Sad cake is all about carefree joy not at all sad and not really a cake. Sad cake is easy to make and fun to share, and is a retro recipe that you'll want to add to your regular rotation. By containing its three fundamental ingredients, it serves as a template for all the creative riffing that can be done in this theme and beyond. Its origins, at least to me, are something of a mystery, and it's — and.

If you've got a box of Bisquick, preheat the oven, and plan to grab these addictive, chewy, blondie-like brown sugar dessert bars out of the oven, then…go ahead.

Where Did Sad Cake Come From?

Sad cake was first introduced to me on page 190 of The Lubbock Women's Club Cookbook copyrighted 1983. I have a friend, who knows it is crazy that I am always on the lookout for old community cookbooks at thrift stores, and she picked it up for her because she figures 'I know. . .you'll love this. I like to look at them in breaks between snacks, and it was on one of these breaks that I saw a recipe posted by one Frances Cowger for "Sad, Sad Cake."

The recipe called for 2 cups of Bisquick, four eggs and one whole box of brown sugar. This all sounds excessive, it's really about 2 1/4 cups (the brown sugar we buy in plastic bags today used to come in 1 pound boxes).

Here are the directions straight from Frances: "Mix ingredients by hand. Pour into a greased 13 1/8" by 9 1/2" by 2" pan. Although, baked at 350° F for 30 minutes."(This cake should rise nicely–then fall as it should!)"

That's it. That's the recipe. I had to make it.

Short on Looks, Big on Appeal

I made sad cake as written, having no idea what to expect, and I was very happy. It baked in a 9 x 13 inch pan, spread thinly in the pan, baked up like crazy and then collapsed like it's supposed to (Bisquick is full of leavener, so that makes sense). I'll just say I can only imagine they messed up a more conventional Bisquick cake and just ran with it.

So after 30 minutes, my sad cake was still squishy, I baked it a little longer. When it came out of the oven it had a glossy, crackly top and lots of tiny craters by the edges that were more dark than the center. It wasn't sad, per se, but it was matter ugly.

I am one of the biggest edge piece fans and the corner pieces in particular were in a dreamland. The interior pieces were super moist, but more butterscotchy, and the exterior was very playfully chewy and a caramel vibe.

Shredded coconut flakes mixed with a cup into the next batch and I like that one even better. The coconut made a difference and a difference that even coconut haters liked. The next day it not only tasted better, but it also reheated better. It kept fresh up to 4 days and was a great conversation starter, everyone loved it. The happy, sad cake made me and everyone else happy. I hope you'll see it do the same.

Sad Cake Variations

Sad cake at its 3 ingredient truest is a recipe that begs to be tinkered with.

• Nuts: Up to 1 cup toasted chopped nuts (I think they are better sprinkled onto the cake rather than mixed in…ness).
• Chocolate chips: Because it's so sweet, choose semisweet or bittersweet chips for this cake, mini ones if you can. Use anything from 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups.
• Omit the coconut: You can omit coconut if you really really dislike it (or for that matter, don't have it in your pantry).

If you're a regular at a café or bakery, you might think almond croissants are too fancy to make at home. They are deceivingly easy to make and the truth. Bakeries can use almond croissants to reinvent leftover croissants from the day before… and you can, too.

With this simple recipe we take store bought croissants, add homemade almond frangipane and rum simple syrup for cafe style almond croissants without the line. You can still have them warm out of the oven with this recipe.

Give Croissants a New Life

We haven't dared make homemade croissants (much less almond croissants). But I'm here to tell you that these almond croissants are bakery-worthy and are incredibly easy to make thanks to a key shortcut: I used store bought croissants.

This is the answer if you've ever had more croissants than you can handle from a particular big box store. Thankfully, like most bakeries do to their day old croissants! It's a total upgrade — not only is this a good way to revamp leftover croissants, but also since it turns them into something slightly more gourmet.

How to Make Almond Croissants

Almond croissants are made of three components: It's croissants, rum simple syrup, and frangipane.

I wouldn't recommend letting your lucky break from a beautiful, fresh artisan croissant roll come true unless you have such luck, and you have such leftovers. The best part of this recipe is actually store bought croissants because they soak up more syrup.

The frangipane (almond cream) is whipped quickly and the simple syrup (a mixture of sugar, water, and rum) couldn't be simpler, with a soft, almond flavored filling and a crispy top to the croissants. No special equipment needed.

