Posts Tagged ‘pasta’

Good morning! I feel like its been forever since I actually got to cook something for dinner! Last night I made I made Popeye Pasta from Eat Drink and Be Vegan. This recipe is extremely simple, full of flavor, and slightly different from your usual spaghetti recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 lbs rotini pasta
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• black pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried marjoram
• 1 tsp dried bail
• 1 tsp agave nectar (I used honey since I had no agave on hand)
• 6 cups fresh spinach

Cook pasta according to package directions. In large sauce pot, cook onion, garlic, salt, and pepper in olive oil covered for 5 minutes. Reduce heat and stir in wine; cook uncovered for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, oregano, marjoram, basil, and agave nectar. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and add spinach. Stir until spinach is wilted.

Spoon sauce over pasta and serve with garlic bread. I improvised with some left over pitas I had and made cheesy garlic pita bread using Earth Balance spread, garlic powder, grated sharp white cheddar cheese, oregano, and basil.

I am going on a Chicago Health and Wellness tour this afternoon; more pictures and info on this later! The weather is perfect today I can’t wait!

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Earlier this week I had lunch at Noodles and Company. One of my favorite dishes, among many, is their Pasta Fresca. While munching away I decided that this is totally something I could easily make at home; so later in the week I went at it. Here is what I came up with! Recipe makes 2 servings.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 box penne pasta (~2 cups cooked)
• 2 roma tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup red onion, sliced
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 tsp red wine vinegar
• 3 tsp white wine
• feta cheese
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to directions. In a large skillet, heat 4 tsp olive oil. Add pasta and sauté until noodles begin to brown (about 5 minutes). In a small bowl, combine wine, vinegar, garlic, 1 Tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper. Add tomatoes and onion to pasta and cook for a few more minutes. Pour sauce over noodle mixture. Remove from heat and mix in spinach and feta cheese. Serve immediately.

Tomatoes appears to be a common ingredient in my kitchen lately; I just can’t resist the fresh tomatoes in season!

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Its finally summer, and nothing says summer like pasta salad! With being out of town and starting up my dietetic internship I feel like I haven’t cooked in ages! Pesto Gnocchi Pasta Salad was the perfect solution for dinner. I took this recipe from Cook This Not That; I used store-bought pesto from Whole Foods and leftover whole wheat gnocchi that I had made a month or so ago.

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb green beans
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 16 oz gnocchi
• 1/2 cup pesto
• 8 oz fresh mozzarella (cut into bite-size cubes)

Boil water in a large pot and cook gnocchi until they float to the top of the water (about 5 minutes). Drain and set aside. In a skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add green beans and cook for 6 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook another 10 minutes until veggies are slightly browned and cooked. Add gnocchi, mozzarella, and pesto to vegetables and mix well. Garnish with freshly grates Parmesan cheese if desired and serve!

Use this recipe as a dinner meal or a perfect side dish for your next picnic or cook-out! What’s your favorite pasta salad recipe? Share your recipe with Eat Chic!

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I found this recipe in the May edition of Taste of Home Healthy Cooking magazine and modified it to suit me for dinner tonight. The tasty flavors and different textures in this dish make it the perfect spring pasta dinner; not to mention the delicious cheese sauce!

Ingredients:

• 1 package whole wheat rigatoni pasta
• 1 lb fresh asparagus (about 12 stalks), trimmed and chopped
• 5-6 strips turkey bacon
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 1/2 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup half-and-half cream
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1 tsp freshly cracked pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions. In separate pan bring about 2 cups of water to a boil. Add asparagus, cover, and boil for 3-4 minutes. Drain and immediately place asparagus in a bowl of ice water to cool. Drain and pat dry. In skillet, cook bacon until brown. Chop bacon up into bite-size pieces and set aside. Sauté garlic in skillet with butter and oil. Add cream and allow to simmer for 3-4 minutes. Stir in mozzarella cheese. Add cheese mixture, bacon, and asparagus to pasta and mix well. Stir in Parmesan cheese and black pepper. Serve hot.

What’s your favorite way to eat asparagus this spring?

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For dinner last night I made chicken parmesan to enjoy while watching Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution! It was the perfect excuse to use my new meat mallet and it was soooo good! I served the chicken parmesan over some whole wheat pasta with a side of roasted asparagus. This recipe is a similar version derived from Cook This, Not That!

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
• Olive oil
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 cups cooked whole wheat pasta

Place the chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and pound with meat mallet until about 1/4” thick. Season with salt and pepper. Combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning on a large plate. Dip the chicken breasts in the egg white and then coat with bread crumb mixture. In skillet, heat olive oil and cook chicken on either side for about 3-4 minutes or until a dark golden brown. Place in a baking sheet, spoon tomato sauce over the chicken, and top with mozzarella cheese. Stick chicken in the oven at 300*F for about 5-10 minutes until cheese has melted. Serve atop pasta with a side of asparagus!

For the asparagus I simply coated the stalks in olive oil, salt, pepper, and grated parmesan cheese and roasted in the oven at 400*F for 10 minutes. Be sure to break off the tough woody ends of the asparagus before cooking. To do this, hold the asparagus stalk by both ends out in front of you. Bend until the bottom part snaps off; discard this portion and cook the remaining stalk.

Asparagus is in season for spring so be sure to grab some on your next trip to the supermarket!

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