Tomato Basil Pasta Bake

INGREDIENTS

Serves 8
1 (16 ounce) box fusilli pasta (or any similar pasta)
2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
½ cup water
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup basil, torn
2 tablespoons dried oregano
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons salt, plus more for sprinkling
1 teaspoon black pepper
3-4 large tomatoes, thinly sliced

PREPARATION

1. Pre-heat oven to 450°F/230°C.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the crushed tomatoes, water, olive oil, basil, oregano, garlic, salt, pepper, and fusilli.
3. Pour the pasta mixture into a greased roasting pan and smooth the top into an even layer.
4. Line the top of the mixture with the sliced tomatoes and sprinkle with salt.
5. Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes, until the pasta is fully cooked.
6. Enjoy!

One-Pot Creamy Mushroom Chicken Pasta

INGREDIENTS

Serves 6

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut in chunks
2 cups sliced white or button mushrooms
1 white onion, sliced
3 cups chicken stock
1 ½ cups heavy cream
1 cup Marsala wine*
3 cups uncooked penne pasta
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper (to taste)
Fresh parsley (optional garnish)



PREPARATION

1. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and chicken breast. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until chicken is no longer pink. Remove and set aside. 

2. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil, and the mushrooms and onion. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until onions are browned, stirring occasionally.

3. Return the chicken to the pot. Add the stock, cream, wine, and pasta and bring up to a simmer. Add the pasta and cover. 

4. Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

5. When pasta is tender, stir in parmesan cheese until smooth. Remove from heat.

6. Garnish with fresh parsley.

7. Enjoy!
*Marsala wine can be purchased at most grocery stores near the dessert or sweet wines and gives the dish a distinct flavor. However, if you can’t get your hands on Marsala, you can substitute 1 cup of white wine plus 1 ½ tablespoons of brandy.

Lemon Paprika Shrimp Pasta

INGREDIENTS

Servings: 4
8 ounces linguine
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large sweet onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon thyme
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1 pound large shrimp
1 cup white wine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Parmesan cheese, for garnish


PREPARATION

1.Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Generously salt the water.

2.Cook pasta for 8-9 minutes, or until al dente, and drain.

3.In a skillet over medium heat, add olive oil. Add the onion and cook until lightly browned and softened, about 3-4 minutes.

4.Add garlic, rosemary, thyme, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Stir and cook an additional 2 minutes.

5.Add the shrimp and let them cook for 3 minutes. Flip and cook for another 3 minutes.

6.Add the white wine and lemon juice. Cook until the wine has reduced.

7.Add the cooked pasta to the skillet. 

8.Toss, serve & enjoy!

Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta Bake

INGREDIENTS

Servings: 12
6 tablespoons butter
1 ½ tablespoons minced garlic
1 sprig of thyme
1 sprig of sage
1 sprig of rosemary
6 tablespoons flour
5 cups milk
12 sheets no-boil pasta
3 cups cooked chicken, chopped
2 cups frozen peas
1 cup parmesan + more for topping
1 cup water
¼ cup breadcrumbs
Chopped parsley, garnish


PREPARATION

1.Melt butter, add garlic, thyme, sage and rosemary. Sauté until fragrant. Remove the thyme, sage and rosemary.

2.Add flour and stir.

3.Add the milk, a little bit at a time, and whisk after each addition. Repeat until all the milk is gone. Keep whisking until it has thickened and coats the back of a spoon.

4.Grease a 9×13 pan. Cover bottom with a layer of pasta, half of the chicken, half of the peas, ⅓ cup of the parmesan, ⅓ cup of water and ⅓ of the sauce. Repeat once. Top with noodles, remaining water and cheese. 

5.Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes at 400°F/205°C.

6.Remove the foil, sprinkle the top with breadcrumbs. Broil for 5-10 minutes or until golden brown. 

7.Serve with chopped parsley as garnish. 

8.Enjoy!

Spinach Dip–Stuffed Meatballs

Makes 15–18 meatballs

INGREDIENTS

8 oz cream cheese
¼ cup cooked spinach
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 cup shredded mozzarella
½ lb ground beef
½ lb ground pork
1 large egg
¼ cup parsley
½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp pepper
2 cups marinara sauce
½ lb cooked fettuccine, or your favorite pasta


INSTRUCTIONS

Mix cream cheese, spinach, garlic powder, and mozzarella until smooth.
Mix ground beef, pork, egg, parsley, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper until evenly combined. Take a golf ball-sized handful of the meatball mixture and press it flat in the palm of your hand. Place a spoonful of the spinach dip in the center of the meat and fold the edges over the dip, sealing it and rolling into a ball. Repeat with the remaining meat and dip.
In a pan over medium-high heat, sear meatballs for about a minute, then flip.
Add the marinara sauce and mix. Cook for about 15 minutes, until meatballs are cooked through and sauce is thick. Serve with fettuccine and enjoy!

One-Pot Pasta Primavera

INGREDIENTS

Servings: 4
4 cups broth of your choice
10 oz uncooked linguine
10 oz broccoli florets
1 pound asparagus, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 small onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp red pepper flakes
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp olive oil
4 oz mushrooms, sliced
¼ cup heavy whipping cream
½ cup grated parmesan
3 Tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped


PREPARATION

1. In a pot over high heat, combine broth, linguine, broccoli, asparagus, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Stir.
2. Add the mushrooms and bring to a boil.
3. Once at a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook the pasta for 10 minutes, continuously tossing with tongs.
4. Add the heavy cream, parmesan, and parsley, and toss for an additional 3 minutes.
5. If the liquid hasn’t been completely absorbed, let the pasta sit off the heat for an additional few minutes.
6. Enjoy!

