Pappa al Pomodoro

Menu:
Pappa al Pomodoro || Tales of Me and the Husband via Ina Garten
Super Greens Salad with Pomegranate

Ingredients ////
1/2 cup good olive oil
2 cups chopped yellow onion (2 onions)
1 cup medium-diced carrots, unpeeled (3 carrots)
1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and medium-diced (1 1/2 cups)
4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
3 cups (1-inch) diced ciabatta cubes, crusts removed
2 (28-ounce) cans good Italian plum tomatoes (whoops, I only used 1 -- it was still great)
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

For the croutons:
3 cups (1-inch) diced ciabatta cubes
2 ounces thickly sliced pancetta, chopped (I used 4 oz.-- why not?)
24 to 30 whole fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons good olive oil, plus more for serving
Salt and pepper

Directions ///
Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, fennel, and garlic and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until tender. Add the ciabatta cubes and cook for 5 more minutes. Place the tomatoes in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process just until coarsely chopped. Add the tomatoes to the pot along with the chicken stock, red wine, basil, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and allow to simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. For the topping, place the ciabatta cubes, pancetta, and basil on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss well. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, until all the ingredients are crisp. The basil leaves will turn dark and crisp, which is perfectly fine. Reheat the soup, if necessary, beat with a wire whisk until the bread is broken up. Stir in the Parmesan and taste for seasoning. Serve hot sprinkled with the topping and drizzled with additional olive oil.

Grilled Chicken, Watermelon Feta Salad

Menu:
Grilled Chicken
Watermelon, Feta, Basil Salad
Späetzle

NOTE: For the salad, simply mix ingredients together. Nothing else. Easy and delicious.

Whole Wheat Pasta with Asparagus, Peas, Feta and Mint

Menu:
Whole Wheat Pasta with Asparagus, Peas, Feta and Mint || Vegetarian Times, April 2009

Whole Wheat Pasta with Asparagus, Peas, Feta and Mint
Serves 6 (or 4 hungry people)

12 oz. whole-wheat pasta shells
1 lb. asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 ½ cups fresh or frozen baby peas
2 Tbs. garlic oil, such as Garlic Gold (NOTE: I did not have this so used olive oil and garlic)
3 green onions, thinly sliced (⅓ cup)
1 cup sliced fresh basil
½ cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
1 Tbs. grated lemon zest
3 oz. feta cheese, crumbled (¾ cup)

1. Bring large pot of water to a boil. Add asparagus, and cook 4 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Remove asparagus with slotted spoon; transfer to serving bowl.

2. Add pasta to boiling water; cook 5 minutes. Add peas, return water to a boil, and cook 2 minutes. Drain pasta and peas, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water, and return pasta and peas to pot. Stir in reserved cooking water, asparagus, garlic oil, green onions, basil, mint, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper, if desired; transfer back to serving bowl; and sprinkle with feta cheese, if using.

NOTE: Even the boys, who say they don't like pasta, had seconds of this.

Pizza Night

Menu:
Cheese Pizza
White Pizza (with ricotta, parmesan, mozzarella, mixed herbs and garlic)