Do Not Over Think the Comfort.

For New Year’s, most of San Juan County was hit by snow storms, dumping much needed moisture in the mountains, and in and around the towns.  This is definitely a blessing!  However, it did make travel difficult, so those truckers delivering goods for the stores, and packages from Amazon, were not thinking themselves blessed.  But that is balance, a pro for a con, and proof that not everyone can be made happy at the exact same time.

All right then, during 2022, I wrote several articles on preserving basic foods, sustainability, and not having the delusion that all will always be available.  Therefore, if readers paid attention, the days locked inside the home, during the storms, should not have been hardship.  Then again, 2020 through 2022, should have been teaching the same notion of making sure to be stocked up, in case of emergency.

Deep breath, let’s put aside the feeling of being overwhelmed, and embrace the healing ideal of comfort.  With food, wanting something to eat, that gives a warm, comforting feeling, could either be simplistic or complicated. Depends on what you believe is a comfort food; while someone believes it is mashed potatoes with butter, someone else is looking for baby new potatoes topped with creme fraiche and caviar.  The one thing that needs to be remembered is that you should be just as comfortable making the dish as you are eating it.

A cuisine that embodies comfort is Italian. Italian food wraps itself around you like a blanket; while the pasta is your pillow, the sauce massages the aches and pains from the body.  Sounds nice?  Funny though how many folks I have met who are scared to death to make Italian recipes.  "It's too complicated or difficult.", "I'll never find all the ingredients I'll need", "How do I know I'm doing it right if I've never tasted it before?"   Answer to all three questions: "You're over thinking it!"  You cannot make comfort food if you are putting such stress upon yourself...relax...do...enjoy.

Making homemade pasta sauce is relatively easy nowadays, especially since almost everyone and their mother owns a crock pot (slow cooker). Now let’s make an Italian casserole that is so easy, you will kick yourself for having self-doubts on your ability to make it. Hints: if you cannot find ziti in the pasta aisle, use another tubular pasta such as penne or rigatoni. If you want meat in your dish, grill up some Italian sausage or make meatballs. Please, please do not buy frozen meatballs, they are so full of fillers, that is why they can bounce!

Remember, with my sauce and meatball recipes, you can half them, or make the full recipes and they can be frozen for up to six months. You did cut out those recipes, from the newspaper, and put them in your recipe box, right?  Oh, when cooking your pasta up, use a little olive oil in the boiling water instead of salt; still keeps the pasta from sticking together, but adds more flavor.

 

Baked Ziti

 Ingredients:

1(16 oz.) box ziti, or tubular, pasta

6 cups homemade pasta sauce plus 2 extra cups

1(16 oz.) bag shredded mozzarella plus 1(8 oz.) bag shredded Italian cheese mix

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F; spray a 3-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Prepare ziti according to package directions. In a large bowl, mix together thoroughly the cooked ziti, 6 cups of sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese.

 

Spread out mixture into baking dish and top evenly with the shredded Italian cheese mix. Bake for 30-40 minutes; until cheese on top is melted and just starting to brown at the edges. 

 

After Baking

Before Baking

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Serve with the extra two cups of sauce for anyone wanting more sauce with their pasta, or to dip bread (preferably toasted garlic bread) into.

Makes 6-8 servings.

 Or use Rigatoni:

Baked Rigatoni

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note: if you have room in the freezer, before baking, split the pasta/cheese mixture between a baking dish, and an aluminum foil baking pan.  Wrap the aluminum foil pan, first with a layer of aluminum foil, then either plastic wrap, or insert into a plastic freezer bag.  Label with name and date; then when ready to bake, remove the plastic, place in oven at 450F for one hour.  Remove aluminum foil, spread Italian cheese mix overall, and bake an additional 15 minutes.  The pasta casserole will be good for up to six months in the freezer.

Mary Cokenour

 

Don't Over Think the Comfort.

You want something to eat that gives you a warm, comforting feeling, but should the recipe be complicated or simple?  Depends on what you believe is a comfort food; while someone believes it's mashed potatoes with butter, someone else is looking for baby new potatoes topped with creme fraiche and caviar.  The one thing you need to remember is that you should be just as comfortable making the dish as you are eating it.

Italian food wraps itself around you like a blanket; while the pasta is your pillow, the sauce massages the aches and pains from the body.  Sounds nice?  Funny though how many folks I have met who are scared to death to make Italian recipes.  "It's too complicated or difficult.", "I'll never find all the ingredients I'll need", "How do I know I'm doing it right if I've never tasted it before?"   Answer to all three questions: "You're over thinking it!"  You can't make comfort food if you're putting such stress upon yourself...relax...do...enjoy.

