I've been missing warmer weather and tomato season so much!! Decided to use up some leftover cherry tomatoes I had in the fridge to make this easyyyyy pasta sauce. I love the taste of anything tomato/basil - mashing the tomatoes into salty starchy pasta water and then adding some butter to it was suuuuch a good move!! It might be January, and currently snowing outside but this pasta dish feels like the hug I needed from warmer times!! 

As always, this recipe makes enough for 2 large entrees, or 3-4 smaller portions.

Inspired by shrimp and grits but we switched out the protein and the carbs!! I have a shrimp allergy so I cook with scallops in their place all the time!

The creamy and subtle smoky flavor of the gouda mixed with cajun seasoning is a dream come true!! The perfect compliments to each other and so good with seafood!! This dish would also be really good with chicken or andouille sausage too.

I used to eat pasta out of a little package (I think the brand was called Knorr?) when I was younger and I was innnn loooove. It's such a simple pasta dish! Good on it's own but also super easy to add in protein or veg of choice, or pair it as a side with whatever entree you're cooking up.

The wine and the red pepper flakes are def optional depending on your alcohol and heat preferences. If you don't use wine you may need an extra splash of pasta water at the end to make up for the missing liquid - but it's not a ton so you'll have to play it by ear as you go! Sometimes when I make this, I add in lemon too - so good.

So I went to Chicago a few months ago in the fall and had some of the best dang short rib ragu EVER - Quartino's if you're wondering! ;) Whenever I travel I always like to come home and recreate dishes I loved while away - so the inspo for this one is coming from that!

This recipe is quite literally the opposite of all my simple recipes - it's def easy but not as quick as finishing a sauce in the time that your pasta is done boiling! It's a labor of love for sure and worth every second. 

The recipe video that I posted to instagram is a doubled version. The finished sauce freezes really well and since it's so much work, I love to freeze half of it to have on demand for another time without having to simmer for 4 hours!

Recipe as is (4 short ribs) makes enough for 6 servings. The recipe doubled (8 short ribs) makes enough for 12 servings.

HERE ARE MY TIPS:
​

• Be sure to pat your short ribs completely dry before coating in salt and pepper and searing in the oil. Dry short ribs sear the best and it helps to build that deep flavor!
• I suggest throwing your onion, celery and carrot into a food processor so that the texture of those aromatics aren't too bulky in the sauce - it's worth it.
• The recipe says to simmer for 3.5-4 hours so plan ahead and do the prep work early in the day if you want this for dinner on the same day! The short ribs should be falling apart and off the bone when they are ready.
• Scoop some of the excess oil off the top of the pot once it's done simmering.
• If you notice the sauce isn't as thick as you would like, you can let it simmer on medium heat for 10-15 minutes with the lid off. Some of the liquid will evaporate and things will thicken up!

I first made this recipe in 2018 - butttttt it's only lived on my IG highlights until today!! So excited to type it all up and get the recipe into a more formal, shareable space for you guys! It's a fun one!

I LOVE sausage gravy and I think it pairs so well with pasta and yolky egg. If you don't like spicy, you can obviously leave out the red pepper flakes. I don't want to hear any nonsense about how many calories must be in this dish - it's totally a cozy, treat yourself kind of meal!!

Okay so I buy these Kid Fresh frozen meatballs from the grocery store (they're pretty expensive but I love that they have hidden veggies in them!) and my whole family LOVES them. Win win. I thought about making meatballs with hidden veggies at home but wasn't motivated enough to try until I got the idea to try and use the veggies that are mixed with meat to make a classic bolognese sauce!!

The meatballs actually cook in plain tomato sauce and the flavor comes out and seasons the whole dish. It tastes like bolognese but it's just fun to have meatballs instead of chunky ground meat!! 

