Spaghetti with Mizithra Cheese - The Old Spaghetti Factory

 In a wishful effort to preserve some of our favorite recipes in one spot . . . The Old Spaghetti Factory has been a long time family favorite. My earliest memories are of visiting the one in downtown San Jose--and later, the one in downtown Denver, before Robert, with Robert, and with kids. (Trivia: This was where I had my first legal drink when I turned 21!) The most highly desired seating areas were either up in the trolley or in one of the cool booths created from old fashioned head and footboards. I vacillated between the spaghetti with clam sauce or the spaghetti with mizithra; the ultimate was half of each one (a valid menu option). Robert's handsdown choice was also the mizithra and green salad with pesto salad dressing. He still dreams about that salad dressing, I'm sure! Little loaves of bread served with a tub of regular butter and a tub of garlic butter; salad; pasta . . . followed by spumoni ice cream served in a small silver cup. Not expensive; always delicious; bliss!

Over the years, we've made spaghetti with mizithra--when we could find it, otherwise attempting a poor substitute of romano, feta, or other similar cheese, and always drenched in browned butter. I've no doubt made that dozens of times. I recently came across a copycat recipe, and while we haven't tried it (yet), based on the reviews, I've deemed it worthy to record here for posterity.

The Old Spaghetti Factory Browned Butter and Mizithra Cheese

16 oz. spaghetti

1 c. butter (2 sticks!)

1/2 c. grated mizithra

1/2 c. grated romano

1 T, minced parsley

Cook the pasta per package directions; drain. While the pasta is cooking, brown the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. As the butter melts, it will begin to foam. (You can remove the foam from the pan with a spoon, although I've never done that.) Continue cooking butter until it browns. Watch out, it will turn from browned to burned FAST! Mix pasta, browned butter, cheeses in a bowl and toss well. Garnish with parsley.

The recipe notes that it does not reheat well. That's true, but memories count for a lot. It's different reheated, but I manage to get past that. :)

And Marcella Hazan's Tomato Sauce Recipe

The easiest to make homemade tomato sauce, the perfect accompaniment to Greg's Meatballs. Don't be fooled by the seeming lack of spices or flavorings. This is simple and sumptuous.

Hazan's Tomato Sauce


28 oz. can of plum tomatoes, undrained
5 T. butter
one onion, peeled and cut in half
salt

Combined tomatoes, butter, onion, and a pinch or two of salt in a saucepan.

Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally and mashing any large pieces of tomato with a spoon.

Discard the onion before using sauce. This recipe makes enough for a pound of pasta.

* * *

When making my usual half of the meatball recipe, I double this one, which is enough to go with 10-12 meatballs.

Oldie but goodie

Like the old people we apparently now are, Robert was reminiscing about a dinner I'd cooked.  He couldn't tell me exactly when I'd made it (here in VA? In Colorado Springs? In Littleton?), only that it had peanut butter and noodles and tasted like Thai.  And red pepper flakes. And he wanted me to make it again.

I honestly couldn't believe he was talking about something more than ten years ago. Not to mention, I was reluctant to make anything we liked back then--I find that my taste evolves.  What I used to love, I don't care for quite as much several years later.

But in an effort to relive our youth, and to promote marital joy, I gave it a shot.  This is a recipe from Good Housekeeping magazine.  In 1993.  (Just to prove how tastes change, I now refuse to read this awful magazine; I get it in the mail for free occasionally, and I throw it out without opening it.)

THAI SHRIMP and SESAME NOODLES

1 lb. medium shrimp, cleaned (I prefer to buy cooked)
16 oz. bottle of Newman's Own Italian Dressing*
1/4 c. chunky peanut butter
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. honey
2 t. grated fresh gingerroot

2 T. sesame oil
crushed red pepper flakes to taste
16 oz. box of angel hair pasta
cilantro, chopped


In a small bowl, toss shrimp with about 1/3 bottle of dressing; marinate one hour in fridge.  In another small bowl, mix remaining salad dressing, peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, ginger, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes.  Prepare pasta; when done, drain well.  Return to pan, toss with peanut butter mix, shrimp in dressing, and cilantro over low heat until shrimp is heated through.  Makes 4 main dish servings.

