This penne with quick green chile marinara sauce is an old recipe, not only because I first posted it several years ago (in my pre-DSLR days) but also because it has been a family favorite for nearly as long as I can remember. In fact, when I asked my dad about the origins of the recipe (and of its obscure name, “penne al boccalone”), all he could tell me was that he found the recipe in a ...
pasta
Three-Cheese Turkey Lasagna
Things have been a little hectic around here lately, as I understand is par for the course when someone in your household is preparing to defend his or her PhD dissertation. The good news? Mr. Cake Pants passed his defense and is now officially Dr. Cake Pants! In the days leading up to (and after) the big day, I’ve been busy supporting him the best way I know how: by cooking and baking all his ...
Barbecue Chicken Mac and Cheese
In my experience, transitions between seasons can be a little awkward, especially when it comes to choosing what to wear or what to eat. There have been both scorching afternoons and chilly evenings lately, as well as both beautifully clear skies and dreary rain clouds. My first day back in front of a class earlier this month ...
Dairy-Free Tuna Noodle Casserole
After I moved away for college, my parents gradually started eating more vegetarian and vegan meals. I’m on board with vegetarian and vegan dishes up to a certain point (and you can find a number of them on my blog), but I generally draw the line at fake cheese. I still remember a phone conversation with my dad in which he told me that they had made Philly cheesesteaks for dinner…but that ...
Chipotle-Peach Chicken Pasta
Today, I’m bringing you the third installment in this summer’s impromptu chipotle-peach series: chipotle-peach chicken pasta! This recipe was inspired in part by the amazeballs chipotle-peach vinaigrette with which I have been o.b.s.e.s.s.e.d. since my first taste and in part by my frustration with the (lack of) pasta options in restaurants I’ve visited lately. ...
Jamaican Jerk Chicken Pasta
Ever since our trip to Puerto Rico in November, I haven’t been able to get Caribbean food off my mind. While I’d love to drop everything and jump on a plane (again), eating tropical food is the closest I can get to a(nother) tropical vacation at the moment.* Perhaps it’s because of the winter weather—while this winter has been relatively mild in Michigan, I certainly wouldn’t pass up the ...
Roasted Red Pepper and Hazelnut Pesto
Okay, enough is enough: I’ve been stalling on sharing this recipe with you, because I simply could not describe this roasted red pepper and hazelnut pesto in such a way as to do it justice. I mean, if I just told you, “It’s really good and you should try it,” would you be convinced? Probably not. (If, however, you are convinced by that alone, you are wonderful and I love you for trusting me so ...
One-Pot Pumpkin Ale Mac and Cheese
Once upon a time, I had oodles of time to cook well-planned, lovingly-prepared meals several nights a week. Or that’s how I remember it, at any rate. I’m no longer even sure when (or if) these culinary golden days took place. Maybe during my senior year of college? Maybe during the summer months of grad school when classes weren’t in session? The details are hazy. ...
Campanelle with Basil Walnut Pesto and Roasted Broccoli
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m feeling a bit rough around the edges after this holiday weekend. While we still technically have another week or two of summer, school is now back in session, the campus is flooded with undergraduates again, and I’m fairly certain I have never before started an academic year feeling this haggard and un-refreshed. It’s like that feeling when it’s ...
Creamy White Bean Pasta Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette
When I was a writing instructor, I used to caution my students against using sweeping or obvious generalizations to start their papers (“Since the beginning of time…” “Mankind has always…”), but that is exactly what I’m about to do: Sometimes, life gets unexpectedly hectic. ...