Make It Ahead

In the case that you know there will be leftover croissants left over for later in the week or for tomorrow's breakfast, all of these components can be baked ahead of time, assembled together and then baked.

If you care to make some homemade cocktails, handy tip: store simple syrup in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to one month. Keep in the refrigerator up to one week. Wait until the frangipane comes to a room temperature before using as when it's cold it will be harder to spread.

Storage

The best flavor and texture comes when these almond croissants are served the day they are baked. I suggest making ahead and storing the components apart then just assembling and baking only as many croissants as you think you'll use.

Crowd-Pleasing Brunch Recipes

• Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Easy French Toast
• Blueberry Hand Pies
• Lemon Scones
• Easy Buttermilk Waffles

Since I had myself been in the Hannah Montana heyday, I was obligated to make the joke that these blondies are, indeed, 'the best of both worlds.' This recipe is made with one simple batter yielding a vanilla blondie and a chocolatey, brownie-ish batter layered and swirled together for visually stunning and indescribably decadent marbled blondies. This recipe is the answer if you can't decide between blondies and brownies.

You can tell the individual additions, the buds of white chocolate chips in the caramel-y, vanilla blondie batter and the beads of overly oversized semi-sweet chocolate chips in the thick, rich brownie batter, when baked and cut because they are stark and stunning. These marble blondies are both chewy around the edges and soft and fudgy in the middle, so they've got a little something for everyone.

Blondies vs. Brownies

Blondies and brownies aren't all that different, but they have completely different batters. Brown sugar is blended, which means all brown sugar is used, so you get moisture, fudgy and deep caramel flavor. This batter simultaneously works as blondie and brownie means I use a combination of light brown sugar and a little granulated sugar to balance the chocolate flavor and that crinkly paper thin top of a good brownie.

For making it chocolate, I dot the extra egg yolk and espresso powder into the goldie batter, and add melted choco plus Dutch process cocoa. This extra egg yolk gives you the extra fat you need to cancel out that dry cocoa. The deep color and rich flavor of Dutch process cocoa, and the fudgy texture of the melted chocolate, make for a yummy snack. When baked together, the batters come together and provide a treat that's truly wonderful.

Best of Both Worlds

I never get regular soft serve, as I'm such an incredibly indecisive person. These are the "twist" of blondies. marrying the world's best of vanilla blondie and chocolate brownie…

In each bite, you have a bit of everything: the brown sugar (caramel) notes, the sweet vanilla, the chocolate decadence, the creaminess of the melted chocolate, the chewy edges, the fine and delicate crust and the soft, fudgy center with this recipe. They will think you spent hours creating those playful swirls with your amazing eye catching marbled appearance!

The Perfect Marble Effect: Tips

It's daunting swirling the batters, especially for a recipe like this where the batters are thicker than cake batter. Everything you need to know on making the most stunning marbled effect.

• The layering of batters in the pan does most of the heavy lifting in creating a marbled cross-section in the blondies. In other words, you simply want to alternate dropping the batters two layers deep in a checkerboard pattern. After doing this, we obtain contrasting layers in the blondies, which give them a marbled appearance when sliced. Also, this partly means that you only have to think about creating your swirls on the surface and not all the way through.
• For swirling the batters I prefer the side of a small offset spatula or the spine of a butter knife rather than a toothpick. These tools are good enough to pull the sticky batters together.
• It doesn't matter about the texture on the surface that results from swirling. When baked it'll pretty much settle.

Easy Variations

Want a little extra pizzazz? Consider this:

• Instead of using white chocolate chips, use toasted nuts such as pecans or walnuts to add to that blondie batter.
• Skip the semi sweet chocolate if you want something more rich — less sweet — than semi sweet, and use bittersweet instead.
• Pour a few tablespoons of your favorite nut butter or a portion of Nutella in your brownie batter to give it a flavor.

How to Store Marble Blondies

Baked day of, these blondies are the best. When your blondies have cooled, leave them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days if you find yourself with extra blondies left over.

Wrapped in plastic wrap, these marble blondies are frozen in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature.

Blondies and Brownies Galore

• Vegan Brownies
• Pumpkin Blondies
• Brownie in a Mug
• Chewy Tahini Blondies
• Caramel Brownies

This was the first time I had a Cosmic Brownie in the lunch table, in the elementary school. She gave me a bit of the piece she had in her lunch almost every day from a classmate who had them. At that first bite, I was hooked.

I've gotten a bit older, my tastes have changed, but my fixation with my nostalgia remains. Recreating the treats I loved as a kid makes me so, so happy — and little changes to accommodate my "grown up" palette here and there.

