Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta

I tried this recipe once last week and we've had it twice since then, adapted to what we have on hand! It's that good! It's really pretty basic, but it's a little bit different than a regular red spaghetti sauce in that it's a little bit creamier. You can use whatever pasta you have on hand, and other than some chopping, it whips up really quick for a weeknight dinner! I found it on Inspired Dreamer.  Oh, and, it's a one-pot dish pretty much, so you can make and serve without dirtying up your whole kitchen!

Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

*(ground beef, if desired; I tried it both ways and both were fantastic)

1 15-oz can diced tomatoes (I used about a pound of fresh tomatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces)

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried basil

a pinch (or more, depending on your preferred level of spiciness) of red pepper flakes

pepper to taste

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 oz cream cheese (I used a dollop of heavy cream instead one time, because that's all I had)

1/4 C grated Parmesan (I used asiago once, a little less than called for)

1/2 lb penne (again, twice I also used regular spaghetti and added the sauce to it on the plates)

1/2 9-oz bag fresh spinach (optional)

1. Cook onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat in a skillet until transparent and softened (about 5 minutes). I used a cast-iron skillet.

2. Add tomatoes (with juices), oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, pepper, and salt. Stir to combine and cook on low until tomatoes are slightly smashable with wooden spoon and mixture is juicy.

3. Add tomato paste and 1/2 C water to skillet and stir until paste is incorporated into sauce.

4. Turn heat to low. Cut cream cheese into a few pieces and add to skillet, stirring with whisk until cream cheese has melted in (alternately, pour in a dollop of heavy cream and whisk in; you don't need much, just a tbsp or two).

5. Add Parmesan (or asiago) and whisk in until melted.

6. Add spinach and gently stir into sauce until wilted (about 3-5 minutes). Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed.

7. Add pasta, cooked al dente. Stir and serve. (Or pour over any other al dente pasta you choose and serve.

*You can make this sauce with ground beef as well. If you choose to, just brown some with the onions and garlic at the beginning and continue as described above.

Really, you can be very creative with this basic recipe as well. I still want to try the sauce with mushrooms and other veggies to see how it is!

This sauce was also amazing leftover. I just made new pasta, reheated the sauce, mixed the two together in a large bowl, and served with some cheese on top. Goes great with a salad and a glass of wine! Enjoy!

Spicy Parmesan Shrimp Pasta

I made this delicious pasta for our romantic Valentine's Day dinner. It is VERY flavorful, and you can adjust the level spiciness to your liking. It's from Damn Delicious and I'll be making it pretty much anytime shrimp is on sale! It's so simple... the longest parts are marinating the shrimp (which I did overnight) and cooking the pasta. Actually cooking up the dish took about 10 minutes in my cast iron skillet. I used fresh shrimp that had already been de-veined and my (very understanding) husband kindly volunteered for the job of shelling them. Although it took him only a few minutes, so next time, maybe I'll be brave enough to take on that gross job :) Serve with a salad and a glass of red wine (or Trader Joe's sparkling grape juice for this preggo)!

Spicy Parmesan Shrimp Pasta

about 4 servings

1/3 C olive oil

1/4 C Parmesan cheese

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (we used more because we like it spicy)

1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined

8 oz penne pasta

salt and pepper, to taste

1 green onion, thinly sliced

1. In medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, cheese, garlic, brown sugar, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes.

2. In a gallon ziploc bag, combine shrimp and olive oil mixture. Marinate for at least 30 minutes (we did it overnight and the flavor was AMAZING), turning the bag occasionally.

3. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta al dente and drain well.

4. Heat a large skillet (cast iron is what I used) over medium heat. Add shrimp and sauce mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until shrimp is pink (it takes less than 5 minutes).

5. Stir in pasta and gently toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Serve immediately (I served it directly in the cast iron skillet), garnished with Parmesan and green onions.

Enjoy!!!

