Squid Ink Pasta with Pink Gorgonzola Sauce

The pasta can be found at a Super Target.

Mike, Christina, Caleb and I loved it.

Caleb gave it 2 thumbs up. Zachary thought it was ok,

but was put off at first by the black pasta.

Don't be afraid to try it.

The pasta pretty much tastes like regular pasta.

Once Zachary actually tried it he gave it 1 thumb.

1 (16 ounce) package black squid ink pasta
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 shallots, minced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock
8 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
5 (1/2 ounce) slices prosciutto, diced
1/4 cup half-and-half cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
6 leaves fresh basil, cut into thin strips

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Don't salt it because the dish is pretty salty as is.Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat.
Saute shallots and garlic until lightly golden.
Pour in wine and chicken stock.
Bring to a boil, and stir in gorgonzola.
Add tomato paste and prosciutto; bring to a boil.
Stir in half-and-half, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place pasta on dishes, spoon sauce over.
garnish with parmesan and basil.

Welsh Rarebit

I made this today for Mikes and my lunch. Mike claimed that this is his new fav cheese sauce and next time I need to double or triple it and he will use it as a dipping sauce. This would also be good on macaroni.


2 TB unsalted butter
2 TB all-purpose flour
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce (I just shook it in, but I think I used a bit more than 2 tsp)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup porter beer (I had Mike go buy Guiness)
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 cup shredded Extra Sharp Cheddar
2 drops hot sauce (I used alot more than 2 drops, more like a tsp, but we like it a little spicy)
4 slices toasted rye bread

In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour.
Cook, whisking constantly bringing it to a light golden brown
Whisk in mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper until smooth.
Add beer and whisk to combine.
Pour in cream and whisk until well combined and smooth.
Gradually add cheese, stirring constantly, until cheese melts and sauce is smooth.
Add hot sauce.
Pour over toast and serve immediately.

Black Bean Quesadilla

I put this together last night at the last minute. It turned out very good.

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup salsa (I used a corn and fire roasted tomato homemade salsa)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 cups shredded cheese (I used extra sharp cheddar because thats all we had)
Flour tortillas

Mix the first 5 ingredients together.
Heat up a dry skillet over med-low heat
Place tortilla on skillet and heat on both sides
As soon as you flip the tortilla to the other side spread the cheese around it.
Add a big spoonful of the bean mixture and spread around
Add a little more cheese
Place another tortilla on top.
Cover.
When the bottom of the tortilla browns slightly and crisps up a little bit,
flip it over and lightly brown the other side
Place on plate and slice into wedges with a pizza cutter
Serve with sour cream, salsa and avocado slices.