Tag: parmesan cheese

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Main Dish

This pasta will give ’em ‘pumpkin’ to talk about

Creamy pumpkin pasta can be made with canned or fresh pumpkin puree and features sage and garlic, along with parmesan cheese to create a delicious, fall-flavor-filled dinner.
Creamy pumpkin pasta can be made with canned or fresh pumpkin puree and features sage and garlic, along with parmesan cheese to create a delicious, fall-flavor-filled dinner.

I am always amazed at how many different kinds of pumpkins and gourds you can find this time of year.

In my mind, a lot of the stranger ones are merely for decoration, but after some recent research, I discovered that many of them are actually supposed to be pretty tasty. It was that research that led me to grabbing a white pumpkin at our local grocery store.

As I put it in the cart, Joey looked at me, eyebrow raised, but he didn’t ask. He knows better by now that sometimes I buy an ingredient and let the recipe come later.

And, as per usual, a recipe finally came along for my pumpkin. It’s designed for a normal, orange pumpkin, but I learned that white pumpkins can be used the same was as orange ones—they just aren’t as strong in flavor.

The recipe I tried comes from the blog “Cooking with Ateen.” You can find the original post at https://www.cookingwithateen.com/creamy-pumpkin-pasta/. I added extra garlic and sage in my version, and I also incorporated some smoked sausage.

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Creamy Pumpkin Pasta

Creamy pumpkin pasta can be made with canned or fresh pumpkin puree and features sage and garlic, along with parmesan cheese to create a delicious, fall-flavor-filled dinner.
Course Main Course
Keyword 30-minute meal, fall meal, fresh garlic, grated parmesan cheese, minced garlic, nutmeg, parmesan cheese, pumpkin, pumpkin puree, rigatoni pasta, roasted pumpkin, sage, smoked sausage

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces rigatoni pasta or another tubular pasta
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 teaspoons dried sage
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 12 ounces smoked sausage cut into bite-sized rounds
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 cup milk I used skim, but whole is preferred
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan plus more for serving

Instructions

  • Prepare the pasta according to package instructions, and be sure to save about one cup of the pasta water when you drain it.
  • When the pasta is about halfway done, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
  • Add the sage, garlic and sausage, and saute for a couple minutes, just until the garlic begins to be fragrant and the sausage starts to get a little color on it.
  • Add in the pumpkin, salt, pepper and nutmeg, and continue stirring, letting the puree reduce a little bit.
  • Stir in the milk, and continue stirring constantly as the ingredients incorporate. Let the mixture reduce to your liking, and stir in the cooked pasta, coating it in the sauce.
  • If the sauce is a bit thick or not sticking to the pasta, add just a touch of the pasta water, stirring between additions, until it’s at your desired consistency.
  • Finally, remove the pan from the heat, stir in the parmesan until it is melted, and serve, topping the pasta with a bit more grated parmesan.

I roasted my pumpkin in the oven and then pureed it in my food processor, but you can also use canned pumpkin for this one, if you don’t want to make your own.

This pasta was the epitome of fall flavor, with the sage and garlic complimenting the light pumpkin flavor. And while I decided to supplement with some smoked sausage, you could easily leave that out and have a great vegetarian dish to enjoy, too.

And this little experiment with a holiday pumpkin has led to me thinking I need to get one of those weird, warty ones next and see what I can do with it. Oh, and I learned you can roast white pumpkin seeds, too. What can be better than that?

This piece first appeared in print Nov. 13, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

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Main Dish

Oh my squash! A fresh, simple dish will wow your dinner guests

Garlic parmesan summer squash pasta is a great light summer recipe that features fresh basil and summer squash that is lightly seasoned and served with a from-scratch parmesan sauce.
Garlic parmesan summer squash pasta is a great light summer recipe that features fresh basil and summer squash that is lightly seasoned and served with a from-scratch parmesan sauce.

For two days last week, a huge, beautiful summer squash graced my kitchen counter.

It took me a bit of time to mull over what I wanted to do with it.

I hunted the Internet for ideas, finding lots of savory applications, as well as a few sweet ones I could use it in, but I finally landed on a recipe that I decided I must try.

