Avocado Soba Noodles

I have been wanting to try an avocado sauce over pasta for quite a while, and so when I found some Sweet Potato and Buckwheat Soba Noodles I knew exactly what I would make with them.  This is a really simple dish, and if you love avocados you will love this.  When I first came across a recipe for avocado pasta I was a little skeptical, but it was delicious.  I made my sauce with lemon and parsley, but you could also use lime and/or cilantro to replace either of those ingredients.  And of course you can use regular soba noodles, or even spaghetti if you prefer.  The colour is a bit off-putting, however once you taste it you won't care what colour it is.

Soba Noodles with Avocado

250g Soba Noodles

2 ripe avocados

1 lg clove garlic

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 cup parsley

Using a food processor mince the garlic and parsley, then add the avocado and lemon juice and puree.  Meanwhile cook the soba noodles according to package directions.  Drain and mix with the avocado sauce. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Pasta with Barbecue Roasted Vegetables

This is a very flavourful pasta dish that takes about 5 minutes to prepare and only 10 minutes to cook.  And it really shows off the delicious summer vegetables that are now in season.  And you can pretty much use any vegetables you want to make this.  I used yellow zucchini, broccoli, and red and orange peppers, but portabello mushrooms, eggplant, cauliflower, onions, and many other vegetables would be great in this dish.  Just pick ones that will cook at about the same length of time.  Since I used Spaghettini I cut my peppers into long, thin strips; but if you were to use rigatoni or some other short pasta, it would be good to cut the vegetables into chunks instead.  By the way, I really wanted to make this with Capelletti, but of course I ended up being out of it.  I have nine kinds of pasta in my cupboard, and the kind I want never happens to be there.  So I settled on Spaghettini.  My hubby thinks I'm ridiculous for being disappointed with the thickness of my pasta, but it makes a difference to the dish, I swear!  I made my vegetables on the barbecue so I wouldn't have a hot oven on in my house, but if you want you can just roast the veggies in the oven. 

Roasted Vegetable Pasta
(2 servings)

2 cups of mixed chopped fresh vegetables (broccoli, bell peppers, zucchini, cauliflower, etc.)
2 tbsp + 1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp of chili pepper flakes (if desired)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
200 grams of any pasta (enough for 2 people)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and preheat the barbecue to medium.  While water and barbecue are heating chop up the vegetables and mix with the 2 tablespoons of oil, garlic, and chili pepper flakes.  Place in a barbecue-safe dish and cover with tinfoil. 
Add pasta to boiling water and cook for the recommended time.  Place the vegetables on the barbecue and let cook for about 10 minutes, stirring half-way through.  Vegetables should be cooked, but not soggy.  Add about 2 tablespoons of the pasta water to the vegetables to make it a little saucier and to get the additional flavours from the pan.  Drain the pasta and stir in the additional olive oil.  Separate pasta between 2 plates and then top each plate with half of the roasted vegetables.  Generously top each serving with Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Creamy Asparagus and Artichoke Pasta

I don't know why, but all I've been wanting to eat lately is cheesy, creamy pastas.  I ate pretty healthily all winter, and now that the warm weather is here I just want not-so-healthy comfort foods.  Isn't that the opposite of what people usually do?  Aren't you supposed to crave light, crispy salads once the hot weather hits, and try to look good in your bathing suit?  But I don't really care about my bathing suit because this pasta was worth every cheesy, delicious, calorie.  And I like to think that with all the asparagus and spinach in it, it can't be that bad!  And I did control myself on the cheese.  I was really tempted to bake this at the end, with a layer of shredded cheddar on top, just for that extra over-the-top-ness.  But I held back, especially since I knew I would be the one eating the whole thing since my hubby doesn't like pasta, or asparagus, or artichokes...seriously, what's wrong with him?  But by all means, feel free to go that extra step!  I will be jealous if you do though!

Creamy Asparagus and Artichoke Pasta

350 g Farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
1 lb roasted asparagus
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup white wine (or vegetable broth)
1/2 cup milk

1 cup spinach, roughly chopped
1 large jar artichoke hearts, chopped

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp hot pepper flakes
Pepper, to taste

Cook pasta to al dente.  Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat and add garlic.  Cook for 2 minutes.
Add the cream cheese, sour cream, and wine, whisking into a smooth cream.  Whisk in the milk and Parmesan cheese, then add spinach.  Cut the roasted asparagus spears into 1" pices.  Add the cooked pasta, asparagus, artichokes, and seasoning.  Serve with additional pepper and chili flakes on top.

Sauce before the pasta is added in.

Shrimp Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce

This is a rich, easy-to-make, elegant dish.  And it is so versatile!  I have made it with many different types of vegetables, the most recent being fiddleheads.  You can make it with or without shrimp also.  It's all up to you.  The important part is the butter and cream.  Yes, it is very rich, and drool-worthy.  I am just going to write the basic recipe here.  If you are making this with vegetables just add them with the garlic at the beginning to cook them a little, and then they will continue cooking in the sauce.  I like combinations of thinly sliced zucchini, carrots, peppers, and asparagus.  If you are making it without any vegetables I would throw in about a tablespoon of fresh herbs to give it some added flavour.  Rosemary would go nicely with the lemon and shrimp, as well as basil.  Don't be afraid to experiment with different tastes!  Sometimes I even add some white wine:)

*oops, no picture:( I was too excited to eat this and forgot about taking one*

Shrimp Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce

400 g Pasta (fettuccine or penne work well for this sauce)
3 tablespoons of butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
350g of uncooked shrimp, peeled
1 cup vegetables of your choosing (if desired)
1 cup heavy cream (whipping cream)
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Pepper, to taste

Bring salted water to boil, add pasta and cook until al dente.  Reserve 1/4 cup of cooking water and set pasta aside.
Melt butter in a large pan over medium-high heat.  Add garlic and vegetables, cooking for 2-3 minutes.  Add shrimp, and cook for 1 minute longer.
Lower heat to medium and add lemon juice, cream, and pasta water.  Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently.  Let the sauce thicken (about 5 minutes) and then stir in the Parmesan cheese.  Add pasta and parsley, and then serve with more cheese on top along with some freshly ground black pepper.

Squash and Gnocchi 'Mac' and Cheese

I got the idea to make this dish after trying this recipe for Gnocchi Mac and Cheese.  It was super good, and easy to make, but I like to add vegetables to everything I can and I thought squash would be a great additive to this dish.  I also added a bit of spice in the form of paprika and cayenne and I used a smoky Gouda cheese.  It turned out so well!  The squash blended in so nicely and added some colour to the dish.  Unfortunately the lighting in my house is terrible for taking food pictures, so this pic doesn't do it justice.  But trust me, in real life...yum.

Squash and Gnocchi Mac and Cheese

1/2 a large Butternut Squash, peeled and cubed

1 tbsp olive oil (or other cooking oil)

1 pound of fresh Gnocchi

2 tbsp butter

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp flour

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup Smoked Gouda cheese, shredded

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp paprika

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400F.  Put the squash into a 9x9 pan and coat with olive oil and salt and pepper.  (I like a lot of pepper, but season to your tastes.)  Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until tender but not fully cooked.

Cook Gnocchi according to package directions, drain, and set aside.  Melt butter over medium heat, add in garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds.  Whisk in flour until it bubbles.  Add milk and whisk constantly for about 3 minutes or until it begins to thicken.  Stir in the Gouda cheese until melted.  Season with cayenne, paprika, salt, and pepper.  

Mix the Gnocchi in with squash and then pour the cheese sauce over top.  Top with the Parmesan cheese.  Bake for another 20 minutes, until top is golden and cheese is bubbly.  Let sit for a few minutes before serving.  Enjoy!

