Lasagna Stew

I wasn't too sure if I should share this recipe or not. It isn't exactly porphyria-friendly. Not only is there meat, but there are also tomatoes, onions, fennel, and a good amount of dairy. The only thing that it has going for it is that it has pasta.  To be sure, Tara only had one serving and I ate the rest.

We definitely don't eat like this every day. But here's the thing, we're human and we don't always eat the best.  It's just like when you're on a diet and you eat huge slice of cake (and a bowl of ice cream and some cookies, and a burger...); you know you shouldn't, but you do anyway. And, if you're the type, the next day you go bust your ass in the gym, or, at the very least, you get back on track with your diet.  It's the same thing here.  Tara occasionally  gets cravings for certain foods that aren't so trigger-friendly or we're in a pinch.  So, we try to eat foods before and after that are super high in carbs or she'll drink a Gatorade.

Anyway, enough of that and on to the recipe. Or the discussion of the recipe...


I initially saw Pass the Sushi's post on Lasagna Stew and it looked so good that I knew I was going to make it soon, like either that night or the next day, soon. 

Thankfully, my version of lasagna soup - Lasagna Stew - did not disappoint!  Honestly, the main reason I decided to post the recipe was because, people, this is good. I mean, really good. I'm not sure if it's because I love a good meat sauce and I rarely get to enjoy it, but I was savoring the sauce like nobody's business.

It doesn't taste quite like lasagna, but it is very lasagna-esque.  You know, kind of like a cousin of lasagna.  All the elements are there: meat sauce, pasta, ricotta, and browned mozzarella topping.  They just combine to form something fabulous.

Despite what I said earlier about this lasagna stew being essentially a trigger-bomb, it is quite customizable. It can easily be made vegetarian by replacing the meat with veggies like mushrooms and/or zucchini, etc.. It can be made dairy-light or even dairy-free. You can change up the spices somewhat by leaving out the fennel and upping the basil, oregano, and bay lead. I suppose it could even be made onion-free, too, although I'm not entirely sure because, at that point, it would probably be another dish entirely.

 

Lasagna Stew

Adapted from Pass the Sushi and Closet Cooking  and

Don't let the long list of ingredients fool you; this comes together fairly quickly.  If you want to make this more soup-like, increase the chicken stock to at least 4 cups. 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
• 2 medium - large onions, finely chopped,
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
• 3 tablespoon tomato paste (organic preferred)
• 1 28oz can diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1 14oz can diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1 1/2 cups, approximately, chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 8oz pasta (mafalda would be appropriate, but any big pasta will do)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil (I left this out)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 8oz ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella

Directions

In a large pot (either a sauce pot or a large, high-sided skillet), heat oil over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until brown, breaking up into small chunks, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside (this step is optional, but it will help the next step go quicker.).

Add onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, and fennel and sauté for about 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes or so.

Add to the pan tomatoes with juice, sausage (if you removed it), stock, bay leaf, and oregano; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes to blend the flavors.

While sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Dump in the pasta, boil for a minute or so, turn off the heat and cover. Let sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the pasta is cooked to your liking. Once done, drain and return to the pot.

While the sauce and pasta is cooking, preheat the oven to broil and place oven safe bowls on a baking sheet.

When the pasta is cooked and the sauce is done simmering, fish out the bay leaf and discard. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Then stir in pasta.

Scoop a heaping spoonful of ricotta into each bowl. Ladle stew into bowls and top each bowl with Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Place in broiler with oven door cracked for 3-5 minutes or until cheese browns.

Wait a few minutes before serving because the stew will be super hot.


Recipe variations:

Vegetarian:  Replace the meat with any number of vegetables, but especially mushrooms. Replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth or water.

Dairy-free or dairy-light:  Decrease the amount of ricotta used in the lasagna and decrease the amount of topping. If you are just looking for a little bit of dairy, I would eliminate all but a smidge of the topping.

Fennel-free:  Leave out the fennel and, if you are using a meat, use ground pork and beef in place of the sausage. Increase the rest of the seasonings, especially the salt, pepper and bay leaf, and double the basil by adding it to the sauce while it is cooking and then at the end.

Gluten-free:  Use any gluten free pasta you prefer.

Onion-free:  I am guessing about this one. Leave out the onion and significantly increase the seasonings. I would add 2-3 bay leaves, add the larger amount of red pepper flakes (assuming you can handle heat), increase the oregano (add some fresh, too, if you have it), and double the basil by adding it when the sauce is cooking and then at the end.

If you try out any of these variations, please let me know how they work for you or what you did or would do differently.

Arugula Pesto

This is another one from the unposted archives.  It is, however, a timely one.  Tara and I have been in a dinner rut recently, falling back on dishes that rely heavily on tomatoes. While they're good, I really need to make an effort to seek out some tomato-free pasta (and other) dishes.