What you need:
For the meatballs

• 1/2 lb ground beef (I used 80% lean)
• 1/2 lb ground pork sausage
• 1/2 cup finely grated onion
• 3 finely grated garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup finely grated carrot
• 1/2 cup finely grated celery
• 3/4 cup breadcrumbs (I toasted bread and threw it in the food processor)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• Optional: Italian herb blend or herbs of choice

For the rest

• 1 16 oz jar marinara or plain tomato sauce
• 1/2 lb (1/2 standard box) pasta of choice (I used mezze rigatoni)
• Parmesan or pecorino romano cheese for topping

I loveeee when I have things in my fridge that end up being pieces to an amazing recipe puzzle.

​I was so hungry and had no idea what to make and kept finding myself staring at this rotisserie chicken that was about to expire + these leftover veggies from making bolognese. I was thinking soup but I also wanted something rich too and the way that I made the creamy base is ABSOLUTE FIRE. I was tempted to add in some sage to give it a little fall vibe, but I kept it simple. The lemon is def optional too, but I like the unique flavor it brings to the classic chicken noodle soup vibes.

This recipe is such a good one!! Most creamy pasta recipes that I make source the cream factor from heavy whipping cream but this one swaps that out for baked feta cheese!! It's such a good sub. I love using Athenos brand for feta cheese, it gets super creamy when you bake it which is PERFECT for pasta dishes!! 

This recipe is totes inspired by my bestie @grilledcheesesocial, linking her original recipe here! We made a similar version together a couple years ago and she is the viral queen for all things baked feta pasta!

Recipe makes enough for 3-4 serving sizes or 5-6 smaller side portions! (Most of my recipes call for 1/2 lb of pasta or 2 servings. If you want to make that amount, just use 1/2 lb of pasta and use a bit less of the pasta sauce. And actually, if you reserve some of it before you thin it out with pasta water, it makes a REALLY good dip!!)

This is a BIG batch of soup - like double the amount of my standard recipes. I would say it serves 8-10 people. I made it for a lot of friends and wanted extra on hand for my family throughout the week! If you want to cut it in half, to make a smaller batch for like 3-4 people, feel free!

I originally set out to create a butternut squash lasagna soup but I didn't really love it with lasagna noodles! That's why there's ricotta cheese involved here. I swapped out the lasagna noodles for tortellini and loved it way more!! I also added a ton of spinach leaves after I was done filming and that was a great addition too.

ONE MORE THING. The texture of the soup is very customizable and will vary depending on the size of the squash. I ate it as is, which was more on the thick side as far as soups go. I ended up adding broth to the rest of it that I shared with family members, it was more soupy and less saucy that way, if that makes sense. Since I was storing it in the fridge, I didn't want the tortellini to soak up all of the soup and thought more broth was a good idea! So definitely pay attention to the thickness and texture as you're going and adjust it (with more or less broth) to whatever you prefer!! 

I was looking at photos of this recipe that I made and photographed back in our first house in 2017 and realized that the recipe has never actually lived online!! It's always been written out in the Instagram post's caption! Sharing here to give it a more permanent and sharable home.

When I first made this recipe I was going for alfredo vibes. Since 2017 - I've learned that traditional alfredo components don't involve heavy cream lol, that's American alfredo! So call it what you want, but there are definitely alfredo vibes. The key to making the sauce super luscious is watering it down with pasta water and adding a pat of butter while mixing the pasta into it.

IMPORTANT:
Almost all of my recipes make enough for 2 large portions or 4 smaller side dishes of pasta, but since we're roasting an entire butternut squash here, this is a larger scale recipe. It makes enough sauce for 6-8 pasta dishes. (6 regular serving sizes and 8 on the smaller side.) So what I usually do, is I cut the squash/garlic/cream puree in half after it comes out of the blender. Before watering it down with salty pasta water and adding butter, it's essentially butternut squash soup, so I eat it that way as soup or save it to pour over another batch of pasta in a few days!

It's soup season!! I'm kicking off a recipe series where I turn my favorite pasta dishes into soups and this is the first one so there will be more where this came from!! This recipe makes enough for 4-5 people and is super good as leftovers for the next few days too!

This recipe is inspired by my creamy tortellini recipe - very similar situation, but with more broth! You could definitely add in some greens like kale or spinach - or some protein like chickpeas or Italian ground sausage or beef!!

