Pages

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Gorgonzola, my new best friend...

As I mentioned in a previous blog, there is this awesome website out there called Pinterest.com. It is a virtual pinboard and lets you add pictures, recipes, and ideas to your board to use at a later date or right away. It's absolutely fabulous and I highly recommend it for anyone and everyone. 

On that note, I am once again side tracking from my usual topic and going straight for the best stuff on Earth....PASTA! Let me start by mentioning that I have become completely obsessed with looking up and pinning recipes on Pinterest, especially at lunch time oddly enough. There are so many delicious looking entrees that I am dying to try.

Because I am getting married soon, I really want to try to start taking on some wifey duties. I know how to bake and truly enjoy it, but when it comes to cooking, I am a disaster in the kitchen. I am slowly starting to try out new recipes and so far, it's going ok. That being said, I am going to start posting recipes I try that are successful and tasteful. 

Last Thursday I decided to try two recipes: Lemon Garlic Pasta and Italian Bread with Gorgonzola. They were both delicious!

Matthew and I are really trying to choose healthier options which can be a little difficult when you have a love of pasta like I do. I saw this on Pinterest and it looked so pretty and sounds healthier so I just had to try it. Oh and PS, I have never had gorgonzola cheese before but OMG it is fantastic on bread!!!

Lemons Garlic Pasta

4 oz dry spaghetti
1/4 cup grated parmesan
2 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/2 lemon
2 tbsp pine nuts
5-6 basil leaves, chiffonaded


****Here are a few things I learned from preparing this: 1 clove of garlic is not the entire white cluster you buy from the grocery store. I was slightly confused, but after googling it, I discovered it is only one of the half moon shaped things that comes out of the white cluster you buy from the grocery store. Phew! Potential disaster was avoided! I also learned that lemons are different sizes and this recipes doesn't specify the size. Just to be safe, stick to 1/2 of any size lemon, otherwise it ends up way to lemony. Finally, I have never used fresh herbs before and definitely did not start with this recipe. I eyeballed the amount of dry basil, but I would guess it was about 1 tablespoon.

Start by mincing the clove of garlic and letting it heat up on low until it browns slightly in the olive oil

(While the garlic and olive oil heat up, go ahead and cook the pasta noodles. Also, don't use this large of pan. My smaller one was dirty, so this is all I had)

Combine dry ingredients in a good sized bowl, squeeze in juice from 1/2 lemon, and then add browned garlic and olive oil to mixture
Once noodles are done, add to bowl and mix well.


The finished product is absolutely beautiful!
Italian Bread with Gorgonzola

Loaf of French Bread
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup Gorgonzola cheese
1 to 2 cloves garlic
parsley
salt
pepper
fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Optional: Basil or Oregano

*****Side note: I used pre-minced garlic that you can buy at the grocery store. It just seems to work better with the bread. I also recommend melting the butter in the microwave for 30 seconds instead of just softening it. I chose to use both the basil and oregano as well. 

********Extra side note, my wonderful fiance was in charge of making the bread for our meal and he did a fabulous job! 

First, melt the butter and then add all other ingredients to it.


Then, make slits in bread and spread mixture into each one.


The next step is optional, but I think it tastes better this way. Pour a little olive oil in a bowl and use a brush to "brush" it on top of the bread. 



Also optional, but we added Parmesan cheese on top of the olive oil.





Finally, wrap bread in foil and place it in the oven for 15 minutes on 400 degrees. 



The final product looks amazing!


This meal was, in fact, delicious! The pasta is the perfect combination of light and tasty. While the flavor is subtle, each bite is a unique blend of garlic, lemon, and nutty flavors. This would be great paired with a garlic chicken. If you are looking for a full flavored pasta, this is not the recipe for you. However, if you want something light that enables you to still have room for dessert, I highly recommend this. The bread was heavenly. The Gorgonzola brought a very Italian flavor to the bread. I also enjoyed the few chunks that fell on my pasta when I would bite into the bread. The cheese added a unique flavor to the pasta that is indescribable, but tasty. Matthew and I thoroughly enjoyed our healthy pasta and paired it with a nice bottle of wine. Now, I didn't tell you this, but because we felt soooo healthy, we decided to treat ourselves to an extremely healthy dessert......
a Dairy Queen Blizzard! :-) 





I highly recommend these recipes! Thanks to Pinterest and especially to those that originally posted these recipes. Bon Appetit!