Garden of Eden's Baked Rigatoni

Tonight, I wanted veggies but I was told to make pasta. Voila! Welcome Garden of Eden’s Baked Rigatoni. A play on baked ziti, this dish conjures up the best of 4 elements: roasted garden-fresh goodies, cheese, a little heat, and a homemade sauce. Standing alone they might not inspire; but once combined, they’ll transport you back to Grandma Farley’s dining table. (Don’t worry, you would’ve liked my grandmother and she you.) And, the best part -- besides it being really hard to screw up a pasta dish --  as the seasons and the diner’s tastes change, so can (and should) the ingredients. I hope you enjoy!

Servings: 6-8

Prep time: 20 min

Cook time: 1 hour

Price per serving: $6

Kitchen gadgets required: blender and, if available, a food processor (otherwise, the blender can double-up on duties)

Ingredients:

1 medium eggplant, unpeeled, cut into ½ inch cubes

2 yellow bell peppers, cut into ½ inch pieces

¼ cup red onion, cut into ½ inch pieces

1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise

3 garlic cloves, pressed

Crushed red pepper flakes, divided (I used about 3 tsp, but suit your taste and spice tolerance)

1/3 cup olive oil

1 cup of fresh shaved parmesan cheese, divided

3 tbsp (about an ounce) pine nuts

2 cups fresh basil, divided

1 cup (half pint) of heavy whipping cream

1 28 oz can of peeled whole tomatoes

2 cups fresh spinach

3 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into ½ inch cubes

Box of rigatoni pasta

Preheat oven to 425º.

Combine the eggplant, yellow bells, red onion, cherry tomatoes, 1 garlic clove, and a tsp of crushed red pepper on a baking sheet coated with non-stick spray. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well to coat and roast for 35-40 minutes.

veg mixture awaiting their roast

In a food processor (or blender), combine 1/3 cup of shaved parmesan, pine nuts, and 2/3 cup of basil. Pulse a few times (until the basil and pine nuts are broken down and the mixture is blended).

In a blender, combine the cream, canned tomatoes, spinach, and the remaining garlic (2 cloves), parmesan cheese (2/3 cup) and basil (1 and 1/3 cup). Add salt and pepper to taste.

[Sorry. There was no hope of making that sauce look sexy in a picture. But, it sure is tasty!]

  

Boil the pasta in well-salted water until al dente. Drain and return to the pot. Mix in roasted vegetables, sauce, and remaining red pepper flakes (about 1-2 tsp, remembering you can always add more later). Pour the mixture into a 13x9x2 baking dish coated with nonstick spray. Top with mozzarella and the basil/pine nut/cheese topping. Bake for 35-40 minutes until heated throughout and the top begins to brown slightly. Let stand about 5 min and dig in!



Before bake (look at that cheese!!)



Baked

Serve with red wine and artisan bread!

Shrimp Coconut Curry w/ Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash has excellent nutritional value, particularly for those watching their carb intake. It has a low calorie count (about 45 per cup) and is high in fiber, Vitamins A & C, and calcium. All that’s great, but I love it because it’s crunchy! It pairs extremely well with the Thai-inspired flavors of this dish. I hope you enjoy!

Servings: 4

Prep time: 15-20 min

Cook time: 45 min – hour (depending on the size of your squash)

Price per person: <$8 

Ingredients

1 spaghetti squash

1.5 lbs shrimp, deveined

2 tsp olive oil (peanut oil, if you have it)

1 small red bell pepper, minced

3 scallions, white and green parts, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 inch of fresh ginger, minced

1 13 oz can of lite coconut milk

Handful of cilantro, chopped, divided

3 tsp of red curry paste (more for greater spice)

1 tsp fish sauce

Fresh black pepper to taste

3 limes

Preheat oven to 375º. Pierce spaghetti squash several times with a sharp knife and bake for 45 min – 1 hour (depending on the size of the squash).

In a medium sauce pan, heat oil over medium high heat. Sauté the red bells, ginger, garlic, and scallions until tender and the onions are translucent. Stir in the curry paste and cook another minute. Add the coconut milk, black pepper, most of the cilantro (leave a little to use as a garnish), fish sauce, and the juice of 2 limes. Reduce heat and let this yummy sauce simmer, stirring occasionally, until the spaghetti squash is finished cooking.

When the squash has cooked, let it stand for a minute to cool. Slice it lengthwise (carefully, it’s hot!) and spoon out the seeds and inner membrane. Using a fork, separate the squash from the skin and place the spaghetti-like strands in a bowl.

Add the shrimp to the sauce and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the shrimp turn bright pink and start to curl end to end. Stir occasionally to ensure an even cook.

To plate: put a layer of squash in a bowl and top with shrimp sauce. Garnish with cilantro and 2 lime wedges.

Fish Roll-ups

My oldest sister Gina's husband, Tom, introduced me to this dish from Sweden (his home country) about a decade or so back while I was visiting them in California. With only a few ingredients and short prep-time, it’s an extremely simple dish to make and, yet, has great plate appeal. I'm sure the Swedes don't call it "Fish Roll-ups" but Tom did and that's good enough for me. Also, Tom's dish didn't have blue cheese. I added that much later to satisfy a friend's palate and the result was obviously worth repeating. I hope you enjoy!

Servings: 4-6 (we had 4 satisfied diners and leftovers for 2)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Price per person: <$10

NOTE: This dish is best made with sole or flounder because the filets are long and thin - perfect for rolling up - and the flavor is subdued (i.e. "not fishy tasting"). But if, like me, tilapia's a better fit for the budget, go for it. When you get home, use your knife (carefully) to thin out the filet, cutting horizontally across the middle lengthwise. One portion may be smaller, but will still taste delicious! 

Ingredients:
- 6 filets of sole or flounder (see note above.) Sole is a rare find in Alabama, but this go-around Earth Fare had some beautiful flounder filets. I asked the fishmonger to cut the filets in half lengthwise and they were perfect!
- 8 vine-ripe tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 medium white (or yellow) onion, diced
- 6 sprigs of dill (about 3T), chopped finely
- 5 oz of monterey jack cheese, diced (about same size as tomatoes and onions)
- 4 oz of blue cheese, divided (reserve just enough to sprinkle as a garnish)
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- 10 red (or yellow) new potatoes, cut into 1” cubes

Preheat oven to 375º.

In a medium size mixing bowl combine tomatoes, onions, dill, S&P, jack cheese and 3.5 oz of blue cheese.

Lay out all filets flat and check for pin bones. Spoon out the mixture in a thin layer onto each filet, reserving some of the mixture. Roll up each filet, starting with the thickest end. Set the roll-up on its side into a backing dish (I think muffin pans work best.) and, if you'd like, use toothpicks to bind the filet and keep all the goodies from falling out. Set the roll-ups on their side (so you can see the "pinwheel") into the backing dish and spread the remaining mixture evenly on top of the roll-ups.

Boil potatoes. Bake roll-ups for 40 min.

Plate one roll-up (remember to take out the toothpicks, if used) and spoon some of the mixture and "sauce" (created from the melted cheese and tomato broth) over the potatoes. Top potatoes with remaining blue cheese crumbles set aside during the prep.

Serve with:

Baby Arugula, Dried Cranberries, and Walnut Salad:

3 handfulls of baby arugula

3/4 c. chopped walnuts

3/4 c. dried cranberries

S&P, to taste

Few dashes of balsalmic vinegar (I LOVE the tang!)

Red Wine Vinegrete (or salad dressing of your choice)