Bertolli Four Cheese Rosa and Arrabbiata

Last week, as part of Foodbuzz's Tastemaker program, I received 2 new complimentary Bertolli sauces, Arrabbiata and Four Cheese Rosa. The sauce's were packaged in a fancy schmancy black box that evokes a high end liquor container.

I had recently discovered Bertolli's pasta sauces, having purchased the Cabernet as well as the Roasted Garlic and Olive Oil varieties of Marinara, so I was psyched to try out some new flavors.

I decided to serve the 4 Cheese Rosa with Barilla Plus Pasta (one of my new favorite items-I am totally into the idea of adding Omega 3's to my favorite foods) and sauteed and chopped broccoli rabe with garlic. The bitter green was balanced nicely by the salty, sweet and creamy cheese sauce. I ended up eating the sauce for each subsequent lunch until I ran out.

I have not tried the Arrabbiata yet, but plan to serve it with grilled shrimp over linguine-I'll let you know how it is!

Cheers,

Caitlin

Ginger Panna Cotta with Cranberry-Blood Orange Sauce

Why have cranberries as your dinner side when you can dress them up a little bit for a fun and spicy dessert? Evaporated milk, lite cream and yogurt lighten up this creamy Italian classic while maintaining the rich flavor that makes panna cotta so irresistible.

For Panna Cotta:
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
1/2 cup lite cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup lowfat Greek vanilla yogurt
1 teaspoon grated ginger, juice reserved

Mix milk (minus 1 tablespoon that you need to save) and cream in saucepan. Add grated ginger. Bring to simmer. Remove from heat. Cover; let steep (cover) 30 minutes. Strain to remove ginger.

Sprinkle gelatin over ginger juice/reserved tablespoon milk. Let stand until gelatin softens, about 10 minutes. Stir sugar and gelatin mixture into milk mixture. Stir over low heat until sugar and gelatin dissolves. Remove immediately from heat. Whisk in vanilla yogurt. Divide among ramekins. Cover; chill until set. It typically needs at least 5 hours to set.

For Cranberry-Blood Orange Sauce:
12 oz fresh or unthawed frozen cranberries
1 cup honey or light brown sugar
Juice from 2 blood oranges, about 1 cup

Use a peeler to remove 2 large strips (about 4 inches long) from 1 orange. In a saucepan of boiling water blanch zest 1 minute and drain in a colander. Chop zest very finely and transfer to a bowl.

In a saucepan bring to a boil juice and sugar/honey, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add cranberries, return to a boil. Simmer for 10-25 minutes or until cranberries burst. Taste for sweetness, add extra sweetener if needed.

Remove from heat and stir in chopped zest. Refrigerate until serving.

Run small knife around panna cotta. Place bottoms of ramekins in bowl of hot water briefly to loosen them. Place plate atop ramekin. Hold plate and ramekin together and flip gently to removed panna cotta.

Serve with a generous helping of Cranberry-Blood Orange Sauce

Easy Chicken Marsala

To Make Chicken Marsala:
4 chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each, but not a big deal if they are a different size)
10 oz sliced baby bella mushrooms (I bought mine pre-sliced at TJ's)
1 small diced onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon parsley
1/2 cup Marsala
1/4 cup Sherry
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup flour
Salt
Pepper


Preheat oven to 250.

Rinse chicken well and pat dry with paper towels. Cut off any visible fat. Flatten chicken with meat pounder, using wax paper over chicken if available.

Put flour on large plate. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in flour, shaking off excess.

Melt butter in large saute pan over medium high heat. Add chicken breasts and brown both sides. Remove from pan, set in oven dish and place in oven to keep warm.

Add olive oil to saute pan. Add onion, garlic, mushrooms, parsley and thyme. Saute until juice from mushrooms has evaporated, stirring to prevent vegetables from burning.

Add Marsala and sherry to saute pan. Let mixture come to a simmer and cook 10 minutes.

Add chicken stock and chicken pieces. Cook at low simmer for 15-20 minutes, then remove chicken pieces and place on a plate.

Add milk to mushroom mixture and let simmer 10-15 minutes until thickened. Add chicken pieces to warm them up before serving.

Plate chicken breasts on 4 plates and scoop mushroom and sauce over meat.

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Parmesan Custards with Roasted Vegetables

Lately I have been very sludgy-the sort of feeling that comes on from eating too much processed food. I know that cooking my own meals will result in my feeling healthier but I have been having trouble getting off my butt as things like ice cream are easy & immediate fixes. Well, that changes today (and may change back tomorrow, but hey, one day at a time).

