Fresh Tomato, Brie & Blue Pasta

FRESH TOMATO, BRIE & BLUE PASTA

1 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped (I use Roma)
1/4 cup basil pesto
6 ounces Brie
2 ounces Stilton or other blue cheese
8 ounces thin spaghetti (I used whole wheat)
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Combine tomatoes and pesto in a large microwaveable casserole dish. Cut/crumble both cheeses into small pieces and mix in with tomato mixture. Meanwhile cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta and add to the casserole dish; mix well. Microwave for 2 or 3 minutes, until cheese is melted. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Yield: 3 - 4 main dish servings

I love to eat this as a meatless meal, but for the hubby, I added a piece of grilled chicken coated with pesto. That's also a good way to make it more filling and/or eat less carbs, too.

Chipotle Chicken Sausage Pasta

You can see from this blog that I do a lot of cooking from recipes. I rarely just throw things together and make a dinner. But, that is just what I did with this meal. I bought the chicken sausage with no real plans for it, scoured the pantry, found black beans and tomatoes. Then I sort of copied the sauce from another recipe.

I'm really proud of this! It was delicious!


CHIPOTLE CHICKEN SAUSAGE PASTA
Not a Real Housewife Original

8 - 10 ounces linguine
12 ounces Johnsonville Smoked Chicken Sausage with cheese and chipotle peppers, sliced
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can fire roasted Tex Mex style diced tomatoes (similar to Ro-tel), drained well
2/3 cup milk
3 ounces cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon Cajun/Creole seasoning (like Zatarain's or Tony Chachere's)

Cook linguine according to package directions.

Meanwhile, cook the chicken sausage in a little oil until browned.

Mix together milk and cream cheese (I heated this mixture in the microwave just enough to melt the cream cheese). Add this to the browned sausage. Add black beans and tomatoes. Stir and heat until warmed throughout.

Add the pasta and stir carefully.

Yield: 4 servings

Creamy Cheese Tortellini with Asparagus

This recipe was in Gourmet Magazine posted on Epicurious.com, but came to me recommended by a friend.

I made a few changes to the recipe and updated the times. For instance, the recipe said to start with 4 cups of broth, boil and reduce to 1 cup in 6 minutes. I was pretty certain that it would not reduce that fast. I started with 3 cups and it took 20 minutes to reduce to 1 cup.

Anyway, it turned out really good!

Be careful not to cook the asparagus for too long - the more it cooks, the less it will taste like fresh aspaagus and the more it will taste like yucky canned asparagus. (I really hate the canned stuff!)

CREAMY CHEESE TORTELLINI W/ ASPARAGUS

3 cups chicken broth
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 (2 x 1 inch) strips lemon zest
1 (20-25 ounce) package frozen cheese tortellini
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 bunch asparagus (3/4 pound), trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Boil broth with garlic, thyme, pepper and lemon zest in a large saucepot until reduced to about 1 cup, about 20 minutes. Discard garlic pieces and zest.

Meanwhile, cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain.

Stir cornstarch into cream, then whisk into broth. Bring to a simmer, whisking, then continue to simmer about 3 minutes. Add asparagus and simmer until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in cheese and tortellini and cook, gently stirring, until heated through.

Yield: 4 main dish servings

Chipotle Alfredo with Shrimp

Here's a delicious recipe I found at Kraft Foods. It is so delicous and easy to make. Leftovers were especially good, too. Tastes way better than it looks, it's not bland at all like the picture.

I cut the recipe in half. Follow the link above if you want to serve eight. My version below serves four.

CHIPOTLE ALFREDO WITH SHRIMP

3 tablespoon butter, divided
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 ounces cream cheese, cubed
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon chipotle in adobo puree (see tip in this post)
8 ounces linguine or fettuccine, cooked and drained

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add shrimp; cook and stir 3 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Remove shrimp from skillet; cover to keep warm. Reduce heat to low.

Add cheeses, milk, remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the chipotle peppers to skillet; cook 5 min. or until cream cheese is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring constantly with wire whisk. Gently stir in shrimp.

Toss with the hot pasta.

Creamy Red Pepper & Basil Penne w/ Chicken

Thank you to Cassie Craves for another great recipe!

I adjusted this just a bit by adding fresh garlic. Hubby was really impressed and loved it!

