Category Archives: Pasta

Southwest Pasta Salad

21 Wednesday Sep 2016

Posted by in Lunch, Main Dishes, Pasta, Salads

≈ Leave a Comment

Print pagePDF pageEmail page

img_6661

Today I was looking for a yummy pasta salad to go with Lindsey’s Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches. It is so yummy!

Ingredients-

  • 2 cups mini pasta (measured when dry, I used shells but it would be great with mini bow tie pasta)
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1 cup black beans
  • 3/4 cup assorted sweet bell peppers*
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/4 cup red onion, (optional)
  • 1/4 cup packed cilantro (~1/3 a bunch), finely chopped
Dressing
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 5 tablespoons squeezed fresh lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon white sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Method-

  1. Cook the pasta according to package direction. Add in the frozen corn about 1-2 minutes before the pasta is done.
  2. Drain the pasta and rinse it with cold water.
  3. Darin and rinse the black beans. Chop the peppers, I used 1/2 of a green pepper and 1/2 of a red pepper because that is what I had. Halve the cherry tomatoes. I seeded and chopped up two tomatoes because we were out of cherry tomatoes.
  4. Finely chop up the red onion and cilantro.
  5. Stir together the pasta, corn, black beans, sweet peppers, cherry tomatoes, onion, and cilantro.
  6. In a resealable jar, combine all of the dressing ingredients. Shake until combined. Pour the dressing over the pasta and vegetables. Stir to combine. (You may not want to use all the dressing – so add it slowly. I used about half and saved the rest because i know it will need to be freshened up tomorrow. Anyway, it would be good on a green salad, too).
  7. To make ahead: mix all the ingredients and the dressing separate. Store in airtight containers in the fridge and then combine when ready to eat.

Tri-color Orzo Salad

05 Monday Oct 2015

Posted by in Pasta, Salads

≈ Leave a Comment

Print pagePDF pageEmail page

This salad recipe is from “Aunt” Laura.

1 pound orzo pasta
2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil, plus another 1/4 cup
2 cups fresh arugula, about 3 ounces (I usually use more than that, maybe 3 or 4 cups, and I use baby spinach or even a spring mix, whatever I have or is easy to find)
3/4 cup crumbled ricotta salata cheese (I use feta cheese)
1/2 cup dried cherries (I just use craisins and I always put in more than a half cup more like a whole cup)
12 fresh basil leaves, cut up small
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (I used walnuts, but I’ve used pine nuts
before too, and I usually just dump them in until I think there is
enough, so probably more than 1/4 c.)
4Tbs Fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Bring a large pot of salted (must be generously salted) water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8-10 minutes. Drain water. Add 2 tbs of olive oil and mix. Then spread out on a large cookie sheet to cool.

In small bowl whisk remaining olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper together.

I usually make this salad in the morning, and add the orzo, half of the lemon dressing mix, the craisins, basil, mix it all. Then I chop up the nuts, feta and spinach and put them on the top but don’t stir them in. Before serving I stir in the rest of the ingredients and add the rest of the dressing. I do it like this because the craisins kind of soak up some of the dressing and get plump and the basil kind of flavors everything but I don’t want the spinach and walnuts getting soggy.

THEN, I usually add a couple of spoonfuls of my Balsamic BBQ sauce, but if you don’t add it the salad is still good.

*** We usually have this along with BBQ Chicken or Steak that I use a Balsamic BBQ sauce on, and most of the time I put some of the sauce from the meat on the salad. The salad I brought to your house had probably 3 Tbs of this sauce on it.  I think the salad tastes better with it, but it’s really good without it too.

Ten Minute Macaroni and Cheese

05 Saturday Sep 2015

Posted by in Comfort Food, Lunch, Main Dishes, Pasta

≈ Leave a Comment

Print pagePDF pageEmail page

Super easy and much better than the kind from the blue box!

3 T of butter
3 T of flour
1- 12-13 oz.  can of evaporated milk
1-16 oz. box of macaroni
1 cup of milk
2 cups of grated cheddar cheese
Salt & pepper to taste

Cook the macaroni according to package directions. While the macaroni is cooking, melt butter in a saucepan and once melted, add flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the can of evaporated milk and the other cup of milk. Stir occasionally until it coats the back of a spoon (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and let sit, add salt and pepper. After a minute, add grated cheddar cheese and stir until creamy. Add to drained pasta and serve. This recipe makes the equivalent of two boxes of Kraft macaroni and cheese.

