Baked Gemelli Pasta with Roasted Peppers and Spinach

Sorry to say that any pasta in our house gets pretty much devoured.  Therefore the picture above is the empty casserole container instead of the actually prepared dish.  I never got the chance to take a picture of the dish before it was eaten...ha!

Baked Gemelli Pasta with Roasted Peppers and Spinach

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Onion, chopped
2 Garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp Italian spice
2 to 3 Whole roasted red peppers, chopped
14 oz Diced, crushed or whole tomatoes
2 Handfuls of fresh baby spinach, chopped
2 1/2 Cups gemelli pasta (penne or rotini would work as well)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Cup mozzarella cheese
1 Tbsp fresh basil 


Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine roasted red peppers and tomatoes and blend with a hand mixer or food processor until smooth.

Heat oil over medium heat.  Add onions and cook until translucent.  Add garlic and Italian spice.  Cook an additional minute, but be careful that the garlic does not burn.

Add tomato-red pepper mixture and water to the onions.  Simmer for about 20 minutes.  Add salt and pepper as needed.

Cook gemelli pasta according to al dente instructions.  Add spinach to the pasta water 1 minute before pasta is finished cooking.  Drain pasta mixture.

Add pasta to tomato mixture.  Place in baking dish and top with cheese.  Cook COVERED for about 15-20 mintues.  Remove cover and cook until cheese is melted.  You can set the oven setting to broil to quickly melt and brown the cheese.

Remove from oven and top with fresh basil.  Serve with a side salad and fresh bread if desired.

Braised Kale Bowties

If you are new to this blog or have not read the last few posts you may not understand my recent obsession with kale.  

I came across an amazing deal for a HUGE bag of kale at my local grocery.  I could not help but get super excited about all the new recipes I would have to try if I purchased it.  

Well, I am at the end of my HUGE bag of kale so this is the last recipe for this week that has kale as an ingredient.

I did make a few changes because it seemed like the recipe needed a little something.  I added bacon, red pepper flakes and onion.  Take a look at the original recipe here for Braised Kale Spaghetti.  

I also topped the Braised Kale Bowties with shredded parmesan cheese, after taking this picture.

Spinach Shells and Cheese Bake

This picture has to make your mouth water. What vibrant colors of green, red and golden brown in the Spinach Shells and Cheese Bake.

A few years ago I came across several vegetarian recipes that I decided to put in my personal recipe book. Unfortunately I am not sure of the source of the recipes. With a few slight changes they have been perfect for our family. I hope you enjoy this latest one.

Spinach Shells and Cheese Bake

Ingredients:

8 oz Whole wheat pasta shells (or penne)
2 Cups fresh spinach, chopped
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 Medium onion, chopped
4 Garlic cloves, minced
1/4 Cup flour
2 1/2 Cups non-fat milk
1/2 Cup mozzarella cheese *
1/2 Cup cheddar cheese *
1/4 Cup parmesan cheese + 2 Tbsp - Shredded *
1 Tbsp fresh basil or 1/2 tsp dried basil
1 1/2 Tsp fresh oregano or 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 Can diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning
1/4 Cup panko breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Cook pasta according to box directions and drain.

In a medium saucepan heat 1 Tbsp of butter on medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened. Add garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds. Add the flour, stir to coat and cook for 30 more seconds.



Add the milk gradually and stir. Increase the temperature just a little and cook until it is bubbly. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, basil and oregano and spinach.

Combine pasta, onion-spinach mixture, 1/2 cup of mozzarella, 1/2 cup of cheddar, and tomatoes. Add to baking dish.



Melt 1 Tbsp butter and then add 2 Tbsps. of parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. Combine until crumbly. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta.

Bake for 30 minutes.


This dish is pretty hardy so I served it with baby carrots and rolls.

*You can use 1 1/4 cups plus 2 Tbsp of shredded parmesan instead of using three separate cheese.

I would be delighted to know what you think, please feel free to comment.

Tomato Shells Soup with Spinach

People who do not even like to cook can whip up this recipe for Tomato Shells Soup with Spinach in a matter of minutes.

Impress your family, by making them think you slaved hours over the stove preparing this soup.

Say you do like to cook, well some days you just don't have time to prepare an elaborate dinner or maybe your feeling a little under the weather.

Whatever the situation may be Tomato Shells Soup with Spinach is a simple dinner or lunch that will warm your heart and your belly.

