It’s hard to beat a simple seasonal recipe.

This particular recipe was actually never planned. I just found myself with some extra slices of these gorgeous tomatoes, and since they were the absolute best I’ve ever had, it was an absolute necessity to not put them in the fridge where they could lose their flavor in a plastic baggie, and instead find a use for them ASAP.

I decided on a simple tomato sauce with tons of fresh basil, and it turned out beautifully!

The finished sauce is kind of funky color due to the fact that it’s made with heirlooms of all colors, and has basil blended right into, but don’t allow it’s greenish-orange hue to dissuade you into thinking it’s not one of the best tomato sauces you will ever try. Because it absolutely is! It’s unassuming, but packs a ton of fresh flavor.

They key is ripe, Summer tomatoes!

This recipe will make a pint of sauce (enough to fill a standard-sized mason jar), and it will keep in the fridge for at least 3 days. I found this to be enough for about 6 servings of pasta.

The first time, I served this with cappelini pasta, as you can see in this photo taken in less than ideal conditions (i.e. inside at night with terrible tungsten lighting):

But the next time, I used spaghetti (seen in the rest of the photos), and I found it to be even better! It seems to hold the sauce better and stay moister.

When I serve this sauce on pasta, I add in a couple tablespoons of freshly-grated parmigiano-reggiano when I toss the pasta (as well as about 1/4 cup of pasta water), and top it with some fresh basil and more cheese. It’s kinda perfection, and Mikey agrees.

And holy cow, it’s Friday! How’d that happen?! Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

Heirloom Tomato and Basil Pasta Sauce

Yield: 1 pint of sauce (about 6 servings)

Ingredients:

• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• 10-12 ounces heirloom tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small sweet onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 ounce fresh basil, torn or chopped
• 1/2 tsp aged balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a food processor, pulse together the tomatoes and garlic until finely chopped.
2. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a heavy-bottemed pot (I like using my enamel dutch oven.) Add in the onions and cook for 8-10 minutes until translucent. Add in the tomato mixture and the tomato paste. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low.
3. Simmer on low for about 30 to 40 minutes, stirring ever so often, until the sauce has reduced a bit. Add in the basil and cook for a couple more minutes.
4. Pour all of the sauce into a blender and blend until fairly smooth. Return to the pot, stir in the balsamic vinegar, and season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

This will keep in the fridge for at least 3 days.

recipe adapted from here

You guys, I’m unreasonably excited about tomato season.

Yesterday, I told you how my mom and sister and I found the most amazing flat of tomatoes out front of a restaurant we stopped at for lunch. It was $10 for easily over 100 cherry tomatoes. I made some awesome goat cheese + tomato + mint bruschetta this past weekend, but I still had a huuuuuuge amount I needed to use up.

I  considered a standard tomato pasta sauce, but I thought that cooking all those beautiful tomatoes would be just short of a travesty—cue a fresh tomato sauce! Whenever I’m looking for recipe inspiration, I hit up Epicurious. I find tons of great stuff there…which I’m sure you guys have noticed if you’ve followed my blog for a while. Anyway, this is based off an Epicurious recipe, and it’s beyond amazing! It totally takes advantage of super fresh and flavorful tomatoes and basil.

This a perfect recipe for hot Summer (or Spring!) days or nights, because the only cooking required is boiling the pasta, which only takes like 4 minutes. It’s easy, it’s quick, it uses very few ingredients, and it’s unbelievably delicious! Don’t even think about making this in Fall or Winter because it ill be flavorless and disappointing. They key is amazing tomatoes.

I also SO recommend serving this with some crusty garlic bread. My little sister, Rebecca, was totally into making spaghetti bruschetta, and I have to say, it was a pretty dang tasty idea.

This is great warm, room temperature, and even cold (though, I do think a trip to the fridge can make the tomatoes lose a bit of flavor). If you need some protein, I think simple sautéed shrimp would be a yummy addition, or possibly a bit of grilled chicken. It’s all about keeping it simple, though, so no super overpowering seasoning on those proteins!

