Bacon and Leek Risotto

Ready for spring?  I am.  The new Bon Appetit is getting me so excited for spring vegetables.  Here is the first recipe from this month's issue I tried and it is out of this world.  I don't eat much meat anymore, so this was a special treat with some bacon from the Takoma Park Farmer's Market.

Please, please try this.  I am strongly considering changing my blog to cover risotto exclusively because of how much I love making it! I'm sad I didn't take any pictures of this meal.  But, I guess that means I will have to make it again soon to share them with you. Also, this was our first meal of the season that we enjoyed in the backyard with a fire keeping us warm. Amazing.

Bacon and Leek Risotto (from Bon Appetit)

What You Need

- 6 large eggs
- 5 cups vegetable broth (recipe calls for chicken stock)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 cups thinly sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only; about 2 large--which is a bit more than 2 cups but don't worry, use it all)
- 1 1/2 cups arborio rice or medium-grain white rice (about 10 ounces)
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley (from our containers here at home)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese (I used more, closer to 4)
- Fresh Italian parsley leaves (for garnish)
- Additional finely grated Parmesan cheese (for garnish)

What You Do

1. Bring broth to simmer in medium saucepan; cover to keep warm.
2. Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat.
3. Add bacon and cook until crisp, stirring occasionally.
4. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain.
5. Add leeks to drippings in pan; cook until soft but not brown, stirring often, 4 to 5 minutes.
6. Transfer 2 generous tablespoonfuls leeks to small bowl; reserve for garnish.
7. Add rice to pan; stir 1 to 2 minutes.
8. Add wine; stir until absorbed, about 2 minutes.
9. Add 1/2 cup warm broth to saucepan; stir until broth is absorbed. Repeat adding broth and stirring until rice is tender but still firm to bite and sauce is creamy, stirring almost constantly, about 23 minutes total.
10. Add bacon, chopped parsley, butter, and 2 tablespoons cheese.
11. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
12. Meanwhile, poach eggs.
13. Divide risotto among 6 bowls. Top risotto in each bowl with poached egg. Sprinkle egg with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parsley leaves, additional cheese, and reserved leeks.

This recipe was wonderful and perfect for celebrating the beginning of spring.

An Exercise in Domesticity: Truly Homemade Lasagna

For Valentine's Day Weekend, my roommate and I hosted a romantic evening to celebrate love, food, friendship, and domesticity. My mom's response to this activity was that I'm a foodie fanatic or her words may have been that I am a "lunatic". My roommate says that at least I'm a "happy, well fed lunatic". Either way, this was one of my favorite meals in a long time and gave me a lot of pleasure.

We prepared all the ingredients for the lasagna from scratch including the following: ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, lasagna noodles, and pasta sauce. We also sauteed spinach in olive oil and garlic and used that as well. As you can see, most of the components of this lasagna have already been posted to the blog. The glory of this meal was putting all the pieces together.

Basic Vegetarian Lasagna (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

What You Need
- 1 pound lasagna noodles
- 1 pound mozzarella
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
- 32 ounces whole tomatoes (we used the ones my roommate and her family canned from their farm this summer, the can includes a handful of basil leaves)
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed
- Salt and pepper to taste
- "A couple glugs red one"
- Several cups baby spinach

What You Do
1. Prepare the ricotta cheese, if making at home.
2. While you are waiting for the ricotta, prepare the mozzarella, if making at home.
3. Prepare the noodles, if making at home.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium sized pot.
5. Add 4 cloves garlic and allow to heat on medium (2 minutes) Do not burn.
6. Add can of tomatoes, basil, "glugs of wine" (which means just a couple little pours from the bottle), and a little salt and pepper.
7. Break up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon and allow sauce to simmer which you finish getting everything else prepared (minimum of 10 minutes).
8. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add in the last 2 cloves garlic to a mid-sized pan.
9. Saute spinach.
10. Add spinach to the ricotta cheese.
11. Assemble the lasagna in the following order: sauce, noodles, ricotta mixture, sauce, noodles, ricotta mixture, sauce, noodles, sauce, sliced mozzarella.
12. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
13. Put lasagna into a preheated oven at 375 degrees.
14. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden and bubbling.
15. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Excellent and worth trying. The whole process took us 3 hours total from start to finish (which includes 1 hour of waiting for ricotta and 35-45 minutes waiting for the lasagna to bake). We were able to pass the time listening to music, snacking on bread with olive oil, garlic, and balsamic vinegar, and enjoying some wine.

Another Take on Risotto: Pie?

I've mentioned this before but it would be possible for me to rename this blog "Risotto Heaven" or "Risotto Fanatic" with the amount of time I dedicate to risotto recipes. But, I love it. Here is another one that was a huge hit at my birthday potluck dinner on Feb 4th. The recipe is a bit complicated because of its various components and dealing with filo dough (which I've only done once before for spinach pie). I made the huge mistake of forgetting to take the filo dough out of the freezer to allow it to thaw properly. This led to a frenzy when it was time to put all the pieces of the pie together. Without a microwave, I stuck the frozen dough into a warm oven and allowed it to warm up. It turned out wonderfully even with the chaos and I was left with only one piece by the end of the night. But, please, do not forget to defrost the filo dough!

