This recipe for Squid Ink Seafood Pasta is the best way to really highlight a homemade squid ink fettuccine (or store-bought fresh squid ink pasta!)
This Squid Ink Seafood Pasta is bursting with flavor: briny pasta, a little heat from red pepper flakes, nice acidity from the white wine and lemon, smokiness from the salmon, and freshness from the basil.
This is a really impressive dish, but it can be made in about 30 minutes!
I am taking full advantage of the long weekend by making a recipe I’ve wanted to make for a while now: Homemade Squid Ink Fettuccine!
I’ve been inspired to finally try to make homemade pasta after Danny Freeman’s demo at Binding Agents a few months back. And on a recent stop at Ippolito’s, I noticed they had cuttlefish ink for sale and knew that homemade squid ink fettuccine was in my near future!
Homemade pasta is surprisingly easy to make, but it does take some time (the dough has to rest a few times) so just keep that in mind when planning to make it. I have a bunch of tools on hand that make pasta making even easier, so I’ll link to those throughout this post.
Ingredients:
3 eggs
1/2 tablespoon (1 1/2 teaspoons) cuttlefish ink
3oo grams (about 2 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
I love a classic mac and cheese. But I also love a spin on a classic, like this recipe for Cajun Mac and Cheese!
This Cajun Mac and Cheese recipe is made of elbow pasta with onions, bell peppers, celery, and andouille sausage, baked in a creamy, spiced cheese sauce.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon salt
1 (16 oz) box elbow pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 (12 oz – 16 oz) package Andouille sausage, chopped
Now that it’s fall, it is the perfect time for me to share one of my go-to quick weeknight dinners: Chicken Pesto Meatballs.
This recipe for Chicken Pesto Meatballs is equally easy, quick, and delicious – you’ll be amazed at how flavorful these meatballs are!
The below recipes serves the meatballs with a pesto pasta, but we have also enjoyed the chicken pesto meatballs on a bed of salad greens, with rice and vegetables, or on their own as an appetizer.
Ingredients:
Chicken Pesto Meatballs:
1/2 cup homemade or store-bought pesto (if buying store bought, I strongly suggest going to the prepared foods section of the supermarket to see if they have any freshly made pesto rather than jarred)
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 large egg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound ground chicken
1/2 cup grated parmesan
Pesto Pasta:
16 oz pasta of your choice (my favorites are fusilli and orzo for this recipe)
Note: I have permission to share the below Fried Rice Carbonara recipe from Danny Freeman’s latest cookbook, Italianish (paid link)
Before I share this recipe for Fried Rice Carbonara, I want to give some background on its inspiration. Recently, I attended an event at Binding Agents, Philly’s only cookbook store, located in the Italian Market. The event included a talk, signing, and pasta demo with Danny Freeman to feature his new cookbook, Italianish: Modern Twists on Class Italian Flavors (paid link).
Danny Freeman, or Danny Loves Pasta, is known for creating fun and beautiful, colorful pasta shapes and recipes (his first cookbook, Danny Loves Pasta – paid link – is an absolute delight). His latest cookbook, Italianish, is a celebration of Italian American flavors reimagined for easy family-friendly and many weekday-friendly recipes.
During the talk, Danny spoke of his inspiration of this latest cookbook, growing up in an Italian American home, and adapting those flavors and recipes for his own family. Italianish is filled with creative, inventive, and playful takes on Italian classics, including recipes for Lasagna Soup, Rigatoni alla Vermouth, and Rainbow Cookie Cookies.
The cookbook includes a bunch of indices that make this cookbook so incredibly useful. There is a time index so you can quickly scan recipes based on how much time you have – some recipes can be made in as little as 15 minutes! There is also a sauce index and a meatball index to help you better mix and match to create multiple versions of the recipes within the cookbook. Italianish also includes three “intermezzos” which highlight cicchetti (small snacks originating in Venice), fresh pasta, and farro bowls.
While providing insights into his latest cookbook, Danny Freeman also gave a demo on different fresh pasta shapes, which I can’t wait to try for myself at home!
Danny Freeman was kind enough to allow me to post one of the recipes from his cookbook on my blog.
To highlight the imaginativeness of Italianish, I’ve chosen to recreate Danny’s recipe for Fried Rice Carbonara.