Angel Hair Pasta with Fresh Garlic Tomato Sauce

Yield: about 5-6 servings

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs tomatoes
• 3-4 garlic cloves + pinch of kosher salt
• juice from 1 lemon
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 lb angel hair (capellini) pasta
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
• freshly-grated parmigiano reggiano
• extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Directions:

1. Coarsely chop 2 pounds of the tomatoes (if they are cherry tomatoes, chop them in quarters or halves).
2. Mash the garlic clover with a pinch of kosher salt, to form a paste.
3. Halve the remaining 1 pound of the tomatoes and rub the cut sides against a grater releasing the pulp/juice; discard the skins.
4. In a medium bowl, combine the pulp, chopped tomatoes, garlic paste, lemon juice, salt, sugar, and pepper. Toss together and let stand for at least an hour, but no longer than 4.
5. Boil the pasta according to the package directions. Toss with the tomato mixture and basil.
6. Serve with grated parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil.

recipe slightly adapted from here

Today, I’m sharing with you one of the recipes I grew up on.

This is one of those dishes that everyone loves. It’s one that my sisters and I would beg for as kids. I’m not even joking; it elicited a chorus of “pasta with the pine nuts, pasta with the pine nuts, pasta with the pine nuts!” on more than one occasion. That’s what we’ve always called it. I’m not sure why (maybe because the crunchy, toasted pine nuts are the best part?), but I feel like “Pesto Pasta” better describes what it is… Nonetheless, “Pasta with the Pine Nuts” is what it will affectionately always be called in my house.

It’s funny actually, but when I group texted my family to make sure I was remembering the (very simple) recipe correctly, it was met with “YUM” and “I want some!” all around—it really is that good.

It’s so easy, too. At home, we used to use pre-made pesto from the refrigerated section of the grocery store. I used homemade here since I had some on hand, but know that it’s delicious either way.

This dish is adaptable, too. I’m just presenting it to you how my family most often enjoyed it. The only things that you absolutely can’t forget would be the pesto and pine nuts. The sun-dried tomatoes can be substituted with fresh, or go ahead and leave them out all together. If you don’t care for olives, don’t include them (my family just loves them). I probably wouldn’t substitute for any other kind of olive either (no kalamata or green), as I feel like the flavors would be too strong. Add some chicken or shrimp if you want more protein. It’s all about what you like. We prefer using thinner cappellini noodles for this, but you could get away with spaghetti or linguini as well.

Oh, and by the way, this is good, warm, cold, and everything in between

Pasta with the Pine Nuts

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 8 oz cappellini pasta
• 3 oz thinly sliced prosciutto
• 1.5 oz sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 1/3 cup sliced black olives
• 2/3 cup pesto (use this homemade recipe, or keep it simple with store-bought)
• freshly-grated parmesan, to serve

Directions:

1. Boil the pasta according to the package directions, then drain and place in a large bowl.
2. In a small sauté pan, toast the pine nuts until golden-brown; set aside.
3. In the same pan, crisp up the prosciutto over medium-high heat. Drain on a paper-towel lined plate.
4. Add all of the ingredients to the bowl of pasta, and toss to coat.
5. Serve with freshly-grated parmesan cheese.

I should probably be posting a pie since it’s Pi Day and all but…I’m super-dee-duper excited to share this recipe with you!

Why is any noodle or rice bowl the best thing ever? Seriously. Carbs + random toppings = pure bliss for me.

One time, I tried to go on a low-carb, high protein diet. I transformed into the wicked witch. I’m not joking. You take my carbs and I become the grouchiest human (monster?), ever. Some people gotta have their meats, their cheeses, their whatever…but me? I literally need carbs. No bread means a grumpy Rachael.

But this bowl full of noodles? A very happy Rachael. I love this because it’s pretty adaptable to any diet (uhhh minus low-carb). I used these awesome Forbidden Rice Ramen Noodles, which not only look totally rad, but they are gluten-free! You can also please meat-eaters, vegetarians, and vegans alike with this one! The noodles with the sauce, quick pickles, and stewed bamboo shoots are totally vegan (and totally delicious—I’ve eaten it like this plenty of times).

My favorite way to eat it, though, is topped with a poached egg and amazingly unctuous pork belly. (If you’re a vegetarian, keep the egg but lose the belly.)

By the way—and this company in no way knows I am saying this—completely my own thoughts—this Tovolo Perfect Poach thing is freaking awesome.

