Spinach Sausage Pasta

This is Josie, Sara's sister. She invited me to contribute to this recipe blog a long time ago, and I am just now getting around to it. Hopefully it works. This is the easiest thing to make, and everyone in my family loves it, including my husband (which is saying a lot). It is from the Kraft "food and family" website. I don't even think my kids realize I am feeding them spinach. (And I am not about to ruin it by telling them now!) Here goes.....

Spinach Sausage Pasta

2 cups rotini or penne pasta, uncooked

1/2 lb. hot or mild Italian sausage, casing removed

1 pkg. (6 oz.) baby spinach leaves (7 cups)

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained

1 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese

2 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

COOK pasta as directed on package.

MEANWHILE, crumble meat into large deep skillet. Cook on medium-high heat 10 to 12 min. or until cooked through, stirring occasionally; drain. Add spinach and tomatoes; cook 2 min. or until spinach is wilted, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm.

DRAIN pasta. Add to skillet along with the cheeses; toss lightly.

chicken scampi

The "real" recipe is below, but most of the time I don't have real butter, wine or heavy cream on hand (because I don't like to cook with those kind a calories) So here is my version of the recipe with out sacrificing the flavor.

Heat a little oil in a skillet, when hot add chicken (the little tenderloins are easiest, but if I don't have them, I'll just cut up full breast into strips) Season with pepper, lemon pepper, garlic, basil and the juice of a 1/2 a lemon (or a T from a bottle of lemon juice) Once the chicken is almost all the way cooked, add a bag of tricolored bell peppers. (and red onion if you have it)

Next put your angel hair pasta in boiling water.

For the SAUCE: I use what I have on hand; last night it was a cup or so of sour cream (any kind of cream, yogurt, thickened milk works) 4- 6 T of light margarine, The juice of a 1/2 a lemon (or a T or so from a bottle of lemon juice) 4 cloves of garlic minced, just under a T of black pepper and then salt to taste. Combine Chicken, angel hair pasta and sauce, then serve immediately.

(I did not have a purple/red onion, but it adds a ton of flavor and would suggest adding it to your shopping list)

So now, here is the real Olive Garden Chicken Scampi Recipe,

Scampi Sauce

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons chopped onion

1/4 cup minced garlic (8 to 12 cloves)

1 1/2 cups Chablis wine

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley

1 cup heavy cream

5 to 6 quarts water

16 ounces angel hair pasta

4 tablespoons light olive oil

12 chicken tenderloins

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 green bell pepper, cut into bite-size strips

1 red bell pepper, cut into bite-size strips

1 yellow bell pepper, cut into bite-size strips

1 chopped red onion

2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley

Optional Garnish

freshly grated parmesan cheese

Recipe1. Make scampi sauce by melting butter in a preheated pan over medium/low heat. Add 2 tablespoons chopped onions and sauté for 2 to 4 minutes or until the onions begin to brown. If the butter begins to burn, turn down the heat. When the onions are beginning to brown, add the minced garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds. Don't let the garlic burn. After about 30 seconds add the wine, salt, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and black pepper, and bring mixture to a simmer. Simmer for approximately 15 to 18 minutes or until the sauce has reduced by half. Add parsley and heavy cream and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes. Do not let mixture reach a boil.2. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the angel hair pasta and cook for about 4 minutes or until pasta is al dente, or mostly tender with just a slight toughness. Drain the pasta in a colander or sieve when done, then hit it with some cold water to prevent sticking and to keep it from cooking further.3. If preparing all four servings, preheat 2 large skillets over medium heat (if making just 2 servings, you'll need only one skillet and half of the total ingredients -- save the rest for another meal). Lightly salt and pepper the chicken tenderloins, then coat each one in the flour that has been measured into a large bowl. Arrange all of the coated tenderloins on a plate before sautéing 6 tenderloins in each pan. Cook the tenderloins for 3 to 5 minutes on one side or until golden brown. 4. When the chicken is brown on one side, flip each of the pieces, and move them to the side of the pans, then add an even amount of the sliced peppers and chopped onions to the center of each skillet. Continue cooking the chicken and veggies for 4 to 6 minutes or until the chicken is browned and the veggies are beginning to brown on the edges.5. Divide the scampi sauce in half and pour it over the chicken and veggies in each pan. Add 2 portions of pasta to each pan, then toss the ingredients a bit and continue to cook for a couple minutes or until the pasta is heated through. Prepare each dish by serving equal amounts of pasta onto each of four plates. Use a spoon or tongs to add the peppers and onions on top of each pile of pasta. Arrange three chicken tenderloins onto the center of the pasta.6. Sprinkle each plate with about 1/2 teaspoon of fresh parsley and serve it up with freshly grated parmesan cheese if desired.