With that in mind, I present these: a version that was an upgraded, homemade Cosmic Brownie. This is a rich, deeply fudgy, moist brownie topped with silky, decadent ganache that says joy in the same bright, rich, colorful sprinkles as the original.

This recipe has a couple of moving parts, but I promise they're easier to assemble than it sounds and will delight anyone who gets to enjoy one of these. Additionally, these also store well in the refrigerator, which makes them a wonderful make ahead dessert for a get together.

What are Cosmic Brownies?

Cosmic Brownies by Little Debbie are based on cosmic bowling. Glow bowling (or cosmic bowling as I used to know it, growing up) is glow lighting in the dark bowling done in outer space theme. Consider a dark bowling alley, think bright, neon colors, black lights not to mention lots of lasers. They even mimic the iconic look of the colourful sprinkles atop a dark chocolate brownie fudgy.

Homemade for the Win

To prepare for this recipe I bought a box of these Cosmic Brownies for research's sake. I already knew I wanted these to be undeniably fudgy with a moist crumb so before I revisited the store-bought version I poured over all of my best chocolate cake recipes to create my own. When I re tasted the store bought, I realized that the original is crumbly but sorta doughy. I also never know how unchocolatey they are. I knew I could do better.

And although they're easy to grab a pack from the store, it's 100% worth it to make these from scratch, saving money and fear. These brownies are absolutely C-H-O-C-O-L-A-T-E for sure because a combination of melted bittersweet chocolate and Dutch process cocoa powder is used. Additionally, the brownies bake up beautiful fudgy and the crumb is moist, yet soft.

Instead of the almost flavorless glaze topping the brownies, these are topped with a quick ganache that not only looks pretty, but enhances the chocolatey factor.

Tips and Tricks

These brownies are super straightforward to make and come together easily, but here are some of my best tips to ensure they come out perfect every time:

• The brownie and the ganache and chocolate is finely chopped in order to melt easily and completely.
• It's also whisking the sugars, eggs, and vanilla, to help create a lighter, smoother brownie and you also end up with paper thin crinkled crumbly shined top that bakers covet.
• You should expect the brownies to puff around the 25 minute mark with a toothpick still coming out wet, then settle down a few minutes. Often times the brownies are ready after they settle. What you want is for a toothpick to come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter.
• As the brownies cool, they will deflate slightly in the center so the brownies will have some dips and valleys, which is fine — flip the brownies over for the even bottom facing up to spread the ganache.

Easy Variations

Even without the ganache topping and sprinkles, these are delicious, fudgy brownies at their core ripe to whatever you're craving. Consider these:

• Skip the toppings and serve the brownies warm, with vanilla ice cream.
• Toast some mixed nuts and fold them into the batter, or spritz some mixed nuts with some spritzes, and replace the sprinkles with some toasted nuts.
• If you like things sweet, swap all the bittersweet chocolate for semi sweet, or if you like a balance between the two, between them.
• You can't find candy coated chocolate chip sprinkles? If you don't want to use sprinkles, try mini M&Ms or whatever one of your favorite sprinkles might be.

Tips for Brownies That Look Perfect

There's no need to use crazy tools or cut perfect looking brownies this doesn't have to be difficult at all. All you really need is a little bit of patience and a good knife. However, when up to make clean slices, you do not need to cool completely. Also, if you are cutting brownies that are topped with ganache, like these, make sure the ganache is (literally!) set before cutting.

I think the one thing that truly gets you the cleanest cuts is not how your knife is made but how it is used. Generally it's not always possible, but when you are able to use a knife with a length that is even greater than the length of the brownies used, then you can make a full cut once done without having to stop and then start. A hot and dry knife will always leave you with a cleaner slice. Between each cut I run my knife under hot water, and wipe dry with a clean towel.

How to Store

Allowing the brownies to cool to room temperature and then storing them in a single layer in an airtight container in the fridge, will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Additionally, they store very well in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 week, and can be eaten cold or at room temperature.

Nostalgic Dessert Recipes

• Peanut Butter and Jelly Pop Tarts
• Copycat Choco Tacos
• Homemade Oreo Ice Cream Cake
• Classic Ice Cream Sandwiches

Being a New Englander makes me hesitant to mess with one of our classic recipes. A sugar cookie covered in cinnamon sugar is something that is just begging you for an autumnal upgrade. Snickerdoodles apparently make a good jump partner to pumpkin spice, and while it's not much of a jump I wish I'd made that leap much sooner.

