One-Pot Pasta Primavera with Bacon and Feta
(adapted from Southern Living Magazine) What you need 12 ounces extra-thick-cut bacon (about 6 slices), cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces 1 large red onion, cut into 3/4 inch wedges, petals separated 1 pint cherry tomatoes 4 cups chicken stock 1 cup water 1/4 cup sun-dried tomato pesto (such as Rao's) 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 16 oz uncooked mini farfalle pasta 1 (5-oz.) pkg. fresh baby spinach (stems removed) 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar/wine 3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 3/4 cup) What to do Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Add bacon, and cook, stirring often, until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving 1/4 cup drippings in pot. Crumble bacon when cool and set aside. Add onion to drippings; increase heat to medium high. Cook, stirring often, until onion begins to softens. Add tomatoes. Cook and stir until onion begins to brown and tomatoes burst, about 5 minutes. Add stock, water, pesto, salt, and pepper; stir using a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits from bottom of pot. Add pasta and partially cover pot. Cook, uncovering and stirring often, until al dente, about 8 minutes. Add spinach; cook, uncovered, stirring often, until spinach wilts and sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vinegar. Divide pasta evenly among 6 bowls; top with crumbled bacon and feta. |
Baked Feta Pasta
Serves 6 (thanks Amanda) What you need: 12 ounces dried cavatappi pasta or pasta of choice 2 pints cherry tomatoes (22 oz) 1 medium shallot sliced 3-4 cloves garlic sliced 8 ounce block feta cheese 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon oregano (optional) handful chopped fresh basil What to do: Preheat oven to 400°F. Place the cherry tomatoes, shallot, and garlic in an oven-safe baking dish. Pour the olive oil on top, and season with salt and pepper. Toss until well combined. Place the feta block in the middle of the baking dish surrounded by the cherry tomatoes, and flip a couple times to coat it with the olive oil and seasoning. Sprinkle oregano on top. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, until the cherry tomatoes burst, and the feta cheese melts. While the tomatoes and feta are baking, cook the pasta in a pot of salted water according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid in case you'd like to toss it in. Toss everything to combine. Transfer the cooked pasta to the baking dish and toss to combine. If it's a little dry, add some of the pasta water and stir it up. This will help loosen the sauce. Garnish with fresh basil and serve warm. |
Herby Peanut Noodles
Serves 4 What you need: 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (130 g) 1/4 cup soy sauce or Braggs amino 3 tablespoons rice vinegar 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 1 clove garlic, grated 1/2 cup reserved pasta water 1 14-oz. pkg. rice noodles 1 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs, such as parsley, chives, mint, basil, or celery leaves 3/4 cup chopped roasted, salted peanuts Optional: Stir fry 1 chicken breast cut into pieces. Add 1/2 bag asian vegetables and continue to stir fry until vegetables are tender. What to do: Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high. Add noodles; cook, stirring often, for 4-6 minutes. Drain and return to pan, reserving 1 cup water. Whisk peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, oil, and garlic in a large bowl until combined. Whisk in 1/2 cup reserved pasta water. Mixture should be pourable. Add peanut butter mixture to noodles, tossing gently to combine. Stir in stir-fried chicken and vegetables if desired. Add extra pasta water if necessary. Top with herbs and peanuts. |
Lemony Linguine with Olives and Feta
(a bright citrusy pasta) Total: 25 minutes / Servings: 4 What you need: 1 pound linguine 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup olives (green or Kalamata) 1/2 cup pine nuts or roasted soy nuts 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for water 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 teaspoons lemon zest, divided, 1/4 cup fresh juice (from 2 lemons) 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese What to do: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high. Cook linguine according to package directions for al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking water. Heat oil in a large, high-sided skillet or Dutch oven over medium. Add olives and pine nuts; cook, stirring often, until pine nuts are lightly golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, salt, crushed red pepper, black pepper, and 1 teaspoon lemon zest; cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add lemon juice and remove from heat. Add linguine and 1/2 cup reserved cooking water. Gradually add Parmesan, stirring constantly. Add more cooking water as needed to make a smooth, glossy sauce. Serve sprinkled with feta and remaining 1 teaspoon lemon zest. |
Pasta with Simple Cherry Tomato Sauce
