This is a simple pasta dish that’s perfect for a quick weeknight meal.
Don’t confuse this recipe with a big Sunday gravy-and-meatballs dinner—this is a quick, 20–25 minute, start-to-finish meal that makes 2 large or 4 small servings.
You’ll start with a quick marinara in an oven-safe skillet, then finish everything under the broiler.
The secret ingredient to this recipe is the pasta water. Whether you are making a marinara, a pesto sauce or a cream sauce, the starch of pasta water elevates the taste and texture of your sauce. You only need a small amount for this dish, one ladle or about 1/4 cup.
1/3 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
1 sprig fresh basil (add it to the sauce stem and all; you’ll pull it out once it wilts)
Shredded mozzarella + grated Parmesan (to your liking)
6–8 oz pasta (your choice)
In a large, oven-safe skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the garlic.
Once the garlic starts to sizzle (don’t let it brown), add the tomatoes.
Stir in the oregano. Add the basil sprig, gently placing it right into the sauce.
Cover and let the sauce simmer for about 15 minutes.
While it simmers, boil your pasta per the package directions. Cook until al dente and reserve a bit of pasta water (the pasta will finish cooking in the sauce).
Remove the wilted basil, then add the al dente pasta to the sauce.
Stir in 1 ladle (about 1/4 cup) of pasta water. You can also add salt and crushed red pepper to taste.
Add shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan. I like to add just a bit so it’s not too cheesy, but you can do it to your liking.
Finish under the broiler on high for 2–3 minutes, until the sauce bubbles and the cheese just starts to melt. (No broiler? Bake at 425°F for about 10 minutes, or until bubbling and melted.)
Carefully remove the pan, plate, and garnish with chopped parsley if you’d like—then enjoy.
Simmering sauce, with a fresh sprig of basil.Adding a sprinkle of cheese to the pasta and sauce.
This recipe is my take on the popular feta and tomato bake that was trendy on social media a few years back. For my version, I’m using spaghetti squash, grape tomatoes and a spreadable herbed cheese.
If you are not familiar with spaghetti squash, it is an oval shaped winter squash, and the outer skin usually has a light or bright yellow color. Similar to other winter squash, like butternut or acorn squash, there is a fair number of seeds and pulp that needs to be removed once cut open. The seeds can be seasoned and roasted like pumpkin seeds. However, the taste of this squash is a bit mild compared to butternut and acorn squash. The meaty texture also shreds after being cooked, which then makes it look like…you guessed it, spaghetti!
It is a healthy, nutritional alternative to traditional spaghetti if you are looking for a low carb pasta-type dish. Spaghetti squash absorbs whatever seasonings are rubbed onto the flesh as it bakes, which makes it the perfect base for the baked tomato and cheese topping.
While I do enjoy the taste of the traditional tomato and feta version, I wanted to bring more flavor to this dish, especially because spaghetti squash could be a bit bland on its own. In place of feta, I chose to use a spreadable, herbed cheese. Two of my favorite spreadable herbed cheeses are Boursin and Alouette. Both are usually available in the specialty cheese section, deli or refrigerated dairy section of the grocery store, and each comes in a variety of flavors. You can also use a crumbled feta, classic style or Mediterranean herbed, if you prefer.
What I enjoy about this recipe is that it offers lots of flavor, yet the steps are simple. It is also a good meal to prepare either during the week or for a nice Sunday dinner!
Baked Spaghetti Squash with Tomatoes and Herbed Cheese
1 large spaghetti squash olive oil Salt and pepper 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided 1 container of spreadable herbed cheese (5.3 ounce Boursin or 6.5 ounce Alouette, your choice) 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and pulp. Gently pierce the flesh throughout with a fork. (*Note, you can pierce the squash with a knife and microwave it for a few minutes to help soften the outer skin for cutting)
Lightly brush the inside and edge of each half of the squash with olive oil. Season the oil-brushed squash with salt and pepper. Place both side face up on the baking sheet.
Coat both halves of the squash evenly with the spreadable cheese, then top each side evenly with the tomatoes and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until the flesh can be easily shredded with a fork.
Carefully use a fork to shred the cooked squash so it looks like spaghetti strands. Mix the melted cheese and tomatoes with the squash as you are shredding.
Place the shredded squash, tomatoes and cheese into a large bowl. Drizzle a bit of olive oil and stir to lightly coat the squash. Mix together and season with the remaining Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste.
Freshly cut, seasoned, and filled, ready for baking.
This recipe is actually a reimagining of my Eggplant and White Bean Meatballs recipe that I had previously posted a few years back. The original recipe has been a family favorite and is often in our standard dinner rotation. The way that I would most often serve the meatballs is with a side of rice and some marinara sauce for dipping. To change things ups bit, I decided to add a Mediterranean flare. Because one of the main ingredients in my eggplant meatballs is white beans, they have a similar taste and texture to falafel. This got me to thinking that the meatballs would really work well with some Mediterranean flavors. Right away, a zesty tomato-cucumber salad, some fresh mint and feta cheese came to mind.
