Oven Lovin'

   Lasagna is a casserole. What I mean by that is, everything goes into one dish and bakes. The reason I have little interest in remaking the vegetable lasagna is not because I thought it was horrible, but because I rarely bake; I'll roast, I'll toast, I'll broil, but I much prefer the stovetop to the stove.
   Jes fills that void in our culinary repertoire. The first meal she made for me was tatertot casserole (recipe to follow), the second follows here, and yet another casserole debuted at the first Christmas party we shared. Now, not everything she makes is lumped into that dish, but she does have a trust for the oven which I do not; so, if I'm using the oven, it's because she is nearby.
   I'm very hands-on with my cooking style. I will watch a pot of water boil. I like to poke and stir and remove things from the heat. When you're baking, however, you can't do that. If that door opens, you're likely doing more harm than simply extending the time it takes to fully cook your meal. You could upset the delicate balance at the molecular level! Worlds could be destroyed because you thought you knew better! I think my biggest quandary with the oven is that the lightbulb inside really deals no justice toward the doneness of your food.
   The other extreme to coddling your creations is not paying enough attention. This could have horrific consequences particularly when you're baking, but I actually bring it up as a means of bringing us back to pasta. Jes and I have a friend who has admitted to burning spaghetti, because while boiling it, she returned to find that no more water was left in the pot. That is hilariously perplexing to many of us, but it just goes to show: we all make mistakes.

Stovetop Science

   Baking is its own science, but boiling has its moments as well, and there is some bad science out there needing to be addressed. This article immerses itself in the facts behind boiling the perfect pasta, debunking the myths many of us have heard by testing them to their true conclusion as real science is supposed to do. From the size of the pot to the amount of water and even the amount of heat, the author settles out the only things that really matter.
   What I gleaned from this read was how to keep pasta from sticking, which you may remember was a problem that I couldn't figure out. Gluten is the protein that helps the dough of pasta hold together; starch is the carbohydrate that makes cooked pieces of pasta stick to each other. Gluten softens pasta as it boils; starch releases from each piece of pasta and coats the surfaces, clinging to itself. If the pasta is agitated (stirred) when this initially happens (within the first couple minutes of boiling), the starchy residue disappears into the water for good, keeping each noodle separate.
   If that wasn't revolutionary enough, the best part was learning not to discard the water—or, at least not all of it. It's a happy ending for the starch after all.

Western Spaghetti

   With the second installment in our pasta series, we go out of the realm of "oven-ready" pasta and actually pre-cook it ourselves. Whether you're following tradition or the above-author's suggestions, I'll leave the process open-ended. Jes and I don't really follow the box (obviously, because I never used to stir), but it is helpful to know how long a particular shape of pasta requires. Most boxes tell us how long to cook for al dente—"to the tooth," or "with bite." If al dente is perfection, we like to overcook our pasta; so we go that extra minute or so. Or, if Jes is cooking, we test a piece until we think it's done.
   From the moment your water starts taking heat to the draining of your cooked pasta, there is enough time to fabricate a sauce. For this particular recipe, Jes uses a homemade-ish meat sauce. I say -ish because I'm used to giddo making it from scratch, while this recipe calls for some brand-name flavors. I'm not attacking the method; I'm simply noting the difference.
   This may seem the perfect set-up for a plate of spaghetti and meatballs, but there is one more layer of flavor to add that you should have guessed by now: Here lies the recipe for:

November 5, 2011 - Baked Spaghetti

   Baked spaghetti is simple, delicious, and simply delicious. But, on the off-chance that our kitchen does not have spaghetti stocked in it, it's nice to know that this recipe is open to interpretation. I mean, pasta is pasta is pasta; you could potentially use any shape available. Though, macaroni might not be the best choice, and lasagna has its own place.
   The most recent preparation of this dish utilized the fun shape of wheels—the baked-on residue of which made beautiful graffiti art to be admired afterward. But of course, since the sauce takes the longest to craft, it's best to address that early on, so that whatever pasta you choose to cook isn't sitting around waiting for it to be made.

April 19, 2016 - Baked Wheels

1 lb. ground beef
2 24-oz. jars spaghetti sauce [Roasted Garlic and Tomato & Basil]
1 1.37-oz. package McCormick Thick and Zesty Spaghetti Sauce Mix

Start out browning the beef in a large pot. Drain (and rinse if needed).
Add the Thick and Zesty to the beef and about ¼-jar of spaghetti sauce and stir until the meat is coated. Then add the rest of the sauce and mix well. Let it simmer about 15 minutes, stirring often on medium-low heat.

April 19, 2016 - Baked Wheels

1 lb. pasta

Meanwhile, boil water and cook pasta.
Drain pasta, then add it to a large baking dish and gently fold in sauce. Mix until the pasta is coated.
Put it in the oven at 350 deg. for 20-25 minutes.
Add shredded cheddar over the top and bake for 5 more minutes.

   Voilà! C'est bon!
   Personally, I wouldn't think to put cheddar on top, but it actually works. Not to mention, it's lactose-free—as long as it's not processed. That's a different story. Nevermind. Forget I said anything.
   Depending on your sauce preferences, you might possibly end up with unused meat sauce. No matter! Bulk cooking is nothing to be ashamed of, and is actually something I promote. Growing up, my family would create huge batches of sauces or dips and freeze them for another day's meal. As long as you label the date, who knows how far into the future you could provide for? We only recently broke into giddo's last braid of Syrian cheese.

Speaking of Cheese...

   We're not through with this post yet. If you were surprised to see that recipe formatting show up again, we're really gonna bake your noodle tonight.... Oh, that was almost too perfect.
   No plate of pasta is complete without a crispy, crusty piece of garlic bread. And with Jes, you can almost be certain it'll have cheddar cheese added in. Not that I'm complaining; when we thought she was lactose-intolerant, I almost cried to consider giving up such a world of flavor.
   Anyway, I've never made garlic bread, or even paid attention while my mom did, but this is definitely not your Italian grandmother's recipe.

April 19, 2016 - Cheesy Garlic Bread

½ stick butter
1 tablespoon fresh chopped garlic
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
generous pinch shredded cheddar

Set out butter on the counter with garlic, stirring every 5-10 minutes until room temperature and smooth, about 45 minutes.
Add mayonnaise, shredded cheddar and optional sliced green onion. Mix well.

April 19, 2016 - Cheesy Garlic Bread

½ loaf French bread

Cut bread in half lengthwise, then spread mixture evenly over each and place on foil-covered pan.
Put it on top-rack in the oven at 350 deg. for about 5-8 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden brown.
Let it cool for a couple minutes. Then cut and eat!

November 5, 2011 - Cheesy Garlic Bread

   Notably, the first time Jes prepared this for me was the best. It was much deeper than golden brown, dried to perfection, and it had the ideal balance of all of its flavors. It may be as simple as gas vs. electric, but that discovery awaits another day.