baked rigatoni with spinach and fontina

the ingredients:

1 lb. rigatoni

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 10-oz. package frozen spinach (thawed)

2 cups ricotta cheese

5 tbsp. grated parmigiano regianno

1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. fresh-ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups grated fontina cheese (about a 6 oz. piece)

the method:

preheat the oven to 450, and spray a 9 x 13 baking dish.

bring a generously salted pot of water to a boil.

in the meantime, squeeze as much of the water as possible from the spinach. put the spinach in a food processor, and puree it with the the olive oil, ricotta, three tablespoons of the parmigiano, the nutmeg, salt, and pepper. stir in half of the fontina.

cook the rigatoni until al dente, about 12 minutes. drain the pasta, and stir the spinach mixture into it. top with the remaining fontina and parmigiano. bake the pasta until the top is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

adapted from a food and wine recipe.

orecchiette with pistachio pesto

the ingredients:

1 lb. orecchiette

1 1/2 cups unsalted, roasted, shelled pistachios

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsp. chopped basil

1 garlic clove (minced)

1/2 cup finely shredded pecorino cheese (plus more for serving)

2 scallions (white parts only; cut into small rounds)

kosher salt

the method:

bring a generously salted pot of water to a boil. cook the pasta until al dente.

meanwhile, in a food processor, chop the pistachios. add the basil and garlic, and pulse to combine. transfer to a bowl, and stir in the  cheese and the scallions; season with salt.

when the pasta is ready, reserve a half cup of the cooking water. return the pasta to the pot, and add the cooking water and the pesto, cooking over low heat, tossing, until coated. transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with some more pecorino, and serve.

courtesy of frank falcinelli & frank castronovo.

grapefruit and honey cake

the ingredients:

3 tbsp. finely ground fresh breadcrumbs

1/4 cup finely ground fresh breadcrumb

2 medium grapefruits

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

4 large eggs (at room temperature)

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup honey

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

confectioners sugar (for dusting)

the method:

preheat the oven to 350 degrees. spray a 9″ round cake pan with tall sides, and dust it with the three tablespoons of breadcrumbs.

using a grater, zest both grapefruits. juice one of the grapefruits to yield three-quarters of a cup of juice. in a small bowl, combine the zest, juice, and olive oil. set aside.

in the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs and salt with an electric mixture until frothy and light. slowly beat in the sugar and honey, and continue to mix until pale and thick, a couple minutes more.

in a separate bowl, sift together the flour, the remaining quarter cup breadcrumbs, and the baking powder. then, gradually beat the dry ingredients into the egg mixture. fold in the citrus zest mixture just until incorporated.

pour the batter into the prepared pan. bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. then, remove it from the pan, and let it cool to room temperature.

courtesy of mario batali.