Tag Archives: pasta

Roasted Tomato Sauce

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I have wanted to try this recipe for sometime. Just yesterday, I picked up my first box of produce from a local organic co-op and in this weeks box there are Roma tomatoes! I can’t let these go to waste and I know I wont use this many in a week. What better way to use these than to make a homemade pasta sauce? I do need to buy about another pound at the store, but that’s ok – I still wanted to try this.

This was really tasty and I’m glad I went with my “doctoring-up” instincts or this wouldn’t have had enough flavor for us. I didn’t add the red pepper flakes while I cooked the sauce so my spice-a-phobic daughter wouldn’t have something extra to complain about. It’s like pulling teeth to get her to eat anything! We all enjoyed this with roasted garlic bread, which is obviously not pictured…it was that good! I will have to make it again sometime and make sure I keep my hands off until I get a picture. I used my go to garlic bread recipe on half of this loaf and used an entire bulb of roasted garlic in place of the chopped. It was unbelievably good – a little too good because I couldn’t help myself from eating three pieces! I joked that I was “carbo-loading” for the gym tomorrow. I haven’t indulged like that in a whole month 🙂 These are destined to be “repeat offenders” – thanks for reading, enjoy!

Roasted Tomato Pasta Sauce – heavily adapted from Dishing the Divine

  • 2 pounds tomatoes, cut into large dice
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons chopped garlic
  • 1.5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • sprinkle of teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves
  • 1/4 cup vodka
  • 8 ounces shell pasta
  • 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano
Directions:

Preheat oven to 425.

Chop your tomatoes into bite-sized chunks. Layer the tomatoes on a sheet pan that has sides. Add olive oil, garlic, and balsamic vinegar. Mix well. Roast for 25 minutes or until tomatoes are bubbly and browning in spots, stirring once or twice. Set aside.

In a large skillet set to medium heat pour in about a tablespoon of olive oil and add the diced onion. Cook until slightly caramelized then add your roasted tomatoes to the skillet. Stir to combine and add vodka, cook for 5 more minutes. If you prefer a smoother sauce, blitz the mixture with your stick blender. Add in Pecorino Romano cheese over top and toss in chopped basil – taste for seasoning. Set aside.

Put a large pot of water to boil, and add a generous amount of kosher salt to the pot. Add your pasta and cook according to package directions. Before you drain the pasta, reserve about two cups of the pasta water. Add the drained pasta to the sauce, stir to combine, add the pasta water as needed to thin out the sauce. Serve with roasted garlic bread and a green salad.

Turkey Chili Mac

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Tonight was my chance to make a meal that I know my husband would not appreciate, and I haven’t made a dish like this since March. It makes a lot of food and it’s so cheap and a great meal for using up my pantry staples. This time I used organic ground turkey instead of the usual lean ground beef. The turkey wasn’t much more expensive than the beef, but I knew I wanted to make this as lean and healthy; so I chose it. The texture of the turkey is less dense than beef when cooked and I didn’t need to drain any fat off. I forgot to add the brown sugar to offset some of the acidity of the tomato, but we remedied that by adding ketchup to our bowl of chili mac. Personally, I love to add ketchup to any macaroni and cheese recipe because it gives a subtle sweetness and tang to the meal. M doesn’t get it, but the kids appreciate a healthy squeeze of ketchup too 🙂 Thanks for reading, enjoy!
Turkey Chili Mac –
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pounds lean ground turkey
  • Salt and pepper to season the turkey
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 or 5 mini bell peppers (*or one large bell pepper)
  • 1 Tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 Tablespoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 TBSP brown sugar (*I forgot to add this)
  • 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 8 ounces (2 cups) elbow macaroni
  • 2 cups water
  • ½ cup cheddar cheese

Directions –

1. Heat oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat and add ground turkey. Season with a dash of salt, pepper, onion powder. Once the meat is no longer pink, pour into a bowl and set aside.

2. Saute the peppers, onions and garlic until tender, about 5 minutes. Add chili powder, cumin, onion powder, coriander, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and brown sugar and cook over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.

3. Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes with garlic, elbow macaroni, and 2 cups water. Stir to combine, cover and keep at a high simmer for about 10 – 14 minutes or until juices are absorbed and macaroni is tender.

4. Stir in cheddar and season with freshly ground pepper. Taste for salt and add if needed.

Linguine and Clam Sauce

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Quick, easy and flavorful! My favorite kind of meal. I only had 1/4 cup of white wine so I used enough of the drained clam juice to make up the difference. I also added lemon zest to brighten up the flavor, besides – lemon and seafood are best buds 😉 I didn’t have heavy cream and used half and half instead. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Linguine and Clam Sauce – adapted from The Pioneer Woman

  • 1 pound linguine
  • 1 TBSP olive oil
  • 2 TBSP butter
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 – 10 ounce cans chopped clams, juice reserved
  • 3/4 cup white wine
  • juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • zest of one lemon
  • lemon slices for garnish
  • 2 TBSP flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Cook the linguine according to package directions. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Add the garlic and clams and stir together and cook for 3 minutes. Pour in the white wine, scrapping the bottom of the pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce is reduced. Add one more tablespoon of butter and stir to melt. Reduce heat and squeeze in the lemon juice. Stir in the parsley and pour in the cream. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Stir well and taste for seasoning, adding a splash of clam juice in if the sauce needs thinning. Cook over low heat for 3 more minutes or until heated through. Pour the sauce over the cooked linguine, toss to combine. Top with freshly grated parmesan and enjoy!

