Spaghetti with Clams

I’ve mentioned before that we live in a small town in a rural area, full of small towns just like ours. And in these small towns, it’s not uncommon for someone to have 2 professions. Like, the chief of police also owns the only extermination company for a 50-mile radius. Or the mayor of the town, who also owns an electric supply company. Or Jon’s boss at NASA, who farms cultured clams in his spare time…

We’ve been wanting to get a bag of “littlenecks”, the smallest and tenderest of clams, for quite some time now, but Jon would always forget to mention it to Scott for some reason or another. Finally last week, he remembered to remember, and a big bag of these guys were waiting for him in the office refrigerator on Monday morning. I knew I wanted to do a pasta with clam sauce, but all the other ones I had tried in the past were kind of lackluster. So, I turned to Giada. I’d found both of her cookbooks in the thrift shop for $1/piece (one man’s trash is another man’s comeup!) and there was a recipe that looked great, yet had a simple ingredient list – precisely what this dish should be.

And, I’m pleased to report that this recipe fully lived up to my expectations. A punch of garlic, a little bite from the addition of white wine, and then just an awesome brininess from the clams that rounds out all the flavors and brings everything together. So quick, too. Dinner is literally done in the time that it takes to boil the pasta! Winner, winner – clam and pasta dinner. Have a great weekend, kids!

Rigatoni with Beef & Sausage Ragù

I don’t know about where you guys are, but there was a hint of fall in the air here this weekend. We turned off the air-conditioning and opened up all the windows, and I even had to don a long-sleeved shirt at the local fireman’s carnival on Friday night.

Needless to say, I was feeling something in the way of comfort food. And what better fits that bill than a big bowl of baked cheesy pasta? My girlfriend made this dish for me after we brought home our first son Andrew, over 5 years ago now. She drove all the way from Annapolis to come and make us this pasta, and share dinner with us. It quickly became a favorite in our home, and consequently my “go-to” baked pasta dish.

Ground beef and spicy Italian sausage is simmered in a rich tomato sauce, releasing all their meaty flavor into the sauce. Then at the end, a bit of heavy cream is stirred in…making it lighter in flavor, but yet richer at the same time. Layered with a bit of mozzarella cheese before baking, it’s becomes bubbly and crusty in the oven – everything that a baked pasta should be. Paired with a glass of red, a fresh green salad, and some crusty bread – it’s the perfect Sunday meal to gather your family around the table. We intend to enjoy every last day of summertime, but I’m definitely looking forward to that chill in the air being here to stay!

Bacon and Aspargaus PastaWe can’t get enough of the gorgeous stalks of asparagus hitting the stores right now. The other night I had a blank space on our menu plan – and decided to have a “wing it” dinner. You know, one of those “clean out the fridge” kinda nights? This is what ensued, and it turned out to be superbly delicious!

And, it’s a quick one too – which is always a plus. Crisping up the bacon in the pan, then a quick cook of the asparagus in some of the rendered bacon fat (because really, why not?) and finally all tossed with some pasta and cream sauce. The healthiest? Surely not. But, it was probably better for us then the pizza or Chinese take-out we would have called in otherwise!

Cajun Shrimp Pasta

Shrimp. Pasta. Spicy cream sauce. What’s not to love here? This Cajun chicken pasta has long been one of our weeknight favorites. Comes together so quickly and easily, it’s a dish I know I can always turn to on those nights where I want something good and comforting – but I don’t feel like putting that much effort into dinner.

So, it was only a matter of time before I swapped out chicken for other proteins. Like, shrimp. All truths being told, I think I love this dish with shrimp, even more than the chicken. Think shrimp alfredo, but kicked up with the addition of cayenne pepper, sliced bell peppers, and onions that have been sauteed for a bit of a crunch amidst the tender pasta. Rich and decadent, with a bit of heat – it would be a perfect dinner for Fat Tuesday. Or, for Valentine’s Day for that matter. Dinner is ready in under 30 minutes, leaving you plenty of time to do “other” things with your Valentine 🙂