Another update that I made to my meatball recipe was to do the initial eggplant prep process in the oven. My original recipe would have you preparing the eggplant on the stove top with shallots and some seasoning in olive oil and warm water. While this method does work well, I find that I now prefer to season the fresh chopped eggplant, toss it with some olive oil and bake it. This method adds a bit more flavor to the eggplant and is also more of a hands-free method.
As far as the tomato-cucumber salad recipe goes, the seasoning and measurements are pretty much up to you, depending on how much you prefer to prepare. For my family, I use a half of an English cucumber and a half pint of cherry tomatoes, seasoned with onion and garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. Tossed with some fresh chopped mint, some crumbled feta, and some olive oil and a tiny splash of balsamic. This is really a salad that you can make and adjust to your liking!
Serving this new version of my recipe is very easy. You simply stuff a pita pocket (a tortilla wrap will also work well) with some of the tomato-cucumber salad, then add two to three eggplant meatballs (again to your preference). I also suggest adding a bit of a creamy dressing for additional taste, such as a creamy horseradish aioli, lemon aioli or tzatziki. What you will end up with is a pita loaded with all kinds of goodness and a multitude of flavor profiles. The fresh crunch of the seasoned tomatoes and cucumbers combined with fresh mint. The slight punch of the balsamic splash. The savory and flavorful meatballs. The zip of the additional creamy topping. All held together by a nice, firm pita pocket. And the ingredients are all on the healthy side!
Mediterranean Eggplant Meatball Pita Pockets
For the Tomato-Cucumber Salad My preference for the salad is 1/2 of an English cucumber diced, 1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes halved, tossed with a drizzle of olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Seasoned to taste with salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder, and chopped fresh mint. Tossed with crumbled feta or goat cheese. This is a very versatile salad, so you can adjust the amount and ingredients to your liking!
For the Meatballs Makes approximately 12-15 meatballs
1 large eggplant, skin removed, cut into 1″ pieces 1 tspn garlic powder 1 tspn dried oregano 2 tbspn olive oil salt and pepper 1 tbspn fresh basil, finely chopped 1 tbspn mint, finely chopped (you can use 2 tbspn basil if you do not have mint on hand) 1/2 cup canned canellini or garbanzo beans, rinsed 1/2 cup parmesan cheese 1 cup bread crumbs 1 egg, lightly beaten
Preheat oven to 375˚. Stir together the eggplant pieces, olive oil, garlic powder, oregano and a dash of salt and pepper until all eggplant pieces are coated. Bake the seasoned eggplant in a baking dish for 30 minutes. Remove eggplant from the oven, set aside to let cool.
When cooled, place eggplant in a food processor with remaining ingredients. Pulse until well mixed, but not puréed. You can mix by hand if you do not have a food processor, but the meatballs will have a chunkier consistency. Shape the mixture into small balls as you would with traditional meatballs. Placed the meatballs onto a lightly sprayed baking sheet. Lightly spray the meatballs. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 375˚, until they are browned and no longer soft to the touch.
For the Assembly To enjoy this meal, simply stuff a pita pocket, a tortilla wrap or any other sandwich wrap that you prefer with the mixed salad, two to three meatballs, and for an extra optional kick a drizzle of a creamy horseradish aioli, lemon aioli or tzatziki. Grab yourself a few napkins and enjoy!
Recently, I shared with you my recipe for game-day empanadas, and one of the fillings that I decided to use in my empanadas was ricotta salata. Up until this point, I had not really been all that familiar with this particular cheese. Ever since, it has become a staple in our house. For those of you who are still not familiar with this flavorful gem, it is an Italian cheese made from whey that is re-cooked (ricotta), and has been pressed, salted (salata) and aged for at least 90 days. The end result is a beautiful, milky white cheese with a slight nutty flavor, that is perfect for slicing, shredding or crumbling. Texture-wise, it is more like a feta than a traditional soft ricotta, with a taste that packs a delightful punch. It is also a very reasonably priced cheese, which makes it all the more enjoyable.
While my wife and I were perfectly content with simply enjoying slices of this cheese drizzled with a little balsamic, the wheels in my mind quickly started spinning on how to incorporate it into recipes. The first, and most obvious recipe that came to mind was the classic Caprese Salad, which of course is simply made up of fresh sliced mozzarella, tomatoes, fresh basil, olive oil and herbs. My thought was that not only would the texture of the cheese hold up well with the tomatoes and fresh basil, but also that the lively flavors would not require any additional seasonings. My hunch was correct. The in-your-face, vibrant flavor marries perfectly with the sweetness of fresh chopped basil, swirled together with a splash of rich, golden olive oil. The crumbly, chunky texture plays well with chunks of juicy tomato. Traditional Carpese Salad may be one of my all time favorites, but the ricotta salata version is definitely a nice and inviting alternative.
Tomato, Basil and Ricotta Salata
This is a very simple recipe. Measurements can be adjusted to your preferred serving size.
one chunk of ricotta salata
1-2 roma tomatoes
fresh chopped basil
Extra virgin olive oil
Chop the cheese and tomatoes into slices or cubes. Sprinkle with fresh chopped basil. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Serve and enjoy!
