Now, you ask, why oh why would I give a pasta dish a french moniker? Simple. Classic french ingredients. Chevre, spinach, lavender buds… You can substitute more cream cheese for the chevre but it won ‘t be quite as tangy. If you can find a local dairy that makes homemade chevre then go for itl. That is what I use.

This is my entry to Presto Pasta for this week, hosted by Sara of I’m a Food Blog.

Pasta avec Trois Fromages

• 1 lb pasta, your choice, cooked and drained
• 4 oz. of fresh chevre
• 4 oz. of cream cheese
• 4 oz. raclette or mozzerella
• 1 lb fresh baby spinach
• 1/4 cup culinary grade lavender buds
• 1 1/2 cup half and half or raw goat’s milk
• 2 tbs unsalted butter
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 375F
2. Place the pasta in a buttered casserole.
3. Mix in the spinach, no need to cook.
4. Soften the chevre, cream cheese and raclette in the microwave and stir in the milk. Microwave until smooth.
5. Add the lavender buds, salt and pepper.Pour over the pasta.
6. Bake for 35 -40 minutes until top is crusty

serves 6

Post from: Baking Delights

This is my entry for Presto Pasta Night.  The host this week is Ivy of Kopiaste.  If you haven’t checked out her blog you should.  Why? Because it is always incredible, that’s why.

I am finding interesting and varied pasta shapes more and more in the local stores.  This may be old news to some of you but trust me, around here you just don’t get the variety that you do in other places.  Apparently that is changing, something for which I will foreve be grateful because I get bored easily.

I was making BBQ sandwiches, a perfectly respectable Texas dinner, when I realized that I didn’t feel like making french fries, didn’t have time to make potato salad, and didn’t want corn.  That pretty much leaves pasta, right?

So, I cooked these pasta wheels, tossed in some other ingredients and came up with something that could easily be a vegetarian main course as well as a nice side.

Pasta with Spinach and Chickpeas

1 lb pasta of choice, cooked

• 1 lb spinach, chopped
• 1/4 c olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 tsp chipotle, or red pepper flakes
• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan

1. Saute the chipotle, onion and garlic in the olive oil.  Don’t allow the garlic to caramelize or scorch.
2. Add the chickpeas and stir until warmed through.
3. Add the spinach and pasta and continue to stir until it is well mixed and the pasta is coated with the olive oil.
4. Serve with the Parmesan sprinkled over the top

About 6-8 servings

images: (c)Marye Audet 2009

Post from: Baking Delights

Let’s just get that solid right up front.  What I am about to share with you has nothing to do with the insipid, slimy gluey stuff that your parents used to force you to eat so that you could grow up big and strong like Popeye.  Nope.  No way.  This is rich and creamy, with so much flavor that your mouth almost explodes before the spoonful melts away leaving you with a deep desire to do that again.

Want a cigarette?

You can use frozen chopped spinach, or chop up two pounds of fresh spinanch.  This will make a 13 x 9 inch casserole dish full, so you can half the recipe if you don’t need 8-10 servings.  It freezes exceptionally well. Leftovers, if there are any, are a great filling for omelets and crepes.

• 2 lbs chopped spinach, frozen or fresh
• 2 onions, peeled and chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 lb. cream cheese
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup sour ceam
• 1/2 cup Parmesan, freshly grated
• salt to taste (about 1 1/2 teaspoons)
• pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. Steam spinach slightly in the microwave or thaw it if frozen.  Place in a greased casserole dish. Set aside.
3. Saute onion and garlic in the olive oil until they are beginning to caramelize. Stir into the spinach and ad salt and pepper.
4. Soften the cream cheese in the microwave.  Add the cream and sour cream and stir until smooth.  Stir in  1/4 cup of the Parmesan and quickly stir into the spinach mixture.
5. Sprinkle the top with the other 1/4 cup of Parmesan and bake for 30 minutes.

8-10 generous servings
images:(c) marye audet 2008

Post from: Baking Delights

I love spinach but several of my family members absolutely do not!

There is something about the combination of balsamic vinegar and bacon and spinach, though, that wakes up your taste buds and lets them know that you know what you are doing.

This recipe goes together fast and easy.  If you can’t make homemade croutons then use good sour dough croutons from the store.  I used a combination of baby greens in this recipe with really good results as well.

SERVES 8

• 1/4 lb bacon
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 c balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 3 pounds fresh spinach
• 2 cups sour- dough croutons (homemade is best)

Heat the oil in a large skillet and add the bacon and the onion.  Saute, stirring until the bacon is crisp and the onions begin to caramelize.  Stir in the spinach and balsamic vinegar.  Cook for three to five minutes until spinach is wilted. Salt and pepper to taste, stir in the croutons, and serve.

image:marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights