Chicken Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce

via the comfort of cooking

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

8 ounces uncooked rotini

1 3/4 cups (1 1/2-inch) slices asparagus (about 1/2 pound)

1 cup frozen green peas, thawed

1 tablespoon butter

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/3 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Dash of crushed red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, or until fully cooked and juices run clear. Tent with foil and set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and/or olive oil. Add asparagus during last 2 minutes of cooking time.

Place peas in a colander. Drain pasta mixture over peas; set aside.

Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic to pan; sauté 1 minute. Combine broth and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir until well blended. Add broth mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in cream, juice, salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Add pasta mixture to broth mixture; toss gently to coat.

Slice chicken and serve immediately with pasta.

Enjoy!

Olive Garden Copy Cat Chicken Scampi

via CopyKat.com

Because M wanted it. Sauce was a little bland; chicken was great.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound chicken tenders
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 tablespoons olive oil - divided use
• 1/2 green bell pepper sliced thin
• 1/2 red bell pepper sliced thin
• 1/2 orange bell pepper sliced thin
• 1/2 medium sized red onion sliced thin
• 1 clove garlic sliced thin
• 1 pound pasta cooked according to package directions
• 3/4 cup white wine
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasonings

Instructions

Place flour, salt, and pepper into a shallow dish and mix well with a fork. Place milk in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken first in flour, then dip into milk, and then dredge again in the flour. Place breaded chicken on a wrack and allow to rest 10 minutes before cooking. While the chicken is resting, cut peppers, onions, and garlic.

Saute peppers, onions, and garlic in a large heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season peppers, onions, and garlic with a light spinkling of salt. Saute until peppers begin to brown. Remove from skillet.

Place remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in hot skillet. Place chicken in skillet. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes on each side until the chicken has browned on both sides. Remove chicken from pan. Deglaze the pan by adding white wine to the pan and add italian seasoning blend. Scrape the bottom with a spoon scrapping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Add heavy cream and mix well. Return cooked vegetables to the pan and stir. Add cooked pasta to the skillet. Plate the pasta and sauce, placing a few pieces of cooked chicken with each plate.

Pesto Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Brussel Sprouts

via Gimme Some Oven

I liked, M was so-so.  But easy on the prep side.  

Ingredients:

• 1 lb fresh brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and any yellowed/browned outer leaves removed, then sliced in half
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
• 1 lb (16 oz.) orecchiette (or any pasta)
• 4 chicken sausage links (I used spicy Italian), sliced into 1/4″ thick coins
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup pesto
• Parmesan cheese, for serving

Method:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  In a large bowl, mix together brussels sprouts, 2 Tbsp. olive oil, salt and pepper. Gently stir until well-combined.
Prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil, then spread the brussels sprouts on it evenly.  Roast for about 20-30 minutes, stirring once partway through, or until they are crispy on the outside and cooked on the inside.  (My batch of tiny sprouts only took about 12 minutes to cook.)  Remove from oven and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the sausage and cook, turning occasionally, until nearly-browned, about 6-8 minutes.  Add the garlic, and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and the sausage is browned.
Cook the pasta according to the package directions.  (I begin heating my water while preparing the brussel sprouts, and added the pasta to the boiling water just after beginning to cook the sausage.)  Once the pasta is cooked, drain the water (reserving 1/4 cup pasta water), and then toss together the pasta, pesto, cooked sausage and garlic, and brussels sprouts.  Add in some of the reserved pasta water if needed for extra moisture.
Serve warm, and sprinkle with freshly-grated Parmesan cheese.

Turkey Meatballs

via A Hint of Honey

1 lb. ground turkey
1 slice fresh whole wheat bread, crusts removed and crumbled [or breadcrumbs]
1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated + extra for serving
1/2 cup carrot, finely grated
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
2 Tbsp. fresh thyme, minced
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
freshly ground black pepper

3. Meanwhile, to make the meatballs, combine the turkey and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Gently mix with you hands and form into balls. Preheat broiler. Place meatballs on a foil lined baking sheet and broil for 5-10 minutes (depending on the size of your meatballs) until slightly browned and almost cooked through.

4. Remove the rosemary sprig from the sauce and stir in the basil. [Note: I used canned sauce rather than the original recipe provided.] Add the broiled meatballs, cover, and cook another 10 minutes until the meatballs have absorbed some of the sauce.

