creamy tuscan mushrooms over pasta

 

These mushrooms were delicious!!  I think everyone in my family enjoyed them.  I served them over egg noodle nests (they're at Costco and so great!) and with zucchini on the side.  Great meal.

creamy tuscan mushrooms over pasta (this is a mash-up of two recipes I found)

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons garlic, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

16 ounces mushrooms, quartered

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 cup milk (I used almond milk)

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 cup fresh spinach

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

hot pasta for serving

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

When the skillet is hot, add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for a couple minutes.  Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the black pepper.

In a small bowl combine the cornstarch and milk and stir until smooth.

Add the cornstarch and milk mixture and stir heat until the sauce thickens and the mushrooms are soft.  Add the red pepper flakes, spinach and Parmesan.  Cook until the spinach wilts and the cheese melts.  Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Serve over hot pasta.

easy baked ziti

 

This recipe is so easy you hardly need a recipe.  So easy and good. 

easy baked ziti (slightly adapted from love and lemons)

4 cups (32 ounes) marinara sauce

2 cups (16 ounces) ricotta chees

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3/4 teaspoon sea salt, more for the pasta water

freshly ground black pepper

1 pound ziti pasta

extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

1 pound fresh spinach (I omitted it so my son would eat it!)

1 1/2 cups smoked mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

chopped fresh parsley and/or torn basil leaves for garnish

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Spread 1/2 cup marinara in the bottom of a 9x13 baking sheet.

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper.

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente.  Drain.

Return the pot back to the stove.  Over low heat, drizzle the bottom of the pot with a little oliveoil and add the spinach.  Toss and saute 1-2 minutes until just wilted, working in batches if necessary.  Turn off the heat, remove the spinach from the pot and gently squeeze out some of the excess water.  Coarsely chop it and set it aside.

Add the pasta back to the pot along with the remaining marinara, most of the chopped spinach, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt and more fresh pepper and toss until combined.

Add half the pasta to the baking dish, top with dollops of the ricotta, the remaining spinach, and scoop the remaining pasta on top.  Top with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.  Drizzle with olive oil and bake until the cheese is browned, 16-22 minutes.  Garnish with fresh basil or parsley and serve hot.

tomato feta pasta

 

My oldest made this pasta dish for us tonight and it was beyond fantastic.  I happen to love everything in this dish, especially the feta and basil so of course I thought it was divine.  It's so easy too!  We browned some bratwurst on the side for those of us who like a little meat too.

tomato feta pasta (my oldest daughter)

1 block feta cheese

olive oil

minced garlic

red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

1-2 pints cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup basil, chopped

16 ounces pasta, cooked and hot

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place a block of feta cheese in the middle of a 9x13 casserole dish.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with minced garlic, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper.  Top with cherry tomatoes.  Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the tomatoes start to bulge and pop.

Take out of the oven and stir to combine.  Mixture should be nice and creamy.  Add hot pasta and stir to combine well.  Enjoy!

healthy one pot pasta

 

This dish is always a hit with my family and I love that it's a one-pot-wonder!

healthy one pot pasta (erin lives whole)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 teaspoons garlic, minced

12 ounces pasta

1 head broccoli, chopped

1 can diced tomatoes

1 1/2 cups pasta sauce

3 cups vegetable stock

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 bag spinach, stems removed

parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a pot over medium-high heat.  Add onion and saute until translucent.  Add garlic.  Add the rest of the ingredients from the pasta to the red pepper flakes and stir until combined.  Cover with a lid and boil.  Once boiling, lower heat to medium low and cook 15-20 minutes until most of the liquid has absorbed.  Turn off the heat and add the spinach.  Stir and cover with the lid.  Let sit 5 minutes.  Top with parmesan cheese.

creamy garden spaghetti

It had been a while since I'd pulled out my Hershey Relief Society cookbook so I pulled it out and found a few recipes to try.  I love remembering these friends as I prepare the recipes.  This creamy garden spaghetti is delicious.  I wanted something with lots of veggies because of all the endless Christmas goodies in the house.

creamy garden spaghetti (Natalie from Hershey Relief Society Cookbook 2008)
1/2 pound fresh broccoli, broken into florets
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 large carrot, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
1/4 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cups milk
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons butter
sauted chicken, optional

In a large skillet, saute the broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms and carrot in oil until crisp-tender.  Remove from the heat and set aside.  Cook spaghetti according to package directions.  In another saucepan, saute onion and garlic in butter until tender.  Stir in the flour, bouillon and thyme until blended.  Gradually add milk.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Reduce heat to low; stir in cheeses until melted.  Add the vegetables, heat through.  Drain spaghetti, toss with vegetable mixture.

italian chicken pasta salad

For Sunday stations I had the kids take turns helping me with dinner tonight- they did a lot of chopping for this salad and apple brownies for dessert.  Great recipe.

italian chicken pasta salad (adapted from food network) 
8 ounces cooked spiral pasta
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, grilled and sliced
1 cup diced English cucumber
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped pitted olives
1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers
2 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup chopped parsley
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste


Combine oil and vinegar for the dressing.  In a large bowl combine everything else and pour the dressing over the top.  Toss well.  Enjoy!
Note:  Even better the next day.