Mikey’s mom, Amy, gave me a pack, and I have to admit, at first I was skeptical, as I am with most cooking related gadgets that seem gimmicky. But, it seriously works so well! You just crack an egg in a pouch and place the pouch in boiling water for like 3-4 minutes. Then you remove it, drain and cool, and plop it out. Perfect every time—I swear!

But, back to these noodles, the ginger scallion-sauce is less of a sauce and more of a large amount of scallions and ginger with just a bit of sauce, but it’s so delicious! Especially with the hoisin—you can not skip the hoisin!

Naturally, this recipe comes from the Momofuku Cookbook, which is by a far and away one of my favorite cookbooks. I’ve made countless things from it, and never been disappointed. The pork belly I have made before, both for the Momofuku Ramen, and Pork Buns. I think it gets more delicious every time…if that’s even possible. You won’t be sad if you have leftovers around, promise. Since I’ve made the belly, pickles, and bamboo shoots before, I’ll link to their recipes below in the instructions.

Oh, by the way, this is delicious when the noodles are hot, room temp, or cold. Just make sure the egg and pork belly are warm no matter what

Print

Ginger-Scallion Noodles

Yield: sauce should make enough for about 4 servings

Ingredients

for the ginger-scallion sauce:
• 1 and 1/4 cups thinly sliced green onions, white and green parts (from about 1 large bunch)
• 1/4 cup peeled, pureed fresh ginger (just throw a piece of peeled ginger in your food processor until is a paste)
• 2 tbsp grape seed oil
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce (usukuchi)
• 1/2 tsp sherry vinegar
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
for the noodles:
• about 3 ounces uncooked Forbidden Rice Ramen, per person
• quick-pickled cucumbers
• stewed bamboo shoots
• chilled pork belly
• poached eggs
• hoisin

Instructions

for the sauce:
1. Mix together all of the ingredients and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes before using. It will keep for up to 2 days in the fridge.
for the noodles:
2. Cook your ramen according to the package directions, and drain.
3. Toss each serving with 3 tablespoons of the sauce.
4. Slice the pork belly into 1/2-inch thick slices, then cut that into thirds or in half. In a very hot grill pan, sear the bely for a couple minutes per side until warmed through.
5. Top the noodles with some stewed bamboo shoots, quick pickles, a few slices of pork belly, a poached egg, and a nice squirt of hoisin.

Notes

recipe adapted from Momofuku

2.6

http://www.spachethespatula.com/ginger-scallion-noodles/

Did you like this recipe? Check out these next!:

Momofuku Ramen:

Sesame Soba Noodles with Napa Cabbage (an oldie):

Pork Buns with Pork Belly or Pulled Pork Shoulder:

Don’t freakout but… we’re putting scrambled eggs on our pasta…

 …and it might be my new favorite thing, ever. This recipe is stupid easy. You can have it ready in less than 15 minutes, and it requires less than 5 ingredients.

This recipe was inspired by a Martha Stewart pasta recipe that is also topped with eggs and ricotta, but I decided to switch the original asparagus for peas, and added in some pesto. The original recipe is totally delicious as well, but what doesn’t benefit from a little pesto?

I use prepackaged pesto from the refrigerated section of my grocery store in this, mostly because it makes things super dee duper quick and simple, but you could totally make your own fresh, and it would probably be even more delicious!

They key here is to not overcook the eggs. You want them to be nice and creamy so that you can stir them into the pasta and ricotta and everything will mix together and form the most amazing sauce kind of thing. It is seriously so good.

Guess what I found while making this? An egg with a double yolk! That’s got to be some sort of good luck, right?

Print

Pesto Pasta with Scrambled Eggs and Ricotta

Yield: 2 to 3 servings

Ingredients

• 6 oz. spaghetti
• 2 cups frozen peas
• 1/2 cup prepared pesto sauce
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp part-skim ricotta cheese
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add in the pasta and cook according to package directions. When there is 1 minute left on the pasta, add in the frozen peas. Drain the pasta and peas and return them to the pot.

2. While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add in the eggs and break up the yolks with a silicone spatula. Stir the eggs until they are just set.
3. Stir the pesto into the pasta. Portion out the pasta and top with the eggs and ricotta. Serve immediately.

