Howdy, folks!

I'm quite the random scrambler of a cook, and tonight I made a casserole with some Farfeline that was hanging around the house, a couple of nice cucumbers, and some layered cheese and marinara on top.

It turned out pretty well, actually! I cooked the pasta and the cucumbers in the same pot to soften the cucumbers a little bit, and then layered a couple different kinds of cheese on top with some extra marinara sauce.

If you were making this dish, what would you add? I'm especially interested in any recommendations on spices or garnishes - already had a recommendation to try adding a spicy flavor of some kind, perhaps peperoncini, to which I responded skeptically.

Thanks!
-Cam

On 8/31/2012 10:45 PM, Cameron Seebach wrote:
> Howdy, folks!
>
> I'm quite the random scrambler of a cook, and tonight I made a
> casserole with some Farfeline that was hanging around the house, a
> couple of nice cucumbers, and some layered cheese and marinara on
> top.
>
> It turned out pretty well, actually! I cooked the pasta and the
> cucumbers in the same pot to soften the cucumbers a little bit, and
> then layered a couple different kinds of cheese on top with some
> extra marinara sauce.
>
> If you were making this dish, what would you add? I'm especially
> interested in any recommendations on spices or garnishes - already
> had a recommendation to try adding a spicy flavor of some kind,
> perhaps peperoncini, to which I responded skeptically.


Your casserole sounds very interesting Perhaps try adding some
cooked ground meat(s) - hamburger, pork, chorizo, etc. - of your choice
to the casserole, unless it's a vegetarian dish, that is. Spices/herbs
might include garlic, oregano, thyme, cayenne, paprika - the
possibilities are nearly infinite. A good garnish would be some fresh
basil.

Isn't it unusual to use cucumbers in a cooked dish like a casserole?
I'd think the cooked cucumbers would impart too much water in a
casserole unless they were first salted and rinsed/dried before adding
as an ingredient. Can't say as I've ever heard of cooking cucumbers
unless it's for a pickling process? Perhaps you used zucchini instead?
Spouse thought zucchini were cucumbers when we were shopping yesterday
in the produce section. They are somewhat similar in appearance, sort of ;>

Sky

P.S. Spouse is nearly blind as a bat without his glasses or contacts,
and even then he still misreads or doesn't see things properly.

--

Ultra Ultimate Kitchen Rule - Use the Timer!
Ultimate Kitchen Rule -- Cook's Choice!!

How did you prep the cucumbers before adding to the water? Cucumbers and
pasta sound delicious to me-I would prefer, vinegar oil black pepper
dried onion flakes to absorb some moisture, to cheese and marinara
though. slivered spiraled cucumber? some cooked some raw? beef or
chicken, and even scrambled eggs. crushed crackers such as the cheez-its
parmesan-garlic or ritz buttery garlic.

On 9/1/2012 1:46 PM, Sky wrote:

> Isn't it unusual to use cucumbers in a cooked dish like a casserole? I'd
> think the cooked cucumbers would impart too much water in a casserole
> unless they were first salted and rinsed/dried before adding as an
> ingredient. Can't say as I've ever heard of cooking cucumbers unless
> it's for a pickling process? Perhaps you used zucchini instead? Spouse
> thought zucchini were cucumbers when we were shopping yesterday in the
> produce section. They are somewhat similar in appearance, sort of ;>

I'm not averse to trying cooked cucumbers once but I'm with you about
what the texture would be like?

On Sat, 01 Sep 2012 16:35:32 -0400, Cheryl >
wrote:

>On 9/1/2012 1:46 PM, Sky wrote:
>
>> Isn't it unusual to use cucumbers in a cooked dish like a casserole? I'd
>> think the cooked cucumbers would impart too much water in a casserole
>> unless they were first salted and rinsed/dried before adding as an
>> ingredient. Can't say as I've ever heard of cooking cucumbers unless
>> it's for a pickling process? Perhaps you used zucchini instead? Spouse
>> thought zucchini were cucumbers when we were shopping yesterday in the
>> produce section. They are somewhat similar in appearance, sort of ;>
>
>I'm not averse to trying cooked cucumbers once but I'm with you about
>what the texture would be like?
Very much like cooked summer squash. My mother used to make a
sauteed dish that I didn't appreciate at the time. Something German
from her heritage and now I would love to make it buy I have no idea
how or what it was called.
Janet US

On Sat, 01 Sep 2012 16:35:32 -0400, Cheryl >
wrote:

>On 9/1/2012 1:46 PM, Sky wrote:
>
>> Isn't it unusual to use cucumbers in a cooked dish like a casserole? I'd
>> think the cooked cucumbers would impart too much water in a casserole
>> unless they were first salted and rinsed/dried before adding as an
>> ingredient. Can't say as I've ever heard of cooking cucumbers unless
>> it's for a pickling process? Perhaps you used zucchini instead? Spouse
>> thought zucchini were cucumbers when we were shopping yesterday in the
>> produce section. They are somewhat similar in appearance, sort of ;>
>
>I'm not averse to trying cooked cucumbers once but I'm with you about
>what the texture would be like?

Hubby's limp peepee. lol

http://www.food.com/recipe/julia-chi...iations-244503