Pasta with Pumpkin-Cream Sauce

HOWDY friends!  I was home alone and hungry one night, so I just opened the fridge and prayed for ideas.  LOL!  What I came up with just so happened to be delicious, so I had to post this, in case someone out there might like it as much as I did.  (I just love it when an clean-out-the-fridge-experiment turns out so good!)  

I had some leftover pureed pumpkin in the fridge, along with some dairy products that needed to be used, so I thought I'd see what I could come up with.  (Canned pumpkin would work fine, just be sure it is NOT pumpkin pie filling!)  I didn't measure anything, so I can't give you the exact recipe.  I just added stuff to the pumpkin I had left until it looked like the consistency I wanted.  Then I tossed it with some pasta and voilà...total deliciousness!

First, I put some pasta on to boil.  (I had some rigatoni in the pantry, so that's what I used.  It went really well with the sauce.)  While the pasta was cooking, I basically just dumped the pureed pumpkin in a saucepan and added some heavy whipping cream and fat free half & half until it was the consistency I wanted.  Then I heated it over medium heat until hot, and stirred in some shredded Parmesan, crumbled bacon, garlic powder, salt, pepper and a little pasta water.

Once the pasta was done, I just had to drain it and toss it with the sauce.  Oh yeah, this is important...I tossed a few diced roasted almonds on top for garnish too.  (You don't want to leave those out...sooooo good!!)

Last, but not least, I toasted bagel (that needed to be used) and spread with some pesto (also from the fridge) on it, and I had a yummy meal in just a matter of minutes!  The only bad thing was that I just made enough for one meal, so there weren't any leftovers.  Next time, I'll make a bigger batch!

Hope all is well with you my friends.  Get out there and enjoy this lovely fall weather if you can.

Blessings,
--Faithy

Garlic Pasta with Blistered Tomato Sauce

HOWDY friends!  I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted, but life is busy here in Zig Zag.  I have continued to try new recipes on a regular basis, but I just haven’t had time to stop and blog them.  I hope you are all well and happy, and too busy with good things like family & friends to spend much time on your computers too!

Anyway, I came across this recipe for Garlic Linguini with Blistered Tomato Sauce on Facebook last weekend, and knew I had to try it.  It came from Modern Mrs. Cleaver’s blog, so I knew it had to be good.  If you get a chance, scroll through her blog, you’ll find LOTS of yummy things there.

This recipe is VERY simple and easy, but it takes some time in the oven, so it's not a last-minute dish, but it's absolutely worth the wait!  As you’ll see, I was out of several ingredients, but I didn’t let that stop me.  I just substituted or left things out.  Don’t be afraid to do that my friends.  Wonderful things can be created that way! 

Garlic Pasta with Blistered Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

12 ounces dried linguine (I used fettucine, because I was out of linguine - just use whatever pasta you like)

1/4 cup olive oil  (I used extra virgin)

1/4 cup unsalted butter

6 cloves garlic, minced (I LOVE garlic, so I used an entire head!)

pinch red pepper flakes (I used about 1/4 teaspoon)

2 tablespoons parsley, finely minced (I didn’t have any parsley, so I just left it out)

salt & pepper, to taste

2 ounces shredded parmesan (again, I was out of this, so I just left it out…I really think I need to get to the grocery store!)

24 ounces tri-color sweet cherry tomatoes (I didn’t have the tri-color tomatoes, so I used a combination of grape tomatoes and sweet cherry tomatoes - I used one pkg of each)

1 large onion, sliced medium thick (I used a small sweet red onion - just found these recently, and they are sooooo good - and they add a beautiful color to anything you put them in!  It really adds a nice flavor, so if you have a really small onion use two!)

drizzle olive oil (again, I used extra virgin olive oil, but I misted everything with my Misto sprayer instead of drizzling - I can use less oil that way!)

salt/pepper (I don’t like to use too much salt, so I left this additional seasoning out)

fresh torn basil (the drought has gotten to my herb garden, so I didn’t have this either!  I used chopped, fresh chives instead - VERY good!)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Place tomatoes and onion in a 9x13 baking dish and drizzle (or spray) with olive oil, then sprinkle on a little salt, and pepper.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the tomatoes are blistered and starting to burst. (I actually baked mine for about an hour to get a really yummy caramelization.  It takes some time, but it’s SOOOOO worth it!)  Set aside.

Near the end of the tomato roasting time, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When the water is at a rapid boil, drop the linguine (or whatever pasta you’re using) in and cook to al dente (according to package directions).

(Tip:  Since this recipe involved a lot of garlic, I made things simple by using my élan garlic peeler.  If you've never tried one of these, it's a "miracle worker".  It makes peeling garlic super quick and easy!)

While the pasta cooks, heat the 1/4 cup olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper to the pan and cook 1 minute.  (I actually cooked this for 5 to 10 minutes over low heat.  Be careful to keep a close eye on it though, you don’t want your garlic to brown and get bitter!) Remove pan from the heat.