Making homemade pasta sauce is relatively easy nowadays, especially since almost everyone and their mother owns a crock pot (slow cooker). Now lets make an Italian casserole that is so easy, you'll kick yourself for having self doubts on your ability to make it. Hints: if you cannot find ziti in the pasta aisle, use penne. If you want meat in your dish, grill up some Italian sausage or make meatballs. Please, please don't buy frozen meatballs, they are so full of fillers, that's why they can bounce. Remember, with my sauce and meatball recipes, you can half them, or make the full recipes and they can be frozen for up to six months. Oh, when cooking your pasta up, use a little olive oil in the boiling water instead of salt; still keeps the pasta from sticking together, but adds more flavor.

Baked Ziti

Ingredients:

1(16 oz)box ziti pasta
6 cups homemade pasta sauce plus 2 extra cups
1(16 oz)bag shredded mozzarella plus 1(8 oz)bag shredded Italian cheese mix

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F; spray a 3 qt baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Prepare ziti according to package directions. In a large bowl, mix together thoroughly the cooked ziti, 6 cups of sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese.

Spread out mixture into baking dish and top evenly with the shredded Italian cheese mix. Bake for 30-40 minutes; until cheese on top is melted and just starting to brown at the edges.  

Serve with the extra two cups of sauce for anyone wanting more sauce with their pasta, or to dip bread (preferably toasted garlic bread) into.
Makes 6-8 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Please open a real Italian deli here…I’m dying from withdrawal !!!!

So, I was watching “Real Housewives of New Jersey”, yes, I admit to watching the “Real Housewives” shows, all of them, so get over it now.  It was the episode where they were celebrating Thanksgiving, Caroline and Albert are at a real Italian deli.  Seeing all the meats and cheeses hanging from the ceiling; all the antipasti items behind the deli counter; the cans and boxes of Italian food items….the bread; that wonderfully crusty bread made from Semolina flour.  I couldn’t take it anymore; I broke down and cried…I miss it all so much.  Remembering the smells, tastes, textures; the absolute comfort; for good Italian food is a true comfort.

One restaurant review I did of a place in Colorado stated that they served real New York style Italian food….they didn’t have a clue!!!  They couldn’t make real New York pizza or calzone; their sandwiches were packed with hot sausage as if that is what makes a sandwich really Italian.  That’s like pouring salsa over a hamburger and saying, “Look, I can cook Mexican”.  Puh….lease!!!  Yes, making counterfeit New York Italian food puts my knickers into a fierce twist; especially when it is done so badly.

So, here’s just a short list of what you would find at a typical Italian deli: Mortadella, Prosciutto, Pancetta, fresh Mozzarella and Ricotta, Mascarpone, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, Boars Head brand cold cuts (the absolute best brand), dried sausage, fresh sausage, loaves of crusty bread made with Semolina, Antipasti (olives, mushrooms, peperoncini, artichoke hearts - all cured in olive oil; cured meats, cheeses), Torrone candy, Biscotti, cans of imported tomatoes, olive oils, boxes of pasta.  Remember, this is just a short list for a deli; if you wanted to talk about cakes, cookies and pastries, then we have to enter the world of the Italian bakery….that’s a whole other post.

Basically this is a twofold post; a minor rant, but most of all it is a plea; a hope that someone from New York, even New Jersey, will come out here to Monticello Utah and open up a real, pass the sausage please, Italian deli.

....and now for something Italian to feed the stomach and soul.

Baked Pasta Casserole

This recipe can be made with any type of shaped pasta such as ziti, rigatoni, shells, rotelle (spiral), farfalle (bow ties), etc.

Ingredients:

2 lb container ricotta cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided in half

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

2 eggs, beaten

2 Tbsp each garlic powder, dried basil, dried parsley

6 cups homemade pasta sauce

1 lb cooked pasta

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 F; spray a 2 qt baking dish with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, mix together ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, parmesan, eggs, garlic powder, herbs and 2 cups sauce till well incorporated.  Add pasta, mix in gently so as to not break up the pasta.

In the baking dish, spread out evenly 2 cups sauce, the pasta/cheese mixture and top with final 2 cups of sauce.  Bake for 45 minutes, spread remaining cup of mozzarella over top, bake another 15 minutes to melt cheese.  Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Mary Cokenour

July 24, 1995 (creation date)