I was doing a search on tomato-free pasta dishes and what came up were tomato-free pasta sauces that included things like beets, roasted red peppers, and sometimes squashes.  That's all well and good, but I need something fairly easy and that doesn't require lots of steps.  Then, as I was going through my draft posts, I happened upon this one for pesto.  And I literally hit myself on the forehead.

How could I have ever forgotten pesto as a great, tomato-free pasta dish?!  (Incidentally, it is also onion-free and could be made garlic-free.)  The preparation is fairly simple and can probably be done in under 15 minutes.  Basically, in the time that it takes to cook your pasta, you could have the pesto ready.    

Arugula basil pesto

Use this recipe as more of a suggestion and starting place than a concrete, hard and fast rule.  With the seasonings, garlic, olive oil, etc., start with a little bit and keep adding until you are satisfied with your result.  Also, use all pine nuts or use all pumpkin seeds.  Toast the nuts or don't toast.  Use more basil and less arugula.  Etc.  Basically, make it yours.

Updated 4/3/12 to add: Arugula can be a little bitter.  If your pesto is too bitter, add more basil to counter balance.  If that doesn't work, top your final dish with a good amount of shredded Parmesan.  I find that works for me.

You can use a mortar and pestle for small batches, but definitely break out the food processor or blender for bigger jobs.

Ingredients

• 2 large handfuls of arugula
• 1 very small handful of basil leaves
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• 2 teaspoons garlic*
• ~ 1/4-1/3 olive oil*
• 1-2 tablespoons lime juice (optional)
• salt and pepper (to taste)
• Freshly grated Parmesan (to taste, but at least 1/4 cup)*

Directions

Pulse arugula and basil in food processor a few times. Add pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, and garlic; pulse a few times. Turn your food processor on and drizzle in olive oil through the feed tube. Turn off the food processor and check the consistency; add more olive oil and pulse if you need to.  Add in a bit of lime juice, maybe a teaspoon or so at a time, and pulse; check the flavor as you add until you get it to where you like it.  Add salt and pepper to taste and pulse to disperse; again, check the flavor as you add until you're satisfied.

Serve with pasta and sauteed mushrooms.

Notes:

1. You can make this garlic-free by leaving out the garlic (duh...).  The arugula has a nice, spicy kick, so the garlic probably wouldn't be missed.  You might need to punch up the lime juice and pepper to compensate, though.  I haven't tried it, but let me know how it works if you do.

2. As you can tell from the photos, we like our pesto on the paste-y side where it's almost as thick as a spread, so we use only a little bit of olive oil - just enough to thin out the mixture a bit.  Most people seem to like their pesto thinner; if you are one of those, use more olive oil.

3. Regarding the Parmesan, if you are baking a large batch and planning to freeze, don't include the Parmesan.  Sprinkle the Parmesan on your dish when you mix in the pesto.  If you are not planning on freezing, you can mix in the Parmesan while everything is in the food processor.  That said, we rarely add Parmesan to the pesto anyway, because Tara doesn't like it on her pasta so much.

Penne a la vodka

I know people like to knock Rachael Ray, but all of her recipes that I have made (and it's only been a few) were very approachable and relatively easy to make.  This recipe is no exception.  I mean, even Deb from Smitten Kitchen made it.

Rach's dish is somewhat annoyingly titled: You Won't Be Single For Long Vodka Cream Pasta.  But, it is Tara's favorite meal that I make for her.  She requests it for her birthday every year plus she likes me to make it for special occasions. Other people buy their wives flowers; I make mine penne a la vodka!  So, even though I haven't been single for many years (almost 10, people!), it certainly keeps me from being single again!

(By the way, the Decadent Duo for Decadent Duos: Chocolate Cups with Whipped Cream from the same episode is pretty phenomenal.) 

I've tweaked this recipe so much over the years, per Tara's requests, that we've pretty much made it our own. Mainly, I added some heat with red pepper flakes and made it chunkier by increasing the amount of shallots, adding cut up stewed tomatoes, and eliminating the chicken stock.    

Incidentally, I rarely drink any form of alcohol - I can count how many drinks I imbibe in one year on one hand - and I certainly don't buy alcohol for drinking.  So, the first time I had to buy vodka for this recipe (normally I send Tara), there was a sale on the larger, 1.5 liter, bottles.  The irony of a non-drinker buying a rather large bottle of vodka was not lost on me.  Also ironical is how decently stocked our liquor cabinet (shelf, actually) is due to my willingness to use multiple varieties in my cooking and baking. 