First, it looked insanely quick to make, and since we’ve been meeting ourselves coming and going lately, that was very appealing.

Second, I only had to fire up my stovetop, and with the temperatures being in the triple digits lately, I was extremely happy to leave my oven alone.

The recipe I landed on comes from the blog “Food Meld” by Jackson Walker. You can find the original post at https://foodmeld.com/garlic-parmesan-summer-squash-pasta/. I added extra garlic in my version.

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Garlic Parmesan Summer Squash Pasta

Garlic parmesan summer squash pasta is a great light summer recipe that features fresh basil and summer squash that is lightly seasoned and served with a from-scratch parmesan sauce.
Course Main Course
Keyword easy meal, fettuccine, fresh basil, fresh garlic, light lunch, linguine, minced garlic, parmesan cheese, spaghetti, summer squash, vegetarian, yellow squash

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces long pasta I used fettuccine
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 medium yellow summer squash sliced thinly
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil torn into pieces
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

  • Boil the pasta according to the box directions, and be sure to reserve at least one cup of the pasta water.
  • While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet.
  • When the oil is hot, add the squash, and saute for several minutes until it is soft and just starting to brown. Add in the garlic, salt and pepper, and saute until the garlic starts to become fragrant.
  • Add the drained pasta, parmesan, basil and about one-quarter cup of the reserved pasta water, and stir to combine and melt the cheese. If you want your sauce looser and creamier, add a little more pasta water, stirring between each addition, until you have the consistency you like.
  • Remove the skillet from the heat, and stir in the lemon juice. Serve immediately.

This was a very simple, lightly seasoned dish that I really liked. I wasn’t sure about the lemon juice, but it just acted as a flavor enhancer. You couldn’t detect it on its own.

The combination of the parmesan and garlic, along with the squash made for a really nice, light meal, despite being a pasta dish.

If you wanted to make it a heartier meal, adding some grilled chicken breast would be good, too.

And now that I have my big list of squash recipes, I’m probably going to need to grab another one…or two…before the summer is over. The good news is that with summer gardens in full bloom, I’m guessing it won’t be too hard to find.

This piece first appeared in print July 31, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish Side Dish

Prepare to be mesme‘riced’ by creamy risotto

Red pepper risotto features roasted red bell peppers that melt with fresh parmesan into a creamy, delicious dish that can be paired with everything from mushrooms to shrimp to sausage for dinner.
Red pepper risotto features roasted red bell peppers that melt with fresh parmesan into a creamy, delicious dish that can be paired with everything from mushrooms to shrimp to sausage for dinner.

Joey and I have a shared joke when we go out to eat about which one of us “won” dinner, especially when we’re trying someplace new.

A few weeks ago, Joey definitely won. He ordered a special that included fish (which I was not all that interested in) on top of an absolutely amazing mushroom and roasted red pepper risotto.

It was creamy and flavorful, and before we pulled into the driveway at home, I had already managed to find a similar-looking recipe online to try.

Plus, this crossed something off my food bucket list, since the first time I tried to make risotto, it ended up being a little crunchy and not the deliciously creamy rice dish it was supposed to be. This was going to be my risotto redemption.

I found this recipe on the blog “The Genetic Chef” by Natalie Gregory. You can find the original post at https://www.thegeneticchef.com/red-pepper-risotto/. I added extra garlic in my version.