Filo Risotto Pie (from Essential Vegetarian Cookbook)

What You Need
- 2 large red peppers
- 1 cup white wine
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 leek, sliced
- 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- 2 cups arborio rice
- 2 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 10 sheets filo pastry (thawed)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 lb spinach (recipe says to blanch this, I sauteed it with olive oil very quickly instead)
- 8 oz feta cheese
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

What You Do
1. Cut the peppers in half lengthways and remove seeds. Cut into quarters.
2. Roast the peppers until skin blackens and blisters.
3. Put roasted peppers in a paper bag or cover with a towel and allow to cool.
4. Peel the peppers and cut into smaller pieces.
5. Begin making the risotto by warming up the vegetable broth.
6. Heat oil and garlic in a large-heavy based pan.
7. Add fennel and leek and cook over medium heat until lightly browned (5 minutes).
8. Add rice and stir for three minutes.
9. Add wine and stir until evaporated.
10. Add 1/2 cup vegetable broth to risotto at a time, stirring constantly until all the stock has been used. This will take 40 minutes.
11. Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper. (Note: I prepared the risotto and peppers the night before and then started again the next day at #12)
12. Brush each sheet of filo with olive oil and fold in half lengthways.
13. Arrange like overlapping spokes on a wheel in a 9 inch springform pan with one side of pastry hanging over the side of tin. (This was not graceful for me because of my filo mess described above-- but don't worry too much about it)
14. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
15. Spoon half the risotto over the pastry and top with half the red peppers, half the spinach, and half the feta cheese.
16. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
17. Fold pastry over the filling and brush lightly with oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
18. Bake for 50 minutes or until pastry is crisp and golden and pie is heated through.

Yum! This was my first time cooking with a springform pan and it was very fun. Next use for the springform: cheesecake.

Black Bean Chili with Butternut Squash

It is chili season. As you might be able to tell, I just got a new month of Bon Appetit magazine. When I saw the recipe for black bean chili with butternut squash, I was immediately intrigued but then got nervous as I was cooking. What would it taste like? What exactly is bulgur? Why bother with a vegetarian chili?

But-- there was no need to worry! Dinner with my roommate this evening was as close to silent as we get (for those of you who know us, we are very talkative). Our chatter was replaced with lots of "mmmm" "yum" "great flavor" and "mmmm" (repeat). This is a very healthy chili but has a wonderful flavor. I cut the recipe in half, but feel free to double it if you are cooking for a large group.

Vegetarian Chili (adapted from Bon Appetit)

What You Need

- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1/2 red onion, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1/2 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 14.5-ounce cans fire-roasted tomatoes (I just used a normal can of whole tomatoes)
- 1/2 pound dried black beans, rinsed
- 2 chipotle chiles from canned chipotle chiles in adobo, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
- Coarse kosher salt to taste
- 1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1.5 cups) (any winter squash will do)
- 1/2 cup quick-cooking bulgur (this was my first time using it!)
- Sour cream
- Coarsely grated hot pepper Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
-Diced red onion
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Pickled jalapeño rings

What You Do

1. Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add onions and cook until soft and beginning to brown, stirring often, about 8 minutes.
3. Add garlic; stir 1 minute.
4. Sprinkle chili powder and coriander over; stir 1 minute.
5. Stir in tomatoes with juice, beans, chipotles, and oregano. (Note: we started cooking the beans about 1.5 hours before. I added in the nearly finished beans with the water they were cooking in at this point).
6. Add 3 cups water (if you are adding uncooked beans, add 5 cups water).
7. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover with lid slightly ajar, and simmer until beans are tender, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours (time will vary depending on freshness of beans-- since ours were almost finished, I let it cook for 30 minutes more).
8. Season to taste with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.
9. Stir squash and bulgur into chili.
10. Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat until squash and bulgur are tender, about 40 minutes (recipe said 30 but the squash wasn't ready yet).
11. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
12. Divide chili among bowls.

Serve with sour cream, cheese, red onion, cilantro, and pickled jalapeño rings. Enjoy with plenty of "mmm" "yum" "great flavor" "mmmm".

Family Dinner: Pasta Made at Home

A couple weeks ago, my friend contacted me with an invitation to a family style potluck dinner. We have had many of these dinners before. But this time, he told me we were making homemade pasta. I grabbed my roommate and our pasta maker and arrived to his house early to have fun. I never made my own pasta before so this was a learning experience for me. It was fabulous. We made four batches of pasta on two different pasta makers. We hung the pasta to dry on clothing hangers on my friend's bicycle which rests of the ceiling of the apartment living room.

Take a look at the beautiful photos and try this yourself at home:

Fresh Pasta (adapted from Bittman's How to Cook Everything Traditional Egg Pasta Dough)

What You Need (this makes about one pound of pasta)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 eggs
- A few drops of water, if needed

What You Do
1. To make the dough by hand, mound the flour on a smooth counter top, or place in a bowl.
2. Make a well in the center and add salt.
3. Then, break in an egg, beating with a fork and incorporating a little of the flour.
4. Beat in another egg and repeat, until all the flour is mixed with the eggs.
5. Gather the mixture into a ball.
6. Place the dough on a dry, lightly floured work surface and knead until it is smooth(add a couple drops of water if it is dry and grainy).
7. Cover with plastic and let refrigerate for 30 minutes.
8. Divide the dough into four pieces and be prepared to work with one piece at a time.
9. Clamp the pasta rolling machine to the counter and sprinkle a nearby surface with flour.
10. Roll the dough lightly in the flour and flatten it with your hands.
11. Set the machine to 1 and crank the dough through. (Dust with flour if it sticks).
12. Set the machine to 2 and pass the flattened dough through again. Repeat, setting the machine to a higher number each time until you get to 6.
13. Let the pasta rest and move on to another piece of dough.
14. When you are ready, pass the flattened dough through the appropriate cutting blade (in our case, it was fettuccine).
15. Separate the strands and let them hang dry (see our hangers).
16. Add pasta to bowling water and let cook until floating in pot or cooked to your taste (this is going to be less than 5 minutes-- most likely 3 minutes).

