In a big saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. To this, add garlic, and cook and stir for one minute. Then add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, water, cauliflower, carrot, Italian seasoning, salt, fennel seeds, and red pepper. Bring it to a boil and then reduce heat and let it simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cook and drain spaghetti according to package directions. Once done, serve the cooked pasta topped with sauce and a dollop of ricotta cheese. You can also garnish it with black pepper, a dash of olive oil, and some fresh parsley.

5. Rosemary Chicken Lasagna

Ingredients:

For pasta:

250 grams chicken breast, cut into small bite-sized pieces

2 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

250 grams sliced mushrooms

1/2 onion, diced

6 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

1 cup chopped fresh spinach (optional)

250 grams dry lasagna noodles or fresh pasta sheets

350 grams fresh or grated mozzarella, divided (keep 100 grams for the sauce)

500 grams whole milk ricotta

3/4 cup Parmesan, grated

1 tbsp lemon zest

Truffle oil (optional)

For the bechamel sauce:

4 tbsp butter or olive oil

4 tbsp flour

1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

3 cups milk

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp white pepper

Truffle oil (optional)

Method:

Make the filling:

Start by preheating the oven at 400 F. Then cut the chicken into 1/2 inch, bite-sized pieces and season with salt and cracked pepper to taste. Saute this in a skillet, on medium heat, with 1-2 tbsp of olive oil until golden brown, and cooked through, then place chicken in a bowl and set aside. Next, wipe out the pan and add a little more oil. To this, add mushrooms, onion, and saute until tender, on medium heat, for about seven minutes. Add garlic and rosemary, and saute for two more minutes. Season this with and lower the heat to medium-low, and saute until mushrooms release their liquid. Then add chopped spinach, stir until wilted, and add this to the chicken and set aside.

Make the bechamel sauce:

In a small pot, melt butter on medium-low heat, add flour, and stir for 2-3 minutes on medium heat until the flour is golden. Then slowly whisk in milk, one cup at a time. To this, add rosemary and bring to a gentle simmer, do not leave unattended, stirring constantly. Add 100 grams of mozzarella, stir until melted and thickened, followed by salt, nutmeg, and white pepper, and stir until incorporated, then set aside.

Assemble lasagna:

Butter or grease a 9 x 13-inch pan and pour 3/4 cups of bechamel sauce in the bottom and spread out. Lay down one layer of pasta or dry noodles. Then using a teaspoon, place teaspoon-sized dollops of ricotta, using up about half the container. Spread out 1/2 of the chicken mushroom filling, drizzle 1/2 cup bechamel, sprinkle 1/4 cup Parmesan, 100 grams of fresh mozzarella, and half of the lemon zest. Repeat the same steps for the rest of the pasta and sauce. At this point, you could drizzle a little truffle oil and top the last layer of pasta with the remainder of the bechamel, spreading evenly. To this add the final 1/4 cup of Parmesan and sprinkle with a little rosemary.

Bake the pasta by covering it tightly for 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Then remove the foil and bake uncovered until the top is golden for about 15 more minutes. Let this rest out of the oven for 10-15 minutes before cutting and serving.

6. Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients:

Vegetarian shepherd’s pie filling:

2 tbsp olive oil

3 shallots, minced

500 grams fresh mushrooms, sliced

6 carrots, peeled and chopped

Fresh herbs to taste (sprig of rosemary, thyme, and a bay leaf)

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 tbsp flour

1/2 cup red wine

2 cups veggie broth

Salt, to taste

2 cups frozen peas

Mashed Potatoes:

6 gold potatoes

1/2 cup full-fat Greek yogurt

1/4 cup butter or olive oil

Salt, to taste

Method:

Peel the potatoes, and boil them until fork tender. Then drain the excess water, mash the potatoes, and mix in yogurt and butter, and season to taste. Then in a large oven-safe pot, heat the oil over medium heat. To this, add shallots and sauté until fragrant, followed by mushrooms, carrots, and whole herbs. Sauté until carrots are softened. Next, add tomato paste and flour to the pot and stir. Pour in the red wine and scrape all the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Let the wine cook for a minute or two and then slowly add the broth, stirring it in until the gravy starts to form. Then season with salt and simmer over low heat to get it thickened even further.

Once done, remove the herbs, stir in the peas, spread the mashed potatoes on top, brush with butter, and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Lastly, serve this delicious and easy dinner recipe and enjoy the chilled weather.

7. Roasted Mushroom Kale Pizza

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded kale

200 grams mixed wild mushrooms, torn

2 cloves garlic, grated

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, plus more for serving

200 grams pizza dough, homemade or store-bought

1 tbsp fig preserves (optional)

4 fresh sage leaves, chopped

1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes

100 grams crumbled goat cheese

1 cup shredded Havarti cheese

1 tbsp salted butter, thinly sliced into 3 pieces

Method:

Start by preheating the oven to 450 degrees F and grease a large baking sheet with olive oil. In a medium bowl, combine the kale, mushrooms, garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, thyme, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Massage the kale and mushrooms with your hands for a minute. Then on a lightly floured surface, push/roll the dough out until it is pretty thin. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet and spread the dough with preserves. Add the sage, crushed red pepper, and goat cheese, then layer the kale and mushrooms over the cheese. Top with Havarti and thin slices of butter and transfer to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the crust is golden and the cheese has melted. Once done, top the pizza with fresh thyme and enjoy this delicious and easy dinner recipe!

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