Sausage with Peppers and Onions

Cheap, easy, and hearty fall food...this one fits all the First Apartment Food requirements, Jessie and Jenn. And if you buy a low fat sausage like a turkey or chicken sausage, this tomato-y pasta topper is nearly fat-free, also. This dinner can be on the table 30 minutes after you enter the kitchen.

First, you cut up the string of sausage. Heat up a  frying pan and when it is hot, turn it to medium heat and stir in the sausage. Brown the sausage on all sides, stirring occasionally. While the sausage is cooking, slice the peppers and onions into strips. I like to use a couple of different colored peppers because they look pretty in the finished dish, but green bell peppers are usually the cheapest and they all taste pretty similar. When I made this one, I also added some cut-up zucchini that needed to be eaten. You can put in whatever vegetables sound good to you.

Heat some oil in another pan. When it is hot, put in all the peppers, onions, and garlic and cook on medium heat until they start to soften, stirring now and then. While this is cooking, put a paper towel on a plate and then spoon off the sausage onto it. This will drain off any grease from the sausage. You're done with the sausage pan now.

Next, put the sausage into the pan with the cooked veggies and stir it up. Open up a 20 oz. jar of spaghetti sauce and pour it over the sausage and peppers. After I've poured out a jar of sauce, I like to add about 1/2 cup of water to the empty jar, swish it around to get the rest of the sauce, and then pour it all into the pan. In my opinion, there is so much flavor in this dish that it is OK to use cheap spaghetti sauce. Heat the pan until the sauce is boiling, then turn it to medium-low and put a lid on it.

Fill a large pot 2/3 full of water. Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil to keep the pasta from sticking. Heat it until it is boiling well. Pour in the pasta and stir it right away so the pasta is coated with water on all sides so they don't all clump together. I happen to like linguine for this recipe, but any kind of larger pasta would work well. Really thin pastas like angel hair will be too delicate for the big chunks of sausage and vegetables.

If you can afford it, buy whole wheat pasta. It has more fiber which is good for your stomach and your digestion. It's also more nutritious.Cook the pasta for as long as the package says. I recommend only cooking it to the lower end of the time range because I like my pasta a bit firm. When the time is up, pour it into a colander and let it drain for 2-3 minutes. Stir it at least once so that the pasta doesn't clump together.

Put a serving of hot pasta onto a plate and ladle some of the sauce over it. Let's eat!

If you have left-overs, I suggest storing the pasta and sauce in separate containers so the pasta doesn't absorb all the juice and get soggy.

Ingredients

1/2 pound mild or hot Italian sausage
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large red, orange, yellow, or green bell pepper
1 medium onion
1 clove of garlic, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 20-oz. jar of spaghetti sauce
1 box of pasta

Directions

Cut up the sausage into 1" wide pieces and brown it in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Slice the peppers and onions into 1/4" wide strips. In a separate frying pan, heat up the oil. Add the onions and peppers and saute for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the minced garlic. Pour in the spaghetti sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. To serve, place a helping of pasta on a plate and top with the sauce.

Serves 4-6

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Crock Pot Pasta Fagioli

It's been a long hard winter, and with my rheumatoid arthritis and the extreme cold, I come home from work with all my old joints aching. Being a writer, people thought a job as a librarian would be perfect for me. I have to admit, though, that the hours of standing and all the heavy lifting and those stubborn slippery books that don't want to stand up in a straight row sometimes makes me sick of books!

Like everyone else, though, it all looks better once spring peeks its pretty head around the corner and we all come running to the warmth. In the meantime, we're planning meals earlier in the day but sometimes don't dine until 10 pm or so (Joe likes to wait for me to get home so we can eat together). Isn't it wonderful to come home from work and a nice hot dinner is ready to eat? This recipe is just about as simple as opening cans and dumping them in the crock pot.

To make it even quicker, you can buy frozen chopped onions, carrots, and celery. In the version shown in this photo, we added a can of mixed vegetables from the back of the cupboard, so there's peas and limas and corn in the stew this time.

If you want a very thick stew, as we made, add the pasta with everything else. If you prefer a brothy soup, boil the pasta separately and add to the soup before serving. If you have leftovers, they will freeze better if the pasta and soup are kept separately.

We make this as a way to clear some cans out of the pantry for a meatless Monday, and to make a low-fat and hearty meal. If you want some meat in yours, add a pound of ground beef or turkey, browned and drained, to the pot.

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 28-oz can Rotel or Italian-style crushed tomatoes

1 16 oz can tomato sauce
1 16 oz can red kidney beans, drained
1 16 oz can cannellini or Great Northern white beans, drained
1 28 oz can vegetable stock

2 tbsp garlic powder
3 tsp oregano

1 tbsp dried basil

1 tbsp salt
2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp hot pepper sauce

8 oz pasta (we used whole-wheat ditalini in this batch)

Instructions

Add all ingredients to crock pot and stir well. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours, or high 4-5 hours. If you add pasta near the end, either turn the slow cooker to high and add it 30 minutes before eating, or boil the pasta according to package directions and add before serving.

Serves 6.

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Quick Ham & Peas Pasta Salad

This cool and satisfying pasta salad can be ready in 15 minutes or less. It's perfect for a night when you are out of time for dinner and it's too hot to spend much time in the kitchen, anyway. If you like sweet relish better than dill, switch it up, and add extra dill if you'd like a bit more fresh herb taste.

This salad comes together even quicker if you buy pre-shredded cheese and cubed ham.

Ingredients

1 box pasta shells (or other medium pasta)
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
10 oz ham, cubed
8 oz pepper jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup dill pickle relish
2 cups Cheddar Bacon Ranch dressing (more or less, to taste)

Directions

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Add the peas to the boiling water 3 minutes before the pasta is done. Drain the peas and pasta and rinse with cold water. Keep in the freezer while you chop up the other ingredients.

Stir together the chopped vegetables, ham, and cheese. In a large bowl, thoroughly combine the pasta, vegetable mixture, and salad dressing. Serve immediately, or chill until ready to serve.

