Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad

This has been on my blog list for months... Months I tell you!  "What is your blog list", you ask?   It's my collection of recipes to share here, the tried and true favorites that I make again and again.  I don't always make them right away because sometimes they just aren't seasonally appropriate, although who doesn't want a good pasta salad year-round as a lunch side.  I know I do, but really I do think of this as the perfect picnic dish so summer seems like the perfect time for it.

Apparently that's all I've been cooking this summer because the last three posts that I have done have been picnic sides with one type of grain or another and all are photographed in the large bowl that I transported them in.  Did you notice not one photo was on a plate?  Probably because that plate was plastic and the salads were served after a few glasses of wine and I clearly couldn't be bothered with taking photos that were blog-worthy.  This one was eaten while listening to Counting Crows at a concert venue.  (Like I said, it's been a busy summer and by busy I mean full of fun activities.)  The others were for BBQ's at friend's houses or some other occasion that required me to bring a Tupperware type container that I never seem to have enough of.  But this one, this one, is right near my absolute favorite.

It kind of came about from two different places and then merged into one.  The first place was from a friend and co-worker when I lived in San Francisco who was also quite the foodie.  We were always swapping recipes and talking about who was our favorite on Food Network and what our mom's were cooking.  I think we actually did a lot more talking about cooking than actual cooking.  Nonetheless, most foodies come from foodies and her mom was one as well.  When her mom was in town one time she made a delicious pasta salad and Emily brought it in to work with an extra serving for me for lunch.  Maybe it is my Midwestern-ness but I think I was shocked/fell in love with the fact that it was not mayo-based.  Not that I don't also have a love affair for mayo, but I find that I generally steer towards the oil based ones.   Regardless of the reason, I loved it and made it several times thereafter.  Until I came across Barefoot's version and loved it, but thought that it had some missing ingredients.  And so the marriage was made, my friend Emily's mom's version and Barefoot's version all rolled into one.  It does make kind of for a long ingredient list, but in my opinion it is best with all of it.  But make it your own, I certainly did.

I made this for a camping trip a couple of summers ago (You can tell how much of a "camper" I am by the fact that I made a fresh mozzarella, sun-dried tomato pasta salad for a camping trip... enough said.) and everyone loved it.  Granted it could have been because the other side dish was a can of beans and the main course was hot dogs but I'm pretty sure even the second time everyone had it they liked it too.  Labor Day weekend is upon us, aren't you looking for something to bring to that BBQ?  You just found it...

Trish's Tips:  This is the ultimate make-it-your-own type recipe.  I added in the artichoke hearts and pine nuts based on Emily's mom's recipe.  My friend Steph's husband doesn't like olives so she leaves that out.  If I don't have pine nuts I'll omit them altogether.  It is a bit indulgent with both the mozzarella and parmesan, but I'm telling you, it's worth it, although you could only do 1/2 lb of mozzarella and it would be delicious as well.  The 'shortcut' version of this is a dressing made like Emily's mom; make a dressing from the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes and the marinade from the artichoke hearts.  I've done this when I am not in a fully stocked kitchen or traveling and I don't have access to all of the ingredients and it is also yummy although if you have the ingredients I suggest making the dressing like this recipe states.  I will tell you, this dressing I could eat with a spoon, it is that good.  (This blog is called Feeling Saucy for a reason!)

Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa (& my friend Emily's mom)
Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:
1/2 lb pasta (I prefer bow ties, Barefoot says Fusilli which are the spirals)
Kosher salt
1 cup halved or quartered cherry or grape tomatoes
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and diced
1 lb fresh mozzarella, medium diced (the kind that comes floating in water)
1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
1/3 cup julienned sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

For the dressing:
5 sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained (or 1/4 cup julienned/chopped depending on how you buy it)
2 TBL red wine vinegar
4-6 TBL olive oil (start with 4 TBL and depending on how much sun dried tomato oil makes it in, you can increase to 6)
1 garlic clove
1 tsp capers, drained
2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 cup basil leaves, julienned

Directions:
Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water according to package directions.  Drain well and let cool while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

For the dressing, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, 4 TBL of olive oil, garlic, capers, salt and pepper in a food processor and pulse until almost smooth.  Taste, if it tastes to vinegar-y then add remaining olive oil 1 TBL at a time.

Add the tomatoes, olives, mozzarella, artichoke hearts, pine nuts and chopped sundried tomatoes to the pasta.  Add the dressing, basil and parmesan cheese and mix being careful not to crush the fresh tomatoes.