Maddie’s Pasta Sauce- From Ally’s Italian Friend Teresa

04 Tuesday Feb 2014

Posted by in Comfort Food, Main Dishes, Pasta

≈ Leave a Comment

Print pagePDF pageEmail page

I have tried to make this healthier by leaving out the 1/4 cup of butter and 1 of the 3 tablespoons of olive oil in the original recipe. I often add more vegetables (celery and carrots) than called for in the recipe. Mushrooms are a nice addition.

Ingredients-

2 tablespoons olive oil
A good handful of chopped Italian fat leaf parsley-chopped
3 or 4 ribs of celery with leaves-finely chopped
A handful of fresh Basil-finely chopped (I use 2 tablespoons freeze dried basil, but fresh is better)
1 medium onion-chopped
2 or 3 cloves garlic-minced
2 or 3 carrots-finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1-28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes or 1-750ml bottle of Passata de Pomodoro
2-14.5 ounce cans petite diced tomatoes (you can use regular diced tomatoes, too)
1 teaspoon of salt or more to taste
Pepper to taste

Method-

Heat oil and add the onion, carrot and celery. Cook over medium heat until soft, stirring frequently. Add garlic, oregano, parsley and basil stirring constantly so the garlic does not burn, about 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes and chopped tomatoes. Bring to a boil and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. Place a lid on the pot so that it is slightly covered and simmer on low for at least 40 minutes or until sauce thickens. Serve with any pasta and parmesan.

This sauce is good kept in the refrigerator for up to three days and can also be frozen.

French Laundry Inspired Lasagna

09 Saturday Mar 2013

Posted by in Comfort Food, Main Dishes, Pasta

≈ Leave a Comment

Print pagePDF pageEmail page

Ingredients

Sauce-
1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups minced yellow onions
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 cup tomato paste
8 cups cut-up peeled tomatoes (about 12-14 medium tomatoes, cut into rough 1 inch pieces) or 4- 15 ounce cans of diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped oregano
1/4 tablespoons chopped basil

Filling-
1 1/2 pounds ricotta
3 large eggs
1/2 cup chopped parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 pound lasagna noodles
1/2 pound mozzarella, grated
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Method
For the sauce-
Heat the oil in a large heavy pot. Add the onions and garlic and cook gently until translucent. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently. Add the tomatoes and stir to combine. The sauce can be completed on the stove top or in the oven. (I think a crockpot would work, too. The idea behind the oven method is that it requires less attention. For the stove top method simmer gently for 1 1/2 to 2 hours stirring well every 10 minutes so it doesn’t scorch. For the oven method, cover the pot and cook at 325 degrees for 3 to 4 hours. When the sauce is done it should be thick and chunky and there should be about 4 cups.  Add the oregano and basil and allow sauce to cool.

For the filling-
In a large bowl, whisk the ricotta and eggs together until blended. Add the parsley and salt and pepper to taste and mix well. Refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the lasagna.

Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions. Drain the noodles and allow them to cool a bit. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

To assemble the lasagna-
Spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a 9 X 13 baking pan. Place a layer of noodles in the pan, slightly overlapping them. Spread half ricotta mixture evenly over the noodles and top with another layer of noodles. Reserve 1 cup of the sauce and spread the rest over the noodles, completely covering them. Arrange another layer of noodles on top and cover with the remaining ricotta mixture. Top with a final layer of noodles and spoon the reserved sauce over them. Toss the reserved mozzarella with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle it   over the top.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the mozzarella is spotted golden brown and the lasagna is hot throughout.

 

 

Macaroni and Cheese

29 Tuesday Nov 2011

Posted by in Comfort Food, Pasta

≈ Leave a Comment

Print pagePDF pageEmail page

When Rick and I were first married he requested macaroni and cheese for dinner. I got busy and made a large casserole of the macaroni and cheese I grew up on, Homemade Macaroni and Cheese. The kind where you cook a package of macaroni and make a cheese sauce from scratch and mix it all together and finally bake it for a little while. Rick did not recognize this form of macaroni and cheese. He had grown up on the kind from the blue box. So from that day on we had the kind from the blue box. It wasn’t until recently that I tried making the homemade kind again. Allyson told me that it is her “go to” meal whenever she is taking dinner to someone. Last week, I took dinner to a family who has a child in the hospital. I was trying to think of something that I could take that the children at home would like. Macaroni and cheese, baked chicken fingers, carrots and cucumber sticks and chocolate cupcakes turned out to be a perfect choice.