So this recipe may not technically be healthy because of the cheese and cream, it is made with fresh produce and has lots of good 'ole fiber, vitamins and minerals. Plus it is delicious, so that basically means it is good for me, right?



The custard recipe for this dish is from Epicurious's Asparagus Soup with Parmesan Custards-a very delicious, creamy and delightful soup (provided you have access to fresh asparagus).

For Custards
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
1 whole large egg
2 large egg yolks
1/8 teaspoon salt
Pinch of white pepper

1 recipe Slow Roasted Tomatoes
2 yellow crookneck squash
1 lb asparagus
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup basil, sliced into thin strips
1/2 teaspoon black pepper


To Make Custards:
Bring cheese, cream, and milk just to a boil in a small heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and steep, covered, 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 300°F.

Prepare 1 recipe Slow Roasted Tomatoes while cheese-cream is steeping. Toss with sliced basil when done cooking.

Pour steeped cream through a very fine sieve into a bowl, pressing lightly on cheese solids and discarding them (Yeah I don't actually do this, Epicurious recommends it but I just whisk the mixture as it is getting hot/beginning to boil and never seem to end up with solids. And if I do, they are tasty solids). Whisk together whole egg, yolks, salt, and white pepper in another bowl, then add steeped cream in a stream, whisking until smooth. Divide among well-buttered ramekins.

Set ramekins in a baking pan and bake in a hot water bath in middle of oven until centers of custards are completely set, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer ramekins to a rack and cool 5 minutes (do not allow to cool longer, or custards will stick to ramekins).

While custards are cooking, prepare asparagus and squash.

Scrub outside of squash and rinse well to clean. Slice into long horizontal strips and toss with 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 clove minced garlic and 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Rinse asparagus and cut off tough ends. Bring large pot of water to boil. Add salt and asparagus. Let cook 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking process. Toss with remaining pepper, garlic and olive oil.

When custards are removed to cool, turn oven to broil. Place squash in strips in large baking dish. Do same with asparagus spears.

Broil until vegetables are beginning to char, then remove.

Working with 1 custard at a time, run a thin knife around edge of each to loosen it, then invert a plate over ramekin and invert custard onto plate. Repeat with remaining custards.

Serve each custards in the middle of 3 stacks of roasted tomatoes, asparagus and crookneck squash.

Passionfruit Panna Cotta with Raspberry Lime Coulis

2 cups light cream
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup thawed Goya passionfruit pulp
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons hot water
3 teaspoons Knox gelatin

2 cups fresh raspberries
Zest of 1 lime
1-2 tablespoons sugar

To Make Panna Cotta:

Heat up cream, milk, passionfruit pulp and sugar in medium heavy sauce pot over medium-low heat. Cook about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If mixture begins to steam, turn heat down to avoid boiling. Remove from heat.

Whisk together hot water and gelatin in small bowl. Let dissolve for about 5 minutes. Stir in some hot passionfruit cream until gelatin dissolves.

Mix in gelatin mixture into passionfruit cream. Taste and add more sugar if cream is too tart. Let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

Pour into 6-8 ramekins and refrigerate, covered with Saran wrap at least 4 hours.


To Make Raspberry-Lime Coulis:

Place 1 1/2 cup raspberries in a saucepan and add the lime zest. Mash with a fork and add 1 tablespoon, stirring until dissolved.

When the raspberries are just beginning to simmer, pour through a sieve into a bowl, pushing the berries with a large spoon to release the juice. Taste, adding more sugar if needed.


Serve panna cotta with raspberry-lime coulis. Garnish with fresh raspberries.

Pan Seared Flat Iron Steak with Chimichurri

Every Thursday, there is a lovely farmer's market in Coolidge Corner, Brookline, MA. Now that my schedule is more flexible, I have delighted in visiting the various local vendors and purchasing local meats, cheese, bread as well as the traditional fruits and vegetables. I decided to make a nice, romantic meal for two last night featuring the market's products.




Last week I purchased a small log of aged goat cheese from Westfield Farm. I managed to eat it in under 24 hours : ) Thus, I decided it would be an appropriate choice for my meal. I bought a loaf of ciabatta from Clear Flour Bread, an amazing bakery in Brookline, to serve with the cheese and a bottle of dry red wine-a blend of malbec, cabernet sauvignon and merlot.




I made homemade chimichurri, both to marinade the steak and to use as a sauce for the cooked steaks.

