Tri-Colored Pasta Salad with Cheese

This recipe is what I used for my sister-in-law's bridal shower a few weeks ago.  I recently posted an entire menu of what was served, so feel free to visit back for more bridal shower food ideas.  When looking for a recipe for pasta salad, I wanted to go more traditional.  This one had a great list of ingredients and was just what I wanted: light, crisp, and not overly-dressed.


Tri-Colored Pasta Salad with Cheese

Ingredients:

32 oz., dry tri-colored spiral pasta
16 oz. grape tomatoes, whole/halved/quartered (your preference)
1 can black olives, sliced
1/2 jar green olives, sliced
1 cucumber, chopped and seeds removed
1 whole sweet bell pepper (any color), chopped
3 whole celery stalks, chopped
3 whole green onions, finely chopped OR 1/4 of a yellow onion, finely chopped
8 oz. fluid Italian or Greek or Caesar Dressing (I used Zesty Italian by Newman's)
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dill weed
1 teaspoon black pepper
Optional: 16 oz. fresh Mozzarella Cheese, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Directions:

Cook pasta according to box directions, making sure to salt your water and not to overcook your pasta.  You want a nice bite to it!  Rinse with cool water and set aside.

Drain olives, then place them in salad bowl.  Add grape tomatoes, chopped cucumber, sweet peppers, celery, and mozzarella cheese (if using).  Add chopped onion.  Add cooled pasta into salad bowl, and pour the salad dressing on top along with dill weed and pepper.  Fold together until dressing is distributed.  It is best to make this the day before and let all of the flavors meld and the dressing to marinate the pasta and vegetables.  Stir in Parmesan cheese prior to serving.  Serve cold.

Pasta with Shrimp and Tomato Cream Sauce

This dish is divine.  Fancy, schmancy it may seem, but this is simple to make and is so delish!
I got this recipe from the Pioneer Woman (see her version called Penne a la Betsy.  And, as usual, it is so wonderful, and don't fret if shrimp is not your thing.  Try it with chicken and get another great meal!

Pasta with Shrimp and Tomato Cream Sauce

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 lb. of large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 15 oz. can of tomato sauce
1 cup of half and half (PW uses heavy whipping cream, which is that extra touch of richness)
1/2 cup of white wine (optional)
6-7 fresh basil leaves
fresh parsley (I used dried)
salt and pepper, to taste
3/4 lb. of short cut pasta (Penne, rigatoni, fusilli, etc.)


Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions, but be careful not to over cook!

Peel, devein, and rinse 1 lb. of large shrimp.  (Keep in cool water until ready to use).

In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Pat shrimp dry with paper towel before putting in heated skillet so that they will sear instead of steam.  Place shrimp in skillet and cook on each side approximately 2 minutes, until the outsides are pink and most of the shrimp are opaque.

Remove from saucepan.

Add the other 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to skillet and heat.  Add onion and garlic, cooking until translucent (about 3 minutes).

Add 1/2 cup of white wine and deglaze the pan, stirring gently.  Allow the white wine to evaporate a bit, then add the tomato sauce. Stir gently until combined.

Reduce the heat to low.  Slowly add the half and half, gently stirring until your sauce turns that creamy peachy color!

Add in fresh basil and parsley.  Allow sauce to simmer on low for several minutes.

(Quick tutorial on how to chiffonade basil.
Place basil leaves on top of each other.

Roll leaves up and hold together with your fingers.

Cut small strips of basil using a sharp knife.

While sauce is simmering, cut your shrimp into bite-sized pieces. 

Add to the sauce and tenderly stir.  Taste, then add salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, either add cooked pasta to saucepan and stir until combined.  Or plate pasta, then generously pour Shrimp and Tomato Cream Sauce over the pasta.

Spaghetti Pie

Spaghetti is one of those meals that just screams comfort to me. It's simple to prepare, and it is always so satisfying and warming. Another reason I love spaghetti is that it's a guarantee that Nora will eat it. She's a girl after her mother's heart in that she, like me, LOVES Italian food. So, if we're in a bind or need to throw together a meal in a hurry, spaghetti is one of my go-to meals.

A few weeks ago, a came across a recipe for Spaghetti Pie from the Easy Meals for Busy Moms Blog. It seemed really simple to make, and the added ingredients that it calls for sounded DIVINE. Cream cheese--chive and onion cream cheese, mind you-- and sour cream. It's like spaghetti only heavenly spaghetti. Cream cheese and hot, melted cheese. Um.

So, I did what any good hostess is NOT supposed to do. I cooked this brand-new recipe for some company without trying it out beforehand. (You are NOT supposed to do that!) But, the company was just my sister-in-law and another good girl friend of ours, so I knew that even if the recipe was a flop (which, seriously, how could it be?), things would be fine.

Lordy me. Was it good! Everyone loved it, so we will DEFINITELY be having this Spaghetti Pie in the near future. Try it out, folks. Comfort Food. To the max.