Tomato Shells Soup with Spinach

Ingredients:

4 Cups chicken or vegetable broth (I used homemade vegetable broth)
2 1/2 Cups tomato juice
1 Tsp oregano
2 Cups shells or alphabet pasta
1-2 Cups chopped spinach
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated parmesan (optional)

Combine broth and tomato juice in a large stockpot. Heat until boiling. Add pasta and oregano and cook according to directions on pasta box. Add spinach on the last minute of cooking.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve in individual bowls, topped with grated parmesan and a slice of your favorite fresh bread.

Smoked Sausage with Almond Cream Pasta

Do you ever have one of those days when you just can't focus? That is what happened to me when I started making this Smoked Sausage with Almond Cream recipe.

I ended up not really following much of the original recipe, but only by mistake. The good news is that it turned out great and the kids loved it.

This recipe reminds me of Carbonara, with the use of the eggs and the parmesan. Carbonara is a family favorite that was introduced to us from my sister-in-law after visiting Italy for a month.

Smoked Sausage with Almond Cream Pasta

Ingredients:

1 lb Pasta of your choice (I used angel hair)
2 Garlic cloves, minced
8 oz Frozen or no salt canned peas
1 Tbsp olive oil
14 oz Smoked Sausage, sliced (I used Creta Farms)
1 Small green or red pepper
1/2 Cup silvered almonds (I forgot to toast them so you may toast them if you like)
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 Cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 Tsp salt
1/2 Tsp pepper

Heat a large pot of water to boiling, add some salt and garlic. Cook according to pasta instructions. Add peas the last minute or two of cooking.

While pasta is cooking add olive oil to skillet and heat to medium. Add smoked sausage and green pepper and cook for about 5 minutes. You just want to get a little brown on the sausage.

In a food processor, grind almonds and 1/2 cup of water until creamy.

Lightly beat eggs in a small bowl, stir in almond cream, parmesan, salt and pepper.

Drain pasta and return to pot. Add almond mixture and stir to coat, allowing the heat from the pasta to cook the eggs.

Add smoked sausage mixture and continue to stir.

Serve with a fresh salad and/or bread.

Sun-Dried Tomato & Spinach Stroganoff

Some recipes that I come across I use as an idea or a starting point to form my own recipes based on our family's tastes. However, sometimes I find a recipe that is just right and needs no additions or deletions.

In the 2011 December issue of All You magazine a reader submitted a dinner recipe for under $10. It sounded like a great recipe for our vegetarian dinner nights so I thought we would give it try.

My husband actually ended up making this dinner instead of me because I was running late and did not make it home in time to start dinner.

Sun-Dried Tomato and Spinach Stroganoff

12 oz Egg noodles
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Medium onion, sliced
3 Cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 Tsp paprika
1/2 Tsp nutmeg
8 oz Mushrooms, sliced
1/2 Cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1 Cup vegetable or chicken broth
3 Cups spinach, chopped
1 1/2 Cups sour cream
1 Tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 Tsp tabasco sauce
salt and pepper

Boil noodles in a large pot of salted water as directed.

Warm oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until almost translucent. Add garlic, mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and add spices. Saute until mushrooms brown. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes.

Pour broth, raise the heat to high. When it boils, reduce the heat to medium and cook until liquid reduces by 1/3. Mix in spinach and cook for one minute.

Remove from heat and add sour cream, Worcestershire, and tabasco sauce.

Serve over noodles. Enjoy!

(My wonderful husband cooking dinner)

The overall consensus was that this was a pretty good vegetarian meal. It was not knock your socks off fantastic, but very tasty indeed.

Healthier Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

Beef Stroganoff was not something that I grew up having as a child. I did not even try it until I was in college. I really had no idea what I was missing.

My husband on the other hand did grow up having Beef Stroganoff and told me it was one of his favorite meals as a child.

I knew I had to come up with a way to make it a little healthier than the original version, so here is my rendition.

Healthier Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients:

1-1/2 lbs Stew meat
1 Large carrot
1 Medium onion
2 Garlic cloves
1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
1/4 Cup water
1 Can healthy request cream of mushroom soup
2 oz Fat free sour cream
4 oz Plain Greek style yogurt (you can use 6 oz of sour cream and skip this ingredient if you like)
1 Tsp pepper
1 Dash olive oil
Cooked egg noodles



Heat lightly oiled skillet to medium and add meat and vegetables. Cook for 2-4 mins, just to get a light brown on the meat. You are not trying to cook the meat through just sealing in the moisture and creating more complex flavors.

