Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Meat Ragu

Spaghetti squash. Let us discuss the mysterious spaghetti squash.

People have been really into this squash, making casseroles and bakes and pie crusts all over the blog-o-sphere. It has become common practice to replace pasta with a base of spaghetti squash. I get it, it's cute. SPAGHETTI squash instead of SPAGHETTI...but I wasn't buying it.

I finally found a beautiful spaghetti squash in my Whole Foods the other day so I scooped it up along with some meat sauce ingredients. I wanted to give spaghetti squash a chance, and I needed to light meal to balance all these pumpkin spiced baked goods I've been eating :-)

It sounds so cliche, but this Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Meat Ragu may be my new favorite pasta dish--and there is no pasta here! Spaghetti squash tendrils are topped with a rich, thick turkey meat sauce packed with fresh parsley and basil and a twist of lemon juice. It is rich and comforting and bright. The squash is buttery from roasting and adds the perfect crunch to the lovely, meaty ragu.

For anyone who has never purchased a spaghetti squash before (like me), here is a fool-proof way to prepare it. If yours has a stem, lop it off. Then cut the spaghetti squash in half and, using a spoon, scrape out all of the seeds and the guts. I originally thought I was cleaning out the "spaghetti" part of the spaghetti squash, but this won't materialize until the squash is cooked. Season the cavity generously with salt and pepper.

Line a heavy baking sheet with aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the squash cut side down onto the olive oil and bake for about 35 minutes. The squash is done when you push on the skin and it gives a bit.

Top a bowl of this squash and ragu with extra fresh herbs and a bit of parmesan cheese. Leave out the cheese and you have a Paleo friendly meal as well! But trust me - this dish is so delicious, you won't have any idea that it's that good for you!

Caprese Pasta Salad

Sometimes, simple is better.

Quality ingredients paired with fresh vegetables and herbs can take a plain old box of pasta to a new level. A fresh, summery pasta salad can be born.

This Caprese Pasta Salad with a homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette is sure to please a crowd at your next cookout, barbeque or picnic. Sweet summer tomatoes, soft and delicious mozzarella cheese, and bright fresh basil. What could go wrong?

If you have 20 minutes on hand, you can make this pasta salad in no time! This will serve a crowd as a side dish, and about four as a full meal -- just add some grilled chicken and there you have it! A fresh and tasty dinner bursting with summer flavors.

For the balsamic vinaigrette, take a smashed glove of garlic, dijon mustard, lemon juice, honey, dried basil, balsamic vinegar and olive oil in a dressing shaker or mason jar. Shake vigorously until combined and chill until ready to use.

When you're ready to make the pasta salad, boil up a pound of short-cut pasta until al dente. In the meantime, julienne the fresh basil, slice grape tomatoes in half, and cut up a ball of mozzarella into cubes.

Add everything to a bowl and toss until well combined.

All that's left to do after that is enjoy this salad! I mean seriously guys--you can MAKE THIS and it is DELICIOUS! Let's get to it!

Creamy Tomato Parmesan Soup

Boston is cold.

If I haven't lost your attention with that really riveting opening, I'm glad you have decided to continue on this journey. It's going to be warm, and fuzzy, and totally comforting.

Ok, it won't be fuzzy...that would be weird.

Because I'm talking about soup! If you haven't caught on yet, I'm a total soup junkie. Something about building new, unique flavors and creating an inspired pot of hot goodness gets my kitchen gears going.

This week, in the wee hours of my morning commute, my trusty iPhone weather app told me it was 7 degrees, but it felt like -3 degrees. -3!!!

It was right then and there that I decided my body needed some hot nourishment. It needed some sweet tomatoes, salty parmesan, rich butter, and light basil heated through to perfection.

This Creamy Tomato Parmesan Soup is totally elegant and playful. I plated it on a bed of Orzo (rice shaped pasta) and sprinkled each dish with fresh parsley and more parm. Duh.

It starts with the basics: carrots, celery, and a small onion. Sprinkle on the salt and pepper, pop in a bay leaf and let them do their thing.

I want to be more honest in 2013. So I have a confession to make. I HATE carrots. Raw carrots, cooked carrots, those little carrot shavings in bags of salad. YUCK!! But they are OK if they are SUPER soft, swimming in tasty broths.  So I cooked my veggies for much longer, as I wanted them as soft and negligible as possible.

Also, isn't this new notebook from my friend, Maria, the cutest? It's personalized for my recipe notes. Love it!

Soup. Right.

The liquids go in. 2 cans diced tomatoes with their juices and some chicken broth (would probably also be OK with vegetable broth, but the chicken is so light it is always my first choice). Toss in a leftover parmesan rind to enhance that cheesey flavor (optional, if you have it on hand).

Simmer away, simmer away.

Create a rue. That is, butter and flour whisked vigorously. Add it to the soup--thick and creamy!

Melt in a whole cup of parmesan cheese, along with some warmed skim milk. Add some dried italian herbs. Swoon at the delectible fragrance.

This is a fairly rich soup, although not a total calorie monster. If you're feeling like a naughty boy or girl, cook up a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches. Dunk away....I won't tell!

Tomato Basil Soup

Let’s talk. Let’s talk about when we were kids. Life was SO EASY then.

Being a kid is easy because you can eat Poptarts for breakfast and nobody judges you. Yes, the kid version of me would love to have a sugar filled pastry iced with sugar and it will be delicious.

It’s easy because everybody just wants to be friends. There’s none of this he said-she said-we said-they said. No drama. Just friendships. And coloring books.

Being a kid is amazing because your mom lets you have Spaghettios and Elios Pizza and Kraft Mac and Cheese for lunch. And those things are awesome, every time.

See? SO MUCH EASIER.

I guess I should be honest. I think I am having denial about being back to the 9 to 5 grind after a 10 day vacation. And so this denial is making me wish I could sit at home, watch silly cartoons, play with play-dough and eat Spongebob Mac and Cheese. Last night, I needed some real good comfort food that would help me chill out and de-stress after a hard day at work.

So, last night, I made homemade tomato soup…and I dunked grilled cheese in it. And that, in fact, was delicious.

 I love cooking soups because you can really fly by the seat of your pants and come up with something dynamite. Following recipes is a good place to start, but I really let my imagination run wild when I have a simmering pot of goodness on the stove. Basic principles of tomato soup: lots of veggies, roasted tomatoes, a touch of cream, basil for good measure, and a quick blend to make it rich and smooth. My recipe below is roughly adapted from this Michael Chiarello recipe.