5 minutes to completely brown, turn it every few minutes to brown evenly. Place in a bowl and chow down!

What you’ll need:
1 box of ziti, or your favorite kind of pasta
1 can of crushed tomatoes with herbs
red bell pepper, sliced
2 tbsp capers, drained
1/2 package of bacon, cooked
1/3 cup of panko bread crumbs
1 tbsp italian seasoning
handful of flat leaf parsley, minced
1 1/4 cup pecorino romano and parmesean cheese, grated
1 tbsp olive oil

Seafood Mac-N-Cheese

On a trip home, I happened to meet some friends at a restaurant called Keystone Bar & Grill, famous for their unique mac and cheese and quesadillas. Amazing dishes, so creative and my favorite is their mac and cheese names, such as Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd, Nirvana. I am a huge Classic Rock and Alternative fan, so obviously I loved their food before even tasting it!

I came home and decided I was going to make my own version, not really experienced in the mac and cheese world, I thought I would be safe and look up a mac and cheese recipe to base my dish off of. I decided to use Muenster Cheese because it felt soft and I knew it would melt well. I actually have never had it before so I kind of just winged it at the store! I also bought some Gruyere Cheese because I wanted a little bit of a nutty cheese into the mixture.

From my previous recipe Seafood Quesadillas I had extra shrimp and Mahi Mahi. I thought, this would be super tasty in a mac and cheese dish! I had some bacon I needed to use up, so I added that to give the perfect salty crunch! This dish takes some time to make, but it’s definitely worth it in the end (and even better the next day leftover!)

I start out by whisking my goat cheese (If you don’t like goat cheese, you can substitute with feta or cheddar, or really any cheese you like!) bread crumbs, and bacon. I originally wanted to use panko crumbs, but I forgot to buy some at the store and the bread crumbs worked out great! Preheat your oven to 450º.

Start boiling a large pot of salted water. Cook your noodles according to package directions, you want them to be al dente, as in a little bit undercooked because they will also cook in the oven. Once drained, rinse your pasta with cold water and drain again, this prevents the pasta from sticking. Pour into a large bowl then place your shrimp and mahi and mix well. Set aside.

Start your cheese mixture. My favorite part of mac and cheese is obviously the cheese sauce! And it’s important that you get the right texture! Start by melting the butter on medium, then adding the flour slowly and making sure to whisk constantly to make a clumpy, flour base. Then add your milk, slowly and whisk constantly until you reach a thick consistency. It should stick to the back of a wooden spoon. Next, add your cheeses and mix until melted through. It may take a couple of mixes to break up the cheese and melt. Make sure you give it a taste before deciding it’s good. If it doesn’t taste cheesy enough, add more! If it’s not thick enough, add more flour. Also be sure to not let your mixture boil! This will clump up the flour.

Add all of your sauce into the bowl of pasta. Next add your lemon juice and zest, parsley, garlic powder and pepper. Mix well. (I omitted the salt because of the butter, cheese and bacon.. that’s enough sodium for me!)

Now add your bread crumb mixture evenly over the top of the pasta and place in the oven for 25-30 minutes. I put mine on broil for the last 5 minutes and moved my dish to the top wrack to give it a good crunch on top.

Let sit for 5 minutes to let the flavors and sauce really come together.

I am not lying this is the best homemade mac and cheese I’ve ever had! One of the best surprises in this dish is the slight lemon zest you taste in every bite, it works so well with the seafood and cheese! Unless you absolutely hate seafood or have an allergy, you have to try this dish! And if you don’t like seafood, subtitute with some chicken or sausage. It’s so fun to use your imagination when in the kitchen, and the results are always something to be proud of!