Creamy Red Pepper and Basil Penne with Chicken

2 cups penne pasta, uncooked

1 (7 ounce) jar roasted red peppers, well drained

4 ounces softened cream cheese
2 cloves garlic

1/2 cup fresh basil

1/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

salt and pepper

Cook pasta as directed on package.

Meanwhile, blend red peppers, cream cheese, garlic, basil, milk and parmesan cheese in a food processor until smooth.

Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook in olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat until cooked through, stirring frequently.

Stir in pepper puree; simmer on medium heat 5 minutes or until chicken is done and mixture is heated through, stirring frequently.

Drain pasta. Add to chicken mixture; mix lightly. Sprinkle each serving with additional chopped basil, if desired.

Supreme Pasta Salad

A recipe from the McCormick website. Follow this link to see it.

Extra ingredients are, of course, optional and intrechangeable. I used broccoli, red bell pepper and onion. Instead of Italian or Ranch dressing as suggested, I used a fat-free Greek vinaigrette. I used miniature bowties for the pasta.

Mediterranean Shrimp

One of my favorites! And it can be done in less than half an hour.

MEDITERRANEAN SHRIMP

1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes (Italian herb variety)
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 tablespoon Cavender’s Greek seasoning
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 pound large or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
2/3 cup dry orzo

Cook orzo according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes. Add onions, Greek seasoning and pepper. Cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in shrimp and cook until pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Toss with feta cheese. Mix in cooked orzo and serve.

Yield: 2 servings

Beef Stuffed Shells

Eddie has been requesting a stuffed shells recipe with beef inside since I made these Cheese Stuffed Shells a while back. I found a recipe at Recipezaar and modified it to my liking.

BEEF STUFFED SHELLS

18-20 jumbo pasta shells (about half of 12 ounce box)
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/3 teaspoon dry crushed red pepper
1/4 cup sundried tomato pesto (Classico brand)
1/4 cup basil pesto (Classico brand)
1 (26 ounce) jar pasta sauce
1/2 cup red wine (optional, but really good)
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook pasta shells according to package directions, drain and cool.

Meanwhile, cook ground beef, onion and garlic in a large skillet until browned; drain well.

Stir crushed red pepper, tomato pesto and basil pesto into the meat mixture.

Spoon a heaping tablespoon of meat mixture into each shell. Arrange in 13 x 9 baking dish.

Combine pasta sauce and wine; pour evenly over the shells. Cover.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes. Uncover, top with cheese and bake for 5-10 more minutes.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Tortellini Salad

I'm back.

School became very time consuming for a while. My speech class required alot of time in research and rehearsal. But, it paid off with an A.

Of course, the anatomy class took lots of time, too. I still have a final exam to take this Tuesday. Then I'm done with school for a few weeks.

I have one class this summer, it only meets one day a week. I'll have to find some other things to occupy my time and not get too lazy!

Here's one of my favorite summer pasta salad recipes.

TORTELLINI SALAD

1 (16 ounce) package frozen cheese tortellini
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
3 tablespoons prepared pesto
1 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips (I added an orange pepper, too)
3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 (6 ounce) jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained and cut in half


Cook tortellini as label directs. Drain and cool by running cold water over. In a small bowl, mix vinegar, olive oil, sugar, salt, pepper and pesto. Combine green and yellow peppers, tomato, artichokes and tortellini in a large bowl. Pour dressing in; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate if not serving right away.

Creamy Tortellini with Spinach and Tomatoes

I've been cooking, just not finding the time to find any new recipes. So, I've made a lot of repeats in the last few weeks. But, finally, we had something new for dinner tonight.

I found this recipe at Cassie Craves. You can go there for the recipe, I haven't typed it up for my collection yet.

This was very good, especially considering it had so few and very plain ingredients. Loved it!

Chicken with White Wine & Mushrooms

A recipe from Southern Living... a few years ago... been in the file for a while.



CHICKEN WITH WHITE WINE & MUSHROOMS

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
salt and pepper
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 (16 ounce) package linguine
1 (8 ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup dry white wine
1 (10 ounce) can cream of chicken soup

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium-high heat; cook chicken breasts 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken; cover and keep warm. Reserve drippings in skillet.

Meanwhile, prepare pasta according to package directions.

Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in skillet over medium-high heat; add mushrooms, and sauté 8 minutes. Add wine, and stir to loosen particles from bottom of skillet; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; add soup, and whisk vigorously until smooth.

Arrange pasta on serving plate; top with chicken and sauce.

