zucchini lasagna

Before zucchini season was over, I just had to share a dish I’ve been making that’s both comforting and healthy. Zucchini lasagna has been pretty popular lately, and the idea is that you use thin slices of zucchini as opposed to pasta noodles. We have nothing against good ol’ pasta in this house- it’s very likely my husband’s favorite thing to cook- but I also love sneaking in extra veggies to our diets whenever I get the chance ;) This lasagna is still packed with homemade or store bought tomato sauce, lots of tasty cheeses, and fresh basil, so it’s super flavorful and delish! One important tip- make sure to salt your zucchini strips and let them set about 15 minutes to draw out moisture. Blot them dry before layering them into your dish as this will ensure you don’t end up with a soggy lasagna mess, but rather nicely cooked zucchini “noodles”! Enjoy!

Zucchini Lasagna:

  • 4 large zucchini, sliced thin lengthwise

  • 1 pound ground beef or pork (omit for vegetarian option)

  • 1 yellow onion, diced

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 28 oz cans San Marzano tomatoes (alternatively use store-bought pasta sauce)

  • 1 6oz can tomato paste

  • 1 tsp dried oregano

  • 1/2 cup red wine, optional

  • 15 oz ricotta cheese, whole milk or part skim

  • 1 large egg

  • 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

  • 1-2 bunches fresh basil, chopped (leave some whole leaves for garnish)

Make your tomato/meat sauce- this can be done ahead of time, to allow it to simmer and develop flavor). Add the ground beef to a large pan over medium high heat, and season with salt & pepper. Brown the meat until no longer pink, and then remove it from the pan. Add a bit of olive oil to the pan if needed, and saute the onion for a few minutes. Then add garlic and cook for a few more minutes, making sure to season with salt & pepper at each step along the way. Add the stewed tomatoes, breaking them up a bit, along with the tomato paste, dried oregano and red wine (if using), and bring your sauce to a simmer. Return the ground beef to the sauce, and reduce the heat to low, allowing it to cook for a couple of hours if possible. Be sure to not let it reduce too much!

Preheat oven to 400 F. Slice your zucchini into thin slices lengthwise using a knife or mandolin, and lay them out on a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt and allow to sit for approximately 15 minutes to draw out the moisture. Blot them dry to absorb any excess moisture. Mix the ricotta cheese with an egg in a bowl. Start assembling your lasagna: ladle sauce in the bottom of the pan, add zucchini slices to cover it, spread ricotta & egg mixture evenly on top, sprinkle with fresh basil, and then top with shredded mozzarella. Repeat this process with all remaining ingredients (you may have extra meat sauce to freeze or use elsewhere!), reserving some fresh basil for garnish. Place the lasagna in the oven and cook for 40-45 minutes, broiling for a couple of minutes at the end to get a nice golden, bubbly top. Garnish with whole basil leave, pour yourself a glass of wine, and serve!

baked rigatoni with ground turkey, pumpkin & ricotta

As the weather gets cooler, I find myself craving warm, comforting meals. Even better if they come together and bake up in one pan! This baked rigatoni with ground turkey, pumpkin and ricotta makes for a delicious dinner this time of year, and is enjoyed by kids and adults alike! I use ground turkey, but feel free to use beef if you prefer. It can also easily be made vegetarian by omitting the meat entirely! I love the added dose of veggies from the (entire can of) pumpkin, as well as some sneaky zucchini we had from our garden. Just a pinch of ground nutmeg imparts a wonderful depth of flavor- I highly recommend it! And don’t skimp on the cheese, either. We use a mix of whole milk ricotta and shredded mozzarella while baking, and freshly grated parmesan to serve! Top with red pepper flakes for a spicy kick! This can also be made ahead, and is great reheated, or even frozen and defrosted! Did I mention you don’t even have to boil the pasta before cooking? Talk about an easy, satisfying dinner!

