Review of Twenty Dinners

April 23, 2015 by 2 Comments

Twenty Dinners, written by Ithai Schori and Chris Taylor with Rachel Holtman, is divided by the 4 seasons. It offers 5 complete suggested dinner menus that take into account ingredients of that season. Each dinner menu includes a protein main, two sides, dessert, and suggested drink to accompany that dinner (always wine, sometimes a cocktail recipe is included in the chapter). In particular, the authors are promoting the concept of cooking with friends, not just cooking for friends.
Twenty Dinners cookbook by Ithai Schori, Chris Taylor with Rachel Holtzman. Photographs by Nicole Franzen.

This means that the recipes are more like guidelines, generally the methods use basic techniques, with the most technical portion often being the cutting of the protein. I wish there had been a photo guideline on these cutting techniques, or at least some small photos with the recipe on what the right cut is. This seems like a detail that was missed since there are suggestion chapters written by other friends varying from “mastering” wine to how to create a home bar or coffee, and there are also special sections in the back that define cooking terms in normal layman speak (you will need it now and then- several recipes for instance call for bouquet garni), essential tools that you need in a kitchen, and how to shop and store for ingredients. If the authors are going to assume we need help with that information, why wouldn’t cutting the meat be included?

The photographs and feel of the book showcases the food generally plated family style, and is beautiful but relaxed. The feel is almost like something you’d see in a lifestyle magazine if you were in your late 20s/early 30s and regularly threw outdoor dinner parties in your expansive backyard and your rustic house full of bookshelves and records and big wooden tables on your dining and living rooms and fireplace for your all childfree friends.
From the Twenty Dinners cookbook by Ithai Schori, Chris Taylor with Rachel Holtzman. Photographs by Nicole Franzen.
From the Twenty Dinners cookbook by Ithai Schori, Chris Taylor with Rachel Holtzman. Photographs by Nicole Franzen.

The meals vary from the more impressive like 5 courses (Sliced Fluke, Plum and Cilantro; Seared Kale Salad with Brown Butter Toasted Pine Nuts and Smoked Bacon; Roast Chicken; Morel and Shiitake Mushoroom Risotto; Maple Panna Cotta with Candied Almonds and Buttered Bread Crumbs) to simple hearty ones that have a suggested ingredient or technique thrown in to raise it up a level from regular home cooking recipes (Meatballs and Spaghetti; Caesar Salad with Egg in a Frame, Affogato with Biscotti).

I’m not sure whether to count one chapter’s dinner that is just general guidelines for assembling a cheese plate along with a gruyere pastry and fig earl grey jam. On the other hand, there is also a dinner that includes a whole spit roasted pig, and a couple pages devoted to the ingredient of ramps, and another couple pages with ideas for using tomatoes during tomato season.  I love in general how they are very conscious about using the best ingredients and that is always based on the season.

There are a few pages are dedicated to delectable sounding four seasons of burrata toasts, where based on the season, your burrata toast may be Poached Pears and Bacon Maple Burrata Toast (Fall), Fennel and Grapefruit Burrata Toast (Winter), Whiskey’d Burrata Toast (Spring), or Tomato Confit Burrata Toast (Summer). Yes, you bet I’m making that Spring one ASAP if I can find some burrata. In general, they sound like great dinner menus for a casual dinner party – even if I don’t believe all the cooking is as casual as they write.
From the Twenty Dinners cookbook by Ithai Schori, Chris Taylor with Rachel Holtzman. Photographs by Nicole Franzen.
From the Twenty Dinners cookbook by Ithai Schori, Chris Taylor with Rachel Holtzman. Photographs by Nicole Franzen.

The recipes are written similar to a grandma/mom instructing you on the steps, in paragraph form, possibility with a little note at the beginning.  For instance, in salting the meat for their Rib Eye Steaks Seared, Roasted and Basted in Butter, they advise “season generously with the kosher salt all over; it should look as though you’re salting a sidewalk before a snowstorm” and to keep an eye on the meat because “often when it will contract when it hits the heat and create a concave surface over the skillet. Using a spoon or spatula, hold the center of the meat down so it sears evenly.”