To make the chimichurri:

1/4 cup minced cilantro
2 roasted piquillo peppers, diced finely
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cumin




I bought flat iron steak from River Rock Farm, that sells fresh beef at the farmer's market. Flat iron is a relatively new cut of beef, created from removing a very tough piece of gristle from an otherwise tender and flavorful cut of meat. River Rock Farm sells meat from steers raised in pastures, without the use of artificial growth hormones or feed additives. All meat is aged for 14-28 days for maximum taste and tenderness.




Using a fork, poke small holes throughout the steak, flip it and repeated the process. Use 1/2 of the chimichurri as a marinade for the steak, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours; remove from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.




To cook, preheat the oven to broil then lightly oil and heat up a cast iron pan with raised grilling edges over medium high heat. When the pan becomes hot, place steak in pan, cooking about 3 minutes on each side to sear. Place pan in oven about 5 inches from broiler and cook additional 5 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes on plate before slicing. Spoon chimichurri over sliced steak and enjoy!



YUM! The end result was delicious. I highly suggest buying local meat if you can, the flavor was rich and the meat unbelievably tender.

Shrimp, Red Pepper and Basil Pasta with Charred Zucchini

1 recipe Easy Red Pepper and Basil Pasta Sauce, a little fresh basil and parmesan cheese reserved for garnish
2 zucchini
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb large shrimp, de-veined and tails removed
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 lb linguine pasta

Prepare pasta sauce according to directions. (This may be prepared the day before serving).

Marinate shrimp in 1 tablespoon olive oil, white wine, crushed red pepper and garlic.

Preheat oven to 400.

Heat large pot of salted water on high heat.

Wash zucchini. Slice in half lengthwise and cut each half into 4 chunks. Toss in 2 tablespoon olive oil and cook in oven 15 minutes, turning once. Turn oven to broil and cook about 5 minutes until vegetables are just beginning to char. When this happens, remove from oven.

While zucchini are roasting, boil linguine until al dente. Drain, and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

At the same time that pasta and zucchini are cooking, heat up large saute pan over medium high heat. Cook shrimp for about 2-3 minutes on each side, until they turn pink. Remove from heat.

Heat up pasta sauce until simmering. Toss noodles in pasta sauce.

Place pasta with sauce onto 4 large dinner plates. Divide charred zucchini amongst plates and top with cooked shrimp.

Garnish with reserved fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Fra diavolo sauce, Italian for "brother devil," is usually tomato-based and always spicy. It's often served with a lobster tail or other shellfish. Here I prepare it with sauteed shrimp.



Ingredients:
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium Vidalia onion, finely chopped
1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes (I like Delmonte or Contadina)
1 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
4 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
3 tablespoons minced fresh basil
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
1 lb linguine
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat up 2 tablespoons olive oil in large saute pan over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and turn heat to medium. Saute 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent being careful that garlic does not brown.

Add tomatoes and white wine and turn heat up to medium high until mixture is bubbling. Turn to a simmer and cook 10-15 minutes.

After adding tomatoes and wine, heat up large pot of salted water. Once boiling, add linguine and stir to prevent noodles from sticking together. Cook according to instructions.

In separate saute pan, heat up 2 tablespoons olive oil in large saute pan over medium high heat. Add the shrimp and crushed red pepper and saute for about a minute, toss, and continue cooking until just cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir into tomato sauce and cook 1-2 minutes. Stir in parsley and basil.

After pasta has been drained, toss with remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Mix in shrimp-tomato mixture and plate fra diavolo. Grind a little black pepper over each plate and salt to taste. Top with Parmesan cheese.

A Modern Caprese Salad

Slow roasted tomatoes and a fresh basil dressing update this classic Italian salad.

Ingredients:

1 lb slow roasted tomatoes
1 lb fresh mozzarella
1/2 cup basil leaves, shredded
1 clove garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt
Pepper

Prepare slow roasted tomatoes 6 hours prior to serving this salad (preferably overnight). Drain liquid from tomatoes after cooking. Reserve olive oil.

Slice fresh mozzarella into circles about 1/3 inch thick. Arrange overlapping slices of mozzarella on serving plate.

Chop garlic clove. Blend with reserved olive oil from tomatoes, extra olive oil, vinegar and fresh basil leaves.

Place roasted tomatoes over mozzarella slices.

Drizzle salad with fresh basil dressing. Salt and pepper to taste.