Combine cream of mushroom soup, sour cream/yogurt, worcestershire, garlic, and water.

Add meat and vegetable mixture to crock pot. Top with cream sauce and cook on low for 5-6 hours.



Serve on top of egg noodles.

*This serves about 4 people, please adjust amounts if you have more members in your family.

Creamy Vegetable Bow Ties

If you want an easy nutritious side dish to serve your family, try this Creamy Vegetable Bow Ties recipe.

I really used whatever vegetables I had on hand so you can customize it to your family's likes.

My oldest son asked if he could please have this creamy pasta for lunch at school tomorrow, yay!

Creamy Vegetable Bow Ties

Ingredients:

1/4 Box bow tie pasta, cooked
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tsp oregano
1/2 Tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 Tsp garlic powder
2 Cups fresh vegetable of your choice, chopped (I used carrots, green beans, mushrooms, and broccoli)
1 Fresh tomato, chopped
4-5 Tbsps low fat cottage cheese or ricotta
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese for topping

Prepare pasta according to package, drain and set to the side.

Heat oil in skillet over low heat and add oregano, italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Cook for about 2 mins.

Turn heat to medium and add all vegetables except tomato. Saute until vegetables are tender.

Add cooked pasta, cottage cheese and fresh tomato, heating thru for about 3 mins. Continue to stir until cheese has melted. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve and sprinkle each individual serving with parmesan cheese.

This was a great side dish, but would make a light vegetarian main dish as well.

For this particular night I served this pasta along side Refried Bean Taquitos and Broccoli and Cheese.

Prosciutto Pasta Toss

I have been sick for the past few days, so the last thing I wanted to do last night was make an elaborate dinner. I began searching through my tried and trusted recipe book of our family favorites and came across a super simple recipe that I thought I must share with all of you.

The original recipe for Prosciutto Pasta Toss can be found on the Taste of Home website. I made a few additions, but overall followed the recipe.

Prosciutto can be expensive, although my local supermarket, Harris Teeter, does place it on sale every couple of months. In this case, I purchased sliced Prosciutto da Parma 3oz size for $3.99 (50% off the original price).

I am kind of glad my husband was not here for dinner last night because there would not have been any leftovers. My oldest son ate two helpings and I sent him to school today with the leftovers.

Prosciutto Pasta Toss

Ingredients:

1 Package spaghetti or linguine of your choice (I used Ronzoni SmartTaste)
1/4 Cup olive oil
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 Tsp pepper
1/4 Medium yellow onion
4 Cloves garlic
3 oz Thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
1/2 Cup no-salt canned sweet peas (you can frozen if you like)
1/4 Cup fresh basil, chopped (optional)
1/4 Grated parmesan cheese

Cook spaghetti according to package directions.



Heat olive oil in large skillet. Add onions, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Cook until onions are translucent. Add garlic and prosciutto and cook for a couple minutes more.

If using frozen peas, add them to the pasta in the last 3 mins. of cooking time. If using canned peas add them to the prosciutto skillet right before you add the pasta.



Drain pasta and add to prosciutto mixture. Stir to combine. Place in individual bowls topped with chopped basil and grated parmesan.

This goes great with a side salad and fresh bread.

*The reason I use canned peas instead of frozen is just a personal preference. I am not a fan of frozen peas and I like the fact that I can get no-salt peas if I buy them in a can.

Crock Pot Lasagna

When I hear the word "Lasagna" I think time consuming. What about you? I have tried those no-cook lasagna noodles and did not care for them.

I knew this week was going to be super crazy so I started searching for crock pot recipes. Over the years I have cooked some pretty awesome crock pot recipes and some pretty awful ones. I came across a recipe for Crock Pot Lasagna and had to give it a try.

I have to admit I was pretty skeptical about this particular recipe because it called for regular lasagna noodles without cooking them first.

I am happy to report that after a few changes, Crock Pot Lasagna will now be on our family favorite list. I might even try adding more vegetables like zucchini and spinach next time.

Crock Pot Lasagna

Ingredients:

1lb 93% lean ground beef
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 jar spaghetti sauce (yes, I cheated here and did not make homemade, but you remember it was a crazy week, right?)
1 cup water
1 15oz container low-fat cottage cheese
2 cups of 2% mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated or shredded parmesan cheese
1 egg or substitute
2-3 tbsp fresh parsley
1 tsp dried no-salt Italian seasoning
6 lasagna noodles, uncooked
salt and pepper as desired

Brown the meat with onions and carrots. Add garlic when meat is almost brown. Add salt and pepper if desired.