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Red Pepper Risotto

Red pepper risotto features roasted red bell peppers that melt with fresh parmesan into a creamy, delicious dish that can be paired with everything from mushrooms to shrimp to sausage for dinner.
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Keyword apple butter, Arborio rice, chicken stock, dry white wine, fresh garlic, minced garlic, parmesan cheese, red bell pepper, red wine vinegar, risotto, sweet onion, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 2 large red bell peppers
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 4 cups chicken stock divided
  • 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 3 teaspoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • About 20 to 30 minutes before you’re ready to start the risotto, line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the whole peppers on it.
  • Turn your oven broiler on high, and place the peppers under it, letting the peppers char. Turn them to char them on all sides. (Watch them carefully.)
  • When they’re charred all the way around, carefully place them in a glass bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it set until they’re cool enough to handle easily.
  • When you’re ready to start, pull off as much of the charred skin as you can, slice the peppers into quarters and remove the stem and seeds.
  • Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, and saute until they are soft but not browned. Stir in the garlic and saute for a couple minutes.
  • While the onions cook, add the peppers and approximately half of the stock to a food processor or blender. Blend until the mixture is smooth.
  • Pour the rice into the skillet with the onions, and stir to coat it in the remaining oil.
  • Turn the heat to medium-high, and pour in the wine. Stirring regularly, let the wine completely evaporate, and then add in the pepper/stock mixture.
  • Pour the rest of the stock into the food processor/blender cup to rinse the rest of the peppers out of it, and pour it into the skillet, as well.
  • Add salt and pepper, to taste.
  • Stir in the red wine vinegar.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil, and then lower the heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally and letting it cook for 20 minutes.
  • Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the butter and parmesan. Add more salt and pepper, if desired.
  • We sauteed some sliced baby bella mushrooms and shrimp and served that on top of our risotto to make it a full meal.

This was really, really good. Roasting the peppers added a ton of flavor to the dish, and the risotto came out creamy and starchy and delicious. It was a great pairing for the shrimp and mushrooms.

It would also be great if you wanted to slice up and saute some rope sausage. Also, if you’re into spice, you might want to add some cayenne pepper or some red pepper flakes to kick it up a notch.

I told Joey this would have to make an appearance for a dinner party sometime. It felt luxurious and was a great meal.

Joey might have “won” dinner when we were out at the restaurant, but we were both winners while eating this risotto at home—and we didn’t even need to leave a tip.

This piece first appeared in print March 27, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

Mac and cheese a ‘grate’ way to eat your veggies

Brussels sprouts go from being a health food to a roasty compliment to melty rich cheeses in this decadent mac and cheese recipe.
Brussels sprouts go from being a health food to a roasty compliment to melty rich cheeses in this decadent mac and cheese recipe.

I’ve been going through a strange Brussels sprouts obsession lately.

I’m sure there’s something in my Pinterest algorithm that is driving that obsession, but honestly, I’m not mad at it.

Unfortunately, while it might be adding a few extra vitamins to my system, the overall effect of the recipe I chose to try this week is decidedly not health food—unless you count it as being good for the soul.

This comes from Grace Elkus on the food blog “The Kitchn.” You can find the original post at https://www.thekitchn.com/sheet-pan-mac-cheese-brussels-sprouts-23215360. I added spices and pasta in my version.

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Brussels Sprouts Mac and Cheese

Brussels sprouts go from being a health food to a roasty compliment to melty rich cheeses in this decadent mac and cheese recipe.
Course Main Course
Keyword Brussels sprouts, cayenne, fresh garlic, garlic powder, gruyere, mac and cheese, mustard powder, panko, parmesan cheese, sharp white cheddar, sheet pan meal

Ingredients

  • about 1 pound Brussels sprouts halved
  • 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 16 ounces cavatappi pasta
  • 4 ounces Gruyere cheese shredded by hand
  • 4 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese shredded by hand
  • 1 ounce parmesan cheese shredded by hand
  • 6 tablespoons butter divided
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 rounded teaspoon ground mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 3 cups milk I used 1 percent
  • 1/2 cup panko