Penne a la Vodka
Liberally adapted from Rachael Ray

Serves 4

If you want to make this alcohol free, swap the vodka for a half cup of chicken or vegetable broth (or water in a pinch); add it in with the tomatoes.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4-5 shallots, chopped
• 2 cloves (or 1-2 teaspoons from a jar) minced garlic
• red pepper flakes to taste (~1/4 tsp)
• 1 cup vodka
• 1 large (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes*
• Salt and pepper to flavor
• 16 oz penne pasta
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 20 leaves basil, shredded/torn (optional)
• grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil, butter, and shallots.  Gently saute shallots for 3-5 minutes to develop sweetness.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan and saute for a minute or so.  Add vodka to the pan and reduce by half (2-3 minutes).  Add tomatoes to pan.  Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat to simmer.  Season with salt and pepper.

While sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to boil.  Dump in the pasta, boil for a minute or so and turn off the heat, add 1 tablespoon of the oil, and cover.  Let sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the pasta is cooked to your liking.  Once done, drain and return to the pot.

Stir cream into sauce.  When sauce returns to a bubble, remove from heat. Toss hot pasta with sauce and basil leaves.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

*Note: Regarding the tomatoes, for a thinner sauce, use the 28oz can of crushed tomatoes; for a super chunky sauce, use a 28oz can of stewed tomatoes, chopped; finally, if you need to compromise like I do, use one 14.5 oz can of stewed tomatoes, chopped, and one 14.5 oz can of crushed tomatoes.  The 14.5 oz can of crushed tomatoes can be a bit difficult to find (I know Muir Glen makes it), so you may need to double the recipe.  But don't worry, it freezes really well.

Orzo with mushrooms, tomatoes, and sausage

In the process of my pantry cleaning, I realized that we had a large amount of orzo so I have used it for several different meals.  I've discovered that there is something about the texture of freshly cooked orzo that makes me happy.  Typically, you'll see orzo used in soups or pasta salads, but I like to pair it with sauces (like regular noodles) or stew-type things like chili (where I would normally use rice).  

A perfect example is the above meal: orzo with pesto, mushrooms, tomatoes, and sausage, which is both vegetarian-friendly and vegan-friendly.  I'm not including any recipe because there's really not much to it.  I boiled orzo pasta just like I would regular pasta - Watch it though, because it cooks up quick!  Then I combined it with some homemade pesto, topped it off with sauteed mushrooms (because we all know how much I love them) and diced tomatoes.  Leave it that way for a vegan side dish or add a sprinkle of Parmesan and some sliced sausage on the side and - Voila! - a fairly quick weeknight meal.

Penne with zucchini ribbons and mushrooms

I've been working on a granola post (plus several others) to give you, but I'm still tweaking the recipe, so instead I give you penne with zucchini ribbons and a quick write-up.  (This is your cue to look at me like I'm crazy and say, "But Sunshine, it's Fall!   Zucchinis are for summer."  And to that I say, "Well, somebody needs to tell the people at Publix because they just had zucchini on sale last weak, so there.")

Also, I'm going to refer to the zucchini as zukes, because that what we call them at home and I like the way it sounds.  Hope you don't mind.

This is an awesome meal for both AIP and non-AIP folks.  Because the pasta amount is adjustable, you can have as much or as little carbs as you want or need.   We've had this a few times and I've occasionally just had the zuke noodles and pesto on their own.

Penne with zucchini ribbons and sauteed mushrooms

While not so original, I prefer it topped with sauteed mushrooms just like some other recipes.  Roasted pesto stuffed tomatoes (see Smitten kitchen and Veggie Belly's recipes) are a great accompaniment.

Ingredients

• 3 zucchini squashes
• 2+ tablespoons oil, divided
• 1 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 - 1/3 cup pesto*
• 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• salt and pepper to taste
• grated parmesan
• pasta of your choice

Directions

Pumpkin seeds:
Heat oven to 350F.  Spread pumpkin layers in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet.  Toast for about 10 minutes.  Keep an eye on these, they go from just right to burned pretty quickly.  A few minutes before they're finished, they'll start to puff up and pop (which is fun to watch, by the way).  When they're done, they seeds will be mostly puffed up and a greenish brown color.  Conversely, you can toast them on the stove top on an ungreased pan over med heat, shaking frequently; I've never actually done it this way, so I can't speak to its effectiveness.  (Because I use so many pumpkin seeds, I usually toast a large batch in the toaster oven and store them so they're recipe-ready.)

Pasta:
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.  Dump in the pasta, boil for a minute or so and turn off the heat, add 1 tablespoon of the oil, and cover.  Let sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the pasta is cooked to your liking.  Check the pasta frequently after the 10 minute mark to determine when the pasta is done.  I find this method a lot easier to cook pasta than the traditional method. Once the pasta is done, drain and return to the pot. Also, if you don't want to add oil to your pasta, you can rinse it once or twice in cold water (Tara thinks this is blasphemy, but she's also part Italian; I'm part Puerto Rican and can make up my own pasta rules.).