(adapted from: Alexandra Cooks) Serves 4 What you need: 1/4 cup olive oil 1 small shallot, thinly sliced 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced kosher salt 8 oz orecchiette pasta (or small shells) 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 lb small, sweet tomatoes, halved 1/2 cup grated parmesan 4 ounces shredded mozzarella (or mini mozzarella balls) 1/2 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced or more to taste 1/3 cup pine nuts (or toasted soy nuts) fresh cracked black pepper What to do: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place the pine nuts in a small skillet and toast over medium. Do not walk away from the skillet for a second as they burn quickly. Remove from heat to a small dish. Meanwhile place the olive oil, shallots, and garlic in a large skillet or dutch oven. Season with a pinch of salt. Turn the heat to high. As soon as you see the oil beginning to shimmer, give the shallots and garlic a stir, cover the lid, and turn the heat to low. Cook for roughly 10 minutes, or until the shallots and garlic are very soft. When the pasta water boils, add 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Boil the pasta 11-12 min till al dente, Meanwhile, uncover the lid of the pan with the shallots and garlic. Add the crushed red pepper flakes and stir briefly. Raise the heat to medium, and add the tomatoes. Season with a pinch of salt. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to break down. Add 1 cup of water and bring to a gentle simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste. Before draining the pasta reserve a cup of the pasta cooking liquid. Drain the pasta. Do not rinse or shake. Immediately transfer drained pasta to the tomato sauce and stir to combine. Turn heat to low. Add the parmesan cheese to the pasta as well as fresh cracked pepper to taste. Taste. Season with salt to taste if necessary. Add some of the reserved pasta cooking liquid if the sauce has thickened too much. When the sauce is tasting seasoned to your liking, add the mozzarella, basil and pine nuts. Stir to combine, then serve immediately. Shave more parmesan over top if you wish. Crack pepper over top if you wish as well. |
Hastings Easy Mac and Cheese
yields 4 servings (can easily be doubled – who doesn’t love leftovers) What you need: 2 cups elbow macaroni (about 10 oz) 2 Tablespoons butter 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt ground black pepper to taste 2 cups milk 1 or 2 Tablespoons deli mustard (to taste) 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (or a mixture of your choice) What to do: Step 1 Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, 9-10 minutes. Drain. Step 2 Meanwhile melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; stir in flour, salt, and pepper until smooth, about 5 minutes. Slowly pour milk into butter-flour mixture while continuously stirring until mixture is smooth and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Add mustard and cheese to milk mixture and stir until cheese is melted, 2 to 4 minutes. Step 3 Fold macaroni into cheese sauce until coated. Optional To add some veggies, stir in several cups of fresh spinach. |
Beer Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon
Serves 6 What you need 16 oz spiral macaroni rotini 6 slices bacon cooked and crumbled, reserve some of the bacon grease for the recipe 1 tbsp butter 2 tbsp bacon grease 1 small onion diced 3 tbsp all purpose flour 2 tbsp dijon mustard 12 oz beer 2 1/2 cups milk 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese salt and pepper to taste What to do Cook pasta to al dente. Drain and set aside. Add bacon grease and butter in a saucepan, on medium heat. When butter is melted, add the onion and cook until transparent (3-5 minutes). Add the flour to the butter/onion mixture and stir until it becomes paste-like and a light golden brown. Whisk in the mustard and beer, stirring constantly. Slowly add in milk and stir constantly. Simmer over medium heat until the mixture is smooth and thick (5-10 minutes). Mix in the cheddar and parmesan cheese and stir until completely blended. Add bacon bits and pasta. Serve and enjoy! |
Lemon Dill Ravioli With Sugar Snap Peas
easy but elegant What you need 1 lb fresh or frozen ravioli (cheese or meat) 10 oz frozen (or fresh) sugar snap peas 1 Tbls butter 1/2 cup chopped onions 1 cup heavy cream 2 Tbls dill weed 2 tsp parsley 1 Tbls lemon pepper 1 tsp shredded lemon peel 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese snipped fresh dill weed for garnish (optional) What to do Cook ravioli according to package directions, adding the peas during the last 2 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook onions in melted butter over medium heat for 3 minutes. Stir in heavy cream, dill weed, parsley, lemon-pepper and lemon peel. Bring to boil and reduce heat. Simmer until slightly thickened. Drain pasta and pea pods. Spoon cream sauce over pasta and toss gently. Sprinkle parmigiano cheese over all. Sprinkle with snipped dill weed. Makes 4-6 main dish servings |
Lasagna Rollups