Arancini (Sicilian Croquettes)

As a child, one of my main food groups was mozzarella sticks. Seriously. My parents could not take me out to eat unless the place served hot dogs or mozzarella sticks without appearing as if they were depriving their daughter of food. My tastes have matured a bit since then (although I am slightly ashamed to say I do love a good hot dog and won't turn down a mozzarella stick). Arancini are fried rice balls filled with gooey cheese, tomato sauce and meat...aka grown-up mozzarella sticks for a grown-up Caitlin.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
3 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon freshly grated Asiago
1/2 cup ground beef
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Salt
Pepper
Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh basil, minced
3 1/2 ounces Mozzarella cheese, diced
2 eggs
1/2 cup seasoned Italian bread crumbs
Vegetable Olive (<-my mother scolded me for suggesting vegetable in place of olive oil) oil, for frying

Cook rice in boiling chicken broth until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain any remaining liquid. Put rice in bowl and add 1/2 of the butter and the Parmesan and Asiago cheeses. Spread rice out on (clean!!) counter and let cool.

Use remaining butter and melt in medium saute pan. Add beef and cook, turning occasionally to brown. Drain beef fat. Add white wine to beef and cook until evaporated. Mix in tomato paste, freshly ground black pepper and salt lightly. Add some crushed red pepper if you prefer spicier food. Cook about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat.

Form cooled rice into small balls about the size of tangerines. Poke a hole down the center and fill with a little basil, tomato meat sauce and a chunk of Parmesan. Seal with more rice.

Heat oil in a deep-fryer or pan over high heat so that a drop of egg sizzles when it hits the oil.

Beat 2 eggs in shallow mixing bowl. Place bread crumbs in separate bowl next to eggs. Dip rice balls in eggs so that they are lightly coated and then dip in bread crumbs. Ensure the balls are coated with bread crumbs but shake off any excess.

Deep fry the rice balls until golden brown all over. Drain well on paper towels.

Lasagna Bolognese

Bolognese Sauce:

1 medium to large onion (Vidalia), diced
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped (or 4-6 baby carrots)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 lb ground beef
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon parsley
Dash of freshly ground cinnamon
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (if you prefer some heat)
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup whole milk

Bechamel Sauce:

2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose unbleached flour

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 box lasagna noodles

In large sauce pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celery, onions and garlic. Turn heat to medium, stirring occasionally to make sure sofritto is not burning/sticking. Saute about 10 minutes.

In large saute pan, brown ground beef and drain fat. Add ground beef to sauce pot and stir. Add tomatoes, spices and white wine and bring to boil, then turn heat down to simmer. Cook 30 minutes. Add milk and stir well. Simmer for additional 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While sauce is cooking, bring large pot of water to boil. Add lasagna noodles and cook 1-2 minutes less than the suggested cooking time (the noodles will cook more in the oven). Drain and rinse with cold water to stop heat from further cooking the noodles.

Preheat oven to 350.

When sauce is almost done cooking (10-15 minutes left in cooking time), melt 1/4 cup butter in small sauce pot and whisk in flour. Add 2 cups milk and bring to simmer, whisking until roux has become a thick, uniform sauce. Remove from heat.

In 9x13 glass pan, spread a small amount of bechamel sauce so that bottom is covered. Cover with lasagna noodles. Distribute 1/3 bolognese over noodles. Top with 1/3 of bechamel and spread so that noodles are covered evenly. Sprinkle 1/3 cup with parmesan. Cover with noodles and repeat steps. The top layer will be noodles with bolognese, bechamel and parmesan.

Cook in oven for 45 minutes.

Sour Cherry and Ricotta Tart

I posted recently about making fresh Ricotta Cheese. I received the Silver Spoon cookbook as a gift from my parents and found a recipe that utilizes the ricotta nicely. A ricotta and cherry tart is an elegant dessert - AND you can use the leftover lemon rind from making the ricotta cheese.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sweet butter, chopped into small 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1 egg yolk
Lemon rind, minced (from 1/2 lemon)
2 cups sour cherries, pitted
1 1/2 cups Ricotta Cheese

Sift to make a mound. In the center, add the egg yolk, butter, lemon rind and half of the sugar. Mix well and shape into a ball. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350.

Add cherries, 4 tablespoons water and remaining sugar in medium sauce pan and cook 20 minutes over medium-low heat. (Bring to a simmer, then turn to medium-low).

Drain the cherries and mix with ricotta in medium-sized bowl.

