Tag Archives: Pasta

Spinach Orzo

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We have been house hunting like crazy here in the DFW area. The houses are selling like hot cakes! Just when we think we found “the one” it is under contract… It’s so frustrating! So house hunting has become a full time job for me.  I am a woman on a mission to find the perfect home! Wish me luck 🙂

Spinach Orzo

Now onto the spinach orzo… Since we have been house hunting day and night I needed quick and easy dinners. This spinach orzo it exactly that! It seriously takes 10 minutes to make.

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Asian Sesame Pasta Salad

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I am sure after this winter, spring can’t get here soon enough for most of us! Especially for my poor Northeast friends! While I can’t tell a lie, it has been absolutely beautiful in Texas this past week. We have been grilling dinner outside almost every night. All of this grilling has me craving one of my favorite side dishes… Asian Sesame Pasta Salad.

Asian Sesame Pasta Salad

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Grilled Peach & Heirloom Tomato Pasta Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

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I can’t believe it’s almost Labor Day! Where the heck did summer go? I am so bummed it is almost over. I’m still trying to hang on to the last few dog days of summer. So this is exactly why I made this beautiful salad. It is screaming summer!

Grilled Peach and Heirloom Tomato Pasta Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

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Last Minute Skillet Pasta Recipe

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Another crazy busy week night and I’m starving. Luckily, I had taken some sun dried tomato chicken sausage (free range chicken of course) out of the freezer recently. Now what to do with it?

I found some whole wheat bow tie pasta in the pantry and diced tomatoes. That’s a start! Of course I never made it to the store this weekend for fresh veggies. I’m really missing the local produce stands to quick stop at on my way home from work.

While digging through the fridge I found a jar of leftover sun dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and capers. I know, who keeps that stuff laying around in the fridge?  I like to buy that stuff in bulk so I always have a meal to throw together.  Of course fresh veggies would work wonderfully in this dish. Fresh peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, just about anything!  Oh well, next time.

Considering the circumstances, the dish came out great!

Skillet Pasta Recipe

did-you-knowSun dried tomatoes contain many antioxidants that help fight many types of cancers and also help boost immunity. Just one cup contains 9 percent of the daily value for vitamin A and 35 percent of the daily value for vitamin C.  Click here to learn more about the benefits of sun dried tomatoes.

Skillet Pasta Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 package Italian chicken or turkey sausage (or no meat at all!) This recipe would also work with ground meat or shrimp.
  • 1/2 to 3/4 pound of pasta, cooked (I used bow tie)
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced1 large roasted red pepper, sliced into strips
  • 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, sliced into thin strips
  • 1/4 cup capers
  • 2 garlic cloves, pressed
  • 1 can petite diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 jar pasta sauce
  • parmesan or mozzarella cheese

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Cook sausage in a pan with a little bit of water until no longer pink and cooked through. Drain water and saute until nice and brown. Cut into bite size pieces and set aside.
  3. Cook pasta according to package directions. Set aside.
  4. Heat olive oil in cast iron skillet (or a skillet you can put in the oven) over medium high heat. If you do not have one, cook in a regular skillet and transfer to a baking dish.
  5. Saute onion for a few minutes. Add roasted red pepper, sun dried tomatoes, capers, and garlic. Saute for a few minutes until garlic is cooked.
  6. Lower skillet heat to medium low. Add can of diced tomatoes and pasta sauce. Cook until nice and bubbly.
  7. Add cooked pasta and sausage and stir.
  8. Top with cheese and put the skillet right into the oven, or transfer to baking dish and bake for about 15-20 minutes.

    Nutritional facts coming soon.  I Promise. 🙂

Enjoy!

Thai Peanut Chicken Pasta with Vegetables

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So you’re probably thinking…Peanut butter and pasta, really? Don’t be fooled, it really is a great combination!  In fact, this is one of the most requested meals by my husband. It’s not very spicy and the peanut butter sauce adds a nice sweetness to the dish so if you’ve never had Thai food before, this is a great recipe to start with.

peanut chicken pasta

tips&tricks

Ginger root is typically large and most recipes call for only a few teaspoons. Don’t let that ginger go to waste. Freeze it. When you need to use it again no need to defrost, it actually is easier to grate while frozen. Just simply peel away the skin and grate. Ginger root will last about 6 months in the freezer. Click here for more information about ginger root.

peanut chicken pasta 02

Ingredients

  • 2 carrots, peeled
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil, divided (you can use olive oil if you don’t have sesame)
  • 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1/2 cup of peanut butter (creamy or chunky, whatever you have)
  • 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar (white vinegar will also work)
  • 1 teaspoon of chili garlic sauce or sriracha (you can find this in the Asian section of the grocery store)
  • 1 cup canned lite coconut milk (found in the baking isle or Asian section)
  • 1 lb chicken breasts cut into strips
  • 1 large red pepper cut into thin strips
  • 1 pound green beans or snow peas
  • 1 box of whole wheat spaghetti or linguine, cooked
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 cup peanuts for topping (optional)

Directions

  1. Shave carrots with a vegetable peeler and set aside in a bowl.
  2. Heat a sauce pan over medium heat and 1 teaspoon of the oil. Add ginger and garlic, saute for about 30 seconds. Add broth, peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, and chili sauce. Stir together until peanut butter is smooth. About 5 minutes. Add coconut milk and stir until heated. Remove sauce from heat and keep warm with a lid on top of pan.
  3. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add peppers and green beans or snow peas, saute for about 5 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.
  4. Add chicken strips. Cook chicken strips until no longer pink, about 10 minutes.  Turn off heat.
  5. Add the carrots, sauted vegetables, pasta, and peanut sauce to the cooked chicken in the skillet. Toss well so everything is covered with the sauce. I found that using tongs worked best.
  6. Top with fresh cilantro and peanuts.

nutrional facts - thai peanut pasta

Enjoy!