Makes 6 main-dish salads.

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Easy Broccoli-Stuffed Manicotti Casserole

Just like one of our previous presidents, I am not a big fan of broccoli. It isn't just the fact that broccoli is one of those cruciferous (members of the mustard family) vegetables like cabbage or Brussels sprouts, and those veggies make terrible explosions in my stomach. It's just that I don't like the taste too much. When our daughters were young, I used to buy giant cans of cheese sauce to drizzle over their vegetables to encourage them to eat more. I always want to drown my broccoli in a gallon of cheese sauce.

But Joe brought home a bag of large manicotti tubes and some beautiful fresh broccoli, and set about making a quick and easy casserole even I would love. He picked me up from work the other night, and I was dead tired but I could smell a glorious fragrance of pomodoro sauce in his clothes. The end result was a cheap, delicious, and fairly low-fat casserole that only tasted of broccoli in a good way.

Large pasta shells work just as well as large manicotti tubes.

Ingredients

1 box jumbo manicotti or pasta shells
1 1/2 cups broccoli
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp dried oregano, or 1 1/2 tsp fresh
1/2 tsp dried basil, or 1 1/2 tsp fresh
3 cups Basic Tomato Sauce or canned pasta sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cook the pasta according to package directions, on the firm side of "done". Drain and set aside. Grease a 9x11 pan and spread 1/2 cup of tomato sauce in the bottom of the pan.

Finely chop the broccoli and steam in the microwave or on the stove until cooked but slightly crisp, then set aside.

Place the ricotta, egg, Parmesan, oregano, and basil in a thick gallon-size zip-top plastic bag. Squeeze the contents so that the ingredients mix well (if you have little ones around, this is a great job for them to do!). Add the broccoli and squeeze again until well mixed. Then, squeeze the filling into one corner of the plastic bag.

This filling looks blue-tinged because the plastic bag was light blue.

Snip the corner off the plastic bag, then squeeze out an equal amount of ricotta filling into each piece of pasta.  Arrange the filled pasta in the baking pan. Pour the remaining tomato sauce over the top, then sprinkle with cheese.

Cover the pan with foil, and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 10-15 more minutes, until the casserole is heated through and the sauce is bubbly.

Serves 4-6.

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Cranberry-Chicken Pasta Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

We love a good pasta salad. In fact, we love pasta in general. This recipe is a quick one, which is helpful on a weeknight or when you're running late to a picnic and you promised to bring a salad. Not that it would ever happen to you, but I'm a little surprised at how often we're rushing to fix something for a party.

On the other hand, if you have plenty of time to make this, I'd recommend starting with steaming or boiling a large boneless skinless chicken breast rather than using canned chicken meat. I'd also suggest toasting the pecan nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 10 minutes before stirring them into the pasta salad. These extra steps really punch up the flavor.

Creamy poppyseed dressing is really easy to make, too, and brings out the sweet tangy flavor of the cranberries. Altogether delicious.

Ingredients

For the Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise

1 tbsp milk

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup white onion

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp ground mustard

2 tsp black poppy seeds

For the Salad

1 16 oz box farfalle, elbow, penne, or campanelle pasta (any sort of small shape) 

2 cooked chicken breasts, or 2 5-oz cans cooked chicken 

1 cup chopped celery 

2/3 cup chopped carrot 

2/3 cup chopped white onion 

2/3 cup chopped cucumber 

1/2 cup chopped bell pepper 

1/2 cup dried cranberries 

1 cup pecan pieces, toasted

Romaine lettuce, for serving

Directions

Blend together all ingredients except the poppy seeds. Stir in the poppy seeds and chill the dressing until the salad is ready.

Cook pasta according to directions, then drain and rinse with cold water. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and drizzle with the dressing. Mix until well combined. Serve over lettuce leaves.

Makes about 6 main-dish servings, or 8-10 side dish servings.

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One Pan Chicken Alfredo

When our second daughter was younger, pasta alfredo was one of her favorite dishes - that and chicken fingers. Her first visit to Rome was when she was thirteen, and she asked the waiter for spaghetti with alfredo sauce. The waiter had never heard of it.

In rough Italian, Joe described to the waiter the kind of sauce Jenn would like on her pasta. What came out of the kitchen wasn't exactly what we'd call an alfredo sauce, but it satisfied Jenn.

This one-pot recipe satisfies her, too. A 30-minute dinner, with only one pan to wash - we all love it! Add other items if you like: sliced mushrooms, fresh peas, sun-dried tomatoes, or whatever else sounds good to you. This is also a great meal to use up leftover chicken or turkey, which makes the recipe even quicker because you don't have to brown the meat first.

Ingredients

2 tbsp of olive oil
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

Salt and Pepper to taste
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cup of milk

1/3 cup cream cheese, softened
1 lb penne or other thick pasta, uncooked
1 1/2 cups Parmesan or Romano cheese, grated
Salt and pepper

Directions

Heat the oil in a large saucepan, then add the chicken and lightly brown it on all sides. Add the garlic and saute until tender. Add chicken broth, milk, cream cheese, and uncooked pasta to pan and stir. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally. 

The pasta will be tender in 10-18 minutes, depending on the thickness of the pasta. Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese before serving.

Serves 6.

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Italian Fontina-Cabbage Pasta Bake

Last summer, my adorable niece, who is still about five years old in my mind, graduated from high school. She's the baby who made me an aunt for the first time, and I still remember crying when I got the call she was born. The whole family headed over to Ann Arbor for her graduation party.

This is the only picture I could find of the very large graduation party, and my niece is not in it. The Boy, however, is prominently displayed.

Because her little brother and I have birthdays close to the party date, we did a little celebrating, and then spread the circle wider to include my brother-in-law's sister and Joe and I think about three other people. And so my brother-in-law's parents Don and Adair, who I adore, gave Joe and I a new cookbook: Italian Country Cooking by Loukie Werle.

I promised Don and Adair I would post some recipes, but life and rotator cuff surgery came between me and cooking. Finally, I'm posting a casserole. One casserole is all I've got, folks.

