"Lasagna" soup!

I made something a bit different for dinner last night... sort of a lasagna soup, but using penne instead of flat noodles. I used sweet Italian sausage, tomatoes, green pepper, marsala wine, vegetable broth, of course onion/garlic, and a hefty amount of seasonings... then I served it with some baked, herbed ricotta cheese on top. It was really tasty!

Pasta Giardino - better than Olive Garden!

Being Italian myself, I am not the biggest fan of Olive Garden.  The food tastes fine in general, but not all the dishes and recipes are totally authentic.  I'm definitely not saying the place is bad though... the breadsticks are wonderful, and the fried lasagna roll-up things are delicious.

While there recently, I had the Chicken Giardino, one of the relatively lighter options available.  I have to say, it was actually really tasty... it was essentially pasta, chicken, and lots of veggies in a scampi-style sauce.  But it inspired me to try and make my own version!  Also, this is super easy to make vegetarian or vegan!

Ingredients:
- ~2/3 stick butter (I actually used Miyoko's cultured vegan butter!)
- one small onion, diced
- ~3 tbsp minced garlic
- 1/2 bell pepper, diced
- 1 small zucchini, cubed
- ~1 cup shredded carrots
- juice of one lemon
- ~1/2 cup white wine
- ~1 cup grilled chicken (obviously, omit or substitute vegan chik'n if vegan)
- ~4 cups cooked pasta
- ~1/2 cup grated cheese (I used asiago... omit this for a vegan option)
- parsley, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste

Procedure:
1.) Heat a large, wide pan over medium heat.  Add butter and allow to melt.  When it begins to bubble, add onion and garlic... sauté until onions are transparent.

2.) Add zucchini, bell pepper, carrots, parsley, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper.  Stir fry until the garlic begins to brown.  Add cooked chicken, if desired.

3.) Add lemon juice and wine; cook until bubbly. 

4.) Remove from heat.  Add cooked pasta, remaining butter, and grated cheese. 

5.) Garnish with more fresh parsley and grated cheese before serving.

Notes:
- Other veggies that would go well in this would be mushrooms, asparagus, yellow squash, broccoli, peas, and spinach.

Easiest & Cheesiest One-Pot Mac & Cheese!

It's probably pretty safe to say that you're a mac & cheese fan... who isn't?  Better yet, who doesn't like extra-cheesy mac & cheese?  Even better yet... who doesn't like only using one pan to do it?!  This recipe is also easily made vegan (see below).

Here is what you need:

• 1 lb pasta (I used cavatappi)
• 1.5 pints (24 oz) heavy cream + 1 pint water, or 2.5 pints milk
• For a vegan option, use 2.5 pints (40 oz) of any non-dairy milk
• 12 oz cheese (I used original Velveeta this time, but next time I will try white cheddar!)
• For a vegan option, Daiya cheese substitutes are awesome!
• ~4 tbsp butter or margarine
• For a vegan option, Earth Balance spreads work wonderfully!
• salt, pepper, and other seasonings to taste (if desired)

Simple instructions:

1. Combine pasta and liquid(s) (cream + water / milk / non-dairy milk) in a large non-stick pan.  
2. Heat on high until boiling, then reduce heat so that liquid still boils consistently without frothing over.  Boil for about 10 minutes or until pasta is at desired tenderness, stirring often.
3. Once pasta is at desired tenderness, turn off heat and add remaining ingredients.  
4. Stir constantly until combined well (don't worry if it takes a few minutes for the cheese to melt).
5. Serve immediately.
    

That's it!  Super easy, super cheesy, super delicious.  Cooking the pasta in the milk is an awesome way to make sure the final product is perfectly creamy.  

Also, upon zooming in to the picture above, I created an awesome phone wallpaper for true mac & cheese fanatics:

Pasta carbonara!

Made pasta carbonara tonight... It didn't end up beautiful, but it is delicious!

Cook pasta.  Sauté bacon, garlic, then peas.  Mix two eggs (beaten) with a cup of parmesan.  Drain pasta, reserving half a cup of pasta water.  Turn off heat on sauté pan and add pasta immediately to it.  Add eggs mixture, and mix well until eggs are cooked.  The heat has to be turned off to avoid scrambling the eggs.  Very tasty!

Chicken, Spam Bacon, and Ranch Pasta!

Yes, you read that correctly... we made a CBR pasta, but with Spam Bacon instead of regular bacon!

Before you turn your nose up at the mention of Spam, let me explain why I like to use it.  First off... I really hate cooking bacon; it splatters everywhere, it leaves a strong lingering smell, and even baking it leaves a cookie sheet an absolute mess.  It tastes great, but it really is not worth the hassle for me.  