Lemon Angel Hair With Chicken and Spinach

This recipe's also from pinterest, originally from The Recipe Crayon Box. I adapted it slightly to our preferences and even my husband, who's not a big lemon fan, really enjoyed it! If you don't like a really strong lemony flavor, just cut back a little bit on the lemon juice and zest and the other flavors of the pasta will be just as delicious.

Lemon Angel Hair With Chicken and Spinach

1/2 lb angel hair pasta (about half of a box)

3 tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

2 lemons (you'll need the zest and the juice; if you zest 'em before you juice 'em, it's a lot easier!)

3/4 C half and half

1 C Parmesan cheese, shredded

1 C spinach (we added a bit more than that)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked (try this with The Perfect Chicken recipe, it's FANTASTIC!)

1. Boil water, salt it well, and cook pasta. LEAVE COOKED PASTA IN IT'S OWN WATER UNTIL READY TO USE.
2. Heat a deep skillet on low and add oil, garlic, and pepper.
3. Cook until oil sizzles, about 5-7 minutes.
4. Add the lemon juice, half and half, and a ladle of the pasta water.
5. Raise the heat to medium-low until sauce begins to bubble.
6. Drain the pasta, but don't rinse it.
7. Add pasta, lemon zest, and 1/2 C Parmesan cheese. On low heat, toss for 1-2 minutes.
8. Add spinach and cooked chicken chunks (we cut up the cooked breasts into bite-size chunks). Toss until mixed and top with remaining cheese.

A tip: once the sauce starts bubbling (step 5), try to move quickly... if you let the mixture stay on the heat too long (i.e. if you take too much time adding ingredients, tossing, etc.), it bubbles away pretty fast and you end up with a stickier finished product. Ours came out a little sticky and was still very delicious, but I think it'd taste better if it was just a little bit more moist.

Enjoy!

Baked Spaghetti

This is Paula Deen's recipe (which I adapted just a tad with seasoning), which I found on pinterest. It's delicious and even better leftover! I served with salad; some crusty garlic bread would've been a nice addition :)

Baked Spaghetti

2 C canned diced tomatoes

2 C tomato sauce

1 C water

1/2 C onion, diced

1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 C fresh parsley, chopped

1 1/2 tsp Paula Deen's House Seasoning (which is 1 C salt, 1/4 C black pepper, and 1/4 C garlic powder)

1 1/2 tsp Paula Deen's Seasoned Salt (I had Lawry's so that's what I used)

1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning (I just divvied it up evenly between dried oregano, thyme, marjoram, and basil)

1 1/2 tsp sugar

2 small bay leaves (I didn't have any so I left this out)

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

8 oz uncooked angel hair pasta

1 C cheddar cheese, grated

1 C Monterey Jack cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. In stockpot, combine tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, onion, pepper, garlic, parsley, 3 seasoning mixtures, sugar, and bay leaves.

3. Bring to boil over high heat, then reduce heat and let simmer, covered, for 1 hour.

4. Cook ground beef in large skillet over medium-high heat until fully cooked, with no pink color remaining (next time I may season the meat a little for flavor... even without seasoning though, this recipe was tasty).

5. Drain fat from meat (I didn't, but mine was pretty lean to start out) and add meat to stockpot. Simmer for 20 minutes more.

6. Cook pasta according to package directions.

7. Cover bottom of 13x9x12 dish with sauce. Add a layer of pasta then a little less than 1/2 of each cheese.

8. Repeat the layers, ending with sauce.

9. Bake for 30 minutes. Top casserole with remaining cheese and bake for about 5 minutes more, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Enjoy!!!

