Ziti with Lemon Herb Parmesan Sauce

I am very excited to share this recipe with you because it is one that my daughter Jules and I collaborated on from start to finish. Jules recently came across a recipe on TikTok (where else) that has you baking uncooked pasta and chicken broth in a baking dish until the pasta is done, then adding chopped herbs, lemon zest and juice, shredded and grated parmesan cheese and heavy cream, stirring it together until combined. This all sounds delicious, but like many other TikTok recipes, there were no measurements, no instructions, and I honestly don’t even know if pasta would cook properly in the oven.

This did, however, remind me of another recipe that I recently tried and absolutely loved. It was made by celebrity chef Geoffrey Zakarian on the tv show, The Kitchen. The main differences were that the pasta was boiled traditionally in salted water, and he used strained greek yogurt and crumbled feta in place of the heavy cream. The pasta water was reserved and when added to the ingredients, it made a beautiful lemony-herb cream sauce. The feta and greek yogurt kept the fat content down, and I have to say this recipe was so much better than that other pasta feta dish that everyone keeps raving about.

What Jules and I decided to do was to put measurements to the recipe that she found, but cook it in the style that Geoffrey Zakarian did, utilizing the salted pasta water to create a sauce. To stay as true to the recipe as possible, I did add a few teaspoons of low sodium chicken bouillon to the boiling salted water before adding the pasta. I don’t know if this step is absolutely necessary, as the starchy and salty pasta water will give you plenty of flavor when mixed with the other ingredients. That said, the bouillon does give additional flavor, and if you choose to do this, be sure to either use low sodium bouillon or cut back on the salt that you add to the water if you don’t have low sodium bouillon.

I also kept the heavy cream measurements to 1/3 cup. I’m not a huge fan of heavy cream sauces, but if you prefer you can add more to your liking.

The TikTok version used heaping scoops of both grated and shredded parmesan cheese. Of the two, I feel that the grated parmesan is the more necessary. Not only does it give the dish that nutty and bold parmesan taste, it also helps thicken up the sauce. The shredded parmesan will melt into the dish, similar to a shredded mozzarella. It will be more clumpy and less stringy than mozzarella, but it does make for a nice addition. We decided to use 1/2 cup of each, but I would definitely use at least 1/2 cup of the grated. We rounded off the dish with some fresh chopped mint, basil and parsley from the garden, and as a bonus we threw in a small jar of chopped artichoke hearts.

This is a very flavorful, filling and easy to make pasta dish that I highly recommend, especially for a quick weekday dinner that will be enjoyed by all!

Ziti with Lemon Herb Parmesan Sauce

1 box uncooked ziti (or your choice of pasta)
2 teaspoons (or two cubes) low sodium chicken bouillon (if low sodium is not an option, cut back on salt added to water)
2 cloves garlic, minced
zest plus juice of one lemon
1/3 cup heavy cream (you can add more if you desire a thicker sauce)
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/2 cup shredded parmesan (optional, but suggested)
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
1/4 cup fresh chopped mint
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 small jar chopped artichoke hearts (optional)
salt and pepper
1/2 cup reserved pasta water

Boil the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water (with the added bouillon) until the pasta is al dente, about 11 minutes. Stir occasionally. When the pasta is done, reserve about 1/2 cup or so of the pasta water. Drain the pasta (but do not rinse it) and pour it directly into a large serving bowl. Add the lemon zest and juice, garlic, heavy cream, grated parmesan cheese, chopped basil and mint, and artichoke hearts. Add 1/4 cup pasta water. Stir ingredients together, adding the additional pasta water if necessary (and to your liking). Add the shredded parmesan cheese, stir together. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Top with chopped parsley. Serve and enjoy!

Chicken Meatball Soup with Creamy Lemon Rice

This recipe started with the intentions of making a simple lemony chicken broth-based soup. As I began to build on the ingredients that I wanted to include, the recipe took on a rich and creamy life of its own, and I was very pleased with the results. The beauty of this recipe is that its texture can be adapted depending on the ingredients that you choose and how they are incorporated.

Being that we are currently living through these strange and uncertain times where grocery shopping can be difficult and frustrating, I focused on using as many basic and common ingredients as I possibly could. Pretty much all of the ingredients in this recipe are standard, however I have given suggestions for substitute ingredients in case you do not have certain items on hand.

Let’s start with the liquid base. I used 4 cups of low sodium chicken broth, adding 1 cup of evaporated milk (which I happened to have on hand in my pantry). The evaporated milk will help thicken the broth and add a bit of a sweet creaminess. If you don’t have evaporated milk, but would still like to give a creamy texture to the broth, you can use 3/4 cup whole milk plus 1/4 cup half and half. Or if you prefer to go a non-dairy route, you can use a cup of almond, soy or coconut milk. If you are looking for a more liquidy, not-so-creamy broth, just eliminate to milk all together, and add another two cups of broth – 6 cups total.

