Meaty, Cheesy, Saucy Pasta Goodness

I'm always intrigued with the term "one pot wonder", because, more often than not, these recipes involve more than one pot.  The following recipe falls under that category.  While it doesn't deter the flavor of the dish, the allure of one pot is quickly fallen short.

The Recipe: Ground Beef & Pasta Casserole
Original Recipe Found In:  Cooking Light, March 2016 Issue

What You'll Need:
2 small White Onions, peeled and quartered
2 large Carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
4 Garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon dried Italian Seasoning
1/2 Teaspoon crushed Red Pepper
1/2 Teaspoon Salt, divided
1 Pound extra-lean ground Sirloin
3 1/2 Cups unsalted Chicken Stock
6 Tablespoons sliced fresh Basil, divided
2 Tablespoons unsalted Tomato Paste
1 Tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
12 Ounces uncooked Whole-Wheat Rigatoni
1 (26.46 Ounce) carton Strained Tomatoes
4 Ounces fresh Mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/8-inch thick slices
1 Ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated

To start, place the onions in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped.  Add carrots; pulse until finely chopped.

Meanwhile, preheat an oven to 350 degrees.  Heat a large high-sided saute pan (or Dutch oven) over medium heat.  Add the oil to the pan and swirl to coat.  Add the onion mixture and cook for four minutes.  Add the garlic, cook for two minutes.  Add the Italian seasoning, red pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Add the beef and cook for five minutes.  Add the chicken stock, four tablespoons basil, tomato paste, vinegar, pasta, and tomatoes.  Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 13 minutes, or until the pasta is almost done, stirring frequently.  Add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Next, arrange the mozzarella over the pasta mixture, along with the Parmigiana-Reggiano.  Place the pan in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until the pasta is done.  Sprinkle with the remaining two tablespoons basil.  Serve and enjoy!

The End Result:

A super saucy mixture, added with pasta and ground beef, makes for a delightful, not so Italian dish.  The fresh cheeses and basil adds brightness, not to mention a stringy mess!  But, nevertheless, a hearty "one pot" pasta dish that will satisfy any pasta need.

Keep seeking culinary adventures, friends, you'll never know where you will be surprised.  Until the next update,

~Cheers~

Pica-what??

Good evening everyone!  The mind and pallet of a foodie always wants to try new flavors and dishes.  As a self-proclaimed foodie, I'm always gamete find new tastes and to see what appeals to me; life is too short to be picky.  If I don't like a dish, I learn from it.  Knowing I don't like it, I won't try it again.  I'm not apt to do this is restaurants, but I am willing to try it at home.  The following recipe is one of those dishes.  Not that I didn't completely hate it, but it was a new style of food that I was ready to explore.

The Recipe:  Mexican-Style Picadillo
Original Recipe Found In:  America's Test Kitchen: The Best Mexican Recipes

What You'll Need:
1 White Onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 Red Bell Pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
6 Ounces Red Potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch piece
2 Carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 Pounds Tomatoes, cored and quartered
3 Corn Tortillas, torn into 1-inch pieces
1 Jalapeno, stemmed, halved, and seeded
1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
1 1/2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
3 Garlic Cloves
1 Pound 85% lean Ground Beef
1/4 Cup fresh Cilantro, chopped

To start, pour the onion and bell pepper into a food processor and pulse until broken down into rough, 1/4-inch pieces, about 12 pulses.  If the ingredients become too stuck to the sides of the processor, scrap down with a spatula.  Transfer this mixture to a large mixing bowl.  Next, add the potatoes and carrots to the empty food processor and pulse down the same way as the onion and bell pepper.  Transfer this mixture into another mixing bowl.  Add the tomatoes, corn tortillas, jalapeño, and 1 1/2 teaspoon salt into the now empty food processor and pulse until smooth, about one minute.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and add the oil until it shimmers.  Add the onion mixture and cook until softened, about five minutes.  Add the chili powder and garlic and cook until the garlic becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in the ground beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a spatula.  Cook until the meat is no longer pink, about five to ten minutes.

Stir in the potato mixture and the tomato mixture and bring the entire skillet to a simmer.  Cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low.  Simmer gently for 30 minutes or until the potatoes and carrots are tender.  Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper.  Serve and enjoy!

The End Result:

With all the ingredients that were put together to concoct this recipe, I somewhat expected a flavor fest.  Instead, my tongue left unimpressed.  Judging by the quantity of how much this recipe produced (I filled up one 7 cup and one 4 cup container,) any sort of flavor didn't disperse evenly.  The spices could have been almost doubled, because any flavor that might have been in the recipe might have gotten lost.  While I was impressed with the different ingredients and mixing them into a flavor slurry, I wasn't impressed with the lack of flavor and that could have swayed this recipe in a totally different direction.

Watch for updates on the social media fronts as when the next edition of culinary exploration will be posted.  Until then,

~Cheers~