Cooking With Stanley Week 34

I don't know about you guys but this fall weather has me loving life. If it could be in the fifties and sixties year round, I'd be happy. It's the perfect time for hearty meals and chunky sweaters. What's not to love? Speaking of hearty meals, this week's Cooking With Stanley is a mix of fall and summer. Two dishes are great for any time of year but the salad is a shout out to summertime. The pasta is perfect for the cooler temps. It's hearty and incredibly tasty. I've been munching on leftovers all week. Sadly, they only lasted two days because it's just so darn good. Check it out!

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Arugula with Prosciutto, Pears & Parmesan
Chicken Cutlets
Pasta Casserole

The Arugula with Prosciutto, Pears & Parmesan salad was delicious. This was one of the more elegant dishes I've made from CWS but the different flavors were spot on. The arugula is tossed in a sherry shallot vinaigrette (which I'll be making in a future post) or a simple balsamic vinaigrette as I used. It's then topped with strips or prosciutto, sliced pears and parmesan cheese shavings. The saltiness from the prosciutto mixed with the sweetness of the pears and buttery nature of parmesan really made for a great combination. Plus you have the spicy arugula and sweet dressing to really round everything out. I'd recommend this as a starter for large dinners you host because of how easy it is to prepare. It would also make a nice, light lunch.

The chicken cutlets are pretty simple and something you've probably made many times on your own. It's chicken breasts, breaded and cooked in a skillet with olive oil. I used Panko bread crumbs instead of regular bread crumbs and rather than pound out my chicken breasts, I halved them lengthwise to have thin-cut chicken breasts. You don't want to cook them too long, just enough to cook through so the chicken stays tender and juicy. They paired really well with the salad. 

Now for my favorite, the Pasta Casserole. This could have been a meal on its own considering how much food it made. Farfalle pasta and boiled Swiss Chard are mixed together with a bechamel sauce, Maria Rosa's Sauce, mozzarella cheese and topped with parmesan cheese before baking in the oven about 30 minutes to become all golden and bubbly on top. This was to die for. I could eat these for month and be completely satisfied. If there's one thing you must try out of The Tucci Cookbook, it is this dish.