Butternut Squash Quesadillas

Yum! Another favorite for nicer weather... Or the weird summer/fall weather we have had all morning.  A tasty change on the usual quesadilla, butternut squash quesadillas with avocado cream.  Such a great lunch item when you're at home for the day, a fun appetizer idea (cut in smaller wedges), or a lighter dinner choice.

I keep coming back to this recipe and the bonus is that my kids love it!

http://byguessbygosh.blogspot.com/2012/05/butternut-squash-quesadilla-with.html

Citrus Parmesean Chicken over Salad

Yes.  it has been six months since my last post.  I swore I'd never be one of those people who starts a blog, knows I have people that check the blog, and then mysteriously disappear one day.  My excuse?  I'm now 34 weeks along with baby #3 and my stomach as well as my energy has been severely tested.  Morning sickness (terrible queasiness) didn't ease up until almost 5 months. Say what!?  For a long period of time I ate some fruit, cereal and a significant number of milkshakes and smoothies.  And lots of fast food burgers or fries from the drive thru as I'd go from queasy to starving and going insane in a nanosecond. Nothing food blog-worthy.  But, I'm back and plan to post some recent favorites now that my appetite is back, although much smaller thanks to a shrinking stomach due to a big baby!

Be prepared for lots of sweets recipes... My major weakness this time around.  Maybe I'm having another girl?!

One of my favorite recipes this spring and now summer is a take on Ina Garten's Parmesean Chicken over Salad.  Her recipe is pretty phenomenal as is, but I basically added a few teaspoons of lemon zest to the panko (breadcrumbs).  Give it a try, with or without the addition of lemon zest!

Oh, and the kids love this dinner!  Tonight I'm serving with a side of caprese salad using heirloom tomatoes.  Yes, I realize I'm basically serving two types of salad in one meal, but I'm prego and can do what I want. :)

Click on the link for Ina's amazing recipe!
 http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/parmesan-chicken-recipe/index.html

Fried Chicken!

I have been craving fried chicken for weeks.  There is a famous fried chicken shop near our old house and I've been trying to figure out a reason or excuse to drive over there and get some.  Until today... I saw this fried chicken recipe on Yahoo and had to give it a shot. 

Great herbed coating, fairly easy frying, and the result was an extra moist meat with nice and crunchy exterior.  Everyone in my family enjoyed this chicken! 

All the herbs and spices ready to be mixed.

The oil heating up...

The mixed coating all ready to go.

And my chicken that had been soaking in buttermilk for eight hours.

After dredging the chicken in the herbed coating, I gently put the pieces in the oil and let 'em fry!

I'd show you a photo of the end result, but our mouths were watering and we couldn't wait to get this in our mouth!  Seriously, this is some awesome chicken.  You must give it a try.  I do suggest you go and buy a thermometer that clips to your pan so you can monitor the oil's temperature.  OR, use a deep fat fryer.  I actually have a fryer still sitting in it's box, so I'm going to have to try this recipe again!

Commerce Kitchen Fried Chicken (adapted from James Boyce)

Ingredients:
2 c. flour
2 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp pepper

4 Tbsp paprika

1 tsp garlic salt

1 Tbsp dry mustard

1 Tbsp French thyme, ground

1 Tbsp dried sweet basil, ground

1 tsp oregano, ground

1 Tbsp Jamaica ginger, ground (regular ground ginger will work too)

2 c. buttermilk

2 2 ½- 3 lb. chickens, cut into 8 pieces each (I used 4 legs, 4 thighs, and 2 breasts cut in half)

Vegetable oil for frying (canola and peanut oil work too)

Mix dry ingredients in large bowl. Set aside.

Put chicken and buttermilk in two large plastic Ziploc bags or a flat dish and marinate in the refrigerator for at least two hours, turning every 30 minutes. This tenderizes the meat as well as removes any blood.

When ready to cook, remove chicken pieces from buttermilk, shake off excess liquid. Toss with dry ingredients. The chicken should be lightly covered, but it's okay if there are a few missed spots. You can also shake chicken with the dry ingredients in a large Ziploc bag.

Fill a large, heavy bottomed skillet or deep pot with enough oil to cover halfway up the largest piece of chicken. Heat oil to 325-350 degrees. If you don't have a cooking thermometer, wait for small bubbles to form.

