Baked Lemon Pasta

This recipe is similar to Lemon Clam Spaghetti (which if you don't have the recipe, request it immediately because it's awesome). Well, it's similar as in: it contains spaghetti, lemon, garlic, and olive oil. The End. :)
Nels likes lemon-flavored pasta, but does not like clams. Which would be tragic for me, except for the fact that he's gone a lot. However, I've managed to find a yummy substitute for the rare day he's home. :) It's a little different, SUPER easy, and I like it. I got the recipe from Pioneer Woman.


Baked Lemon Pasta

1 pound thin spaghetti
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter
2 Tb. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 lemon
2 c. sour cream
1/2 tsp. kosher salt, more to taste if desired
Plenty of grated Parmesan cheese
Parsley, chopped
Extra lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook spaghetti until al dente.

In a skillet, melt butter with olive oil over LOW HEAT. When butter is melted, add minced garlic.

Squeeze lemon juice into the pan. Turn off heat.

Add sour cream and stir mixture together. Add lemon zest and salt. Taste, then add more salt if necessary.

Pour mixture over drained spaghetti and stir together, then pour spaghetti into an oven safe dish.

Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes. (Don’t bake too long or the pasta will dry out.)

When you remove it from the oven, squeeze a little more lemon juice over the top.

Top generously with Parmesan cheese, then chopped parsley.

Give it a final squeeze of lemon juice at the end.

Serve with crusty French bread and a simple green salad.

Best Cornbread I've Ever Made - Or Had

My mama's got a good cornbread recipe - but it calls for Bisquick - which I never seem to have, especially when I'm making cornbread. So I've tried out several other recipes that had "good reviews" but all of them get dry and crumbly.

I tried out this recipe when I had my parents in-law, sister-in-law, and grandparents-in-law over for a chili dinner this weekend and it was a hit! Everyone went back for seconds or thirds of the cornbread. - And I was super impressed that even the next day -- and 3 days later -- it was still moist and perfect.

So here you are.

My Favorite Cornbread

1/2 c. cornmeal

1 1/2 c. flour

2/3 c. sugar

1 Tb. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/3 c. oil

3 Tb. butter, melted

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/4 c. milk

Mix dry ingredients, make a well and add oil, butter, eggs, and milk into the center. Stir until just mixed (batter will be runny, but don’t be alarmed!). Bake in an 8″ square pan at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. This doubles perfectly for a 9×13-inch pan.