The rice that you choose – and how you decide to incorporate it – will also have an effect on the recipe. I chose to use white rice, and decided to cook the rice in the broth to create a thick and creamy, risotto-like texture. The cooked white rice will absorb much of the liquid, so you may have to add more liquid if necessary. The cooked rice also absorbs much of the seasoning and flavor, which is why I prefer this method. If you want to use white rice but are not looking for a very thick texture, you can cook the white rice on its own and add it to the simmering broth before you are ready to serve it.

You can choose to use a different type of rice or grain all together, like a wild grain rice or quinoa. You can also decide to cook the rice or grains directly in the broth, or cook it on its own and add it to the simmering broth. If you decide to cook the rice or grains in the broth, it will take a bit longer to cook, and it will not thicken up the broth as much as the white rice would.

When using meatballs in soup, my personal preference is chicken meatballs. They are a bit lighter than traditional meatballs, and still carry the flavor that shredded or chopped chicken would add to a soup. Also, meat supplies can be sparse in the grocery stores during this time of quarantine. You may find ground chicken to be more easily available than ground beef. Of course, you can use whatever ground meat you prefer when making this dish!

As you can see, your choice of ingredients can take this dish into a number of different flavorful directions, and any of them would be quite tasty and enjoyable!

For the Chicken Meatballs:
1 lb ground chicken
1 large egg
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated cheese (parmesan or pecorino romano)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet or baking dish with parchment paper. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, mix well. Roll the mixture into 1/2 inch to 1 inch size meatballs, depending on your preference. Place the meatballs on the baking sheet or dish, lightly spray with cooking spray. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the meatballs start to brown. Remove from oven, set aside.

For the Soup:
4 cups chicken broth (plus additional broth or water if necessary)
1 cup evaporated milk *
*(If you don’t have access to evaporated milk, you can use 3/4 cup whole milk plus 1/4 cup half and half, or either almond, soy or coconut milk. Or you can use 2 additional cups of broth if you do not want a creamy texture.)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 lemon, sliced (optional, for additional lemon flavor)
1 cup uncooked white rice
1 tablespoon fresh thyme**
1 tablespoon parsley**
** (You can substitute 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning and/or oregano if necessary)
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat. Once melted, add the carrots, celery, onion and garlic. Stir occasionally, let cook until fragrant and tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add lemon zest, stir together until you get a lemon fragrance, about 1 minute.

Add the chicken broth, evaporated milk (or whatever substitutes you decide on), lemon slices*, thyme and parsley. If you do not have thyme or parsley on hand, you can use a tablespoon of jarred Italian seasoning and/or oregano. Bring the soup mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally.
*The lemon slices are optional. The longer you keep the lemon slices in the soup, the more lemony the soup will taste. You can remove the lemon slices at any time, depending on your taste preference.

Add the chicken meatballs and uncooked rice to the boiling broth. If you prefer to add cooked rice, prepare it on its own and set aside, adding the rice during last 5 minutes of simmering the soup. Reduce heat to a simmer, continuing to stir occasionally. Let simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the added uncooked white rice is cooked (slightly longer if you are adding uncooked wild grain rice or other grains to the soup).

Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Raspberry Lemon Love Cake

NOTE – this is not a light and fluffy cake recipe. The texture of any Love Cake will be a bit heavy and somewhat moist from the ricotta…and it is damn good!

Italian Love Cake has been a part of my Mom’s Easter pie tradition for many years. Made with layers of chocolate cake and ricotta filling with a chocolate whipped topping, this rich and decadent dessert never disappoints. What is really fascinating about this dessert is the assembly. The cake batter is poured into the pan first, then topped with the ricotta filling. As it bakes, the ricotta sinks to the bottom, raising the cake batter to the top, so both layers are accented with each other’s flavor during the transformation process. Pure magic!

Recently, I watched Valerie Bertinelli make a strawberry lemon version of Love Cake, using a strawberry cake, ricotta and mascarpone filling, and a lemon mascarpone whipped topping. With the warmer weather heading our way, this sounded like the perfect dessert for a summer party. However, I decided to give this dessert my own little spin, and with a few ingredient swaps and some additional attention given during the baking process (more on that in a bit), I am happy to say that the cake turned out exactly as I had hoped!

Instead of using Valerie’s strawberry and lemon combination, I opted for raspberry and lemon, which happens to be one of may favorite summer combinations. I started by switching out the strawberry box cake for a lemon box cake (lemon cake has always been a guilty pleasure of mine). I then incorporated 6 ounces of puréed fresh raspberries and some lemon zest into the ricotta and mascarpone filling, which really added a nice, summery flavor. I kept Valerie’s lemon and mascarpone whipped topping as is, because it just sounded so perfect.