Adjust heat so the oil bubbles are steady but not too rapid. Working in two or more batches, place the coated chicken in the hot oil. After about eight minutes, the chicken will be golden brown underneath. Turn over once and cook for an additional eight minutes or until nicely browned on both sides. The cooking process will agitate the pieces slightly, so you don't need to shift them around in the pan.

After frying, place chicken on a metal sheet tray covered in a paper towel and transfer to 200-degree oven to keep warm until serving. The chicken will stay moist for up to an hour.

* Boyce developed his succulent, crispy fried chicken by playing with traditional recipes and experimenting with the cooking process, eventually settling on a nine-spice blend and a slower fry. "What's great is how moist it stays," he says. "It takes a little longer but develops a beautiful crust and cooks evenly down to the bone." His method is especially appealing to home cooks who are intimidated by the idea of deep-frying. While you can use a screen to protect from splatters, Boyce says, "If your stove is getting covered with grease, your heat is too high."

Or click here for the electronic version of recipe.

Linguine with Arugula and Fresh Crab

We went crabbing on opening day of crab season and came home with 11 biggies!  Thank goodness we have three licenses to make this possible... yes, that is me validating our catch in case anyone is wondering. :)

Ironically, my friend posted a crab pasta recipe on facebook today and I made it for dinner.  Refreshing, light and full of crab.  I'm not a big fan of eating crab mixed in with things... I prefer it straight from the shell or in a great crab cake.  But this pasta was a good option, Linguine with Arugula and Crab.  Add in some lemon and garlic and you're done!  You can substitute chicken or shrimp for the crab.

Click here for the link, courtesy of Tuesday Recipe.

Goat Cheese Chicken Wrapped in Prosciutto

Want a meal with serious flavor?  You'll need a small package of goat cheese (herbed or plain), a package of prosciutto and four chicken breasts.

Add a few drops of olive oil to the goat cheese and microwave for about twenty seconds to soften it up.  If you're using plain goat cheese add a few sprinkles of your favorite herbs... oregano, herbes de provence (my preference), or just some pepper.  Don't add any salt as the prosciutto will be plenty salty.

Using a sharp knife, cut a slit and make a deep pocket in the middle of the chicken.  Divide the goat cheese evenly between the four chicken breasts and stuff inside the chicken.

You can also spread some on top of the chicken. Then a few dashes of freshly ground pepper.

Wrap each breast with 1-2 pieces of prosciutto making sure the ends are on the bottom side of chicken.  Place prepared breasts in greased baking dish and bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes.  Bake time may be longer depending on thickness and sizes of chicken breasts.

Serve with some asparagus or broccoli and an easy side of noodles or rice.  This chicken has a great flavor and our kids loved it too!

Ojai Wrap

This weekend we had the pleasure of staying at the gorgeous Ojai Valley Inn & Spa in Ojai, CA.  I loved everything about this resort, aside from the lack of air conditioning (or not understanding how to work the room's thermostat?). 

We had a great lunch post-massage, pre-pool that was both light and filling.  We dined al fresco on a pergola covered terrace, overlooking 200 year old oak trees and the golf course.  I ordered a wrap filled with grilled chicken, arugula, shaved fennel, parmesan, lemon and roasted garlic aioli.  The wrap was very visually pleasing and also a trick on the eye.  While rolled up, the wrap seemed average size. But when one of the wraps fell apart, my entire plate was filled with a giant salad.  Kind of glad I didn't eat all three portions of the roll!  Plus, I had to eat most of the fries.  So good.

The kicker to the meal was my iced tea.  It came with mint infused simple syrup.  I always add sweetener to my tea (I'm a die hard southern sweet tea lover), and the subtle hint of mint was a perfect addition.

Below is my take on my yummy lunch...

Jodi's Grilled Chicken Ojai Wrap

1 large chicken breast, grilled and sliced very thin

4-5 handfuls of arugula

1 small tomato, diced

1/2 c. shaved fennel

Shaved parmesan

1/2 lemon, juiced

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 tsp champagne vinegar

2 large tortillas or wraps

Mix together the lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and vinegar (red wine vinegar would be okay to use too).  Season with salt and pepper.  Add more lemon juice or vinegar depending on your taste (it should have a nice lemon tang to it).

