Chicken Lasagna with Greens, Mushrooms & Walnuts

Have you heard? lasagna is the next big food trend. Really?! No, I didn't make that up. I read that startling information online this week as Taste predicted 2018 will be "The Year of Lasagna." Well, for once I am on trend with my recent pan of a creamy white chicken lasagna served with a dollop of red sauce on the side. Mmmmm, I can't help but smile in contentment while remembering the flavors of this favorite comfort food. I won't make any claims for healthy eating with this recipe, just a promise of irresistible palate-pleasing layers of rich, creamy deliciousness. 

Do you remember your first pan of lasagna? Old school lasagna with red sauce might have been one of my first kitchen achievements as a new bride, along with spaghetti & meatballs, Irene's tuna cashew casserole, and a handful of taco and enchilada concoctions. The tuna casserole dropped off the menu decades ago, and my lasagna casseroles have strayed markedly away from the more traditional. Nonetheless, winter weather still calls for a tempting pan of baked pasta.  

Well-suited for a weeknight meal, or for make-ahead cooking on the weekend to serve later in the week or freeze, this white-sauced chicken lasagna merits repeat appearances. Make a double batch, you will love the convenience of a ziploc bag filled with frozen individual servings to reheat on a busy weeknight. Yes, it's that good and shines as a quicker version of similar but more time consuming recipes. Use no-cook pasta sheets to eliminate one messy step; Italian seasoned chicken sausage will take less time to prep than chicken pieces; and a jar of sauce can substitute for your own homemade red sauce. I won't judge. 

The lasagna tastes decadently rich and satisfying enough so one 8"x8" dish provides six servings for the two of us. It's freezer-friendly after baking, with individual servings wrapped in plastic wrap, and then a wrap of aluminum foil. I defrost, unwrap and place in individual ovenproof dishes to reheat in the oven. Cover and bake until warmed completely through, then uncover and bake a bit longer to bubble the cheese and crisp up the top. Yum.  

Chicken Lasagna with Greens, Mushrooms & Walnuts

serves 4-6

6 small no-cook lasagna noodles
1 cup ricotta, whipped with a fork to loosen
4 cups fresh spinach, cleaned & rough chopped
1 cup walnut pieces, rough chopped
1 lb Italian chicken sausage, cooked or 2 cups cooked thigh meat
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, shredded
*Mushroom Bechamel Sauce (see below)
2 cups prepared red pasta sauce (optional accompaniment) 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Set out the ingredients and lightly coat an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Prepare the sauce and set aside.
3. To Assemble: Spread a scant cup of sauce evenly across the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange 2 or 3 lasagna noodles on top of the sauce, covering without overlapping. Dollop 1/2 of the ricotta on top of the noodles, spreading it around somewhat; next scatter 1/2 of the spinach. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the nuts, 1/2 of the chicken and finish with 1/3 of the cheeses. 
4. Cover with half of the remaining sauce and repeat the layers. Top with the remaining pasta, sauce and cheeses.
5. Cover with aluminum foil, place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes longer until golden and bubbly. OR place under the broiler for several minutes until lightly browned in spots. Let rest for 10+ minutes before serving to firm up.
6. Use a wide spatula to serve, accompanied with warmed red pasta sauce if you choose.

Mushroom Behamel Sauce

1/4 cup butter

2 cloves garlic, mashed

1/2 lb cremini mushrooms, sliced thin

6 fat green spring onions, minced

1/4 cup flour

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 cups whole milk, lukewarm

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1/8 tsp fresh nutmeg

Salt and white pepper, to taste

1. Melt butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Add garlic, mushrooms & onions and cook 4-5 minutes until onions are translucent and tender. 
2. Sprinkle in flour and cook until flour is incorporated and lightly browned, whisking constantly.
3. In small increments, gradually whisk in the chicken broth and milk and cook until slightly thickened, whisking constantly as it cooks. (The sauce should be loose, not a heavy paste!) Add the basil, oregano and nutmeg; stir to incorporate. Taste; season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside while preparing the lasagna ingredients. 

Skillet Pasta with Smokey Pork and Tomatoes

Spring sunshine and cool temperatures called for sweaters and a brisk pace on today's late morning walk. We set out to investigate the sound of chainsaws, near enough to be easily audible indoors. Several lots uphill we found a tree-felling crew taking down four tall evergreens, twelve to sixteen inches or more in diameter. Rumor has it another neighbor purchased the "view rights" on two adjacent properties and cleared the trees to improve their lake view. You can buy view rights? forever? We shook our heads and walked on, lamenting the continuing loss of tall timber in the neighborhood.

