Baked Pasta with Asparagus in Pink Sauce

Still snowing. I'm usually not much of a pasta person, but it's a fantastic way to combine the lighter flavors of spring veggies with my cold-induced cravings for rich, creamy carbohydrates. This dish is easy enough that even my dad could make it. If, you know, he were willing to make anything that called for heavy cream.



Baked Pasta with Asparagus in Pink Sauce
Serves 4-6

1 lb dry pasta (ziti, spirals, gluten-free, whatever)
2 tablespooons olive oil
1 yellow onion
1/2 head garlic
1 lb asparagus
2 cans diced tomatoes, with their juice
1/2 c heavy cream
salt and pepper
1 c parmigiano reggiano*
4 oz mozzarella

1. Preheat your oven to 350. Fill a large pot 2/3 full with cold water, set over high heat, and cover. Set a heavy, oven-proof casserole over medium-low heat and add the oil. Dice the onion and sautee until golden in color. Meanwhile, remove the tough ends from the asparagus and cut it into bite-sized pieces, and mince the garlic. Add them to the pan, and sautee 3 minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes and cream and bring to a simmer. Add about 3/4 of the parmigiano cheese and stir it in, then add salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low.

3. Add the pasta to the boiling water along with a generous amount of salt. Cook according to package directions. Meanwhile, stir the sauce frequently and grate the remaining cheese. When the pasta is done, strain it and add it to the casserole with the sauce. Stir.

4. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese and the rest of the parmigiano over the pasta/sauce mixture, and bake for 10 minutes to melt the cheese.

*The real stuff is stamped on the rind. Don't use the pre-grated gross stuff. You can substitute pecorino romano if you can't have cow-milk cheeses, but as it is much saltier and more pungent than parmigiano you'll want to cut down on the salt and use less.

Pork Chops with Apple Chutney and Roasted Sweet Potatoes

A classic dish, ever so slightly modernized. I love apples with savory pork products and make all sorts of variations on the apples and pork combo every fall. (Okay, 90% of this is apples sauteed in bacon lard, but whatever.) I realize that it's May, but it's supposed to snow tonight, so cold-weather food feels appropriate.

I've ordered the recipes for this meal in the order you should start preparing them. Sauce comes first, because it's easy to keep warm if it's done too early. Start by preheating your oven to 400.


Apple Chutney
Serves 4
I'll confess, I've never made this before, but I wanted to get apples and onions into one dish, so here's what I came up with.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 apples, cored and sliced*
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons plus one pinch sugar (I prefer brown, but white works too)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1. Heat the olive oil over low-medium heat in a medium saucepan while you dice the onions. Saute the onions with a pinch of sugar (to help them carmelize) until they are golden in color, stirring frequently.

2. Add the remaining ingredients, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring frequently until the apples are mushy, 20 minutes minimum, or up to 40 depending on how mushy you like your sauce.

*I personally like the texture of the skins, so I leave them on. Peel if you wish, but you're sacrificing flavor for texture.


Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Once the sauce is simmering, cut up 1 sweet potato per person. Toss in olive oil, salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar. Roast at 400 until tender, at least 20 minutes or up to 40.


Pork Chops

4 center-cut pork chops
salt and pepper
flour for dredging
2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil

Find the fattiest pork you can. If you must use supermarket pork, try marinating it for up to 4 hours in salted milk, as this will help make it tender.

Rub the pork with salt and pepper, dip it in milk, and dredge it in flour. Heat oil over high heat, then add the pork and cook until golden on both sides. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, turning once or twice, until it reaches an internal temperature of 140** and, if cut into, is slightly pink with clear-running juices.

**The FDA recommends cooking pork to 160, but don't listen to them unless you're pregnant, have a weakened immune system, or like extremely tough meat.


I finished off my meal with braised spinach.

Weeknight Coq au Vin

I love Coq au Vin, but most recipes turn it into an event. Here's a version that's simple enough to put together on a weeknight.


I left work at 5; dinner was on the table by 7, even though I putzed around a bit.


I served this with packet asparagus* and roasted potatoes.**



*Cut the tough ends off, season with salt, pepper, thyme, and a squeeze of lemon juice, spread in 1-2 layers and wrap in foil, bake in oven at 200 for one hour.

**Cut into bite-sized pieces, toss with salt, pepper, and olive oil, spread in a single layer and cook in a 400 degree oven for 20-40 minutes.


4 tablespoons bacon fat (or 2 each of olive oil and butter)
2 breasts and two whole legs of chicken
flour
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
2 onions, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
salt, pepper, thyme
1 can diced tomatoes
1 c dry red wine
1/2 c stock (beef is traditional, I used goat, chicken would also work)

Heat 2 tablespoons of the fat over medium-high heat in a large pan for which you have a cover. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dredge it with flour. Add it to the pan, one piece at a time so the temperature of the oil doesn't drop too much, and brown on all sides. Remove, set aside, and wipe out the pan.

Decrease the heat to medium. Add the remaining fat to the pan and, when it is hot, add the sliced mushrooms. Cook until they brown, about 5 minutes. Add the onions, garlic, salt, pepper, and thyme. Cook until the onions are translucent and beginning to turn golden, 5-7 minutes. Add the tomatoes and stock and cook, stirring, until they break up, 5 minutes. Add the wine and chicken, cover the pan, and reduce heat to med-low. Cook an additional 20-30 minutes, turning every 5 minutes.

**One can also omit the chicken, double the recipe, and serve the mushroom sauce over rice. I've done it, for vegetarians.