Creamy Tomato Rigatoni

When you're in the mood for fancy food but just don't feel like getting all dressed up and paying big bucks for a stuffy waiter and overpriced wine, what do you do? Well, if your first answer was "check out Jon's food blog and see what we can make at home," you're on the right track. On the other hand, if looking up the number to Domino's was where you went, you might want to rethink your overall life strategy.

Now I don't consider myself a maker of fancy food by any means; all I strive for is to make my meals tasty and filling. At the same time, I want them to evoke a sense of something more...I want to be able to experience the flavors, the history, everything about the dish. Otherwise, I'd just make myself a box of Mac & Cheese and call it a night. Simple yet elegant is where it's at for me, and I think this dish accomplishes that easily. It can be ready in less than an hour, and it can be easily scaled to fit any size gathering of family and friends.

Ingredients:
1/2 stick (4 tbsp) unsalted butter
3oz stick of pepperoni, finely chopped (for a lighter dish, use 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into just-smaller-than-bite-sized pieces)
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
~1/2 cup dry white wine (I like a cheap vermouth)
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tbps sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream, room temperature
Salt & pepper
1 1/2 pounds rigatoni (use more or less depending on the crowd)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions:

Sauce just after stirring in cream.

1. Heat a saucepan over medium heat, and melt the better in the pan. Add pepperoni (or chicken) and onion and cook, stirring, until onion is soft (about 3-5 minutes). Add garlic and saute until fragrant (about 1 minute longer).

2. Add wine and cook, stirring constantly, until almost evaporated (2-3 minutes). Stir in tomatoes and sugar, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened (15-20 minutes). Stir in heavy cream and season with salt & pepper to taste.

3. While sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until just tender. Drain and return to pot. Combine with sauce and basil and serve.

Makes 6-8 servings.

No pasta dish is complete without a good side salad, and today just happens to be your lucky day because I'm also going to share a fantastic companion salad to this dish. It's super easy and full of flavor and really compliments the pasta well. And as with any good Italian-style meal, serve with plenty of warm bread and butter (or my favorite, garlic bread).

Tangy Spinach Salad
1 9oz bag baby spinach
~1/3lb (1 container) goat cheese
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
1 small red onion, chopped
1/2 bottle of your favorite balsamic dressing
1/2 pint fresh blueberries (optional)
1/2 cup dried cranberries (optional)

**Note: I recommend using either the blueberry/cranberry mix OR the tomatoes, but not both.

Combine spinach, tomatoes, onion, and/or fruit (if using) in a large salad bowl and toss well. Mix in dressing. Toss in cheese just before serving.

Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

Nothing says "family meal" like a giant lasagna. And nothing says "hurry up in the bathroom" like a ton of cheese and hot sauce. This dish combines the best of both worlds: a big pan of comfort food with just enough kick to warm things up no matter the time of year. I recommend serving with a nice fresh green salad and giant slices of oven-fresh corn bread.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 - 2lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and diced (prepacked cooked chicken works great)
24oz jar of your favorite pasta sauce
12oz of your favorite buffalo/hot sauce (I like Frank's)
1tsp garlic powder
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 medium-large green bell pepper, chopped
6oz banana pepper rings, chopped (1/2 a jar)
1 package fresh sliced mushrooms
2 packages "oven ready" lasagna noodles
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup crumbled bleu cheese

1 15oz container ricotta cheese
1 egg, beaten

Directions:
1. Reserve 3oz of hot sauce, and place the rest in a bowl with the chicken; mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Mix well again upon removing chicken from the fridge.

2. Preheat oven to 350° F (175° C). Lightly grease a lasagna pan.

3. Use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken from the bowl, and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Combine with pasta sauce, remaining 3oz of hot sauce, garlic powder, onion, bell pepper, banana peppers, and mushrooms. Mix well and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the egg and ricotta cheese.

4. Spread about 1 cup of the chicken/sauce mixture in the bottom of the greased pan. Layer with lasagna noodles, then another 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the chicken mixture. Spread 1/2 of the ricotta/egg mixture on top, then sprinkle with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese. Add another layer of noodles, 1cup of the chicken mixture, the second half of the ricotta mixture, and another 1/3 of the mozzarella. Top with a final layer of noodles, the remaining chicken mixture, and the final 1/3 of the mozzarella.

5. Cover loosely with foil and bake at 350° F for 70 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle bleu cheese over the top and bake uncovered for another 5-10 minutes.

6. Remove from oven and let stand for about 15 minutes before serving.

Enjoy, and welcome to the Epic Experience of Food!