Add spaghetti sauce and water. Simmer for about 5 minutes.

Combine cottage cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, parmesan, egg, parsley and Italian seasoning.

Spoon 1 cup of meat into the crock pot. Top with a layer of noodles (break to fit). Top with cheese mixture. Cover with 2 cups of meat sauce. Top with another layer of noodles. Top with the rest of the cheese mixture and then the remaining meat sauce.

Cook on low for 4 hours. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese and cook until melted.

Serve with a side salad and bread.

Bacon Pesto Pasta with Spinach & Sun-Dried Tomatoes

As you may have read on my blog, I have recently been following another blog that is devoted to making great food on a budget. Well, my family and I have decided to try another recipe from this blog since the first one we had was delicious (Apricot Honey Dijon Pork Chops).

Since my kids are in love with my homemade pesto sauce and I needed to use the remainder of the bacon from the refrigerator before it spoiled, I decided to make Bacon Pesto Pasta Bake from Budget Bytes. Here are my revisions to this delightful recipe. Either way you try it, this recipe is a winner, just ask my husband who said it was one of his favorites!

Bacon Pesto Pasta with Spinach & Sun-Dried Tomatoes

14.5 oz box of Ronzoni SmartTaste Pasta or whole wheat
6-7 oz homemade pesto sauce or store-bought
2 cups fresh spinach - chopped
5 oz oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes - chopped
6 oz low-sodium bacon
2 cups of low-fat mozzarella
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350° and spray a large casserole dish with non-stick spray.

Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to the directions on the box.

While the pasta cooks, chop the bacon into small bits and cook in a skillet over medium/high heat until crispy. Spoon cooked bacon onto a couple of paper towels.

Add chopped spinach to the pasta on the last minute of cooking. Drain pasta and spinach.

Return pasta to the pot. Mix in the pesto, bacon, tomatoes and 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Pour the mixture into the casserole dish and spread. Top with the remaining one cup of cheese.

Put the casserole in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted about 20 mins.

* You could also use freshly packed sun-dried tomatoes instead of the oil-packed. I like the freshly packed sun-dried tomatoes better, but my grocery store was out of my favorite brand this week. If you use freshly packed sun-dried tomatoes, soak them first in boiling hot water (not directly on the stove).

Gnocchi Spinach White Bean Stew

There is no better way to incorporate a variety of vegetables into a dinner dish than in a stew or soup. I recently came across a couple of stew/soup recipes that sounded pretty healthy so I took pieces from each and came up with my own Gnocchi Spinach White Bean Stew.

My youngest son loves white beans, so this recipe was perfect.

Gnocchi Spinach White Bean Stew

Ingredients:

17.6 oz Whole Wheat Potato Gnocchi Homemade Style* or White Potato Gnocchi
1-2 tbsp olive oil + 1 tsp
1 medium onion chopped
1 large carrots chopped
4 cloves garlic
1 cup of homemade vegetable broth or store-bought
3 cups of spinach chopped
1 15 oz can of no salt Italian tomatoes
1 15 oz can of Cannellini beans
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi and cook, stirring very often, until plumped and starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes (I had to use 2 tablespoons of olive oil because my gnocchi was sticking). Transfer to a bowl.

Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil, onion and carrots to the pan and cook, stirring, over medium heat, for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and water. Cover and cook until the onion is soft, 4 to 6 minutes.

Add spinach and cook, stirring, until starting to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, beans and salt/pepper and bring to a simmer for a few mins. Stir in the gnocchi.

Place stew in bowls and top with parmesan cheese. Serve with a fresh salad and homemade bread sticks.

* I found the whole wheat gnocchi at Trader Joe's for under $2

Apricot Honey Dijon Pork Chops

What a colorful plate! This meal combination of Apricot Honey Dijon Pork Chops, Sauteed Carrots and Green Beans with Pasta Salad was fresh and light.

When I decide to have pork chops for dinner I usually get stumped in how to prepare them. My mom always made barbeque pork chops on the grill, and although they were good, I feel intimidated by the grill.

Therefore, after researching online recipes I came across an awesome website with great looking budget friendly recipes called Budget Bytes. One recipe that stood out to me was Apricot Dijon Pork Chops and we decided to give them a try. They were fantastic and super easy.

