We had a full house last night for dinner and results watching. My favorite person, Adrienne made some awesome donkey cookies to celebrate. There was much champagne and cheesy pasta - plenty for 6 people. This is an easy dish for a night like this - comfy celebratory food you can eat while watching the tube for electoral results. My mom has made this recipe for years and everytime it tastes better and better. The blue cheese is great - even if you’re not a fan, don’t leave it out - it’s not super strong but balances the saltiness nicely. Here’s how to make it:

Serves 6

1/2 stick unsalted butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups milk (try to use whole, but skim works also)

28 oz can of whole Italian tomatoes, drained, reserving 1 1/4 cup juice, chopped fine

1 lb bow-tie pasta

1 1/2 cups coarsely grated mozzarella cheese (about 6oz)

1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (about 2 oz)

1/2 cup diced Italian Fontina cheese (about 2 oz)
1 1/3 cup freshly grated Romano cheese (about 4 oz)

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Butter a 3-4 quart gratin dish or a 13×9 baking dish

2. In a heavy saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add flour and cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes. Add milk and reserved tomato juice in a stream, whisking, and bring to a boil, whisking. Stir in tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste and simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes.

3. In a large pot bring salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions, until just al dente.

4. In a bowl stir together pasta, sauce, mozzarella, Gorgonzola, Fontina, 1 cup Romano, and parsley and transfer to prepared dish. Sprinkle pasta with remaining 1/3 cup Romano. Bake bow ties in middle of oven 30-35 minutes, or until golden and bubbling, let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Winning Donkey Cookies

This was a great hearty meal that made us feel great when we were stuffed full of veggies. I had seen the dressing recipe on Tyler’s Ultimate this past weekend and thought it would be a great fall flavor over some roasted veggies. I also used half of one of the last tomatoes of the season, without roasting. The lettuce is a red leaf and a bibb lettuce from the farmer’s market. Actually, this entire meal, minus the maple syrup is from the farmer’s market. I roasted sliced eggplant, parsnips, and carrots at 400F for about 20 minutes. Just drizzle the dressing, add whatever veggies move you that day, a slice of good bread and you have an amazing flavorful salad - and I don’t usually buy the whole salad thing unless it’s covered with cheese.

AMAZING, if you’ve got a WHOLE day to cook this sucker. The tomatoes roast at 200F for 8ish hours. The actual soup only takes about 30 minutes, if not less. It makes your kitchen/apartment smell fantastic for the day though. This is not for the time conscious, or after work meal, unless you’re reheating. However, it is a fun thing to learn and experiment with, and the results were well worth it. Apparently you can freeze roasted tomatoes for the winter, but we didn’t have any left over. So, next time you have absolutely nothing to do on the weeknds, try this one!

4 lbs ripe tomatoes, halved

6 sprigs fresh herbs

3 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup finely chopped onion

2 teaspoons minced garlic

3 cups chicken stock, veg stock, or water

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup fresh basil leaves

1. Preheat the oven to 200F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Place the tomatoes cut side up on the prepared baking sheet. Distribute herbs evenly over th etomatoes, drizzle with the oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until the tomatoes are shriveled but still plump, about 8 hours. The tomatoes can be frozen at this point: place them on baking sheets lined with parchment paper and freeze for 2 hours. When frozen, carefully transfer them to sealable plastic freezer bags and store in freezer up to 4 months.

3. Melt the butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

4. Stire in the tomatoes, stock, and bay leaf. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer gently for 30 minutes, occasionally mashing the tomatoes with a wooden spoon

5. Remove the bay leaf. Using a food mill or blender, puree the soup until smooth. Return the soup to the pot; add the cream and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm over low heat.

6. Stack the basil leave stem-end toward you and roll cigar-style. Finely slice the leaves to create attractive ribbons. Ladle soup into 4 bowls, sprinkle basil over top and serve.