*This recipe is a Newman's Own ingredient winner, back when it was a new thing

(recipe amounts already tweaked to suit us)

19 years later, this recipe is still great. I'm sure the kids will love it--Holly can easily pick out he shrimp. It can be a new staple for us, and we'll all be very happy.

Recipe -- Broccoli, Grape and Pasta Salad

From Southern Living Magazine, I found this somewhere online and made it at the last minute when friends came over this week. I doubled this recipe, which was a good thing. It was a huge hit!

BROCCOLI, GRAPE AND PASTA SALAD

8 oz. box of farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
1 lb. fresh broccoli
1 c. chopped cashews (original recipe called for pecans, but Trevor is allergic)
1/3 c. diced red onion
1 c. mayonnaise
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. red wine vinegar
1 t. salt
8 cooked bacon slices, crumbled
2 c. seedless red grapes, cut in half

Prepare pasta according to package directions. When cooked, place in colander and let cold water run over pasta to stop cooking.

Cut broccoli florets from stems and separate florets into small pieces (much smaller than bite-sized). Peel away tough outer layer of stems, and finely chop stems.  Put broccoli into large serving bowl with nuts and red onion.

Whisk together mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar and salt. Pour over pasta, stir, and chill until ready to serve. At last minute, stir in bacon and grapes.

And more recipes

When friends came for dinner last month, I had a total of nine people to feed. Four of these were teenaged boys, the smallest of which was Trevor (who is taller than me). I needed something filling, inexpensive and easy--oh, and of course good tasting! I didn't tell Robert I was trying a new recipe. He would not think it was such a good idea, but he turned out to be the biggest fan. He's requested this as our new taco recipe, whether we're feeding a crowd or not.

BETTER TACOS

2 T. oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced
3 T. chili powder
2 t. oregano
1 T. cumin
3 lbs. lean ground beef
14.5 oz. can petite diced tomatoes (undrained)
salt/pepper to taste
1/4 c. cornmeal

Heat oil in large skillet until shimmering. Add onion; saute until soft, about 5 mins. Add garlic, chili powder, oregano, cumin; saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add beef and cook, stirring often, until it loses its raw color. Stir in tomatoes; simmer to blend flavors, about 5 mins. Add salt/pepper, and stir in cornmeal. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened (almost immediately).

----------------------------

Although my strategy to try out new recipes is unplanned, it's working. I'm slipping in more and more untried dishes when we have company over. Robert doesn't get as nervous anymore, and things are turning out GOOD!

GREEK TORTELLINI SALAD

2 9-oz. packages refrigerated cheese tortellini (I've been using frozen, which is less than half the cost)
1/2 c. oil
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
2 T. chopped fresh parsley
1 t. oregano
1/2 t. salt
6 hard boiled eggs
1 lb. baby spinach leaves
1 c. crumbled feta cheese
1/2 c. slivered red onion

Prepare tortellini to al dente; drain.

In large bowl, mix oil, lemon juice, vinegar, parsley, oregano, salt. Add tortellini, tossing to coat. Cover and chill at least two hours.

Prior to serving, gently fold in spinach, feta, egg and onion.

Serves: a lot.

Recipe - Macaroni and Cheese

And no, this does not include a blue box!

I've tried a variety of homemade mac and cheese recipes over the years: healthy ones that no one else liked, creamy ones with odd textures, homemade ones that were greasy, gross and complicated. Sometimes it's good not to give up.

This was a great find in a delicious cookbook written by a blogger. It's an easy, easy recipe to make, and it's one of those few foods that I could eat every day. There's a wait list at the library for this book, so I'm back in line, waiting to read it again--and try more recipes!

