Cacio e Pepe

This recipe is adapted from We are Never Full and Bon Apetit.

This pasta is great for a weeknight, last-minute dinner. Though it has little redeeming nutritional value in its original form (its basically pasta, butter, pepper, and cheese), I usually use whole wheat pasta and olive oil to make it seem a little healthier. Regardless, it is scrumptious!

Baked Brie

This is a Martha Stewart recipe.

I love cheese. I love cheese so much that I’ve thrown parties celebrating cheese. So when planning my birthday party this week, my thoughts naturally turned to how I could add cheese to the menu.

Some quick googling had me salivating over this Huffington Post slideshow. As I had never made baked brie before, I decided to check to see if Martha Stewart had a recipe because Martha’s recipes are always classic and well tested. I’m so glad I did. This brie was a hit! I highly recommend it for your next soiree.

Pizza

This is a recipe from The Mozza Cookbook.

So I set off the smoke detector in my apartment the other day.

I’ve made this pizza recipe several times before, but I was always too lazy to dust the bottom of my dough with semolina flour. I’d already bought rye flour and wheat germ specifically for this recipe, so why drop close to $4 at Ralph’s for a finishing touch? This time, however, I was determined to “do it right.”

Ah, hubris. Within minutes of popping the pizza into the oven there was smoke, the wailing of smoke detectors, and the gnashing of teeth. I had forgotten to clear away the excess semolina flour, which was rapidly turning into carbon in the 550 degree oven. Much flapping of dish towels and opening of windows ensued.

However, the pizza was still as delicious as always. I’ve tried several other homemade pizza recipes, and despite the funky/expensive ingredients, this really is the best. Just, you know, be careful not to burn your house down.

Cheesy Bread

This recipe is adapted from The Changeable Table’s Bloomin’ Onion Bread.

This bread is great for communal TV watching, like for the Superbowl or a Twilight movie marathon. I love to pick off the warm and soft and buttery top bits and then eat the crusty bottom.

Perfect Macaroni and Cheese

This is a Martha Stewart recipe. Smitten Kitchen also has an adaptation.

This recipe is perfect. I’ve made it several times, and it is the most decadent, cheesy macaroni and cheese I’ve ever tasted. I once hosted a party around this mac and cheese. It’s that good.

Sundried Tomato, Olive and Goat Cheese Palmiers

This is a Spoon Fork Bacon recipe.

These are addicting! Olives are one of my favorite foods, so I found these to be divine. Bonus: you can make these by using the other sheet of puff pastry after making your Asparagus Gruyere Tart!

Asparagus Gruyere Tart

This is a Martha Stewart recipe.

I used frozen puff pastry and frozen asparagus from Trader Joe’s, so it was a snap to put together. A portion of this makes a delightful weeknight dinner. It even reheats well!