I'm freaking out. This one is a fall twist on my viral 'French Onion Soup' rigatoni recipe from a few years back. 

I started the pasta dish off by caramelizing two onions in my FAVORITE butter, Truly Grass Fed and then I went on to add pumpkin, cream, gruyere, and nutmeg before topping the whole thing off with crispy prosciutto and burrata! The caramelized onions compliment the pumpkin and gruyere flavors soooo well,  I can't even. You have to try it!! 

The recipe makes enough for 2 large entrees, 3 medium entrees, or 4-5 smaller side dishes.

I love making salads with pasta in them!! Especially tortellini since it's filled with cheese, lol. The best part is that you can either go pasta heavy or salad heavy depending on your mood and the occasion!!

This is one of my all time favorite pasta dishes. I was NEVER impressed with it when I ordered it from restaurants and then at some point I read about it online and decided to try and make it at home - so much better that way because I put all of the love and effort into all of my pasta dishes that I make in my kitchen!!

Aglio e olio is a simple and classic Italian dish. There are a ton of spin off versions of it but the essentials will always be the garlic (aglio) and the oil (olio.)

This is a recipe that's super dependent on the technique since the ingredients are so simple, so pay attention to these two notes lol:

You have to gently cook the garlic (and optional red pepper flakes) in good quality EVOO, that way the oil is infused with a deeeep garlic flavor.
​
You have to salt your pasta water. Adding starchy salty pasta water to the skillet with the garlic and oil is CRUCIAL because it helps emulsify the sauce to create a silky, less oily texture.

There are SO many different variations of chili oil noodles. I personally love the flavor of the spicy oil mixed in with garlic and butter and a touch of soy sauce, but I make different versions all the time depending on what I have at home or what I'm in the mood for.

Sometimes I add Chinese black vinegar or rice vinegar to cut the fat from the butter and it's the best umami flavor bomb ever. Parmesan cheese is also amazing as a topping..same with crispy garlic or a fried egg!! One more thing. Cooking the noodles in chicken broth or adding a splash of broth into the mixture is also a major upgrade for adding even more flavor.

French onion dip x pasta salad. YEAAAAAH BABY.

I was a little worried about it being to thick and creamy so I decided to thin out the dressing with white wine vinegar and a secret ingredient, soy sauce. The thin texture of these liquids helped a ton!! If you want your sauce to be even more thin, you could add in some cooled off pasta water 1 tbsp at a time until it reaches desired texture.

This is a good one!!! Think caprese salad vibes, but warm and with pasta!! I know no one likes to read past the first line of a recipe intro (I get it, because, same) but I have some vital info for this recipe so pay attention and I'll keep it short and sweet!!

The burrata pieces that go into the pasta will stiffen up if it's too hot. So be sure to remove the pan from heat before you mix them in. You're going to want to add them to WARM pasta and sauce, not scalding hot pasta and sauce that is still cooking. Some might like the taste of a firmed up mozz, but I don't so just wanted to share this tip!!

When I was in high school I was OBSESSED with the roasted garlic chicken pasta from The Cheesecake Factory lol. NGL, that's where I got the inspo for this bad boy. I think the restaurant version has mushrooms and peas in it but I left this one plain jane so that it's easy to customize!

There will be leftover butter, the recipe is intended to make a batch of it. Use desired amount (or the amount I suggest for this quantity of pasta!) and then save the rest. Store it in the fridge for up to a week or store it in the freezer for even longer if you want flavored butter bombs at any time for future pasta dishes, grilled cheeses or amazinggggg toast!

Since you have to make garlic confit for this recipe, I wanted to share a little more about that! My roasted garlic butter uses the garlic, but not the oil. You can store both together or separately (in air-tight containers) in the fridge for a couple of weeks according to google, lol. There are plenty of ways to use the leftover oil, I use it just regular olive oil for things like eggs, to crisp bread or as an oil garnish to top off a soup or pasta dish.

This one is a giant summertime hug in a bowl!! I love eating squash all year round but especially in the summer when they taste super fresh!!

