2 winners from Giada

The first recipe I found by lurking on the Cooking Light board, from this thread. That's also where I got the idea to serve it over greens; in this case, a mix of arugula, baby spinach, and herbs. It was easy and delicious!



Orechiette with Sausage, Beans and Mascarpone

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 4 to 6 servings

1 pound orechiette pasta (I used whole wheat farfalle, and only 1/2 a pound which is plenty)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound turkey sausage, casing removed (I used 2 links of sweet Italian turkey sausage)
1 small onion, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (predictably, my store didn't have cannellini beans so I used great northern beans and they were fine - I'm sure any white bean will do)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano leaves (I used dried, eyeballed amount)
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

In a large, heavy skillet warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and onions. Using a wooden spoon break up the sausage into bite-sized pieces as it browns.Continue cooking until the sausage is golden and the onions are tender. Add the beans and oregano cook for 2 more minutes. Add the cup of pasta cooking liquid and stir, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the mascarpone cheese and stir until it dissolves into a light sauce. Add the salt, pepper, and hot pasta. Stir until coated and serve. (And if you're me, sprinkle with freshly grated Parm.)

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I actually saw her make the second recipe on her show, which I hardly ever watch, but happened to catch for some reason. This one is also fairly easy and definitely delicious!

Halloween Spice Cake

Prep Time: 12 min
Cook Time: 50 min
Level: Intermediate
Serves: 6 to 8 servings

Butter (**)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan (** I did not butter and flour the pan, I just sprayed it with that cooking (baking) spray that has flour in it)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (um, yeah, I just used table salt)
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger (I thought I had some but didn't, used pumpkin pie spice instead)
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice (omitted this but added a very small dash of ground cloves)
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Powdered sugar, for dusting

For the cake: Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour (or spray) a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cocoa powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. (I like to use a whisk to mix dry ingredients.)

In a large bowl, beat the sugars, oil, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla extract to blend. Add the dry ingredients (in 2 batches) and stir (don't beat) until just blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake for 10 minutes. Unmold the cake and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar and cut into slices for serving.
(I think I had to bake mine for about 50 minutes for the center to cook completely. By that time, the outer edges were slightly burned. So I basically just cut the worst parts off. I think perhaps making this in a square pan instead of a loaf pan might help things cook more evenly. But I dunno. Still, very good overall and aside from the edges, it was moist as well.)