Easy Peasy Pasta Salad

This is such an easy pasta salad to make, and you can make it with such a variety of ingredients.  I usually put tuna in mine, and then add some kind of combination of vegetables.  Peppers, green onions, cherry tomatoes, peas, carrots, asparagus, and/or cucumber.  Basically I use whatever veggies I have on hand.  If I use carrots or asparagus I always partly cook them first so they aren't too crunchy.  Just throw them in with the pasta while it's cooking for the last 2 minutes or so.  If I don't have tuna on hand I will make it with cut up hard-boiled eggs, which is also good if you want a vegetarian dish.  I find the best pasta to make this with is farfalle (bow tie).  The shape of them just seems to work really well with the mayonnaise and vegetables.
This 'recipe' is pretty basic, it's completely up to your own tastes as to what, and how much, you put into it.  I'll write the ingredients for the salad pictured, but it's just a basic outline for whatever you like.

Easy Pasta Salad:

1 can of tuna, drained and flaked
5 cups of cooked pasta, cooled
1 yellow pepper, cut into small pieces
1 carrot, cut into thin slices and blanched (toss into cooking pasta for last 2 minutes of cooking time)
1/2 cup of fresh peas, blanched
1/4 cup mayonnaise
pepper, to taste

Toss all of the ingredients together and serve!

Super Easy Stuffed Shells!

I used to always buy the frozen cheese and spinach stuffed cannelloni, but for close to $10 I was only getting a little over 2 "servings" ('cause I do love my pasta!) so I thought I should try making it myself.  I have never bought it frozen since!  It's simple to make, and for about the same price I get so much more food out of it.  Plus I can make it much healthier than the store-bought stuff.  This is another one of those recipes that's really easy to change, depending on what you have on hand.  For example, this time I added cauliflower to the filling.  I have also made it many times using only tomato sauce (no Alfredo) or by adding some cream to the tomato sauce.  If you want to make it really healthy, just go with the tomato sauce, and if you want something extra decadent, cover the top with grated Mozzarella and Parmesan.  Mmmm, cheese.  I also usually use a large container of ricotta cheese, but the store was sold out, and so I just used a 300g container.  And it was still amazing!  By the way, I use jumbo pasta shells instead of Cannelloni because I find it way easier to stuff.  But if you have more patience than me, go for the Cannelloni!

Oops, didn't realize how blurry the picture was!

Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells

1 box Jumbo Pasta Shells

300 g. Ricotta cheese

1 pkg. frozen chopped spinach (300 g.)

1 cup finely chopped cauliflower

1 cup tomato pasta sauce

1 cup Alfredo sauce

Salt and Pepper

Cook pasta according to directions on box, then drain.  While the pasta is cooking thaw spinach in microwave and cook cauliflower.  Mix the vegetables with the ricotta cheese, season with salt and pepper.  Cover the bottom of a 9x9 pan (for 2 layers, if you want one layer use a 9x12) with a thin layer of tomato sauce.  Stuff each shell with about a tablespoon of the filling.  (If you want to swear less than me, wait until the pasta cools down before handling the shells!)  Once you have a layer of stuffed shells put a spoonful of tomato sauce over each one.  Continue stuffing shells and adding them to the pan until you run out of the veggie-cheese mixture.  (I usually have a few left over shells.)  Pour the rest of the tomato sauce on top, and then pour on the Alfredo.  Bake for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  Serve with freshly grated Parmesan if desired:) 

Lemon and Cilantro Cappelletti

When I got home last night I realized I had nothing to take for my lunch today.  I had some leftover Spicy Red Lentil and Havarti Soup to take for my dinner, but no lunch.  So I looked in my fridge for something quick to make and found cilantro (which I love!), chicken broth, preserved lemons (which I made from this recipe), and carrots.  I basically mixed that together with some Cappelletti (Angel Hair Pasta) and that was it.  I was actually expecting to make a soup, but I put in too much Cappelletti and it sucked up all my broth so I ended up with a pasta dish.  It was so refreshing and comforting at the same time.  I think it would make a great cold combatant!