Notes

recipe adapted from here

2.6

http://www.spachethespatula.com/pesto-pasta-with-scrambled-eggs-and-ricotta/

Whenever I tell Mikey that I’m making something “vegan” for dinner, his nose immediately scrunches up.

He was especially weary this time when I said I was making one of his favorite foods—macaroni and cheese—without the, uh well, cheese.

BUT! He loved it! And so did I. It’s remarkable how cheesy something without any cheese can taste. And that is thanks to the nutritional yeast—a strange ingredient with a very cheesy flavor; you absolutely cannot skip this ingredient. Mikey agreed, this does not taste like a vegan dish. By that, we mean that it is rich, creamy, and hard to believe there is zero dairy in this.

You could of course skip the broccoli and mushrooms in this dish, but I LOVE veggies in my macaroni. The veggies mean you get to eat more of it because they’re good for you, right? Right.

This pasta recipe is garlicky, creamy, oddly cheesy, and full of chewy crimini mushrooms and crisp roasted broccoli. It’s kind of addictive. If you think, like Mikey, that you don’t like vegan dishes, try this and I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Print

Macaroni & Cheeze with Roasted Broccoli and Criminis (Vegan)

Yield: 3 to 4 servings

Ingredients

for the broccoli:
• 1 head broccoli, washed and florets cut off
• 1 and 1/2 tsp garlic granules
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• extra virgin olive oil
for the mushrooms:
• 2 cups sliced crimini mushrooms
• extra virgin olive oil
for the pasta & sauce:
• 7-8 ounces macaroni pasta
• 1 and 1/2 cups raw cashews
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 large clove garlic
• juice from 1 lemon
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 tsp yellow mustard
• 1 tsp chili powder
• tiny pinch of saffron
• tiny pinch of cayenne
• pinch of mustard powder
• 1 and 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

for the broccoli:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss the broccoli florets in a drizzle of olive oil, the garlic granules, and a good pinch of salt and freshly-cracked pepper.
2. Bake for 20-30 minutes until lightly browned. Set aside.

for the mushrooms:
3. Heat a saute pan over high heat. Add in a swirl of olive oil, and the mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden-brown. Set aside.

for the macaroni:
4. Boil the pasta, according to the package instructions, in salted water.
5. In a high-powered blender (like a Vitamix), or a food processor, combine the remainder of ingredients and process until smooth.

6. Add the sauce into the cooked pasta.

7. Add the mushrooms and broccoli into the pasta mixture, and serve.

2.6

http://www.spachethespatula.com/macaroni-cheeze-with-roasted-broccoli-and-criminis-vegan/

Have you ever used nutritional yeast? What’s your favorite cheeZy dish?

A couple weeks ago I was lamenting about the lack of tofu recipes on my blog, and vowed to change that.

This is me changing that! I’m a big tofu fan, and I’m also a big fan of making people, who think they aren’t tofu eaters, big fans themselves! This Asian-inspired dish will do just that. It’s slightly sweet umami goodness.

Not to mention, it uses two of my most favorite vegetables: asparagus and shiitake mushrooms! The  veggies are only slightly sautéed, so the asparagus retains a delicious crunch, and the shiitakes become chewy, pillowy, little flavor sponges.

I made this for my sisters, mom, and myself on a particularly beautiful, sunny day while I was home for the holidays, and everyone loved it.

I served it with a super refreshing sparkling drink made from coconut La Croix mixed with a splash of orange-mango juice, and various sliced citrus.

This was one of those meals that, although vegan, could sway even the most devout meat-eater. If you’re a tofu skeptic (or you know one!), try this recipe before making any final decisions!

Print

Soba Noodles with Miso-Glazed Tofu and Veggies

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 and 1/2 tbsp canola oil, divided
• 3 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
• 2 and 1/2 tbsp white miso
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 5 ounces uncooked soba noodles
• 1 (14-ounce) block extra firm tofu, sliced crosswise into 4 (1-inch thick) slices
• 7-8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced into 1-inch pieces
• 1 lb thin asparagus, ends snapped off and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
• white and black sesame seeds to garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of canola oil with the rice vinegar, miso, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil. Set aside.
3. Cook the soba noodle according to package directions, drain, and rinse. In a large bowl, combine the noodles with 1/4 cup of the miso mixture and toss to coat; set aside.
4. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add in 1 tablespoon of canola and swirl to coat. Add the tofu slices to the pan and cook for about 4 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Add about 2 tablespoons of the miso mixture to the pan and turn to coat. Remove the tofu from the pan and place in a oven proof dish. Place the dish in the oven to stay warm.
5. Ad the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of canola oil to the pan and swirl to coat scraping up any browned bits. Add in the mushrooms and asparagus and sauté for 5 minutes, until tender. Add in the remaining miso mixture and toss to coat. Add in the green onions and stir.
6. Arrange the noodles on four plates and top with the miso veggies. Top each portion with a tofu slice, and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.

