first dinner in the new casa

We moved into the casa - finally! - on Christmas Eve, and though we're still missing a lot of things (like doors, for instance, a pretty fundamental item I'm learning), it's going great and I couldn't be happier. After the events this past month, it has been a grateful and fun distraction. Well, not so much the moving part, that was brutal. (No elevator.) On Christmas I made a vegetable laagna and with the leftover besciamel, the next day I made our first dinner in the casa: Baked Mac n' Cheese n' Zucchini. (I always need a little green somewhere.)

Baked Mac and Cheese (and Zucchini) Cook short pasta of your choice in boiling, salted water (I used penne rigate) and strain while it's still very al dente, about two minutes before it's actually done. In the meantime, sauté zucchini in olive oil along with some finely chopped onion and a sprinkle of salt until soft. Butter a baking dish, pour in the pasta, zucchini and enough Beschamel sauce, (recipe here) to just cover the pasta. Grate some sharp cheddar or gruyère cheese on top and black pepper. Bake at 350 degrees until set, about 20 minutes, and broil on low for the last ten minutes to brown the top.
Guess what? After five years of living in Barletta, and dealing with no good internet anywhere, we're getting wifi this week! In our house! It's a big deal, trust me. That means fun things for this little blog here, and I'm so excited about it. :)

P.S. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your kind words about my Dad. I truly appreciate it.