Easy Lemon and Cilantro Cappelletti

900 ml Chicken broth

1/2 pkg of Cappelletti (or less, if you want it to be more soupy)

1 carrot

Handful of Cilantro

1/4 of a preserved lemon

Pour the broth into a pot and set to med-high.  While it comes to a boil peel the carrot and cut into very thin strips.  I thinly slice my carrot lengthwise and then cut each slice into long, skinny strips.  Cut the strips in half.  Wash and dry a handful of cilantro and chop up finely.  Cut the pulp and pith off the lemon rind and discard.  Rinse the rind to get rid of some of the salt and then very finely dice.  When the stock boils add the carrots and pasta.  Once they are cooked add the lemon and cilantro.  Serve and enjoy!

Sneaky Macaroni and Cheese

I made a delicious macaroni and cheese last night that had zucchini and tomatoes in it.  I think it would be a great meal to serve to picky children who don't eat their vegetables because you could hardly tell there was zucchini in it.  My hubby is not a vegetable lover, and he did complain about the tomatoes, but he didn't seem to realize that there was another vegetable hiding in his mac and cheese!  I adapted the Italian Macaroni and Cheese recipe from Mable Hoffman's Pot Luck recipe book, just adding and changing a few things.  It was easy to make and looked really pretty with the tomato slices on top!

Three-Cheese Macaroni with a Twist!

4 cups cooked macaroni
1 small onion, finely diced
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 cup milk
2 cups shredded yellow zucchini
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
3 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
3 tbsp chopped fresh basil
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2/3 cup Ricotta cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Melt the butter in a large pot, add onions and cook for about a minute.  Add flour, stir until bubbly.  Mix in milk, zucchini, cayenne, and salt.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low, add mozzarella cheese.  Stir until melted.
Mix the Ricotta cheese with the basil and parsley.
Put 2 cups of the macaroni in a greased 9" casserole dish.  Pour half of the zucchini and mozzarella sauce on top.  Place sliced tomatoes in rows to cover the macaroni.  Place a small blob of the Ricotta mix on each tomato.  Add the rest of the macaroni, followed by the rest of the sauce.  Make another layer of tomato slices, placing the Ricotta mixture on each one.  Sprinkle all over with Parmesan cheese.  Bake in a 400F oven for 30 minutes. 

Homemade Pesto...it's worth making it!

Sometimes it's cheaper (and easier!) to just buy something than it is to make it.  That's how I feel about pasta sauces, among other things.  But when I went to the farmer's market last week and saw a huge amount of fresh basil for only $2, homemade pesto was all that was on my mind.  I have always loved pesto, and can remember begging my mom for "green spaghetti" when I was a child.  So I looked at a few recipes online and finally settled on two recipes to follow, and then went to buy the ingredients.  Since you can buy a jar of pesto for about $4.50 at the grocery store, I wanted to keep my cost as low as possible.  All I needed to buy was fresh Parmesan cheese and pine nuts or walnuts.  I went with walnuts because they were way cheaper than the pine nuts, and I knew they would taste just as good.  And then I made pesto for the first time!  It was extremely easy to make (the 'hardest' part was getting the leaves off the stalk and washing them!) and turned out really well.  It was more expensive to make it at home, especially since my grocery store currently has it on sale for $1.99, but it was much more satisfying to say I made it myself.  And it was delicious!  I had it with linguine, but I plan on making pizza with it later on this week.  Here's the recipe I used if you would like to make your own 'green spaghetti':

Basil Pesto:

2 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves (packed), washed and dried
1/3 cup pine nuts or chopped walnuts
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor, add the basil, nuts, and Parmesan cheese.  Pulse until well chopped, add the garlic.  While the processor is on a low setting, slowly pour in 1/3 cup of olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.  Pour pesto into a jar and top with remaining olive oil.  Keep in fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for later use.

I divided the pesto into 4 small containers, so I could freeze some and keep some out.  Don't worry if the top of the pesto turns dark brown or black, it's just the air's effect on the basil, the olive oil on top should keep it greener.  Enjoy!