These pumpkin snickerdoodles are a soft, light chew and absolutely full of pumpkin flavor. There's no need for fancy techniques or special equipment, these are super quick and easy. The recipe for easy recipe doubles easily for a bake sale or cookie swap.

Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles: How to

One thing that you can't do is add pumpkin purée to a recipe and expect it to work. Water can make a huge difference in the texture of baked goods, and a lot of pumpkin contains water. With cookies, extra liquid makes them cakier.

I made a couple of changes to combat this, which aren't typically found in a traditional snickerdoodle recipe. Melted butter rather than creaming softened butter with sugar is the first ingredient in this pumpkin version. Now I have added some brown sugar, not only to add sweet to the pumpkin but also to make a chewier cookie. I also used an egg yolk in place of a whole egg.

The resulting cookie has pumpkin flavor with a soft, chewy texture. I left the cream of tartar, which is what makes snickerdoodles their tangy characteristic. Trader Joe's swaps out the usual cinnamon and sugar coating for pumpkin pie spice for even more pumpkin flavor.

Tips and Tricks

These pumpkin snickerdoodles couldn't be simpler, but I still have some tips for creating the best texture and heightening their cozy flavor:

• Don't skip the chilling step. The cooling of the dough is especially useful for shaping the cookies, and coating them in sugar is easy because they are chilled. It also helps limit how the cookies spread in the oven.
• To make an extra chewy cookie you can blot the pumpkin purée with a paper towel to take out excess water before making the dough.
• Then, try to brown the butter instead of just melting it, to really add even more toasty fall flavor. The irresistible nuttiness of brown butter goes so well with pumpkin and baking spices, it had to be on this list.

Make Them Ahead

You can prepare your cookie dough up to 3 days in advance, and store it in the fridge.

It also freezes well for up to 2 months. Scoop the cookies onto a baking sheet that will fit in your freezer and freeze. Put tram in the freezer until the dough is really solid. Place frozen dough in a zip top freezer bag. Roll the dough in the spiced sugar and bake from frozen at 1 to 2 minutes longer.

Storage Instructions

Dust these pumpkin spice snickerdoodles in your cookie jar at room temperature for 5 days. I typically revive them once they are a few days old by dipping them into my coffee or black tea. And if you're short on time, the baked cookies can be frozen for up to 2 months.

This pumpkin mousse really has it all: Wonderfully rich and creamy, it's fancy as this describes, but so easy to make. It only takes two ingredients and comes together in 10 minutes or less so there's no cooking involved and it's ready. It also feeds a small crowd.

For two ingredient pumpkin mousse, canned pumpkin pie filling and whipping cream will be all you need. Pumpkin pie filling premade comes in convenient cups in prepackaged pumpkin pie filling that you can grab next time you are out and about during autumn, but they are already seasoned with warm vanilla, sweetener, spice, and salt. This is the perfect quick fix for this recipe.

It's such a simple recipe that lends itself very well to making ahead because you really do have to chill it in the fridge for at least an hour. But it's worked enough for a weeknight and elevated enough for a dinner party. Served with a heavy meal, I can imagine serving it at Thanksgiving. It's even easy for kids to make and it's so easy.

No Pumpkin Pie Filling? No Problem!

If you don't have pumpkin pie filling on hand, plain pumpkin purée works instead. If you don't have an exact amount in mind, you can add 2 1/2 teaspoons of pumpkin spice or 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground clove, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, and 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger. Add 1 tablespoon vanilla, 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, and a good pinch of salt, too. Comb it together till well blended and finish the recipe as directed.

Optional Additions

This simple mousse is just as perfect as it is sweet and spiced as is, but it's fairly easy to twinge. Here are a few ideas:

• Fold the pumpkin filling and whip cream together, then add 1 tablespoon dark rum or brandy to mixture.
• Sweetened canned pumpkin pie filling is ready to go. If you are not counting the sweetness maple syrup brings to the mousse, add 2 tablespoons of maple syrup in the mixture while you are folding.
• Or add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to get more vanilla flavour.
• You can only add an extra pinch of salt. Another thing: I also like to sprinkle sea salt flakes on top just before serving.

Make It Ahead

It really is a wonderful make-ahead dessert. You take the mousse out of the blender and then prepare the mousse and put it in your serving dish(es), cover and put it in the fridge for an hour or overnight. The pumpkin mousse can be made up to 24 hours in advance and tastes even better if it's refrigerated a few hours.