In a bowl, mix together the sliced chicken, arugula, tomato and fennel.  Add the lemon garlic dressing and toss.  Divide the mixture among two large wraps and sprinkle with the parmesan.  Roll up tightly and cut in half on an angle (makes your easy to make wrap look a bit fancier).  Serve with a side seasoned french fries or a bowl of seasonal fruit.

Now imagine you're sitting in 80 degree weather, overlooking beautiful mountains and a golf course. I sat inside looking out my window at the rain as I ate this today...  Ojai, oh how I miss you!

*I used a large flour tortilla, but you could use whole wheat or flavored wraps, pita bread, etc.

Butternut Squash Quesadilla with Avocado Cream

I am a die hard fan of Cactus Restaurant's butternut squash enchilada.  Its so rich and creamy and very filling.  Plus, it has some goat cheese mixed in which is a bonus!  I stumbled across a quesadilla recipe last week and it looked delicious, fairly basic and a close resemblance to Cactus' specialty enchilada.

I made some tweaks to the recipe to make it my own, and am proud to say I now have an easy homemade version of one of my favorite enchiladas... in quesadilla form!

Cube about two cups of butternut squash and toss with a couple tablespoons of olive oil, two teaspoons ground cumin and a dash of salt and pepper.  Roast in the oven at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.  As a real time saver, buy a package of frozen butternut squash. Whole Foods sells frozen, cubed butternut squash and the package contains 2 cups! Perfect!  And this is usually less expensive than buying a whole squash that you then have to peel, seed and cube.

While the squash is roasting, combine one small container of plain nonfat Greek yogurt with a mashed avocado and juice from one lime (a couple tablespoons worth).  Mix well and set aside.  

*I used one 6oz container of nonfat, plain Greek yogurt and this made plenty of sauce.

When the squash is ready, heat a pan on the stove to medium.  Add a dash of olive oil to the pan and let warm up.  Take three large tortillas and cover each with about 1/3 cup goat cheese. 

One at a time, place the tortilla in the pan to warm and brown.  On one half of the tortilla, sprinkle with 1/4-1/3 cup of drained and rinsed black beans, a handful of baby spinach, and one third of the squash.  Fold over tortilla and let heat up and brown.  Flip to brown both sides evenly.

Remove from pan and cut in to wedges.  Serve with a dollop of avocado sauce and a sprinkling of chopped cilantro (cilantro is optional).  Enjoy!  And don't be fooled by what seem like a small portion, these are pretty filling and rich. Serve alongside some Mexican rice and slices of watermelon for a more filling and refreshing meal.

Jodi's Butternut Squash Quesadilla with Avocado Cream

3 large tortillas

2 c. cubed butternut squash (can use frozen, cubed squash)

1 c. goat cheese (I buy ours from Costco... two huge logs of it. Heaven...)

1 can black beans, rinsed/drained

3 handfuls of baby spinach

1 avocado

1 6-8oz container of plain nonfat Greek yogurt

1 lime, juiced

2 tsp ground cumin

olive oil

salt and pepper

cilantro, optional

Spring Green Risotto

I have noticed this Spring Green Risotto in my Back to Basics cookbook by Ina Garten, but havne't ever felt like trying it.  Especially with our damp northwest weather.  But with the recent sunshine, and a friend raving about this recipe, I gave it a shot.

I'm always hesitant to make risotto.  It is so delicious, but it takes some serious attention.  While I love too cook and bake, I don't necessarily want to stand at the stove for 45 minutes while tending to just one part of a meal.  The risotto turned out great, and made enough for a few meals.  So the time it took to make this paid off in leftovers and with how much the entire family loved the flavors. 

The leeks and fennel getting tender:

And the  1 1/2 cups of Arborio rice ready to be added to the pan.

Slowly adding five cups of broth over 30 minutes...

 Meanwhile, the asparagus gets blanched in salted water.

 The asparagus, peas, lemon zest, salt and pepper get to join the party.

 I'm starting to lose my patience... So much stirring.

 My patience is restored with a glass of wine. The recipe calls for wine, and so do I.

 The finished risotto was perfectly tender and the vegetables add a nice texture to the dish.  My son literally licked his plate and used his fingers to make sure he got every last bit of sauce!