Notes

recipe adapted from here

2.6

http://www.spachethespatula.com/soba-noodles-with-miso-glazed-tofu-and-veggies/

What’s your favorite way to prepare tofu?

Yes, I’m still squeezing in pumpkin recipes.

It’s okay, it’s only the fourth this year ( I may have a problem). But this one is so awesome. I think I might say that every time. #SorryNotSorry. Yes, I just hash-tagged in a post.

Pumpkin + Bacon + Mac & Cheese = ooey-gooey, smokey awesomeness!

I really like the combination of cheeses in this because each one imparts a unique flavor. The mild cheddar adds a familiar mac & cheese creaminess, the extra sharp white cheddar adds a delicious tang, and the smoked gouda adds a unique smokiness that pairs beautifully with the bacon.

If you’re not a huge pumpkin fan (WEIRD), do not fret. The pumpkin is not super noticeable in the dish. As I was making it, my little brother turned his nose up at the mere thought of pumpkin mixed into one of his favorite foods—macaroni and cheese; but, he thoroughly enjoyed his portion!

Print

Pumpkin Mac & Cheese with Bacon

Yield: 5 servings

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon
• 1 lb fusilli pasta
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 cups milk
• heaping ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 ounces mild cheddar, shredded
• 2 ounces sharp white cheddar, shredded
• 2 ounces smoked gouda, shredded
• 1 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
for the topping:
• 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh sage

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, pumpkin cinnamon, and nutmeg. Simmer for 20 minutes, and then turn off the heat.
2. Put the cheeses in a medium bowl and toss with the lemon juice.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions.
4. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large sauté pan until crisp. Place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain, then crumble and set aside.
5. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease in the pan. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the grease and heat over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the grease and whisk to incorporate. Cook for a couple minutes, stirring until golden-brown and thick (to make a roux).
6. Whisk in the pumpkin/milk mixture and allow to simmer until thickened, about 3 to 4 minutes, to make a béchamel sauce. Stir in the cheese until melted. Stir 1 tablespoon of the sage into the mixture, and season with salt and pepper. Gently stir in the cooked pasta and 1/2 of the crumbled bacon.
7. Pour the pasta mixture into an oven safe baking dish.
8. In a small bowl, combine the panko, butter, and 1 tablespoon sage. Pour overt the pasta in the baking dish. Broil until the breadcrumbs are golden brown, 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle with the remainder of the crumbled bacon and serve.

Notes

recipe adapted from here

2.6

http://www.spachethespatula.com/pumpkin-mac-cheese-with-bacon/

What’s your favorite Mac & Cheese variation?

I cannot believe that it’s October, already! Fall has arrived full force here in the Pacific Northwest. I swear, the first official day of Fall it was suddenly 50 degrees and blustery outside… when it had been a record breaking 90 like 2 weeks prior. The weather here makes no sense. But, I really couldn’t be more pleased to welcome the sweater season. As much as I love Summer, Fall has cozy blankets, warm fireplaces, football, and my two very favorite things: pumpkin and chai. (There certainly is no shortage of pumpkin on my blog, but the dismal chai tag does not begin to convey my love for it. Mayhaps I shall begin to rectify that this year?)

What better way to kick off Fall recipes than with a pumpkin-y dish? Okay, it’s actually butternut squash, but in a lot of the world, aside from the U.S., butternut squash is regarded as a pumpkin. Plus, it’s equally delicious.

This is a pretty incredible recipe. Unlike traditional lasagna, marinara is replaced with a creamy Gruyere béchamel that is sprinkled with nutty, toasted pecans. Sounds decadent, right? And yet, this recipe is actually from Cooking Light! Yes, that’s right, it’s healthy!