Shrimp Primavera (Olive Garden style)

I LOVE open and dump recipes (semi homemade). After working at O.G. for a few years I learned to love their dishes. This is one of their 'lighter' dishes. I love the freshness of this dish AND my husband and kids loved it.

I used 1 bag of frozen shrimp (I threw away the package that is why it is not in the picture.)

1 box of penne pasta ( I used whole grain, but any kind of penne works)

1 bag of frozen pepper strips (I get these and other recipe starters; diced onions, grn peppers at Walmart or Smiths in their fzn vegetable section)

1/4 red onion sliced

1 bottle of Mezzetta Napa Valley Arribiata sauce (so yummy! down the pasta sauce isle)

As many fresh mushrooms quartered as you like.

Put a little oil in your pan. Saute the shrimp (the package has a more detailed instructions) add the pepper strips and onion. After a few minutes add the mushrooms, sauce and finally the penne. Serve with your favorite salad and bread. Jay even took the leftovers to work a few days later AND ate it. (that NEVER happens) It must be good!

Pasta with Roasted Tomato and White Beans

Yeah, I know this one sounds pretty blah, but it was delicious! We used the grape tomatoes (and didn't bother to seed them) and served it with grilled pork tenderloin.

3 large tomatoes, cut into wedges
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled (I used 8 b/c I love it)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1(15 ounce) can cannellini beans
1/2 pound penne pasta
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Slice each tomato into 8 wedges and discard the seeds. Put the tomato wedges and garlic into a 9 by 13-inch roasting pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and a few turns of pepper. Roast in the oven, uncovered, for 40 minutes.

Drain the beans into a large colander in the sink. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain the pasta into the colander containing the beans, so the hot pasta water will warm the beans. Return drained pasta and beans to the pasta pot.

When the tomatoes are done, pick out the garlic cloves, squeeze the garlic out of the skin into a small bowl and mash with a fork. Pour the roasted tomatoes into the pasta pot, add the garlic, the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the basil and additional salt and pepper, to taste. Toss to combine. Serve topped with the Parmesan.

Pasta Cooking Group

Here are the recipes from the pasta cooking group that I hosted for Relief Society.

Lemon-Basil Pasta

1/2 lb Pasta
2 Tb Melted Butter Or Margarine
1 Tb Lemon Juice
1 1/2 tsps Dried Basil
3/4 tsp Garlic Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese

Combine butter, lemon juice, and spices in saucepan or microwave safe dish. Heat and mix. Toss with pasta then add grated parmesan cheese.

Classic Pesto
2 cups Firmly Packed Basil Leaves
10 cloves peeled Garlic
3/4 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup Pine Nuts
1 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
Combine all in food processor. Freezes well in ice cube or mini-muffin trays.
Add to hot pasta, mayonnaise, cream cheese, or vinaigrette. Add to 1/4 cup heavy cream for creamy pasta sauce. (Add a Vitamin C tablet to retain bright green color.)