Giving a little extra love to the Love Cake (a.k.a. my center runneth over!)

To bake the cake, I followed the same steps as I would with a traditional Love Cake. The prepared lemon cake batter was poured into the tray first, then topped with the raspberry and lemon flavored ricotta and mascarpone filling, and into the oven it went. Before I go any further, I must explain to you the two steps that I took  that may (or may not) have altered things a bit.

1. The directions say for you to pour the batters into a 9″ x 13″ pan. Because we wanted to bring only a portion of the dessert to my Mom’s house, I decided to pour the batters into two 8″ x 8″ pans, taking one with us and leaving the other at home.
2. As I mentioned, I decided to add 6 ounces of fresh raspberry purée to the ricotta and mascarpone…which, in turn, is adding an additional 6 ounces of liquid to the recipe.

How did these two steps possibly alter the recipe, you ask?  The direction for the original recipe calls for you to bake the cake for 50-60 minutes, or until the entire cake is set and a skewer piercing comes out clean. After a good 60 minutes in the oven, the centers of both 8″ x 8″ pans were still very loose. My first thought was that splitting the pans wasn’t a good idea. Then I thought that adding the additional 6 ounces of liquid to the mix could have been the culprit. Both suggestions are feasable. But as I went back to the original recipe to see if any steps were missed, I noticed that some of the reviews had the same complaint. Their centers had also runneth over! Now I’m not blaming Valerie for this, as I am a fan of both her cooking show and her recipes, and the cake does contain a fair amount of wet ingredients. Also, not everyone’s oven may be calibrated exactly the same. Really, I just don’t want to upset Valerie!

To ensure that the center would finish baking without having the already baked outer portions burn to a crisp, I removed both pans from the oven, covered the outer edges with aluminum foil so that only the soft center was exposed, and popped them back into the oven for an additional half hour. Success!!!

Long story short, a little extra love may be needed for this recipe…but oh, it’s worth it!

Raspberry Lemon Love Cake

Adapted from Valerie Bertinelli’s Strawberry Lemon Love Cake

• Nonstick cooking spray, for the baking pan(s)
• One 16.5-ounce box lemon cake mix (plus required ingredients) 
• 32 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese 
• 3/4 cup sugar 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 4 large eggs  
• 16 ounces mascarpone cheese
• 1 cup milk 
• One 3.4-ounce box instant lemon pudding mix
• 6 ounces fresh raspberries, puréed
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan (or two 8″ x 8″ baking pans) with cooking spray.

Prepare the cake batter according to the package directions and pour it into the prepared pan(s). Set aside.

Combine the ricotta, sugar, vanilla, eggs and 4 ounces (1/2 cup) of the mascarpone in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Fold in the puréed raspberries and lemon zest. Gently scoop the filling onto the cake batter, covering it completely.

Bake until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean and the lemon cake layer has risen to the top, 50 to 60 minutes.

*NOTE – if the center of the cake is not fully set after 60 minutes, remove the pan(s) from the oven and  cover the outer edges with aluminum foil. Return the pan(s) to the oven for an additional 20-30 minutes, or until the center is fully set. 

Cool completely on a rack.

Beat the remaining 12 ounces mascarpone in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add the milk, beating until smooth. Add the pudding mix and beat until smooth. Let stand until thickened, about 5 minutes. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake(s).

Refrigerate until ready to serve. You can top the cakes with additional raspberries and lemon zest to really impress!

Lemon Mascarpone Whipped Cream

Memorial Day weekend is here once again, and it is time to start thinking about light and refreshing sweet summer recipes! Today, I’m sharing with you a super easy dessert recipe that can be used in many creative ways. We’re starting off with a basic home made whipped cream. Next, we’re going to build up the creamy texture by adding mascarpone cheese, which is a delicious Italian style cream cheese. To finish it off, we’re adding some fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. You can use this citrusy light whipped cream as a topping for pancakes or waffles, as a dip for fresh fruit and graham crackers (you will not believe how good this tastes with fresh strawberries and blueberries), as an icing for a spongy summer cake…or let’s be honest, you can even eat it on its own by the spoonful!

Lemon Mascarpone Whipped Cream

1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar (plus extra if needed)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Combine cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract in a chilled mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, mix together until soft peaks start to form. Continue to mix, adding the mascarpone cheese a little at a time. Adding all of the mascarpone cheese at once will cause splashing. Continue to mix until stiff peaks form. Fold in the lemon zest and lemon juice. You can add additional powdered sugar if you prefer the whipped cream to be sweeter. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.