Polpette Vegetariane

Coming soon: Homemade vegetarian Italian meatballs

Pasta e Fagoli

When dried cannellini beans, celery, and parsley arrived in our CSA box- I knew exactly what I wanted to make. Pasta e Fagoli is a family favorite that has been passed down through many generations... (from  Nonna Scalise to Nonna Bonvino to my mom and now to me, to name a few.) My mom's grandmother would make Pasta e Fagoli for her when she would come home from college, and my mom and grandma did the same for me. Little did they all know- they were enjoying a vegan meal (minus the parmesan they would top it with.)

Dried cannellini beans from Suzie's Farm in San Diego, CA

It's a simple yet flavorful dish, perfect for autumn or winter meals. Some people make it as a hearty soup, others make is as a pasta dish. I like to make mine somewhere in between. From my family to yours- buon appetito.

Ingredients:

( Serves 3 to 4 )

- Olive oil to coat the bottom of your pan

- Salt to taste

- Crushed red pepper (just a pinch if you're like me)

- Parsley

- Tops of celery

- Three cloves of garlic

- One can crushed tomatoes

- Two cups of veggie broth (add more if you'd like it to be more like a soup)

- One can of cannellini beans (if you have fresh, dried cannellini beans- make sure they are cooked before you begin preparing this dish)

- Two cups of cooked pasta (a small pasta, preferably)

In one pot, salt and boil water for the pasta.

In another sauce pan: Mince garlic, and lightly warm olive oil in your sauce pan. Add garlic, and about a handful and a half of full celery leaves, and cook for one to two minutes. Toss in the can of diced tomatoes, cannellini beans, and veggie broth. Continuously stir for about five minutes. 

In your other pot- the water should be boiling at this point, so begin cooking your pasta. 

Add salt, crushed red pepper, and a handfull of parsley to the sauce pan. Stir and allow to cook until your pasta is ready.

Once strained, slowly add your pasta to the sauce pan and stir. Allow all ingredients to cook and blend together for about five to eight minutes. 

This pairs very nicely with a glass of Pinot Grigio, and, just like many dishes, this one has proved to be even better the day after I make it. 

XO - Theresa

Cashew Lime Pesto

I've been experimenting with my pesto, using different kinds of nuts since pine nuts are pricey, and I have decided that cashews are the winner. They create a creamier taste, which is nice since I do not add cheese. Today, I added in two new ingredients to my usual pesto: organic parsley and lime (from the Hanten's garden in Temecula) . Yes, lime. The lime married so well with the other flavors, and added an extra dash of freshness that was perfect for a spring time meal. I may or may not have licked the food processor clean. I am pleased to present to you my new favorite pesto recipe....

Cashew Lime Pesto

(Serves 1)

3/4 cup of organic basil

1/4 cup cashews

1/2 cup garlic olive oil (I used garlic olive oil from the Temecula Olive Oil Company and did not add garlic, if you don't have garlic olive oil I would recommend using regular olive oil and then adding 1 clove of garlic)

a dash of salt

a dash of organic Italian parsley

the juice from half of a good sized lime

Blend all of these ingredients together in your food processor until they form a sauce or paste and spread over something delicious.

Since my latest food obsession has been grilled cherry tomatoes and hearts of palm, I covered both in the rest of the lime juice, grilled, and added them to my cashew- lime-pesto-spaghetti and was pleasantly surprised by this delicious dish.

Ratatouille

This is one of my favorite dishes... especially when it's over penne pasta. It calls for simple ingredients, and, according to the movie Ratatouille, it was once a peasant dish.

My sous chef, Bella, and I tried Julia Child's recipe and loved it. You can find her recipe here. Bon Appetit :)

Spaghetti Squash

It's autumn! Time for pumpkins, squash and beautiful foliage! I was introduced to spaghetti squash by a friend at the beginning of college and love it... Spaghetti squash tastes great with any sauce, I made a tomato basil sauce with some garlic and red wine this time (YUM). Preheat your oven to 350, cut the squash in half and scrape out all of the seeds. Then, place both face down in a baking pan with a 1/2 inch of water. The squash should bake for about 45 minutes, once they are done allow them to cool. Once they have cooled, take a fork and scrape the inside and surprise!- it's spaghetti! Now just add your favorite sauce and enjoy :) (One squash made about 4 servings.)