Pignoli-Free Pesto

I do roughly three parts basil, one part parsley, one part grated pecorino. Pepper and olive oil to taste (I usually start with 2 tbsp olive oil and go from there). The basil and pesto above yielded two small processor's worth of pesto, more than enough for four adult plates of pasta.

The Husband's Homemade Pizzas - Arugula Pizza + Marinara Pizza

Getting Ready

- Place the pizza stone in the oven before turning it on, as you'll want to heat up the stone along with the oven.  I've seen pizza recipes that call for temperatures of anywhere from 400-550 degrees.  We always set it on 450. It's enough to get the job done without fearing that my oven will explode.

- Let the dough sit out in its bag/wrapper for quite a while.  Room temperature dough is crucial in order to get thinner pizzas.  The colder the dough, the less elastic and less thin the pizza will get.  I let mine sit for over 30 minutes.  

ARUGULA PIZZA 

Ingredients

pizza dough, brought to room temperature

- goat cheese, crumbled

- 1/4 red onion, sliced thin

- pesto

- arugula, roughly chopped

- pecorino romano (or parmigiano)

- truffle oil (optional)

What You'll Do:

1. lay your pizza peel out and sprinkle corn meal on the board.

2. lightly flour your surface (counter or cutting board) and your hands.

3. stretch the dough to desired size (I never use a rolling pin.  I simply hold the dough with both my hands side by side, and let the dough hang for a moment.  Then I slowly rotate the dough, always keeping my hands at the top and allowing gravity to do the work for me, almost as though you're turning a car wheel with your hands at the top of the wheel.  If you get a lot of resistance, the dough is too cold.  Once the dough is almost to the size I'd like it, I then turn the pizza horizontal and use my fists to gently stretch the dough from underneath.)

4. transfer the dough to the pizza peel. 

5. spread pesto across the dough, leaving a 1/4" margin at the perimeter.

6. place the red onion evenly on the dough.

7. repeat with the goat cheese.

8. bake for 10 - 15 minutes until the bottom of the pizza is crisp and the top is golden brown. 

9. once removed, immediately place arugula on top of the pizza (we do heaping handfuls, not only because we love arugula, but also because it wilts a little from the heat of the pizza dough).

10. shave pecorino/parmigiano over entire pizza, including the crust.

11. sprinkle truffle oil on top (sparingly) and enjoy!

MARINARA PIZZA 

- pizza dough, brought to room temperature (our favorite is still Trader Joe's)

- a little flour for your hands and your counter

- marinara sauce (homemade or store-bought)

- dried oregano

- fresh basil

- shredded mozzarella

- pecorino romano (or parmigiano) 

What You'll Do:

1. lay your pizza peel out and sprinkle corn meal on the board.

2. lightly flour your surface (counter or cutting board) and your hands.

3. stretch the dough to desired size 

4. transfer the dough to the pizza peel. 

5. spread the marinara in a thin, even layer across the dough.

6. sprinkle with oregano.

7. get your mozzarella cheese on.

8. top with basil.

9. bake for 10 - 15 minutes until the bottom of the pizza is crisp and the top is golden brown. 

10. shave pecorino/parmigiano over the entire pizza, including the crust.

Linguine Vongole

photo from here

Ingredients:

olive oil

4-5 garlic cloves minced

1 shallot (optional, or replace with 1/8 onion), finely sliced

1 tsp red chili flakes (more for spicier...this is pretty spicy, though)

3/4 c. chopped parsley plus 3 tbsp 

1 bottle clam juice (approx 8 oz) OR 8 oz dry white wine

14 oz san marzano tomatoes either whole and chopped yourself or diced...keep juice

2 lbs new zealand cockles or small clams (manila, little neck, etc)

linguine (we used trader joes garlic and basil)

Directions:

1. heat 3 tbsp oil in a large, wide pan over medium heat (in a pot big enough to try to get all the clams in a single layer if possible)

2. add garlic for 1-2 minutes

3. add chili flakes and shallot for 1-2 minutes

4. add clam juice (or wine), tomatoes with juice and parsley 

5. add clams and allow to simmer for 7-8 minutes uncovered until clams have popped open and cooked through.

6. meanwhile, cook pasta according to instructions, but just until al dente 

7. once clams are done, turn off heat and toss in drained pasta (if the sauce doesn't seem bountiful enough, you can add some of the reserved pasta water).  

serve immediately after topping with a pinch of parsley and, ideally, with warm + toasted bread. 

Vegetable Lasagna

photo from here

*Double the recipe below + make two - eat one today and freeze the other before step 9. Be sure to add a disposable aluminum baking dish to your grocery list for the lasagna you'll put in the freezer. When you're ready to eat the frozen one, simply defrost the second the night before you want to eat it and cook according to step 9.

• 1 large eggplant (1 1/2 pounds)
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium zucchini, trimmed and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 2 red bell peppers, quartered lengthwise
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 6 garlic cloves, smashed (this is a lot of garlic bc we love garlic)
• 1 cup Italian Fontina, coarsely grated
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano or Pecorino 
• 8 ounces ricotta
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella & 1/2 cup mozzarella (separated)
• 1/3 cup milk to taste
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
• 5 (6 3/4- by 3 1/2-inch) or 10 (7- by 6 3/4-inch) no-boil lasagne noodles
• One jar store-bought marinara sauce or homemade

1. Preheat oven to 425. Arrange vegetables and garlic in a single layer on lightly oiled baking sheets. Season with salt and pepper.  (You can also slice the veggies ahead of time, place in a gallon ziplock bag with a little oil, salt and pepper. Shake and store).
2. Bake for 20-30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until veggies are cooked through to your liking.
3. While the veggies bake, prepare the lasagne noodles as directed on the packaging (if needed).
4. While the veggies bake, mix the ricotta, mozzarella, fontina & basil together in a bowl. If needed, add a little milk to slightly thin out the cheese.  You could also use an egg instead of milk #eggallergies
5. Spread a layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of a 8" square baking dish.
6. Remove the garlic from the baking sheet and mix in the with the cheese mixture.
7. Layer alternating lasagna noodles, cheese, vegetables and sauce until you've filled the pan, topping with a layer of pasta noodles.
8. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 c mozzarella and the parmigiano on the top.
9. Bake until bubbly, 25-30 minutes. Let stand 15-20 minutes after cooking.

Very loosely adapted from here by me.