Now, I happen to LOVE kale, but if you do not, don’t be put off by it’s inclusion in this recipe. It gets all tender and delicious, and it’s earthiness balances perfectly with the sweet butternut squash.

So, let’s recap: tastes indulgent, perfect Fall flavors, secretly healthy, and relatively simple to make. Make this today.

Print

Butternut-Kale Lasagna

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water
• 2-12 ounce packages pre-chopped butternut squash (frozen or fresh)
• 6 cups pre-chopped kale
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2.2 ounces (~1/2 cup) all-purpose flour
• 5 1/2 cups 2% milk, divided
• 4 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded, divided
• 2 ounces Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated
• salt and freshly-ground pepper, to taste
• pinch of freshly-grated nutmeg
• cooking spray
• 12 no-boil lasagna noodles
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Preheat ove to 450 degrees.
2. In a large glass bowl, combine the water and the squash. Cover with plastic wrap and pierce the plastic a few times. Microwave on high for 5 minutes, or until tender; drain. Add in the kale. Season with a bit of salt and pepper.
3. In a bowl, whisk together the flour and 1 cup of the milk until smooth.
4. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and swirl to coat. Add in the garlic and cook for a few minutes until fragrant and starting to brown. Whisk in the flour mixture and then the remaining milk. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Cook for a couple minutes until thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in half of the Gruyere, all of the Parmigiano Reggiano, and the nutmeg. Stir until melted, then season with salt and pepper.
5. Coat a large deep baking dish (mine was around 11″ x 7″) with cooking spray. Spread 2/3 cup of the béchamel on the bottom of the dish. Add 4 lasagna noodles to the bottom of the pan and top with half of the squash mixture and 1 1/3 cups of the béchamel. Repeat this layer, and then top with the remaining noodles and sauce.
6. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle the top with the remaining Gruyere, and the pecans. Bake, uncovered, for an additional 10-15 minutes until lightly browned and bubbly. Let stand 5 minuted before serving.

Notes

recipe slightly adapted from here

2.6

http://www.spachethespatula.com/butternut-kale-lasagna/

So, um, remember 1 million years ago when I said I would share the Momofuku Ramen recipe I made with you guys? I do apologize for it taking so long, but here it finally is! Trust me, this one is worth the wait!

While this entire recipe does take about a week to make (specifically the broth/tare), it makes a ton of food. Plus, the broth and tare both freeze really well. Additionally, the pickled shiitakes will keep in your fridge for months! The best part is that you can use a lot of the components in other recipes, either from the Momofuku cookbook (which I HIGHLY recommend), or your own!

The broth and tare both require a whole lot of ingredients and time to make, but it’s worth it. Especially because when you’re making the broth, you inadvertently end up with an entire poached chicken, great for making chicken salad, quesadillas, soups, etc.! Also, the shiitakes used in the broth are the exact same ones used to make the pickled shiitakes- repurposing ingredients, hooray!

I made a trip to our local Asian grocery store, Uwajimaya, to buy all of the ingredients for this recipe, though you can probably find all or good substitutes at your local grocery store.

After the long cooking process, what you end up with is a delicious, savory ramen broth that is salty, slightly sweet, rich, and amazingly satisfying. The actual process of putting together the ramen is fairly quick and simple once everything is ready. You just need a couple of minutes to warm up the broth, cook the noodles, and pop everything into a bowl.

Momofuku Ramen

all recipes from here

for one serving

ingredients:

• 2 cups Ramen Broth (recipe below)
• Tare (recipe below), and/or mirin, to taste
• 5-6 ounces fresh ramen noodles
• 2-3 slices Pork Belly
• 1/2 Pulled Pork Shoulder
• 2 3-by-3-inch sheets of nori
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 2 thin slices naruto (store-bought fish cake)
• 5-6 pieces Stewed Bamboo Shoots (recipe below)
• 4-5 Pickled Shiitakes (recipe below)
• 5:10 Egg (recipe below)

1. Heat the broth up over the stove, or in the microwave. Taste the broth and add more tare, mirin, and/or water until the broth is to your liking.
2. Cook the noodles in a large pot of well-salted boiling water, according to the package directions.
3. Portion the noodles into the bowl and top with the hot broth. Arrange the remainder of the ingredients on the top. SErve!

