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Showing posts with label Pasta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pasta. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Baked Macaroni and Cheese from Annette - Family Favorite




Today is Leap Day (February 29, 2012), so I thought it deserved a special recipe. This is recipe that started it all! This is the first real "from scratch" recipe I ever learned to make. Macaroni and Cheese is one of my most favorite foods in the world, and after a while, the box version at home just wasn't cutting it. As mentioned in my very first post on this blog, I credit my good friend Annette in general, and this recipe in particular, with starting me on the path to actually learning to cook. As you can see from this blog, I still make plenty of things that involve ingredients from a can or box, but I do less of it now than I used to (no more Hamburger Helper! LOL), all thanks to her and this recipe. I've made two slight alterations (the addition of 1/2 tsp dried mustard, and backing down the temp to 350 to start, but that is mainly due to my "hot" oven; original recipe called for 375), and I've tinkered with the cheese blend off and on. I've tried several other mac and cheese recipes, and I always come back to this one.
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Source: Annette Wright

Ingredients:
  • 8 oz macaroni or other small shaped pasta
  • 1/4 cup butter or margarine
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry ground mustard (optional)
  • 2 cups milk
  • 2 cups shredded cheese blend of your choice, divided (1 1/2 cups and 1/2 cup)

Directions:
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Cook pasta according to package instructions; drain.
  • In medium sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Remove from heat and add flour, salt, pepper, and mustard, whisking until smooth.
  • Replace on medium heat and slowly add milk, stirring constantly. Bring mixture just to a boil (stirring still). Reduce heat to low and simmer for one minute.
  • Remove from heat and add 1-1/2 cups cheese. Stir until smooth. Add pasta, stirring until well coated. Pour into greased 2 quart baking dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until bubbly. If not yet brown, increase oven temp to 400 and check at 3 minute intervals until brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Notes:
  • Annette's note: Works well with Farfalle or Rotini pasta. Also good with a mix of cheddar and swiss.
  • Erin's note: I really like elbows (preferably the ones with ribs/ridges, but the smooth ones are okay), rotini, or ditalini pasta. Our family favorite cheese blend is 1/2 sharp cheddar and 1/2 fontina. Recipe is also easily scalable, from 1/4 of these amounts for a single serving, up to at least doubled (that's as high as I've gone).

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Jo Mama's World Famous Spaghetti from RecipeZaar - Family Favorite



There are not words to describe this spaghetti sauce, but I will give it a try. How about Italian Heaven in a Bowl? The author of this recipe, Sharlene W, says her kids will give up a steak dinner to have this spaghetti sauce at home, and I completely believe it. I have stopped getting spaghetti when I go out to restaurants because I know I can make better - THIS sauce - at home. It makes enough to feed an army, and the recipe could be easily halved, but trust me, don't. Make the whole batch and freeze half. You'll be thankful when you're craving it again in a few weeks and all you have to do is thaw some out.
Jo Mama's World Famous Spaghetti by Sharlene~W
Source: Originally from RecipeZaar, now Food.com

Ingredients:
  • 2 lbs Italian sausage, casings removed
  • 3/4 cup chopped onion
  • 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
  • 2 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
  • 1-2 cups water (the longer it simmers, the more water you need)
  • 3 teaspoons basil
  • 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh coarse ground black pepper
  • 1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1/4 cup red wine
  • 1 lb thin spaghetti
  • good quality parmesan cheese
Directions:
  • In large heavy pot, brown Italian sausage, breaking up as you stir. Drain fat.
  • Add onions and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until onions are softened.
  • Add garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce and water. Add basil, parsley, brown sugar, salt, crushed red pepper (if using), and black pepper.
  • Stir well and barely bring to a boil. Stir in red wine.
  • Simmer on low, stirring frequently for at least an hour. A longer simmer makes for a better sauce, just be careful not to let it burn! Add more water, as needed, to achieve and maintain the desired consistency.
  • Cook pasta according to package directions. Ladle sauce over drained pasta and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Erin's Notes:
  • I usually use half mild and half sweet Italian sausage. I prefer petite diced tomatoes. If I can find the tomatoes, sauce, and paste with basil/oregano/garlic already in it, I use that. I definitely leave out the red pepper flakes (you know me).
  • I will be perfectly honest, it takes me about 2.5 hours from the moment I walk into the kitchen to start the meal to the moment I serve it into bowls over pasta. It's about 1 hour of active cooking "get it in the pot" time, plus 90 additional minutes of simmering. I just can't seem to get it done any faster, but this recipe is so good, it is definitely worth it!
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