Shortly before Hugo was born Andy & I discovered blue apron. I was right on the nesting mode, get ready for his arrival and has been cooking nonstop to keep the blog alive for my maternity leave. I wanted to have home cooked meals on the regular, but pregnancy brain hit me hard and I did not have the time or menu plan or effort to get everything organized. A friend sent me a free trial of Blue Apron and have been hooked ever since. I am a loyal customer for over a year and I must say it is simply the best.
If you are not familiar blue apron is a service that offers plenty of recipes with all fresh ingredients for you cook. Everything is just so not perfectly portioned waste or buying random ingredients to throw. You do all the chopping and preparation if you really cook your own meals from scratch, but it takes on the conjecture of menu planning and the struggle to be creative with what's for dinner. We tried tons of different meals with lots of new ingredients and cooking techniques. I think it has made me a better kitchen for you, challenge me to try new things. In a city like New York where take is much too convenient, I really appreciate the opportunity to cook our own food without too much work. Moreover, the ingredients come in a refrigerated box so he can actually sit outside your door for hours without spoiling if you can not get right away, (which was a great help for me!)
Since I'm already such a fan, I'm so excited to work with blue apron today, sharing one of our recent meal of them with you . I still love pasta dishes we receive in our box. They are often the fastest to throw together, and since I cook pasta rarely myself, it always feels like a special treat. This cream baked pasta is no exception.
Brussels sprouts thinly sliced and sautéed with shallots, mixed with cheese and pasta to make a creamy sauce and topped with the delicious sage breadcrumbs. This meal came together in a short time, was so satisfactory, and everyone in my family loved it. (Hugo especially- he took a full part!)
I remade several recipes before Blue Apron, sometimes reworking a bit from what I have on hand. I think it would be surprising well in spring / summer with other vegetables that are in season. As brussels become harder to find, I think I'll do it again with shaved asparagus and spring peas
as special treatment for anyone who has not tried, blue apron has an offer special for you: The first 50 of my readers will get two meals out of their first blue apron order free! Click here!
- 8 Ounces Campanelle Pasta (something like shells, penne or also work rotini large)
- 2 ounces Fontina cheese
- 6 ounces Brussels sprouts
- 1 Bunch Wise
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 shallot
- ½ cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- Preheat oven to 450 ° F. Wash and dry fresh. Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil on high.
- Grate the cheese. Cut off and discard the ends of sprouts stems. Brussels sprouts cut in half lengthwise; thinly slice the halves. Choose the sage leaves stems; discard stems and finely chop the leaves. Peel and mince the shallot.
- Add the pasta to the pot of boiling water. Bake 9-11 minutes or until just shy of al dente (still firm to the bite). Reserving 2 cups of water for cooking pasta, drain the pasta cooked thoroughly and set aside in a warm place.
- While the pasta is cooking, in a medium saucepan (non-stick if you have one), heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil until moderately hot. Add the sage and breadcrumbs; Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, 3 to 4 minutes, or until fragrant and browned. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Wipe skillet.
- In the same pan used to make sage breadcrumbs, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add the shallot. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until tender. Add Brussels sprouts; Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2-4 minutes, or until softened and light green. Remove from fire.
- In the same pan used to cook pasta, melt butter over medium-high heat. Once melted, add flour; cook, whisking frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until toasted and fragrant. Slowly add the heavy cream and reserved cooking water for pasta; cook, whisking frequently, 2-4 minutes, or until thickened. Add the Fontina cheese; stir until melted and combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from fire.
- Add cooked pasta and Brussels sprouts baked with béchamel sauce pan Fontina. Stir until completely combined; Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer mixture to a baking dish. Place the baking dish on a baking sheet. Bake 5 to 7 minutes, or until bubbly. Remove from oven. Top pasta baked with sage breadcrumbs. Let stand for 2 minutes before serving. Have fun!
This post is sponsored by Blue Apron, but my thoughts and opinions are always 100% my own.