Cook With Love

Baked Rigatoni with Meat Sauce & Cheese 🍝
📝 Ingredients (Serves 6)
For the meat sauce:
500 g (1 lb) ground beef
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
700 g (24 oz) tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
Salt & black pepper to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
For the pasta & topping:
400–450 g (14–16 oz) rigatoni pasta
1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
👩‍🍳 Instructions
Cook the pasta
Bring salted water to a boil. Cook the rigatoni until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Prepare the meat sauce
Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
Add onion and sauté until soft.
Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Add ground beef and cook until browned.
Stir in tomato paste, tomato sauce, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper.
Simmer for 10–15 minutes until slightly thickened.
Assemble the dish
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
Mix pasta with most of the meat sauce.
Transfer to a baking dish.
Spread remaining sauce on top.
Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the surface.
Bake
Bake for 20–25 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
For a golden top, broil 2–3 minutes.
Serve
Let rest 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve warm.

🍝 Classic Cheesy Beef Lasagna (Serves 6–8)

🧺 Ingredients

Meat sauce

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

500 g (1 lb) ground beef

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

½ tsp chili flakes (optional)

2 tbsp tomato paste

800 g (28 oz) crushed tomatoes

½ cup water or beef broth

Cheese layer

400 g (14 oz) ricotta cheese

1 egg

½ cup grated Parmesan

Salt & pepper to taste

Other

Lasagna sheets (about 9–12, oven-ready or boiled)

300–400 g (10–14 oz) shredded mozzarella

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. Make the meat sauce

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat.

Sauté onion until soft (5 min), add garlic (30 sec).

Add ground beef and cook until browned.

Stir in salt, pepper, oregano, basil, chili flakes.

Add tomato paste, cook 1 min.

Pour in crushed tomatoes + water/broth.

Simmer uncovered 20–30 min until thick and rich.

2. Prepare cheese mix

In a bowl, mix ricotta, egg, Parmesan, salt & pepper.

3. Assemble

Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F.

In a baking dish:

Thin layer of meat sauce

Lasagna sheets

Ricotta mixture

Mozzarella

Meat sauce

Repeat layers (usually 3 layers).

Finish with meat sauce + lots of mozzarella on top.

4. Bake

Cover with foil → bake 30 min

Uncover → bake 15–20 min until bubbly and golden

🍽️ Pan-Seared Salmon with Roasted Potatoes & Cheesy Asparagus

⏱️ Time

About 40 minutes total

👩‍🍳 Serves

2–3 people

🧄 Ingredients

Salmon

2 salmon fillets (skin on or off)

Salt & black pepper

1 tsp paprika (or smoked paprika)

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 tsp soy sauce or honey (optional, for glaze)

Fresh parsley (for garnish)

Roasted Baby Potatoes

500 g baby potatoes

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt & pepper

1 tsp dried thyme or rosemary

Fresh parsley (optional)

Cheesy Garlic Asparagus

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt & pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

½ cup shredded mozzarella (or mozzarella + parmesan mix)

🔥 Instructions

1️⃣ Roast the Potatoes

Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F).

Toss potatoes with olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and herbs.

Spread on a baking tray and roast for 30–35 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and crispy.

2️⃣ Cook the Asparagus

Heat a grill pan or skillet with olive oil over medium heat.

Add asparagus, season with salt & pepper, and cook 4–5 minutes until lightly charred.

Sprinkle garlic and cheese on top.

Cover with a lid and cook 2–3 minutes until cheese melts. Set aside.

3️⃣ Pan-Seared Salmon

Pat salmon dry. Season with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder.

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat.

Place salmon skin-side down and cook 4–5 minutes until crispy.

Flip, add butter and optional soy sauce/honey.

Spoon butter over the salmon and cook 2–3 more minutes.

Remove from heat and garnish with parsley.

🧀 Creamy Cheesy Baked Rigatoni

Ingredients (serves 3–4)

Pasta & sauce

400 g rigatoni or ziti

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, finely chopped

400 g crushed tomatoes (or passata)

120 ml heavy cream (or cooking cream)

1 tsp chili flakes (optional)

Salt & black pepper, to taste

1 tsp dried oregano or Italian seasoning

A handful of fresh basil or spinach (optional, but matches the image)

Cheese (this is the magic ✨)

200 g mozzarella, shredded (for that stretch)

80 g grated Parmesan

Optional: ricotta or cream cheese for extra creaminess

Instructions

Cook the pasta
Boil in well-salted water until just al dente. Drain and set aside.

Make the sauce

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat.

Sauté onion until soft (3–4 min), add garlic and cook 30 seconds.

Stir in crushed tomatoes, seasoning, chili flakes, salt & pepper.

Simmer 8–10 minutes.

Lower heat, add cream and stir until smooth and velvety.

Combine

Add pasta to the sauce.

Fold in half the mozzarella, some Parmesan, and spinach/basil if using.

Bake

Transfer to a baking dish.

Top with remaining mozzarella + Parmesan.

Bake at 190°C (375°F) for 20–25 minutes, until bubbly and lightly golden.

Serve hot
Let it rest 5 minutes, then dig in for maximum cheese pull 🤤

🍗 Chicken Katsu Don (Serves 2)

🧂 Ingredients

Chicken Katsu

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)

Salt & pepper

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 large egg

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

Oil for frying (vegetable or canola)

Katsu Sauce (or use store-bought)

3 tbsp ketchup

1½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp sugar or honey

Rice & Topping

2 cups cooked Japanese short-grain rice

Sliced green onions (scallions)

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. Prepare the Chicken

Butterfly or pound chicken to even thickness.

Season both sides with salt & pepper.

2. Bread the Chicken

Dredge in flour → dip in beaten egg → coat well with panko.

Press gently so crumbs stick.

3. Fry

Heat oil to 170–175°C (340–350°F).

Fry chicken 3–4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through.

Drain on paper towels, rest 2 minutes, then slice.

4. Make the Sauce

Mix ketchup, Worcestershire, soy sauce, and sugar.

Warm slightly for a glossy finish (optional but 🔥).

5. Assemble

Add hot rice to a bowl.

Top with sliced chicken.

Drizzle generously with katsu sauce.

Finish with green onions.

🧀 Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast

Ingredients (serves 4)

Chicken

4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt & black pepper

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp Italian seasoning

2 tbsp olive oil or melted butter

Filling

120 g (4 oz) cream cheese, softened

1 cup cooked spinach (fresh or frozen, well squeezed)

½ cup shredded mozzarella or provolone

¼ cup grated Parmesan

2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt & pepper to taste

Optional topping

Fresh parsley or basil, chopped

Extra Parmesan

Instructions

Prep the chicken

Preheat oven to 190°C / 375°F.

Cut a deep pocket into the side of each chicken breast (don’t cut all the way through).

Season chicken inside and out with salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning.

Make the filling

Mix cream cheese, spinach, mozzarella, Parmesan, garlic, salt, and pepper until smooth.

Stuff

Fill each chicken breast generously.

Secure with toothpicks if needed.

Sear (for that golden crust)

Heat olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat.

Sear chicken 2–3 minutes per side until golden.

Bake

Transfer skillet to oven.

Bake 20–25 minutes, until internal temp reaches 74°C / 165°F