We made four different sauces to eat with our pasta. It was amazing.

Peanut Noodles

Warm peanut noodles! It is one of my favorite appetizers at a Chinese restaurant I go to with my family up in New Jersey. I've tried to make it at home before and it was terrible. My roommate made a great one and told me the secret: adding in hot water to get the sauce just right! I've finally made it myself based on Bittman's recipe.

Peanut Noodles (adapted from Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian)

What You Need
- 12 ounces long Asian noodles (I used pad Thai noodles) or fresh Chinese egg noodles
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger, optional
- 1 tablespoon rice or wine vinegar
- Hot sesame oil or Tabasco sauce to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more
- 1/2 cup hot water
- At least 1/2 cup minced scallions for garnish

What You Do
1. Depending on the noodles you are using, follow the directions on the package. But, usually: soak for 30 minutes.
2. Drain noodles.
3. Add boiling water and let soak for 5 minutes.
4. While noodles are cooking, whisk together sesame oil and paste, sugar, soy, ginger, vinegar, hot oil and pepper in a large bowl.
5. Thin sauce with hot water, so that it is about the consistency of heavy cream; you will need 1/4 to 1/2 cup.
6. When noodles are done, drain.
7. Toss noodles and sauce (there are other things you can add here like chicken, tofu, or cucumbers- be creative).
8. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary (the dish may need salt), then garnish and serve.

This dish is good cold, warm, or even hot!

Beet Risotto

It's possible that I should change the title of the blog to something related to risotto because I've posted so many risotto recipes. But here is another great one! Beets! I found the recipe in one of my Food and Wine cookbooks and cut it in half (the original recipe called for 3 cups arborio rice, too much for me!).

Beet Risotto (adapted from Food and Wine)

What You Need
- 3-4 cups vegetable stock
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
- 2 beets , peeled and coarsely shredded, plus thinly sliced beets for garnish
- 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 3/4 cup young pecorino cheese, freshly grated (I used parmesan)
- 2 teaspoons poppy seeds, plus more for garnish (I didn't have any, but I think it would be nice looking with them)

What You Do
1.In a saucepan, bring the stock to a simmer; cover and keep warm.
2. In a medium enameled cast-iron casserole, melt the butter.
3. Add the onion and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened, 5 minutes.
4. Add the shredded beets and cook, stirring, until the pan is dry, 12 minutes.
5. Spoon half of the beets into a small bowl.
6. Add the rice to the casserole and stir.
7. Add white wine and cook, stirring until wine is gone (2 minutes).
8. Add 1 cup of the warm stock to the rice and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the stock is nearly absorbed.
9. Continue adding the stock 1 (or half) cup at a time, stirring constantly, until the rice is al dente and a thick sauce forms, 22 minutes.
10. Stir in the cooked beets, cheese and the 2 teaspoons of poppy seeds (if you have them).
11. Cook, stirring, until heated through; add a few tablespoons of water if the risotto is too thick.
12. Spoon the risotto into bowls. Garnish with sliced beets and poppy seeds and serve.

Crazy color! But delicious.

Pumpkin Risotto

Not like I need another thing to love about Thanksgiving, but in addition to all the glory that is the Thanksgiving holiday, my mother also sends me home with plenty of food. Not just leftovers, but also extra ingredients. This year, like all others, I made out like a bandit: brown sugar, stuffed grape leaves, cheese, pie, and pumpkins! A whole pumpkin and also a container of pumpkin puree. I was excited to try uses for my pumpkins and thought of pumpkin risotto and -wow- it is amazing!

Pumpkin Risotto with Roasted Vegetables (adapted from Straight from the Farm)

What You Need

- 3-4 cups vegetable stock (you can also use chicken stock)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 1/2 cup aborrio rice
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/2 teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 cups roasted vegetables (I used a combination of sweet potato, carrots, and orange cauliflower sprinkled with olive oil and salt and roasted at 400 degrees for 25 minutes)
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

What You Do

1. If you need to, first prepare your pumpkin puree (see here: The Pioneer Woman)
2. Cut up your vegetables and toss with olive oil and some salt.
3. Put vegetables in a pre-heated 400 degree oven and roast for 25 minutes.
4. While the vegetables are roasting, begin to work on the risotto.
5. Put the vegetable stock in a medium saucepan over low heat to come to a simmer.
6. Melt the butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat.
7. When it is melted, add the onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes.
8. Add the rice and stir for about two minutes so it can absorb the butter and toast a bit.
9. Add the wine and let everything simmer for another minute or two until the wine is absorbed.
10. Set a timer for 18 minutes. Add about half a cup of hot stock to the risotto and stir constantly until it is absorbed.
11. Add another half cup of stock and repeat this process until 18 minutes is up.
12. Add the pumpkin puree, nutmeg, rosemary and a final half cup of stock and stir vigorously to combine.
13. When risotto has once again become thick and creamy (don't worry, this does happen!), add the roasted veggies and grated cheese and stir again to combine.
14. Finally, finish the risotto by stirring in the heavy cream and adding pepper and salt to taste.
15. Serve immediately while hot, garnishing with addition grated cheese and a sprig of rosemary on each plate if you have it.

