butternut squash mac and cheese

not as heavy as the original, but still good.

• 1 pound small ridged pasta like elbows

• 2 1/2 cups milk

• 12 ounces frozen/cooked/pureed/thawed squash, or fresh/diced

• 2 tsp Dijon mustard

• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

• 1 tsp salt

• 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese

• 3/4 cup panko

• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375.

Cook pasta according to package directions. If using fresh squash, boil in leftover pasta water until falling apart.

Combine milk and squash in a medium pot and bring to a simmer - 5 minutes. If using fresh squash, combine in a blender or with an immersion blender. Remove from heat and add mustard, cayenne, salt, and cheese. Stir in pasta and transfer to a greased 9x13” baking dish.

Combine panko and parmesan, and sprinkle over pasta. Bake 30 minutes, and rest 5 minutes before serving.

lemon chicken and potato bake

a one-pan wonder.

• 4-6 chicken thighs

• 1.5 pounds baby potatoes, washed and cut in half

• 2 lemons

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 2 tsp rosemary (fresh if you have it)

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tsp paprika

• 1/2 tsp oregano

• 2 tsp salt

• 1 tsp pepper

• optional: nicely served over a bed of arugula

Preheat the oven to 400. Combine olive oil, zest of one lemon, juice of both lemons, and all seasonings.

In a 9x13” baking dish, add the chicken thighs (skin-side up if yours have it). Add the potatoes around them. Cover with the sauce and stir gently to combine.

Bake for 60 minutes.

braised short ribs

worth the work for the smell alone.

• 4-8 short ribs (2 per person)

• 1 onion, roughly chopped

• 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped

• 1-2 large carrots, roughly chopped (or, you can buy store-made mirepoix)

• 6 cloves garlic, whole

• 1/2 cup flour

• 1 tbs sea salt

• bundle of fresh rosemary

• 1 tsp dried thyme

• 2 tsp black pepper

• 1 bottle cabernet sauvignon (spend $15-$20 on something you would drink)

• 1 box of beef broth, the smaller one

• 1/4 cup brown sugar

• 1 tbs butter

Preheat the oven to 350.

Heat avocado/neutral oil in a large Dutch oven over medium/high. Trim any large pieces of fat from the short ribs. Combine the flour and sea salt, and dredge the short ribs on all sides. Sear for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown, and remove from Dutch oven.

Saute the onion, celery, and carrots for 4-5 minutes until softened. Add the whole garlic cloves. Add the red wine and beef broth, and deglaze the pot. Add brown sugar, rosemary, thyme, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, add the short ribs back in, cover, and put in the oven for 3 hours.

Remove the ribs from the pot with tongs. (The bones will probably just fall out.) Scoop/strain out all of the aromatics. Cook the sauce over medium heat until reduced by half - 15-20 minutes, stirring often. Finish with butter.

baked ziti

classic comfort food.

• 1 pound ground sweet Italian sausage

• 1 small onion, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2-28 ounce cans San Marzano tomatoes

• 2 tsp Italian seasoning

• 16 ounces ziti, penne, or other ridged pasta

• 15 ounces full fat ricotta cheese

• 2 tbs parsley, fresh if you have it

• 1 egg

• 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (the real stuff)

About two hours before you want to eat: brown the sausage and onion in a large pot. Drain as much fat as you can. Saute the garlic for one minute. Add 1 tsp of Italian seasoning and the two cans of tomatoes plus half a can of water. Bring to a boil, then partially cover and simmer. The sauce should reduce significantly.

Prepare the pasta according to package directions. Toss with the sauce, reserving 1 cup.

In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, parsley, parmesan, and 1 cup mozzarella cheese.

Preheat your oven to 375. Add the reserved cup of sauce to the bottom of a 9x13” baking dish. Layer half of the pasta, all of the ricotta, and about half of the remaining sauce. Then layer the remaining pasta, the remaining sauce, the 1 cup of mozzarella, and 1 tsp of Italian seasoning.

Bake 20-25 minutes until bubbling.

butternut squash soup

a fall staple. easily doubled, but this serves 4.

• 1 1/2 pounds cubed butternut squash (I buy it pre-cut)

• 1/2 onion, diced

• 1/2 tsp each sage, rosemary, pepper, ginger, parsley

• salt to taste

• 2 cups vegetable broth/stock (can also use chicken stock/bouillon)

• 1/2 cup water

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 1/4 cup sour cream or full-fat Greek yogurt (optional)

• 1 tbs olive oil

In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the onion until it softens, about 5 minutes. Add the squash and all spices, and cook for 8-10 minutes until the squash just begins to soften. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.

Add the water and 1 1/2 cups of stock. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes until the squash is falling apart.

Allow to cool slightly before putting in a blender/food processor or using an immersion blender. Add the additional 1/2 cup of stock until the texture is as desired. Stir in the yogurt/sour cream, and add salt to taste.