I followed the recipe exactly except I used honey dijon mustard and boneless pork chops. Click on the link above for the complete recipe.

Sides:

Sauteed Carrots and Green Beans

Ingredients:

1 large carrot (julienne cut)
1/4 lb green beans (trimmed)
1 clove garlic (minced)
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp of butter
salt and pepper

Place carrots in microwave bowl or steam bag with water. Cook for 1 min. Place trimmed green beans into bowl and cook for an additional 1-2 mins.

Melt butter in pan and add carrots and green beans. Cook for one min. Add garlic and cook for an additional min. Season with salt and pepper.

Times may vary based on how thin you cut the carrots and your desired doneness.

Teresa's Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

1/2 bag Wacky Mac Pasta
10-15 grape tomatoes sliced
2 tbsp red onion
2 tbsp green pepper
1/4 cup carrots
10 Kalamata olives sliced
2 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
1/4-1/2 cup of fat-free Italian dressing
salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta per package directions. Mix all ingredients together and place in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Bolognese

I try to aim for simple when creating dinner ideas, however sometimes this does compromise the flavor. Some things just taste better with more preparation. Our family loves pasta, as I am sure you have noticed if you have looked over this blog. I especially have a deep obssession with it.


Growing up we did not have a lot of pasta. My dad was never a noodle guy. The only pasta dishes I remember my mom cooking was spaghetti. Who does not love spaghetti, right? Well, I have been following a food blog that brings a new light to the traditional meat spaghetti.

Katie at GoodlifeEats created an amazing recipe for Bolognese. It is hearty, rich, flavorful and well-worth the extra preparation time.

Bolognese by definition is a sauce for pasta containing mushrooms, ham, vegetables and beef. Katie's recipe contains everything except for the ham.

I follow her recipe almost exactly, with only a few minor changes or additions.

Bolognese

2/3 cup dried porcini mushrooms
2/3 cup water
1 1/4 cup sweet white wine (Riesling or White Zinfandel) or apple juice
1 carrot, peeled and chopped roughly
1 small yellow onion, chopped - or a shallot if I have one on hand
1 stalk celery, chopped
5 oz. fresh baby spinach
1 – 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes or fresh roma tomatoes (peeled and run through the food processor)
1 1/2 Tbs butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp sugar
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 1/2 cup skim milk
3 Tbs tomato paste
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp dried oregano
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped in strips
1 lb. spaghetti, cooked according to package instructions
freshly grated Parmesan for serving

(These directions came start from Katie's Pasta Bolognese at GoodlifeEats.)

Rinse the dried mushrooms under water in a small strainer and drain. Add the mushrooms and water to a small microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, cut steam vents in the plastic with a knife and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Allow mushrooms to stand for about 5 minutes, or until soft. Remove mushrooms from liquid (reserving the liquid) and set aside.

Bring wine or apple juice to a simmer in a skillet over medium heat; reduce heat to low and simmer until wine has reduced to 1/4 cup, about 20 minutes. Set aside.

Meanwhile, chop the mushrooms in a food processor until broken down into 1/8 inch pieces. Add carrot, onion and celery and pulse until the vegetables are 1/8 inch pieces and mushrooms are well ground – scraping the sides.

Heat butter in a 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat. When the foaming subsides, add the chopped vegetables and cook, stirring often, for about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sugar, cooking for an additional 30 seconds. Add the meat, breaking into 1 inch pieces, about 1 minute. Pour the milk into the pan while stirring meat and breaking into 1/2 inch pieces. Reduce heat to medium, continuing to simmer, while stirring to break up the meat into small pieces and until most of the liquid has evaporated and the meat begins to sizzle, about 18 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir till combined, about 1 minute.

Stir in the tomatoes, reserved liquid from the mushrooms, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring sauce to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 12-15 minutes. Liquid should be reduced and the sauce should be thick, but still moist. Stir in the wine, spinach, basil and parsley and simmer an additional 5 minutes.

Plate pasta and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Great served with a side salad. Enjoy!

Pasta with Olives, Garlic, & Sun-dried Tomatoes

You may be thinking, WOW! this family sure does eat a lot of pasta and you are right. We love pasta! You can really get creative when it comes to pasta.

I hardly every get the time to really read some of the many recipe emails I get each day, but something caught my eye about this next recipe that was in my email box from Seventh Generation. I knew right away it would be a winner in our house.

