Lemon Asparagus Bowtie Pasta

I found this on my new favorite food blog, found HERE. Honestly I should just quit now, 'cause this chick has it all figured out. But nevertheless, I'll pick and choose some fun things and make them. I've been pleased with everything so far. This is EASY and SO TASTY.

lemon asparagus pasta
1 large bunch of asparagus
250 g bow-tie pasta
1 t salt
3 T butter
3/4 c heavy cream
2 T freshly grated lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
1/4 c fresh lemon juice
1/4 t salt (optional)
1/3 c finely chopped parsley
1/2 c grated parmesan cheese

1. Prepare asparagus by snapping off the bottom tough ends & then snapping each stalk into 1 inch pieces.

2. In a large pot, boil water and add 1 heaping teaspoon of salt. Add pasta. When pot comes back to a boil again, put prepared asparagus into a large metal colander, place over the boiling pot and cover the asparagus with the pot lid. One and a half minutes into the steaming process, take tongs and gently toss asparagus, replacing lid for another one minute and a half. Remove colander and rinse asparagus under cold water until cool. The asparagus should be crisp-tender. Drain well and set aside.

3. In a smaller pot, combine lemon juice, butter and cream over moderately low heat. Stir in zest then remove pot from heat and stir in 1/4 cup of the pasta water into the cream sauce.

4. Drain pasta and return to pot. Add in the asparagus and parsley and combine well. Add the cream sauce and parmesan chees and cook over moderate heat, tossing until heated through. Taste and add remaining salt if necessary.

Caprese Pasta Salad

I whipped this up pretty quick and it is SO GOOD. The recipe is from iVillage, so credit goes to them.

Caprese Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

8 oz dried rigatoni

1 cup cubed fresh mozzarella

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved

1/3 cup pesto sauce (homemade or store bought)

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook the rigatoni in some salted water with a dash of olive oil, just until tender.

While pasta is cooking, cube the mozzarella, halve the olives, and mix them with the pesto.

When pasta is ready, rinse in cold water, then pat dry with paper towel. Toss gently with the pesto mixture, and serve.

(If making ahead of time, take out of the fridge a half hour early, as it is to be served at room temp.)

Jaime Oliver's Shell Pasta with Bacon and Peas

Shell Pasta with Bacon and Peas
adapted slightly from Jamie’s Food Revolution
serves 4

8 slices bacon or pancetta, preferably free-range or organic
a small bunch of fresh mint (maybe 16 stalks)
salt and pepper
1 lb dried mini shell pasta
olive oil
1/2 tablespoon butter
2 cups frozen peas
3 tablespoons crème fraiche
1 lemon, cut in half, seeds removed
6 ounces parmesan cheese (hunk, grate it fresh.)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt. Finely slice the bacon. Pick the mint leaves and discard the stalks. Finely grate the parmesan.

When water is boiling, add the shells and set a timer, cook shells until just al dente. Meanwhile, heat a saute pan over medium heat and add a splash of olive oil and the butter. Add the sliced bacon to the pan, grind a little pepper over and fry until golden and crisp.

Chop the mint leaves while the bacon fries. When the bacon is cooked, add the peas, stir, and add the creme fraiche and the mint. When the pasta is cooked, drain it but do not rinse. Add the pasta to the bacon and pea mixture, stir to distribute. Juice lemon over the pasta, let mixture begin to bubble, then turn off the heat. Add the grated parmesan and stir in, then serve with additional mint and parmesan if desired.

Jaime Oliver's Baked Camembert Pasta

(picture adapted from flickr)

This was quite tasty. Very simple, and exquisite. The can be baked in its box, which I purchased at Target. The flavors can be played around with too. Don't feel like you need to commit to rigatoni, either. Use whatever pasta you like.

Ingredients
(serves 4-6)

- a box of Camembert Cheese (250g)
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
- 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, pick the leaves off the woody stalk
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- extra virgin olive oil
- 100g grated parmesan cheese
- 400g dried rigatoni
- 150g fresh spinach

Directions

1. Open the box of cheese and unwrap it. Place it back to the wooden container (Note: mine did not come in a wooden container so I placed it in a oven safe dish like what you see in the photo).
2. Score a circle into the top of the skin, then lift it off and discard.
3. Lay the garlic slices on top of the cheese, sprinkle some pepper and drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil.
4. Scatter the rosemary leaves over the top and gently pat with your fingers to coat them in the oil.
5. Bake the cheese in a preheated oven of 180C (350F) for about 25 minutes, until golden and melted.
6. When the cheese has 10 minutes left to cook, add the pasta to the pan and cook according to packet instructions.
7. When the pasta is cooked, add the spinach to the pan – it only needs cooking for 10 seconds or so.
8. Drain the pasta and spinach to the pan and let it wilt.
9. Drizzle with a couple of good lugs of extra virgin olive oil and add the grated Parmesan. If the sauce is too thick for you, add a splash of reserved cooking water to thin out a bit. Season with salt and pepper and give it a good stir.
10. Remove the cheese from the oven. Divide the pasta between your serving bowls. Either drizzle the melted Camembert on top or pop cheese on the table and let everyone help themselves to a lovely, gooey spoonful.

