Ziti, Breadsticks, Hurricanes, and High School

               My disappearance from the blogging world has been the result of loosing power thanks to Irene, and going back to school after three, wonderful months of summer. I was worried about continuing to work on the E.V.P. (Everyday Italian Project...abbreviating makes things so much easier) because being in 11th grade now, I know it's going to be a challenge balancing school work with the project. Last week was just so hectic, I decided to hold off on the cooking in order to get my head on straight for school. I am LONG overdue for my post about the Ziti with Smoked Mozzarella, Asparagus, and Prosciutto as well as the  Cheese and Rosemary Breadsticks, which I completed about two weeks ago. When I went to the grocery store that Monday, I found every ingredient on my list EXCEPT smoked mozzarella. I thought, "What could I use to replace smoked mozzarella??" I could have just used normal mozzarella, but I wanted something with a little more oomph. I looked around the cheese isle and saw pepper jack cheese. Hmmm... it was completely different type of cheese than mozzarella, that I actually never saw used in a pasta dish. I grabbed the pepper jack anyway, thinking it would add a good kick to the dish. To make this Ziti dish, you start with boiling pasta, and when it is half-way cooked you add in the asparagus in the boiling water. Once both the pasta and asparagus are cooked, you drain them both, and saute minced garlic cloves in olive oil for about a minute. Then, you add the ziti and asparagus into that olive oil. If the pasta is looking a little dry, you can add some reserved cooking liquid from the boiled pasta & asparagus. Next, sliced prosciutto, cheese, and basil are added to the dish. The dish was very simple and fresh!! I don't think it was a good idea to use the pepper jack, only because it didn't melt well. The spicy-ness from the cheese really did add a nice kick that I wanted for this dish. If I were to make this dish again, I would use normal mozzarella and add in crushed red pepper flakes.

              The Cheese and Rosemary bread sticks seemed like a fun, easy side dish to make. I was right! You start with pre-made bread stick dough, and roll it in a Gruyere, Parmesan, and rosemary mixture. Gruyere cheese was a cheese I never tried before, and I got a little worried when I smelled an aroma of pineapple while grating it. After tasting the Gruyere cheese I was pleasantly surprised - it was nutty with a little fruity flavor, which explains why I smelled pineapple. Giada instructed me to cut each pre-cut piece of bread stick dough in half so the end result would be crispy, thin, bread sticks. I twisted these bread sticks to give a more interesting presentation. The end result was delicious! The Gruyere and Parmesan's yummy, nutty flavor increased after being toasted in the oven, and the rosemary added a pleasant fresh, woodsy taste. I would definitely make these again and I wouldn't do anything to change the recipe! I had trouble staying away from these bread sticks - I could eat 5 without even realizing! Delizioso!!
             Now that has school has begun, I need to figure out a game plan of how I'll get to complete a good amount of recipes each week. As of now, I think it's best to make two dishes every Wednesday (since I get out from school early every Wednesday), and two dishes on the weekend, or when I have free time during the week. I will think this current game plan through, and hopefully start cooking again this coming Monday!

The result of having one bread stick-dough piece left, and no more cheese mixture - Sugar coated bread stick heart dipped in nutella :)

Time spent: 2 hours