Hunger pangs struck as soon as we returned and I quickly gathered miscellaneous ingredients from fridge and pantry. Pork, tomatoes, onions, parsley, Parmesan and pasta soon surrounded the cooktop. Smoked pork bones pack a hefty flavor punch; too smoke-heavy and salty to use "as is". Their smokey saltiness can be overwhelming so I tame them with a preboil and soak ahead of use. Luckily I had cooked them earlier today. Pork, pasta and those few vegetables came together with a simple sauce for a quick and tasty lunch. Fresh fruit for dessert provided a sweet finish... and then I was finished. Surely a little Spring stroll justifies a little afternoon nap.

Skillet Pasta with Smokey Pork and Tomatoes

1 package smoked pork neck bones (1+ lbs)
4 fat handfuls cavatappi pasta (enough for 2 servings)
1 cup white or yellow onion, rough chopped
1 TBS anchovy paste
2 cloves garlic, minced (or use garlic powder)
1 tsp red pepper flakes
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halves
1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, shreds
1/4 cup Italian parsley, rough chopped  

Place smoked pork neck bones in a deep pot and cover with water. Bring water to a boil over high heat; lower the heat, cover and cook at a low simmer for an hour. Leave the pork and liquid in the pot and cool to room temperature. Discard the cooking water, pull the meat from the bones and shred, removing pockets of fat, and set aside. 

Cook the pasta until just tender, it will soften a bit more as it finishes in the skillet. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce. 

Heat the olive oil in a wide skillet and saute the diced onion over medium high heat until softened. Add the anchovy paste and stir to incorporate. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, black pepper, tomato halves and cooked pork; cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, to heat through (and the tomatoes soften).

Stir in 1/4-cup of the hot pasta water and add the drained, cooked pasta, half of the Parmesan cheese and all of the parsley; toss to mix (adding more olive oil and pasta water as needed). 

Top with the remaining Parmesan cheese and serve.
   

Marsala Sauced Mushrooms Baked with Kale and Pasta

Lately a new medication has messed with my tummy, tastebuds and appetite, and kitchen activity has been hit and miss. Looking for inspiration motivation I clicked through scads of pinterest photos, randomly searching for something tempting, something yummy that would feature the mushrooms and kale in my fridge. A photo from SmittenKitchen's "Mushroom Marsala Pasta Bake" caught my eye; visually appealing comfort food that might not challenge my tummy. So many of Deb's recipes are delicious and this one looked like a winner.  

I adjusted the ingredients, adding kale and substituting other items, but did follow the original recipe's steps. 

* Cook the pasta and soak the dried 'shrooms.

* Brown the mushrooms and onions.

* Prepare the sauce.

* Combine 'shrooms, sauce and pasta and bake until browned.

30 minutes to prep, 30 minutes to bake, and this pasta dish was on the table and ready to enjoy. It did not disappoint! This is not your old-school baked casserole, overly ooey-goey and full of processed ingredients. Oh no, this awesome dish eschews (omigosh, who really uses that word?) canned anything, celebrates the deep, earthy flavor of mushrooms, incorporates fresh kale for vitamins and color, and delivers an scrumptious, slightly booze-flavored cheesy sauce. Scrumptious? Yes, it was that good, Official taste tester RL repeatedly attacked sampled the pan of sauce with a Tablespoon and suggested we forego the pasta and skip the oven bake. Its true, by itself the sauced mushroom mixture is temptingly delicious, but I held out for the pasta and oven bake. Pastaless, I would pile a spoonful onto a toasted baguette slice for a hearty appetizer. It would be great finger food on a small bread slice or scrumptious, plated knife-and-fork fare on a large slice. 

    

Mushroom Marsala Pasta with Kale

adapted from Deb's recipe at SmittenKitchen

Servings: 4 large or 6 regular ones

1/2 pound cut tube pasta; ziti, penne, or some twisty shape like cavatappi

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 small yellow onion, halved and sliced thin

handful dried mushrooms: soaked, drained, sliced (water reserved)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup marsala wine (I substituted vermouth in one batch)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup reserved mushroom soaking water

1 cup chicken stock (or substitute beef, vegetable or mushroom)

1/2 cup (50 grams) finely grated parmesan cheese, divided 

4 ounces mozzarella cut into small cubes (I 've also used Emmentaler)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided

2 cups kale, rinsed & sliced into thin ribbons

Directions:

Cook the pasta: 

Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, stopping before fully cooked since it will cook further in the oven. Drain and set aside. (It may stick together but will loosen up when added to the sauce.)

Heat oven: To 400 degrees F.