Pasta with Goat Cheese and Roasted Asparagus

I've had a block of goat cheese sitting in my fridge ever since I made beet and goat cheese risotto (sorry, didn't take pictures of that recipe, which I kind of made up as I went along). I haven't really known what to do with the cheese until I got my semi weekly email from Martha Stewart's "Everyday Food" with a dozen spring pasta recipes.
I tried it. I liked it.

• 2 bunches asparagus (2 pounds total), tough ends removed
• 4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• 12 ounces cavatappi or other short pasta
• 1 small log soft goat cheese (5 ounces), crumbled
• 2 to 3 tablespoons snipped fresh chives, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for pasta. Place asparagus on a large rimmed baking sheet; dot with 1 tablespoon butter, and season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender, tossing occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes; cut into 2-inch lengths.
2. While asparagus is roasting, generously salt boiling water. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, according to package instructions. Set aside 1 1/2 cups pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot.
3. In a medium bowl, combine goat cheese, remaining 3 tablespoons butter, and 1/2 cup pasta water. Season with salt and pepper, and whisk until smooth. Add goat-cheese mixture and asparagus to pasta; toss to combine, adding more pasta water if necessary for sauce to coat pasta. Serve pasta garnished with chives.

I didn't have chives so I used green onion. Chives would be better, but whatever.

Healthy, and Delicious Spaghetti

I know- I died off there for awhile. But I'm back, and I hope you are all still there, still reading, and still posting! I started working out today. I ran 2 miles on the treadmill and swam some laps. I realized how out of shade I was when I got so exhausted hiking to the trailhead of Mt. Olympus. When 6 years ago, I summited the thing. So in efforts to "Get healthier" I thought I should put good food into my body.

I made this spaghetti up- and it was really good. Husband approved.

1 lb ground turkey

2 c. spinach

1 cup mushrooms, finely chopped

1/4 white minced onion

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

1/2 tsp salt

dash of pepper

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1 T Italian seasonings (the dried kind, sitting in your spice cabinet)

1 can Hunts tomato sauce

1 can stewed tomatoes

Spaghetti noodles

While you boil the water for the noodles, saute the onions, mushrooms and garlic with a dab of butter. After they have browned and simmered, move them to a separate bowl. In another pot of water, steam spinach. Put the ground turkey in the saute pan, and brown. Add the mushroom mixture and italian seasonings, along with salt and pepper. Drain the spinach, and stir it into pieces and add it to the saute pan. Pour in the tomato sauce and stewed tomatoes and let simmer so flavors can develop.

Drain spaghetti, and top with the healthy, delicious sauce.

Yum.

Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Pasta

Just tried this for dinner tonight, and it did not disappoint. I guess my CRAZY "5-kid life" lures me to these easy crock pot recipes. Is there such a thing as a crock pot junkie? Maybe. Whatever puts food on the table, right?

(I promise....the next meal I post won't come from one of "those").

Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Pasta
(adapted from 365daysofcrockpot.blogspot.com)

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used frozen chicken tenders)
4 oz. can of mushrooms, drained
1 packet of Ranch dressing
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz. cream cheese

1 box of your favorite pasta, cooked

Place chicken breasts and mushrooms on bottom of crock pot, then sprinkle ranch dressing packet on top. Dissolve the bouillon cube in 1 cup boiling water and pour over chicken. Cook on LOW for about 2 hours. Stir in soup and cream cheese until well blended then cook for another hour. (My slow cooker cooks really fast, times may vary)

Serve over pasta and with your favorite rolls or vegetable side dish.

Red/White Pasta

This is so easy and delicious. If you like to get into the bread and butter of italian food- but not have to put a lot of work into it, then this is for you. Now, I have recipes for homemade alfredo, and homemade marinara, but I'm not going to post them, because frankly, I didn't make them. I got so lazy tonight but managed to whip out a delicious entree in a half hour.


Red/White Pasta

1 pkg of Rotini or Fusilli pasta
1 can of your favorite marinara sauce (or be awesome and make your own)
1 can of your favorite alfredo sauce (again, go ahead and be awesome if you want)
1 cup grated mozzarella
(you can add vegetables to beef it up, so to speak... like zucchini or eggplant.

Preheat oven to 350.