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

16 oz. box of uncooked macaroni (about 2-1/2 cups)
2 1/2 T. flour
1 1/4 t. salt
pepper to taste (I use about a teaspoon)
4 T. margarine
3 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 c. milk

Cook pasta until tender, drain. Mix all dry ingredients together, set aside. Spray oven safe bowl or dish with cooking spray. Place half of macaroni inside. Sprinkle half of the flour mixture over top and top with half of the margarine, sliced into small slices. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups cheese over. Repeat. Pour milk over all. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for thirty five minutes. Remove foil, bake an additional ten minutes. Serve hot.

January

This month is flying by. In years past, this has been the month when the winter school doldrums strike (me) hard. I haven't been quite as affected these past two years. Perhaps it's because we no longer concentrate so much of our effort on school work from September through November; perhaps because I'm working and don't have time to feel cooped up. I've had a slew of paid holidays over the past two months (seven days), which has helped me feel less frenzied. What perfect timing, as our schedule is suddenly over-full.

We continue to drive out to Lynchburg for church a few times each month. We've been spoiled (blessed!) by Calvary Chapel Bible teachers, and it's been impossible to find that in other churches.



Robert joined a men's monthly Bible study (locally, not Lynchburg). Fifteen men showed up for the first meeting; about a third of those have also left our former church over the past four years.

Holly's stomach troubles have been alleviated by free samples of a prescription acid reducer. When we went to fill the script, the total was $300 a month. Ugh. We called the doc for another medicine--Prilosec, which was $150. If we buy this over the counter and Holly takes two pills a day (instead of one prescription pill, equaling the same dose), the total is just $25 per month. It's so stupid and frustrating, and to top it off, the Prilosec does not seem to be working as well.

Meanwhile, she's been working hard at pre-season soccer practice, so far twice a week for a couple of hours each night. She's already noticed an increase in her stamina and is feeling that she can compete with this team. One of the practices is far enough away that I can justify staying for two hours and visiting with friends. So far, we've been out for Starbucks both nights. It's a sacrifice, but I'm willing to make it for Holly to play soccer.

I made a new recipe last night, Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato Bucatini. Since I can't find bucatini at the grocery store, I'm renaming it--BLT Pasta.



Bread Crumbs:

3 c. French bread cubes
1 T. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
salt to taste

Put bread cubes in food processor and process until coarse. Pour oil into pan and heat to medium/medium high. When oil is hot, add garlic and bread crumbs. Toast until golden, 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from pan and set aside.

6 slices thick-sliced bacon, diced
3 c. grape tomatoes, halved
1-1/2 t. sugar
1-1/2 c. thinly sliced leek
3/4 c. dry white wine
1-1/2 c. chicken broth
1 T. red wine vinegar
3/4 t. red pepper flakes
12 oz. pasta--I used little wheels for fun
3 c. fresh spinach leaves
pinch of dried thyme

Wipe out pan with paper towel, and cook bacon until crispy. Drain on paper toweling, reserving 3 T. of the bacon grease.

Carmelize tomatoes and sugar in bacon drippings over medium heat. Cook until tomatoes begin to brown, about 5 mins. Add leeks; saute until wilted, 3-4 minutes.

Deglaze pan with wine; simmer until liquid is nearly evaporated. Add the broth, vinegar, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until liquid is reduced by a third, about 5 minutes.

Cook pasta per package directions. Add spinach, thyme, and bacon pieces to pan with tomatoes. Drain pasta and return to pasta pot. Top with sauce, stirring gently to coat pasta. Add a handful of reserved bread crumbs and stir a few more times.

Place on serving plates, top with grated parmesan cheese and additional bread crumbs. Serves 6.

Trevor's basketball team slaughtered their opponents in their first game yesterday, 22-9. Robert's been really laid out with a cold but managed to make it to the game. It was so important to me that he be there to encourage and coach Trevor from the sidelines. Trevor played very well, scoring a basket for his team, and also volunteered for the first time to lead the teams and coaches in prayer before beginning to play.


Holly even gave up her sleeping-in day to watch Trevor play. Fun, fun morning.