How to Serve

The mousse is very good in itself but a modest presentation puts it in the frame. Some crushed biscuits, a dusting of cinnamon, a few toasted pumpkin seeds, or some sea salt flakes; some more whipped cream on the top.

I really dig serving pumpkin mousse in a giant bowl/platter and letting the guests eat the mousse from their own dessert bowl when they're ready. Or you can break the mousse mixture up into glasses or bowls before refrigerating.

It was inspired by a friend who I went berry picking with a couple of years ago, whom when we returned home from filling our bagful and luscious well with baskets of fresh berries, said we should fill this in goblets over light, crispy meringue. I was surprised and delighted when she insisted that we used a truly decadent amount of freshly picked blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries, and I can't imagine serving a pavlova any other way now.

You will see many pavlova recipes call for fruit in a volume I refer to as garnish, but not this one, where the meringue is the marshmallow vessel for eight cups of peak season berries.

Another of my friend's genius in finishing her dessert of pavlova with an overflowing tendency of fruit and even finishing it with a very generous dose of flaky salt. In this version I make a salted whipped cream for the same effect. Sweet, chewy-soft meringue + salty whipped cream + juicy berries, what can be a better ending to a meal in any summer?

Tips for Making My Pavolva

Below are some tips to help you get the best results but the one thing I learned through my many attempts at testing this recipe is that pavlova is still pretty delicious, even if you haven't got all the skills quite spot on.

• Also make sure your mixing bowl is clean and there is no oily residue on there, because fat will not allow your meringue to fully expand. Others even go so far as to wipe the bowl with vinegar or lemon juice, but hot water and dish soap will handle.
• Cover the meringue with the oven closed the entire time it is baking. Textural best is achieved when baking at steady temperature and a very slow cooling time. At the end of baking time if necessary you carefully prop open the oven briefly to check that the meringue has dried and crisped.
• Cracking is always a risk with pavlova, but it's a big one — as this wide, short version, as opposed to the tall, more perfectly styled variant, is, for example. Don't worry! It doesn't matter if your pavlova has some cracks if the outside is crispy and the inside is soft and slightly chewy.
• You can even take your pavlova over the top with a lovely tart golden layer of curd between the whipped cream and berries.

New England flavors are all over them — it's an absolute classic of steak tips enjoyed at many pubs, bars, and American style restaurants. But they're often grilled or seared and served with a mountain of creamy mashed potatoes and perhaps a side of greens or salad.

I grew up in Massachusetts and haven't actually learned until recently that it was even a regional specialty! So I did some research, and I saw dozens of New England expats posting up online story asking for steak tips at grocery stores around the country and getting a confused look.

The good news: I've come up with a recipe, and a few tips on purchasing (all the ingredients are available at most grocery stores), so you can recreate this delicious dish wherever you are.

Inspiration for the Recipe

These steak tips are so juicy, so tender, and so full of flavor all because of this quick and easy marinade made from Coca-Cola, ketchup (I promise on this one!), vinegar and spices.

This recipe is inspired by the amazing steak tips at Newbridge Cafe in Chelsea, MA, a great place in the neighborhood. The marinade offers two main benefits: it tenderizes the meat and can be spoonable sauce to dine with the food. It's downright delicious, tangy, rich, sweet and salty sauce.

Best Cut of Beef for Steak Tips

As I had instances of buying steak tips for recipe testing, I used my local butchery at Savenors in Cambridge, MA. My butcher, Sean, told me a few things about cuts for this dish.

Usually, bavette steak (or flap steak) is what you use to make steak tips. The name of the whole loin is 'flap' and the center cut from the middle of the sirloin flap of the same name is called bavette steak. Therefore, they can also be called sirloin tips.

Meat from the tenderloin or flank is sometimes used.

When at the butcher ask for bavette steak, flap meat loin or sirloin tips.

Swaps and Substitutions

The steak marinade has most ingredients in your pantry staple category, but that's okay if you're missing a couple! These ingredients are easy to substitute with.

• Don't have red wine vinegar? Use half the amount of sherry vinegar.
• Substitute soy sauce for Worcestershire sauce, equal amounts.
• Use 1 tablespoon of freshly grated garlic in place of substitute garlic powder.