In preparing your dinner party, although the recipes mostly seem approachable, you definitely will have to divide and conquer responsibilities for each part of the suggested dinner or it will be hours before you get to eat, and seems like with their love of roasting there will be some oven conflicts if you attempted to multi-task the courses at once (it seems the authors ran into the same logistical dilemma).

Also definitely make sure you read through the details of the recipe as some will require a lot of prep work or time to sit to absorb flavors – for instance a Carrot, Parsley, and Pomegranate Salad with Confit Shallot Vinaigrette sounds good, but the vinaigrette requires roasting the shallots for 1-1.5 hours first.

Honestly I feel mixed about the recipes: some are wonderfully inspiring, like a Lavender Infused Olive Oil Poached Cod. But others are really just variations on using the grill (not surprising that these men love the grill), such as Charred Spring Onions they had as the side to that poached cod. The key with their (or anyone’s) slow roasted duck fat potatoes is access to duck fat, as is the bottarga with a Radish Salad with Bottarga. They do suggest some substitutions, though I wonder if it really is as good with the substitute ingredient.
From the Twenty Dinners cookbook by Ithai Schori, Chris Taylor with Rachel Holtzman. Photographs by Nicole Franzen.
From the Twenty Dinners cookbook by Ithai Schori, Chris Taylor with Rachel Holtzman. Photographs by Nicole Franzen.

One thing I appreciated is that sometimes they authors suggest additional recipes in order to recycle the leftovers into new dishes- such as stuffing poblanos with some leftover Wild Rice with Celery and Pecans. I also really liked all the cocktail ideas that were listed as part of the dinner here or there, as it’s a fun take that although they suggest a wine, having a cocktail pairing with the dinner just gives the meal an extra touch of sophistication. Cocktails they include recipes for range from Peach Porch Punch, or Smoked Earl Grey Hot Toddy, or basics like pairing Bloody Mary with oyster and burgers parties.

I’ll share a post in the future where my friends and I tried to use one of the Spring Dinner recipes, since I don’t think doing a recipe on my own is the intention of the book (some of them are so enticing they beg to be lifted off for a nice dinner at home even if it’s just the two of us).

Disclosure: This book was provided to me as part of the Blogging for Books program, but I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences I may be given. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own.

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Recipe for Matzo Brei with Parmesan

April 7, 2015 by 9 Comments

When I saw this recipe Matzo Brei with Parmesan and Chives in the Vegetarian Times a year ago, I was fascinated. I’ve never made anything with matzo before. But, this sounded interesting – and what doesn’t go with eggs and cheese right? So for Passover 2015 (though I don’t observe it myself) from the evening of Friday, April 3 to Saturday, April 11 I thought I would give it a try.

I did add chopped onion to mine to go an itsy bit more savory –  if you want you can sauté your chopped onion before adding them into the matzo brei mixture. I also used a bit more butter, but a lot less than the Ruth Reichl version so you decide what is enough for you!

Recipe for Matzo Brei with Parmesan, an easy way to stretch eggs with matzo crackers into serving more people or a more full meal

This recipe for Matzo Brei with Parmesan is a great way to use up some extra eggs as with this dish, 4 eggs can feed 6-8 people depending on what else you are eating with the Matzo Brei. I used 1 matzo for every egg, but some use 2 matzo for each egg to make it more chewy and further stretch that egg. You can  also add a splash of milk if you’d like.

Matzo Brei also seems to come in two forms- omelette from where after pouring it into the pan, you flip it, and then for serving you do slices almost like a quiche, like I did. Or, you can scramble it instead – a perfect fallback in case your flip doesn’t work! – or in case you have leftovers later to heat it up in a pan and break it up and maybe add a little more (like in this case, I added some broccoli).
Recipe for Matzo Brei with Parmesan, an easy way to stretch eggs with matzo crackers into serving more people or a more full meal Recipe for Matzo Brei with Parmesan: in this example I scrambled it with a bit of broccoli

Apparently there is quite a debate of the best accompaniments for Matzo Brei – there seem to be two big camps, either enjoying the matzo brei savory or sweet.