Ravioli With Balsamic Brown Butter

18 to 20 ounces store-bought ravioli
6 Tb unsalted butter
2 Tb balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the ravioli and cook 4 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan cook the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the foam subsides, and the butter begins to turn a golden brown, about 3 minutes, turn off the heat. Let cool for about 1 minute. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Transfer the ravioli to the pan saucepan with the balsamic brown butter. Sprinkle walnuts and Parmesan over the top. Serve immediately.

Red-Pepper And Herb Ravioli
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
Salt
18 oz Frozen Ravioli
3 Tb Minced Green Onion Or Chives
3 Tb Minced Fresh Parsley
1 Tb Fresh Lemon Juice

In a small saucepan, heat oil over low heat for 3 minutes. Addcrushed red pepper and cook 1 minutes. Set aside. Do not allow flakes to blacken. Cook ravioli according to package directions. Drain andreturn to the warm pot. Gently toss the ravioli with the flavored oil,
chives, parsley, lemon juice and 1/4 tsp salt.

Spinach Tortellini Soup
6 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 to 2 teaspoons minced garlic
1- 9 ounce package cheese tortellini
Dried basil
1 package frozen chopped spinach thawed and squeezed
Salt and pepper
1 can Italian style stewed tomatoes

In a large pot, bring stock to simmer. Stir in tortellini and simmer gently for 3 minutes. Stir in spinach, garlic, basil, salt, pepper and tomatoes. Return to a simmer and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Serve hot with Parmesan cheese.

Roasted Eggplant And Tomato Pasta Sauce
1 1/2 lb Eggplant
1 large Onion
4 cups Chopped Tomatoes
1/4 cups Olive Oil

Peel eggplant in alternating stripes and cut into 3/4 inch pieces. Halve onion and cut into 1/2 inch wedges. Chop tomatoes in large pieces.

Combine, eggplant, onion, tomatoes, 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper with oil and toss to coat. Roast at 450° until tender about 30 minutes. Add1/4- 1/2 cup pasta water to roasting pan and combine well. Serveover pasta with parmesan cheese and kalamata olives if desired. (Substitue zucchini, cauliflower, or whatever vegetable you like.)

3-2-1 White Sauce
3 Tb flour (2 Tb for thinner sauce)
2 Tb butter
1 cup milk (warmed)

Melt the butter over low heat. Blend in the flour and cook slowly, stirring until butter and flour froth together for 2 minutes without coloring. Pour in liquid all at once and beat vigorously with a wire whip. Set pan over med-high heat and stir until sauce comes to a boil and thickens.
(Add cheese, vegetables or meats for SOS.)

Spaghetti Sauce (freezer)
4 lb Tomatoes,Peeled
2 Tb Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 large Sweet Onion-Finely Chopped
3 cloves Garlic,Minced
1/2 cup Cooking Wine
1/4 cup Tomato Paste
1 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Salt
2 Bay Leaves
1/3 cup Italian Parsley
1/4 tsp Pepper

Heat olive oil, add garlic and onions, wine and cook until reduced by half. Add tomatoes, paste, sugar, salt, bay leaves and boil for 1 hour. Stir in pepper and parsley. Load into freezer bags.

To serve: Stir in italian seasoning (for pasta), mexican seasoning (for enchilada sauce), or dill and cream (for fish dishes) when reheating.

Cold Sesame Noodles
1 lb Spaghetti
8 oz Snow Peas
1 Red Bell Pepper
1/2 cup Smooth Peanut Butter
2 cloves Garlic
1 Jalapeno
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
1/4 cup Rice Vinegar
1/3 cup Warm Water
2 Tb Toasted Sesame Seed Oil
1/4 tsp Salt

[Note: This dish can also be made with Udon or Soba noodles or Chinese rice noodles.]
Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Combine pasta with peas, slivered lengthwise, and red pepper cut into long thin strips. In a blender, puree peanut butter, garlic, jalapeno, soy sauce, vinegar, water, oil and salt. Pour dressing over noodles and vegetables. Toss to coat. Serve chilled or at room temperature.