Tomato, Basil, Mozzarella Orzo

For those of you that know me pretty well this recipe might surprise you. It appears to be a pasta salad - but I maintain that it's not. For those who don't know me - I can't stand salad dressing of any kind. I don't like the smell or the taste, blah! So when I made this for dinner the other night my husband laughed at me and said it IS, in fact, a pasta salad. My argument is that there's no "salad dressing" or vinegar or anything else that I consider part of the salad family, so therefore, it is not a pasta 'salad.' It's just a pasta side dish. (I know it makes no sense, but that's how I'm rationalizing it)


Anyway, this is an awesome side dish and easy to make for a large crowd. I will be doubling it for an upcoming BBQ. I also love that it is served cold so you can make it ahead of time, stick it in the fridge and get it out for dinner. You can substitute a different pasta for orzo too if you'd like. I picked orzo because I've been on an orzo/risotto kick lately and had it on hand. And as with most pasta 'side dish' recipes feel free to make changes to the ingredients based on your tastes - add a different herb, add olives, etc. It's very versatile.




Tomato, Basil, Mozzarella Orzo


Ingredients:
8 oz uncooked orzo
4 oz mozzarella, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 container of grape tomatoes, cut in half
6-8 basil leaves, julienned
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
a few cranks of cracked black pepper


Directions:
Cook orzo according to package instructions. Drain and allow to cool.


Mix up olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper and basil in a small dish. Pour over cooled pasta and stir to coat. Fold in cheese and tomatoes. Serve cold.


Makes about 4-6 side dish servings.

Mac n Cheese

I needed to throw together a quick side dish for a impromptu dinner. So I went to the pantry to take inventory. I found a half box of store brand elbow macaroni with a recipe on the back for macaroni and cheese. I adapted it to use what I had on hand. The recipe below is how it is written on the box. My changes are in italics. The main thing I added was Penzey's Brady Street Cheese Sprinkle. I love this stuff. I use it on salad, pasta, bread, veggies and who knows what else. You can obviously leave it out, since the original recipe doesn't call for it, but if you have it on hand or have a Penzey's nearby, I highly recommend giving it a shot.

Macaroni and Cheese

From: Schnuck's Pasta Box

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

3 cups milk

2 cups grated cheddar (I used 2 cups cheddar and 1 cup mozzarella)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dry mustard (I did not have any)

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

2 cups elbow macaroni (I used a whole box of rotini pasta)

1 heaping tablespoon Penzey's Brady Street Cheese Sprinkle

Directions:

Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in flour to create a roux. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. Add seasonings. Cook until sauce is thickened then add 1 cup grated cheddar (I added 1 cup cheddar and 1 cup mozzarella) and stir until melted.

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Add to cheese sauce and mix well. Turn mixture into 8 inch baking dish or pan. Sprinkle top with remaining 1 cup cheddar cheese.

Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes. If you want to make the top crispy, broil for a few additional minutes.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Two years ago on Valentine's day I was pregnant, tired and uncomfortable. My husband told me he'd take care of dinner and when I got home he was hard at work cooking dinner for me. I was so thankful for the dinner. He chose the recipe, shopped for the ingredients, and cooked the whole thing all on his own. I got to relax my pregnant self. When we sat down for dinner we both fell in love with this pasta. It is creamy, spicy, and delicious.

We make it pretty much according to the website he found it on with a few exceptions. We leave out the mushrooms, and instead of using all heavy cream, we use half heavy cream and half half and half. Wow - that was a lot of halfs.

This pasta also reheats really well. Sometimes I think it's better the second day.





Cajun Chicken Pasta
From: Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

1/2 pound linguine pasta
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
butter or olive oil
2 red bell pepper, sliced
2 green bell pepper, sliced
8 fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 green onion, chopped
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

Place the chicken and the Cajun seasoning in a plastic bag. Shake to coat. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the chicken in butter or olive oil until almost tender (5 to 7 minutes).

Add the red bell pepper, green bell pepper, mushrooms and green onion. Saute and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat.

Add the cream, basil, lemon pepper, salt, garlic powder and ground black pepper. Heat through. Add the cooked linguine, toss and heat through. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and serve.

Secret's in the Sauce!

I hate vegetables. Really, I do. I'm a thirty-year old that doesn't like vegetables. I do eat a few, but mostly the starchy, unhealthy ones. I decided to try to trick myself by hiding veggies in my pasta sauce. Not 'healthy' per-say, but healthier than not having them. Right? Right.

The verdict? Yummmmmm. The carrots gave a little sweetness to the sauce and the peppers, spinach an onion blended right in. I don't think I'll make plain spaghetti sauce again!



This is a versatile recipe - you could really add just about any veggies you want to this sauce, this is just how I made it, with what I had on hand. You can also serve over and pasta you want. I used a whole wheat thin spaghetti






Veggie Pasta Sauce



Ingredients:
1 lb Italian sausage - could use any meat really - turkey, chicken, hamburger
2 carrots, grated
1 large onion, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 1/2 cups baby spinach
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 tbsp oregano
1tbsp basil
salt and pepper to taste



Directions:
In a large sauce pan brown and crumble sausage. Drain all but 1 tbsp of the fat. Add in onion, pepper, spinach and carrot. Saute until veggies are soft. Add in garlic, tomatoes, tomato sauce and spices.


Simmer for 5-10 minutes. Serve over pasta.