(adapted from Meg’s Everyday Indulgence) What you need 8 lasagna noodles, cooked 2 minutes less than package directions 1/2 lb ground beef 2 Italian sausage links, casing removed 15 oz whole-milk ricotta cheese 1 egg lightly beaten 2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided 1 tsp dried basil 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 24 oz jar Ragu Traditional Pasta Sauce What to do Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, cook lasagna noodles 2 minutes less than package directions (they will continue to cook when baking in the oven). While the noodles are boiling, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and Italian sausage and break up with a wooden spoon. Cook until no longer pink. Drain excess grease and set aside. In a medium bowl, mix together ricotta cheese, egg, 1 cup of shredded mozzarella and spices. Mix ground beef mixture into the ricotta. Spread half a cup of the spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 9x9 pan. Lay out lasagna noodles on a flat surface. Divide ricotta mixture evenly among the noodles. Spread out over the noodles and roll them up. Place in the prepared baking dish, seam side down. Pour desired amount of sauce over the lasagna roll ups. Top with remaining cup of mozzarella cheese. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes. |
Pasta Ring Salad
Salad dressing makes the difference here (don't substitute mayonnaise) 1 lb box small Pasta Rings 2 cups salad dressing (not mayonnaise) 1 tsp seasoned salt (or to taste) 1 tsp celery salt (or to taste) 2 Tbls dill pickle juice 1 tsp sugar 2 cups chopped vegetables any combination of: celery red pepper orange pepper yellow pepper shredded carrots cucumber (seedless) McCormick Salad Supreme Seasoning to sprinkle on top Cook pasta for 9-10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cool water. Mix salad dressing, spices, pickle juice and sugar. Stir in pasta and vegetables. Transfer to a serving bowl sprinkling Salad Supreme between a few layers and on top. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Serves 16 |
Pasta with Brie, Basil and Tomatoes
Recipe from Linda Allen Serves 8 Ingredients: 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes quartered 4-5 cloves garlic minced 1 lb brie, with rind removed torn into (1-inch) pieces 3/4 cup olive oil 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp ground pepper 1 pound penne pasta 1 cup fresh basil leaves julienned Put tomatoes, garlic, brie, oil, salt and pepper into a large bowl and toss gently to combine. Cover and set aside at room temperature to let marinate for 2 to 3 hours. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add penne and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain well (don’t rinse) and transfer hot pasta to bowl with tomato mixture. Add basil and toss gently to combine. Serve immediately. Whole Foods Version 2 cups halved cherry or grape tomatoes 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 8 ounces brie, with rind, or other semi-soft cheese such as Fontina, cut into (1-inch) pieces 1/2 cup olive oil 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar Salt and pepper to taste 1 pound whole wheat penne 1 cup basil leaves, torn |
Greek-Style Lasagna
What you need 9 dry lasagna noodles 1 lb ground lamb or beef 1 medium onion chopped 2 cloves garlic minced 1 8-oz can tomato sauce 1/4 cup red wine or beef broth 1 tsp dried oregano 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 1 egg beaten 4 Tbls butter 4 Tbls flour 1/4 tsp ground pepper 2 1/3 cups milk 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese 2 eggs beaten 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese 3/4 cup sliced pitted ripe greek olives 8 oz crumbled feta cheese 8 oz shredded white cheddar It is a good idea to gather and prepare all the ingredients for this recipe before starting. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. What you do Cook noodles according to package directions, drain and rinse. In large skillet cook onion, meat and garlic until meat is brown. Drain off fat. Stir in tomato sauce, wine, oregano, and cinnamon. Heat to simmer. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 5 minutes. Gradually stir 1 beaten egg into meat mixture and set aside. In medium saucepan melt butter. Stir in flour and 1/4 tsp pepper to make a smooth paste (rue). Gradually add milk and stir just until it begins to thicken. Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and set aside. Combine 2 beaten eggs and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and set aside. To Assemble: Spread 4 Tbls of cheese sauce in 9x13 rectangular baking dish. Top with 3 noodles, Spread on noodles one-third each of: meat mixture, cheese sauce, olives. egg-Parmesan mixture (drizzle), white cheddar and feta cheeses. Repeat layers twice. Bake uncovered 35-40 minutes or until hot. Let stand 10 minutes. Serves 6-8 |
Ravioli with Sage Walnut Butter (Rizzos)
Serves 4 What you need: 1 pound cheese ravioli or gnocchi 6 Tablespoons Butter 14 Sage leaves 2 oz chopped walnuts Parmesan Cheese What to do: Cook pasta as per label directions Melt 6 Tablespoons butter Add 10-14 sage leaves and 2 oz chopped walnuts. After cooking in hot butter for about 3 min, add a cup of pasta water. Simmer until reduced by half. Put 1 pound drained cooked ravioli or gnocchi into the sauce and stir. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese. |