Ina does it again! Click here to view Ina's recipe courtesy of the Food Network.

Thai-Style Halibut with Coconut-Curry Broth

A sorority sister claims her husband added this meal to his top five favorites list.  Her son licked his plate clean.  She also mentioned it was pretty easy to make.  This basically solidified the recipe's spot on my shopping list and on our list of dinners for the week.

My husband and I like Thai food and halibut.  Our kids love fish.  But how spicy was this going to be, and would our kids really eat it?  Turns out the finished dish had only a very minor kick, that the kids didn't even notice.  Probably because both kids ate the fish so fast there wasn't time to taste it?  My oldest even ate the steamed spinach and asked for seconds of everything, including rice with a hefty slathering of the coconut curry broth.  This recipe for Thai Style Halibut with Coconut Curry Broth is a keeper!

The broth is simmered...

Halibut fillets are added.

I spooned some sauce on top of the fish before putting the lid on.

While the fish cooked/steamed for 8 minutes I steamed up some spinach and made some five minute rice.  Note - remember that steaming spinach will turn the biggest bag of greens in to a small amount. 

The finished dish... tender halibut laying on a bed of steamed spinach and bathing in coconut curry broth.  I added rice to the bowls before serving.  I suggest you serve a nice fresh french loaf alongside this mean so help soak up the broth.  There were zero leftovers and this will be made again very soon! 

To see the recipe, courtesy of Ellie Krieger and Food Network, click here.

Spaghetti with Oven Baked Clams

An impromptu trip to the Ballard Farmer's Market resulted in one dozen pacific oysters and two dozen steamer clams.  Fresh seafood for dinner!

I'm a seafood purist.  I don't like to alter the taste of seafood too much. Marinades, smothering in sauces, or basically doing anything to remove the actual flavor of the fish or shellfish seems silly to me.  But, we weren't in the mood for steamed clams, we needed something more substantial.  Tyler Florence to the rescue!

Tyler's recipe for Spaghetti with Oven Baked Clams has over 50 reviews and rated at 5 out of 5 stars.  Plus, it included a large amount of garlic and pancetta.  Score!

Diced pancetta and ten, yes ten, garlic cloves warming up...

Adding the uncooked clams, tomatoes, basil leaves, white wine, and black ground pepper.  Then, straight to the oven to pop those little clammies open!  I excluded the dried red chiles as the kids would be eating this too.  Can always add red pepper flakes to individual servings...

Add the pound of cooked pasta and your dinner is ready to go!

A very refreshing and flavorful dinner.  The clams still had their natural flavors and were enhanced by the garlic and pancetta. We will definitely be doing this again... hopefully when the sun is shining and we can dine al fresco!

Click here to view Tyler's recipe.

Bahn Mi

I have a thing for cilantro.  And for good sandwiches.  So when my hair guy was telling me about his family recipe for Bahn Mi sandwiches my mouth started watering.  There are some great Vietnamese delis and restaurants in the area, especially by our old house, but I don't have time to drive that far.  Plus, after listening to my hair guy and researching recipes, the ingredients are pretty basic.

First, I warmed 1 c. rice vinegar with 1/2 c. water and 1/2 c. sugar.  Once the sugar had dissolved, I added about 1 c. julienned carrots and 1/3 c. finely chopped white onion. This mixture needs to sit for a couple hours or overnight.

To make the chicken, I sliced up two boneless chicken breasts and marinated in 2 chopped cloves of garlic, 1/4 c. soy sauce, 2 tsp sugar, 1 tsp five spice powder, 1/2 tsp ground pepper.  Let sit for 4 hours or overnight if possible.

I cooked the chicken on the stove and to assemble the sandwiches I took a slightly warmed french baguette and layered on thinly sliced cucumber, cilantro (I used a lot), the pickled carrots/onion mix and the chicken slices. I also squeezed a big wedge of lime over the sandwich fixings and sprinkled on red pepper flakes to get a nice kick without altering the flavor.

Presto! An amazing sandwich that would be great for lunch or dinner.  It is very light but very filling.  This sandwich can't be too unhealthy for you either... no mayo, cheese, or processed meats.  Just fresh veggies and marinated chicken (with bread and some sugar thrown in!).