Boil pasta to aldente, it will continue to cook when baking. Drain, and let sit for a minute. Spread some marinara on the bottom of a casserole dish, then pour half the pasta in. This is all about technique- you can't just mix the sauces up and pour them in, it won't taste as good, I promise. Dollop large spoonful's of each of the sauces sporadically throughout the dish. Layer the rest of the pasta then repeat. Sprinkle with mozzarella and bake for 20-25 minutes, till bubbling.

This is so tasty. Serve with french bread or garlic rolls.

Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs

Spaghetti and Meatballs

1 pkg spaghetti

1 jar of your favorite sauce

1 pkg ground beef

1/2 cup of seasoned bread crumbs

1 egg

1/4 cup fresh grated parmesean

1/8 c parsley (fresh or dried)

1/2 tsp of garlic salt

1/2 tsp of onion powder

1/2 tsp salt

Start cooking your spaghetti in well salted boiling water.

In the meantime, place the ground beef in a bowl and mix in the egg, then add all the dry ingredients, and the cheese. Form large gum-ball sized balls and place them into a deep frying pan with olive oil, over medium heat. Turn the meatballs that are cooking as you form the others to put in the pan. Once the meatballs are browned on all sides, add the sauce and let them cook a little so they cook through. Spoon over the spaghetti and serve with garlic bread.

Yep. Just incase you didn't know. That's how you make spaghetti and meatballs.

Oreccheitte with Broccoli, Sausage, and Roasted Peppers:

First of all, this plate...I've had for over ten years. It used to be the server ware at Food For Thought -- a small restaurant where I worked. When I went off to college the owner gave me the old plates because she was buying new ones.

Anyway, this dish is really easy. In fact, I went home for lunch and made it in an hour AND cleaned up the kitchen. My friend Ilene made this for her family when I went to visit her in July. She even used broccoli from her garden. Impressive. I emailed her for the recipe later.

It's great if you and your kids like broccoli. And the roasted peppers you can buy in a jar at Sunflower Market on sale right now. Clearly, I didn't use oreccheitte, but only because I already had bow tie pasta and I didn't see the point in buying a whole different type of pasta for this:

Oreccheitte with Broccoli, Sausage, and Roasted Peppers:

-Salt

-1 lb orecchiette

-4 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casings removed (I think five sausages come
in a typical pack and I usually use three for this dish and freeze the rest
to use when I make this again).

-9 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (3 tbsp total)

-1 cup jarred roasted red peppers, cut into 1/2 inch squares (I just buy the bigger jar of the peppers and use half and save the other half for when I make this dish again)

-1/2 tsp ground black pepper

-2 lbs broccoli florets cut into 1-inch pieces (you could also cut up the stalk but I don't because I am a floret snob).

-1/2 cup water

-1 tbsp olive oil

2 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, freshly grated (1 cup; I use parmesan because that is what I typically have on hand)

1. Bring 4 qts water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tbsp. salt and the pasta to the boiling water and stir to separated the noodles. Cook until al dente. Drain and return the pasta to the pot.

2. While the pasta is cooking, cook the sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it into small pieces with a spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, red peppers, 1/2 tsp salt, and black pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Increase the heat to high, add the broccoli and water, cover, and cook until the broccoli begins to turn bright green, 1-2 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring frequently, until the water has evaporated and the broccoli is tender, 3-5 minutes longer.

3. Add the broccoli mixture, 1 tbsp olive oil, and cheese to the pasta and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Baked Ravioli

I love a good "domestic" feel to a meal. Though this is mostly pre-made, it seems like you did it from scratch and it's wonderful comfort food. And what'dya know, the bread even came in handy again for a good side of garlic bread.

Baked Ravioli

(recipe derived from Martha Stewart)

1 package pre-made ravioli (any flavor)

1 can whole stewed tomatoes

1 can crushed tomatoes

1 1/2 tsp oregano or thyme (I used the "Italian Seasonings" I had in my spice cupboard)

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 small onion

1 T olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 cup grated mozzarella

1/2 grated parmesean

Saute the garlic and onion with the olive oil until soft. Add both cans of tomatoes. Stir in seasonings and break up the whole tomatoes, then let the sauce cook till it thickens and absorbs the flavor (20-25 min).

Preheat oven to 425.

Boil the ravioli, until just softened, they will cook more in the oven. Drain, return to pot. Once the sauce has thickened, add it to the pasta and gently toss.

Pour pasta into baking dish and spread cheese over the top. Bake for 20-25 min or until golden brown and bubbly.

(Side note: I'm not TOO big of an onion fan. So I used 1/2 of an onion I had left, and threw some dried minced onion in, and added a dash of garlic salt. It really is all about preference here, people.)