The dinner hour is a sacred, happy time when everyone should be together and relaxed.
Julia Child
Growing up, we always tried to sit down for dinner as a family a few nights a week. My parents felt it was important to get a glimpse into my day at school, talk about my friends, schoolwork, and current events. The news was an occasional background guest on the TV. My memories of these events are still very vivid after all these years.
My father was the primary cook in our small family, and Sunday evening was the night of the week for his extra special meals, served at our dining room table, rather than our usual dinner spot at the kitchen table. Most Sundays, he chose meals that required longer preparation and cook time. He often started early in the day, just after breakfast. Sunday meals were more traditional of the era — a beef roast with potatoes and vegetables slowly cooking on the stove, or a stew simmering in an old-fashioned pressure cooker (long before InstaPots became fashionable).
Being Italian, a red pasta sauce was usually in the Sunday meal rotation as well. The heavenly smells wafted through the house as my mother finished ironing and bill-paying, and I made sure homework was finished before school the next day.
Fast forward to present day. Weeknight family dinners are often more difficult to coordinate with both parents working longer hours, kids with sports practices and games, and other social engagements. As busy as we are as individuals and as families, Sundays still seem to be the one day of the week when we can regroup and savor a family-style Sunday dinner.
For me, Sunday dinners mean gathering, reconnecting and sharing. The meal can be simple or grand; it’s the kinship with family and friends in a comfortable setting that is most important. That being said, it’s still the meal — the food and wine — that draws people to the same table and creates an atmosphere of family and togetherness.
Cooking with family is a mixture of fun and food woven together. Having no children at home, I often cook with friends gathered about the kitchen, glasses of wine in hand. The gatherings are akin to the appetizer before the main course of conversation and friendship that continues at the table.
This Italian Sunday sauce recipe has morphed so much over the years. It’s now the base to my lasagna recipe and the ubiquitous Baked Ziti. This is not a traditional Bolognese. Rather, it’s a very flavorful and spicy sauce featuring chunks of San Marzano tomatoes and spicy Italian sausage for every bite with your preferred pasta. I know that pasta sauce is one of those things you’ve grown up with and loved, and it’s hard to try something else.
Try it. Life a Life Explored!
Ultimate Pumpkin Cheesecake
The pumpkin flavor, the creamy cheesecake, the snap of the cinnamon cookie crust, the dollops of freshly whipped cream, and the salted caramel drizzles all combine to create the homey taste of fall on your fork.
Equipment
- 1 9" or 10" springform pan
- Large roasting pan for water bath
- Stand mixer
- Food processor
- Heavy aluminum foil
Ingredients
For Crust:
- 1.5 cups Biscoff Cinnamon Cookies crushed
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
For Cheesecake:
- 4 packages 8 oz. full fat cream cheese packages room temperature
- 1.5 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1/3 cup sour cream room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1.5 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- Whipping Cream
- Salted Caramel Sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
For Cookie Crust
- Using a food processor, pulse the cinnamon cookies into crumbs, yielding 1.5 cups. Pour into a medium bowl. Add ground ginger, cinnamon, sugar and melted butter. Mix to combine well. Pour into springform pan, and with a fork, press firmly up the sides and bottom of a 9-inch or 10-inch springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes and remove from oven. Allow crust to cool while you prepare the filling.
For Cheesecake
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed until well-combined, and the mixture is smooth and creamy, approximately 2 minutes.
- Add sour cream and vanilla. Beat until fluffy and combined.
- On medium speed, add eggs one at a time, beating after each egg, until just blended. After the final egg has been mixed in, stop mixing.
- Scoop out approximately 2 cups of the batter and place in a medium bowl. Stir in the pumpkin, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice until well combined.
- On top of the crust, scoop out a layer of the "plain" cheesecake batter. Then in large spoonfuls, add the pumpkin batter, and alternate until both batters have been put into the pan. Using a large toothpick or butter knife, swirl the batters together by dragging the toothpick top to bottom and left to right. NOTE: This does not have to be a perfect science.
Water Bath
- Tear off two strips of heavy aluminum foil. Fold so that each strip is approximately the height of your springform pan. Wrap around the edges of the pan.
- Place springform pan wrapped in foil into a large roasting pan. Add hot water approximately 1 inch up the side of the springform pan. Place roasting pan in oven.
Cooking & Chilling Instructions
- Bake cheesecake for approximately 55 to 70 minutes, depending upon your oven. NOTE: If top of cheesecake is getting too brown, tent the top with foil to prevent further browning or burning. You will know the cheesecake is done when it is still slightly wobbly when shaking the pan. Turn off the oven, open the door partially and leave the cheesecake in the oven for one hour. Remove cheesecake from oven after baking and resting and allow it to cool completely on your kitchen counter. When completely cool, put in refrigerator to chill, approximately 5 hours or overnight.
- Add toppings as desired. Photos show freshly whipped cream and salted caramel drizzles.
Thank you Luanna. We have had many delishes dishes prepared by you over the pass several months. I always appreciate you gracing our table on many Sunday meals. I will try your tried and true Italian pasta sauce as a lasagna dish which l haven’t made in some time since your sauce sounds so delishes you know it will be shared with neighbors that always enjoy your wonderful shared meals.
Best Marinara sauce ever!!
Yum! Now if I still lived in California…