This was a great meal to help me transition from the Thanksgiving holiday to the final three weeks of the semester.

Thanksgiving: Turkey!

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. As you know, I love this holiday. I love this holiday so much that I celebrated it three times this year. Once at my sister's friend's potluck, then again at a pot luck with my graduate school program, and then a third time with my wonderful family in New Jersey. I was really excited because I prepared the turkey for my graduate school potluck, an experience I had yet to do on my own. I found a fabulous local, happy Maryland turkey and picked up all 18 pounds of him on Sunday morning.

I spent a lot of time debated how I would prepare this turkey, looking through food magazines, cookbooks, and websites. In the end, I asked my mom to send me the recipe she uses and I don't think I will ever stray from it. We also used this recipe to prepare our family's Thanksgiving meal. It is perfect.

Notes about turkey timing: Directly upon removal from the refrigerator, place the bird in a preheated 450 degree oven. Reduce the heat immediately to 350 or to 325 for large turkeys. After the first half hour of cooking baste frequently with pan drippings. Cook to an internal temperature of 180 or 185. The center of the stuffing should reach at least 165. If not using a thermometer, allow 20 to 25 minutes per pound for birds up to 6 lbs. For larger birds, allow 15 to 20 minutes per lb. For turkeys over 16 lbs, allow 13 to 15 minutes per pound. Add about 5 minutes to the pound if the bird you are cooking is stuffed (we stuff our birds). For our 18 pound bird, we cooked it 5 hours.

Thanksgiving Turkey (with gravy and stuffing) (from my mom adapted from The Joy of Cooking and the Silver Palate)

What You Need

Stuffing
-2 T of vegetable oil
-3 cups of chopped celery with leaves
-2 cups chopped onions
- 2 tart apples cut into 1/2 inch cubes (pealed)
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped
- 1 cup of raisins
- 6 cups stall bread cubes (we use Pepperidge Farm seasoned cubes that come in bag)
- 1 t salt
- 1 t of dried thyme leaves
- 1 t of crumbled dried sage leaves
- group black pepper to taste
- 1 cup tawny port
- 1 cup of chicken stock

Turkey (and gravy)
- A turkey (between 18 - 20 lbs. for this recipe)
- 3 ribs of celery, halved crosswise
- 1 onion quartered
- 1 large carrot, pealed and quartered
- 3 1/2 cups of water
- 8 T of unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup tawny port
- 1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
- salt and pepper to taste


What You Do

1. First begin by preparing the stuffing.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet and saute the celery and onions over low heat until softened but not browned, 10 minutes.
3. Transfer the vegetables to a large mixing bowl.
4. Stir the apples, walnuts, and raisins into the mixture.
5. Add the bread cubes and toss lightly.
6. Sprinkle with salt, thyme, sage and pepper. Toss lightly again.
7. Add the port and sock, toss again until well blended.
8. Preheat oven to 450.
9. Rinse the turkey well and pat it dry. Rinse the inside of the turkey with the juice of an orange.
10. Stuff the cavity loosely with about 7 cups of stuffing. Skewer or sew the opening shut.
11. Stuff the neck area with about 3 cups of stuffing. Secure the neck skin flap under the turkey.(Put any remain stuffing in an ovenproof casserole and set it aside.)
12. Arrange a bed of the celery, onion and carrot pieces in a large roasting pan.
13. Gently place the turkey on the vegetables.
14. Pour 3 cups water into the pan.
15. Cover the breast with cheese clothe soaked in melted butter. (You will remove the cheese clothe at the last hour or most likely 1/2 hour of cooking.)
16. Roast the turkey for 4 hours brushing it well with melted butter once an hour.
17. After it has cooked for 4 hours, pour or brush 1/4 cup of the port over the turkey. Bake 15 minutes.
18. Repeat basting with port and baking three more times, until the turkey has cooked a total of 5 hours. (Note: If you have reserved some extra stuffing in a casserole, stir in a bit of the pan juices and put it in the oven during the last hour, loosely covered. Bake for 45 minutes.)
19. Transfer turkey to a platter, cover it loosely with foil and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.
20. While the turkey is resting, strain the pan juices into a saucepan and heat to a simmer.
21. Stir the flour and remaining 1/2 cup of water together in a small brown until smooth.
22. Whisk this into the pan juices and heat to a boil. Simmer 5 minutes.
23. Season with salt and pepper.



This is the most fun and leaves your house smelling delicious. After carving the turkey, you can use the bones to make a wonderful turkey stock by simmering the bones with some onions and carrots in water for 3-5 hours.

Cauliflower Cake

I found this recipe from Smitten Kitchen as soon as I came home from the farmer's market last week. I knew I wanted to prepare it for my mom and sister who were staying with me on the eve of the Rally to Restore Sanity this weekend.

It was delicious but very filling. We have plenty of leftovers so go along with our halloween candy and birthday cupcakes (today was also my roommate's birthday) to eat all week long!