For savory, think of topping them with sour cream, sauteed onions and mushrooms, creamed spinach, or other roasted vegetables, grated cheese, hot sauce or horseradish etc.
Recipe for Matzo Brei with Parmesan, an easy way to stretch eggs with matzo crackers into serving more people or a more full meal. Enjoy with sour cream or other accompaniments! Recipe for Matzo Brei with Parmesan, an easy way to stretch eggs with matzo crackers into serving more people or a more full meal. Spice it up with hot sauce or horseradish! Recipe for Matzo Brei with Parmesan: in this example I scrambled it with a bit of broccoli

For sweet, common toppings include cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar, maple syrup, applesauce or other fruit jams or compotes or fresh or roasted or maceration fruit – think similar to pancake.
Recipe for Matzo Brei with Parmesan, an easy way to stretch eggs with matzo crackers into serving more people or a more full meal. Serve savory or sweet, such as here with maple syrup or cinnamon sugar

Ingredients:

  • 4 matzo squares
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/4 cup chopped chives
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon of butter

Directions:

  1. Break up your matzo squares into 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces. Place broken matzo pieces in bowl, and cover it all with hot water (brei means scalding, though it doesn’t have to be that hot!). Let the matzo get soft by letting it sit in the water for 30 seconds or so, then drain out all the water – you want it to be softened, not mushy.
  2. Crack and beat the 4 eggs in a large bowl. Stir in the broken but now softened matzo squares, chopped chives and onion, grated Parmesan, and season with salt and pepper to your liking.
    Softened matzo mixed in with the eggs and chopped chives and onion for Matzo Brei with Parmesan
  3. In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Now add the matzo egg mixture and let sit for 2 minutes before flipping, or scramble for 3-4 minutes.
    <Matzo Brei with Parmesan, an easy way to stretch eggs with matzo crackers into serving more people or a more full meal Matzo Brei with Parmesan, an easy way to stretch eggs with matzo crackers into serving more people or a more full meal
  4. Serve immediately while still hot with your choice of sweet or savory or both types for toppings!
    Matzo Brei with Parmesan, an easy way to stretch eggs with matzo crackers into serving more people or a more full meal Matzo Brei with Parmesan, an easy way to stretch eggs with matzo crackers into serving more people or a more full meal Matzo Brei with Parmesan, an easy way to stretch eggs with matzo crackers into serving more people or a more full meal

What do you think you would do, keep your Matzo Brei in omelette form or scramble it? Why?
Recipe for Matzo Brei with Parmesan: in this example I scrambled it with a bit of broccoli

And would you do it with sweet or savory toppings, what would you pick?
Recipe for Matzo Brei with Parmesan, an easy way to stretch eggs with matzo crackers into serving more people or a more full meal. Enjoy with sour cream or other accompaniments! Recipe for Matzo Brei with Parmesan, an easy way to stretch eggs with matzo crackers into serving more people or a more full meal. Spice it up with hot sauce or horseradish! Recipe for Matzo Brei with Parmesan, an easy way to stretch eggs with matzo crackers into serving more people or a more full meal. Serve savory or sweet, such as here with maple syrup or cinnamon sugar

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After Easter: Asparagus Goldenrod Recipe

April 5, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Looking for another way to use all those boiled eggs from Easter?

I wanted to re-share part of this post from two years ago, when I made Asparagus Goldenrod while reviewing the book The Four Seasons Farm Gardener’s Cookbook. Although I followed the recipe and served it on asparagus on top of bread (be it traditional toast like this recipe or English Muffins or biscuits etc.), I believe you can really put Goldenrod sauce on anything, and the sprinkling of the grated egg yolk and perhaps a pinch of cayenne or herb is just beautiful.

Asparagus Goldenrod

Asparagus Goldenrod recipe

This recipe comes from Barbara Damrosch and her mother, and is named for the grated egg yolk that appears like goldenrod pollen. I chose to use two types of bread (paesano and seedy grain), but did not remove the crusts (and whoever styled the dish for the food photo did not either!).

