RECIPE: PARMESAN CHEESE SKILLET SPAGHETTI CAKE

If you're like me, you always make too much pasta and have a ton left over. Here's a way to use it! My Parmesan Cheese Skillet Spaghetti Cake uses pantry or fridge items you simply bake in a cast iron skillet. It's pretty fantastic. In fact, you can throw just about anything you want in there... leftover roasted veggies, a bit of sausage or even leftover short ribs. This easy recipe is great for an impromptu party or for  dinner, as a side dish or anytime you have leftover pasta. Add some marinara on the side. You’ll love it!

PARMESAN CHEESE SKILLET SPAGHETTI CAKE

Prep Time: 10 minutes    Cook time: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1/2 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, smashed

12 ounces angel hair pasta, cooked and drained

2 eggs

1 ½ cups Parmesan cheese, grated, plus 1/4 cup more for serving

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS: 

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain. Toss with ½ teaspoon olive oil. Set aside.

Put the eggs in a large bowl and whisk them well. Whisk in the salt, pepper and the garlic. Add the pasta and the cheese. Toss to coat evenly.

Put 1 tablespoon olive oil in a cast iron or oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. When it gets hot, add the smashed garlic clove and let it cook 1-2 minutes but don’t let it burn. Remove from heat. Use the back of a knife to turn the garlic clove into a paste. Mix it into the pasta.

Turn the heat down to medium. Carefully spin the hot skillet to distribute the olive oil. Pour the pasta mixture into the hot pan. Let it cook 3-4 minutes or until well-browned. Use a large spatula or two small ones to flip the cake and brown the other side; about 4 minutes more. The cake is done when the eggs are set and the cheese is melted.

If you prefer not to flip the cake, no problem. You can finish it in the oven. Before you start, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Once you've cooked the cake on the stove to brown the bottom, move the pan into the oven and cook for 10 minutes more or until the top is golden brown and the eggs are completely set. (Make sure to use an oven safe pan like a cast iron skillet)

To serve, run a knife around the edges to loosen the cake and turn it out on a heat-proof platter or wooden cutting board. Sprinkle with more freshly grated Parmesan and some finely chopped Italian parsley.

SUNDAY POT ROAST WITH ONIONS, CARROTS, AND POTATOES

My mom made a pot roast every other Sunday. On the alternate Sundays we had fried chicken, or a rump roast. I don’t know how she did it- getting four kids ready for church and then minutes after we arrived home, she’d whip up some cornbread and take the pot roast out of the oven. She did not even have to call us in from the yard. We were already at the table. I helped my mom make this dish a hundred times. I wish I’d written down exactly how she did it. She cooked it in her big cast iron Dutch oven- what I always called the “chicken pot” because she used it to fry chicken. Even though I still have that same Dutch oven, it has taken me ten years of trying different options to get the flavor just right. I finally discovered I was leaving out the bay leaf… that was the missing ingredient. Make this recipe for your family. You can be assured that 40 years later, your kids will still remember the taste and the times gathered around the table when you served it.

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SUNDAY POT ROAST WITH ONIONS, CARROTS AND POTATOES

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1-(3 pound) chuck roast, trimmed (boneless or bone-in, if you prefer)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 small yellow onions, quartered

3 cups beef broth

1 tablespoon Worcestershire

2 bay leaves

3 thyme sprigs

6 carrots, peeled and halved

6 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered into wedges

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350° F. 

Remove the roast from the fridge. While it is still cold, trim any excess fat from the sides of the cut. In a small bowl, combine the salt and pepper. Season each side of the roast liberally with it. Allow it to sit out for 15 minutes on the counter.

Next, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of flour over each side of the roast, patting it into the top, bottom, and sides.

In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. When the oil and pan are hot, add the roast and sear it well on all sides; approximately 3 minutes for the top and bottom and a minute or so for the sides.

Remove the roast to a plate. Set aside. Add the beef broth a little at a time, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the Worcestershire. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes, whisking occasionally. Remove from heat. Add the onion, bay leaves, and thyme to the pan. Add the roast on top. Cover with the lid and put into the oven at 350° F for 1 ½ hours.

Add the carrots and potatoes. Cook for another hour or until the vegetables are tender (not mushy) and the roast pulls apart easily.

Remove the roast to a plate and shred it. Serve with potatoes, carrots, onion, and a bit of the cooking liquid as gravy.

Note: If you want a thicker gravy, you can make a slurry with flour. Remove the roast and the vegetables to a platter or bowl. Discard the thyme and bay leaves. Add 3 tablespoons of the hot liquid to 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour and whisk until smooth. Turn up the heat under the pan to medium high. Whisk the flour mixture into the cooking liquid and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 2-3 minutes more so you cook out the raw flour taste. If the gravy is too thick, you can add more beef broth as desired. Before serving, check the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper to taste.

RECIPES: PORK TENDERLOIN WITH FENNEL AND PEPPER CRUST

My mom rarely used recipes so imagine my delight when I found this one tucked into a drawer more than 10 years after she passed away- and in her handwriting, too! I’m not sure where she got it but it turns out absolutely perfect every time I make it. Plus it is so fast and so easy. Use this recipe when guests are coming over, for a holiday meal, or even for a fast weeknight supper. It is so good but nobody will ever guess how simple it is to make.

An easy, peasy crowd pleaser. Try my Pork Tenderloin with Fennel and Black Pepper Crust. You'll love it!

Skill Level: Easy

Prep Time: 10 minutes    Cook time: 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 teaspoons fennel seeds, toasted

½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns

¾ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon white wine (substitute water if you like)

1 pound pork tenderloin

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F.

Using a cutting board and a sharp knife, carefully remove any silver skin on the exterior of the tenderloin. Set aside.

Lightly toast the fennel seeds in a dry pan over low heat. When cool, combine the fennel and black peppercorns and use a spice grinder to pulse until it becomes a medium to coarse mix. (Or simply put them into a ziptop bag and use a heavy skillet or rolling pin to crush the fennel seeds and the peppercorns.) Combine with the salt. Spread the spice mixture out on a clean work surface or pan.

Whisk the wine into the mustard and brush the mustard over the tenderloin. Roll the tenderloin in the spice mix making sure to press so that all of the spices stick. Put 1 ½ teaspoons of the olive oil on your pan and put the tenderloin on top of it. Drizzle the remaining 1 ½ teaspoons olive oil over the top of the tenderloin. Roast until done, about 35 minutes or until pork reaches 155°F on a meat thermometer. Remove from the oven and tent with foil for 10 minutes. The pork will continue to cook to 160°F. Slice and serve.