Baked Rigatoni with Ground Turkey, Pumpkin & Ricotta:

  • 1 pound ground turkey (or beef)

  • 1 yellow onion, finely chopped

  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

  • 6oz. can tomato paste

  • 15oz. can pumpkin puree

  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

  • 1/2 tsp dried herbs (I like sage, oregano & thyme)

  • 1 large zucchini, cubed or shredded

  • 3 cups vegetable (or beef/chicken) broth

  • 16oz box rigatoni pasta

  • 1 cup ricotta cheese

  • 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

  • red pepper flakes, fresh parmesan cheese, fried sage leaves- optional garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a wide, oven-safe skillet (or casserole dish), brown the ground turkey for a several minutes until no pink remains, seasoning with salt & pepper as it cooks. Remove from pan, and saute the onion and garlic for a few minutes until they start to caramelize, careful not to burn the garlic. Add the turkey back to the pan, as well as the tomato paste, pumpkin puree, ground nutmeg and dried herbs, stirring to combine. Remember to season with salt & pepper at each step, and let the sauce simmer/cook together for a few minutes so that the flavors can develop. Add zucchini or other veggies, if using, until fully mixed together. Then, add the broth and pasta, and stir to combine. Add dollops of the ricotta throughout the pasta, by the large spoonful. Mix some salt & pepper and lemon zest into the ricotta before adding to the pasta if you want to elevate the flavor even more. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over the top. Cover and cook for about 40 minutes. Then uncover and cook for about 5 more minutes until cheese is bubbly. Let cool, and sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

*Adapted from No Boil Pumpkin & Sausage Baked Ziti by Inspiralized.

m.georgina

I’m so excited that the days of dining out are slowly but surely returning to us. My reviews of tasty spots became far less frequent over the last year, and it was honestly such a bummer. While drooling over the endless foodie photos on my phone, I came across our last dining out experience right before the pandemic hit. My husband and I hit up M.Georgina for a date night, and I have to say it’s almost as if we knew we weren’t going to be able to dine out for quite a long while after that. We really did it up big, and everything was super delicious! M.Georgina serves up seasonal Cali fare using fresh produce, grains, fish, and meat from local farms, and even bakes sourdough bread on site! The atmosphere is great here as well- I love the open kitchen, and getting to watch all the chefs in action creating magic on the plate.

The oysters and kampachi crudo were super fresh, and the perfect light start... along with freshly baked house levain and cultured butter, that is. I was also a fan of the Monterey squid with house togarashi- so flavorful! The chefs incorporate red fife (an ancient grain) into their campanelle pasta with cotechino ragout, and I loved the little something extra it gave to the dish. We went veggie and meat heavy with entrees, ordering the chard saag with romancesco and the Liberty Farms duck for two! As if that wasn’t enough food, we finished with three desserts, because why not finish on a (sugar) high note, am I right?! I love how M.Georgina celebrates the farms and seasonality of Los Angeles in their approach to cooking. You really can taste the quality difference in each and every bite. Check out the rest of our meal in the slideshow above, and get ready to drool! Out of an abundance of caution and to keep guests and employees safe, M.Georgina has temporarily closed during the pandemic, but I look forward to the day they open their doors again soon!

hippo

I love discovering tasty, new-to-me places in my (or a close by) neighborhood. Hippo in Highland Park had been on my radar for a while now- multiple friends had raved about it, and I couldn’t help but drool over their Instagram. So when we had good friends in town staying with us recently, I knew just the spot for dinner. Nestled off the busy street, just behind Triple Beam Pizza (another fave!), Hippo’s rustic, Italian-American vibes make it seem very New York to me. Perhaps that’s why I liked it so much from the moment we walked in, but once we tasted the food, it truly won me over. The bread basket of housemade focaccia was perfectly crusty and chewy, and I strongly suggest you start with the burrata di bufala (imported from Lazio-Italy!), served with even more delicious, carby goodness. I was a huge fan of the veggie starters- from the cool haricot verts with serrano chili toasted hazelnuts & Frenchie vinaigrette, to the griddled cauliflower with cauliflower “tahini” & walnut raisin caper relish, the flavors were truly unique. Of course, several housemade pastas are on the menu (and worth an order!), including the semolina spaghetti with guanciale, tomato & spicy pickled peppers, as well as the winter squash cappellacci with browned butter, sage & amaretti! Carefully handmade pasta, perfectly cooked to al dente, truly makes all the difference. Be sure to check out the rest of our meal in the slideshow above- there were honestly so many noteworthy dishes! We actually already had plans for ice cream after dinner, so I didn’t get a chance to try Hippo’s desserts- but there’s always next time! Post-baby, I’d like to go back for “Hippo Hour”, their version of happy hour, for some tasty small plates and a cool cocktail as well!