What you’ll need:
13.25 ounces rotini (I used Barilla)
1/2 pound fresh shrimp, peeled with tails removed and cut in half
1/2 fillet of Mahi Mahi, cut into pieces
1 package bacon, cooked crispy and crushed into small peices
A spoonful of herbed goat cheese, crumbled
Zest of 1 large lemon, divided
Juice of the lemon
3/4 cup plain bread crumbs (or panko)
4 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, divided
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup all-purpose unbleached flour (plus more if needed)
4 cups milk (whole or reduced fat)
2 ounces Gruyère Cheese, grated
8 oz Meunster Cheese, wax cut off (I used Boars Head)
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 to 1 teaspoon fresh black pepper

Roasted Veggie & Sausage Pasta

Ohh pasta.

When can you ever go wrong with pasta? Not only do you have endless options but you can be so creative with it! Friendly to all of our veggies out there, you can add meat, seafood, you name it and it will be a great pair!

Pasta is the best quick dinner, after a long day at work or running around with errands all day, pasta is that easy go-to staple always accessible in your pantry and fridge.

To get started, cut up your eggplant and zucchini. Preheat your oven to 425. Place olive oil on a baking dish and roll the vegetables around to coat evenly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in the oven for 15 minutes, re check and flip over with a spatula and place back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes until the veggies are browned and slightly crispy.

While these are roasting, cut up half an onion and mince 1 clove of garlic. Take a skillet and place a bit of olive oil in the pan until it’s hot on medium high. Take your sausage links and cut into slices or you can take the casing and remove it, then scramble the sausage into crumbles. Cook the sausage until almost fully cooked with slight pink to it. Add your onions and cook until translucent and slightly soft. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Pour your favorite spaghetti sauce in the skillet and turn the heat to low. Simmer to incorporate all of the flavors.

Add your veggies to the sauce, stir.

While simmering, start your pasta. Boil a large pot of salted water. Place noodles in boiling water and cook according to package directions. I chose angel hair pasta, it’s one of my favorites!

Once all is cooked, place your noodles, then sauce then sprinkle with parmesean cheese and a dash of parsley! Enjoy with your favorite glass of wine.

What you’ll need:
1 box of your favorite pasta (I used angel hair)
1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce (I used a mix of roasted red pepper and vodka sauce)
1 eggplant, cut into cubes
1 green zucchini and 1 yellow zucchini cut into slices
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 half yellow onion, diced
2-3 hot sausage links (or ground sausage)  
Parmesean cheese
Italian Flat leaf Parsley for garnish 

 

Creole Shrimp Sauté

I love Publix.

Growing up in Cincinnati area we had grocery stores called Kroger and your occasional Winn Dixie. When I moved to Florida and went to Publix for the first time I felt like a kid at Christmas! Their slogan is “Publix, where shopping is a pleasure.” Oh it is definitely a pleasure, the staff is always friendly and helpful and the food always is in good quality!

Every day Publix has someone cooking up a yummy recipe. They also have lots of recipe cards available throughout the store and the best part is that they are free!!  So I found this particular recipe card and couldn’t wait to make it for dinner! If you like shrimp with a little kick and a light olive oil based pasta, you will love this meal!

I did my usual and changed some things up from the original recipe, added asparagus for more of a color pop and also substituted pancetta in place of bacon. But if you aren’t a fan of asparagus, I would also suggest some sweat peas or peppers! You could also try some chorizo instead of bacon or pancetta.

To get started, boil a medium sized pot of water. While your waiting for it to boil, prep some of your ingredients: cut up the pancetta (or bacon or chorizo, etc) into bite-sized pieces. Chop your parsley and tomatoes.

If you are cooking with bacon, cook the bacon on medium high for 5-7 minutes or until it is almost done. If you are using chorizo or pancetta (especially pancetta) you only want to cook it ahead for a few minutes because it cooks faster. Your water should be boiling by now so go ahead and add your pasta and cook according to package directions.

Once the meat is cooked almost all of the way through, sprinkle blackening seasoning (I used my favorite seasoning Cajun!) to the shrimp and add to the skillet stirring and cooking for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, asparagus, wine, garlic, red pepper flakes. Cook for another few minutes or until the shrimp turn pink and the sauce thickens a bit.