Cucina Povera is the simpler food that country people all over Italy enjoy rather than a Michelin-starred meal. It's the Italian equivalent of a hot dish at a Midwestern potluck. There are a lot of pasta-and-legume meals with tomatoes and greens filling in for high-priced ingredients. This book makes me want to grow a garden again, right in the middle of a January in Chicago.

So here you go. This will fill you up and keep you warm.

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
2/3 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp sage, chopped (fresh is great if you have it)
10 oz rigatoni or penne pasta
1 large floury potato, like Yukon gold or russet, peeled and diced
5 cups savoy or napa cabbage, shredded
1 cup fontina or provolone cheese, shredded

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the pasta according to package directions, then drain and return to the pot with fresh water. Add the potatoes and boil 7 minutes more. Drain.

Heat the oil in a frying pan, then add the onions and saute until tender. Add the garlic and sage and cook, stirring, until sticky. Add 1/2 cup hot water and the cabbage and saute until tender.

Grease a 9x12 casserole dish and add the cabbage mixture, pasta and potatoes, and half the cheese. Stir, then top with the other half of the cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serves 4-6.

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Lemon Garlic Shrimp with Pasta

We love this simple, fresh, and quick recipe for Fish Fridays or any busy day of the week. I usually serve this in the summertime, but I recently found a fantastic sale on frozen shrimp and was craving this shrimp scampi-like dish. It made an ordinary weekday special.

Try pairing the pasta with a salad with sweet dressing like French or Russian, and a crisp, lemony white wine like a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.

This recipe serves four and can be ready 20 minutes after you step in the kitchen. Can't beat that!

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs. large shell-on shrimp
12 oz whole wheat pasta

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp oregano, finely chopped

Juice of 1 lemon, or 2 tbsp bottled lemon juice
1 cup hot chicken, fish, or vegetable broth
2 tbsp chives, chopped

Directions

Peel and de-vein the shrimp; let it drain in a colander. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, then toss with a bit of oil to prevent sticking.

Melt the butter and oil in a large skillet. Add the pepper flakes and allow to sizzle for 1 minute. Saute the garlic and oregano in the oil until tender and fragrant. Add the broth and lemon juice, then stir in the shrimp. Cook the shrimp for about 2 minutes on one side, then flip them over and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until pink and tender. Do not overcook or they will become rubbery!

Stir in the pasta and toss until well coated. Sprinkle with the chives before serving.

Serves 4.

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Decadent Pasta Carbonara

Suppose you just had a hard week and you're feeling a little low and you can't seem to warm up because fall suddenly dropped in on you and even fleece isn't doing its job. Here's what will make it better. Take a long hot bubble bath, then whip up a gonzo big bowl of Joe's decadent pasta carbonara, and pig out in front of a good movie with a glass of Chianti.

You probably already know that pasta carbonara is not laden with healthful ingredients. Cream, eggs, pancetta, Parmesan cheese, and truffle oil are a little on the heavy side. But I'm not suggesting you eat this every day of the week, or every month of the year. Save this one when you don't have a cholesterol test scheduled and you can really use some comfort food. Then splurge!

Joe's been perfecting this recipe for a long time, and I've been his faithful taste-tester all along the journey. He's got a winner here.

Ingredients

1 lb linguine or spaghetti
4 tbsp butter, softened
3 eggs at room temperature
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2/3 cup pancetta, diced, or 8 slices of bacon, diced
1/2 cup fat-free half and half (or go for heavy cream, if you prefer)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp truffle salt, or 1 tsp truffle oil and 1 tsp salt
Ground pepper to taste

Directions

Place the butter in a small bowl and beat it with a fork until fluffy. In another small bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy, then add half the Parmesan cheese. Set the bowls aside.

Heat the oven to just warm and place an ovenproof bowl in there to warm it up. Cook the pasta according to the package directions (usually 8 to 10 minutes). Stir in the butter and toss to be sure the strands are well coated, then add to the bowl warming in the oven.

Heat the oil in a saucepan with the pepper flakes. When the flakes begin the sizzle, add the pancetta or bacon and cook until crisp. Drain. Stir in the cream, nutmeg, truffle oil, and pepper, then bring to a light simmer.

Take the bowl out of the oven and add the cream sauce and toss well. Stir in the eggs, which should cook on contact with the hot pasta. Serve immediately, with the remaining Parmesan passed at the table.

Serves 4.

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Bacon-filled Ravioli with Mushroom Sauce

These bacon and ricotta filled ravioli were one of my favorite dishes of the evening. Our ravioli chef, Mark Borghetti, whips these out faster than you can imagine. "I'm Italian," he says in his suburban Chicago accent. "You oughta see my mom make ravioli."

Mark uses this pasta roller that clamps to a table or counter and the sheets come out smooth and even. If you don't have this, or a pasta machine, a rolling pin will do. He also has this round ravioli cutter that crimps the edges while it cuts through two layers of pasta, as you can see above. Alas, we don't have this tool either, so next time we make this recipe, we'll be cutting these into squares with a knife.

I hear there's also a thing called a ravioli mold that helps the ravioli-making process in some way. I shouldn't hear about things like this - my kitchen is way too small for any other gadgets or utensils.

Mark says he got the original recipe from The Food Network.

Ingredients

For the dough

4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
6 large eggs, beaten

For the filling

1 cup sliced yellow onion
8 slices thick-cut bacon, roughly chopped
4 carrots, diced
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups fresh parsley, chopped
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
3 ounces gruyere or swiss cheese, grated
2 large egg yolks

For the sauce

4 tbsp butter
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound assorted mushrooms, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
4 green onions, chopped
2 pints grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped

Instructions

To make the dough

Put the flour and eggs in a food processor or mixer. Process until the dough clings to the beaters or blades. Turn out the dough on a floured surface and shape into a rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside 30 minutes at room temperature.

Let's eat!