Chicken Alfredo Roll-Ups

This dish is fantastic! I got it from the blog Mmm...Cafe, and she also includes her mom's garlic alfredo sauce recipe (see last post) which is delectable... I don't even really like alfredo sauce that much, and I couldn't stop licking the spoon :)

Chicken Alfredo Roll-Ups

serves 3

2 1/2 C alfredo sauce

9 lasagna noodles

oregano

garlic salt

2 C cooked chicken, shredded (I just baked a few breasts with salt and pepper to use)

3 C Mozzarella, shredded

1. Spray 8x8 dish with non-stick spray and pour 1/2 C alfredo sauce, or just enough to cover bottom, into dish.

2. Boil 8-10 C water in large pan and cook lasagna noodles until al dente (you may want to cook a couple extra since they tend to break and tear during rolling.)

3. Drain and RINSE WITH COLD WATER TO PREVENT NOODLES FROM STICKING TO EACH OTHER (don't skip this step)!

4. Lay out each noodle and blot dry with a paper towel.

5. Over each noodle, spread about 2 tbsp alfredo sauce (don't use too much or it'll get messy fast). Sprinkle on some oregano and garlic salt. Take 1/9 of shredded chicken and spread evenly over each noodle. Top each with 3 tbsp cheese.

6. To roll noodles, start at one end and roll the noodle over the toppings (it may help to lift the noodle a little as you roll to prevent toppings from squishing out.)

7. Place rolls in dish, seam sides down. Pour remaining alfredo sauce over the top. Top with remaining cheese. (I had a couple extra so I just layered them on top with more alfredo sauce. If you do this, be sure to spread a little sauce between the layers as well.)

8. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes, until cheese on top is completely melted.

I served with salad with balsamic vinegar dressing and a large bowl of plain Greek yogurt to cut through the delicious greasiness (this isn't what I'd call the healthiest meal, but it's worth the occasional indulgence!) Enjoy!!!

Garlic Alfredo Sauce

Here's the alfredo sauce I used for my next post, the Chicken Alfredo Roll-Ups.  It's from the blog Mmm...Cafe, and it's so worth the creamy, cheesy indulgence. Give it a try, even if you're not an alfredo fan; this just may change your mind!

Garlic Alfredo Sauce

Makes 2 1/2 cups

1/2 C butter (I might try using a little less next time; it was pretty oily, but still delicious)

1/2 tsp garlic, minced

2 oz cream cheese

2 C heavy cream (or 1/2 and 1/2)

2 tsp garlic powder

salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 tsp dried oregano

2/3 C parmesan cheese

1. In large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.

2. Add cream cheese and whisk until smooth and melted.

3. Whisk in heavy cream.

4. Season with garlic powder, salt, pepper, and oregano.

5. Bring to simmer, whisking frequently until sauce thickens, about 15 minutes.

6. Stir in cheese and when melted, remove from heat and serve.

This recipe converted me into an alfredo sauce lover! Hope you enjoy it :)

Garlic Parmesan Chicken and Noodles

This recipe (from the Better Homes and Gardens site) is delicious and very easy to prepare.  It truly only takes 45 minutes or so and you get a savory, filling dish!  And it's pretty healthy, aside from the Parmesan cheese :)

Garlic Parmesan Chicken and Noodles

Serves 4

6 oz wide egg noodles (I used a little more)

1 2 1/4 lb roast chicken (I bought a prepared one, but it would've been even tastier fresh)

1 C frozen peas

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 3/4 C whole milk (I used some 1% milk and some 1/2 and 1/2)

1/2 slice bread, white or wheat (I used some leftover Panko crumbs and some fine wheat bread crumbs)

3/4 C shredded Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp butter, melted

salt and pepper to taste

snipped fresh thyme, optional (I didn't have any)

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Bring 6 C salted water to boil in large pot; add noodles and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, remove chicken from bones; discard skin and bones and shred chicken. In saucepan, combine chicken, peas, garlic, and milk. Heat through. Cover and keep warm.

3. Process bread into course crumbs in food processor and transfer to small bowl. Add 1/4 C Parmesan and melted butter. Mix.

4. Stir hot chicken mixture and remaining Parmesan cheese into noodles. Heat and stir until bubbly. Season with a little salt and black pepper to taste.