Stir in scampi sauce (make sure you shake the bottle well before pouring!) and lemon juice. Cover the pan for a few minutes to let the asparagus steam. I only cooked them enough to be soft in the middle and a little crunchy on the outside. This gave the dish a different consistency that I love: crunchy and soft!

Take your drained pasta and place on a plate or bowl and pour your shrimp creole mixture on top, sprinkle with parsley. Voila!!

Please don’t skimp out on the lemon juice, it was my favorite part of the sauce, it gave it that tangy bite that really helped bring out the natural flavors of the veggies and shrimp! Please enjoy this with a glass of white wine such as Riesling or Pinot Grigio.

What you’ll need:
8oz. Angel Hair Pasta
4 slices of thickly cut pancetta (Get this at your deli)
1 cup diced tomatoes
2 tsp minced garlic, or 2 cloves
3/4 cup white wine (I used Pinot Grigio)
12 oz. peeled, deveined shrimp
Creole or Cajun/Blackening seasoning
1 cup of asparagus cut into pieces
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup of scampi sauce
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Italian Flat Leaf Parsley

 

Quick, around the house pasta!

I have to tell you, this is one of the best meals i have made unplanned. I brought home a jar of La Rosa’s pasta sauce from my visit home and I was craving it, so I went to the pantry and refrigerator and put together this lovely meal. When I worked at Buca Di Beppo, I loved the dishes they served with peas in them, so I grabbed a can of sweet peas I had in the pantry. I also grabbed some spinach, parmigiana, and Panko bread crumbs. (Yes, bread crumbs on top of pasta, I am a carb lover and I usually embrace it!) If you are watching your carbs, you can obviously leave those out, but they are put in the oven on broil and give this dish the perfect crunch

Also, I bought this pasta at Fresh Market, it was filled with pesto and mixed cheeses, I would suggest buying a more authentic box you see in your grocery store, believe me it is worth the extra buck or two!

Start off by turning your oven on HI broil. Next begin boiling your water for the pasta. I used a medium sized pot. Next, take a skillet and drizzle olive oil, heat on medium until warm. While the oil is warming, rinse a handful or two of fresh spinach. Place paper towels to pat dry. Put in the skillet and  add salt, pepper, and minced garlic (I used dried); stir constantly until spinach is wilted through, take off the skillet and put on a plate with paper towels to soak the extra oil.

Still on medium heat, take your skillet and pour in your favorite pasta sauce, add a drained can of sweet peas, your spinach and parmigiana (I used about a cup). Mix well, bring to a slight bubble and turn the heat on low, mix and let sit for 5 minutes or until pasta is done ( this will let all of the flavors come together).

By this time your water should be boiling. Pour your pasta in and cook via package directions. Once it is cooked, drain thoroughly (nobody likes watery pasta!!)  Pour your drained pasta back into the pot you used to boil it in. Take your pasta sauce mixture and pour that into the pasta pot. Stir gently (you want to be careful not to break open the pasta) Once evenly mixed, take a round glass baking dish and pour in. Take about a cup of Panko breadcrumbs and place into a medium sized bowl. Add a half cup of parmigiana, pepper, Italian seasoning, and olive oil (I would suggest a drizzle over top, just enough to lightly cover the crumbs). Mix well. Add the Panko mixture to the top of your pasta evenly. Place on the top most rack of your oven, turn on the light to be sure you don’t burn the crumbs! The broil is quick, so be sure to turn the dish every minute or two to get an even browning. This should only take 3 minutes or so to brown.

Serve with a glass of wine (or milk for the kids) and enjoy!!!

Penne all’amatriciana with mozzarella meatballs

It’s safe to say that I’m a carb lover, so pasta is one of my favorite things to make & eat! My all time favorite cooking inspiration is Giada De Laurentiis, from Food Network. She makes the best meals, and they are simple! A Christmas gift of mine was a cook book by Giada called Giada at Home sampling some of her favorite recipes from when she grew up in Italy. Needless to say, this one caught my eye. I love cheese, and the fact that mozzarella is stuffed inside of a meatball makes my mouth water! The sauce gives this meal the perfect addition, pancetta with crushed tomatoes and a pinch of crushed red pepper gives a perfect salty kick.