To make the filling

In a food processor or blender, blend the onions, raw bacon, and carrots until finely chopped and well mixed. Pour 1 cup of water in a large skillet and heat until boiling. Add the bacon mixture, nutmeg, salt, and pepper, reduce heat to medium, and cook until the water is evaporated and the vegetables start to brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley, then place in a bowl and let it cool about 15 minutes. Mix in the rest of the filling ingredients and refrigerate until ready to stuff the ravioli. Note: this can be made one or two days ahead of time.

To make the ravioli

Sprinkle the dough with flour and divide into 6 pieces. Shape each piece into a 4" by 2" rectangle. If using a pasta machine, adjust it to the widest setting then roll the pasta through several times, reducing the setting until the pasta is about 1/16th inch thick. If using a rolling pin, turn the dough out on a floured surface and roll it until it is 1/16th inch thick and about 3" wide. Repeat with the rest of the dough.

On a floured surface, lay out one sheet of dough. Scoop out tablespoons of the ricotta filling and place them two inches apart on the sheet of dough, making sure you leave 2 inches along the edges of the dough as well. Place another sheet of dough over the top of the ravioli. Using a ravioli cutter, knife, or pizza wheel, cut out the ravioli. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

At this point, you can freeze the ravioli for later (no, eat it now!) or put it in a covered container and refrigerate for another day. Since we weren't going to eat for another hour or so, Mark put his raviolis on a cookie sheet and placed them in the freezer so they would hold together much better when he boiled them.

To make the sauce

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the mushrooms, salt, and pepper, and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and green onions, and cook and stir for one minute. Add the tomatoes, basil, and parsley, and cook for 3-5 minutes, until the tomatoes are softened.

Boil the ravioli in a large pot for 10 minutes, then remove to a serving platter. Stir 1 1/2 cups of the ravioli cooking water to the sauce, and simmer 5 minutes. Serve with the sauce drizzled over the ravioli or passed in a separate bowl.

Serves 6-8.

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Basic Tomato Sauce and Recipes for Using It

Marinara sauce is a basic Italian tomato sauce.

Jessie, the next Sunday you're at home doing your schoolwork and Erich's watching the hockey game, why not try making some homemade tomato sauce? I promise you it tastes better than any spaghetti sauce in a jar, and it's the basis for a bunch of other tasty recipes. It will also fill your apartment with humidity and mouth-watering aroma in the middle of a cold and dry winter. You can make a big pot of it, freeze the leftovers, and use it for a bunch of the recipes I've listed below.

I think fresh herbs are the best, so come home and get some from my windowsill whenever you want.

By the way, did you know different pasta shapes are best for different sauces? Generally, the lighter and more delicate the sauce, the thinner the pasta. Shapes that are tubes like penne hold really juicy sauces, and ones that have bumpy shapes like farfalle or rotini are good for sauces with a lot of texture and lumps.

Mmm,fresh herbs.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 large onion, diced (about 1 cup)

4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 15-oz can tomato sauce

1 small (4-5 oz) can tomato paste

1 1/2 cups beef broth

6 cups chopped fresh Roma tomatoes, or 1 64-oz can chopped tomatoes

1/2 cup red wine

2 tbsp fresh or dry oregano, minced

1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped, or 3 tbsp dry basil

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 1/2 tbsp salt

Directions

Heat the oil in a big pot on medium heat. Add the pepper flakes, onion, and garlic and saute until they are soft. Whisk together the tomato paste and broth until it is well combined, then pour it into the pot. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce heat and let it simmer for at least an hour, or until the sauce is thick and smooth.

Garden Vegetable Spaghetti Sauce

This is one way I used to slip some extra veggies into your diet when you were younger, and I'm not sorry, either. This might be a good way to get Erich to eat more vegetables.

4 cups Tomato sauce

1 cup carrots, diced

1 cup red or green bell peppers, finely chopped

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup celery, finely chopped

1 cup beef broth

Mix all the ingredients in a pot and simmer for 1 hour. Serve over pasta.

Serves 4-6.

Basic Lasagne

2 cups Tomato Sauce

6 sheets lasagne noodles

1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese

2 eggs

2 tbsp oregano

2 cups shredded provolone cheese

Boil the lasagne noodles until soft, then drain them. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8 casserole dish with butter spray, then spread 1/2 cup of tomato sauce in the bottom of the pan. 

Stir together the ricotta, eggs, and oregano. Lay down 2 lasagne noodles in the pan, cutting them so that they fit. Spread 1/2 of the ricotta over the noodles, then spread 1/2 cup of the sauce over the ricotta mixture. Lay down 2 more lasagne noodles the opposite way. Spread with the rest of the ricotta and 1 cup of mozzarella. Lay down the last two noodles, then spread the rest of the sauce over the top. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.

Cover the pan with foil and bake about 45 minutes, until the casserole is cooked through and the cheese is melted.

Serves 4-6.

Chicken Parmesan

4 breaded chicken patties

3 cups tomato sauce

1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese (we like to buy a wedge of parmesan and grate it at home)

1 tbsp dried oregano

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread half of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish. Place the chicken in a single layer on top of the sauce. Pour the rest of the sauce over the chicken, then sprinkle with the mozzarella, parmesan, and oregano. 

Cover the pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Take off the foil and bake until the cheese is slightly browned and the chicken is very hot.

Italian Spaghetti and Meatballs

4 cups tomato sauce

1 cup beef broth

1 egg

1/2 pound uncooked Italian sausage links

1/2 pound lean ground beef (I like the 80% to 93% lean, even though it's more expensive)

1/3 cup bread crumbs

1 package spaghetti

Pour the sauce and broth into a pot and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Cut the skin off the sausage and crumble it into a mixing bowl. Crumble the hamburger meat into the bowl, then stir in the rest of the ingredients. 

With your hands, roll about 1 tablespoon of meat into a tight ball, and drop it into the sauce. When you've made all the meatballs and put them in the sauce, put a lid on the pot, turn the heat to low, and let it simmer for 45 to 60 minutes, until the meatballs are done and the sauce is thick.

