I’ve been waiting to post this one for a while now.  I didn’t want to let the cat out of the bag yet.

I don’t share all that much about my personal life on this blog.  It’s about the food for me.  But, I feel strongly about this one, so I figured I would share it with all of you, my friends through the internet.

Some of you may know that I had been traveling cross country the past few months, interviewing at several different places for my final, real, grown-up job.  Hectic?  Just a smidge.  After going through all this training (ahem, student loans galore….), I wanted to make the right decision when it came to finally settling down somewhere for a while.  Get my roots, you know?  And after some pretty extensive turmoil over the past four years or so of my life, I was ready to finally go ahead and get my big girl pants on….find a job…negotiate a contract…uproot myself (again) on my own (with a package deal of one fat orange cat, one petite and prissy black cat, and one lovable, sweet sweet boxer..) and start the next phase of my life.

And, so I did.  I’m moving to Milwaukee, friends!  So, starting in July, expect a lot more recipes that call for beer and/or cheese.  I’m going to a great practice with great people, and I will get to do my dream job…everyday.  It’s rare that opportunities like this come up for people in my field, so I am running with one.

To celebrate, I wanted to share a recipe with cheese.  Lots of it.  Something comforting.  Something rewarding.  I indulged at the market with the truffle oil.  I had passed by the white truffle oils several times, giving them a sideways glance and wondering what all the fuss was about.  And, as in fuss, I mean a small bottle costing nearly $20.  My grocery bills are exorbitant enough for one person (I mean, sometimes it’s seriously embarrassing with the amount of food I bring home..for one person.) so I never went for it.  But, with the contract officially signed and sent off now, I figured I should celebrate.  So I bought the big bottle.  Big girl (fancy) pants, right?

A few things about this recipe: I think I may have used a little too much truffle oil, so I am tweaking the recipe here for you.  The flavor is great..it’s a little hard to describe: earthy, savory, a little salty…but definitely fancy.  I also used Dijon mustard in the original recipe, but I would also omit this as well the next time I make this (so I omitted it for you here). The cheese combination melted beautifully.  I used the panko because I prefer that over bread crumbs any day, but feel free to use whatever topping you like.  I decided to broil the mac and cheese instead of baking it because I prefer the texture of a creamy stove-top-like one over a baked version.

And so what did I do?  I poured myself a nice glass of wine, made a side salad, ate something totally unhealthy for dessert, and enjoyed this fancy-pants mac and cheese to celebrate my new transition into being a grown-up.

White Truffle Macaroni and Cheese

Servings: approximately 8

Ingredients

1 cup panko

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1-2 tablespoons white truffle oil (to taste)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons flour

2 cups half and half

8 ounces white cheddar cheese, grated

8 ounces Fontina cheese, grated

Salt and pepper, to taste

8 ounces elbow macaroni (or your personal favorite type of pasta)

Green onions, chopped, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees (this is considered broiling).  Generously spray a 2.5-quart casserole dish with cooking spray.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the panko, Parmesan and 1 tablespoon white truffle oil (if using less white truffle oil overall, use about 1/2 tablespoon here), mixing until combined.

3. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. (If you are short on time, it might be helpful at this point to get your water boiling for the macaroni.)

4. Add the flour and whisk continuously until the mixture forms a thick paste, about a minute or so.

5. Slowly whisk in the half and half until smooth (some lumps may remain-that’s ok).

6. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let cook, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes.

7. Using a wooden spoon, slowly add the cheeses and stir until completely melted.

8. Add the remaining truffle oil and salt and pepper, to taste.

9. Meanwhile, cook the macaroni as directed on the package.  Once cooked, drain the pasta and add it to the cheese sauce.

10.  Evenly distribute the macaroni into the prepared casserole dish and top with the panko mixture.

11.  Broil until the panko topping is lightly golden, about 3-4 minutes.  (Watch it carefully so that it doesn’t burn!)  Top with green onions (if using) and serve immediately.

Source:  Adapted from Leites Culinaria.

I didn’t really know what to call this one.  This was one of those recipes that I saw on Pinterest, got super inspired (and hungry), and went immediately to the fridge to see what I could throw together.  Luckily, I had créme frâiche still on hand (which I never ever do-I haven’t tried this, but Greek yogurt or sour cream are usually used for its substitutes….), some fresh spinach, lemons, and capers.  It sort of reminded me of this dish I used to get back in college at a restaurant there…which I still reluctantly crave sometimes because it is also associated with some bad memories of this guy I used to know.  But I digress.