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  • Prepare a large, rimmed baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil. Spread the Brussels sprouts onto the sheet, and drizzle them with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix them with a spoon or your hands to coat them, and then, being sure to spread them out as much as possible, place the sheet in the oven and let the sprouts roast for about 15 minutes, stirring halfway through, until they are fork tender. When they are done, remove them from the oven, and set them aside.
  • While the sprouts roast, prepare the cavatappi in a large pot or Dutch oven, according to package instructions, and shred the cheeses. (You can combine the Gruyere and white cheddar while you do this, but keep the parmesan separate.)
  • When the pasta is done, drain it and set it aside.
  • Return the empty pot to the stove over medium heat and add five tablespoons of the butter. Once it is melted, whisk in the flour, garlic powder, ground mustard and cayenne. Continue to whisk it constantly until the mixture starts to foam a bit. As you whisk, slowly pour in the milk and continue whisking until everything is dissolved into the liquid.
  • Turn the heat up just a smidgeon and continue whisking regularly so the milk doesn’t scald, and let the mixture come up to a simmer (that moment just before it’s going to start boiling). Reduce the heat back down to low, still whisking regularly, and let the mixture reduce just a bit. It’s ready when it coats the back of a spoon. (This took me somewhere around 7 or 8 minutes.)
  • Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the Gruyere and white cheddar, mixing until it is completely melted. Add some salt and pepper, to taste. Once the sauce is flavored to your liking, stir in the pasta and sprouts, coating everything.
  • Dump everything onto the baking sheet you used for the sprouts, and spread it out evenly.
  • Turn the broiler in your oven to high.
  • Add the last tablespoon of butter to a microwave-safe bowl. Melt the butter in the microwave, and then stir in the parmesan and panko until everything is well combined. Sprinkle the panko mixture evenly over the top of the mac and cheese, and place the pan in the oven for a couple minutes, keeping a close eye on it, until the panko is lightly browned.
  • Serve immediately.

This was decadent and delicious. Having the roasted sprouts mixed in with the rich cheeses elevated this far above normal mac and cheese, and I thought it looked really pretty, too.

It made a lot of food, and it did reheat well for leftovers later, too, which I was excited about.

I don’t think this quite cured my Brussels sprouts obsession. In fact, I may have started a new mac and cheese obsession instead.

I guess you can’t win them all.

This piece first appeared in print March 6, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

Put all your egg(plant)s in one pot this summer

One pot sausage and eggplant pasta features tons of fresh summer vegetables—eggplant, zucchini and spinach—along with sweet Italian sausage and plenty of garlic and parmesan. It’s a great meal for the summer months.
One pot sausage and eggplant pasta features tons of fresh summer vegetables—eggplant, zucchini and spinach—along with sweet Italian sausage and plenty of garlic and parmesan. It’s a great meal for the summer months.

According to a recent Almanac.com article by Doreen G. Howard, we should all be gearing up for Aug. 8: National Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Day.

And, apparently, someone who knows all of us at the newspaper office love fresh vegetables was celebrating early. We recently found a large box of delicious garden-grown goodies, with no hint of who left it, sitting in front of our office door.

As a non-gardener myself, I was especially happy to share in the bounty, which included some gorgeous eggplants, along with some gigantic zucchini.

So, if you find yourself a recipient of someone else’s hard work or are a gardener yourself, I wanted to give you a new recipe to try with those summer veggies, and as a bonus, not only does this not require using your oven, it also only uses one pot. Win-win.

This comes from the blog “The Busy Foodie.” You can find the original post at https://thebusyfoodie.com/sausage-and-eggplant-pasta. I doubled the recipe to make using up ingredients a bit simpler. I also added extra garlic in my version.

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One Pot Sausage and Eggplant Pasta

One pot sausage and eggplant pasta features tons of fresh summer vegetables—eggplant, zucchini and spinach—along with sweet Italian sausage and plenty of garlic and parmesan. It’s a great meal for the summer months.
Course Main Course
Keyword bowtie pasta, eggplant, garlic, one-pot dinner, parmesan cheese, pasta, red pepper flakes, sweet Italian sausage, zucchini

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound sweet Italian sausage casings removed
  • 10 to 12 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 large zucchini diced
  • 1 large eggplant peeled and diced
  • 16 ounces bowtie pasta
  • 5 cups hot water
  • 6 ounces fresh baby spinach
  • 8 ounces parmesan freshly grated
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
  • Once the oil is hot, add in the sausage, breaking it apart as it browns. Once it is cooked through, toss in the garlic and red pepper flakes. Saute for just a couple of minutes before adding the zucchini and eggplant.
  • Stir regularly until the veggies are soft, and add in the pasta, along with the hot water. Stir to combine all the ingredients, and turn the heat to high. Once the water boils, turn the heat back to medium-high, keeping the mixture at a simmer. Stir regularly to keep the pasta from sticking, letting it cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until the pasta is cooked through and most of the water is gone from the pot.
  • Once the pasta is done, stir in the spinach and parmesan. Stir until the cheese is melted and everything is well combined. Stir in salt and pepper, and serve hot.