Make the sauce:

Add oil to the now-empty pasta pot and heat to shimmering over high heat. Add fresh mushrooms; cook and toss until they begun to color but before they release any liquid.

Reduce heat to medium-high; add onions, reconstituted dried mushrooms, salt and pepper and saute together until the mushroom liquid is evaporated. Add Marsala and cook mixture, stirring frequently, until liquid has nearly evaporated.

Stir in the butter, mixing until melted. Using a strainer, sprinkle flour over the mushrooms; stir until completely absorbed. Add mushroom soaking water and stock, a few ounces at a time, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Each addition should be fully incorporated before adding the next. Repeat until all stock has been added. Let mixture simmer together for 2 minutes, stirring frequently; the sauce will thicken. Remove pan from heat.

Assemble and bake dish:

(Use the cooking pan if it’s an oven-safe dish. Otherwise...

Transfer this mixture to a 2-quart baking dish.)

Add cooked pasta to the sauced mushroom mix and stir until combined. Add the kale, half the parmesan, all of the mozzarella and two tablespoons of the parsley; stir until evenly mixed. Sprinkle the top with remaining parmesan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until edges of pasta are golden brown. Sprinkle with reserved parsley and serve hot. Reheat as needed.

For a crowd double the recipe and use a 9×13-inch or lasagna pan.

My recipe for Pasta with Mushrooms, Kale and Walnuts offers a stovetop dish with similar ingredients but quite different results. Give them both a try. 

Pasta with Mushrooms, Kale and Walnuts

Dinner. Now, please. Something, anything quick. Okay, maybe not anything. Flavor matters.

We had an early evening, low-energy emergency in the kitchen and there was no plan. Aaaargh! A crisis loomed until I opened the fridge and spotted some crimini mushrooms and dinosaur kale. It had been weeks since my surgery, when RL took over cook and butler duties, and I was SO anxious to return to the kitchen.This simple pasta bowl solved the problem and was surprisingly tasty for an unplanned, no-recipe dish I could handle while moving around on crutches.  

This so-simple-you-don't-need-a-recipe combination might have been inspired by something I found on pinterest, or maybe a Facebook page, but I couldn't locate it again. Too many pins and posts, too little organization, but no problem. The improv worked out just fine; quick, easy and flavorful, PLUS I got to play briefly in the kitchen.
  

Pasta with 'Shrooms, Kale and Walnuts

Ingredients:

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
A generous 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, cut or torn into bite-size pieces
1/2 small red onion, sliced thin
1 teaspoon dried Italian herb mix (basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary)
3 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Short, ridged tube pasta
1/2 cup ricotta, divided
1/2 cup toasted walnut pieces
Fresh Parmesan, grated or shredded
Honey, for drizzling (optional)

Directions:

Warm a serving platter or bowl in the oven.

Melt butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat; working in batches as necessary, cook mushrooms, onions, Italian herb mix, garlic, salt, and pepper until mushrooms are golden and give up their juices, about 12-15 minutes. 

Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until just al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. 

Add to the skillet the drained pasta, half of the pasta water, half the ricotta, kale shreds, salt, and pepper and toss to combine. Add more cooking water as needed.

Transfer to the heated serving platter and garnish with remaining ricotta, walnut pieces and Parmesan. Drizzle with honey, if you like.

Pasta Salad - Plus Peppers and Carrots and Broccoli... oh my!

Moving off the boat after a short project-filled few weeks at the dock or following a lengthy cruise, means our meals grow interesting. It reminds me of an episode of the TV show Chopped where cooks prepare a dish from a basket filled with "must-use" ingredients. Thankfully boat cooking is considerably less exotic than the TV challenge. Some days we win with new flavor combinations, on other days the food is just... unusual. The goal is to empty the fridge and freezer in case of a power outage on the dock while we are gone. Most of the assorted bottles and jars that fill the refrigerator door shelves will survive a brief power interruption, but experience has taught me not to leave any meat or seafood in the freezer. Don't ask, it's a marriage-threatening tale.

One recent end-of-stay breakfast was a winning combination of apple-filled, syrup-drizzled, sourdough crepes topped with sliced almonds and apple pie-flavored whipped cream. Sigh! what a decadent contrast to a more typical bowl of cereal, yogurt and sliced bananas. Apples are on the traveler's prohibited food list for transport across the US and CDN border in either direction, and I hated to waste the few beauties remaining in our fruit bowl, thus the apple crepes. Fruits with seeds, stone fruits, potatoes and onions, dairy, some meats, etc. are on the list. This list is long and seemingly variable so it's easiest not to carry much uncooked food north or south in order to avoid Custom's delays. But I digress... let's move on to lunch and a tasty, colorful pasta salad packed with vegetables and protein.