I definitely advise you to buy the real cheese and grate it at home. Also, if you have never cooked with Veal before, don’t be intimidated (I have to say that I was, something about veal makes me a bit uneasy) but you will never know the difference other than the meatballs tasting better than you’ve ever had them! In her recipe, she used Spaghetti noodles, I used Penne because I was out of Spaghetti noodles, but honestly you could substitute any noodle!

A little Italian education for you : All’amatriciana is a traditional Italian pasta sauce based on guanciale (dried pork cheek), pecorino romano cheese and tomato. Originating from the town of Amatrice, the Amatriciana is one of the most well-known pasta sauces in Italian cuisine. Now that you are informed, we can continue

You want to grab a large heavy skillet and heat oil in medium heat. Add pancetta and cook until golden brown, stirring constantly (5-7 minutes).  Using a slotted spoon take out the pancetta and set aside. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir about 30 seconds, then add tomatoes, salt, pepper, and cooked pancetta. Simmer, uncovered over medium-low heat and until thickened for about 15 minutes. While it’s simmering, grate your cheese then add in pan.

Now to start the star of the show: the meatballs! Preheat your oven to 400º, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Take a large bowl and mix together the onion, 1/2 cup of parsley, 2/3 cup parmesan, bread crumbs, egg, ketchup, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and a few dashes of Worcestershire. Add the beef and veal. Mix everything together with your hands to be sure it is mixed evenly and thoroughly. When rolling into balls, you want to make them a little small, then depress the middle and add a cube of mozzarella cheese, add some mixture to fully enclose the meatball. You can reform it by rolling it again with your hands.

Bake on the lower third portion of the oven at 400º for 15-20 minutes, or until browned. While the meatballs are cooking, fill a large pot with water to a boil. Add your noodle of choice and cook to box directions or until al dente! (Soft but has a slight firmness). Strain.

In a large bowl (or to save on dishes add the sauce into the pasta bowl after strained.) Sprinkle cheese and parsley on top. Serve the meatballs in a separate bowl or on top! And enjoy!!

What you’ll need:

for the sauce:

2 tbsp olive oil
6 ounces pancetta, diced
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
A Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1 (14 ounce) can of crushed tomatoes (I ended up using a little more than a can)
1/2 cup of grated fresh Pecorino Romano cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste

for the meatballs:

1/2 onion, grated
3/4 cup of chopped flat leaf italian parsley
2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup Italian seasoned brad crumbs
1 large egg
2 tbsp. ketchup
a couple dashes of Worcestershire
3 garlic cloves, minced
pinch or 2 of crushed red pepper flakes
pinch of salt & pepper
8 ounces ground beef
8 ounces ground veal
2 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese, cut or torn into cubes

1 lb of penne, spaghetti, bucatoni, etc. (noodles  of your choice!)

Bon Apetite!!!

RJ’s Tuna Noodle Casserole

So I worked my usual 12 hour shift and as usual I was super tired and had no interest in moving what so ever. So RJ made dinner and it is his family’s famous Tuna Noodle Casserole. This was the first dinner he made for me a  year or so ago and I find myself craving it all of the time. This casserole is hardy and rich with tons of cheese. So of course I love it! The best part about this dish is the peas, they make the perfect addition to the tuna and cheese with a little bite and a soft inside the flavors go beautifully together!

When he made it for me the first time I thought, oh how nice he is making blueberry muffins for dessert. He told me, no it goes with the casserole, that’s how we have always made it. I thought in my head, that’s the strangest thing I’ve ever heard. So while eating, I found myself glancing at the muffins and back at my food and back at the muffins. Finally, RJ convinced me to try it and I couldn’t believe how good it tasted together! Who would’ve thought that blueberry muffins and tuna casserole would be so good?

So I must tell you, no matter how weird it is, when you make this casserole, you better whip up some of those muffins too; you will be completely surprised!! Just buy a box mix, it takes about 20 minutes to cook and you wont regret it!! (plus you’ll have some breakfast muffins for the next morning!)