Drain pasta and return to the pot. Pour the butter mixture over top of the pasta and add the parmesan, parsley, and a pinch of salt and pepper to the pot. Toss to cover noodles with the butter and herbs.

Place the pasta in a large serving bowl, top with the blistered tomato and onion mixture, scatter torn basil (or chives) over top and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and a grate of fresh parmesan (in my case it was good even without it!).

The rich tomato flavor in this dish is hard to describe, but absolutely delicious!  I think next time, I’ll just leave the garlic in cloves (or half-cloves) and bake it along with the tomatoes instead of cooking it in the olive oil butter mixture.  The whole thing was a bit too oily for me.  Don’t get me wrong, it was delicious, but I try to eat a little healthier these days, and that was quite a bit of oil/butter.  I did like the olive oil/butter combination though.  I’ll probably just add a little butter (about 2 Tbsp or so) to my baking pan, and just do it all in the oven instead of on the stove top.  It won’t really have a “sauce” that way, but the flavors are so pronounced and delicious I really don’t think it needs it.  If you pasta is too dry, that can be fixed prior to serving with a quick drizzle (or spray) of olive oil.

Give this recipe a try, and don’t forget to go check out Modern Mrs. Cleaver’s version.

If you’ve never tried roasting tomatoes, DO IT TODAY!!  You’ll be so glad you did.  Now that I’ve tried it, I’m looking forward to experimenting with them more.  Keep your eyes on my blog for more yummy stuff to come!

Happy cooking my friends…

Blessings,

--Faithy

Quick & Easy Pasta Salad

Howdy folks,

The weather is already starting to warm up here in Zig Zag, and we’ve been really busy working in our yard & garden during our “spare” time.  This generally leaves us looking for something quick and easy to eat on the weekend, and this pasta salad really fits the bill.  My hubby and I created this recipe years ago while cleaning out the fridge and not wanting to see any leftovers go to waste.

I often make this when I have leftover pasta or veggies on hand, and sometimes I just make it anyway because it’s just so good.  If you don’t have any leftover pasta, just be sure you rinse, drain fully and chill any hot pasta before mixing it in with everything else.  The same goes for your veggies of choice. 

I don’t really measure anything, I just use whatever I have, and put as much or as little as looks good at the moment. 

Give it a try next time you have some leftovers to use up, and let me know what you think! 

 

Quick & Easy Pasta Salad

--Chilled, cooked pasta (your favorite kind…I’ve used all kinds, farfalle, spirals, linguini, spaghetti, etc.) 

--1 can water-packed tuna, drained (I prefer StarKist Selects® Very Low Sodium Chunk White Albacore Tuna in Water) 

--Chilled, cooked petite green peas (I’ve also used steamed broccoli florets, diced cooked squash, diced red or yellow bell peppers, sautéed mushrooms, etc.) 

--Chopped tomato (I prefer the flavor of grape tomatoes, when I have them on hand) 

--Chopped green onions (you can also use red onion if you prefer a stronger onion flavor and crunch) 

--Cheddar-jack cheese, cut into small cubes (you can use whatever kind of cheese you prefer or have on hand - I’ve used shredded Parmesan cheese too, but I prefer the chunks of regular cheese) 

--Garlic powder & McCormick Perfect Pinch® Salad Supreme Seasoning to taste (I’ve also used a variety of other seasonings, depending on my mood at the time - Italian herb blends, garlic pepper, etc.) 

--Mayonnaise (you can add a touch of mustard if you like a tangier flavor) 

--Extra-virgin olive oil (or your favorite Italian salad dressing or vinaigrette) 

Just dump the pasta, tuna and veggies into a large mixing bowl and stir gently to combine. 

Mix your seasonings into a little mayonnaise. (I don’t use too much mayo because I like my salad LIGHTLY dressed, use just enough for your preference.)

Stir “dressing” into your salad and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil (just enough to loosen it up…you don’t want it swimming in oil!). 

Serve with a nice crusty loaf of bread or your favorite crackers.  (I think table water crackers go really well with this.)

This salad light and yummy.  If I can restrain myself enough to leave some, it makes a great lunch for work on Monday as well. 

Enjoy my friends…and get outside and enjoy the beginnings of spring if you can!

Blessings, 

--Faithy

Fast-to-Fix Pasta Dinner

Hi all…just popping in to share another recipe.  This one is something my hubby & I made up out of things we had on hand years ago.  We’ve enjoyed it many times since (although the recipe varies a bit, depending on what’s in the fridge).  The amounts YOU use will depend on your personal taste, and how many people you’re cooking for.  Just experiment with it to come up with your own favorite version! 

And…let me know if you come up with something really good!

