Autumn Pastas

     The Fall Equinox is my favorite celebration because finally, at last: Autumn! Sounds of summer are fading as we get to enjoy the fall harvest: veggies from the local farmers such as carrots, potatoes, beets and of course, an abundance of tomatoes of all kinds. Red, yellow, orange and purple! We are also enjoying gourds, pumpkins, dried leaves, cool evenings and mellow days!! How lucky can we get?

     I am always trying to find ways to incorporate veggies into new dishes. They are wonderful as side dishes but equally wonderful as main dishes featured as soups, stews, and casseroles. My favorite way to use veggies is with pasta.

     Today we are going to cook two different pastas. One is with tomatoes, garlic, and eggplant - the other is with butternut squash. These are both representative of fall to me because they are a heavier fare and show off the gorgeous hues of autumn. 
     I know you will enjoy every savory bite!

Fussilli Pasta with Tomato Eggplant Puree

1 Pint Cherry Tomatoes

1 Eggplant, cut into one inch cubes

1 whole Garlic bulb, peeled

Olive Oil

1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper

1/2 C Toasted Pine Nuts

2 - 3 TB Capers

1/4 C Kalamata Olives

1/4 C Fresh minced Parsley

1 Lb. Fussilli (spiral shaped) Pasta

Grated Parmesan Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Combine eggplant, tomatoes, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and toss with your hands. Spread veggies out on baking sheet and roast until tender about 35 - 40 minutes.

3. Toast pine nuts in a frying pan over medium heat and set aside.

4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain pasta but be sure to reserve about 2 cups of the pasta water.

5. Put roasted veggies into a food processor and puree.

6. In a large bowl, toss cooked pasta with pureed veggies and add pasta water as needed to make it a sauce. Add the pine nuts, capers, olives and parsley and fold in.

7. Serve with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top of each portion.

8. Enjoy!

Spaghetti with Butternut Squash, Bacon and Goat Cheese

One Butternut Squash

1/2 lb. bacon

8 cloves of garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth

salt and fresh ground pepper

one package of goat cheese (4-6 oz.), crumbled

one lb. spaghetti, cooked al dente

one cup pasta water as needed

olive oil

1. Prick the skin of the squash in several places with a sharp knife. Microwave the squash 2-3 minutes on each side to soften - careful, not too long. Let it cool to the touch then cut, peel, and seed it. Dice it into 1/2 cubes.

2. Cook the bacon until crisp, drain, crumble and set aside. Drain the bacon fat reserving about 2 Tb of bacon fat in the pan.

3. Add the squash and garlic to the bacon pan and saute for about 4 minutes over medium heat. Add the broth and some salt, cover and simmer until the squash is soft, about 25 minutes. Be sure to stir occasionally as it is cooking.

4. Add half the goat cheese and stir well to make a sauce adding pasta water only as needed. The sauce should be thick. Pour the sauce over the pasta and combine well. Drizzle with olive oil, toss, add the bacon and the rest of the goat cheese, season with salt and pepper.

5. Serve while still hot and enjoy!

Grillin' 'n chillin'

      There is always something to celebrate and this week I have been celebrating the weather. Autumn is coming in around the edges and the days have been pretty spectacular. Perfect weather for hiking and I am hearing lots of talk about it....healthy and fun way to work up an appetite!

      Before we organize our wood piles and pull out our down comforters let's enjoy watching the days get shorter and while we're chillin', let's do some grillin'. We can grill with charcoal and we can grill with gas but for this dish let's try using a George Foreman grill and that way we do not risk losing half our dinner between the grill spaces! If you do not own one then use either a grilling basket or cook your fish in foil. Each method will produce a tender piece of fish with a unique taste and texture.

      I served this dish last night and it was scrumptious. The menu: Grilled Red Snapper, Spinach and Apple Salad with Pistachio Dressing, and Rita's Baked Acorn Squash.... Enjoy!

GRILLED RED SNAPPER

One lb. red snapper (2 pieces)

Garlic powder

Lemon pepper

Salt and Fresh ground pepper

Soy Sauce

One fresh lemon

1. Cut a 2 inch slit in the fish crosswise on one side.

2. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze juice from one half onto the fish. Cut the other half into paper thin slices. Set aside.

3. Sprinkle the fish with garlic powder, lemon pepper, salt and pepper. Pour soy sauce into the slit and then sprinkle it over the rest of the fish. Place a row of lemon slices onto the length of the fish.

4. Put fish in Foreman grill or on your barbeque and grill for about 5 to 8 minutes or until the fish flakes with fork easily.

5. Enjoy!

RITA'S BAKED ACORN SQUASH

1. Take your acorn squash and put about four knife holes in it evenly spaced.

2. Microwave it on a dish for 4 minutes, turn it over and microwave it for another four.

3. Let it cool so that you can handle it then cut it in half and take out the seeds.

4. Line a pie pan with foil. Spray oil onto the foil and put the squash onto the foil cut side down. Add a tiny bit of water but DO NOT cover the bottom just a splash to add a bit of steam.

5. Bake in an oven heated to 400 for one hour.

6. Cut into quarters and serve.

Your squash will be sweet and caramelized and needs nothing else - butter is optional. Enjoy!