Ramsey and I have been trying to keep our weekly grocery bills under fifty dollars without sacrificing too much flavor and variety in our weeknight meals. A well stocked pantry of dry goods, new cooking methods, and planning weekly menus are three great techniques to achieve this, but sometimes you just stumble upon a combination of cheap, (mostly) fresh ingredients that create a great dish.

A prime example of this took place this evening when I made a simple dinner of spinach fettuccine with peas. While it sounds boring, the addition of onion, lemon zest, and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese resulted in an expensive-tasting meal for four that cost $5.68.

Fettuccine with Peas
-1 lb. spinach fettuccine ($1.79)
-5 oz. frozen peas (.89)
-1/2 cup unsalted butter ($1.25)
-1/2 medium yellow onion, diced (.25)
-1 tsp. lemon zest (.50)
-Parmesan cheese for sprinkling ($1.00)

1. Put the water on to boil in a large pot. As the water is heating, melt the butter in a large skillet and add the diced onion. Stir often until tender and remove from heat.

2. Add the fettuccine to the boiling water and cook according to box directions. Add the frozen peas two minutes before the pasta is done.

3. Drain the pasta and return to the pot. Add the onion, melted butter, and lemon zest. Stir until the pasta is coated.

4. Serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Much to the dismay of my Irish ancestors, I made meat and mushroom lasagna on St. Patrick’s Day instead of a hearty stew or potato-based dish. I watched a bit of the parade and had an Irish coffee, but I was really just in the mood for Italian. Lasagna also meant that dinner the following night could be leftovers, meaning no prep and only a few dishes to wash. It seems to always taste better on the second day too.

If you’re a vegetarian, you can easily substitute the meat with more mushrooms, roasted eggplant, and zucchini, and still have a very hearty lasagna.

Meat and Mushroom Lasagna
For an 8×8 baking dish. Serves 4.
-12 lasagna noodles (you’ll only need 9, but it’s good to have back-up)
- 3/4 lb. ground beef
-1 small yellow onion, diced
- 5 oz. chopped mushrooms, white or crimini
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes (set aside 3/4 cup for coating the bottom of the baking dish)
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 tsp. sugar
- dash of cinnamon (optional)
- 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 egg
- 2 tbs. olive oil
- 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese for sprinkling
- Salt & black pepper to taste

1) Put a large pot of water on to boil with for the noodles. Make sure to add a teaspoon or two of salt. While the water is heating, brown the ground beef in a deep, straight sided skillet (if you have one. If not, just use a large, wide saucepan). Once browned, remove the beef using a slotted spoon to drain the grease, place in a bowl, and set aside.

2) If the water is boiling, add the noodles and cook until al dente. Drain the water and set the noodles aside in a bowl, adding a splash of olive oil to help keep them separated.

3) Drain the fat from the skillet, rinse, and dry. Place back on the heat with 2 tbs. olive oil and coat the bottom of the pan. Brown the onion for about 5 minutes over medium heat, then add the mushrooms (you may need to add another splash of olive oil).

4) Once the mushrooms are almost tender, add the garlic and stir until fragrant (about 30 seconds), then pour in the can of crushed tomatoes (make sure to set aside that 3/4 cup). Add basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, sugar, and cinnamon and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, add the beef back to the pan, and simmer for an additional 3 minutes. Remove from heat

5) Mix ricotta, Parmesan, egg, and parsley in a small bowl and add salt and black pepper to taste.

6) Pre-heat the oven to 375°. Coat the bottom of the 8×8 baking dish with 1/2 cup of the crushed tomato. Cut 9 lasagna noodles to fit the width of the dish and get ready to create your layers:
-3 lasagna noodles
-Meat and mushroom sauce
-Ricotta cheese mixture
-Sprinkle of mozzarella cheese

Complete this layering twice, then finish with a final layer of noodles. Top with a bit of sauce and a sprinkling of mozzarella cheese.

7) Tent the lasagna with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Roasted Tomato Linguine for Two
-1/2 lb linguine
-8 medium tomatoes, cored and halved lengthwise
-4 cloves garlic, minced
-1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
-1/4 cup diced Kalamata olives
-2 tbs olive oil
-Salt
-Fresh pepper

1) Pre-heat the oven to 400°

2) Cover a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place halved tomatoes on it, seed side up. Drizzle with olive oil and use hands to make sure tomatoes are fully coated (seed and skin sides). Add a few pinches of salt and freshly ground pepper and place in the oven for 30 minutes, or until tops of the tomatoes begin to slightly brown.
Alternative: If you have the time and want to slow roast the tomatoes, follow steps above, but roast at 250° for three hours. I’m impatient when it comes to my tomato roasting.

3) Once the tomatoes are in the oven, put a pot of water on to boil and cook linguine according to package directions. Make sure to add salt to the water and save a cup of the pasta water before draining.

4) When tomatoes and linguine are done, mix them together in a large bowl, quickly adding the Parmesan cheese to let it melt, and then add the chopped Kalamata olives and minced garlic. If additional liquid is required, add a splash of the pasta water.

5) Serve immediately and save leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to three days.