Ingredients:

Red, yellow & orange bell peppers - chopped & divided

    (Neither of us really like green bell peppers, but we love all the others.  You can pick your own favorite here.  We just use whatever we have - usually a mix of all three.  NOTE:  I always buy these when they’re on sale, then quarter & seed them - you can even go ahead and chop them if you like.  Then I put them in a sealed freezer bag in my freezer until I’m ready to use them.  They freeze beautifully!  It makes it really simple and easy to pull them out and use them on short notice later, and you don’t have to worry about them going bad before you can use them.)

Sweet onion - chopped & divided

    (We like 1015’s, but again just use whatever YOU like)

Garlic - chopped & divided

    (We’re both garlic fiends so we can use a whole head of garlic just for the 2 of us, but you may not want quite that much.  Just be sure you have enough to cook with the chicken, and with the vegetables.  Also, I always use fresh garlic, but feel free to use chopped garlic in a jar if that’s what you have or prefer.)

Diced chicken breast

    (When we’re just cooking for the 2 of us, one large chicken breast is plenty.  I usually keep a diced one in the freezer ready to go for such occasions.)

Diced zucchini

    (When our garden is producing, I often use a combination of yellow squash, white squash & zucchini - any or all work fine.  If you like another vegetable better than squash, throw that in, I’m sure it will be great. I’ve tried fresh asparagus and green beans - separately of course -  a few times, and both are delish!)

Diced tomatoes

    (I generally use my home-canned diced tomatoes, as long as I have some, but you can use store-bought whole or diced tomatoes as well.  If tomatoes are in season, I often use fresh ones.  If you want a completely different flavor you can even use sundried tomatoes that have been rehydrated and chopped - if you do that, be sure to reserve the broth you rehydrated them in to help loosen up the dish right before serving. It’s got loads of flavor!  When I use those, I usually add a few chopped Kalamata olives with them.)

Fresh herbs

    (I love to add fresh basil and oregano from my herb garden when it’s in season.  You can use any type of herb mixture you like - dill can be good if you don’t use too much, and I’ve even used mint.  If you don’t have fresh herbs on hand, dried ones work fine.  Just add them earlier in the cooking process - with the canned tomatoes.  Fresh ones will need to be added at the end to keep their color and flavor.)

Chopped green onions or chives

Regular olive oil

Extra Virgin olive oil

Salt & pepper, to taste

Your favorite pasta

    (We like to use miniature whole grain penne or linguini, but any kind of pasta will do!  Be sure to reserve the cooking water after you’ve drained the pasta.)

Okay, now that all the slicing & dicing is done…it’s time to get cooking.

If you want things to come together about the same time, be sure to start your pasta water before anything else.  Getting it to boil is probably the most time-consuming part of the entire process.

Next, you’ll want to pre-cook your chicken.  Pour a little regular olive oil (not too much, just a Tablespoon or two - depending on how much chicken you’re cooking) into a hot pan, then add a little of your chopped peppers and sweet onion.  Reduce heat and cook until it starts to sweat.  Add a little of your chopped garlic and cook until everything is softened well.  (At this stage you only need a little of the peppers, onions & garlic - you’ll use more later.)

Add the diced chicken and cook until it is lightly browned and any juices run clear.  Remove cooked chicken from the pan and set aside.  DO NOT CLEAN OR RINSE YOUR PAN…you’ll want to keep all the flavors in it!  J

By now your water should be hot so you can start your pasta cooking.  (For some great pasta cooking tips, check out this link.)

Return your pan to the heat, and add a little extra virgin olive oil this time (it has more flavor than the other - but will burn more quickly, so keep an eye on it!).  Add the rest of your peppers and sweet onion.  Once again, bring it to a sweat over medium heat and add the remainder of your garlic.  Cook for about a minute and add your chopped zucchini (or whatever veggies you decided on).

Cook until veggies start to soften (but don’t overcook them - mushy vegetables are NOT our friends!), stirring often to keep everything from sticking.  (If you need to loosen things up, you can deglaze your pan, as you go, with a little of your pasta - or sun-dried tomato - water.)

Once veggies are almost done, add your tomatoes and mix well.  While they’re cooking for a minute or two, you should have time to drain your pasta.

Next, stir in your reserved chicken, fresh herbs and green onions/chives.  (If you’re using fresh tomatoes, just add them at the same time as the herbs.  You don’t really want fresh herbs or tomatoes to cook, you’re basically just warming them up.)

Now stir in your hot pasta and serve!  (Again, if you need to loosen things up a little, just add a bit of pasta water - or sun-dried tomato broth - and deglaze before serving.)

For a special touch, sprinkle with a little shredded parmesan cheese (or crumbled feta if you’re using the sun-dried tomatoes & Kalamata olives).

Mmmmm…quick & easy, fresh and delicious! 

NOTE:  It’s really good with a fresh loaf of hot crusty bread on the side.  J

If you try it, please let me know what you think!  I’ll be waiting for your reviews...

Blessings,

--Faithy