Will keep refrigerated, but if not planning on serving right away it is best to top with basil right before serving although it will keep if you don't wait.

Macaroni & Cheese

If I had to pick a last meal this just might be it.  Either this or the #14 at Urban Belly.  (Completely, utterly, totally different than this, but it is outstanding.  If you live in Chicago you have to go there.)  I think if I was the type of person who could eat whatever I wanted I would indulge in Macaroni & Cheese every other day or so.  Like just a normal lunch on a Tuesday.  And I am certainly not the dieting type, but this is quite indulgent with the pound and a half of cheese and almost 6 cups of milk, but look at it this way, you are getting your calcium intake for the day, or at least a large portion of it, right?  

I remember as a kid requesting macaroni & cheese as lunch coming home from kindergarten.  Funny how even at such a young age I took such pleasure in eating.  It was the blue box that I'm sure you enjoyed as well.  Which even after my love for this much more gourmet macaroni & cheese, I do still have fond memories of the blue box.  Granted you have to look past the fact that the cheese comes in powder form, but it is undeniably good.  I was in a phase for a while when Johnny and I would make it as a side dish for dinner (because that's way more grown-up, right?) and was certain that he made it better than even the blue box inventors could even imagine it to be.  I had it once last year and realized that it was better in my memory than in reality, although I certainly won't pretend that I won't have it again at some point, for memory sake, you know?

Carbs and cheese in any form, what's not to love?  I love pretty much all of it.  Plain pasta with just some olive oil and parmesan, a good, crunchy baguette with some aged gouda.  I could go on and on, but at the risk of having carbs and cheese for dinner tonight I'm going to have to stop there.  So, being a carbs and cheese lover and my absolute love and obsession for mac 'n cheese I think that I would describe myself as a macaroni & cheese connoisseur.  I've tried it at several restaurants and most don't even come close to this recipe.  I'm more of a fan of the creamy types than the stringy cheesy ones.  (And no, I'm not talking about Velveeta.)  I want the cheese flavor without the goopy stringiness of the cheese.  And I want a traditional macaroni & cheese.  One with cheddar as the main ingredient, no Velveeta and no blue cheese or bacon or peas (and I am not even going to bring up the subject of hot dogs).  Just mac 'n cheese.  It's not called mac 'n meat n cheese.  Or mac 'n cheese & veggies.  It's called MAC 'n CHEESE. Which is also precisely the reason why it should be made with MACARONI!  Not penne, not shells, macaroni!  I don't know how some people got so off track?  Well, I will tell you who didn't, Martha Stewart, whom this recipe comes from.  

I'm kind of embarrassed to say that this is the only macaroni & cheese that I have ever made.  I've seen several others but always have that hesitancy of knowing that it just won't be as good as this one and why would I waste my time, good ingredients and calories on one that isn't the absolute best!  And I'm certainly not the only one who thinks so.  I made it for many fellow Midwesterners (we definitely know good macaroni & cheese as it is on nearly every menu here in Chicago) and many have claimed it the best.  Also, my sisters who are big carbs and cheese fans, perhaps even more than me, claim it as the best too.  And if you don't agree with me, agree with Martha, this is her most requested recipe!

You can try the adult approach and serve this as a side dish.  As I googled recipes for side dishes to go with this, many came up with the statement that macaroni & cheese itself is a side dish, not a main dish.  I vehemently disagree.  Why can fettuccine alfredo be a main dish and this can't be?  If this was my side dish then the main dish would be ignored, so I figure if you are going to do it, then do it.  I would certainly recommend keeping your sides on the lighter and healthier side to balance out the richness of the dish.  I made some roasted tomatoes, which were delicious on their own, and as I have seen many recipes for macaroni & cheese with tomatoes on top of the macaroni, I thought that they would go well with this and they did.  I also served crudites with white bean dip as an appetizer and just a simple green salad to start the meal with.  But regardless what you make it with; you know what everyone really cares about.  The macaroni & cheese will be the star of the show so serve it with whatever, just save the hot dogs for the summer.  

Trish's Tips: The macaroni must be cooked very underdone.  The time will vary based on what brand you buy but anywhere from 2-5 minutes.  Try it before draining the water.  It shouldn't be crunchy, but should be much more underdone than al dente or anything you would consider eating.  It will cook in the oven and if it is perfectly cooked coming out of the water it will be mushy by the time it comes out of the oven.  You could make this in advance and refrigerate it, but it would be slightly less creamy.  The original recipe calls for whole milk, but I have always used skim and it has been fine.  Fresh bread crumbs will also give you the perfect crunchy topping and store bought just won't do.  I bought a mini baguette and ground up in the food processor, but if you already buy sliced white bread that will work too.  The leftovers are certainly delicious but do lose the creamy consistency.  

