Pesto Pasta with Cannellini Beans and Shrimp

April 8, 2011 Clare Schapiro

I'm positive that this isn't an original thought, merely original to me. However, that being said, I did stumble into a delicious and embarrassingly easy dinner last night. Earlier in the week I had a lovely dinner at Bacchus on Main where I had just the thing for comfort induced carb loading: an enormous bowl of penne and white beans tousled with pesto sauce.

Several days later, while looking through my fridge for something to make for dinner with the beautiful shrimp I'd just scored, I remembered that soothing pasta , and what I've always considered to be a great affinity between shrimp and white beans.

Hay and Straw Pasta

March 10, 2011 Clare Schapiro

I am reminded every time I make this for dinner, how much we all love it, and wonder why I don't make it more often. It's easy and so creamy and full of flavor that it's really just glamorous comfort food when you get right down to it. Actually, it's so easy to keep the ingredients on hand, that there's no reason for it not to become a good ol' pantry special--you know, one of those things to make when you haven't planned anything and it's suddenly dinnertime and your beloved family clearly expect that it's going to magically materialize. Actually, at times like this, when you hear the crunch on the driveway that signals your brood is home and you've been lazing about the hacienda doing lots of stuff that doesn't include making dinner, my first advice is to lay the table. That way, you can stall for time while you figure out what in the world you're going to do, and it lulls them into a false sense of security that you've got it together.

Pot Roast

February 25, 2011 Clare Schapiro

When Jeff comes home after a long day riding herd over the General Assembly I like to think there's some small measure of comfort for him here. And surely it can't be all sweetness and light working hard at senior sliding either? Felix probably deserves a good dinner too, which is another way of saying that sometimes I can lure him home for a rare sighting if the proffered meal is alluring enough. I think pot roast has generally fallen out of favor since the days of my childhood, which I think is a pity. I really can't imagine why, but I rarely hear of anyone (other than me) making it very often. It really can be the perfect thing for a chilly day, a busy day, a happy day or, well a sad day. Plus, if you don a cute apron while you prepare it, you start feeling all retro, and before you know it, you'll think that mixing up some martinis before dinner might be an idea....though that's another story entirely.

Gorgonzola Pasta

February 2, 2011 Clare Schapiro

Let's face it, coming up with an interesting dinner night after night can certainly be a challenge, particularly when time is short and hunger looms large. Therefore, I think it's time to unlimber an old tried-and-true favorite of mine. This falls under the broad definition, I suppose, of macaroni and cheese. I'm still laughing over my friend Carroll's pronouncement that macaroni and cheese is perfect for "when I lose my teeth." This, however, is great for right now--teeth intact--as it appeals to grown-up taste buds and definitely demands the ability to chew.