SPICY EGGPLANT PASTA

the pasta

SPICY EGGPLANT PASTA

December 15, 2017

This spicy eggplant pasta recipe is a simple, healthy, and quick vegetarian pasta dish. It’s ready in under half an hour – perfect for busy weeknights.

Ingredients

1 medium eggplant, cut into 1" pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced 

1 (14 fluid ounce) can diced tomatoes

3 dashes Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

Large handful fresh basil, torn 

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese or ricotta salata 

Salt & pepper, to taste

8 ounces uncooked pasta

Instructions

Boil a pot of salted water and cook pasta al dente according to package directions. 

Meanwhile, warm the oil in a skillet on medium-high heat. Add the eggplant pieces and sauté for about 10-12 minutes, or until they're cooked through and lightly browned, stirring fairly often. If the pan gets really dry, add in some more oil. 

Add the garlic and cook for about 20 seconds (stir constantly), or until fragrant (don't let it burn). 

Add the tomatoes, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and basil, and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan to add more flavor to the sauce. Let the sauce simmer for a few minutes.

When the pasta is ready, add a few tablespoons of the pasta water to the sauce if desired, and toss the pasta with the sauce. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese and parsley and serve immediately. 

CREAMY MUSHROOM AND SPINACH GNOCCHI

the pasta

CREAMY MUSHROOM AND SPINACH GNOCCHI

December 15, 2017

This creamy mushroom and spinach gnocchi is a restaurant-worthy dinner made in one pan and ready in less than 30 minutes! White wine and parmesan cheese make this sauce extra amazing.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 medium onion, chopped

12 ounces portobello mushrooms, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

3 dashes Italian seasoning

1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/3 cup dry white wine

8 ounces heavy/whipping cream

1 pound uncooked potato gnocchi

1 generous handful baby spinach

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Salt & pepper, to taste

Fresh parsley, chopped, to taste

Instructions

Add the olive oil to a skillet on medium high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. It's ok if it becomes lightly browned.

Add the mushrooms, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes.

Stir in the Dijon mustard and white wine. Let it bubble for a minute or so.

Add the cream and gnocchi. Wait until it starts to bubble again, then cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 3 minutes.

Stir in the spinach, cover the pan again, and cook for 3 minutes.

Stir in the parmesan and season with salt & pepper. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve immediately with more parmesan cheese grated over top if desired.

Beef and Broccoli Ramen

the pasta

Beef and Broccoli Ramen

December 08, 2017

One Skillet Beef and Broccoli Ramen. Everything you love about beef and broccoli but with ramen noodles!

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons oil, divided

1 pound flank steak or skirt steak, thinly sliced against the grain

1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

3 cups broccoli

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 packets ramen noodles, seasoning packet discarded (3 ounces each)

Sauce

¼ cup water

¾ cup low sodium beef broth

1 tablespoon ginger, minced

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons cornstarch

6 tablespoons oyster sauce

6 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

½-1 teaspoon Sriracha (depending on how spicy you would like it)

sesame seeds for garnish, if desired

INSTRUCTIONS

NOTE: Prep time does not include marinating time.

Add steak, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar to a medium bowl. Marinate for 1 hour or overnight in the fridge.

Meanwhile, mix together all of the sauce ingredients in a medium bowl.

Cook the ramen noodles according to the package instructions. Set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large skillet. Add in broccoli and sauté over medium heat until tender but still crisp. Remove the broccoli from the pan and set aside.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan. When pan is almost smoking add in beef. Sauté for 1-2 minutes.

Toss in garlic and saute for 1 minute.

Add the broccoli back to the pan along with the sauce. Stir and simmer until thickened, 1-2 minutes.

Toss in the noodles and stir to coat.

Serve immediately with sesame seeds if desired.

One Pot Seafood Pasta

the pasta

One Pot Seafood Pasta

December 05, 2017

For busy moms, making fast and easy meals is one of the things that is needed. If you and your family are fans of seafood, then this one feels worth trying. Especially if the mom doesn’t have much time to make complicated foods. Here is the recipe for one pot seafood pasta.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, sliced

1 teaspoon of paprika

400 grams of sliced tomatoes

1 liter chicken broth

300 grams of spaghetti (cut)

240 grams mixed seafood (adjust to your taste)

A handful of chopped parsley and lemon leaf for decoration

Directions:

1 Heat the oil in a large skillet, then put the pieces of garlic and onion. Leave for five minutes in medium heat. Add peppers, tomatoes and chicken broth. After that, wait until it cooked. Reduce the heat. Then cook the pasta and stir for seven minutes. Stir occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking with the pan.

2 Then, insert the seafood that is already washed and clean, cook it for three minutes. Make sure all the ingredients have been cooked, then taste it to make sure it’s well-tasted. Add enough spice, and pasta is ready to serve. Finally, sprinkle the parsley and give lemon slices for the garnish. Voila! The seafood pasta is ready to be enjoyed with the family.