Macaroni & Cheese

Adapted from Martha Stewart Living

Serves 12 as a side dish or 6-8 as a main course

Ingredients:

6 TBL unsalted butter, plus more for buttering dish

6 slices white bread or one mini-baguette cut into cubes and ground in food-processor.  Makes about 1 1/2 cups

5 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp salt, plus more for water

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

4 1/2 Cups (18 oz) grated sharp white cheddar 

2 Cups (8 oz) grated gruyere cheese

1 lb elbow macaroni

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.  Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside.  Melt 1 TBL butter and pour over breadcrumbs in a medium sized bowl.  Toss to coat and set aside.  

Cover a large pot of water and bring to a boil.  Add plenty of salt and when dissolved, add macaroni.  Cook 2 to 4 minutes or until no longer crunchy, but not yet al dente.  Drain and rinse under cold water.  Set aside.  

Mix cheeses together and then remove 2 cups for topping.  Separate into two bowls, cheeses for sauce and cheeses for topping.  

Warm milk in a saucepan over medium heat.  Melt remaining butter (5 TBL) in the same pot you used to cook the macaroni.  When butter bubbles, add flour and cook, while stirring with a whisk for 1 minute.  

While whisking, add warm milk a little at a time to keep mixture smooth.  Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until mixture bubbles and thickens.  It should coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 8 to 12 minutes.  

Remove pan from heat.  Stir in salt, nutmeg, peppers, and cheese for sauce (not including cheese reserved for topping).  Stir until cheese is fully melted and it is one creamy mixture putting the pan over low heat if you are unable to melt it without heat.  

Pour mixture into prepared dish.  Sprinkle remaining cheese for topping and bread crumbs over top.  Bake until golden, about 30 minutes.  Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.   

The pressure...

The pressure... of my first blog post.  The recipe that will be my first recipe long after my cookbook has been published and it's me, Meredith Viera and Matt Lauer (so handsome, right?) on the Today Show and they ask, "What was your first blog post?".  Or maybe they ask me to recreate it.  How could I not be stressed out?  Okay so maybe, as always, I let my mind run away with me just a teensy bit, but I wanted it to encapsulate everything that I love about a sauce.  A go to recipe that isn't overly complicated and has multi uses.  Well I found it.  And I think I picked a pretty good one.

For one, it is one of Giada De Laurentiis' recipes.  She is one of my all time favorite chefs.  She always uses relatively simple ingredients and easy preparation, and her recipes are always delicious and never ordinary.  Also this recipe has a kick to it from the jalapeno.  I absolutely love the jalapeno in it, mainly because I love any and all things spicy,  but for those with a sensitivity to spicy foods, don't worry you can make it without the jalapeno, or of course with less.  The last reason why this recipe is perfect as my first post is it is over pasta.  Who doesn't like pasta?  No one!  And it is an excuse to eat spinach, which is a super food.  So, really it is healthy.  When the weather turns like it has in Chicago in the last couple of weeks, there is nothing that sounds better to me.  Try it and let me know what you think.

Trish's tips:  Use whatever pasta you like.  I used penne.  I often will use whole wheat pasta for an added nutritional kick, but here I indulged and just made it with the white stuff.  This sauce would also be great on a sandwich with some leftover shredded chicken and mozzarella on a baguette.  I've also dipped pita chips or veggies in it.  Leftovers would make a great appetizer spread on crostini and topped with a slice of fresh mozzarella.  For less heat, cut out the seeds.  Be careful to wash hands thoroughly after cutting the jalapeno, don't make me tell you about my 'jalapeno eye' incident.  Let's just say I was almost sent home from work after being accused of having pink eye... it wasn't, it was jalapeno eye!!!


Fusilli with Spicy Pesto
Giada De Laurentiis

1 cup chopped walnuts
2 cloves garlic
1-2 jalapeno peppers
2 cups grated Asiago cheese (plus extra for garnish)
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 oz baby spinach
3 oz arugula
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb pasta

In a food processor, combine the walnuts, garlic, jalapeno, cheese, salt and pepper.  Process until the mixture is smooth.  Add the spinach and arugula and process until blended.  With the machine running, gradually add the olive oil.

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Reserve 1 cup of pasta water.  Place the cooked pasta and pesto in a large serving bowl.  Toss well and thin out the sauce with pasta water as needed.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Garnish with asiago and serve.