misi

Where do I even begin with Misi? This South Williamsburg beauty from celebrated chef Missy Robbins focuses on handmade pasta dishes and vegetable antipasti inspired by simple Italian cooking. That’s truly just it. The menu is very straightforward- ten antipasti and ten pasta- but everything is executed with such finesse, that it feels like a luxury dining experience. You may remember Chef Missy Robbins from Lilia, her in North Williamsburg hotspot in a converted auto body shop. She’s back with a bit simpler concept, but doesn’t skimp on taste or flavor. Misi had been on my husband’s and my must-visit list for some time now, but since we've been spending so much time in Los Angeles, we still hadn’t gotten the chance to stop by. Finally, on a recent trip to New York, we decided to walk in early on a Friday evening (risky with no reservation!), and were lucky enough to be greeted by Missy herself! After a private tour of Misi’s beautiful pasta room (check out my Instagram story highlights for more), we were seated at some of the best seats in the house overlooking the open kitchen, and started to devour the menu while watching the sunset over the Williamsburg bridge.

It was hard to narrow it down- so many dishes sounds appealing- but we ended up with three antipasti and three pasta! A nice, light meal for two people, no?! Scroll through the slideshow above for details on each dish, but honestly I’m not sure I could even choose a favorite. The raw fennel & celery salad with parmigiano & walnuts was the perfect light, crunchy complement to the garlicky, grilled runner beans. And as simple as the fettuccine with buffalo butter, parmigiano extra vecchio & black pepper was- wow- it truly blew us away. There’s sometimes nothing better than fresh, simple ingredients done right. Missy even told us that the fettuccine was the first dish created for the menu at Misi, before the restaurant was even open! Definitely a must-order if you’re lucky enough to go. We were both pretty full by that point, but I’m never one to pass on dessert, and once again Misi keeps things nice and simple. There are six housemade gelati available (plus the current off-menu pistachio!), as well as a nice offering of digestivi like grappa & amaro. We went with the super creamy pistachio gelato (loved the chunks of toasted nuts), as well as mint stracciatella gelato, which was smooth and refreshing, with just the right amount of mint infusion. We had such a delicious and memorable meal thanks to Chef Missy Robbins, I truly cannot thank her enough. The passion and care that goes into her food is evidently clear, and as a #chefswife myself, I respect her so much for that! Cheers to plotting our next visit sooner than later!

felix trattoria

Pasta, pasta, pasta! I had been told by many a pasta-finatic that if you’re on the hunt for delicious Italian food in Los Angeles, you head straight to Felix Trattoria. Being that it’s in Venice, it’s not the quickest dinner venture for us (not to mention reservations are hard to come by), but when I was planning a recent date night with friends, I made Felix a top priority. Chef Evan Funke’s take on traditional, regional Italian cuisine enriched with local Cali ingredients is nothing short of spectacular. Pasta and bread are the true standouts, and you can even watch them get made right before your eyes! The pizza bianca (with melt-in-your-mouth buffalo mozzarella) and the classic focaccia sfincione are not to be missed. You really can’t go wrong with anything from the handmade pasta menu, which offers various regional specialties from all around Italy. I love an orecchiette, and this one served with sausage, broccoli, peperoncino, and canestrato was delectable down to the last bite! Even the veggies at Felix were memorable: I loved the mint and pesto Siciliano coating the green beans in the fagiolini verdi dish! Also impressive were the branded ice cubes in my negroni- how fancy! Even though we were pretty stuffed by this point, you know I don’t skip dessert. The torta della nonna (a perfectly moist olive oil cake) really hit the spot, and allowed us to finish our meal on a not-too-sweet, but totally satisfied note. Scroll through the slideshow to check out the rest of our meal, and trust me when I say- get there soon! Felix (Latin for “happy” or “lucky”) easily gets my vote for best Italian in LA, and I already cannot wait to return in the new year!