So let’s get started!! First preheat your oven to 350º. Start to boil a large pot of salted water. Now start making the famous Jameson white sauce. Melt the butter over medium-low heat. Stir in the flour continuously for 2 minutes. Warm milk in the microwave to make it room temperature, add to sauce and stir. Keep stirring the mixture until it is thickened and just starts bubbling (do not overheat or the mixture will clump or burn to the bottom) Lastly add some pepper. Once it is ready, you can add the can of soup and cheese. If you  bought the cheese in  blocks, I would suggest you break it into small pieces and adding to the pot. Stir until melted.

By this time your noodles should be added and cook until al dente (per package directions. I like to use broad egg noodles, yolk-free) Thaw your peas by running over warm water. Once the sauce is evenly mixed and thickened up and the cheese is melted, you can add the tuna and the thawed out peas.

Once the noodles are done, strain them thoroughly, you don’t want a watery casserole! Take your noodles back into the large pot and add the sauce. Mix well. Spray a 9×13 pan with PAM. Pour the mixture evenly into the pan and place foil on top to cover. Place in the oven for 30-45 minutes, taking the foil off for the last 10 minutes.

Enjoy some cheesy goodness

If you want to be an adventerous person and try the muffins with it, just buy your favorite box brand (or if you have a quick homemade recipe) mix it up real quick and place into the oven above the casserole, they will be done around the same time!! Perfect timing for a perfect pair to eat together.

What you’ll need:

1 lb. Broad Egg Noodles
2 tbsp. Butter
2 tbsp. Flour
2 cups Whole Milk
1 can of Cream of Celery Soup
1 lb. of American Cheese (don’t use the individually wrapped slices)
About half a bag or 1 1/2 cups of Peas (frozen and thawed)
1 large can of Tuna

9×13 Pyrex or glass casserole dish.
1 box of your favorite Blueberry Muffin mix (and the fixings for that!)

Homemade Lasagna

This recipe came from my mother, this dish was one of my favorites when I was young! I am a huge fan of Italian food, mostly because I am a carb & cheese lover (As long as I run it off I am good!) Any way to a mans heart is through their stomach, and let me tell you this will be a huge hit!!

Preheat your oven to 350º. Start boiling a large pot of water. Add lasagna noodles when ready.

First you want to brown your meat, then drain. Add your favorite pasta sauce. (If I was at home, I definitely would add some LaRosas, but unfortunately I had to stick with Classico. You want this to simmer on low for 15-20 minutes to really absorb the flavors.

Next whisk the egg in a small bowl, then take a medium bowl and mix together your parmigiana, italian seasoning, and ricotta cheese.  It’s important to taste test the mixture, if the measurements don’t taste right to you, add more ricotta or spices, whatever you think it needs. I ended up having to add a little more ricotta to my mixture. You may have some extra in the end and that’s ok too!

It’s about that time to drain your noodles. I only ended up using a little over half of these, if that’s the case for you I would suggest freezing the rest so you can re use them next time!

Now it’s time to assemble! Take a 9×13 or bigger baking dish and spray with PAM. Next place a little bit of sauce on the bottom. (try not to use a lot because I tend to just have enough at the end) Now place the noodles down, then the cheese mixture (this always seems kind of tough, try using a rubber spatula it tends to work best for me) Next is another layer of meat sauce, then repeat until the pan is filled and you have no more sauce left. Top it off with shredded mozzarella cheese. I didn’t have enough so I added Monterey Jack mixture on there and it turned out great!

Place in the oven covered with foil for 45-50 minutes. Take the foil off and leave in the oven for another 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbling.

Take a look at this masterpiece of cheesy greatness. Now all you have to do is devour! I like to make some garlic bread because you can never have enough carbs with an Italian meal

Bellissimo!!