Boil the spaghetti according to the package directions, and serve the sauce and meatballs over the top of the spaghetti.

Serves 4-6.

Pasta Alla Vodka

3 cups tomato sauce

1/2 cup vodka (try pepper vodka!)

2 tsp red pepper flakes or ground cayenne pepper

1 cup half-and-half

1/4 cup chopped basil leaves, or 2 tbsp dried basil

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 package fettucine

In a saucepan, simmer together the tomato sauce, vodka, and red pepper flakes for 20 minutes. Turn the heat to low. Pour in the half-and-half, basil, and parmesan, and warm through for 15 minutes. Make sure it doesn't boil, or the cream might separate and look curdly. It will still taste good, though.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions, then toss together the pasta and sauce before serving.

Serves 4-6.

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Italian Sunday Gravy

If you've spent any time around big Italian-American families, you've probably had the pleasure of tasting a thick, meaty Sunday gravy - the end-of-the-week belly-busting dinner that fortifies family and friends for the week ahead. Joe was blessed to know a wonderful cook, Florence, who was Danish but married into an Italian family. From her he learned to make the best Sunday gravy we've ever tasted.

This tomato and meat sauce takes a while to make, but it also makes enough to feed all of the Jersey Shore, or enough extra to freeze for quick weekday meals. Once I start smelling the opera of aromas while it's cooking, I'm nipping off to the kitchen to snatch a little shred of pork here and there when Joe's not looking - it's that tempting.

Next time we make this, you're ALL invited over to dinner. We love nothing better than a crowd around our dinner table.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste - Joe likes more)
2 cups onion, chopped
1 cup carrots, peeled and chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
2 cups sliced mushrooms
8 cloves of garlic, minced fine or pressed
2 lb pork neck bones
1 lb Italian sausage (or turkey Italian sausage) in casing
2 64 oz cans of diced roma tomatoes
1 6 oz can of Italian tomato paste
4 cups homemade stock - beef, chicken, or vegetable
2 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tsp crushed dried sage leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup good dry red wine (more if sauce is too thick)

1 16 oz box of pasta, such as rotini or farfalle (spaghetti is fine also)
1/4 cup fresh grated Pecorino Romano cheese or good Parmesan

Directions

Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy stock pot over medium low heat. Add the olive oil and heat until shimmering, about 1 minute. Stir in the crushed red pepper flakes and heat in olive oil for about 1 minute to release the flavor and aroma. (Hot pepper oil can be used instead if it is made ahead.) Toss in onions, carrots, mushrooms and celery; saute until tender. Mix in the minced/pressed garlic cloves and saute for another 2 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium high, and add the pork neck bones, stirring occasionally. Cook evenly for about 8 to 10 minutes until just beginning to brown and cooked through. Pour in the chopped tomatoes with juice, and the stock. Stir in the tomato paste. Add the herbs, salt, pepper, and sugar. Stir in the dry red wine. Bring to a very low boil and reduce heat to low, simmering for 1 hour. Stir occasionally.

After 1 hour add the Italian sausage in casings. Stir and simmer for another 1 to 1 1/2 hours (or longer if you like - Joe has cooked this all day sometimes) checking for thickness as it simmers. If the sauce is too thin add more tomato paste, if it is too thick add some more red wine or stock.

Remove the pork neck bones and Italian sausage links onto separate warm platters. Serve the Italian Sunday Gravy over pasta and the Italian sausage links on the side. Sprinkle with fresh grated Pecorino Romano cheese. Joe likes the neck bones for the tender meat that is on the bones. That is his meat course with a plate of pasta with the gravy.

Serves 8.

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Ragu di Carne (Tuscan Meat Sauce)

Joe opening a bottle of Brunello di Montalcino wine

We spent part of our honeymoon in a lovely isolated villa in the tiny Tuscan town of Creti. Our hosts owned a thriving agriturismo, which is a working farm as well as a sort of Bed-and-Breakfast inn. Creti is close to the town of Cortona which was made popular by the novel "Under the Tuscan Sun" by Francis Mayes. This photo is of our villa at Rosa dei Venti. We recommend this place highly to anyone who wants to stay in an authentic Italian villa but be close enough to all the major attractions of Tuscany.

Angela is in the orange sweater

We signed up for cooking classes on our last afternoon in Tuscany, but came back late from a wine-tasting in nearby Montepulciano due to a lack of Italian road signs and Angela's difficulties with reading a map. The rest of the guests, from New Zealand, Belgium, and Poland, were already cooking the dinner we would share that night. Even though we kept explaining that Angela was the photographer and Joe was the cook, they addressed all the cooking comments to Angela. Nonetheless, we learned an amazing, hearty recipe for pasta sauce that we often make in the fall and winter.

We have converted as closely as possible from metric to American weights and measures.

Ingredients

3 large finely chopped carrots
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup marjoram, chopped
1 cup fresh basil, chopped
Pinch of salt and pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
2 chicken livers
2 rabbit livers (the agriturismo farm raised rabbits and served a stewed rabbit dish as a main course ("secondi piatti"); if you're not serving rabbit or can't find rabbit livers, substitute 2 additional chicken livers)
8 large plum tomatoes
1 cup dry white wine

Directions

1. Saute vegetables and herbs in olive oil.
2. Stir in beef and pork and cook until brown and crumbly.
3. Cut the membranes from the livers and finely dice them.
4. Add liver to meat mixture and cook until foamy, about 30 minutes.
5. Pour in wine and simmer 10 minutes.
6. Puree tomatoes and add to ragu. Simmer for one hour.

Serve over a hearty pasta such as rotini or farfalle and a big Tuscan Red wine such as a Barolo or Brunello.
Serves 4-6.

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Farfalle with Arugula and Sun-dried Tomatoes

I love the cute little shape and sauce-holding capacity of farfalle (bowtie) pasta. This is one of our favorite light and healthy weeknight dinners, originally from the Weight Watchers site. This meatless dish cooks up quickly and the sun-dried tomatoes and arugula give it a bright, savory flavor.