Grease and dust a tart pan. Halve the dough and roll out one half on lightly floured surface to make a 1/4 inch thick circle. Place in tart pan. Roll out remaining dough and cut into long strips to make a lattice top for the tart.

Sprinkle ricotta mixture over tart shell. Cover with lattice strips and press remaining dough around sides of tart forming a ring. Use enough pressure to seal the dough to tart shell.

Bake about 45 minutes, then let cool before serving.

Fresh Ricotta Cheese

I was just talking with my mom about making sfogliatelle, these Italian puff pastries filled with ricotta and happiness. We both think fresh ricotta would work much better in the pastry recipe, but Duluth, Minnesota lacks a specialty (or near-specialty) food shop. Happily, Epicurious has a recipe that looks easy.



Ingredients:
8 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice*
Cheesecloth

Line a colander with 4 layers of cloth. Set colander in sink.

Bring milk and salt to simmer in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in lemon juice. Let simmer until curds form, 1 to 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer curds to cheesecloth. Let drain about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl, cover and keep refrigerated.

The cheese is good for 2 days.

The cheese can be used in desserts, pasta, sandwiches, eggs, almost anywhere!

*Save the lemon rinds to use in my other recipes, like a Sour Cherry and Ricotta Tart!

Asparagus with Herbed Parmesan Butter

Simple and delicious, this dish compliments pasta, steak, chicken, just about everything. It can be prepared ahead of time, then broiled just before serving.

Ingredients:
2 lbs asparagus
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons butter
3 cloves minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons basil
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400.

Rinse asparagus and cut off tough ends. Bring large pot of water to boil. Add salt and asparagus. Let cook 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking process.

Mix together lemon juice, basil, garlic and butter in small bowl. Microwave to soften butter, but do not let it melt. Mix in Parmesan cheese.

Place asparagus spears neatly in 9x13 cooking dish. Spoon butter mixture evenly over asparagus. Cook in oven about 7-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and is starting to turn golden. Remove from oven.

Tomato Sauce

This recipe is a modification of my mom's traditional Sicilian red sauce. I was in a vegetarian phase, and studying in Cuba, and I could buy most of the ingredients at the local agromercado (minus glorious Parmesan cheese, Cuba has no good cheese-I nearly died of sadness).

Ingredients:
3 14oz cans of diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 onions
1 head garlic
1 green pepper
2 tablespoons parsley
1/4 cup basil
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Optional: 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (if you prefer a spicy tomato sauce)
Optional: salt, if necessary

Dice onions and green pepper. Peel garlic cloves and mince garlic (as much as your patience allows-this recipe is forgiving, some big chunks are ok).

Heat olive oil in large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic, green pepper and onion. Turn heat down to medium/medium-low. Saute about 10 minutes, stirring and adjusting temperature if need to make sure that garlic does not burn/brown. Add tomato paste and cook 2 minutes. Add diced tomatoes and black pepper. If mixture starts to boil, turn down so that the sauce simmers but doesn't boil, as this can burn the sauce. Let cook 1 1/4 hour.

Add red wine, parsley and basil. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add parmesan cheese and cook 15-30 minutes. Remove from heat. Salt to taste and let cool.

Pour into mason jars and wrap green ribbon around lid. Affix tag to jar instructing: The sauce keeps 1 week in the fridge. Freeze to keep longer. OR: Make and feed to your loved ones. They will love you for it.

Roasted Butternut Squash, Rosemary, and Garlic Lasagna

This is one of my favorite fall recipes. I got it from www.epicurious.com and tweaked it to make it a little bit healthier.

2 1/2 pounds butternut squash, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups skim milk
2 tablespoons dried rosemary, crumbled
2 tablespoon minced garlic
1/3 stick butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 box lasagna noodles
1 1/3 cups freshly grated Parmesan (about 5 ounces)
1 cup lite whipping cream (if you prefer, you can add 1 can evaporated skim milk to sauce and substitute sauce for top layer of cream).

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

If you are using a whole squash, I would recommend purchasing one that is about 3 to 3 1/2 pounds. To ease peeling, stab squash once or twice to create a steam vent, then microwave for about 5-7 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel squash and remove stringy pulp inside. Cut into small cubes. Toss with oil. Roast in pan about 20 minutes, flipping it midway through cooking time. Take out when turning golden brown and easily cut with knife. Reduce oven heat to 375 degrees.

When squash is roasting, simmer milk with dried rosemary over medium-low heat for 10 minutes (time starts when milk first starts to form bubbles, if starting to boil, turn heat down). Place strainer over medium bowl and strain milk.