Ingredients (serves 4):

  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 4 ounces (1 cup) of shredded Gruyere cheese
  • 40 medium size fresh asparagus spears
  • 4 large or 8 small slices of whole grain bread, crusts removed
  • 2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

  1. Hard cook the eggs by placing the 4 eggs in a saucepan and adding enough water to cover the eggs. Bring the water to simmer over high heat, then immediately lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain the hot water and fill the pan with cold water to cool the eggs for at least 5 minutes.
  2. Peel the eggs and remove the yolk carefully so they remain whole. They should be firm enough to now grate. Coarsely chop the egg whites and set aside for the sauce.
    The Four Seasons Farm Gardener's Cookbook review Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman gardening farming recipes local produce Asparagus Goldenrod recipe The Four Seasons Farm Gardener's Cookbook review Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman gardening farming recipes local produce Asparagus Goldenrod recipe
  3. Pour the cream into a medium size skillet and bring to slow simmer over medium heat, stir, stirring constantly, until it has thickened. Gradually add the grated cheese, stirring until it has melted and is smooth. Add the egg whites, and keep the sauce warm over low heat.
  4. Toast the bread and then butter (optional), putting them on the plate you plan to serve with.
  5. Trim the asparagus spears to about 5 inches in length, and steam until the asparagus is tender, 2-5 minutes. (Or, you can roast or grill the asparagus, whatever you’d like.) Distribute the asparagus spears over the pieces of toast, and then cover with the creamy sauce. Top with the grated egg yolk and some black pepper to taste, and serve immediately.
    Asparagus Goldenrod recipe

For most of the recipes in the cookbook, there is a “Try This Too” section that suggests some variations to try. Barbara advises that depending on the season, you can easily substitute broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, leeks, garlic scapes, etc for the asparagus. She also suggests a salad and a dessert of fresh fruit to serve with to make a complete complementary meal.
Asparagus Goldenrod recipe Asparagus Goldenrod recipe

As a bonus, if you still want another idea, although I don’t have a recipe… make egg salad, and then put them on baguette slices and take them as snacks to a party, like this. Just add a bit of paprika and a pickled beet to balance the creaminess of the egg salad with a bit of sour and spice.
Egg Salad Appetizers. Just add a bit of paprika and a pickled beet to balance the creaminess of the egg salad with a bit of sour and spice Egg Salad Appetizers. Just add a bit of paprika and a pickled beet to balance the creaminess of the egg salad with a bit of sour and spice

How are you using your boiled eggs from Easter?

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Easter Treat of a Spaghetti Nest Recipe

March 30, 2015 by 13 Comments

I was trying to think of something unique and fun for a Easter Recipe to share (I can’t believe it’s just this coming Sunday, April 5!). Well, as it turns out that I made a little bit too much wheat spaghetti when I was making my recipe for Spaghetti Pie that I wrote about last week to celebrate April Fool’s Day. That then brought me down the path of looking at recipes for fun twists on leftover spaghetti, and voila! I present ideas for a Spaghetti Nest Recipe!
Spaghetti Nests, Recipe on Pechluck.Com. Fill with egg and bake, or bake on their own and fill with mozzarella cheese balls or meatballs. Fun for Easter! Spaghetti Nests, Recipe on Pechluck.Com. Fill with egg and bake, or bake on their own and fill with mozzarella cheese balls or meatballs. Fun for Easter!

First of all, there are several options in putting together your spaghetti nests. The original recipe I saw from Giada’s Recipe  for Spaghetti Nests uses 1 egg as a binding agent. However, for me I just used simple Parmesan and olive oil without the egg, and it still stayed together thanks to baking them in a muffin tin.

I can also imagine you could add some bacon and just make your spaghetti nest a carbonara sauced pasta – or you can use pesto instead if you puree your olive oil and Parmesan with basil and pine nuts (or other cheaper nut like walnuts). You could add more cheese so it’s more of a mac and cheese like spaghetti for your nest too – the possibilities are great!
Spaghetti Nests, Recipe on Pechluck.Com. Fill with egg and bake, or bake on their own and fill with mozzarella cheese balls or meatballs. Fun for Easter! Spaghetti Nests, Recipe on Pechluck.Com. Fill with egg and bake, or bake on their own and fill with mozzarella cheese balls or meatballs. Fun for Easter!