This was really nice. It had the saltiness of the parmesan, the freshness of all the vegetables and the little zings of spice from the sausage.

It was a simple meal, perfect for lunch, and it made plenty more for us to put in the fridge for leftovers later in the week.

I’d like to say a thank you to our mystery gardener, who blessed us with the fruits of their labor, but I also implore the rest of our readers: please don’t all of you go dropping zucchini in front of our office door on Aug. 8. There’s way more of you than there are of us.

This piece first appeared in print on July 18, 2024.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

The delicious smell of this dish will ‘bacon’ everyone to your kitchen

This buttery bacon and peas pasta is a great summer meal, with tons of flavor without feeling super heavy. Serve it alongside some summer veggies, and it’s a delicious dish to put on the table for a hot day.
This buttery bacon and peas pasta is a great summer meal, with tons of flavor without feeling super heavy. Serve it alongside some summer veggies, and it’s a delicious dish to put on the table for a hot day.

“Lindsey, you don’t have to cook. I would have DoorDashed something for lunch,” our young, Gen Z houseguest told me as I fired up my stove this week.

I mean, yeah, I guess I could have let him do that, but where’s the fun in eating lukewarm fast food in your own home when you have a new person to try a recipe out on?

I assured him that not only did I not mind cooking, but he was about to become one in a long line of my guinea pigs for new recipes. He didn’t argue with me too much.

As I flipped through my possible meal choices, I knew I wanted to stick to something that was filling without feeling overly heavy and definitely something that avoided preheating my oven, if I could help it.

I landed on a pasta dish that, while certainly not light by calorie or flavor standards, really fit the bill for lunch on a hot day, and it even sported just a little bit of green veggies so we could pretend we weren’t eating copious amounts of delicious butter and bacon sauce.

This recipe comes from the blog “Serving Dumplings” by Anna Chwistek. You can find her original post at https://www.servingdumplings.com/recipe/orecchiette-with-crispy-pancetta-and-peas/. I added extra seasoning in my version below, along with changing up some of the amounts of other ingredients.

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Buttery Bacon and Peas Pasta

This buttery bacon and peas pasta is a great summer meal, with tons of flavor without feeling super heavy. Serve it alongside some summer veggies, and it’s a delicious dish to put on the table for a hot day.
Course Main Course
Keyword bacon, bread crumbs, butter, frozen peas, garlic, minced garlic, orecchiette, pancetta, panko, parmesan, parmesan cheese, parsley, peas, red pepper flakes, summer lunch, summer pasta, thick-cut bacon, thick-sliced bacon

Ingredients

Pasta Ingredients

  • 16 ounces orecchiette pasta or another small pasta shape
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 12 ounces thick-sliced bacon or pancetta diced
  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
  • 12 ounces frozen peas
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup parmesan freshly grated

Topping Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 cup panko
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 3-4 tablespoons parmesan freshly grated
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Cook the pasta according to package instructions, saving about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid when you drain it.
  • While the pasta cooks, prepare the topping. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, stir in the panko, and stir continuously, sauteing for several minutes until the panko is golden brown.
  • Transfer the panko to a bowl and stir in the parsley, parmesan, salt and pepper. Set it aside.
  • In the same large skillet, begin preparing the pasta part of the dish by heating the olive oil and butter over medium heat.
  • Add the diced bacon and saute until it’s cooked through. Add the garlic and saute for another minute and then add in the frozen peas, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir occasionally, letting the peas thaw and everything meld for about three or four minutes.
  • Add in the cooked orecchiette, parmesan and about half of the reserved cooking water. Stir until everything is well coated and the cheese is melted. If you need a little more liquid, use the rest of the water. This will not be a thick, creamy sauce. Instead, you’ll have a light, delicious coating.
  • Serve the pasta hot, with a nice sprinkling of the panko mixture on top.

Like I said, this is decidedly not a healthy recipe (you’ll notice that none of the bacon fat is drained off, for instance), but it was really, really good, and our teenage visitor even went back for seconds.

The flavor of the bacon and butter, alongside the brightness from the peas was a great summer lunch. I also paired it with a simple side of sauteed zucchini and summer squash to try to get a few vitamins into our lives.

It is a little on the drier side when you reheat this, but I didn’t mind it. If that’s not really your cup of tea, you could always melt a little more butter to stir into it when you eat it for leftovers.

I would say making a from-scratch meal is certainly not as easy as firing up Door Dash, but I don’t think any of us would have gotten a meal like that from an app.

This piece first appeared in print on July 4, 2024.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

Don’t be ‘alfredo’ trying from-scratch pasta sauce

Alfredo sauce is very simple to make with just a few ingredients and can go from the stovetop to the table in under 20 minutes.
Alfredo sauce is very simple to make with just a few ingredients and can go from the stovetop to the table in under 20 minutes.

It’s amazing what people will passionately debate about online.

Recently, I watched a video that started with two Italians explaining that they were going to show people how to make real alfredo sauce. The rest of the video was another creator trying out the dish, and from his reaction, I knew I had to give it a shot.

Of course, before that, I read some of the comments, and people were up in arms about whether or not fettuccine alfredo is really Italian or is an American invention.

I had to do some research, and I found an article by Francesco Dama entitled “Italian or American? The truth about fettuccine alfredo” that claims that the Italians created the dish and some American actors in the 1920s helped make it famous.

After reading the article, it was clear that the ingredients used for this particular recipe were, indeed, the ones used by the dish’s creator, aptly named Alfredo.

The recipe I tried comes from content creator Corey Bonalewicz. You can find his videos on Instagram @iamcoreyb. His website is coreyb.com. I added salt and pepper to my version and added the amounts for the ingredients.

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Alfredo Sauce

Alfredo sauce is very simple to make with just a few ingredients and can go from the stovetop to the table in under 20 minutes.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword butter, easy dinner, fettuccine, grated parmesan cheese, linguine, parmesan cheese, parmesan-reggiano

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces fettuccine or linguine noodles
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Cook your noodles according to package instructions. When they’re done, be sure to reserve a couple cups of pasta water.
  • While the noodles cook, spread the butter onto the bottom of a large serving bowl and grate your cheese.
  • When the noodles are done, put the hot, drained noodles into the serving bowl and mix until the butter is melted and evenly distributed onto the noodles. Next, stir in the cheese. Add about one-quarter cup of the hot pasta water and stir.
  • Add more water, a little at a time, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is the consistency you want.
  • Serve immediately.

I made the rookie mistake of buying pre-shredded parmesan for this, and it was disastrously difficult to get it to smoothly melt into the sauce. It was still good, but I will definitely make this again with cheese I grate myself. If you’re not aware, pre-shredded cheese normally has an additive to keep it from clumping, which makes it tough to melt smoothly.

That being said, the flavor was on point for this, and I really enjoyed it. To make it a full meal, I sauteed some onions, bell peppers and spicy rope sausage to serve over the pasta, and it was great.

And whether you think fettuccine alfredo is a true Italian dish or something Americans came up with, it’s still delicious, and that’s really all that matters.

This piece first appeared in print on March 21, 2024.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Air Fryer Main Dish Side Dish

It’s time to sprout a new opinion of the old Brussels

Parmesan Brussels sprouts are a great side dish or vegetarian main dish, with a great combination of herbs and spices and a lightly salty cheese.
Parmesan Brussels sprouts are a great side dish or vegetarian main dish, with a great combination of herbs and spices and a lightly salty cheese.

As a child, I remember Brussels sprouts as being held up as the epitome of gross vegetables on every kids’ show I watched. The mere mention of the little green vegetable made actors and cartoon characters wrinkle their noses in disgust.

As an adult, I love Brussels sprouts. I figured it was just due to kids not liking vegetables and me having a better palate now that I’m grown up, but then I came across a 2019 report from National Public Radio that explains that Brussels sprouts actually are tastier than they were when I was in grade school.

