(Here are parts 1, 2, and 3)

Meatless Supper #7: Pasta With Chunky Tomato Sauce
DH started making his own pasta sauce when he lived in downtown Montreal, where hekhshered sauce isn’t readily available (or wasn’t five years ago). You can use any kind of pasta, of course, but I think rotinni is best for catching all the chunks. We usually eat this with cheddar or jack cheese, since good kosher parmesean is difficult to come by. (It’s an unconventional combination, but a good one.)
Serves about 4 (8 according to the nutrition labels)

1 1-lb box pasta, plus water, oil, and salt, for cooking

1 28-0z can crushed tomatoes in tomato puree*
4-5 mushrooms, chopped
2-3 scallions, sliced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
italian seasoning (basil, oregano, thyme, etc.), to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons dry wine (preferably red), or 1 tablespoon vodka
1 teaspoon sugar
hot sauce, to taste
a few leaves of fresh basil, shredded (entirely optional)
shredded or grated cheese, to serve

Fill a large stock pot with water and set over a high flame.

Combine remaining ingredients (except cheese) in 1-quart saucepan and mix well. Bring to a light boil over medium heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered.

When the water reaches a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook according to package directions. When the pasta is ready, the sauce is ready, too. Top each plate of pasta with cheese and then with sauce. (The hot sauce will melt the cheese nicely.)

*Different brands of crushed tomato have different consistencies, and this can have a major impact on the consistency of the sauce. We’ve found Contadina to be too liquidy and Shaw’s brand too chunky. Red Pack is our current favorite.

Meatless Supper #8: Mengedarrah With Brown Rice and Moroccan Seasoning
Mungedarrah (or mujadarrah) is a pan-Middle Eastern dish of lentils and rice. Two years ago, I wrote about its connection to the Nine Days and provided a recipe. This is a whole grain version with a more interesing seasoning combination. I like to serve it as a side dish when we have vegetarian guests for a meat meal, but it is also a satisfying meal in itself and a good choice for the se`udah mafseket before Tisha B’Av, which traditionally consists of no more than one cooked dish. (The simpler salt-and-pepper version may be more appropriate for that occasion, though.)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion (about 2 cups), chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1-2 teaspoons salt (to taste)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 cup long-grain brown rice
1 cup brown or green lentils
4 3/4 cups water
yogurt to serve (optional)

Heat oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and seasoning and sautee until onions are fairly soft, 10-15 minutes. Add rice and cook about 1 minute, stirring.

Add the lentils and water. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until all the water is absorbed, about 40-45 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure that it isn’t sticking. (If it is, add a bit more water.) Serve with yogurt, if desired.