Baked ziti

This is a yummy baked ziti recipe I found on Martha Stewart's website. I like the baked ziti at Sbarro's, but wanted something I could make at home for cheaper (and in case my local Sbarro's closed). It is really rather simple.

Boil 8 oz ziti (or other short tubular pasta...penne or rigatoni would work). While that is going, mix a cup of ricotta with 1/2 c shredded mozzarella, 1/4 c grated parmesan, an egg, and salt and pepper. When the pasta is done and drained, pour half a jar of spaghetti sauce of choice (I used Prego mushroom) in a 2 qt baking dish. Top with drained pasta, spread ricotta mixture over the pasta, and top with remaining sauce from the jar. Then sprinkle another 1/2 c each Parmesan and mozzarella on top, and bake at 450* for 20-25 min (I baked it at 400* cuz I baked a loaf of par-baked french bread first and forgot to change it) until melted and yummy.

The recipe from Martha gave instructions how to make a salad and garlic bread, but I'll let you figure that out yourself. the recipe made enough for me for dinner last night, and 2 baggies of leftovers, but is supposed to (and could) feed four. I just like food.

Zuppa Toscana

This is my favorite soup at Olive Garden. And pretty easy to make at home.

I browned a pound of Italian sausage (hot, mild, sweet...whatever your preference). When it was done, I added a chopped onion. After it softened, I added about a pound of diced potatoes (I used frozen diced potatoes cuz I was feeling lazy) and 4 cups of chicken broth. I then simmered it until the potatoes were tender. Then I added about a half pound of torn up kale. After I stirred it in, I let it simmer another 20 minutes, until the kale was tender and some of the potatoes broke down to thicken the soup. If desired, you can add a bit of red pepper flakes.

I made some pilsbury bread sticks to go with the soup ala Olive Garden...when they were almost done I brushed them with melted butter with garlic powder mixed in. Yummy!

Gourmet grilled cheese

My friend Tiombe posted a pic this last week of a grilled cheese sandwich she had ordered at a restaurant (sorry! Don't remember the name :P ). I decided, since I am not in southern California to go to the restaurant to try one, I would make one myself.

I combined shredded cheddar, jack an Gouda cheeses as described in the restaurant sandwich. I also combined some smashed garlic with soft butter. I spread garlic butter on one side of a piece of bread, and coated it with grated Parmesan cheese, then placed it butter side down on my preheated griddle. I then piled a generous amount of mixed cheeses on the bread. I repeated the butter and Parmesan cheese treatment on another piece of bread, and put it butter side up on the sandwich on the griddle. I cooked it until both sides were golden and cheese was melted.

It was yummy, especially served with a cold hard cider :) Thanks, Tiombe!