What you need:

1 box Lasagna noodles (I had about 5 lasagna noodles I didn’t cook left in the box)

2 lbs. ground beef

1 1/2 – 2 cans or bottles of your favorite pasta sauce

1/2 large container of Ricotta cheese

1 tbsp Italian Seasoning

1 cup of Parmigiana cheese

1 egg

Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

ENJOY!!!

Parmigiana Crusted Rigatoni with Cauliflower

This must be the week of Food & Wine recipes! Just like my previous post: http://healthypassions.wordpress.com/category/chickenpoultry/. This is one of my faaavorite meals! I am a HUGE fan of anything soft and crunchy, and cheesy. No lie, this will make your mouth water just thinking about it!!

This is a little glimpse of what fantastic items you will need to put this dish together. Did I mention that I love cheese?? If you want a great meal, ALWAYS go for the real stuff, don’t skimp out a few dollars on some Kraft brand or preservative enhanced product, I bought a wedge of real aged Parmigiana, and it made all the difference in the world! I also bought the prosciutto from the Deli and not the pre-packaged kind. Some good quality EVOO wouldn’t hurt either

Start off preheating your oven on Hi Broil. Also start up a large pot of boiling water.

One of my favorite smells in the kitchen is garlic, onion, and olive oil! Of course salt & pepper are a must to add. You know the drill, cook until the onion is translucent and golden yellow.

Add the prosciutto and cook for a few minutes, it will cook in the oven also, but you want to absorb all of the flavors.

While that is cooking, go ahead and chop up your cauliflower into pieces. You could also break them apart by the stems to make “trees”. A little boy I used to nanny would call them “trees” and I think it is so cute, so I will use his idea. Oh yes, I am stooping down to a 3 year old’s level when describing food, don’t judge me

Put your burner on Low, and add the cream with a little more salt and pepper to taste. Stir and let simmer to absorb flavors.

If you have already thrown your box of Rigatoni in the boiling pot, you want to add your cauliflower when there are 6 minutes left to cook. Make sure and stir your noodles and cauliflower every once in a while to prevent them from sticking.

After the noodles are Al Dente and cauliflower is soft and easily broken, conserve 2 tbsp of the pasta water, then drain.

Take the big pot of water, and off-heat add the pasta and cauliflower back to the pot, then add the cream sauce. While that sits, make your star of the recipe! The panko-parmigiana crust!

Stir in the remaining EVOO with the freshly grated parm & panko crumbs with some ground pepper. The EVOO will help make that golden-brown crust on top.

Mhhhmmhhh.

Now the assembly! Take a deep baking dish, I used a 9×13 pan. Place the noodles & cauliflower mixture in the pan, then evenly lay the parm-panko mixture on top.

Now, depending on how hot your oven gets, you want to keep a close eye on your pan. I turn my light on, or open my oven slightly to watch the pan bake. What I like to do is turn my pan each side to get all of the sides evenly browned as I can. Since all of the ingredients are already cooked, the broil just browns the top to make a crusty finish. Sooo delish. Mine only took 5 minutes total, but it will depend on your oven. In Corpus Christi, it only took about 2 minutes because our oven was ancient and SUPER hot!!

Now, take a step back, and enjoy the view. You have just made a masterpiece, and it was so simple! Don’t feel stuck up about it, brag about! This meal is pretty big, I’d say feeds 4-6, since RJ and I eat like horses, this will hold us over for about 2 dinners And let me tell you, it is amazing left-over!

What you will need:

1 tbsp EVOO

1/2 yellow onion

1 large clove of garlic

6 thin slices of Prosciutto

1 cup of heavy whipping cream

1 box Rigatoni noodles

1 head of cauliflower

For the excellent parm-panko crust:

1 cup of panko crumbs

1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiana (I used 1 cup, because I love cheese.. have I said that before??)

2 1/2 tbsp. EVOO

My model assistant is making his debut appearance in the picture on the left. His name is RJ, and no he does not accept autographs.

And as always, ENJOY! If you do actually end up making this, let me know how it tastes for you! Thank you Food & Wine for a fantastic meal, yet again, you are amazing.