Spinach Artichoke Pasta

adapted from Dianasaur Dishes

This dish is anything but healthy. But it is oh so good. Creamy, rich flavors that are hearty and so pleasing. It's easy to make and a real crowd pleaser. So ignore your waistline, invite people over as an excuse to make it, and give it a try.

Serves 4-6

4-6 servings Penne pasta

1 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup bacon, crumbled

1 small red onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup mushrooms, diced

1 cup sliced artichoke hearts

3/4 cup white wine

1/2 cup cream

1 cup spinach

salt and pepper to taste

parmesan

Boil your pasta according to the directions on the package. In a large skillet, saute garlic and onion in butter until softened, then add bacon, mushrooms and artichokes. After about two minutes add the wine. Cover and let simmer 5 minutes until it has reduced. Then add cream and seasonings and mix well. When you drain the pasta, add spinach while pasta is still very hot so it will wilt in the steam. Finally, pour sauce over noodles and garnish with parmesan. Serve warm.

Spaghetti Parmesan

adapted from Cheap, Healthy, Good

This was an easy pasta dish made great through Parmesan.

Serves 4

3/4 lb pasta, like linguine or spaghetti

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 medium zucchinis, chopped into moons

3 tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 onion, diced (I used purple onions, but you could use any kind)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1 tsp lemon pepper

salt to taste

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Cook and drain pasta, reserving 1/3 cup pasta water.

While pasta is cooking, saute onion and garlic in a skillet. Once softened, add zucchini, spices, chickpeas, and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until everything is warmed through. Zucchini should still have a little bite to them. Take the whole pan off the heat.

Combine with pasta and half of the cheese and 1/3 cup of water. Stir together until parmesan is incorporated into the dish.

Serve with remaining parmesan sprinkled on top.

Spaghetti Carbonara

adapted from Allrecipes

Ok, this is not the healthiest dish around, but the hot creamy pasta on a cold rainy day is great for a once-in-a-while treat.

Serves 6

3/4 lb spaghetti

2 tsp olive oil

6 slices of bacon, cooked and diced (Pancetta is recommended)

1 medium onion, diced

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 zucchini, diced (peas and mushrooms would also work well)

3 eggs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 Tbsp parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet cook bacon until crispy; remove and drain on paper towels. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of bacon grease and use it to saute onion and garlic until translucent, then add spices. Reintroduce the bacon and add the zucchini pieces, fry together until everything is heated through and zucchini is beginning to soften.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook spaghetti pasta until al dente. Drain well, toss with 2 tsp olive oil and pour the bacon mixture on top.

In a small bowl, quickly beat the eggs and Parmesan cheese and add it to the pasta, tossing with tongs or a large fork until eggs are barely set. Add salt and pepper and serve immediately with parsley as a garnish.

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

adapted from Martha Stewart

Is there anything Martha can't do? I have always always loved mac and cheese. It was my favorite food until I was probably 14 and even though I have long since moved on from the bright yellow Kraft stuff, I still have a little part of my heart that yearns for it. This recipe is little heavy on the calories so I will probably only make it once in a while, but I have to tell you it is divine!


Serves 12 (it makes a lot!)
6 slices of quality white bread, torn into 1/4" pieces
8 Tbsp butter
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup flour
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
4 1/2 cups (18 oz.) grated sharp cheddar
2 cups (8 oz) grated Gruyere or Swiss
1 lb elbow macaroni

1. Heat oven to 375. Grease a 3 quart casserole dish and set aside. Place bread pieces in a medium bowl, and pour over 2 Tbsp melted butter. Toss the bread until fairly evenly coated and set aside. In a medium saucepan, heat milk.

2. In a large skillet, melt remaining 6 Tbsp butter. When the butter bubbles, add flour, stirring constantly for about a minute. Then slowly pour the heated milk into the flour/butter mix, whisking all the while. Continue cooking, whisking constantly until the sauce bubbles and becomes thick. Remove from heat, add spices, and pour into a large bowl along with 3 cups cheddar and the 1 1/2 cups of Gruyere or Swiss. Set aside.

3. Boil water in a large pot, add macaroni. Cook 2-3 minutes less than the package says, so the pasta is underdone. Take out the pasta and rinse under cold water, drain. Add pasta to the cheese sauce and stir all together.

4. Pour mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese and breadcrumbs on top. Bake until browned, about 30 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve.

Lasagna

adapted from John Chandler at Allrecipes

For some reason making Lasagna has always looked too complicated and time consuming but I love the taste, so I decided it was time to buck up and try it. This recipe has a hearty sauce and is sure to please even the pickiest eaters. Feel free to use substitutions.

Um, now looking at this ingredient list, it looks a bit daunting... but don't be afraid!

Tomato Sauce:
3-4 links sweet Italian sausage
3/4 lb lean ground beef
1 medium onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste
2 (6 oz) cans tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp white sugar
2 Tbsp parsley
1 Tbsp basil
1/2 Tbsp oregano
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp sage
1 tsp marjoram
1 Tbsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Other layers:
1 box of lasagna noodles
1 egg
24 oz ricotta cheese (can substitute with cottage cheese)
1 zucchini
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp parsley
3/4 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

optional:
sliced mushrooms
spinach
bell peppers
squash

In a large pot, cook sausage, beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomato paste, sauce and crushed tomatoes, as well as the water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, and all other spices. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg, nutmeg, salt and parsley. Thinly slice zucchini, squash, and any other vegetables so you are ready for layering.

About 1/2 hour before sauce is done, soak the lasagna noodles in hot water for about 1/2 hour to loosen them up. Preheat the oven to 375.