Mushrooms:
While you're waiting for the pasta water to boil, heat a large skillet over med - med/high heat.  Once the pan is hot, add 1 tablespoon of the oil.  After the oil has heated, add the butter and cook until it has foamed.  Add the sliced mushrooms and stir to coat in the butter-oil mixture; season with a little salt and pepper.  Saute the mushrooms until they are done to your liking, 10-15 minutes.  Empty into a bowl.

Zukes:
Prep your zukes while the pasta and mushrooms are cooking; do this first if you're not confident in your speedy kitchen skills. Peel the zukes. Then working around it's length, peel strips of flesh off.  Continue until you get to the seed (You can throw away the remaining bits or use them up in a creative way; I haven't figured this out yet.).  When the mushrooms are done, heat up the remaining oil if you need it (That's the "+" in the recipe.).  Put your zuke strips in the pan and saute for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently; you want them to soften up a bit, but still have some crispness to them.  When they are done, toss them with the pesto and pumpkin seeds.

To serve, plate the noodles, top with the zuke noodle, pesto, pumpkin seed mixture, and, finally, top with the mushrooms and grated parmesan.


*Note: I just realized that there are no pumpkin seeds in the pictures, but add them anyway.  They give a nice crunch.  Also, we use homemade pesto and since we like ours on the dry side, it takes a little more to get good coverage.  Adjust this to your preferences.

Pasta with mushrooms and 'homemade' sauce

While Tara is recovering from her jaw surgery, I can pretty much eat what I want.  Naturally, there will be some meals consisting solely of popcorn or avocado toast, but I also want to take the opportunity to eat down some of the food that's been languishing in the kitchen.  You know what I'm talking about - all that stuff that was bought with good intentions (Oooh, look!  Homemade falafels; I can totally do that!*) - but for whatever reason, they weren't used.  I'm actually looking forward to cooking up some of that food, especially the items that I like but Tara won't eat: Helloooooo angel hair pasta!

I came up with this meal on the fly.  There were several things in the fridge and freezer that I wanted to use up:  fresh mushrooms, frozen diced onion, ravioli, mystery grated cheese (Parmesan?), and a half-empty (full?) container of Ragu pasta sauce.  Pasta it was!  However, I took one taste of the sauce and dumped it down the drain; I don't know if it was just stale or too sweet, but it was nasty!  So, I had to resort to canned tomatoes for a sauce and, thankfully, it was pretty good.  I found the sauce to be a little salty, but Tara declared it the best pasta sauce she ever had.  She even insisted on having a small bowl with noodles chopped up super small.

Pasta with mushrooms and 'homemade' sauce 

The sauce makes 4-6 servings, depending on how saucy you like your pasta. 

Your best bet to get the pasta, sauce, and mushrooms done at the same time is to start them around the same time - Shocking, I know!  So, as soon as you put the water on to boil, turn the heat on for the oil, then puree the tomatoes and get them heating in the pot, and finally, start cooking the onions.   If you time it right, you could potentially have this meal ready in 20-25 minutes.

Ingredients 

• 1 14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes, Italian recipe
• 1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes, Basil, Garlic, and Oregano flavor
• 1/4 yellow or white onion, diced
• 8oz button or cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 heaping Tb butter
• 2 heaping Tb oil, divided (grapeseed or olive oil are good) 
• pasta of your choice
• Parmesan cheese for topping, optional

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.  Dump in the pasta, boil for a minute or so and turn off the heat, add 1 tablespoon of the oil, and cover.  Let sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the pasta is cooked to your liking.  Check the pasta frequently after the 10 minute mark to determine when the pasta is done.  I find this method a lot easier to cook pasta than the traditional method. Once the pasta is done, drain and return to the pot.

Puree the tomatoes to your preferred consistency using a food processor, blender, or immersion blender; I only did a few pulses because I like my sauce chunky.  In an uncovered sauce pot, bring the puree to a boil and then reduce heat to an easy simmer.

While the sauce is cooking and you're waiting for the pasta water to boil, heat a large skillet over med - med/high heat.  Once the pan is hot, add the oil.  After the oil has heated, add the butter and cook until it has foamed.  Add the onions and stir to coat in the butter-oil mixture; turn down the heat down to medium.  Cook the onions, stirring frequently, until they have browned, about 5 minutes - Be careful not to burn them!  Finally, add the sliced mushrooms, stirring to coat; you may need to add some more butter or oil at this point.  Saute the mushroom-onion mixture until they are done to your liking, 10-15 minutes.

To serve, plate the noodles, top with sauce and mushrooms.  Sprinkle with Parmesan, if using.

* When Tara read that sentence, she said, "I want homemade falafels!"