Giada also added wilted spinach to her nests, which I love the idea but I didn’t have any more spinach on hand so left it out. I could also imagine throwing in Italian parsley as well to be the green of the nests. I used chopped sage in mine because that’s what I had on hand, but you could throw in seasonings and greens per your taste.

There are lots of fun ways to fill a spaghetti nest. Giada had little mozzarella balls – I had one big mozzarella ball that I just cut into small pieces for my “Eggs” in the nest after baking the nest. She uses marinara sauce, but you can also use pesto. Or, why make it cheese, you could also use little meatballs, right? Another version is to just crack real eggs and cook them in – the latter of which I also did.
Spaghetti Nests, Recipe on Pechluck.Com. Fill with egg and bake, or bake on their own and fill with mozzarella cheese balls or meatballs. Fun for Easter! Spaghetti Nests, Recipe on Pechluck.Com. Fill with egg and bake, or bake on their own and fill with mozzarella cheese balls or meatballs. Fun for Easter!

I also pretty much am smitten with these three rabbit Easter decorations I recently found for 20% off at Fred Meyer. Or you can go more subtle with sprouts or salad greens…
Spaghetti Nests, Recipe on Pechluck.Com. Fill with egg and bake, or bake on their own and fill with mozzarella cheese balls or meatballs. Fun for Easter!

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 box of spaghetti – I used wheat pasta – and this made about 8 muffin-sized nests for me
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan plus more to taste
  • 1 tablespoon of chopped basil or sage or seasoning of your choice
  • 1 tablespoon of Italian Seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons of milk or cream
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste
  • Optional- eggs, one egg per nest that you want a cooked egg
    OR
    18 small mozzarella balls (assuming 3 small mozzarella balls per nest)
    OR
    use 2-3 small meatballs
  • Your choice of sauce – marinara or pesto, about 1/2 tablespoon per nest if desired, and/or more for the plate underneath each nest if you’d like

Directions:

  1. Cook your pasta according to the directions until al dente- probably after putting the pasta into the boiling water this might be about 7-8 minutes in.
  2. Drain the water from the pasta and then add in the olive oil, cheese, and seasonings of your chopped basil or sage (I had sage on hand), Italian Seasoning, and the optional splash of milk or cream if you think the pasta is too dry as well as salt and pepper to taste. Toss until all the pasta noodles are coated.
    Spaghetti Nests - after draining the water from the pasta, toss with olive oil, seasonings, and parmesan
  3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a regular muffin tin and then with a fork, twirl some noodles and then place into each muffin well. Carefully with your fork now push some of the noodles to the sides so that each nest has a crater that you will be able to place items in later (there will still be noodles at the very bottom as part of your nest).
    By making the recipe for my Spaghetti Nests, you don't need egg as binder for the pasta nest because you bake them in muffin tins By making the recipe for my Spaghetti Nests, you don't need egg as binder for the pasta nest because you bake them in muffin tins By making the recipe for my Spaghetti Nests, you don't need egg as binder for the pasta nest because you bake them in muffin tins
  4. This is optional- if you are filling your nests with “eggs” of cheese or meatballs, then go ahead and go ahead and bake for the next 20-25 minutes. If you are baking eggs to go with your nest, crack the egg into a separate bowl, and carefully pour one egg each into each of your wells that you made. Sprinkle each egg with a little bit of salt and pepper or Parmesan if you’d like.
    Spaghetti Nests, Recipe on Pechluck.Com. Fill with egg and bake, or bake on their own and fill with mozzarella cheese balls or meatballs. Fun for Easter! Spaghetti Nests, Recipe on Pechluck.Com. Fill with egg and bake, or bake on their own and fill with mozzarella cheese balls or meatballs. Fun for Easter! Spaghetti Nests, Recipe on Pechluck.Com. Fill with egg and bake, or bake on their own and fill with mozzarella cheese balls or meatballs. Fun for Easter!
  5. Bake your Spaghetti Nest for 20-25 minutes. If you are baking the nests with real eggs inside, check so that the eggs are just set with no uncooked whites surrounding the yolks, but it should still be liquidy yolk.
    Spaghetti Nests, Recipe on Pechluck.Com. Fill with egg and bake, or bake on their own and fill with mozzarella cheese balls or meatballs. Fun for Easter! Spaghetti Nests, Recipe on Pechluck.Com. Fill with egg and bake, or bake on their own and fill with mozzarella cheese balls or meatballs. Fun for Easter! Spaghetti Nests, Recipe on Pechluck.Com. Fill with egg and bake, or bake on their own and fill with mozzarella cheese balls or meatballs. Fun for Easter!
  6. Since the cooking time is close with or without the egg, you can choose to do partial batches with some with baked egg and some without, and then remove the baked egg when it’s ready if it’s done sooner and then put the rest back in to finish off. When you are ready to remove your nests, carefully using a spoon pop each of your nests out of each muffin tin.
  7. If you are filling your nests with “eggs” afterward, spoon a 1/2 tablespoon of sauce (either marinara or pesto) into each well after they are done baking and then add your cheese or meat ball. If you’d like to serve it the way Giada did, she put her cheese directly into the nest and put the sauce on the serving plate instead – both sound great to me!
    Spaghetti Nests, Recipe on Pechluck.Com. Fill with egg and bake, or bake on their own and fill with mozzarella cheese balls or meatballs. Fun for Easter! Spaghetti Nests, Recipe on Pechluck.Com. Fill with egg and bake, or bake on their own and fill with mozzarella cheese balls or meatballs. Fun for Easter!
  8. Serve your nests warm or at room temperature with a salad.