As Danny writes, “With the pork and the eggs, [fried rice] is not so different from a carbonara! The classic pasta dish is made with guanciale, Parmesan, and egg yolks, and we can use those same flavors to whip up this quick carbonara fried rice.” I absolutely love Spaghetti Alla Carbonara, so I couldn’t wait to try this recipe!
Ingredients (serves 2 as a main dish, or 4 as a side):
3 cups cooked rice
4 oz guainciale or pancetta, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Note: I was sent tins of Fishwife Smoked Rainbow Trout in order to write this Smoky Pantry Pasta post. Opinions are my own.
There are so many occasions when a pantry meal, like this recipe for Smoky Pantry Pasta, can be a real life saver.
I try to have a couple of pantry meals on hand for busy weeknights, the first meal back after a vacation, or, most recently, when we are in the process of moving to a new home. Preparing for the move meant that we were in cleaning out mode and doing our best to not have to go to the grocery store for any additional items.
Mid-move, I was sent the most beautifully packaged tinned fish from Fishwife – three tins of Smoked Rainbow Trout (affiliate link).
Fishwife is a female-founded and led food company aiming to make ethically sourced, premium, and delicious tinned seafood a staple in every cupboard. Founded in 2020, Fishwife sources from healthy fisheries and certified sustainable aquaculture farms to bring the vibrance of conservas culture to the North American table.
The Smoked Rainbow Trout is raised in an ASC-certified sustainable farm in the Denmark countryside and is slow-smoked in small batches over beechwood to give it that beautiful smoky flavor. The Fishwife website suggests enjoying their Smoked Rainbow Trout stirred into a lemony pasta, as smoked trout dip with potato chips, or in a savory sandwich.
source: eatfishwife.com
I adapted this Smoky Pantry Pasta recipe from a pantry pasta recipe on Fishwife’s website, making it only with items I already had on hand. Although the original recipe calls for anchovies, I thought the smokiness of the Smoked Rainbow Trout would enhance the recipe even more!
Ingredients:
1 (16 oz) box pasta (I used gemelli because that’s what I had on hand)
Everyone needs more weeknight dinner recipes, and this recipe for Grapefruit Miso Butter Chicken is nice and simple for those weeknights you really don’t feel like cooking.
With just six ingredients, you can have the super tasty Grapefruit Miso Butter Chicken on the table in 40 minutes!
Ceviche is a surprisingly easy meal to make at home, and this Salmon Ceviche is no exception! I know it seems like it would be super intimidating but trust me, you can have this seemingly fancy dish ready in 30 minutes!
The one thing to keep in mind when making salmon ceviche is that it is strongly suggested to use salmon that has been previously frozen to help ensure food safety. Ceviche is raw, after all!
For recipes like this Salmon Ceviche, I use my salmon filets from Sitka Seafood Market. (I have a subscription, and have had one for years, but the link is not an affiliate link) Sitka Seafood Market’s Salmon is wild caught and quickly frozen, so I know it is safe for raw consumption.
This Salmon Ceviche comes together quickly. Once you have prepared your ingredients, just add them to a non-metal bowl and let marinate for up to 30 minutes and you’re done!
Ingredients:
the juice of 1 lemon
the juice of 1 grapefruit
the juice of 3 limes
1/2 red onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 avocado, diced
1 to 2 salmon filets, pin bones and skin removed, cut into bite sized pieces
Note: I was sent samples of Goldswarm Honey in order to make this Honey Glazed Orange Ginger Shrimp. Opinions are mine alone.
Just wait until you try this Honey Glazed Orange Ginger Shrimp! The shrimp is marinated in a garlic-ginger-Chinese five spice, then tossed in an orange honey glaze and is served over rice for a wonderfully flavorful weeknight meal!
I was sent this recipe along with some absolutely delicious honey from Goldswarm Honey, a luxury honey sourced from the wildflowers of West Africa.
With its bold floral notes and deep caramel undertone, Goldswarm elevates any dish or drink into a gourmet experience. Unlike mass-produced honey, Goldswarm is ethically harvested from Nigerian beehives and completely free of preservatives, additives, and heat processing – preserving its rich antioxidants and nutrients.
This recipe for Honey Glazed Orange Ginger Shrimp seemed like the perfect way to test out (and highlight) Goldswarm Honey!