Spaghetti Pie

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground meat
1 jar prepared spaghetti sauce (or any homemade tomato sauce you like)
1 lb. thin spaghetti, cooked according to directions
1/4 cup chive and onion cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups low far sour cream
1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 casserole dish or any casserole dish of your choice.
2. Prepare pasta as directed, making sure you don't overcook pasta as it will go into the oven for 20-30 minutes and continue cooking. I left mine a bit al dente, and it was just right after baking.
3. Prepare tomato sauce just as you would for regular spaghetti. I browned the ground beef in a skillet with a small onion, drained the fat, added the spaghetti sauce and some other seasonings (Italian seasoning, garlic, black pepper, etc.)
4. Combine cream cheese and sour cream in a small bowl.
5. Layer: Place cooked spaghetti in bottom of casserole dish. Spread cream cheese mixture over pasta. Spread spaghetti sauce/meat mixture over cream cheese layer. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over sauce. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes until cheese is melted and turning golden brown.

*** Serve with a salad and hot bread!

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Oh, man, is this good!

I saw this a few weeks back on---can you guess?---The Pioneer Woman's website. (I know, I'm obsessed. But seriously, she hasn't proven me wrong about a recipe yet!)

Anyway, I saw her recipe for Cajun Chicken Pasta, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. Simple. Delicious. Cajun.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

1-2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, uncooked, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (I, naturally, used Tony Chachere's)
1 lb. fettuccine
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 whole green bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 whole red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1.5 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine (if you don't have white wine or don't wish to use it, just increase your chicken broth to 2 cups)
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper, to taste
parsley, for sprinkling, if desired

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain when pasta is still al dente; do not overcook!

2. Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun spice over chicken pieces. Toss around to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy skillet over high heat. Add half the chicken in a single layer; do not stir. Allow chicken to brown on one side, about 1 minute. Flip to the other side and cook an additional minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a clean plate.

Repeat with remaining chicken. Remove chicken, leaving pan on high heat.

3. Add remaining olive oil and butter. When heated, add peppers, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle on remaining Cajun spice, and add salt if needed. Cook over very high heat for several minutes, stirring gently and trying to get the vegetables as dark/black as possible. Add tomatoes and cook for an additional minute. Remove all vegetables from the pan.

4. With the pan over high heat, pour in the wine and chicken broth. Cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in cream, stirring/whisking constantly. Cook sauce over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until cream starts to thicken the mixture. Taste and add freshly ground black pepper and/or salt to taste. Sauce should be spicy!

5. Finally, add chicken and vegetables to sauce, making sure to include all the juices that have drained onto the plate. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until mixture is bubbly and hot. Add drained fettuccine and toss to combine.

Top with chopped fresh parsley if desired.

This was so delicious! I had some of the leftovers for lunch today, and I think they tasted even better than it did last night. Since the hubs will be out of the house for dinner tonight, I think I might finish it off for my supper. Shh, don't tell!

Preparing this recipe gave me an inspiration for another one that I hope to try out sometime next week. If it comes out tasty, I'll be sure to share it with you guys.

YEAH for PASTA!!!!!

Lasagna

I have a wonderful Chicken Lasagna recipe that has been in my repertoire for a few years now, but I have never had a true, traditional Italian meat lasagna recipe.

Until now.

For Jonathan's 30th birthday dinner, I made The Pioneer Woman's lasagna from her new cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks! It was amazing. It was phenomenal. It was so delicious, and heart-warming, and filling, and ugh. We just loved it! This is now my go-to recipe that I'm sure I'll cook for my husband and kids till I'm a little old woman. This will be the recipe I pass on to my grandchildren. It may even be the first meal Nora cooks for her future husband. Who knows! It's in the family now.

I invite you to try it out yourselves and make it part of your family, too!

Lasagna

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt
10 ounces lasagna noodles
1 lb. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1.5 lbs. hamburger
1 lb. hot breakfast sausage
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 14.5-ounce cans whole tomatoes
2 6-ounce cans tomato paste
Freshly ground black pepper
10-12 fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
3 cups low-fat cottage cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the olive oil and a dash of salt. Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package directions until al dente. Drain the noodles and lay them flat on a piece of aluminum foil.

3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute the hamburger, sausage, and garlic until brown. Drain off excess fat.

4. Add the tomatoes with their juice, tomato paste, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and freshly ground pepper.

5. Stir together well. Simmer over low heat, uncovered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. Cut the basil into a chiffonade by stacking leaves on top of one another and rolling them tightly, then cutting across. Finely chop parsley. Add half the herbs to the meat mixture and stir together.

7. In a medium bowl, combine the cottage cheese, beaten eggs, 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, and the other half of the herbs. Stir together well.

8. Now time to assemble: Begin by laying 4 lasagna noodles in the bottom of a deep rectangular baking pan. The noodles should slightly overlap.

9. Spoon half the cottage cheese mixture onto the noodles. Spread to distribute evenly.

10. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese on top of the cottage cheese mixture.

11. Spoon just under half of the meat mixture on top of the cheese. Spread evenly, being careful not to disrupt the layers below.

12. Now repeat the process: noodles, cottage cheese mixture, shredded mozzarella cheese, and finally the remainder of the meat mixture. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese over the top.

13. Bake for 35-45 minutes until the lasagna is hot and bubbly. Allow to stand 10 minutes before cutting into squares. Serves 8 generous portions.

***Lasagna can be fully assembled and frozen, unbaked.
***You can view the Pioneer Woman's step-by-step process for her lasagna on her website by clicking here.