Here is a link to the my favorite macaroni and cheese recipe at The Pioneer Woman. I rarely have dried mustard and don’t like to add the cayenne or too much pepper. I usually leave them out.

Creamy Shrimp and Broccoli Fettucine

10 Wednesday Feb 2010

Posted by in Main Dishes, Pasta, Seafood

≈ Leave a Comment

Print pagePDF pageEmail page

This recipe is courtesy of Elise at Simply Recipes
Ingredients

* 2 to 3 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
* 1 pound fettuccine (use rice-pasta for gluten-free version)
* Extra virgin olive oil
* 2 cups heavy cream
* 2/3 cup white wine
* 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 pound peeled, deveined shrimp (if using frozen shrimp, defrost by running cold water over them for a few minutes)
* 2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
* Salt

Method

1 Fill a large 8-quart stock pot at least half full with water and with 1 Tbsp of salt; bring to a boil.

2 While the water is the large stockpot is heating, bring a smaller saucepan (2-3 quarts) half filled with water to a boil. Blanch the broccoli in the boiling water for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Drain and run the broccoli under cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

3 Cook the pasta in the large pot of boiling water according to the directions on the package (anywhere from 3 to 12 minutes, depending on the type of pasta you have) until al dente, or still slightly firm. Drain and toss with a little olive oil to keep from sticking.

4 While the pasta is cooking, combine the cream, wine, garlic, and black pepper in a large skillet and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 7 to 10 minutes until the mixture thickens.

5 Add the shrimp and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until the shrimp have turned pink on all sides. Toss in the broccoli and the parsley. Mix in the fettucini. Salt to taste.

Serves 6.

Chicken Spaghettini With Broccoli, Pine Nuts & Sun-Dried Tomatoes

28 Monday Sep 2009

Posted by in Main Dishes, Pasta

≈ Leave a Comment

Print pagePDF pageEmail page

500 gm spaghettini
3 cups broccoli flowerets
1/4 cup olive oil (maybe could use less)
350 gm chicken, cut into thin strips
2 Tbsp crushed garlic cloves
1/8 tsp dried crushed hot red pepper
3/4 cups drained sun-dried tomatoes, (packed in oil), sliced thin
1/2 cup grated parmasen cheese
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil (maybe more)
Salt & Pepper
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts

Cook spaghettini in boiling salted water, adding broccoli 2 minutes before end of cooking time. Drain pasta and broccoli and return to pot.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large heavy fry pan over medium high heat. Add chicken, garlic and red pepper; sauté for 2 minutes. Add sun-dried tomatoes and sauté until chicken is no longer pink inside.

Add chicken mixture to pasta and broccoli, toss. Add cheese, basil and salt and pepper to taste. Serve sprinkled with pine nuts.

Chicken Penne Alfredo

28 Monday Sep 2009

Posted by in Pasta

≈ Leave a Comment

Print pagePDF pageEmail page

¼ cup Butter
¼ cup Olive Oil
1 lb. boneless chicken, cut into ¾ inch cubes
½ cup chopped green onions with tops
2 cloves garlic minced
1 Jar Alfredo Sauce
1 (15oz) can Tomatoes, drained
½ tsp. Salt
½ tsp. Pepper
¼ cup chopped Parsley
2 T. dried Basil Leaves
1 lb. hot, cooked Penne pasta
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Additional Parmesan

Heat butter and olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, green onions, and garlic; sauté until chicken is lightly browned. Stir in Alfredo sauce, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Bring to a slight boil. Stir in parsley and basil. Remove from heat. Toss pasta with sauce; sprinkle with ½ cup Parmesan. Pass with additional cheese if desired. Yield: 6-8 servings. (You could add sliced mushrooms with the tomatoes if desired).
*This is similar to the Parma Rosa that i used to make from a packet.