Pasta – Page 30 – Fun Foodie Family

Baked Skillet Pasta

Leftovers/ Freezer Meals, Pasta, Vegetarian

This dinner was a cinch to throw together. I defrosted some of my sausage and beef marinara that I made a couple of weeks ago. Here is my basic recipe, but this time I added sausage and ground beef that I made to use for baked ziti.

Homemade Marinara 10/12/13

Italian Sausage Baked Ziti

After I defrosted it, I added an extra can of tomato sauce and about a cup of red wine. Then I put the uncooked pasta-baby bow ties- directly in to the pot with the sauce. The pasta cooked in the sauce. I made sure to stir it every once in a while so it would not stick to the bottom of the pot. I cooked it until it still had a bite to it.

I had some leftover pasta that wouldn’t fit in the pan, so I froze it for another time. I always suggest making more of everything! It will be easy to pull it out one night for another quick dinner!
You could totally make this vegetarian, just leave out the meat!

Then I transferred the pasta in to a large skillet, topped it with shredded mozzarella, and popped it in a 350 oven about 25 minutes. I cut it like pieces of pizza. It was a big hit!

Veggie Noodle Bowl

Asian, Girls' Night Out/In, Leftovers/ Freezer Meals, One pot meal, Pasta, Soups, Vegetarian

Hey guys! Tonight was another girls’ might for me and my girls. E wanted cheese ravioli, R and K wanted spaghettios, and I wanted to try to clean out the fridge a bit and have something with lots of veggies. I decided to make a noodle soup with some leftover veggies and a pork chop left over from last night. This was pretty simple to throw together in one pot.

I started by chopping up my veggies and cooking them in a bit of olive oil for a few minutes. I used 4 cloves of garlic minced, a few sliced of ginger minced, 10 mushrooms sliced, 1/2 onion chopped, peppers chopped, and broccoli florets. Then I added a quart of beef broth (you could use chicken, veggie, or even water if you want.) Then I added my pasta. I had 1/4 of a container of fettichini noodles left over, so I threw them in the pot. Then I added about 1/2 bottle of white wine-enough to cover the rest of the noodles- a few shakes of sesame oil , teriyaki sauce, and soy sauce. Then I let it come to a boil and cook until the pasta is done. Near the end, I added a few bunches of some spring mix lettuce. Once the pasta was finished and the lettuce was wilted, I added my leftover pork which I sliced up and dropped in the hot broth to warm it through. It was so good! You could use any veggies you have leftover in the fridge, any leftover meat, or even shrimp would be fantastic in this. This is a great meal that you can throw together quickly on a busy weeknight.

Cacio e Pepe- Cheese and Pepper Pasta

Pasta, Vegetarian

Tonight was girls night. My little ladies wanted corn dogs and Mac and Cheese. I made that happen for them, but I was not about to eat that. Don’t get me wrong; I like a good corn dog as much as the next person, but not tonight. I needed to cook something. I needed to cook something for ME! I found this recipe in Bon Appetit magazine.

Ingredients-
6oz pasta- I used fettuccine
3 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon cracked pepper
3/4 finely grated Parmesan
1/3 finely grated Pecorino

Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a 5-qt. pot. Season with salt; add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until about 2 minutes before tender. Drain, reserving 3/4 cup pasta cooking water.
Meanwhile, melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add pepper and cook, swirling pan, until toasted, about 1 minute.
Add 1/2 cup reserved pasta water to skillet and bring to a simmer. Add pasta and remaining butter. Reduce heat to low and add Parmesan, stirring and tossing with tongs until melted. Remove pan from heat; add Pecorino, stirring and tossing until cheese melts, sauce coats the pasta, and pasta is al dente. (Add more pasta water if sauce seems dry.) Transfer pasta to warm bowls and serve.

Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta

Chicken, Dips, Dressings, and Spreads, Pasta

Hey guys! It has been a LONG week. I haven’t cooked dinner since last Sunday. Well, I made dinner Monday, but it was hot dogs and baked beans, so not exactly cooking. But it was easy and good. Those hot dogs hit the spot. Tuesday was rough and long. It was just me and the girls, so I really didn’t want to cook a lot or go to the store. So I just stopped by our favorite Chinese place and picked up dinner. The best idea since buying that extra bottle of wine “just in case.” It wasn’t a bad week, just long and draining. Well, I’m glad it is the weekend! I was glad to stop by the store and pick up ingredients for dinner the next couple of nights. Oh, and a few bottles of wine “just in case!”

Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta

Chicken- Cook however you want. Or you can take a shortcut like I did on a Friday afternoon and pick up a rotisserie chicken from your local grocery store.

Homemade Pasta- In the food processor, use 4 eggs and add flour until it firms up. Pull apart your dough a few sections at a time and roll out in pasta machine. Cut rustic long noodle shapes – You could just use fresh (like Burtoli or your favorite dried pasta)

Cream Sauce-
Melt 1/2 cup of butter and then stir in 2 cups of heavy cream. Cook for 6-8 minutes.
Add 1 cup of Parmesan cheese. Add until mixed through.
Blend 1/3 of your favorite jarred pesto and cook 3-5 minutes. You could make your own. It is very simple. Garlic, basil, salt, pepper, olive oil. But like the chicken, it just saves time to buy the jarred one. I usually make homemade pesto in the summer when I have plenty in my garden. The deer and squirrels ate my herbs. Boo.
Add to your pasta and chicken. Plus, you should have some leftover for another time.

Italian Sausage Baked Ziti

Pasta

Oh my. Really, just no words. How many different ways can I say YUM! I started making this Sat. night when I made my marinara.

Homemade Marinara 10/12/13

Last night, I browned up some sweet Italian sausage and cooked up my penne. I added them in a pan with my sauce. Of course, you can’t forget to add shredded mozzarella!

I placed this covered in the fridge until tonight. My husband put in a 350 oven for an hour. When I came home from work, it was almost done! Uncover the last 10-15 minutes or so to get your cheese extra gooey.