Ingredients

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, without oil
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
6 oz uncooked farfalle
1 tsp olive oil
2 cups arugula, chopped
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
16 oz cooked navy, white, or cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Put tomatoes in a bowl and cover them with 1 cup boiling water. Let stand until softened, about 20 minutes. Drain and finely chop. Cook the pasta according to package directions, then drain.

In a large frying pan, saute the arugula in oil for 2-3 minutes, until just wilted.

Whisk together tomatoes, broth, vinegar and garlic. Pour into the frying pan and add the beans. Heat through, then serve topped with the parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Skip the parmesan cheese if you want a vegan meal.

Serves 4-6.

If you follow Weight Watchers, a 1-cup serving is 4 points+

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Pick-A-Filling Pierogi

Pierogi, also called vareniki, perogi, perogy, piroghi, pirogi, piroshki, pirozhki, pyrohy, pielmieni, pierogies, pierogie, piroggen, and pelmeni. Whew!

Why would Joe and I try to cook pierogi when we can get them frozen in the store any day? Well, we had a couple reasons. First, we knew that  the Polish celebrate Christmas and Easter with special types of dumplings, and we wanted to get into the spirit of Easter by celebrating some other country's customs.

Second, Joe has been experimenting with different kinds of pasta dough, as you may have seen in our recipes like gnudi with wild mushrooms, gyoza dumplings, ricotta and chard gnocchi, and bacon-filled ravioli. Pierogi was a logical step.

Third, we all know that everything tastes better when you make it fresh, and when you customize it to your own tastes. That's why we've included some rather traditional pierogi recipes, along with our own variations. The wonderful thing about dumpling filling is you can throw in whatever you have or whatever you like - just make sure it's well chilled or stuffing will be difficult.

Our fillings for pierogies (below the photos):

Potato-Mushroom	Berries and Cottage Cheese
Potato-Cheese-Onion (Pittsburgh or Ruskie style)	Apricot Compote
Beef and Vegetable	Sweet Prune (Lekvar)
Mushroom-Sauerkraut (Uzska)	Peanut Butter and Banana (not traditional!)
Bacon-Swiss-Caramelized Onion	Kielbasa and Cabbage (Haluski-style pierogi)

Traditionally, Polish Catholics forsake meat products on holy days, especially in the 40 days of Lent before Easter, so potato, cheese, mushroom, sauerkraut, and fruit are often the favorite stuffing.

I also read that people (perhaps in smaller villages) would bring their foodstuffs to the church before Easter and have the priest bless them. Then they would share their dishes with each other. I love the idea of a community getting together to share their foods and celebrate together. It reminds me of the community breakfast my church serves on Easter Sunday.

Priest blessing food baskets (Swiecone) the day before Easter
(thanks to http://www.polamjournal.com for the beautiful photo!)

While Joe and I did quite a bit of experimenting while making these, we got some initial help from the time-tested pierogi recipes of Tasting Poland. The writer shares her family pierogi recipes, along with all sorts of tips and tricks.

Ingredients - Pierogi Dough

3 cups white flour
1 tsp.salt
1 cup warm water
1 egg
2 tbsp sour cream
1 tsp. vegetable oil

Instructions - Pierogi Dough

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Pour in the water while mixing vigorously.
Whisk together the egg, sour cream, and oil. Make a well in the middle of the flour, then pour in the egg mixture. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, blend the liquid into the flour mixture.

Turn out onto a floured work surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic - about 5 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, add a little flour; if it is too dry, sprinkle it with a bit of water.

Now sprinkle some more flour on your work surface and roll out the dough until it is about 1/8" thick. Try not to overwork the dough, or it will be tough after it's cooked. Cut out circles with a cookie cutter or cup.

Step 1: Roll out your dough and fill the dough circles. These are potato-cheese and meat-veggie pierogi.

Place a heaping tablespoon of filling onto one half of the circle, then wet the edge with a little water so the dough will stick together. Fold over the other half of the dough and pinch the edges shut.

Step 2: Boil the pierogi 5-8 minutes

Heat a large pot of boiling water, drop in 1/3 of the dumplings, and give them a gentle stir. Boil 5-8 minutes - the pierogi should pop up to the top about halfway through the cooking time. If you're watching the pot, you can time the second half of the cooking by the time they bob to the surface.

While they're cooking, if you'd like to toast them before eating, heat up a little oil in a pan on medium heat. Drop in the pierogi after you've strained them out of the water, and cook 2 minutes on each side, or until nicely browned.

Step 3: Brown the pierogi in some oil or butter. These are Haluski-style pierogi, with kielbasa and cabbage.

Whether you want to fry the pierogi after cooking or not, we really like serving these with a dollop of sour cream, regardless of the filling. Some people pour melted butter over them, and top with fried onions. Delicious.

 Makes about 30 stuffed pierogi.

Pierogi Filling Recipes

Potato and Mushroom

2 cups diced potatoes

1/2 cup milk

2 cups chopped mushrooms

1/2 cup chopped onions

1 tbsp butter or oil

1 tsp powdered garlic

Salt and Pepper to taste

Boil or steam the potatoes until tender, then mash with the milk until smooth. In a skillet, saute the vegetables until tender, then stir in the garlic, salt and pepper, and potatoes. Chill until cold, then stuff into pierogi.

Potato-Cheese-Onion (Pittsburgh or Ruskie pierogi)

2 cups diced potatoes

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese, cubed, or fresh Farmer's cheese (more traditional)

1/2 cup chopped onions

1 tbsp butter or oil

1 tsp powdered garlic

Salt and Pepper to taste

Boil or steam the potatoes until tender, then mash with the milk until smooth. Stir in the cheese cubes, cover with a lid, and let sit for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted. In a skillet, saute the onion until tender, then stir in the garlic, salt and pepper, and potatoes. Chill until cold, then stuff into pierogi.