Trevor's day got even better for him when he was invited to spend the rest of it at a friend's house, and he was included when they ate dinner at a restaurant before bringing him home.

Robert was still very sick this morning, at least a little better than yesterday. The kids and I went off to church anyway, as Holly wanted to meet with the pastor heading up a summer missions trip to Arequipa, Peru this summer. God's laid it on her heart to go; we've been praying about this. In a great twist, Pastor Mike was not there, but I heard the message loud and clear to get off of Facebook and concentrate on other things for awhile. I'd already been off for the weekend and found the time to read an entire book. With Robert sick, if it hadn't been for Holly, we wouldn't have gone, one more reason that the teaching really hit home with me.

Robert reconfigured the router. Holly got her Kindle hooked up to the wireless connection; Trevor hooked up the Wii. The kids are now playing Mario Cart (and who knows what else) with people from who knows where around the world.

It's been a pretty good, very interesting month, and best of all, very un-January-like.

Recipe -- Tomato, Basil, and Cheese Baked Pasta

Trevor found this recipe in a kids' cookbook earlier this week, and we decided to make it together for dinner tonight. It was delicious, and we both appreciated that, while it was a bit of work, everything came together very quickly, and it did not take a lot of time to make.



Tomato, Basil, and Cheese Baked Pasta

1 lb. medium shell pasta
1 T. chopped or minced garlic
1 T. oil
1 small onion, chopped
28 oz. can crushed Italian tomatoes
1/2 c. fresh basil, torn into small pieces (10-12 leaves)
1 c. store-bought pesto sauce
1 c. ricotta cheese
1/2 c. grated parmesan
1/2 lb. shredded mozzarella

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt the water. Add pasta and cook for a minute or two less time than package directions say. The pasta will soak up more juice and keep on cooking after we drain it, so we need it to be a little undercooked. The shells will probably cook for 9 or 10 minutes.

To chop the onion, cut the ends off and cut the whole onion down the center. Wrap half and save it for another use. Cut the other half into thin slices, then turn the slices a quarter turn and chop them again. Hold the top if the knife on the cutting board and lift the back of the knife up and down over the onion to make the pieces really small. Add the chopped-up onion and the garlic to the oil. Cook, stirring a lot, until the onions are mushy and look cooked, about 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes to the onions and stir. When the tomatoes come to a bubble, reduce the heat under the sauce to low. Stir in basil pieces to wilt them.

Drain pasta shells. Add them to a casserole dish. Add pesto sauce, ricotta cheese, and parmesan. Stir carefully and coat the hot pasta with the pesto and cheeses. Pour the hot tomato and basil sauce over the pasta. Scatter the mozzarella cheese over the pasta.

Bake at 350 for 20 mins. or so, until cheese is melted and top begins to brown.

Recipe -Pasta with Lemon

I tried Ree's Baked Lemon Pasta a few weeks ago. It was too heavy, sticky, and not a hit at our house, not even in the least. I've made a Lemon Pasta for 12 years ago that the kids and I have always liked. It took Robert to get past the "lemon" part of it, and while he doesn't mind this, he still prefers red sauce.

PASTA WITH LEMON

12 oz. angel hair, spaghetti, or your choice of long pasta
3 T. butter or margarine
2 T. lemon juice
1 t. lemon zest
1 c. half and half
salt, pepper
1/2 c. parmesan cheese

Put butter, lemon juice and zest in a large pan over medium heat. Once butter has melted, let it sizzle for 30 seconds. Pour in half and half, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to about half.

That sounds too fancy for me; just cook it on medium heat, stir it every few minutes, and it'll be ready in ten mins.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions.

When the pasta is draining, take the sauce off the heat and then dump the pasta and sauce together into one of the pans. Mix well, adding in the parmesan cheese, and serve.

Shrimp in Garlic Wine Sauce

This is a recipe that I've made for a long time. (Debbie in SJ: Do you remember giving me this recipe, and do you ever still make it?) I prefer it with rice; the rest of my family prefers pasta. That would be because Holly doesn't eat the shrimp part, so I serve it all separately, lol. Jean left a bag of frozen vegetables that steam right in the package; the peas with garlic and mushrooms were really good! I never would have bought them on my own, but I might now.