Pasta salad shines as a superstar dish, versatile and ready to embrace a mixed assortment of vegetables, cheeses and occasionally protein. The latest combination was colorful with a rainbow assortment of mini peppers, broccoli and carrots. Cavatappi is always a favorite short pasta, its open curls attract other ingredients in a welcoming hug and hold the dressing as well. Cheeses, capers and some protein added more flavor punch and a zesty vinaigrette dressing pulled it all together. The dish served as a hearty lunch for two, plus a generous portion left over for a next-day snack on the southbound ferry. 

 Pasta Salad Plus Peppers and Carrots and Broccoli, oh my!

• cooked cavatappi (5 generous handfuls uncooked pasta)
• 6 fat green onions, chopped 
• 1 cup of diced mini sweet peppers 
• 1 cup broccoli flowerettes, blanched  
• 1/2 cup carrot coins, blanched  
• 2 tablespoons rinsed capers 
• 1 cup shredded mixed cheeses (Parmesan & mozzarella) 
• 3 slices of hard salami julienned 
• 1 small can of premium, solid tuna packed in oil

The dressing included: 

• 1/2 package dehydrated onion soup dip mix
• 5-count swirl of extra virgin olive oil
• 3-count swirl of balsamic vinegar
• 2-count swirl of seasoned rice vinegar
• fresh ground black pepper to taste
• Hot sauce on the side for individual tastes 

You know the drill: 

1. Cook, drain and rinse the pasta, drain again
2. While the pasta cooks, prep the vegetables and slice the meat
3. Prepare the dressing; taste and adjust seasonings
4. In a large bowl combine the cooled and drained pasta, chopped vegetables, meats and dressing mixture. Toss gently to coat all with the dressing. 
5. Let rest for several minutes, then toss again. Taste and adjust seasonings - at this point I usually add some hot sauce and red pepper flakes.

Spinach Dip Pesto Pasta

The Spinach Dip with Artichokes, Cheese and Chiles was a winner, but my throw-everything-into-the-mix approach yielded a lot of that thick, spunky dip. Spunky? You know, a dip with attitude. The quantity might be a bonus when you host a party, but it's not so terrific when you are feeding a twosome. Now what? 

I used the peppy spinach dip as I might any pesto blend, adding it to a loose bechamel sauce along with pine nuts for a pasta topping. Mmmmm, yes! that made a pleasant pasta bowl for today's hot lunch, but now I'm eager to try an oven-baked version. Imagine a spinach pesto pasta macaroni and cheese sort of dish, with crisp, crunchy browned butter-tossed breadcrumbs on top. My taste buds are quivering in anticipation, but RL is losing his taste for spinach anything. OH! the fun I've had dealing with the challenge of that large, annoying 1-pound bag of frozen spinach.

Spinach Dip Pesto Pasta Sauce

(more suggestions than a recipe)

Prepare your standard béchamel sauce (white sauce); add a large handful of meltable cheese and heat to melt. Add more milk as needed to keep the mixture thin and loose. 

Add a cup or more of Spinach Dip with Artichokes & Chiles; stir over low heat until incorporated. Adjust taste and consistency as needed.

Toss with your favorite cooked pasta and a generous handful of toasted pine nuts. Serve in a warmed bowl or on individual warmed plates.

Clams in Pernod Cream Sauce with Pasta

Do you ever daydream about a special dish, something you ate somewhere, sometime? For me, the where and time are hazy but the something is a vivid memory of a clam dish with licorice-flavored cream sauce. I found clams drifting in and out of my thoughts this week. Clams are familiar friends in my galley, requiring little preparation for a tasty bucket of steamers or a fine chowder. Clams with a Garlicky White Wine Caper Sauce add great flavor to a bowl of pasta, and have even topped pizza. Cataplana Clams add chorizo and colorful peppers to the mix. All good recipes, yet my all-time favorite clam dish has been one ordered in a restaurant some time ago, a richly decadent offering of clams bathed in a Pernod-flavored cream sauce. Based on my taste memory of that terrific appetizer (or maybe it was an entrée), plus a little inspiration from a collection of old, clipped recipes stashed in a 3-ring binder on board, I set out to recreate that remarkable dish.