dyed pasta for necklaces

I get to teach preschool tomorrow and I'm excited!  The book I chose as our theme is "More Spaghetti, I Say!" and we're going to do all sorts of fun things like make noodle necklaces, sing "On Top of Spaghetti", form the letter Ss out of yarn, count meatballs (pom poms), etc.  We're going to eat my very, very favorite spaghetti sauce with meatballs- you've got to try the sauce!  My mom taught preschool for many years and I remember her coloring all sorts of shaped pasta for necklaces.

dyed pasta
1/4 cup rubbing alcohol
1 tablespoon food coloring
2 cups pasta
1 gallon sized freezer bag

Pour food coloring and alcohol into freezer bag and combine.  Add pasta to the bag and mix it all up.  Pour onto a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil.  Let set for about an hour or so until dry.

stuffed pasta shells

I wanted a hearty meal tonight and I didn't want to mess around.  We had grilled basil beef, stuffed pasta shells and leftover blue cheese pear salad with ginger pear coffee cake for dessert.  When I told my husband we were having a hearty dinner he responded, "That means it has sauce and cheese."  And meat!!!  This was a nice basic recipe.  If I want my kids to eat it then I'd better omit the spinach next time.

stuffed pasta shells (allrecipes.com)
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 (12 ounce) package jumbo pasta shells, cooked and drained
1 (28 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce or use homemade!

Combine cheeses and spinach; stuff into shells.  Arrange in a greased 13x9x2-inch baking dish.  Pour spaghetti sauce over the shells.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through. 

What I have to say- next time I'll add a little garlic powder and oregano to the cheese mixture.

macaroni and cheese

I had this dish at my friend Annie's home. I can't remember the occasion but I never need a reason or a special occasion to get together with a friend and eat well. On Father's Day we had BBQ ribs (Tony Roma's from Costco, they were great!), blue cheese salad, macaroni and cheese, garlic bread and chocolate molten cake with raspberries for dessert.
macaroni and cheese (my friend Annie found this recipe from The Barefoot Contessa)
kosher salt
vegetable oil
1 pound elbow macaroni
1 quart milk
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup flour
12 ounces Greyere cheese, grated (4 cups)
8 ounces extra sharp Cheddar, grated (2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated black pepper
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 pound fresh tomatoes (4 small)
1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed)
Preheat oven to 375. Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6-8 minutes. Drain well. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large 4-quart pot and add the flour. Cook over low for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the cheeses, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish. Slice the tomatoes and arrange on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on top.
What I have to say- There was a little bit left in my pan after pouring it into the baking dish so the kids and I had some that was pre-baked. It was delicous! Next time I might skip the breadcrumbs and baking and go straight to the eating. I really liked the saucy, cheesy pasta.

garlic chicken farfalle

This is a great recipe and I have my friend Erin K. to thank. When I told her I needed to cook for a big group last summer she suggested I make this recipe.

garlic chicken farfalle (Portland Mama)
16 ounces farfalle pasta
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3-4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon pepper (I used about half of this)
1/2 cup butter
1 pound bacon, crumbled
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 (12 ounce) bottle Lawry's mesquite marinade with lime juice

Place chicken in crock pot with bottle of marinade on low for 6 hours. Pull marinated chicken out of the juices, allow to cool a little bit and shred. Set this aside. About a half hour before serving, boil the pasta. In a small saucepan, melt butter, add garlic, whipping cream, pepper, cheese and bacon. Whisk together on low heat for 3-4 minutes. In a large bowl, pour over cooked, drained pasta, add chicken and stir though. Sprinkle a little bit more shredded Parmesan cheese on top.

orzo with parsley and lemon zest

I was so glad Melissa made this side dish for the meal swap because I've never made orzo before. Now I will! This was a terrific, refreshing side dish. Perfect for a summer meal. I bet you could toss in any vegetables to your liking, too!

orzo with parsley and lemon zest (Melissa found this recipe at FoodNetwork.com)
1/2 pound orzo
coarse salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 large lemons, zested
black pepper
1/3 cup chopped flat leaf parsley, a couple of handfuls

Cook orzo in salted water about 12 minutes, to al dente. Drain orzo well. Do not run under cold water. You want the cooked pasta to remain hot. Transfer pasta to a serving bowl. Drizzle orzo with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add lemon zest and parsley and toss to combine the flavors with the pasta.

cajun chicken pasta

 
The cajun chicken pasta was perfect and we enjoyed every bite. I declare it a Hall of Fame. Can we have dinner all over again?? You've got to try this one!

cajun chicken pasta (blog: or so she says)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced thin
linguine noodles
4 teaspoons cajun seasoning
2 thinly sliced green onions
4 cups heavy whipping cream
4 tablespoons chopped sun dried tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 to 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

Toss chicken in cajun seasoning. Oil pan and cook until done. Reduce heat and add all the additional ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer until thickened. Serve over linguine, sprinkled with Parmesan.

What I have to say- the 4 cups of whipping cream scared me a little bit. No doubt whipping cream is to-die-for but I had to cut it down quite a bit just for peace of mind. I only used a half cup and it was still fabulous.