1 lb. raw large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 T. flour
1/4 c. oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 T. chopped shallots, or a second garlic clove, or a little minced onion
pinch of salt
2 T. lemon juice
1/4 c. dry white wine
2 T. butter

Sprinkle flour over shrimp and toss well. Heat 12" saute pan over medium heat; add oil. When hot, add shrimp in one layer. Brown lightly on one side, turn over and add garlic, shallots and salt. Brown on second side. Deglaze pan with lemon juice and wine. Reduce liquid, swirling pan to make sauce. Add butter, swirling to melt, and remove from heat. Serves 3.

Can serve over rice or pasta.

Tortellini Salad

TORTELLINI SALAD

9 oz. package cheese tortellini, cooked and drained (this is the kind you find in the refrigerator case, like Contadina brand)
1 red or yellow pepper, cut into strips
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 c. black olives, sliced

1/4 c. crumbled feta cheese

Dressing:
1/4 c. white vinegar
1/4 c. oil
1-1/2 tsp. dried mint
1-1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1 T. dry sherry (I didn't have any this time so skipped it entirely)
3/4 t. seasoned salt
1/2 t. garlic powder (I used 1/2 t. chopped garlic)
1/8 t. crushed dried red pepper

Combine dressing ingredients in bowl and mix well. Add tortellini, peppers, onion and olives and toss gently to coat with dressing. Top with feta. Serve at room temp. or chilled. Leftovers last for a couple of days in the fridge.

Yesterday

We went to dinner at our friends' house. I brought everyone's favorite salad--well, it's Robert's favorite, and our friend Christine specifically asked me to bring it. I originally found the recipe at epicurious.com and added the cheese and pine nuts.

Pasta Salad with Tomatoes and Corn

8 oz. penne pasta
5 T. oil
5 T. red wine vinegar
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 c. chopped fresh basil
1 can of sweet corn, drained (to equal about 1-1/2 c.)
3/4 lb. Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed**
2 oz. pine nuts

**This is not the ball that you would slice or grate for pizza; this is the fresh, soft white cheese, also called buffalo mozzarella.

Whisk together the oil, red wine vinegar and garlic. Stir in corn and basil. Let sit while pasta cooks.

Cook pasta to desired doneness, rinse with cool water and drain well. Toss with dressing.

Stir in tomatoes, cheese and pine nuts. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 6-8.

* * *

We went to Manitou Springs to watch fireworks. We've seen them here before, and while downtown is packed with an all day bbq, we park literally across the street from a nearby school. Fireworks are shot off from Red Mountain. It's easy to spot Red Mountain; it's the red one on the right, lol.


Nice fireworks, nice night.

Dilled Chicken Pasta Salad

I've been making this summer favorite for over ten years (yikes!). It's an easy recipe to halve, and it should be made several hours ahead of time for the flavors to blend.

Dilled Chicken Salad

16 oz. package spiral pasta, cooked
2 c. cubed cooked chicken
1 c. chopped celery
1/4. c. chopped onion (I usually use dried minced onion)
1 big can of peas, drained (16 oz.?)

In a large bowl, combine salad ingredients and mix well. Add dressing. Cover and chill before serving. Serves 10-12.

Dressing:
1 oz. package of ranch dressing mix
16 oz. sour cream (I use light)
1 c. mayonnaise (I use light)
1 c. milk (I use skim)
1 T. dried dill weed
1/2 t. garlic

Whisk dressing ingredients until smooth.

Wednesday

It was mild today, with a lot of clouds at sunrise.


The kids did school work as usual, and I took Trevor to his karate class at co-op while Holly stayed home with Robert. The new "thing" for the boys seems to be Attacktix. They run around with their boxes of toys, having battles, trading figures. It's been fun to see Trevor bonding with so many other kids with this as the common interest. They drift from place to place, playground, inside table, hallway floor, and other kids will come in and out to play or watch.
Late in the afternoon, he played football with Robert and his friends.