Cauliflower Cake (from Smitten Kitchen)

What You Need
- 1 medium cauliflower
- 1 large red onion, peeled
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
- 10 medium or 8 large eggs
- Handful basil, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 cups finely grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and black pepper
- Butter, for greasing pan
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (recipe calls for black, but I used white and a bit more than 2 tablespoons)

What You Do
1. Preheat oven to 350°F degrees.
2. Break cauliflower into medium florets.
3. Place floret in a pot with a teaspoon of salt, cover them with water and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until quite soft.
4. Strain and let drip in the colander for a few minutes so they dry and cool.
5. Halve your red onion and cut a few thin rings off the end of one side; set them aside.
6. Coarsely chop the remainder of your onion.
7. Heat all of your olive oil in a saucepan and saute the chopped red onion and rosemary together until soft, about 8 minutes. (This smells so good!)
8. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
9. Whisk eggs and olive oil and onion mixture together. Stir in basil.
10. Whisk flour, baking powder, turmeric, cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and many grinds of black pepper together in a separate bowl.
11. Add to egg mixture, whisking to remove lumps. Stir in cauliflower gently, so most pieces remain intact.
12. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round pan with parchment paper.
13. Butter the sides generously.
14. Put the sesame seeds in the pan and toss them around so that they stick to the sides.
15. Pour in the cauliflower batter, arrange the reserved onion rings on top and bake cake in the center of the oven for 45 minutes, until golden brown and set.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Yum. More on cauliflower to come!

Rosh Hashanah Meals, Including a Vegetarian Casserole!

For Day One of Rosh Hashanah, we kept the meal light and vegetarian. We made some salads, a kugel, and an eggplant and zucchini casserole. My mom and I both made the casserole again the following week, it was so good and easy to make.

Layered Eggplant, Zucchini and Tomato Casserole (from Food and Wine)

What You Need
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing and brushing
- 3 medium zucchini (1 1/2 pounds), sliced lengthwise 1/4 inch thick
- 2 long, narrow eggplants (1 1/2 pounds)(the recipe says to peel them, but I didn't, I also used a variety of eggplant not just narrow ones) sliced lengthwise 1/3 inch thick
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 1 pound plum tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (3/4 cup) (I used more!)
- 1/4 cup chopped basil (I used more)
- 1/3 cup panko or coarse dry bread crumbs

What You Do
1. Preheat the oven to 425°.
2. Oil 2 large rimmed baking sheets.
3. Put the zucchini slices on one sheet and the eggplant on the other. Brush the slices all over with oil and season with salt and pepper.
4. Arrange the slices on each sheet in a slightly overlapping layer. Bake for 15 minutes, until tender.
5. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil.
6. Add the shallot and cook over moderate heat until softened, 3 minutes.
7. Add the tomatoes and cook over high heat until slightly softened and bubbling, 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Oil a large, shallow baking dish (about 10 by 15 inches).
9. Lay half of the eggplant in the dish and spread one-fourth of the tomatoes on top.
10. Scatter with half of the feta and basil.
11. Layer half of the zucchini on top, followed by another one-fourth of the tomato and the remaining basil, eggplant and zucchini.
12. Top with the remaining tomato and feta.
13. Mix the panko with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and sprinkle over the casserole.
14. Bake in the upper third of the oven for 20 minutes, until bubbling and crisp.
15. Let stand for 5 minutes, then serve hot or warm.

For the second day of Rosh Hashanah we had a more traditional meal with roasted potatoes, brisket (sweet and sour, refer to old post), honey glazed carrots, and grilled veggies.

It was a delicious holiday!

Summer Savory Veggie Crepe

I apologize that there haven't been any pictures posted to the blog recently. My phone is acting up and I still have yet to get a working camera. Hopefully soon I will be able to remedy the situation and get some nice pictures up here (even better than those that I've posted before just using my phone's camera). But, I don't want the lack of pictures to stop me from sharing the great recipe I tried out yesterday. It was very unique for me, as crepes have always been a Lilly family breakfast tradition. However, I was in the mood for something new and happened upon this recipe while googling summer menus.

Try it out for yourself. It is easiest if you prep and freeze crepes in advance (then this is a VERY quick meal) but it is also possible to prepare crepes and the filling after work in time for dinner.

Summer Vegetable Crêpes (adapted from Eating Well)

What You Need
- 1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh chives, divided, plus more for garnish
- 3 tablespoons low-fat milk
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cups chopped zucchini
- 1 1/4 cups chopped broccoli
- 1 cup fresh corn kernels, (from 1 large ear)
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 4 9-inch “ready-to-use” crêpes (I made my own from The Joy of Cooking, see below)

What You Do:
1. Stir sour cream, 1/4 cup chives, milk, lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl until combined. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, green beans and corn and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
3. Reduce heat to low; stir in ricotta, Monterey Jack, the remaining 1/4 cup chives, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper.
4. Cook, stirring gently, until the cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Remove from the heat.
6. To roll crêpes, place one on a piece of parchment or wax paper (or leave it on the piece of plastic separating the crêpes in the package). Spoon one-fourth of the vegetable-cheese mixture (about 3/4 cup) down the center of the crêpe. Use the paper (or plastic) to help you gently roll the crêpe around the filling. Place the crêpe seam-side down on a dinner plate. Repeat with the remaining crêpes and filling. Serve each crêpe topped with 2 tablespoons of the reserved sauce and more chives, if desired.

NOTE: Prepare the batter for the crepes below before starting with the filling, then cook the filling and finally cook up the crepes.