I quickly threw this together for an early weekend dinner one night.  And, you know what?  I was pleasantly surprised.  I am beginning to believe that you can’t go wrong with pasta.  Pretty much anything goes well with it.  And, it was a good way for me to use up that ginormous container of fresh spinach that I had bought in one of my more health-conscious trips to the market.  I added in the capers for a little extra bit of saltiness, and the garlic…well, because, it’s garlic.  This would also be good with some other light veggies thrown in…artichoke or asparagus would also be really good (I’m making a note for spring.)

Lemon Cream Pasta

Servings: 2 large servings or 4 small sides (feel free to double what I have here)

Ingredients

8 ounces fettucine or linguini pasta

2 Meyer lemons, zested and juiced  (you will add zest and juice to taste)

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups fresh spinach leaves

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

2 tablespoons capers

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 cup créme frâiche

Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. In a large saucepot, cook the pasta as directed and drain.  While you are preparing the pasta, get the other ingredients ready.

2. Meanwhile, in a sauté pan over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering.

3.  Add the spinach, garlic, and capers, tossing frequently, and cook until the spinach is bright green and wilted, about 3-4 minutes.  Transfer the mixture to a bowl.

4. Add the grated Parmesan cheese to the spinach and mix to combine.

5. Once the pasta is drained, add it to the spinach mixture, tossing to thoroughly incorporate.

6. Add the lemon juice, to taste.

6. Add the créme frâiche to the pasta mixture, and stir to coat the pasta evenly.

7. Sprinkle (to taste) with the lemon zest, additional Parmesan (if desired) and salt and pepper.

Source:  Adapted from Supper in Stereo.

I’ve also been meaning to post this recipe for a while.  This recipe is a reader’s request (this one is for you, Christina!)  I’m actually really excited to hear from all of you-especially ideas for “vegetarianizing” or “veganizing” recipes (and, yes, I think I just made those words up).  I had been wanting to make a really easy baked casserole type of dish, knowing that I would be having a pretty intense work of week ahead of me.  One of the best feelings is coming home after a long day and realizing that an awesome dinner is only minutes away.  I think I ate this baked ziti for about 5 days straight.  The recipe makes a lot of servings, so feel free to cut it in half.

I loved this recipe for one (of many) reasons.  It has three different types of cheese in it. It’s a snap to throw together, it smells fantastic while it’s baking, and it’s amazing with some good wine and bread.  Feel free to up the health factor here by using whole wheat ziti, add in some more vegetables (I would cook them separately and mix them into the ricotta mixture-I’m thinking onions, mushrooms, and maybe some spinach!), and use low-fat or vegan cheese substitutes.

As far as freezing goes, assemble the dish as directed and then simply freeze right before the baking step (freeze up to two months).  Get one of those handy aluminum baking tins to freeze it in so later you can just pop it in the oven.  Nothing beats pasta and cheese, right?

Baked Ziti

Servings: at least 4 large main course servings

Ingredients

Extra-virgin olive oil, to coat the baking dish

3/4 cup ricotta cheese

1 egg yolk

1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Pinch of nutmeg, freshly grated

1/4 cup parsley leaves, coarsely chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 pound of ziti

4 cups tomato sauce, heated

1/2 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed

Fresh basil, torn, for garnish, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Lightly coat a 10 x 12-inch baking dish (or a lasagna pan) with the extra-virgin olive oil.

3. Bring a large pot of  lightly salted water to a boil.

4. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, egg yolk, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, and parsley, mixing well.

5. Season the mixture with salt and pepper, to taste.

6. Meanwhile, cook the pasta as directed on the package until al dente.  Drain well.

7. Very carefully, add the cooked pasta to the ricotta mixture and stir until thoroughly combined.

8. Add the heated tomato sauce and mozzarella, mixing well.

9. Pour the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

10. Sprinkle the top of the pasta with the remaining Parmesan cheese.

11.  Bake, uncovered, until lightly browned, about 20 minutes or so.

12.  Let cool slightly, sprinkle with fresh basil (if desired), and enjoy.

Source: Barely adapted from Williams Sonoma’s Pasta.