According to the story, a seed producer in the Netherlands set out to breed a much less bitter version of the plant in the 1990s, and once they perfected the new sprouts, consumers couldn’t get enough. Demand for Brussels sprouts have reached an all-time high.

So, if you’re wrinkling your nose at this week’s recipe, thanks to bad childhood memories, don’t. It’s time to give Brussels sprouts a try once again.

The recipe I tried this week comes from the blog “TropRockin.com” by Tammy Camp. You can find the original post at https://www.troprockin.com/air-fryer-brussels-sprouts/. I tripled the spices and doubled the cheese in my version. I also added oven directions in addition to the author’s air fryer directions.

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Parmesan Brussels Sprouts

Parmesan Brussels sprouts are a great side dish or vegetarian main dish, with a great combination of herbs and spices and a lightly salty cheese.
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Keyword air fryer, Brussels sprouts, garlic powder, paprika, parmesan cheese, thyme

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Brussels sprouts halved
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated

Instructions

  • Clean and trim your Brussels sprouts, and then dry them as much as you can with a paper towel.
  • In a bowl, stir the oil, paprika, garlic powder, thyme, salt and pepper until everything is well combined. Add your halved Brussels sprouts to the bowl and stir until they are evenly coated in the seasonings.
  • If you want to make these in an air fryer, preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees. Place your sprouts in a single layer and cook for eight to 10 minutes, stirring halfway through, until they reach your desired tenderness. Drop the temperature to 320 degrees, sprinkle the parmesan cheese on the sprouts, and cook for another two minutes to melt the cheese.
  • If you’re making these in the oven, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and place your sprouts in a single layer on the sheet. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring halfway through, until they reach your desired tenderness. Sprinkle the parmesan over the top of the sprouts, and cook for another couple of minutes until the cheese is melted.
  • Serve immediately.

These were delicious. I like to roast my Brussels sprouts until they’re starting to get a little crispy around the edges and are fork tender.

And, after this great meal, I’d like to personally thank the Dutch horticulturist who saved Brussels sprouts’ reputation and put them back on menus all over the world. Generations of children (and adults) are in your debt.

This piece first appeared in print on Dec. 21, 2023.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

Say ‘oky gnocchi’ to trying this creamy pasta dish

Ground beef gnocchi features a creamy tomato sauce with slightly salty fresh parmesan and tons of Italian seasonings to make this the a fabulous cool-weather dish.
Ground beef gnocchi features a creamy tomato sauce with slightly salty fresh parmesan and tons of Italian seasonings to make this the a fabulous cool-weather dish.

International cuisine website “Saveur” features an article called “Pasta’s Predecessor: The History of Gnocchi,” that I found really interesting when trying to figure out how the little potato dumplings came to be.

As with all traditional foods, there is controversy about where in Italy the dish originated, as well as when it was first developed, but according to the article, there are references to gnocchi all the way back to the Renaissance, which is pretty neat.

Historical gnocchi was made with a variety of ingredients, and if you start searching, you’ll find modern chefs love to play with it, too.

I really like cooking with gnocchi, because it is incredibly easy to prepare and adds some great, soft texture to a pasta dish.

That’s why I had to give this week’s recipe a try when I spotted it online. It looked like the perfect cool-weather dinner meal to sample.

This comes from the blog “Salt & Lavender.” You can find the original post at https://www.saltandlavender.com/ground-beef-gnocchi/. I added extra seasonings in my version.

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Ground Beef Gnocchi

Ground beef gnocchi features a creamy tomato sauce with slightly salty fresh parmesan and tons of Italian seasonings to make this the a fabulous cool-weather dish.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword basil, diced tomatoes, easy dinner, garlic, gnocchi, ground beef, heavy cream, minced garlic, one-pan dinner, one-pot dinner, oregano, parmesan cheese, parsley, potato gnocchi, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 small onion diced (I used yellow)
  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 14- ounce can Italian-style diced tomatoes undrained
  • 1/3 cup chicken broth or water
  • 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 pound potato gnocchi uncooked
  • 1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • In a large skillet with a lid, saute the ground beef and the onions over medium heat, crumbling the beef as it cooks.
  • Once the ground beef is fully cooked and the onions are soft, drain of any excess grease from the pan.
  • Stir in the garlic, oregano, basil, parsley, salt and pepper, and saute for just a couple of minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
  • Pour in the can of diced tomatoes, broth/water and heavy cream, and stir until combined. When the mixture begins bubbling slightly, stir in the gnocchi.
  • Place the lid on the pan, turning the heat to low-medium, and let it simmer for five minutes.
  • Remove the lid and stir again, letting the sauce reduce a bit for a few minutes.
  • Once the sauce is as thick as you like it and the gnocchi is soft, stir in the parmesan and serve immediately.

This was creamy and delicious. It was basically impossible to avoid getting seconds. All of the Italian seasonings melded with the richness of the gnocchi and the light saltiness of the parmesan to create a fabulous meal.

I’m guessing the use of store-bought tomatoes and dried herbs wasn’t quite what the originators of gnocchi had in mind when they first created the dumplings, but I’d also wager they would be pretty happy with the outcome if they gave it a taste.

This piece first appeared in print on Nov. 2, 2023.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Side Dish

You have my ‘parmesan’ to treat yourself to potatoes this weekend

Crispy Mexican potatoes feature lots of traditional Mexican flavors, making them just a little spicy with a crispy, cheesy bottom and a creamy interior. They are a great side dish for a variety of meals.
Crispy Mexican potatoes feature lots of traditional Mexican flavors, making them just a little spicy with a crispy, cheesy bottom and a creamy interior. They are a great side dish for a variety of meals.

“What makes them Mexican potatoes?” a friend asked as he scooped my latest food experiment onto his paper plate in our backyard.

“I think it’s just the spices that put it in that category,” I told him.

He looked at me quizzically and only grabbed a few.

But after finishing off that first spoonful and going in for a second, I think it was safe to say he didn’t really care if there was a national origin to this side dish or not—they were a hit.

It was a couple weekends ago that Joey fired up his smoker and we invited some people over to eat with us and enjoy the truckload of food we prepared. It’s always more fun to enjoy meals like that with friends, and this one was no exception.

And this potato side dish was a great addition to the meal.

The recipe I tried comes from the blog, “Bites with Bri” by Brianna May. You can find the original post at https://biteswithbri.com/mexican-potato-recipe/. I added extra spices in my version below.

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Crispy Mexican Potatoes

Crispy Mexican potatoes feature lots of traditional Mexican flavors, making them just a little spicy with a crispy, cheesy bottom and a creamy interior. They are a great side dish for a variety of meals.
Course Side Dish
Keyword barbecue side dish, black pepper, chili powder, cumin, easy side dish, garlic powder, Mexican, onion powder, oregano, paprika, parmesan cheese, yellow potatoes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds small yellow potatoes halved
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 2 teaspoon cumin
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese use the real stuff, not the stuff in a can

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside (I tried using foil, and it was tough to remove the potatoes. I think parchment is a better way to go.)
  • Make sure the potato skins are dry after washing them before proceeding with coating them in seasonings. Just pat them with a paper towel.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the potatoes, oil and spices. Stir well to completely coat the potatoes.
  • Press the cut side of each potato into the shredded parmesan and place it, cut side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat, spacing the potatoes just slightly apart.
  • Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
  • Transfer hot potatoes to a serving dish and serve immediately.

I wish I could tell you how these reheated for leftovers, but we didn’t have any of those. These taters went quickly, and if I do this side for another barbecue where we’re expecting more people, I will definitely double the recipe.

These were just a little spicy. You can always decrease or cut out the chili powder if that’s not your thing, but we really enjoyed them. The crispy cheese, creamy potato and Mexican spices all go together perfectly and were perfect along with the smoked chicken Joey made as the main course.

I still can’t tell you if they really qualify as a “Mexican” dish, but I can tell you nobody will care much once their mouths are full.

This piece first appeared in print on July 20, 2023.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

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