Savory Crepe (from the Joy of Cooking)

What You Need:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup lukewarm water
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon salt

What You Do:
1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth.
2. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 30 minutes, or refrigerate for up to 2 days.
3. Place a nonstick or seasoned crepe pan over medium heat.
4. Coat the pan with a little unsalted butter.
5. Stir the batter and pour about 2 tablespoons into the pan (you can use a ladle, a measuring cup, or anything else). I also used way more than 2 tablespoons per crepe. While you pour, lift the pan off the heat and tilt and rotate it so that the batter forms an even, very thin layer.
6. Cook until the top is set and the underside is golden.
7. Turn the crepe over, using a spatula or your fingers (fingers work best here, but careful--it's hot) and cook until the second side is lightly browned.
8. Remove the crepe to a plate.
9. Repeat the process with the remainder of the batter.

Use immediately or let cool, wrap airtight and freeze for up to 1 month.

Mushroom Risotto Cakes

So, after you enjoy the mushroom risotto I posted in my last post, you may be bored with eating it a couple days in a row (well, not really but we can pretend). I have a different issue. I moved into a new house and no longer have a microwave, so reheating the risotto became an issue. Instead, I found a recipe for risotto cakes in my Gourmet Today Cookbook . It was delicious and I will definitely be using this recipe again for left over risotto.

Mushroom Risotto Cakes (adapted from Gourmet Today)

What You Need:

- 3 cups chilled mushroom risotto
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs (the recipe calls to do this from about 4 slices firm white sandwich bread, but I just used breadcrumbs from a box)
- 6 tablespoons olive oil

What You Do:

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Form chilled risotto into 8 (3/4-inch-thick) patties using wet hands.
3. Put flour, eggs, and bread crumbs in 3 separate shallow bowls.
4. Coat 1 cake with flour, tapping off excess, then egg (letting excess drip off), and then bread crumbs. Transfer to wax paper.
5. Repeat with remaining cakes.
6. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté 4 cakes, turning over once, until browned, 5 to 6 minutes total.
7. Transfer with a slotted spatula to a paper-towel-lined baking pan and keep warm in oven.
8. Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil and sauté remaining 4 cakes in same manner.

ENJOY and share with loved ones and friends, they won't know that they are eating leftovers!

Mushroom Risotto

This is one of my favorite recipes and there is an exciting twist on what to do with the leftovers:

Mushroom Risotto (adapted from Bittman's How to Cook Everything)

What You Need:

- 3-5 cups chicken or vegetable stock, or water
- 2 T butter
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2-3 cups fresh mushrooms (any variety), chopped
- 1 ½ cups Arborio rice
- Salt & pepper to taste
- ½ cup dry white wine
- Some freshly grated parmesan cheese

What You Do:

1. Place the butter in a large saucepan and turn the heat to medium.
2. When it’s hot, add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute.
3. Add the fresh mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, for another 5-7 minutes.
4. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes; do not let the mushrooms brown.
5. Add the rice and stir until it is coated with butter.
6. Add a little salt & pepper, then the wine.
7. Stir and let the liquid bubble away.
8. Begin to add the stock, ½ cup at a time, stirring after each addition and every minute or so.
9. When the stock is just about evaporated, add more. The mixture should be neither soupy nor dry. Keep the heat medium to medium-high, and stir frequently (constant stirring is not necessary-- even though I tend to do this).
10. Begin tasting the rice 20 minutes after you add it to the pan; you want it to be tender but with still a tiny bit of crunch. NOTE: It could take as long as 30 minutes to reach this stage (mine usually does).
11. When it's done, add the parmesan and remove from the heat. Check the seasoning, adjust if necessary, and serve immediately.

See next post for what to do with leftovers....

Oven Braised Barbecued Brisket

Although I'm cutting meat out of my daily life, I decided that I do not want to extend that practice to holiday celebrations. There is something very special about brisket on Passover. I am not ready to let go of that tradition (at least not yet). Here is the recipe my mother and I will be using this year for our Passover Seder on the first night.

Oven Braised Barbecued Brisket (from Gourmet Today)

What You Need
- 1 (4 pound) beef brisket, preferably second cut
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons veggie oil
- 1 large onion (halved lengthwise and thinly sliced lengthwise)
- 1 cup beef stock (reduced sodium)
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1/3 cup cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Parchment paper

What You Do
1. Put a rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 325.
2. Pat brisket dry and rub salt and pepper all over it.
3. Heat oil in 12 inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking.
4. Add brisket and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes.
5. Transfer brisket to a 13-by-9 inch baking dish.
6. Add onion to skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until browned 7 to 8 minutes.
7. Add stock and deglaze skillet by boiling, scraping up browned bits for 1 minute.
8. Stir in remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
9. Pour sauce over brisket.
10. Cover meat with a sheet of parchment and cover pan tightly with foil.
11. Braise in oven turning meat once, until fork tender 3-3.5 hours.
12. Transfer brisket to a cutting board and slice across the grain.
13. Skim off and discard fat from surface of sauce. Serve sauce spooned over meat.

Pressure Cooker Beef Stew

My grandmother just moved out of her old apartment and in the process gave me boxes and boxes of kitchen items. Included in these boxes was my grandma's famous pressure cooker. Famous, mostly, for making grandma's chicken. I am still working the grandma's chicken recipe to perfect it before posting, but I wanted to give you a taste of my excitement about the pressure cooker.