I did make some very small changes so I will list the entire recipe below or feel free to check out the original by clicking on the recipe name below.

Pasta with Olives, Garlic & Sun-dried Tomatoes

Ingredients:

1 pound of ziti, rotini or bow tie pasta
1/2 cup of Mezzetta Napa Valley Bistro - Pitted Greek Kalamata Olives - sliced (these olives made all the difference in the world for this recipe - they added so much flavor)
1 cup plain sundried tomatoes, chopped (soak them in boiling water to soften them up and bring out their flavor)
3 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 cup Freshly Shredded Parmesan cheese
4-6 tablespoons of olive oil

Bring a big pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to directions on the box.

As soon as you put the pasta in, heat a very large frying pan over medium heat and add olive oil. After one minute add garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds. Turn heat down to low and add sun dried tomatoes, olives, and a pinch of salt, and cook until the pasta is done.

Remove pasta from pot with a slotted spoon, and add directly to the frying pan. Ladle into the pan at least one cup of the liquid the pasta cooked in. Stir thoroughly.

Pour into a large bowl and sprinkle with cheese.

Serve with a salad and fresh bread.

*My husband does not really care for sun-dried tomatoes, but he said this pasta recipe was awesome!

Shells and Cheese with Broccoli - Quick Side

When my husband is not going to be around for dinner I usually don't plan an extravagant meal. I still try to make dinner healthy, but with much less effort. Tonight I knew I was going to have fresh garden green pepper strips and carrots for our vegetable side dish, but needed something with a little more substance. Neither one of my kids really "loves" macaroni and cheese, but I found a recipe online that I thought sounded delicious, Quick Macaroni and Cheese. I made some minor changes and additions and here is the result.

Shells and Cheese - Quick Side

Ingredients:

7 oz of pasta shells
1 tbsp of butter (I used bestlife butter)
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tbsp of unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup of skim milk
1/4 tsp of salt
1 cup of reduced fat extra sharp cheddar cheese
1 small bunch of broccoli cut into smaller bite-sized pieces

Cook pasta shells according to directions (al dente). While the shells are cooking stem broccoli over the stove in a double broiler or in the microwave. If you steam in the microwave add about 1 tbsp of water.

In a medium sauce pan melt butter. Add garlic and cayenne pepper. Cook for one min. and then add flour. Cook for an additional min. and then slowly add the milk and salt. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. Simmer for about 2 mins. Reduce heat to low and add the cheese.

Place broccoli into a food processor and process until it is in very tiny bits (skip this part if your family likes the broccoli in small bite-sized pieces). Add broccoli and pasta to the cheese sauce and stir until coated. ENJOY!

Pesto Pasta with Spinach - A Family Favorite

Every afternoon I get that same age-old question, "What's For Dinner?". My boys are completely different when it comes to likes and dislikes regarding food. I am sure every household struggles with what to prepare for dinner that pleases all family members. It has been a real challenge for me to come up with a healthy dinner menu that truly pleases, but I have managed to find a few. 

I thought I would begin by sharing some of them with all of you. I hope you enjoy! This recipe is an absolute family favorite. 

Although, our family is not vegetarian we try to eat vegetarian meals at least 3 times a week.

Pesto Pasta with Spinach

Ingredients:

• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic or about 1 clove
• 1 cup of pesto sauce (store-bought or homemade)
• 2 Tbl olive oil
• 3 Tbl capers, drained or chopped green olives
• 1 package (16 ounces) Penne noodles or any noodle you like
• 12 ounces baby spinach, cut into small pieces
• salt and pepper to taste
• shredded Parmesan cheese to taste

In a large stockpot, boil the water for the pasta. 

 Meanwhile, in a large serving bowl, combine the garlic, pesto, olive oil, and capers. Wash the spinach leaves, tear off any stems, and cut into tiny bit size pieces (kids seem to like it better if you cut the spinach). 

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook it according to the package directions until it is about 1 minute short of being done. Add the spinach to the water for the last min. of cooking.  

Drain the pasta and spinach immediately.  Add to the pesto mixture and toss to coat. Season it with salt and pepper and top each individual serving with Parmesan cheese. 

I serve this pasta with a side salad and fresh homemade garlic rolls.

*Do not leave out the capers! I have left them out before and it is not as good. If you do not like capers you may be able to substitute green olives or something with a salty nature.*