This menu planning on my blog is working out really well for me. I'm not running off to the store every day at 3:30, trying to figure out what to fix for dinner that night. I'm sticking to it better than I would have thought. In the past three weeks, I've only "deviated" from my menu twice, both times this week. Tonight was manicotti. Walmart is currently selling 32 oz. cartons of ricotta for $1 each (YES!), and I had leftover french bread from the other night.

EASY MANICOTTI

26-30 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 c. ricotta cheese
2 c. cottage cheese
2 egg whites
4 T. fresh parsley, chopped or about 1 T. dried
8 oz. box manicotti shells, uncooked (14 shells)
1 c. water

Pour a little spaghetti sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 pan just to coat.

Mix garlic, ricotta and cottage cheeses, egg whites, and parsley in a big ziplock bag. (I prefer freezer bags because they are stronger.) When blended, open bag to remove all air inside and reseal. Cut off 1/4 to 1/3 inch from a bottom corner of the bag. Hold a shell over a plate or waxed paper, and pipe cheese mixture into shell, filling it. Repeat until all shells are filled, and arrange in single layer in baking dish.

Top with remaining spaghetti sauce. Pour water evenly over the top. It'll look watery, but it will be absorbed as the shells cook. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 50 mins. Remove foil and bake 10 mins. more. Serves 7. Leftovers reheat fine in microwave.

Monday

Wow, we woke up to a light snow this morning. The cold weather always takes me by surprise. You think I'd know what December in Colorado is like. I've lived here 23 years. By 9:00, the snow stopped, and by 10:30, we were seeing blue sky. We have a LOT of sunshine here, over 300 days a year. This means that whatever snow we do get never sticks around for more than a day or so. It's wonderful weather!


Mondays are typically our busiest school day each week. It seems to make the rest of the week go much more smoothly. The kids flew through their work, which I always appreciate. We finished up early enough to run errands this afternoon, including the library. I am grateful for self checkout, so I don't have to be reminded about my library fine. It's currently at $1.70 with the two late books I'm not done reading, Hittite Warrior and Culture Warrior (oh, now THAT's kind of funny!).

In zoology, we read about birds' courtship habits, including the blue footed booby. Needless to say, the kids find the name of this bird absolutely hysterical. Thanks to YouTube, I was able to find a short clip of the blue footed booby's courtship dance. Is the internet amazing or what?! I MADE them mimic the dance. Yes, poor kids, but you can bet they will never forget the blue footed booby dance. I joked about pulling out my camera, and I let Holly take a picture. I have enough goofy shots of my kids in the blog--now I guess it's my turn.


Despite Robert going out to lunch TWICE today, I didn't change my dinner plans. He went to lunch with a co-worker, came back to work, and a friend walked in the door--a friend with whom he'd made plans and forgotten about. Instead of rescheduling, he kept quiet, went back out and had a second lunch. I made something called, of all the silly names, Husband Delight. (Doesn't really sound like a dinner recipe, does it?)


HUSBAND DELIGHT

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 clove garlic, crushed
24 oz. tomato sauce
3 green onions, finely chopped
8 oz. fine egg noodles (also called fideo _____ , I think)
8 oz. cream cheese, softened (can use fat free)
1 c. cottage cheese (can use fat free)
1/2 c. sour cream (can use fat free)
1 c. cheddar cheese (can use low fat)

Brown the ground beef with the garlic. When cooked through, remove from heat and add the tomato sauce and green onion.

Cook and drain the egg noodles. Add the cream cheese, mixing well to blend together. Add the cottage cheese and sour cream.

In a large casserole dish, spread a little of the tomato sauce mixture to lightly coat the bottom. Layer with half the noodle mix, half the meat mix, and repeat. Top the whole thing with cheddar cheese and bake at 350 for 40 mins. until heated through.

Serves 8, makes great leftovers, and freezes well after cooking.