Tag: pasta

Good Eats!

Creamy Crockpot Mac & Cheese

LifePrettyPlainLeave a comment

Mac & cheese is one of those perfect foods – if it’s made right.  As much as I LOVE cheese, I’ve tried several mac & cheese dishes that I don’t care for – shocking, I know!  I prefer creamier cheese so I’m not a fan of baked mac & cheese.   With the sour cream and cheese soup, this one is definitely one of the creamiest (is that even a word?).  The next time I make this (and there will surely be a next time) I think I might skip melting the cheese in the saucepan and just put it straight into the crock pot.  I mean the only reason I use a crock pot in the first place is the simplicity of it.  Also, for a more natural cheese taste, I’d do less of the cheese soup – I opted to do several different kinds of cheese instead of just cheddar, gotta share the love!photo(13)

INGREDIENTS:

  • 16 oz pasta
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 2 1/2 cups grated cheddar
  • 16 oz sour cream
  • 3 (10 oz) cans condensed cheese soup
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp dry mustard
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp pepper

PREPARATION:

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta for 6 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.  In a saucepan, melt the butter and cheddar cheese. Stir until all of the cheese is melted.  In a crock pot combine the condensed cheese soup, milk, salt, dry mustard, sour cream, paprika and pepper. Stir well. Add in the melted cheddar cheese and stir well.  Add in the drained pasta. Mix well to combine. Set crock pot to low, let cook on low for 2.5 – 3 hours. Stir occasionally.

Source:  Big Bear’s Wife

Good Eats!

Baked Spinach & Ricotta Stuffed Pasta Shells

LifePrettyPlainLeave a comment

This is one was pretty easy to make and it’s one of my husband’s favorites.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 16 jumbo pasta shells
  • 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 lb baby spinach
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 lb ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 lb mozzarella cheese
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 tbsp chopped basil
  • 1  1/2 cups of marinara sauce
  • 2 tbsp grated parmesan

PREPARATION

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add shells and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes.  Drain well then toss with oil and set aside.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Put spinach into a large skillet and drizzle with a tablespoon or two of water.  Cover and cook over medium low heat, tossing occasionally, until just wilted; drain well.  When cool enough to handle, squeeze to remove any excess water.  Chop spinach and transfer to a large bowl.  Add garlic, ricotta, mozzarella, egg and basil to make the filling.

Spread a few spoonfuls of marinara sauce in the bottom of a shallow baking dish large enough to hold the shells in a single layer.  Fill each shell with spinach mixture and arrange in the dish.  Pour remaining sauce over and around the stuffed shells and top with parmesan.  Cover with foil and bake until hot throughout, 20-30 minutes, then uncover and continue baking until golden brown, about 10 minutes more.

Source: Whole Foods

Good Eats!

Quick Fix Pasta

LifePrettyPlainLeave a comment

So, I didn’t have much time to think about dinner… after checking the cabinet & fridge for what we had on-hand, I quickly put something together.  This would work with any kind of pasta and a wide variety of vegetables and spices.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken
  • 6 oz pasta shells
  • 2 oz cream cheese
  • 1 bell peppers, chopped
  • 2 oz pimentos
  • garlic
  • parsley
PREPARATION
Cut chicken into strips or bite size pieces, cook until no longer pink, set aside.  Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.  Melt cream cheese over medium heat;  toss in vegetables, pasta & spices.  Add chicken and serve warm.
Good Eats!

Creamy Farfalle with Salmon

LifePrettyPlainLeave a comment

This was an easy, quick weekday dinner – definitely a keeper!

INGREDIENTS

  • 1lb salmon
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 6 oz farfalle pasta
  • 1 1/2 cup frozen peas
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3 oz Neuchâtel
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
PREPARATION
Heat broiler to low.  Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.  Season salmon with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.  Broil until cooked through, 5 minutes each side.  Let cool; cut into bite-size pieces.  Cook pasta; add peas about 3 minutes before complete then drain.  Whisk 1/4 cup milk and flour in a saucepan until smooth; whisk remaining milk, salt & pepper.  Cook over medium heat, whisking  until as thick as heavy cream, about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat; add Neuchâtel and dill; whisk until cheese melts.  Toss pasta and peas with sauce and salmon; drizzle with juice.  Garnish with zest.

Source:  Epicurious
Good Eats!

Springtime Pasta Primavera

LifePrettyPlainLeave a comment

This is a quick and easy pasta that’s best with fresh veggies.   I didn’t plan this one very well because I didn’t have some of the ingredients so I changed it up a little.  I skipped the asparagus and added a red pepper, chopped.  I didn’t have the half-n-half, so instead I melted in a little cream cheese.  My husband also asked me to use rotini pasta instead of farfalle.  This was pretty good, but I’m not a fan of green beans, so next time I will leave those out.

INGREDIENTS

  • 12 ounces farfalle pasta
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup haricots verts (thin tender green beans), ends trimmed
  • 1/2 cup thin asparagus tips and stalks, sliced in 1-inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup fresh peas
  • 1/2 cup white mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 4 seeded and diced ripe plum tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives

PREPARATION

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until just tender, about 12 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-low heat and quickly sauté the vegetables until just tender. Do not over cook. Season well with salt and pepper. Add the half-and-half and cook to thicken the sauce, 5 minutes. Season well with pepper. Toss in the drained pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan. Garnish with diced tomatoes and chives or pea shoots, if available. Serve immediately.

Source:  Epicurious.com

Good Eats!

Chicken Pasta

LifePrettyPlainLeave a comment

This is one I got from a friend several years ago and I’ve made it tons of times since then.  I know what you might be thinking – grapes, really?  Yes, it may sound weird, but the grapes are a necessity!  :)

INGREDIENTS

  • skinless, boneless chicken
  • penne pasta (rigatoni works well too)
  • cucumber, diced
  • red seedless grapes, halved
  • carrots (I prefer shredded)
  • cheddar cheese, cubed
  • Italian dressing

I don’t really measure anything here – usually about 3-4 pieces of chicken and half a box of pasta… the rest will depend on your tastes.

PREPARATION

Boil pasta until cooked, rinse with cold water and cool.  Cut up chicken into bite size pieces and cook until no longer pink.   After chicken & pasta are cooled, mix with remaining ingredients.