5. Pour entire mixture into casserole dish and top evenly with bread crumb mixture. Bake for 5-10 minutes, until top begins to brown. Top with fresh thyme.

6. Serve warm!

And BAM! You're done! I served this with roasted asparagus spears (recipe courtesy of my mother :)) and plain yogurt.  Enjoy!!!

Dijon Chicken Linguine with Mushrooms

I found this recipe on pinterest (originally from Rock Recipes), and tweaked it more to my liking.  It was tasty and SUPER quick (it took me under an hour to prepare AND cook, which if you knew me would be shocking).  I love mushrooms, but to be honest, the thought of cooking with them is oddly disgusting.  It was worth it though :) My mushrooms went mostly bad between the time I bought them and when I made this, so I ended up using way fewer than what it calls for.  Next time I'll do it right.  I served it with a salad and a glass of wine :)

Dijon Chicken Linguine with Mushrooms

Serves 4

3 tbsp olive oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper to season

4 oz white wine (I used one of those single-serving Sutter Home Chardonnays that I already had)

2 C heavy whipping cream (I ended up using about 1 1/4 C because I didn't buy enough)

3 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 C mushrooms (smallish ones)

fresh linguine, cooked

1/2 C toasted slivered almonds (I didn't have any and I forgot to buy them so I didn't use them)

1. Heat olive oil in large frying pan over medium-low heat. Add chicken breasts and garlic; season with salt and pepper.

2. Continue frying chicken until it's completely cooked. Remove from pan and hold in warm oven.

3. Add white wine to frying pan and simmer until volume is reduced by half.

4. Add whipping cream and mustard and season with salt and pepper.

5. Simmer until sauce thickens enough to coat a metal spoon. Return chicken to sauce, add mushrooms, and simmer for 2 more minutes.

6. Serve over cooked linguine. Sprinkle with toasted slivered almonds.

Next time, I'll try it with the almonds; I'm sure it alters the taste of the dish :) Enjoy with salad and a glass of wine! Also, a nice crusty bread may have been good :)

Szechuan Chicken

This one was really fabulous and I served it with white rice :) Pasta would probably be good too. (This recipe's originally from the website laaloosh.)

photo credit: ifood.tv

Szechuan Chicken

Makes 3 servings

Sauce

3 tbsp chicken broth

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp brown sugar

1 tsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1/4 tsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (I used a little more, 'cause I like things spicy)

Whisk together all ingredients in small bowl.

Chicken

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces

1 tsp rice wine or dry sherry

1 tsp soy sauce

1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp canola oil

1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced (I keep fresh ginger root in the fridge and peel a section and grate it as needed)

1 small yellow onion, chopped

1 1/2 C fresh broccoli florets

1/4 C dry-roasted peanuts (I left these out because I'm not a big fan of the spicy + peanuty flavor)

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 green onion, finely chopped

1. Combine chicken, rice wine (or sherry), soy sauce, cornstarch, and garlic in medium bowl; mix thoroughly.

2. Heat wok or large skillet over high heat. Add oil, then add ginger and onion. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds.

3. Add chicken mixture and cook until chicken begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Continue stir-frying until chicken is lightly browned on all sides, another 1-2 minutes.

4. Add broccoli, peanuts, and bell pepper. Stir-fry for 1 minute.

5. Stir in Szechuan sauce that you made (see above) and stir-fry until chicken is just cooked through and sauce is slightly thickened and glossy, 30 seconds to 1 minute.

6. Transfer to serving dish and sprinkle with scallions. Serve immediately.

I ended up cooking things longer at each step because I was trying to read the recipe and because I'm just plain inept in the kitchen.  The broccoli turned out a little mushy, which I hate.  So just stay on top of the time.  I served this with a huge dollop of plain yogurt on the side because this dish is SPICY (also, because I serve plain yogurt with almost every meal :)).  Enjoy!