Mushroom and Sauerkraut

2 oz. dried mushrooms, rehydrated, or 2 cups chopped fresh mushrooms (porcini, morels, or chanterelles are very good here)
1 onion
1/2 tsp dill
2 cups sauerkraut, rinsed and well-drained
1 tbsp butter

Chop the onion and mushroom well, then saute in the butter until tender. Chop the sauerkraut and dill and stir into the mixture. Chill until cold, then stuff into pierogi.

Beef and Vegetable

1/2 lb ground beef
2 carrots
1/2 cup fresh parsley
1 leek
1 celery stalk
1 onion
butter or oil for frying
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup water or broth
Salt and Pepper to taste

Brown the ground beef in a large skillet. Set aside. Finely chop the vegetables, then saute in the oil until soft. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, then transfer to a blender or food processor. Process until the mixture has a uniform texture similar to large crumbs. Chill until cold, then stuff into pierogies and cook away!

Bacon-Swiss-Caramelized Onion

1/2 lb bacon

1 cup chopped onions
1 cup Swiss cheese

1/4 cup melted butter

1/3 cup bread crumbs

Salt and Pepper to taste

Fry the bacon until crisp, then drain on paper towels. Cook the onions in the bacon grease, then drain and place in a bowl. Chop up the bacon and add it to the onions. Shred the cheese, then add the cheese, butter, bread crumbs, salt and pepper to the mixture. Chill until very cold, then stuff the pierogi.

Kielbasa (Haluski-style Pierogi)

1/2 pound Polish Kielbasa sausage
1 tsp oil

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup chopped onions

1/3 cup chopped celery

2 cups shredded green cabbage

Dice the kielbasa. Heat the oil in a large skillet, then add the kielbasa and cook until warm and slightly browned. Remove to a mixing bowl, then melt the butter in the skillet. Add the rest of the ingredients, and cook over low heat until tender. Add to the kielbasa and stir well. Chill until cold, then stuff into pierogi.

Berries and Cottage Cheese

4 cups raspberries, blueberries, sliced strawberries, bilberries, or other fruit
1 cup small curd cottage cheese
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Put the cottage cheese in a colander and press out the liquid. Stir together all ingredients, then chill until very cold. Stuff into pierogi.

Apricot Compote

12 oz. dried apricots
1 cup water
1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp almond extract
2 tbsp brandy
1 tbsp melted butter

Place the apricots, water, and lemon zest in a small pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, then simmer until soft - about 20 minutes. Drain the water, then transfer to a blender or food processor. Add the rest of the ingredient, then process into a thick chunky jam. Chill well before stuffing into pierogi.

Sweet Prune (Lekvar)

2 cups dried, pitted prunes
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Put the prunes in a pan and cover with hot water. Let them soak 1/2 hour, then drain them. Add the lemon juice and sugar and simmer, stirring occasionally,  until it forms a chunky paste. Chill until cold, then stuff the pierogi.

Peanut Butter and Banana

2 ripe bananas
1 cup peanut butter
2 tbsp cocoa powder (optional)

Slice the bananas into disks, then place one or two disks onto each dough round. Top with a few teaspoons of peanut butter. After boiling, fry these in butter and then sprinkle with the cocoa powder.


Make lots of pierogi - and then freeze them for later!

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Swig Restaurant, Milwaukee, WI

Last fall, Joe and I spent a sunny day up in Milwaukee - one of the last lazy days of Indian Summer. We happened to hit Milwaukee's historic Third Ward on the day of Louie’s Last Regatta,, an annual benefit for the Children's Hospital that's held at the Milwaukee Ale House.

Milwaukee Ale House

The sailboats moored along the Milwaukee River walk, and people hopped from boat to boat to celebrate with each other after the races.

Louie’s Last Regatta, Milwaukee

Living right between two big cities is a real blessing - in less than an hour we can be urban-hopping and enjoying great food and entertainment. Milwaukee is Chicago's more casual little brother, with a bit of blue-collar vibe and a lot of friendliness. Wisconsinites are genetically friendly from conception on, though they do enjoy razzing people from Illinois.

Open alcohol laws in Wisconsin have always been different than in Illinois.

Swig Restaurant in Milwaukee
After we soaked up sun and some local beer, we had dinner at the innovative Swig Restaurant. We were feeling a bit sunburnt, so we both had a refreshing Ginger Fresca, a house infused cucumber vodka with fresh muddled cucumber, ginger, and club soda.

We love sharing a bunch of different tastes and the menu looked so good we couldn't narrow down our choices. Luckily, a couple next to us was just served an amazing array of small plates so we asked them what they ordered. They recommended the wonton-wrapped chicken curry (with crushed walnuts and cucumber yogurt dip) and the tempura snap peas with tarragon cream sauce. They were heavenly.

Tempura snap peas at Swig

For dinner, Joe ordered the rich and creamy wild mushroom gnocchi, made with potato gnocchi, fresh spinach, wild mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes and shaved parmesan. I kept dipping into his plate. The day on the water made me hungry for seafood, so I ordered the seared scallops with red pepper coulis, spinach angel hair pasta, chili white wine sauce and parmesan cheese. Joe dipped into my scallops here and there, but there were plenty of both dishes to take home for a second meal.

The wine prices were reasonable, so Joe had a Casa Silva carmenere from Chile with dinner, and I had Cristalino sparkling wine. I adore a dry sparkling wine with seafood!

The server told us that the ivory exposed brick was a special type of local stone that was used in many Milwaukee buildings a century or two ago, and is prized by architects and restorationists. The pale stone melds well with the modern geometric decor and the place seems to feel hip and welcoming all at the same time.

Swig Restaurant is fairly easy to find in the Third Ward and there is plenty of parking in the area. We definitely recommend a trip there.

Location

217 N Broadway
Milwaukee, WI 53202

414.431.7944

info@swigmilwaukee.com

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Mussels in Saffron-White Wine Sauce

When mussels pop open while cooking, you see the lovely pearl-blue inner shell - pretty enough that the first humans used them as jewelry. Along the Pacific coast, Native Americans used to have village-wide cookouts and the shells piled up for yards near the shore.

