Category Archives: Pasta

Chicken Sausage And Roasted Vegetable Pasta

Posted on by

0

“Pasta?” you say? “I thought you were gluten-free?” you say?

Well yes, I’m still gluten-free! Thankfully, several companies make gluten-free pasta so I don’t have to give up that which I so adore!

Since I now have to read ingredient labels to make sure I’m not unintentionally “glutened”, I’ve noticed more and more all of the un-natural additives that goes into food to preserve it. Italian sausage is no different! So I went from the pork variety to the all-natural chicken and its just as yummy if not more so!

I have to apologize for the photo! I seemed to have misplaced the battery for my good camera and have been using the good old iPhone to take pictures for the blog. Though I really don’t think this dish would photograph well either way!

Just trust me, it’s delicious!

Oh, and I should mention that I used a quality jarred sauce for this, but if you have the time and energy, using homemade would not be frowned upon!

photo 3

  • 1  lb bulk Italian chicken sausage
  • 12 oz gluten-free tri-colored vegetable pasta
  • 24 oz tomato basil sauce
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 large or two small zucchini, chopped
  • 8 oz mushrooms, quartered
  • 2 cups fresh spinach
  • 3 tbsp minced garlic
  • 2 beef steak tomatoes, sliced
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • dash crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

On a baking sheet lined with foil, add onions, peppers, zucchini, and mushrooms with a few drizzles of olive oil and salt & pepper. Toss to coat. Roast veggies  for about 20 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time.

Cook sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it up with a spatula. While sausage browns, cook pasta to package directions. When sausage is cooked through, stir in tomato sauce. Let heat through, for about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, spinach, and red pepper flakes. Cook until spinach is slightly wilted, then stir in roasted vegetables, and parmesan cheese. Allow to cook 5 more minutes. Add pasta and stir until well incorporated.

Pour pasta mixture into a greased 13 x 9 baking dish. Top with sliced beef steak tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350, for 25 to 30 minutes. Would be great served with a Caesar salad!

**This holds up well in the fridge. For the three of us, I was able to get two dinners out of one pan.

Spinach And Sausage Stuffed Shells

Posted on by

0

Who can deny such a delicious classic? I had been craving some tomato-ey and cheesy comfort food and decided to throw some bulk Italian sausage and a box of drained frozen spinach in to make a complete meal and not have to worry about side dishes. I love shell pasta! It’s great with just cheese, or just beef, or just about any combo you can think of!

  • 1 12oz box, large shell noodles, cooked according to package directions
  • 1 lb bulk mild Italian sausage
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 10 oz package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
  • 1 15oz container ricotta cheese
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 4 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp pepper
  • 1 24oz jar pasta sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add sausage, and break into small pieces with a spoon. When sausage is cooked through and no longer pink, remove to a large mixing bowl.

In the same mixing bowl, add spinach and next 6 ingredients and mix well.

Pour half of the pasta sauce in the bottom of a 13 x 9 baking dish. Discard any torn pasta shells and fill each one with a heaping tablespoon of the cheese mixture.

Pour remaining sauce by the spoonful over the stuffed shells. Sprinkle with additional parmesan cheese, and cover with foil.

Bake shells for 35 minutes. Enjoy!

Pad Thai With Tofu

Posted on by

0

My son and I have found a food addiction at Mama Fu’s Asian House (and if you haven’t eaten there, you don’t know what you’re missing!). I had no idea how to even begin making this, so with help of Alton Brown and the recipe on the back of the box of rice noodles, I came up with this recipe that I was lucky to even get one serving of since my son devoured the entire plate, minus my portion! Next time, I think I’ll make this with a half a pound of shrimp, or marinaded chicken and serve with some spring rolls to see if I can stretch it a little further!

  • 8 oz super firm tofu, cubed
  • 1 cup low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tsp five spice powder
  • 1/2 tsp sesame oil
  • 8 oz package rice noodles
  • 1/2 cup carrots, cut into matchsticks or ribbons
  • 3 green onions, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 cup bean sprouts
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 tbsp canola oil
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp fish sauce
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp sriracha
  • crushed peanuts
  • lime wedges
  • 5 green onions, sliced an inch long

Prepare the tofu: Drain liquid from the tofu. Place in a colander, cover with foil or parchment paper. Place two cans ( I used 2 19 oz soup cans) on top of the tofu and allow to drain for 15 minutes to press out excess liquid. While tofu is draining, in a small mixing bowl combine soy sauce, five spice powder, and sesame oil. Pat tofu with paper towels, and place in the marinade. Let stand in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

When tofu is done marinading, drain off marinade and set aside. Place rice noodles in a bowl of hot water, completely covering noodles and let stand for at least 10 minutes. While noodles soak, prepare the sauce. In another small mixing bowl, combine lemon juice, fish sauce, sugar, rice vinegar, and sriracha, set aside.

Heat a wok over high heat. While wok is heating up, gather all ingredients, as well as a bowl to place cooked tofu in, and a serving plate for the finished Pad Thai, and have them within reach of the stove, as you will need to work quickly to keep your Pad Thai from burning!

Add oil to the wok. While hot, add tofu, and cook and stir until tofu is slightly browned, about 2 minutes. Remove tofu from the wok and set aside. Next, add green onion, carrots, and garlic and cook, stirring continuously, about 5 minutes. Pour in eggs, and allow eggs to firm up before stirring, but don’t stir too soon, or you won’t have those nice chucks of scrambled egg in the Pad Thai. Then add sauce, rice noodles, and bean sprouts. Cook and stir about 2 minutes before returning tofu to the wok to reheat. Leave the Pad Thai on the stove just long enough to get the tofu stirred in, then remove to a serving dish. Serve with lime wedges, and top with sliced green onions and crushed peanuts. Enjoy!

Chicken Parmesan Pasta Pie

Posted on by

0

Years ago, we had a restaurant in town called “The American Cafe”. They had these pasta dishes called “Pasta Pies” and of the three they sold, this was my second favorite! (My first being the Smoked Chicken.) Since it’s been way too long since my last Pasta Pie fix, I decided to create my own! It’s an easy recipe, but has several steps that make you feel like it takes a while, but you’ll find the end result well worth it!

 

For the sauce:

  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
  • 1 6 oz can tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp parsley
  • 1 tbsp basil
  • 2 tbsp oregano
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 6 oz water

For the chicken:

  • 1 1/2 lbs chicken breast cutlets
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 tsp water
  • 2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs
  • 1 cup flour
  • vegetable oil for frying
  • 12 oz Penne pasta
  • 2 cups mozzarella cheese

Prepare the sauce first. In a stock pot, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, pepper, garlic, and 1/2 tsp salt. Let cook 10 minutes until onions are soft. mix in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, seasonings, and remaining 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a slight bubble. Reduce heat, cover and simmer while preparing the chicken.

In a large skillet, pour vegetable oil to a height of 1 inch, and heat on medium high. Set up a frying station; breadcrumbs in one bowl, beaten eggs and 1 tsp water in another, and flour in a large zip lock bag. 

Place chicken cutlets in the bag with the flour and shake well to coat the chicken. Take cutlets, one at a time, and dip in egg mixture, coating well, then dredge in breadcrumbs. Fry cutlets two at a time until golden brown and center is firm, about 3 or 4 minutes per side. Set aside on a paper towel lined plate to cool for 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
While chicken is cooling, cook pasta according to package directions, drain. Stir pasta into sauce. Cut cooked chicken into bite size pieces and stir into pasta. Pour pasta into a greased 13×9 inch casserole pan. Sprinkle mozzarella on top and bake, uncovered for 20 minutes, until cheese is melted on top. Serve with a salad!