Yield: 4 servings

Mediterranean Pasta

I've had this recipe in my personal cookbook for about 15 years. It is my version of a dish from a restaurant in Athens, GA. I don't think I've made it since I moved away from Athens in 1997. I'm not sure why.

I guess when I looked at the ingredients more recently, it seemed like it was missing something, like maybe it needed more sauce?

Now, I'm really sad that I haven't been making it on a regular basis. Eddie even asked me why I had been hiding this dish from him. Not to worry, sweetie, we will be adding this to the rotation.



MEDITERRANEAN PASTA

8 ounces cooked thin spaghetti
1/4 cup pitted and sliced Greek olives
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup sliced or chopped banana peppers
3 tablespoons basil pesto
1 tablespoon olive oil (adjust oil based on how much oil is in your pesto)

After draining pasta, combine all ingredients in same pot. Return to stove and cook a few minutes until other ingredients are warm.

Yield: 2 - 3 main dish servings

Optional: Top with a grilled or sautéed chicken breast seasoned with Greek or Italian seasoning.

Chicken Cacciatore Bake

I wish seafood wasn't so expensive.

Chicken again...

I thought I'd show a few steps along the way to the finished product this time.

First, you're making chicken nuggets (only better!).



Then you will saute vegetables, put them in on top of the chicken. Dump in the black olives.

Pour a jar of sauce over everything.

After baking, serve over pasta. Eat!

CHICKEN CACCIATORE BAKE

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into one-inch pieces
Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1 (8 ounce) package fresh mushrooms, sliced
2/3 cup diced yellow onion
2/3 cup diced green bell pepper
1 small can whole black olives, cut in half
1 (24 ounce) jar of pasta sauce (I recommend Newman’s Own Cabernet Marinara)

Beat egg and stir in 1/4 cup milk. Dip chunks of chicken in egg mixture and then into bread crumbs, coating well. Brown in a little oil until golden. (Chicken does not have to be completely cooked here, will complete in oven.) Place chicken in baking dish. Saute onions and bell pepper for 2 minutes then add mushrooms and saute 2 minutes more. Add onions, bell pepper and mushrooms to baking dish. Add black olives. Pour pasta sauce over all.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Serve with bowtie or penne pasta.

Yield: 4 servings

Stuffed Shells

Delicious stuffed pasta shells for dinner Saturday night... I added spinach, so it would at least feel more healthy. It's really not that unhealthy if you eat a reasonable sized serving.

And, lucky us, we get to eat the leftovers for dinner another night.

STUFFED SHELLS

16 jumbo pasta shells (about half of 12 ounce box)
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese (I used part-skim)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/2 (16 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 (24 ounce) jar pasta sauce (I used Ragu Chunky Sundried Tomato and Sweet Basil)

Cook pasta shells according to package directions.

Meanwhile, mix ricotta cheese and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl.

When the pasta is done, drain and let it cool just long enough to be able to handle it. Fill each shell with cheese/spinach mixture.

Spray an 8 x 11 baking dish with cooking spray and pour in a small amount of sauce just to cover the bottom of dish. Place stuffed shells in dish and pour over the rest of the pasta sauce. Cover with foil.

Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5 more minutes.

Yield: 4 servings

By the way, this dish is also good for the budget. It costs under $7.00 to make the whole thing. That's about $1.75 per serving.

Creamy Pesto Pasta Sauce

This is a simple, but versatile, creamy pasta sauce. A variety of added ingredients will give you something different each time.

It's pictured here with cheese tortellini, diced prosciutto and marinated artichoke hearts. (My favorite!)



CREAMY PESTO PASTA SAUCE

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1/4 cup light cream cheese, softened to room temperature
3 tablespoons prepared pesto
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. With a wire whisk, stir in flour. Add milk, stir constantly and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until thickened. Stir in cream cheese, pesto and Parmesan.

Add desired ingredients and cooked pasta and mix with sauce.

Pasta: angel hair, tortellini, gnocchi, linguine, bow ties

Added ingredients:
(3.5 ounce package) diced prosciutto and (6 ounce jar) artichoke hearts
diced prosciutto and chopped spinach
diced pepperoni
artichoke hearts and spinach

Yield: 4 servings

Here it is with angel hair and pepperoni.

What other ingredients would you use?

Improved Skillet Lasagna

I posted this Skillet Lasagna the first time last September. I told you then that it was really good but could use some improvement. I finally got around to making it again.