Fill large pot with water. When boiling, add lasagne noodles and cook according to box directions, checking to make sure noodles do not stick to each other. Strain and set aside.

While pasta water is heating up, melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and turn down to medium-low to avoid browning. Cook about 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in flours and stir continuously for 3 minutes. Pour strained milk into pan a little at a time, whisking into roux (flour/butter mixture). Cook additional 7-10 minutes over low heat, or until mixture thickens. Stir in squash and grind fresh black pepper to taste.

Grease a 13 by 9 inch baking dish.

Pour about 1/3 sauce into baking dish, spreading it around to cover bottom of dish. Cover with 3 lasagna sheets. Spread 1/3 of sauce over sheets and sprinkle with 1/2 cup Parmesan. Repeat for one additional layer.

If using whipping cream, use mixer to beat cream in large bowl until it holds soft peaks and spread evenly over top pasta layer, covering it evenly. If not using cream, use remaining sauce to cover top of lasagna.

Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese on top of lasagna. Cover with aluminum foil, tenting slightly to prevent it from sticking to lasagna. Bake for 30 minutes in middle rack of oven. Remove foil and bake additional 10 minutes, or until top is bubbling and turning brown. Remove from oven and let stand about 5-10 minutes before cutting.

Bistecca Fiorentina (Florentine Steak)

If God had wanted us to be a vegetarians, he wouldn't have made steak taste so good. Nothing shows someone you love them like steak. Or rather, I'll love anyone who feeds me a good, medium rare juicy cut of beef. : )

Ingredients:

2 rib eye (Delmonico) steaks
Olive oil
1 head garlic

Freshly ground black pepper
Salt

1 lemon
Parmesan cheese (either shaved, or shave your own using a vegetable peeler)
Arugula or spinach

Mince garlic and sprinkle 1/2 over steaks. Drizzle olive oil until steaks are well-covered. Grind pepper over steaks. Flip steaks and cover the other sides. Seal in Ziploc bag and let marinate for a minimum of 12 hours.

Turn grill to high for 10-15 minutes to warm up. Lightly salt both sides of steaks. Grill steak for 4 minutes, then flip and grill on other side for 4 minutes. This will cook the steaks to a juicy medium-rare. Let sit at least 5 minutes before cutting, as the steak will re-absorb its juices. If it is cut right away, all of the juiciness will flow onto the plate.

Cut lemon into 6 wedges. Place steaks on top of washed arugula. Shave Parmesan into curls on top of steak and greens. Squeeze lemons on top of everything. The sweetness of the steak is cut by the bitterness of the greens and the tart lemon.

Serve with a good, crusty bread like ciabatta. In Boston, a great ciabatta is sold in the South End at Las Ventas. It's less than 3 dollars and seriously the best I have found to date.

A nice, dry red wine such as an Argentine Malbec or Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon makes this meal heaven.

Lemon Panna Cotta with Berry Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup whole milk
1 cup whipping cream (this can be reduced to 1/2 cup, if so, increase whole milk to 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (I sometimes use 1 t vanilla extract if I don't have vanilla beans on hand)
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup sugar (sometimes I use a bit less if my topping is sweet)
1 cup crème fraîche*(A cheaper option is 1/2 sour cream & 1/2 plain yogurt)
2 tablespoons lemon zest
3 c frozen berries (about 12 ounces), thawed, drained, juices reserved
3 tablespoons sugar

Mix milk and cream in saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to simmer. Remove from heat. Cover; let steep (cover) 30 minutes. Remove vanilla bean.

Pour lemon juice into small bowl; sprinkle gelatin over. Let stand until gelatin softens, about 10 minutes. Stir sugar and gelatin mixture into milk mixture. Stir over low heat until sugar and gelatin dissolves. Remove immediately from heat. Whisk in crème fraîche mixture and lemon peel. Divide among ramekins. Cover; chill until set. It typically needs at least 5 hours to set.

Puree berries (reserving a few for garnish) and all reserved juices and sugar in blender. Strain mixture into medium bowl, pressing to get out all of the juices . Discard solids in strainer. Stir remaining berries into sauce. The sauce can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until serving time.

Run small knife around panna cotta. Place bottoms of ramekins in bowl of hot water briefly to loosen them. Place plate atop ramekin. Hold plate and ramekin together and flip gently to removed panna cotta. Serve with sauce.

Makes 6 large servings.