That’s all the steps that you have to take to make a simple yet delicious seafood pasta. It’s effortless, isn’t it? You can try this recipe in your home because there is no need some professional tools. Also, you can taste it with your family. Make your meal time special with delicious seafood pasta. The other good thing is you can choose your seafood according to your taste like shrimp, fish, or squid. Happy cooking!

BEER CHEESE AND SAUSAGE PASTA

the pasta

BEER CHEESE AND SAUSAGE PASTA

December 04, 2017

Beer Cheese and Sausage Pasta -CRAZY good! Ready in 15 minutes! Smoked sausage and pasta tossed in a quick homemade beer cheese sauce. Smoked sausage, pasta, beer, cheese, flour, worcestershire sauce, dry mustard and paprika. Tastes just like the beer cheese sauce from our favorite Irish pub. Great weeknight meal!

INGREDIENTS:

8 oz dried pasta - penne, elbows or campanelle 

1 (14-oz) package smoked turkey sausage, sliced

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup beer

3 Tbsp flour

2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/2 tsp paprika

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet, cook smoked sausage in olive oil until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

In a medium saucepan, heat beer over medium-high heat until it bubbles. Stir in flour and cheese. Whisk until cheese has melted and is smooth. Whisk in Worcestershire, dry mustard, paprika, salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

Toss cooked sausage and pasta in beer cheese sauce. Serve immediately.

(To thicken the sauce, add a flour a little bit at a time. For a thinner sauce, add small amounts of beer until it reaches the desired consistency.)

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CHICKEN BACON RANCH CASSEROLE

the pasta

CHICKEN BACON RANCH CASSEROLE

December 03, 2017

Creamy, cheesy and comforting! Loaded with Ranch chicken, homemade alfredo sauce and bacon. Can be made ahead of time!

INGREDIENTS:

4 slices bacon, diced

2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs*, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon Ranch Seasoning and Salad Dressing Mix, or more, to taste

8 ounces rotini

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

FOR THE ALFREDO SAUCE

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup heavy cream, or more, to taste

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9×9 baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.

To make the alfredo sauce, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Gradually whisk in heavy cream. Cook, whisking constantly, until incorporated, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in Parmesan until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add more heavy cream as needed; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Drain excess fat; reserving 1 tablespoon in the skillet. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.

In a gallon size Ziploc bag, add chicken, 1 tablespoon olive oil and Ranch Seasoning, shaking to coat thoroughly. Add chicken to the skillet and cook, flipping once, until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes on each side; set aside.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.

Add pasta to the prepared baking dish and layer with chicken and alfredo sauce; sprinkle with cheeses and bacon. Place into oven and bake until bubbly and heated through, about 15-20 minutes.

Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

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Cheesy Skillet Shrimp & Tortellini

the pasta

Cheesy Skillet Shrimp & Tortellini

November 26, 2017

Cheesy Skillet Shrimp & Tortellini made with jumbo shrimp combined with cheese tortellini in a cheesy tomato basil Alfredo sauce. As you all know I don’t eat seafood, not even shrimp, but every once in a while I’ll add it into our weekly meals to give my family some variety. Last week, I was under the weather so most of my meals consisted of soup

Most of the time when I make shrimp scampi (which I’m now realizing I never even posted the recipe here on the blog!) I sauté the shrimp in butter; then stir in fresh basil, garlic, chopped tomatoes and add a little bit of white wine; which I then serve over linguine that has been tossed in olive oil and grated Pecorino Romano cheese.

It’s not the healthiest meal which is why I don’t make it very often, but everything in moderation, right? Another one of her favorite recipes is any pasta with an Alfredo sauce; which she tends to get when we dine out. So for this recipe, I combined the two and made it even easier by cooking it all in one skillet. Less mess and cleanup is ALWAYS a good thing!

Ingredients

1 lb. Cheese Tortellini

1 lb. Jumbo Shrimp, cleaned and deveined

2 tbsp. Butter

1 Plum Tomato, diced

1 tbsp. Fresh Basil, chopped

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

2 tsp. Prepared Horseradish

1 tbsp. All Purpose Flour

1/2 c. Heavy Cream

1/4 c. Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese

Kosher Salt, to taste

Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Instructions

1 . Cook the tortellini according to package directions; drain. 

2 . Add the butter to a large skillet and cook the shrimp until almost cooked through; approximately 2-3 minutes. 

3 . Add the tomato, basil and garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes until the shrimp is cooked through and is white/pink and not clear. 

4 . Stir in the flour; then add the heavy cream and cheese. Mix well; then add the cooked tortellini and stir until all coated. Sprinkle with extra cheese and chopped basil for garnish. 

Recipe Notes

*To lighten up this recipe, use skim or reduced fat milk in place of the heavy cream.

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