I used diced tomatoes and tomato sauce with basil, garlic and oregano seasoning (Hunt's brand). I added more red pepper flakes and some Italian seasoning. Now, it's really great!

SKILLET LASAGNA

1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes (basil, garlic, oregano flavor)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, minced
salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
8 ounces curly-edged lasagna noodles, broken into 2-inch lengths (about 10 whole noodles)
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce (basil, garlic, oregano flavor)
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
8 ounces ricotta cheese

Pour the tomatoes with their juice into a quart measuring cup. Add enough water to the tomatoes to measure 4 cups.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up the meat into small pieces, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain grease if necessary.

Sprinkle the noodle pieces evenly over the meat. Pour the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and Italian seasoning over the pasta – don’t stir. Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, about 30 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan, salt and pepper to taste and the basil. Dot heaping tablespoons of the ricotta over the noodles. Cover the skillet and let stand off the heat for 5 minutes.

Yield: 6 servings

Artichoke Marinara

ARTICHOKE MARINARA

1 (12 ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts
olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
salt and pepper

Drain the artichokes, reserving about half of the marinade, and halve them lengthwise.

Cook onions in olive oil over medium heat for about 10 minutes, adding the garlic during the last 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer, covered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the artichoke hearts and the reserved marinade and stir occasionally while simmering for 20 minutes more. Serve over pasta.

Yield: 6 servings

Pasta E Fagioli

Delicious Italian soup... Even better the next day. In the future, I may cook ahead for the next day just because the leftovers were sooooooo good.



I got this recipe from My Tasty Treasures, a great blog from another "regular" home cook. (She's actually kind of "special" in the nicest way possible.) It's great to find recipes on blogs rather than commercial websites, you know the recipes are ones that someone actually uses in their own home.

I've adjusted this a bit for our tastes. Also, the original recipe called for cannellini beans, but I always choose Great Northern as a substitute for any white beans. I just prefer them.


PASTA E FAGIOLI

4 ounces bacon (4 slices), chopped
1 cup diced onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 (15 ounce) can Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 1/2 cups water
8 ounces (1 3/4 cup) ditalini or other small pasta
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
pepper
Parmesan cheese

Cook the bacon in a large dutch oven over medium heat until crispy, about 8 minutes. Spoon out most of the bacon grease, leaving just a tablespoon or two. Stir in onion, garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes. Cook until onion is softened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes with their juice, beans, broth and water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

Stir in the pasta and cook to your desired doneness (8 to 10 minutes for most small pasta). Off heat, stir in parsley and pepper to taste. Sprinkle individual bowls with Parmesan cheese.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Creamy Cajun Shrimp Linguine

This is a repeat from way back. But it is so good, and I have my own picture now.

CREAMY CAJUN SHRIMP LINGUINE

6 ounces linguine
1/2 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon butter
1 (8 ounce) package sliced mushrooms
1 large red bell pepper, cut into thin slices
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2/3 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and bell pepper to pan; sauté until tender. Add flour, Cajun seasoning and cayenne to pan; sauté 30 seconds. Stir in half-and-half; cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Add shrimp and cook until shrimp are done. Remove from heat and mix in pasta and parsley.

Yield: 2 or 3 servings

Fabulous Noodle Casserole

I made the casserole with chicken this time, because Eddie likes it better. I like it best with tuna.

FABULOUS NOODLE CASSEROLE

1/4 cup butter

1 red bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)

1 cup chopped onion

1 (8 ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups milk

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

2 (9 ounce) cans solid white tuna in spring water, drained and flaked
OR

2 (12.5 ounce) cans premium chunk white chicken (Tyson), drained and flaked

1 (12 ounce) package egg noodles, cooked

2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Melt 1/4 cup butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add bell pepper, onion, and mushrooms, and sauté 5 minutes or until tender.

Whisk together flour and milk until smooth; stir into vegetable mixture, and cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; add cheese, stirring until melted.
Stir in tuna and next 4 ingredients; spoon into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.

Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Stir together breadcrumbs and 2 tablespoons melted butter; sprinkle over casserole, and bake 5 more minutes (uncovered).

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

The dish you see pictured held just over half of the entire mixture. I put the rest in a foil loaf pan for the freezer (freeze before baking). When the time comes, I'll thaw in the fridge overnight, then bake, probably a little longer than the directions since it will be cold.