Ramen Broth

makes 5 quarts

ingredients:

• 2 3-by-6-inch pieces of konbu (an edible kelp)
• 6 quarts water
• 2 cups dried shiitakes, rinsed
• 4lb whole chicken
• 5lbs meaty pork bones (neck, shoulder, and leg bones, and ribs)
• 1lb smoky bacon
• 1 bunch green onions
• 1 onion, cut in half
• 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped in large chunks
• Tare (recipe below)

1. Rinse the konbu under running water. Add it to an 8-quart stockpot with the water, and bring it to a boil. Turn off the heat and allow it to steep for 10 minutes.
2. Remove the konbu from the pot and add in the shiitakes. Bring the water to a boil and then turn the heat down to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes unit the mushrooms are plumped and have colored the broth.
3. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
4. Remove the mushrooms from the pot with a slotted spoon or spider. Reserve them for the Pickled Shiitakes. Add the chicken to the pot. Continue to gently simmer the liquid, skimming off any froth, foam, or fat that rises to the surface of the broth. Replenish water as necessary to keep the chicken covered. After roughly an hour, test the chicken for doneness. If the meat does not easily pull from the bones, continue to simmer until it does.
5. While the chicken is simmering, place the pork bones in a roasting pan and put them in the oven to brown for an hour. Turn the bones over half-way through, to ensure even browning.
6. Remove the chicken from the pot and add in the roasted bones and the bacon. Keep the broth at a steady simmer, skimming the top of the water and replenishing water, as needed. After 45 minutes, take the bacon out of the pot and discard it. Then gently simmer the pork bones for 6 to 7 hours. Stop adding water to replenish the pot after about hour 5.
7. Add in the green onions, onion, and carrots, and simmer for the final 45 minutes.
8. Remove and discard the bones and vegetables. Pour the broth through a cheesecloth-lined strainer.
9. Season the broth, to taste, with tare. Start with 2 to 3 tablespoons per quart, and take it from there.

Tare

makes about 2 1/2 cups

ingredients:

• 2 to 3 chicken backs
• 1 cup sake
• 1 cup mirin
• 2 cups usukuchi (light soy sauce)
• freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Cut the chicken backs into 3 pieces. Spread them out into a 12 to 14-inch ovenproof sauté pan and put them in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour. You want the bones to be deeply browned, but not burned.
3. Once browned, remove the bones from the oven and place the pan on the stovetop. Pour a splash of the sake into the pan, and put the pan over medium-high heat. Once the sake begins to bubble, scrape the browned bits off of the bottom of the pan. Add in the remaining sake, miring, and soy sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat so that it barely simmers. Cook for 1 hour.
4. Strain the bones out, and season the tare with black pepper.

Stewed Bamboo Shoots

ingredients:

• 12-ounce can of sliced bamboo shoots
• splash of grape seed oil
• splash of sesame oil
• splash of usukuchi
• 1 Pickled Chile, seeded and chopped (this is another recipe in his book, but this is an option ingredient)

1. Drain the bamboo shoots and rinse them well under running water. Place them in a saucepan with the oils, soy, and chile.
2. Stew the bamboo shoots over low heat for half and hour, stirring occasionally, until tender.

Pickled Shiitakes

ingredients:

• Shiitake mushrooms from making Ramen Broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup usukuchi
• 1 cup sherry vinegar
• 2 3-inch knobs of fresh ginger, peeled

1. Trim the stems from the shiitakes, and cut the caps into 1/8-inch-thick slices.
2. Combine the water, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, and shiitakes in a saucepan over medium heat. Brin to a simmer, and simmer gently for half an hour, stirring occasionally.
3. Discard the ginger, and pack the shiitakes into a quart container with enough liquid to cover them.

5:10 Eggs

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Gently lower the eggs, in their shells, into the water. Set a kitchen timer for 5 minutes and 10 seconds from the moment the eggs go into the water.
2. Prepare an ice water bath in a large, deep bowl.
3. When the timer rings, transfer the eggs to the ice bath using a slotted spoon or spider.
4. When they are cool enough to handle, peel the eggs under the water in the bowl. The eggs can be stored in the fridge for up to 8 house. Warm them under hot running water for a minute before serving.