I'm guessing they didn't use saffron and capers in their mussel parties, though.

Ingredients

3 lbs fresh mussels
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup strong chicken broth or fish stock
2 tsp saffron
2 tbsp small capers
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 pound spaghetti noodles, cooked

Instructions

Scrub the mussels under running water with a brush, making sure to pull off the "beards" on the edge of any shells. Throw away any mussels that are already open.

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large pan. Add the shallots and garlic and saute until tender and golden. Stir in the salt, pepper, wine, broth, saffron, tarragon, and parsley. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Add the mussels, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.

To serve, pile the spaghetti in separate bowls and arrange the mussels over the pasta. Ladle the sauce evenly over each bowl before serving.

Serves 4.

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Duck with Sausage and Herb Stuffing (Anatra en Porchetta)

Save this recipe for a day when you're not watching your weight, or after you've been shoveling Chicago snow all day and you need rich, fulfilling refueling. A day after the Chicago SnowPocalyse of 2011 is perfect for making this, especially if someone else is doing the shoveling while you're cooking.

If your chain grocery store doesn't often provide duck, and you don't know any hunters, try an Asian or Latino store, where the meat selection is usually much wider and cheaper than in mainstream American stores.

Note: this is a recipe that we originally received from friends in Tuscany. Ordinarily this recipe would be used for roasted pork, which is often sold off street carts in panini sandwiches, or offered in local butcher markets. Using duck instead of pork is an interesting innovation, but feel free to use the basic recipe with a pork shoulder or an entire pig, if you have the facilities to cook it.

Ingredients:

2 cloves of garlic, minced

3 fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
½ teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
1 fresh Italian sausage, skin removed
1 5-pound duck
3 bay leaves
6 thick strips pancetta or bacon
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup dry red wine
Salt and pepper

Preheat an oven to 450 degrees.

Crumble the sausage into a bowl and mix in the garlic and herbs. Rinse the duck and pat dry. Insert 1 bay leaf and the sausage mixture into the duck. Sew up the cavity with kitchen string and tie down the wings and legs close to the body so they do not brown too quickly. Cover the breast with the pancetta or bacon and place the remaining bay leaves on top of the bacon. Place the duck breast-side up in a roasting pan. Stir together the wine, oil, salt and pepper, and pour it over the bird.

Roast for 1 ½ to 2 hours, basting occasionally, until the pancetta or bacon are crisp and a thermometer inserted into the breast registers 175 degrees. Transfer the duck to a board and let sit for 10 minutes. Remove and discard the string and bay leaves. Remove the stuffing and carve the duck. Serve over a wide pasta such as fettucine, if desired.

Serves 4-6

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Spaetzle with Swiss Cheese

After eating spaetzle my whole life, a favorite recipe of my grandmother's, I was startled to find that the culinary world is now into spaetzle. It's popping up on menus and in food magazines all over the place.

If you haven't heard of spaetzle before, they are little noodles or dumplings made of flour, milk, and egg pressed through a colander or spaeztle press. My sister brought me an authentic Kull metal press from Germany 30 years ago. We also use it for juicing lemons and limes.

People pronounce it either SHPET-zul or SHPET-zlah or SHPET-zlee (regional differences, maybe?). They can be fluffy or a little chewy, depending on the cook and the recipe. Spaetzle can be used in place of any starch like pasta, polenta, egg noodles, dumplings, mashed potatoes, or rice. I loved it when my mom or my grandma made a savory pork roast with plenty of gravy poured over all those little noodles.

But spaetzle with Swiss cheese is a long-time family favorite which is also a main dish that's cheap and quick to make. It's a German version of mac and cheese, really. Like all family recipes that are passed along for years, people in my family make it slightly differently. My mom makes a very simple version; my Aunt Monica browns butter very darkly before tossing with the noodles, and we like to add pepper and garlic and a bit of seasoned bread crumbs because, well, you know we love more flavor.

At the famous Mader's Restaurant in Milwaukee, and the Chicago Brauhaus, I've had spaetzle that was pan-fried as a side dish. I've tried pan-frying the noodles in butter after boiling them, and it works particularly well with the grated cheese. You might want to try it both ways and see what you like best.

This basic spaetzle recipe is just a start. Try adding chopped herbs or spices, or some mustard, or sour cream, for extra flavor, as it suggests in this Chicago Tribune article on spaetzle.

Ingredients

Basic spaeztle noodles

4 eggs (my mom estimates 1 egg per person)
1/2 cup of milk, plus extra for consistency
3 cups of flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper (optional)
1 tsp garlic powder (optional)

For the topping

4 cups grated Swiss cheese (measure after grating)
4 tbsp butter
1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs (optional)

Directions

Whisk together the eggs and milk. In a separate bowl, stir together the rest of the ingredients. Slowly add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, stirring constantly. The batter or dough should be similar to a very thick, slightly sticky bread dough, depending on how tender or chewy you like the dumplings. After you make it a few times, you'll figure out the consistency you want. Add more milk or water if you want to adjust the texture.

If you want light, fluffy noodles, stop stirring as soon as the ingredients are combined; for firmer noodles, stir for five minutes before cooking.

Heat a pot of water to boiling. Place a large scoop of the dough in the colander or spaetzle maker and press the dough through the holes. They should fall through in a solid stream; you may have to cut off the noodles to free them from the holes. Stir the noodles immediately to keep them from sticking together.

Boil for 5 minutes, then drain well. Repeat with the rest of the dough, while keeping the finished noodles warm.

If you want to pan-fry the noodles after they are cooked, heat up the butter in a frying pan until the foaming stops. Dump in the noodles and stir them around so they're coated with butter. Cook until golden brown on one side, then flip over and brown the other side.

Otherwise, melt the butter and stir into the noodles. Toss the noodles with the Swiss cheese, then sprinkle with the breadcrumbs before serving.

My mom always serves Spaeztle With Swiss along with homegrown peaches she canned herself, and I can't improve on that combo.

Serves 4-6 as a main dish, 8 as a side dish. 



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