Cool Weather Cooking

In my last post I spotlighted Sarah Leah Chase's "Cold-Weather Cooking" cookbook. We had a soul satisfying warm mushroom salad which is a great starter salad for a winter's evening or it could stand alone for a simple dinner just adding a nice chunk of crusty bread, a piece of cheese, and of course a glass of wine.

Another soul satisfying dish from Sarah is her "Poverty Casserole". The inspiration for this dish came to Sarah while she was living in her drafty apartment above her shop "Que Sera Sarah" during a winter evening. Instead of going out and purchasing ingredients for a dinner she used what she had in her pantry. I myself can attest to that, as I am sure you can too. You know, those evenings where you have been so busy all day that you have not even thought of dinner and when you arrive home you think "what am I going to eat"! So "Poverty Casserole" is the dish! Following in her steps, this is my adaption of a satisfying casserole. I like to call it "Poverty Pasta"!

A few tablespoons of olive oil

1 medium onion, minced

4 cloves of garlic minced

1 lb. of ground turkey

8 whole sundried tomatoes packed in oil and minced

1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes

2 good tablespoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons dried marjoram

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 large bay leaf

Salt and Pepper to taste

About 12 ounces of penne pasta

2 large eggs

2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

2 cups shredded mozzarella

4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Heat your oil in a medium size skillet and add the onions and garlic till soft.

Stir in the ground turkey and cook, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks until all the pink is gone.

Add all of your dried herbs and bay leaf, stir and then add the sundried tomatoes, and your can of tomatoes. Let these simmer for about 15 minutes so all the flavors meld.

Cook your pasta al dente and drain.

Whisk the eggs and cream together in a large bowl. Quickly add your pasta and toss, then add your meat mixture, stir to combine. Fold in 1-1/2 cups of your mozzarella cheese.

Take your pasta mixture and put it in an oven proof casserole, top with remaining mozzarella and then the Parmesan.

Bake until the cheese is melted and all is bubbling hot, about 30 minutes.

This is a wonderful comfort food for your "Cold-Weather Cooking"! And of course, serve it with a glass of your favorite red wine!

Cheers!