I hope you have a great Easter weekend. Are you planning on doing any special food or recipe for the holiday? Have you had spaghetti nests before, and what was it filled with?

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April Fool’s Recipe for Spaghetti Pie

March 23, 2015 by 12 Comments

I know April Fool’s Day, which is April 1, is not until next week, but next week is also Easter so I have to get this one done first!
Recipe for Spaghetti Pie for April Fool's day. It's a mashup between spaghetti and lasagna and a nod to the April Fool's joke of the Spaghetti Harvest in 1957

I admit the April Fool’s is a bit of a stretch here, since this looks like a pie yes,  but it’s pretty clear it’s not any type of regular dessert pie. But, I like the call back to my favorite on the Wikipedia list of April Fool’s jokes, the BBC’s Panorama Programme reporting about spaghetti crops in Switzerland.

I was also inspired to make this Recipe for Spaghetti Pie by this great recipe by Bobcatsteph3, which itself is a copycat recipe for Old Chicago Pizza and Taproom’s Oh My Spaghetti Pie. The description on the Old Chicago website describes this as “This Old Chicago exclusive starts with spaghetti tossed in Alfredo sauce made from scratch daily with Parmesan, mozzarella, Romano and provolone cheeses, topped with even more cheeses and slow-baked to toasty perfection. Served by the slice over our house marinara.”

This is a dish I have never had, and also a restaurant that I’ve never been to, even having lived in Chicago, because it doesn’t actually exist in Chicago – the 3 locations in Illinois are in Peoria,  Rockford and Champaign which are all significantly *outside* Chicago. There are 3 locations here in Portland though I’ve never been to any of those either! I’ve actually only seen Old Chicago when I’ve been in Colorado, which seems to be where they have the most franchise locations since they started out in Boulder in 1976.

While I respect the true alfredo used to make the pie in the BobcatSteph3 copycat recipe (and which Old Chicago Pizza probably makes in its own kitchen),  the “calories, schmalories” concern me too much so I did a different white sauce. I could have used the cauliflower alfredo that I shared in a previous recipe post, but this time I tried a different cheese mixture that uses low fat ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan along with Tofutti Sour Supreme (or you can use light or regular Sour Cream). If that sounds like something you might put into a lasagna, that’s where I got my other part of this inspiration.
Recipe for Spaghetti Pie for April Fool's day. It's a mashup between spaghetti and lasagna and a nod to the April Fool's joke of the Spaghetti Harvest in 1957 Recipe for Spaghetti Pie for April Fool's day. It's a mashup between spaghetti and lasagna and a nod to the April Fool's joke of the Spaghetti Harvest in 1957

And here I go again, making a savory pie (the last one I did was the bacon cheddar potato one using Michael Smith’s recipe). I think this pie serves 4-8 people depending on what else you are serving the slice on the plate with.

