Pasta with Cilantro Pistachio Pesto

Pasta with Cilantro Pistachio Pesto

Looking for a delicious and easy vegetarian dinner?  Look no further than this amazing and hearty pasta.   A delicious pesto — made from cilantro and pistachio — pairs well with the roasted cauliflower and carrots tossed in with the pasta.  So much flavor!  The interesting 

Molto Mario Deliciousness: Farfalle Abruzzese with Veal, Porcini, and Spinach

Molto Mario Deliciousness: Farfalle Abruzzese with Veal, Porcini, and Spinach

I hope everyone had a very happy holiday!  We had a great one at Tim’s brother’s house.  Charlotte loved being with her cousins Kaylin and Sidney.  And, we all ate very well!  They share my love of the Barefoot Contessa and she featured heavily in 

Dinner Tonight: Done!  Broccoli & Three Cheese Lasagna

Dinner Tonight: Done! Broccoli & Three Cheese Lasagna

Last week I picked up Real Simple’s Dinner Tonight: Done! on a whim at the grocery store checkout.  I was hungry and the cover photo looked yummy!  When I got home, I couldn’t believe I had picked up yet another cookbook but this one has 

Carbonara with a Twist

Carbonara with a Twist

This pasta is a delicious twist on a traditional carbonara.  The lemon gives the dish a bit of zest and the leeks lend some great flavor.  And, of course there is great smokiness from the bacon. I used to think carbonara was a cream sauce.  

Healthy(ish) Mac N Cheese

Healthy(ish) Mac N Cheese

After this unexpectedly snowy and cold weekend, I was in the mood for some comfort food!  I contemplated making the Barefoot Contessa’s Macaroni & Cheese which is absolutely delicious.  But I didn’t want such a rich and heavy dish.  I searched for some lighter mac 

Sunday Sauce: Pasta with Sicilian Pork and Sausage Ragù

Sunday Sauce: Pasta with Sicilian Pork and Sausage Ragù

Perhaps I should join the Fine Cooking payroll? Many of my recent recipes have come from the magazine. The recipes tend to be relatively simple while still very flavorful.  Good food that is not overly complicated — my cooking mantra! This dish is not a 

Autumn Dinner: Pasta with Spicy Sausage & Kale

Autumn Dinner: Pasta with Spicy Sausage & Kale

Autumn days and autumn nights, Autumn feelings and autumn sights. Leaves of red, yellow and gold, Afternoons so bright and bold. These are two lines of a poem I wrote in the fifth grade.  I can’t remember the rest of the poem but I always 

Lemon Pasta with Roasted Shrimp

Lemon Pasta with Roasted Shrimp

Here is a quick and easy pasta dish from the Barefoot Contessa.  I just loved the lemon flavor with the roasted shrimp! I did make a few changes to the recipe though.  Instead of angel hair, I used Trader Joe’s Lemon Pepper Pappardelle which added 

Barefoot Contessa's New Cookbook, "How Easy is That?"

Barefoot Contessa's New Cookbook, "How Easy is That?"

I received the latest Barefoot Contessa cookbook, How Easy is That, for Christmas.  As usual, it is beautifully photographed and full of flavorful but simple recipes that rely on good quality, fresh ingredients.  I don’t think there was a single recipe in the book I 

Looking for Menu Ideas?  Real Simple's Four-Week Dinner Plan

Looking for Menu Ideas? Real Simple's Four-Week Dinner Plan

I used to grocery shop multiple times per week.  I would just pick up what I needed for dinner that night on my way home from work.  That’s not a realistic option now that Charlotte has come along and I am working full time.  Menu