Some days you need a light lift, a gimme – a meal that you can make with half a brain and half an hour. And, in my experience, there is a disproportionate amount of those days in January. I find it so strange that we associate this month with fresh starts. It’s the darkest, coldest month of the year. Hibernation should reign supreme, not gym memberships and lofty career goals.  I will not be doing anything more than surviving and I invite you to join me. And today’s Creamy Lemon Dill Egg Noodles will help you do just that. This dead simple sharp and tangy pasta dish delivers carb-tastic bliss in 30 minutes flat. 

I’m going to level with you, these Pumpkin Bocconcini Agnolotti are a straight-up project. I submit them as a meatless holiday feast option with one simple caveat: you must make them only for your nearest and dearest. This is not a meal you make for a crowd and it is not something you make for people you want to impress. Stuffed pasta does not respond well to pressure. But if you’re having a few pals by for Christmas Eve or hosting your immediate family for an intimate holiday dinner, these divine little pillows are the perfect special dinner option. After all, nothing says “I love you” like hand-formed pasta. Particularly stuffed hand-formed pasta. So let’s get into it!

The holidays are once again upon us and you know what that means. Tis the season for large-format meals designed to feed the unending onslaught of family, friends, and well-wishers. These dishes must be cozy, have broad appeal, and be filling as all get out. If you can achieve all three without going bankrupt, so much the better. So to kick off this cook and bakeathon, I bring you this French Onion Lasagna. A golden and gooey casserole that features layers of homemade pasta, buttery caramelized onions, sharp gruyere cheese, and a velvety béchamel sauce. This is a crowd-pleaser if there ever was one, so let’s get into it. 

This week began with a time change and freezing rain. The worst form of precipitation coupled with the devastating realization that it gets dark at 5 pm now. Add in the deeply depressing state of the world and the fact I still had to do my job and be a somewhat pleasant member of society throughout this upheaval and that all adds up to one hell of the week. My cats were particularly unnerved by the shift in their feeding schedule. So in the midst of crying cats, terrible headlines, and working until darkness falls, there is only one solution: comfort food. And what is more comforting than a bowl of Mac and cheese?  Today’s White Cheddar Chili Mac marries the charms of the cheesy classic with the much beloved white chili. A creamy and fiery bowl of carbs that will soothe your seasonal affective disorder like no other.