If you have ever had the bacon-flavored Spam cooked to crispy perfection, you know fully well how perfectly bacon-y it tastes.  There are numerous benefits besides the taste: it's easy to slice; it stays flat on the pan; it makes its own fat to cook in the pan as it heats up; when it's got just a little char, it has a wonderful texture (and I honestly prefer the texture over regular bacon).  What it lacks is all the hassle associated with bacon: it does not curl up and cook unevenly, the fat rendered in the pan is not excessive and does not splatter everywhere, and it is quicker and easier for both prep and clean-up.  Also, the perfect texture is achieved when cooking it in a cast-iron skillet:

Now, on to the dish at hand.  It was relatively easy, and it was adapted from this recipe.  I was looking for a dish that would highlight the often-overlooked wonder that is Spam and dispel the stigma that it seems to carry with some people.  This dish definitely succeeded!

Ingredients:

• Margarine (use as needed)
• 1 container SPAM Bacon
• ~1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs (excess fat trimmed off)
• seasonings to taste
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 packet ranch seasoning mix (2 packets if you want extra flavor)
• ~2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup shredded cheese

First, dice most of a container of Spam Bacon and add it to the preheated cast-iron pan, with just a tablespoon of margarine for a little extra fat (it helps keep any of the Spam from sticking to any portions of the pan that aren't as seasoned).  Stir it frequently, to make sure all sides of each cube get browned.  Once you see some nice charring, remove from heat and let rest in the pan.

Next, take some boneless, skinless chicken thighs and coat them on both sides with a blend of seasonings of your choice (we used oregano, basil, rosemary, and garlic powder).  Heat a large skillet with four tablespoons of margarine, and cook the chicken until done... do not hesitate to add more margarine as you cook, to keep the chicken nice and juicy.  Remove from heat and let rest in the pan.

Next, cook about 3/4 lb of a pasta of your choice (any will do fine) al dente; drain and set aside.

Return the chicken to heat.  Sprinkle on the flour and ranch packet(s).  Add the heavy cream along with about a half cup of water and stir well.  Once the mixture is bubbly, add the cheese (we used shredded white cheddar) and about half of the Spam.  Once the cheese is fully incorporated and the sauce is bubbly again, add your pasta to the skillet (if the noodles have begun drying and sticking to each other, give them a quick rinse to loosen them).  Combine well and top with the rest of the Spam.

Last step is to enjoy!  If you are skeptical about using Spam Bacon in place of regular bacon, please give this dish a try.   It was truly tasty and satisfying!

Quick and easy mushroom alfredo!

Being Italian, I have made all kinds of pasta sauces countless times... alfredo included.  I even once won a pasta sauce cook-off with my classic alfredo recipe, despite the fact that it was the only sauce without meat.

The thing about that alfredo is that it's completely unhealthy... and expensive to make.  It's mostly made of heavy cream, butter, and fresh-grated Romano cheese.  The cream and butter make it super high in fat, and the cheese is expensive.

This new recipe, while not a traditional alfredo, has all the flavor of the classic and then some... and it's not quite as bad for you and much less expensive!  I got the idea from a coworker and tweaked it a bit... thanks, Ian!

I start it off by sautéing some sliced mushrooms in olive oil in a large, deep saucepan... just to the point that they are soft.  I then add a large can of condensed cream of mushroom soup, and about half that can worth of skim milk (or more or less depending on your consistency preference) as well as some dried oregano, basil, parsley, and white pepper to taste.  Then, I slowly stirred in about 6oz of grated Romano and let it simmer.  While doing all of that, I cooked some Barilla rotini made with zucchini and spinach (a wonderful way to add some veggies in your meals!), and I added it to the sauce. 

The creaminess from the condensed soup gives it a really lovely consistency, even without the butter and heavy cream... and starting it off by sautéing mushrooms really ups the flavor!

It turned out awesome... honestly it is now my preferred way to make alfredo at home.  It goes great with homemade garlic bread!

Pesto pasta with bacon-wrapped asparagus!

Pasta tossed with red pesto, olive oil, fresh green peppers, and sun-dried tomatoes... served with asparagus wrapped in bacon and roasted in a cast-iron skillet.  Sprinkle some parmesan and romano on top and it is absolutely delicious!

Sun-dried tomato pasta salad!

A quick, nutritious, and relatively light dinner solution for busy people! 

Tri-color pasta (cooked al dente, drained, and rinsed in cold water), green bell pepper, sun-dried tomatoes (packed in olive oil, cut into strips), fresh spinach, shredded carrots, feta cheese, ranch dressing, and red pesto... all mixed up and served with some parmesan on top.  Full of flavor with very little effort!

It is also good with some black olives, black beans, corn... it would also be good with grilled chicken if you want extra protein!

Pesto pasta!

Sautéed mushrooms, onions, garlic, and bell peppers, stir-fried with rainbow penne and basil pesto in a wok.  Best way to do it to get a nice, even coating on the pasta!

Pasta bake with garlic bread!

Using my own homemade tomato sauce!  With ricotta cheese, bell peppers, mushrooms, and a bread crumb topping.

The bread was made using day-old Jimmy John's bread, covered with a mixture of margarine and garlic powder and baked to golden perfection!