 When we spend long days traveling, meals are simple, often one pan creations with few ingredients. However when we’re in port for several days at a time, or hang on anchor waiting out stormy weather like our Khutze stay this week (link), it’s fun to spend more time playing in the galley. Ingredients on hand dictate the possibilities, and this week the pantry and fridge offered some fine choices. The prime players in this tasty pasta dish were a large carton of fresh frozen clams, some heavy cream and a new bottle of Pernod. Thick rashers of bacon, green and white onions, fresh garlic, fresh herbs from the garden (thyme, basil, Italian parsley) and shredded Parmesan helped boost the flavor. Wow! I could have tasted my way through the entire pan of sauce all by myself, spoonful by spoonful, without any pasta or maybe even clams. What’s not to like about bacon, cream, Pernod, garlic and fresh herbs?! This recipe was a two-thumbs up winner we will definitely enjoy again.

Now I need to work on a healthier version, less guilt inducing yet still full-flavored. Any suggestions?

Clams in Pernod Cream Sauce

4 generous servings

Ingredients: with some best-guess quantities noted as I remember them

4 thick strips bacon

1 small onion (1/4 cup), sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup Pernod

2 cups heavy cream

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Salt and freshly ground pepper (optional)

2 cups clam meat

chopped fresh Italian parsley

julienned fresh basil

fresh thyme leaves

Spring onions, green & white parts, chopped

Fresh Parmesan cheese, shredded

Additional Pernod

Cooked fettucine

Directions:
1. Use a large skillet and cook the bacon until crisp. Remove from the pan and chop. Reserve 2 tablespoons drippings in the pan, plus any crispy bits. In the same pan cook the onion slices until soft. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.

2. Add Pernod to the pan and over medium heat cook down by half. Add the cream and thyme and cook until slightly thickened, about 8 minutes on my galley stove. Season with salt (optional) and freshly ground pepper to taste.

3. Place the clam meat in the skillet and cook for a few minutes to heat through.

4. Stir in the chopped bacon pieces, fresh herbs, Spring onions. Add cooked fettucine to the pan, stir in another glug or two of Pernod to pop the flavor, and sprinkle with freshly shredded Parmesan cheese. Toss to blend.

5. Serve and enjoy.

Lamb Ragu with Mushrooms and Capers

I have eaten very little meat since a recent surgery and my meat-loving husband has been so good natured about this dietary change. It was time to treat him to a hearty, meaty main dish. But what?

One lonely package of ground lamb sat on a freezer shelf, inviting me to create something wonderful. I'm sure I had a brilliant idea when I purchased the meat last month, but that was weeks ago and the plan has vanished. Today I was indecisive, waiting to be inspired, maybe even hoping someone else would deal with it. Well, that didn't happen, so I considered some familiar possibilities: avgolemno soup with lamb meatballs, Merguez sausages or mini meatloaves, lamb burgers, stuffed grape leaves, papas rellenas, ... No inspiration yet... sigh.

So I traded thoughtful decisionmaking for action, raided the refrigerator, grabbed some produce, heated a pan and just started cooking. It helped that the pantry was fairly well stocked. 

Capers and feta cheese balanced what might have been a too-heavy lambiness, the mushrooms contributed bulk and soaked up the flavors nicely. The sauce came together easily, a good thing since I didn't do much taste-testing along the way, and was rewarded with a two-thumbs up review from RL. I enjoyed a smaller bowl of pasta with just a smidge of the meat sauce and still agreed, this was a very successful improv.

Half of the sauce remains, an invitation to fill a toasted burger bun or warmed pita round... or bake it with cheese and flat pasta sheets in a lasagna dish... or use it to top a pizza... or... 

Lamb Ragu with Mushrooms and Capers

sauce for 4 entree servings

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups fresh mushrooms, cleaned & chopped
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced (or use garlic powder)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground lamb
1 tablespoon dried mint
3 to 4 cups marinara sauce
1 generous tablespoon capers, rinsed & drained
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup fresh basil, julienned
1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley, rough chopped
cooked whole wheat pasta to serve 4

1. Warm 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped mushrooms and cook until the 'shrooms turn golden brown. (Be patient and wait for them to release their juices, let the liquids cook down and evaporate, and eventually the mushrooms will begin to caramelize.) Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Raise the heat under the pan to medium high; add the chopped onions and cook until they begin to soften. Add the garlic, salt and pepper, and dried Italian spices and cook until the onions are translucent and begin to brown. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
3. In the same skillet over medium high heat cook the ground lamb until browned, breaking up the large chunks as it cooks. Use a large cooking spoon and remove most of the rendered fat from the pan.
4. Return the mushrooms and onions to the skillet. Add the marinara sauce, dried mint and capers; simmer, covered, over low heat until the flavors have blended. Taste and adjust seasonings. 
5. Add the cheeses and fresh herbs; stir to mix. Serve over a nest of cooked long-strand pasta OR add cooked, short tube pasta to the pan. Serve immediately.