If I have any faithful readers than you’ll know that right before Christmas, Tony’s right knee became infected.  He had to have surgery to remove his already artificial knee, and these past three months has been walking around with crutches and a temporary knee that is filled with antibiotics.

He’s jumped through several hoops, has gotten his whole medical team on the same page and tomorrow morning is the second knee replacement on his right knee.   We have to be at the hospital at 6:00 in the morning (maybe we’ll have to leave by 5:00 a.m. at the latest?) and then the surgery will probably be around 8:00.

I am sure I’ll be there all day, so Hannah is going to stay home taking care of the dog.  My mom is going to be coming to have lunch with me at the hospital, so that will be good! 

Please send good thoughts our way that everything will work out as well as I know it will!

So now on to dinner!  Again, this is another recipe from the LaCucina Italiana magazine – I just switched in mozzarella cheese for the pecorino – I used that just as a drizzle on top.

Here is their recipe with my modifications:

Pasticcio di Ziti

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for baking dish (only used 1 tablespoon)
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped (not!)
  • 1 (28-ounce) can whole San Marzano tomatoes in juice, passed through a food mill with juice (just pureed with my stick blender)
  • 1 bay leaf (not a huge fan, so I left it out) 
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pound ziti pasta
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup whole milk (used skim milk)
  • 1/2 pound Pecorino Toscano cheese, cut into 1 ⁄4-inch cubes (used shredded mozzarella)
  • 1/2 pound 1/4-inch-thick prosciutto slices, cut into 1 ⁄4-inch cubes (couldn’t find thick prosciutto so I sliced up a 3 ounce package)
  • 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (used 1/4 cup on top)

Instructions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add puréed tomato, bay leaf and pinch salt and pepper; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf.

Heat oven to 400°.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add ziti and cook for 7 minutes (the pasta will not be tender); drain and transfer to a large bowl. Add sauce and stir to combine. In a small bowl, lightly beat together eggs and milk; add to pasta and stir to combine. Stir in Pecorino and prosciutto.

Lightly oil a 3- to 4-quart baking dish; transfer pasta to dish and sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano. Bake until top is lightly golden and pasta is al dente, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Now since I made this in the morning before work and put it in the fridge, I had Hannah remove it and put it on the counter at 4:30 so it would get to room temperature by the time I got home to finish it off.  It took 30 minutes at 400 degrees.

We had everything bread garlic bread on the side and salad.  Yum!

I had about 1 tablespoon left of my Annie's artichoke parmesan dressing, so I mixed in 1 tablespoon of really good balsamic vinegar - so good!
I had about 1 tablespoon left of my Annie's artichoke parmesan dressing, so I mixed in 1 tablespoon of really good balsamic vinegar - so good!
Hannah being goofy!
Hannah being goofy!
Here's how the magazine looked
Here's how the magazine looked
here's mine!
here's mine! Hannah and I decided that the prosciutto could be left out, you really couldn't taste it
Lot's of ziti!
Lot's of ziti!
My piece was 7 ounces, with 2 cups romaine, carrot, 1 teaspoon sunflower seeds, 1 tablespoon Annie's paremsan dressing, 1/2 ounce piece garlic bread
My piece was 7 ounces, with 2 cups romaine, carrot, 1 teaspoon sunflower seeds, 1 tablespoon Annie's paremsan dressing, 1/2 ounce piece garlic bread

So my total dinner comes in at: 578 calories, 34 fat, 25 protein, 42 carbs, 5.6 fiber

Stats for the Day:

  • 1423 caloires, 59 fat, 68 protein, 145.4 carbs, 12 fiber
  • 35 elliptical, 5 minutes of abs and 5 minutes stretching

See you sometime tomorrow!