One-Pot Broccoli Pasta

Servings: 2

INGREDIENTS

150g penne
150g broccoli (cut small)
70g sundried tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons pesto
100g feta (plus more to serve)
Handful of fresh basil leaves


PREPARATION

1. Boil pasta in salted water for 6 minutes
2. Add broccoli to the pot and cook for 3 additional minutes
3. Drain pasta and broccoli then add it back to the same pot, turn heat down to low
4. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes
5. Add lemon juice and pesto
6. Add the feta to the pot, stir and remove from heat
7. Stir in the basil and top with more feta
8. Serve immediately
9. Enjoy!

One-Pot Chicken Alfredo

RECIPE:
(serves 2-4)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 chicken breasts, cubed
3 garlic cloves, minced
14 oz chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 lb uncooked penne pasta
1.5 cups grated parmesan
parsley for garnish (optional)



In a pot, heat the oil and brown the chicken. Add garlic, and sauté for about a minute. Add broth, cream, and pasta, and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to a simmer for 15-20 min. Turn off heat and stir in parmesan cheese. Top with parsley if desired. Enjoy!

Beer Mac ’n’ Cheese

RECIPE: 

- 16 Ounce Box of Pasta
- 3 Tablespoons Butter
- 3 Tablespoons Flour
- 1 Cup Beer
- 1 Cup Cream
- 4 Ounces Cream Cheese
- 8 Ounces Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 8 Ounces Shredded Mozzarella Cheese


Boil pasta until cooked, drain and set aside.

Melt butter in a clean pot, and add flour. Mix until it forms a paste.

Pour in beer, then cream, and finally cream cheese. Stir until melted and bring to a low boil.

Add in both types of cheese and stir until melted. Add pasta to the pot (or in a separate serving bowl if preferred). Optional - top with more cheese and sea salt for extra flavor. Pair with your favorite beer, and enjoy!

Easy Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo

RECIPE:

SERVES: 2 

Ingredients:
- 2 medium white potatoes
- 1/4 white onion
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning (a blend of basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and black pepper)
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2-4 cloves of garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- 12 oz fettuccine pasta
Boil 4 cups of water in a small pot. Peel and chop the potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes. Cut a quarter of an onion into cubes, and combine with potato in the pot. Boil for 10 minutes, or until soft. Begin cooking 12 oz of fettuccine pasta in a separate pot. In a blender, combine 1/2 cup raw cashews with 1 cup of the water used to boil the veggies. Add the veggies, garlic, salt, lemon juice, and seasonings. Blend until creamy. Add more of the boiling water if the mixture is too thick. Add more salt to taste.

Tip: adding 1 tsp of nutritional yeast, and 1/4 tsp truffle oil will really make this dish pop with cheesy flavor!
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Pour the sauce over the cooked pasta, serve and enjoy!

Lunch Week 40: Cheese Tortelli with Roasted Vegetables and Sausage

So every Sunday, I head over to the kitchen to whip up a big batch of food for lunch the next week. Yes, I brown bag. And I almost always do it every week unless I become too busy to even buy cold cuts from the deli. I do it for several reasons being health, finance, and laziness. Now, you may think that spending hours on a day off to prep and cook five meals at once is hardly lazy. But let me remind you, I hate it when the time comes to decide what to eat for lunch every day. I work in Midtown so the choices are endless. My problem, the more choices, the harder it is for me. So it's much easier for me to have my lunch ready and already decided.



So my lunch for the week: Cheese Tortelli with Roasted Vegetables and Sausage

Fall and winter is definitely here. So that means more heartier lunches to keep me warm and comfy. But that doesn't mean it has to be bad for you. This week, I roasted lots of vegetables, added some sausages, and tossed all of that with some sausages. The result is a good mix of textures, flavors, and nutrients.

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Cooking: Cumin Lamb Noodles

This is one of the dishes that I contributed at the last FBM Potluck, cumin lamb noodles. At first, I was expecting a Xian kind of spicy dish. But instead, this kind of turned out to be more Middle Eastern/Morrocan to me. None the less, it was still tasty. A couple of tweaks need to be done (more on that later), but otherwise it's pretty good.

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Lunch Week 27: Summer Squash Rollatini and Baked Pasta

So every Sunday, I head over to the kitchen to whip up a big batch of food for lunch the next week. Yes, I brown bag. And I almost always do it every week unless I become too busy to even buy cold cuts from the deli. I do it for several reasons being health, finance, and laziness. Now, you may think that spending hours on a day off to prep and cook five meals at once is hardly lazy. But let me remind you, I hate it when the time comes to decide what to eat for lunch every day. I work in Midtown so the choices are endless. My problem, the more choices, the harder it is for me. So it's much easier for me to have my lunch ready and already decided.



So my lunch for the week: Summer Squash Rollatini and Baked Pasta

This week's lunch is not too pretty but it certainly is tasty. Bold flavor and cheese galore.

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Cooking: Oxtail Ragu

Well now that I have started blogging again, I decided to continue with my last real post. Yes, it was the dinner party that I had. You may ask why since I've already posted about it. Well, truth is, I was really proud of that meal. I tried a recipe that I've never attempted before (oxtail ragu) and it was very successful. So I wanted to show you, my readers, how to make it too. It's a fairly easy dish but just time consuming. But don't fret, it is well worth it.

And this is a really good party dish. Not only does it make a lot of food, it also works well being cooked ahead of time then being reheated when you're ready to serve.

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