5. Serve meatballs and sauce over spaghetti squash (or pasta) with freshly grated Parmesan.

Baked Ziti with Tomatoes and Spinach

via Epicurious (I think...)

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 pound hot Italian sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 28-ounce can diced peeled tomatoes
1/4 cup purchased pesto sauce

10 ounces ziti or penne pasta (about 3 cups), freshly cooked
8 cups ready-to-use spinach leaves (about 2/3 of 10-ounce package)
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, cubed
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)

DIRECTIONS:

Heat heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sausage, onion and garlic and sauté until sausage is cooked through, breaking up meat with back of spoon, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes with juices to pan. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in pesto. Season sauce with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing.)

Preheat oven to 375° F. Lightly oil 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish. Combine pasta, spinach, mozzarella and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese in large bowl. Stir in hot tomato sauce. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle remaining 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese over. Bake until sauce bubbles and cheeses melt, about 30 minutes.

Naked Tomato Sauce

via Smitten Kitchen

I usually avoid Smitten Kitchen recipes--they look pretty, and also hard. This recipe was time consuming, but so exactly the thing that I wanted it to be, I will certainly make it again. Yum.

INGREDIENTS

3 pound plum tomatoes (I used Roma)
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 large clove garlic, thinly sliced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Small handful basil leaves, most left whole, a few slivered for garnish
1/4 cup olive oil
12 ounces (3/4 pound) dried spaghetti
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, or maybe two if nobody is looking

DIRECTIONS

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cut a small X at the bottom of each tomato. Blanch the tomatoes in the boiling water for 10 to 30 seconds, then either rinse under cold water or shock in an ice water bath. Peeling the tomatoes should now be a cinch. Discard the skins. Keep the pot full of hot water — you can use it to cook your spaghetti in a bit.

Cut each of your tomatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with your fingertips into a small strainer set over a bowl. Ditch the seeds, reserve the juices.

Add tomatoes and salt to a large saucepan (you’ll be adding the pasta to this later, so err on the big side) and turn the heat to medium-high. There are several ways to break the tomatoes down (with your hands, chopping, an immersion blender that I don’t think Italian Grandmothers would approve of but don’t worry, they’re not in the kitchen with you anyway) but I loved Conant’s suggestion of a potato masher, as it gives you the maximum control over how chunky, smooth you want your sauce.

Once the sauce has begun to boil, turn your heat down to medium-low and gently simmer your tomatoes for 35 to 45 minutes, mashing them more if needed. If they begin to look a little dry, add your strained and reserved tomato juices.

While the tomato sauce cooks, combine garlic, a few whole basil leaves, a pinch of red pepper flakes and 1/4 cup olive oil in a small saucepan. Heat them slowly, over the lowest heat so that they take a long time to come to a simmer. Once it does, immediately remove it from the heat and strain the oil into a small dish. You’ll need it shortly.

When the tomato sauce has been simmering for about 25 minutes, bring your tomato-blanching pot of water back to a boil with a healthy helping of salt. Once boiling rapidly, cook your spaghetti until it is al dente, i.e. it could use another minute of cooking time. Reserve a half-cup of pasta cooking water and drain the rest.

Once your sauce is cooked to the consistency you like, stir in the reserved olive oil and adjust seasonings to taste. Add drained spaghetti and half the reserved pasta water to the simmering tomato sauce and cook them together for another minute or two. Add remaining pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce. Stir in the butter, if using, and serve immediately with slivered basil for garnish. We found that sauce this good, this simple and rich, needs no grated cheese.

Roasted Caprese Pasta

via Lindsay

Easily our favorite meal.

INGREDIENTS

Spaghetti/farfalle pasta cooked and drained
1 part quartered and cubed zucchini (1 1/2 cup fresh zucchini per person)
1 part sliced tomatoes (1 1/2 cup sliced tomatoes per person)--I chop the tomatoe
2-4 cloves pressed garlic
generous sprinkling salt and pepper
drizzle extra virgin olive oil
fresh basil, torn into small piece
fresh mozzarella, cubed

DIRECTIONS

Boil your choice of spaghetti or bowtie pasta until al dente. Meanwhile combine
zucchini, tomatoes and garlic, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and spread on a rimmed cookie sheet. Roast vegetables, turning often until vegetables are soft (about 15 minutes).

Divide pasta onto plates, top with roasted vegetables, add fresh basil and mozzarella as desired.