It cooks things in minutes! It is amazing! Go get a pressure cooker!

Okay, now that that is out of my system, I can tell you that the first attempt at grandma's chicken was a success and got me interested in learning more about the pressure cooker. So, while my mother was in town in past weekend visiting, we tried the pressure cooker for a beef stew. It turned out wonderfully and in less than a third of the time for a stew in the oven.

I adapted two recipes, the first from Busy Cooks and the other from the Yankee Pot Roast in Pressure Cooking for Everyone by Rick Rodgers and Arlene Ward. Here is what we did:

Pressure Cooker Beef Stew

What You Need

- 1-1/2 lbs. beef stew meat cut into cubes
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 Tbsp. oil
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp. dried marjoram leaves
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, cut into 8 wedges
- 2 bay leaves
- 5 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 4 potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1 inch chunks
- 3 stalks celery, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 2 Tbsp. butter (unsalted)
- 2 Tbsp. flour

What You Do:
1. Coat meat with flour.
2. Heat oil in pressure cooker over medium heat.
3. Add the meat and cook uncovered until well browned, stirring occasionally.
4. Transfer meat to a plate.
5. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.
6. Add the bay leaves.
7. Add beef broth (hot or at room temp), Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and marjoram. Scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
8. Return meat to the pot.
9. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
10. Close cover and bring to high pressure, then pressure cook for 15 minutes. (High pressure means the button on the pressure cooker pops up! It is very cool to see this happen).
11. Remove from heat, reduce pressure, and remove cover. (I reduced pressure by opening the vent to remove steam, you can also run the pot under cold water).
12. Add the vegetables (including diced tomatoes and their juices), salt, and pepper.
13. Close cover and return to high pressure, then cook 15 more minutes. (The recipes called for 5 minutes but we like the veggies really tender).
14. Remove from heat, reduce pressure, and remove cover. (You could stop here but we wanted to thicken the sauce! For thicker sauce follow the remaining steps:)
15. Remove meat and veggies, leaving the cooking liquid.
16. Remove the bay leaves and let stand for 5 minutes.
17. In a small bowl, work the butter and flour together until smooth.
18. Whisk 1 cup of the cooking liquid into the butter/flour mixture to make a thin paste.
19. Bring the cooking liquid to a boil over medium heat.
20. Whisk in the paste and cook until the liquid reduces slightly and thickens into a light-bodied gravy (6 minutes).
21. Mix the gravy in with the veggies and meat and serve some extra gravy on the side.

We served the stew with egg noodles. It is a wonderful dish for a cold winter day and makes great left overs.

More to come on the pressure cooker! Stay tuned.

Veggie Casserole

Here is a recipe I tried a couple weeks ago from my new vegetarian cookbook The New Moosewood Cookbook. Before I made it, I was nervous about the cottage cheese in the recipe. I don't really like cottage cheese, and have never used it in a recipe. But, it turned out wonderfully. I had a ton left over after dinner with my friend and it was great throughout the week for lunch. I meant to blog about it at the time, but I was quickly overwhelmed by work and the condition of my kitchen (see recent posts for details). So, now that I've been stuck inside for almost a week with the snow (snowMG, snowpocalypse, etc), I have some time to type it up for you.

Broccoli Mushroom Noodle Casserole (from Mollie Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook)

What You Need:
- 1 1 lb (or 12 oz) package wide flat egg noodles
- 2 tbs butter
- 2 cups chopped onions
- 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large bunch fresh broccoli, chopped
- 1 lb mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 3 cups cottage cheese
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
- 1 cup grated sharp cheddar

What You Do:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
3. Cook the noodles until half done and drain and rinse under cold water. Drain again and set aside.
4. Melt the butter in a large skillet and add onions and garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes over medium heat.
5. Add broccoli, mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the broccoli is bright green and just tender.
6. Remove from heat and add white wine.
7. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs with cottage cheese and sour cream.
8. Add noodles, sauted vegetables, and 1 cup breadcrumbs.
9. Mix well!
10. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan and top with remaining breadcrumbs and grated cheese.
11. Bake covered for 30 minutes and uncovered for 15 minutes more.

Back in the Game

As you may have noticed, 2010 has not been a great year for the blog so far. Some of this is due to the craziness of the past two months, but it has also been because of some trouble I've been having with my apartment. I have been fighting tirelessly against an army of roaches that have made their happy home this winter in my kitchen. I know, it is gross. But, I thought it was about time I blogged about it and got it off my chest. I was finally able to get the exterminator here last Thurs. and so far, things have been looking a lot better. I'm on the "rotation" for pest control in my building and so, hopefully, I will be able to sneak back into my kitchen and get cooking again.

With the two feet of snow we got this weekend, I hardly left my house. Thankfully, the roaches had retreated enough to allow me into the kitchen to try some goodies for the cold weather (and also for the Superbowl).