To assemble, ladle a cup or so of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x 13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles over sauce. Then spread a layer of ricotta cheese and spinach and then lay down another layer of noodles. Then spoon a layer of meat sauce with slices of zucchini and a layer of mozzarella cheese and add another layer of noodles. Another layer of ricotta cheese with mushrooms (or another vegetable) and add another layer of noodles. Top with mozzarella and Parmesan and cover with foil (careful not to let the foil touch the cheese because it will stick) Bake for 25 minutes, remove the foil and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool 15 minutes before serving.

You can use leftover sauce on the side or save it for another meal later in the week. There really isn't a wrong way to do this. You can layer however you want depending on your preferences. I happen to like a lot of ricotta and vegetables.

Creamy Tomato Pasta with Shrimp (aka Penne a la Betsy)

from Pioneer Woman Cooks

If you have never ventured over to the Pioneer Woman website, it is really worth a look.  A blog about her life on the ranch she has great recipes with step by step instructions and witty commentary.  This dish is one of hers, and it's delicious and hard to mess up.    

1 lb shrimp

3/4 lb short pasta

butter

olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup white wine (or stock)

8 oz tomato sauce

1 cup heavy cream

1 Tbsp parsley

1 Tbsp basil

salt & pepper

pepper

* I also added 3 diced tomatoes 

Boil pasta in salty water until al dente.  Peel, devein and rinse (under cool water) 1 lb of shrimp.  Heat 1 Tbsp butter and olive oil in a skillet, add the shrimp and cook for a couple of minutes until just opaque.  Do not overcook them.  Set aside to cool.

Saute onion and garlic in 1 Tbsp olive oil.  Once they have softened, add 1/2 cup of wine (or stock)  stirring occasionally for several minutes.  In the meantime, put the cooked shrimp on the cutting board and pull off the tails.  Chop them into small bite sized pieces and set aside.  

Pour tomato sauce in the wine mixture and stir until combined.  Then add 1 cup heavy cream.  Stir frequently and turn the heat down to low.  Add herbs and finally the shrimp back into the mixture.  Once combined, pour atop the pasta and mix it in.  Serve immediately.   

Pasta with Olive Tapenade

adapted from Real Fast Food by Nigel Slater

Ben loves olives, and lately I have been looking for recipes that use them. This one was great, and easily adaptable. I added tomatoes and garlic, and sprinkled a little feta on top but you could just as easily do without. We liked the strong flavor, but agreed that this may not be kid friendly food...

1/2 lb pasta (The recipe calls for long pasta, like spaghetti. I just used what I had.)

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp olive oil

3 Tbsp diced kalamata olives

1 Tbsp capers

1 Tbsp parsley

1 tsp dried oregano

2-3 tomatoes, diced

Crumbled feta (garnish)

Boil salty water and cook the pasta until al dente. Saute onions and garlic in a glug of olive oil, add capers, olives, and spices and pour hot mixture into drained pasta. Top pasta mixture with diced tomatoes and feta, season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Spicy Thai Linguine

adapted from One Hot Stove

Ohhh, how I have learned to love these flavors mixed together.  Spicy and sweet, this pasta dish will satisfy anyone.  

1/2 lb linguine pasta

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic

1 red onion

1 red pepper

1 zucchini

1-2 carrots

4-5 green onions (optional as a garnish)

1 1/2 cups coconut milk

3 tsp red curry powder (or paste)

2 Tbsp lemon or lime juice

salt

Prep the veggies by washing them and dicing them into bite size pieces.  Saute vegetables together until barely tender.  Next, boil a large pot of water for pasta, and cook for 7-9 minutes until al dente.  Drain and set aside.  Add the coconut milk and spices to the vegetable mixture.  Simmer for about 5 minutes, and taste the sauce.  If it needs more flavor, feel free to add more curry or salt.  Pour the vegetable mixture over the sauce and toss together, adding lemon juice and green onions as a garnish.  Serve immediately.     

Farfalle with Zucchini

adapted from Pioneer Woman Cooks

1 lb Farfalle (bowtie) pasta

1 medium Onion, diced

3-4 regular sized Zucchini, diced

1 pint Cherry Tomatoes (or 4-5 regular tomatoes, diced)

1-2 cloves of Garlic, minced

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 cup white wine -or- stock

1/2 cup cream

2 tsp Basil

2 tsp Chives (optional)

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice or Lemon Thyme

Salt 

Pepper

Boil pasta until it is al dente.  Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil and stir in zucchini until brown, then remove.  Add 1 Tbsp olive oil and saute garlic and mushrooms.  Next, lower heat to medium and add tomatoes, stock, and cream.  Finally, add cooked zucchini.  Stir gently to combine, and turn off the heat.  Add salt to taste, as well as pepper, basil, chives and lemon juice.  Pour mixture over cooked pasta, top with parmesan and serve.  

I love pasta, and this creamy dish is wonderful and easy.  Plus you can finally use all of your leftover zucchini!  

Woodsy Brie Pasta

adapted from Dinner on a Dime

This dish is so creamy and delicious, it's hard to stop at just one bowl!  

Thick handful of Spaghetti (or other Pasta)

8 oz Brie cut into small chunks

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 small Onion

1 clove Garlic

3-4 Chicken Breasts, cooked and cubed

3 Tbsp Butter

3 Tbsp Lemon juice

Spinach

Salt and Pepper to taste

Optional:

Toasted Pine Nuts

Broccoli

Red Pepper

Mushrooms

Boil pasta to al dente.  Saute onions, garlic, other vegetables until soft and add cooked chicken.  Drain noodles and pour saute mix on top.  Add butter, mix well and let melt.   Then add Brie, once pasta has cooled a little so the Brie gets soft, but does not melt entirely.  Add lemon juice and garnish with lemons.