Tips for Your Steak Tips

• Ask your butcher to precut the meat into 2 inch cubes before you head home. Since flap meat often arrives as long strips with the grain running crosswise, you are going to have to slice with the grain in order to get even tips. Instead I recommend you cut each strip in half lengthwise (into the grain), then cut each half in 2 inch pieces (across the grain).
• An abundance of meat thermometers really helps with beautifully cooked steak tips!
• They're unlike other cuts of meat and, steak tips being the most tender of all, between medium rare and medium steak tips will taste nice and are more tender than rare pieces which will taste chewy and unpleasent.

Usually, during my recipe developing, testing phase of the day, I want the easiest, quickest dinner possible… enter the sheet pan dinner (SPD). I tend to lean towards an SPD … one pan, minimal clean up, and not too much brain power involved.

The first step this recipe does that I love is "minimalism" to the nth degree — the teriyaki sauce in this recipe is jarred. It's actually really easy to make your own, just like in this teriyaki steak recipe.

Getting the Teriyaki Saucy

Teriyaki is made with sugar so there should be a gloss, and sauce should glaze the salmon. To thicken your sauce, put the remaining the teriyaki sauce in a non stick saucepan over medium high while the salmon is cooking. Cook until sauce coats the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes then bring to a boil.

Salmon That's Sheet Pan Ready

When you are buying salmon, buy the pieces of the fillet that are 6 to 7 ounces each and center cut. The pieces aren't huge due to how the Tassles are cut, so they cook nicely. Also, the center-cut pieces are fairly even in thickness, so they'll also cook evenly. It doesn't serve a purpose in asking to have the skin removed because that is just a little extra insulation from the heat of the pan while cooking the salmon.

Say Goodbye to Dry Salmon

The leading mistake when cooking salmon is making it too dry. Your fish is already over cooked if you cook it till it's opaque in the centre!

To check for doneness, however, the ideal method is by using a thermometer — you want it to read between 130°F and 135°F when you insert it into the fish's center. If you don't have a thermometer, then stick part of a paring knife into the thickest part of your fish and see what color you get. The outside should be opaque and the center should looks pale pink and translucent. While the fillets rest, they cook.

After the salmon is cooked out of the oven let it rest. The exterior may even be hotter than the interior, which may be slightly under cooked. A few minutes later, the inside and outside temperatures reach a balance, and homeostasis occurs so the fish is cooked evenly right through. It will be silky, delicious texture!

It was penne alla vodka. This is reflexive at this point for good reason. There is that perfect balance of acidity, richness, and great dandy of tang. It's comfort food and Italian elevated at the same time.

This baked version of our favorite dish, penne alla vodka, is easy to prep and minimal clean up for a low lift weeknight meal. I do it all in one pan (no boiling pasta separately!) and it takes less than 10 minutes to prepare—leaving you to do what you choose while dinner slowly rises in the oven.

The pasta cooks right in the pan, meaning it's soaking in tons of sauce, seasonings, and so on. For instance, we found that, once everyone was in the oven together, the whole dish feels more cohesive down the line. It's a win… win. Convenient. Tasty.

Baked Penne alla Vodka Tips and Tricks

• Make sure it's with a good quality tomato sauce. We didn't so make sure you're using a fresh and flavorful tomato sauce if you're not making your own. However, we like Victoria or like Rao's, both found in bulk at Costco.
• Don't skip the vodka. We've done this before out of the belief that vodka is unnecessary, and in fact it is necessary! It adds that good bite that gives room for the sauce to emulsify to a smooth cohesive texture. If you don't want to drink alcohol, then water and a squeeze of lemon juice are a good substitute.
• Stir the pasta as little as possible, keep it as submerged as you can throughout the process. In thinking of this advice, there are two times to remember it: when you first put the pasta in the oven, and once you mix it, when you put it back in to cook uncovered. Some of the noodles may fall out but the pasta should be at least partially covered with liquid so that they do cook well.

Substitutions and Variations

• Make it extra cheesy: For an extra creamy pasta, add mozzarella on top or dolloped with ricotta.
• Add other vegetables: Ripened, green peas, roasted eggplant, sautéed or caramelised mushrooms would make great match for a tofu dip. We'd also suggest mixing in your cooked vegetables a few minutes before sprinkling on the shredded cheese just before the pasta begins to bake for 10-minutes altogether.
• Add protein: Instead of cooked soy curls we like to add them but you could also add grilled chicken, chicken cutlet, or Italian sausage. For the pasta, you'll cook the protein again and then add them in before the cheese, or you can serve side by side with the pasta.
• Add spice: For an arrabbiata sauce, add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of red chili flakes, and nothing more, with the rest of the seasonings.