First was the Jambalaya:

Jambalaya (from epicurious)

What You Need:

- 1 tbsp olive oil
- large onion, chopped
- 2 medium cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 tbsp fresh Italian parsley, minced
- 4 oz extra-lean smoked ham, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 4 precooked sausage, cut into 1/2 inch slices
- 5 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
- 1 large bay leaf
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
- 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
- 3/4 cup brown rice, uncooked
- 1 1/2 lb medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped into bite-sized pieces

What You Do:

1. Add oil to a large nonstick saucepan.
2. Over medium heat, sauté onion, garlic, bell pepper and celery until onion is translucent.
3. Add parsley, ham, chicken, sausage, bay leaf, and cayenne pepper.
4. Cook, stirring often, 5 to 6 minutes.
5. Add tomatoes (with juice), tomato sauce, and 1 3/4 cups cold water.
6. Gently simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
7. Pour rice into the pan and stir well.
8. Bring mixture to a boil.
9. Lower heat and simmer, covered, 45 minutes or until rice is cooked and absorbs most of the liquid.
10. Stir in shrimp and cook 5 minutes more.
11. Remove bay leaf.
12. Season to taste with cayenne pepper and salt.
13. Enjoy!

This is great for the cold weather... more weekend treats to come!

Barbeque Meatloaf

In testing recipes for Thanksgiving sides, I also decided to make one of my cool weather favorites: meatloaf. The recipe I use is adapted from Paula Dean's Barbeque Meatloaf. It is fantastic, moist, and homey. I'm going to be eating it tonight with my Thanksgiving butternut squash soup and brussels sprouts hopefuls (recipes to come with later Thanksgiving prep posts, after I know that they are a go).

Here is the recipe that has worked for me whenever I need a good comfort food:

Barbeque Meatloaf (adapted from Paula Dean's)

What You Need

- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground turkey
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
- 3 tablespoons vinegar
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup water, to thin sauce if necessary (I very rarely use this)


What You Do

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Saute chopped onion and bell pepper for 5-8 minutes. Let cool for a couple minutes.
3. Mix together the beef, bread crumbs, onion, bell pepper, egg, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce.
4. Form this mixture into a loaf and place it in a shallow pan.
5. Stir together the remaining tomato sauce, vinegar, sugar, mustard, Worcestershire and the water (if too thick, which it rarely is).
6. Pour this sauce over the meatloaf. (This will look pretty scary. The meatloaf is swimming in the sauce, but don't worry! It will absorb and the sauce will no longer be there at the end.)
7. Bake for 1 hour, basting every 15 minutes with the pan juices. If there still are a lot of juices and sauce, let go another 15 minutes.
8. Enjoy!

Leftovers should be eaten on English muffins for a fantastic sandwich. Yum.

Homemade Ricotta Cheese

Having achieved moderate success with mozzarella cheese and yogurt, it is time to try another adventure with milk. While I was looking through old magazines for recipes (starting to brainstorm about Thanksgiving and also a company pot luck), I found last November's Food and Wine. In it, I saw an article about Maria Helm Sinskey and her ricotta cheese and associated recipes. Unfortunately, I don't have a camera at the moment to take pictures to show you how cool it is to make ricotta (so you will have to just take my word for it). If you are really interested on the appearance, it does not look much different from mozzarella while you are making it.

Below is the recipe (from Food and Wine's Creamy Ricotta recipe), it makes 3.5 cups of ricotta and can be kept in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Homemade Ricotta Cheese

What You Need:

- 2 quarts whole milk, preferably organic
- 1 cup heavy cream, preferably organic
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

What You Do:

1. In a medium pot (or bigger), warm the milk and cream over moderately high heat until the surface becomes foamy and steamy and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the milk registers 185°; don’t let the milk boil.
2. Remove the pot from the heat.
3. Add the vinegar and stir gently for 30 seconds. Maria says that "the mixture will curdle almost immediately." And it really does! This is so crazy to watch. Take a look at the mozzarella pictures if you are curious on how this looks.
4. Add the salt and stir for 30 seconds longer.
5. Cover the pot with a clean towel and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours.
6. Line a large colander with several layers of cheesecloth, allowing several inches of overhang.
7. Set the colander in a large bowl.
8. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the curds to the colander.
8. Carefully gather the corners of the cheesecloth and close with a rubber band.
9. Let the ricotta stand for 30 minutes, gently pressing and squeezing the cheesecloth occasionally to drain off the whey.
10. Transfer the ricotta to a bowl and use at once, or cover and refrigerate.

With this delicious cheese, I'm going to try Maria's Baked Penne with Sausage, but I have to make some adaptations due to what was available at the market and store.

Baked Penne with Sausage and Creamy Ricotta (adapted from Food and Wine)

What You Need:

- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
- One 28-ounce can tomato puree
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 teaspoon ground anise seed (substitute for fennel)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 pound penne
- 3 cups ricotta (homemade is best!)
- 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (post about mozzarella here)
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

What You Do:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°.
2. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.
3. Add the garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
4. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the meat, until browned, about 8 minutes.
5. Add the tomato puree, water, sugar, bay leaf and anise.
6. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
7. Simmer over low heat until thickened, about 30 minutes.
8. Remove the garlic, mash it to a paste and stir it back into the sauce; discard the bay leaf.
9. Meanwhile, cook the penne in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente.
10. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
11. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
12. Using a slotted spoon, add the cooked sausage to the pasta, then add 1 cup of the tomato sauce and toss to coat the penne.
13. Spoon the pasta into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
14. Pour the remaining tomato sauce over the pasta and dollop large spoonfuls of the ricotta on top.
15. Gently fold some of the ricotta into the pasta; don’t overmix—you should have pockets of ricotta.
16. Scatter the mozzarella on top and sprinkle with the Parmigiano-Reggiano.
17. Bake the pasta for about 45 minutes, or until bubbling and golden on top.
18. Let rest for 20 minutes before serving.