Pasta e Fagioli

Mark made this utter deliciousness for dinner tonight.  It's become one of our favorites, but tonight was the best batch yet!

Pasta e Fagioli

Here's the recipe my hubby used: Pasta e Fagioli.  He used bacon instead of pancetta, and dried rosemary instead of fresh.  Man this was good stuff.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Mmmmmm.  This hit the spot.

• Acorn Squash (1 squash - serves 2)
• Pork Breakfast Sausage (I used about 3/4lb)
• Onion, diced (About a 1/4 onion, or maybe 1/2 cup)
• Celery, diced (I used about 1/2 stalk)
• Apple, diced (1 apple was plenty)
• Bread Crumbs or Stale Bread cubes (maybe 1 cup or a little more)
• Rosemary
• Salt and Pepper
• Egg
• Olive Oil
• Parmesan for topping (optional)

1. Slice your Squash in half
2. Brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and rosemary
3. Roast cut side up at 400 for 45 min - 1 hour (Or until you can scoop out the flesh)
4. Brown the sausage, set aside
5. Sauté onion and celery until translucent, add apples, sauté until soft
6. Combine sausage, stale bread, onion/apple mixture with more salt and pepper, rosemary
7. Scoop out the squash halves and add to the sausage mixture
8. (This is a good time to taste it and adjust seasoning)
9. Stir one egg into mixture
10. (Don't taste it anymore!)
11. Spoon the mix back into the squash halves
12. Top with bread crumbs, or grated parmesan cheese
13. Bake for about 15-20 minutes more

Asparagus Pasta

I was recently inspired by a friend who mentioned making an asparagus pasta sauce.  I don't actually know what his recipe was, but I decided that I wanted to make an asparagus pasta sauce!  I also recently ate pistachio pesto sauce, so while I was contemplating an asparagus cream sauce, I changed my mind and started thinking along the pesto lines.  I made an asparagus "pesto," tossed it with homemade rigatoni, and served it as a side to grilled sirloin steak.  Great date night.

Asparagus Pasta

• asparagus 
• parmesan or romano cheese (grated)
• pine nuts
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• lemon zest (optional)

1. Snap the woody ends off the asparagus 
2. Toss the asparagus with olive oil, salt and pepper, and lemon zest
3. Roast at 425 for 15-20 minutes
4. Slice off the asparagus tips and set aside
5. Combine asparagus stems, pine nuts, and cheese with olive oil and blend in the food processor (I just kind of threw it all in there and probably should have used less nuts and cheese than I did - although it was still pretty darn yummy.  If I did it again, though, I'd probably say the pine nuts and cheese should be in equal amounts, and then more asparagus)
6. Add more oil or water as needed to reach a paste consistency or thinner
7. Toss with hot pasta and asparagus tips
8. And yum.