Ingredients (serves 4):
1 lb. large peeled and deveined shrimp (20-25 count)
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon finely diced ginger or ginger paste
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder, plus more for garnish
Hooray for slow cooker season! I love a good slow cooker (paid link) recipe, and this Slow Cooker Venison Chili is no exception!
I decided it was about time to update my original recipe for Slow Cooker Venison Chili; I figured after 13 years it could use some sprucing up!
The ingredients haven’t changed much, but the method used to develop the flavors is updated. This hearty Slow Cooker Venison Chili will definitely be a family favorite!
Ingredients:
Chili Seasoning:
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
Venison Chili:
4 strips bacon, cooked
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon reserved bacon fat, or 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 lbs ground venison
2 (15.5 oz) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (28 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon hot sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup beef stock
1/2 cup coffee
Toppings:
Fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
Sour cream (omit for dairy free)
Cheddar or Pepper Jack cheese, shredded (omit for dairy free)
The weather hasn’t quite turned cooler yet, but I am already starting to shift into more comfort food type cooking. Every Sunday is pasta night in my house, so this past Sunday, I decided to make something a bit more special than my usual Spaghetti and Meatballs. This recipe for Sicilian Braciole is very loosely based on the Braciole my mother-in-law makes.
I’ve made Braciole in the past, but the addition of pine nuts and raisins is what makes this recipe specifically Sicilian Braciole. The pine nuts become nice and soft in the sauce, and the raisins appear to almost melt away, adding just a touch of sweetness to balance the dish.
This recipe takes a good 5 hours to make, so plan accordingly!
Ingredients:
Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium white onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup dry red or white wine
4 (12.5 oz) cans stewed tomatoes
salt and pepper, to taste
Sicilian Braciole:
1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1 1/2 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
1/3 cup raisins
1/2 cup dry red or white wine
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2 cup olive oil; divided
1 medium onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 pounds braciole meat (at my butcher, they were referred to as beef roll ups)
The weather this September has been quite warm, but I am starting to crave more comfort-food-like dishes. This recipe for Sous Vide Boneless Leg of Lamb is a combination of warm weather meets comfort food, perfect for this time of year.
The lamb is slow cooked to the perfect temperature in a water bath and then is finished off on the grill to add some char!
One of my favorite local restaurants is The House of William and Merry. The creativity and pure deliciousness coming out of that restaurant is impressive! A recent dinner there inspired me to use some of my CSA corn this week to make this Corn Bisque!
This silky corn bisque is delicious on its own, but I strongly suggest topping it with chopped bacon for extra saltiness and chives for brightness.
To make the corn bisque, you first make a corn stock. You’ll make more than you need for this particular recipe but don’t throw it away! You can use this lovely liquid like you would use vegetable or chicken broth.
Ingredients:
6 ears of corn, shucked
8 slices of bacon, cooked (I like to cook mine in the oven) note: reserve the bacon grease!)
Although some may think this is in bad form, hosting friends is when I love to try out new recipes. Luckily, I get more hits than misses, but it’s always fun to experiment with friends who are up for the adventure.
So when we recently hosted a bunch of friends at our house for the weekend, I decided to try this Grilled Zaatar Chicken recipe. I love a good prep ahead recipe (and a good On the Grill recipe!) so that I can get a bunch of things done ahead of time, and this Grilled Zaatar Chicken tastes best when allowed to marinate overnight.
If you’re unfamiliar with za’atar, it is a Middle Eastern spice blend. The ingredients in the blend can vary, but the blend I used, Pereg Za’atar (paid link), contains quinoa flour, coriander, olive oil, hyssop (a mint-like herb that has a slight bitterness to it), parsley, salt, and sour salt.
We hosted friends recently at our house for the weekend. Whenever we have guests, I prefer to do as much of the prep work ahead of time as possible. So it should come as no surprise that I lean on recipes like this make ahead breakfast casserole as a go-to breakfast option when entertaining people for the weekend.
Not only is this recipe super versatile, but you can assemble it entirely ahead of time and then pop it into your oven when ready to eat!
The vegetables and protein in the below Make Ahead Breakfast Casserole recipe are honestly more of a suggestion than a rule; I was using up a bunch of vegetables I had on hand, so feel free to use whatever sounds good to you as well!