This will be showing up at a future football tailgate party - pretty simple, full of flavor, and a crowd pleaser.

Mediterranean Pasta

I had a staple dinner dish that I constantly made before I met my husband, Mediterranean pasta.  It was great fresh off the stove, but worked well for lunches during the week at work.  I brought this dish up the other day in conversation and my husband immediately recalled me making this for him when we first started dating.  I haven't made it for probably 7+ years (the probable result of eating it 2x a week for months on end), and thought tonight would be a good time to try it again.

I had no recipe to go off of, so I had to wing it. I think I got pretty close.  The flavors were strong and made me feel like I had gone back in time a few years!

Cook and cut up two boneless chicken breasts (or use precooked chicken from deli).  While you boil water for one pound of pasta (I used penne), slice about 1/4 cup of kalamata olives and a couple handfuls of fresh basil.  When the pasta is done cooking, add the cut up chicken, sliced olives, basil, as well as a small jar of drained and julianned sundried tomatoes and a small package of crumbled feta.  Add a few dashes of milk to loosen it all up a bit, and serve.  Easy, tasty, and something to keep on your menu rotation!

If you want to add a bit of a kick, sprinkle some red pepper flakes in there too.

Fried Egg Sandwich with Bacon and Blue Cheese

I about fell out of my chair when I read the title of this recipe.  Fried Egg Sandwich with Bacon and Blue Cheese.  How could a sandwich get any better!?  I immediately added the ingredients to my shopping list and couldn't wait to give this a try for dinner.

Bacon frying...

Shallots warming up.

With some Dijon.

I used spinach to toss with the bacon and dressing.

Piled it all on the bread as a nice bed for the fried egg.

And, the finished sandwich.

That Smitten Kitchen sure knows how to get my attention. Bacon. Blue Cheese.  Married in a sandwich.  A nice and rich, but not too heavy, sandwich that is great for dinner.  Click here for the recipe!

Sesame Chicken and Rice

My kids love teriyaki chicken.  From a restaurant.  I have never found a recipe for home made chicken teriyaki that they actually want to eat. The sauce isn't thick, the flavor isn't the same.  But today I came across a slow cooker recipe on Pinterest and tried it out with a few minor changes.  (please pardon my bad cell phone photo, above!)

My version is pretty basic, but requires about 60-90 minutes of stove time to simmer.  Basically simmering the chicken until cooked through and very tender. You could probably do this on low in your slow cooker, but no guarantees. (if you try it in a slow cooker, let me know how it works out!)

Sesame Chicken and Rice, courtesy of By Guess By Gosh
2lbs boneless/skinless chicken breast, cut in to 1 to 2" cubes
1/2 c. low sodium soy sauce
1/3 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 T sesame oil
1 T ketchup
1 T toasted sesame (this is optional)
Rice

Combine all the ingredients (except sesame seeds) in a large nonstick pan on stove.  Turn heat to medium to get the liquid warmed up, then before it begins to boil, turn down to low, cover and let simmer for 60-90 minutes.  Stir occasionally so the chicken cooks evenly on all sides.  Check for doneness at 45 minutes just to make sure all is okay (the smaller the chicken cubes, the faster cooking time).

Meanwhile, make your choice of white or brown rice.  When you're ready to serve, place rice on plate and top with chicken mixture and sauce.  Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

*For more texture you could add sliced water chestnuts and diced celery to the chicken mixture as it cooks.

And unfortunately no photos of this dinner.  I was starving and figured a picture of an empty plate wouldn't help with visuals....

Pork Carnitas

Whew.  After a well needed rest from the blog, I'm back and have some tasty recipes that I'm excited to try and share.  After reading a few recipes for pork carnitas, I couldn't resist the urge any longer and made a trip to the market for some pork shoulder. 

Our old neighborhood used to have a taco bus that served some seriously great (and seriously spicy) carnitas.  Carnitas means small meats and the carnitas I've had in the past are always so full of flavor and the meat is extra tender.  And after thoroughly questioning my cleaning lady, I discovered that the best tasting pork carnitas only require three ingredients to get the meat fork tender and seasoned.  Water, salt and white vinegar.  Seriously?  Why yes, I am.

In addition to the salt, water, vinegar and cubed pork, I added some fresh lime juice based on an idea I saw in another recipe.