Recipe for Spaghetti Pie for April Fool's day. It's a mashup between spaghetti and lasagna so it's both creamy and tangy, and a nod to the April Fool's joke of the Spaghetti Harvest in 1957

Ingredients:

  • 20 ounces of spaghetti noodles (I did not use all of my 13.5 Oz box), cooked to al dente and drained from pasta water. It will cook again when you bake it, and further soften so it’s ok for it to be less than al dente. I personally like wheat or veggie noodles so mine are not the same color as normal noodles
  • 2 cups of  shredded mozzarella cheese (about 8 ounces)
  • 8 ounces ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
  • 8 ounces Tofutti Sour Supreme (or you can use light or regular sour cream – I think using 1 beaten egg would work too as the binding agent here for the cheese)
  • 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste
  • 4 cups of your own marinara sauce, be it from a jar or your version of homemade, your choice. I put quite a bit of red pepper in mine to make it spicy, you might consider adding mushrooms, or even your choice of crumbled meat if you don’t want it vegetarian

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. While the pasta is cooking to al dente, mix together the 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella, all 8 ounces of the ricotta, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan aka 1/4 cup (you will use the rest of the mozzarella and Parmesan for topping later), and all the Tofutti Sour Supreme/sour cream, Italian Seasoning, basil, garlic, and to taste the salt and pepper.
    Recipe for Spaghetti Pie for April Fool's day. It's a mashup between spaghetti and lasagna and a nod to the April Fool's joke of the Spaghetti Harvest in 1957. This cheese filling is a mix of shredded mozzarella, ricotta, Parmesan and sour cream with seasonings
  3. Mix the cheese sauce to the al dente spaghetti until it is well incorporated, and then place the cheese and spaghetti into the greased pie plate.
    Recipe for Spaghetti Pie for April Fool's day. It's a mashup between spaghetti and lasagna and a nod to the April Fool's joke of the Spaghetti Harvest in 1957 Recipe for Spaghetti Pie for April Fool's day. It's a mashup between spaghetti and lasagna and a nod to the April Fool's joke of the Spaghetti Harvest in 1957
  4. Cover the pie dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the pie briefly to spread the rest of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese that is left on top of that pie and then bake for another 10 minutes until the cheese is all melty. If you wanted to, you could add a bit of panko or breadcrumb while adding the mozzarella and Parmesan topping if you’d like a bit more crunch.
    Recipe for Spaghetti Pie for April Fool's day. It's a mashup between spaghetti and lasagna and a nod to the April Fool's joke of the Spaghetti Harvest in 1957 Recipe for Spaghetti Pie for April Fool's day. It's a mashup between spaghetti and lasagna and a nod to the April Fool's joke of the Spaghetti Harvest in 1957
  5. After you remove your spaghetti pie, let it cool for at least 10 minutes so it can solidify and stay together when you cut your pie slices.

To serve, make a layer of the red marinara sauce onto a plate, and then on top of that serve a slice of the spaghetti pie, sprinkle with a bit of fresh basil chiffonode or chopped basil or some crispy fried sage if you’d like. Or add another layer of sauce on top of your pie!
Recipe for Spaghetti Pie for April Fool's day. It's a mashup between spaghetti and lasagna and a nod to the April Fool's joke of the Spaghetti Harvest in 1957 "Recipe Recipe for Spaghetti Pie for April Fool's day. It's a mashup between spaghetti and lasagna and a nod to the April Fool's joke of the Spaghetti Harvest in 1957

I usually see this dish served with a side salad and also some garlic bread, which you can use to further dip into the sauce. The key here is that this mashup lasagna spaghetti dish is a taste of both creamy cheesy white and tangy (and in my case spicy) red sauce. Plus you are having spaghetti but without having to slurp it up and get the sauce on your face and clothing.
Recipe for Spaghetti Pie for April Fool's day. It's a mashup between spaghetti and lasagna and a nod to the April Fool's joke of the Spaghetti Harvest in 1957

Are you doing or making anything for April Fool’s Day? Have you ever had Spaghetti Pie or been to Old Chicago Pizza?

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