To make the breadcrumbs at home: rip up a few slices of your favorite bread (I did a demi baguette of ciabatta) and place them in a food processor. Blend until crumb size. Mix with 2 tbsp olive oil, 1/4 tsp garlic powder and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook the bread crumbs in a skillet on medium heat until toasted and crispy - about 10 minutes. Be sure to stir them every few minutes so that they cook evenly and don't burn.

After spending a ton of time traveling in the southern states, I became a HUGE fan of fried green tomatoes. I've had everything from fried green tomato BLT salads to fried green tomato eggs benedict. I've been on such a pasta salad kick lately and really wanted to come up with a way to make the flavors work with pasta and boooom. (I also love a good caprese salad so I added in some elements of that as well - basil, fresh mozz, balsamic!)

The tomatoes aren't actually fried (so much less work - and healthier!) but the addition of homemade crispy breadcrumbs mixed into every bite makes it feel like they are fried and creates that crispy texture! You can buy breadcrumbs, but I highly suggest making your own! Throw a few slices of your fave bread into a processor and toast them in olive oil on the stovetop until golden brown and crispy! Worth every second. 

Hi, okay so this recipe is insane. Before all you food purists come at me - this dish is a combination of my 10 Min Mac & Cheese recipe AND it has elements of cacio e pepe in it to make the ultimate cheesy pasta hybrid !! If you don't like it, don't make it lol.

I used pecorino romano cheese, toasted freshly-cracked black peppercorns, shredded mozzarella (instead of cheddar to keep the sauce white) and then heavy cream. Lots of people make mac and cheese different ways (with a roux, without a roux) but I personally think heavy cream is the ultimate creamy cheesy pasta sauce hero ingredient so that's the style I prefer.

My first cold noodle salad!! I've been seeing these for years and always thought they looked so good despite the fact that most recipes for this dish contain nuts and sesame ingredients!! I also do NOT like soba noodles for some reason and it seems like a lot of cold noodles dishes are made with them.

This version is very allergy friendly to those who can't have nuts or sesame! And also gluten!! I used brown rice ramen. PLZ take note that brown rice noodles don't refrigerate well so I usually get them super cool with an ice cold water rinse and then I eat the noodle salad immediately after assembly.

I LOVE noodles, it's truly no secret. These particular noodles that I used in this recipe are called knife cut noodles and I buy them from my local Chinese grocery store!! You can use any kind of noodle, but I love the wavy edges and the chewy texture of knife cut noodles the best!

This dish is inspired by Chinese scallion noodles - I've seen the dish made a ton of different ways on the internet and even at local restaurants (LJ Shanghai has the BEST scallion noodles if you are a Clevelander) but this is how I like to make them at home. I also have allergies to sesame and peanut so you won't find any of that in any of my home cooking!!  

OKAY, so there are two ways I love to use this butter. It elevates every single dish you use it in...the roasted garlic and the chiles take everything to the next level!!

ON BREAD (pictured below)
The best freaking cheesy garlic bread you will ever eat. I promise. My favorite way to make cheesy garlic bread is to use this butter on ciabatta. I usually coat the ciabatta with a generous amount of butter and top with thick shredded mozzarella cheese before toasting in the oven. You can either stick them under the broiler setting until the mozz gets nice and melty or toast them at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes until golden.

ON PASTA
I love using this in my drunken buttered noodle recipe. Think white wine, parmesan, chiles, butter, roasted garlic!! Ah it's so good. Tap here to view my drunken buttered noodle recipe. It pairs so well with everything, especially seafood or roasted cherry tomatoes.

I love the flavors of Mexican elote so I used some components of it (mayo, lime, chili powder, cotija) to make a pasta salad!! I love using inspiration from different dishes that I love to eat and figuring out a way to combine those flavors with pasta. :)

The recipe makes enough for 6 side dish servings, if you're planning on making for a large gathering you could definitely double it. It does refrigerate well, so you can def make it a day ahead of time. I suggest bringing it back to life with an additional 1/4 cup of mayo + a squirt of fresh lime juice before serving after chilling for a longer period of time.