3.5lbs of boneless pork shoulder cut in to 1-2" cubes.  In a pan with about 1/2 c. fresh lime juice, a few teaspoons salt, about a 1/2c. white vinegar and a few cups of water (not quite enough to cover all the meat), I let the meat simmer for a few hours until fork tender and then let it sear itself a bit when the liquid evaporated.  I tested a few cubes of meat and added a dash of ground cumin, a little more salt and a dash more of vinegar.

After about three hours of simmering, the meat fell apart.  I do recommend keeping a close eye on the meat when the liquid gets very low.  Some of the meat pieces became a little to crisp.  I shredded my pork a bit in the pan as it neared the end of cooking time.

I made a very basic slaw... only because I didn't have any other quick options.  Shredded cabbage with some poppyseed dressing and a few squeezes of lime.

Topping for the carnitas... lime wedges, chopped white onion, avocado, cilantro and crumbled queso fresco.

We used small corn torillas warmed in the oven for a few minutes at 200 degrees.  Top the tortilla with some pork and toppings of choice.  I liked an extra squeeze of lime a splash of vinegar (don't knock it 'til you try it) on mine. My husband preferred his with coleslaw.  Iris, our cleaning queen says she eats carnitas with a carrot slaw and lime/vinegar mix.

As sides I warmed some black beans, refried beans (our kids are obsessed with them), and made a batch of mexican rice (yes, out of a box...).

I ate the leftovers for lunch and we even had enough to make a couple small pork sandwiches slathered in BBQ sauce.  (We prefer Pete's Zesty Pulled Pork Sauce).

If you want more specific recipes than what I note above, you can check out Smitten Kitchen's post about pork carnitas here.  Very similar recipe, but a little different sauce mix to cook the pork in.

Rigatoni with Sausage Sauce

Maybe it was dinner at Il Terrazzo on Monday night, or maybe it is the fall weather settling in.  But today I was in the mood for pasta with a meat sauce.  I found this recipe for rigatoni with sausage sauce at the same time I discovered the roasted sausage and pepper recipe. 

The ingredient list was short and so were the directions.  A win-win for an evening when I'm dealing with a sick little one and an energetic big kid.

Cook the meat just until the pink is gone. 

Remove the sausage from pan and set aside.  Then add the chopped onion, garlic and red pepper flakes.

Add in the tomatoes and then the sausage.

After the sauce has simmered a bit, you toss in some fresh chopped basil.

Dinner is ready!

Rigatoni with Sausage Sauce, courtesy of Isernio's Sausage

Serves 4-6 as a main course.

4 Isernio’s Italian Sausages or 1 lb. bulk roll (pork or chicken, crumbled)

3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped

3 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped or pressed

1/2 tsp hot red pepper flakes (optional)

28-oz can Italian style plum tomatoes with juice, squeezed by hand or broken up in skillet with wooden spoon.

3/4 lb Rigatoni pasta or cut pasta of choice (I used 1lb box of Rigatoni)

10 fresh basil leaves, torn

Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

4-6 Tbsp grated Pecorino Romano cheese

In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil and cook sausages over medium heat until brown. No need to cook all the way through, just cook until browned on both sides.You can also use bulk sausage, breaking up with a wooden spoon and cooking until all pinkness is gone, do not brown. Remove meat from skillet and set aside. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil to the skillet, add the onion, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook on medium until the onion is soft, 8-10 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, 1/2 tsp. salt and a few grinds of black pepper to taste. Cut sausages diagonally into 3/4" slices and return to skillet. If using bulk sausage, add cooked sausage now. Bring sauce to a boil then reduce heat to a medium low, just bubbling simmer. Cook sauce uncovered for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened.

While the sauce is cooking, bring 5 quarts of water to a boil. Add 2 Tbsp salt to boiling water, add the Rigatoni and cook until al dente, about 12-14 minutes, or according to the package instructions.

Taste the sauce for salt and pepper, and adjust if needed. Drain the pasta completely and place in the sauce. Toss the pasta with the sauce to ensure each piece is coated. Add the torn basil, a drizzle of good olive oil and mix well. Serve immediately with freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese.

This recipe can be doubled or tripled. Use your judgment and taste. A larger quantity of sauce will take slightly longer to cook.