Cheesy Orzo

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Quick Post: I really enjoyed this and I seem to have a thing for orzo pasta side dishes when I need something to go along with fish. I modified this more than I usually do for a first attempt with the addition of peas and lemon zest. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Cheesy Orzo – adapted from Food Network

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 small onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 box of vegetable stock
  • 2 cups orzo pasta
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano or Romano
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • the zest of half a lemon
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Direction:

Preheat a 8 inch pot with a tight fitting cover over moderate heat. Add butter, onion and garlic and saute for 2 or 3 minutes. Add broth to the pan and bring to a boil. Stir in orzo and return broth to a boil. Cover pot and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 10 – 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until liquid is absorbed and pasta tender. Remove lid and stir in frozen peas and cheese. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon zest. You favorite fresh herbs may also be stirred into the orzo or rice to strengthen the flavor even more.

Lemon Orzo Salad with Asparagus and Tomatoes…(my 100th post!)

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This was simple and so flavorful. I also love that it can be served warm, cold or at room temperature. It would be perfect for picnics, potlucks, or parties because it makes so much too. Parmigiano Reggiano is a must for this and the vinaigrette is light and a perfect complement to this salad. We ate this alongside this tilapia dish, which I am going to have to make much more frequently!  Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Lemon Orzo Salad with Asparagus and Tomatoes – adapted from A Big Mouthful

  • 12 oz. orzo
  • 1 bunch fresh asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • 4 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbs. fresh parsley, minced
  • Kosher salt
  • Fresh ground pepper
  • Grated Parmigiano Reggiano*
Directions –
Bring 2 large pots of water to boil.  Add a big pinch of salt in each.

To one pot, add asparagus and blanch, about 2 to 3 minutes, depending on the thickness of your asparagus.  Place blanched asparagus in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and keep them green.

To the second pot, add the orzo.  Cook per package instructions.  When tender, drain and place in a large bowl.  Add blanched asparagus and tomato halves.

Mix olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Stir into orzo and vegetables.  Stir in parsley and grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

This can be served warm, room temperature or cold.

Fettuccini Alfredo with Grilled Chicken

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Quick Post: Super simple dinners that can be whipped up quickly are a mom’s best friend! I thought this one up while looking through the weeks sale items on the Publix website. I was happy to find boneless, skinless chicken on sale and snapped up a few packages. Hopefully I can come up with good ideas for the four or so pounds of chicken that I have in the fridge! Thanks for reading:)

Grilled Chicken and Fettuccini Alfredo – a Mom Makes original

  • 3 TBSP olive oil
  • juice of one whole lemon
  • salt, pepper and dried oregano to taste
  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast – pounded to an even thickness
  • 1 pound fettuccini noodles
  • 1 jar of alfredo sauce (I had a few jars I needed to use, or I would have made this one)

Directions –

1. Mix the oil, lemon juice and seasonings together then pour over the chicken. Let marinade for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.

2. Preheat your grill and cook the chicken about 10-15 minutes or until done.

3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add a generous amount of kosher salt and add the noodles – cook to package directions, drain and set aside.

4. Take the chicken off the grill, add the alfredo sauce to your cooked and drained noodles. Slice the chicken, serve up the fettuccini alfredo and top with the grilled chicken. Serve with a nice green salad and garlic bread. Enjoy!


Chicken Parmesan

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Quick Post: This recipe is a combination of a few different techniques and ingredients I pulled together from some simple chicken parm recipes. I liked the addition of Panko in this recipe verses the typical Italian breadcrumbs. I pulled the shallow fry method from the same recipe, but baked the chicken, sauce and cheese in the oven before serving like this one. Oh, and I used my favorite marinara sauce for this recipe. This was a tasty and filling meal – even my picky eater happily ate this. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Chicken Parmesan – a Mom Makes Recipe

  • 4 chicken breast cutlets
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten with 2 TBSP water
  • 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • oregano, salt, pepper to taste (for Panko)
  • 2 TBSP butter
  • 3 TBSP olive oil
  • 1 batch of this marinara or at least 2 jars of your favorite store-bought sauce
  • 1 pound of thin spaghetti
  • 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions –

1. Preheat oven 400 degrees and put a large pot of water to boil.

2. Clean and dry your chicken well. Set up an assembly line for your breading – one shallow dish for your flour, one for your egg, and one shallow dish for the season Panko. Season your chicken with kosher salt and pepper then lightly coat with the flour, then dip in the egg mixture, then coat the chicken with the seasoned Panko – set aside.

3. Heat oil and butter in a large, heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat until a pinch of the breadcrumb mixture sizzles immediately when added. Add the chicken breasts and fry without disturbing for 5 to 6 minutes, or until golden brown. Using tongs, turn the chicken breasts and fry another 4 to 5 minutes, or until just cooked through and golden brown.

4. Place the finished chicken in a 13×9 baking dish. Top the chicken with enough marinara sauce to cover the tops of each, then sprinkle the parm and mozzarella cheese. Bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

5. While the chicken is in the oven, cook off your spaghetti noodles in rapidly boiling, liberally salted water – cook according to package directions. Drain pasta, spoon over some marinara and set alongside your yummy chicken parm! Enjoy!:)

Homemade Chili Mac

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I love having a well stocked pantry! All I needed to pick up from the grocery store today for this meal was the ground beef. This is the kind of meal I like to make when I don’t want to put too much effort or thought into dinner – sorry, family! I don’t think they’ll mind;) They’re concern isn’t how much time a meal took but it does have to taste good, of course.

This recipe delivers smoky, slightly sweet flavor with a hint of spice. I didn’t add quite the full amount of green chiles for Little S – she’s so picky as it is, I didn’t want her to feel justified in not liking this meal. It’s so good and she’s still moping at the table picking at her food. M on the other hand loved it and had two helpings!  God has a sense of humor is all I can say – they’re so different:)  Either way, I’m going to have to make this again soon. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Chili Mac Ingredients – adapted from The Cooking Photographer

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 ¼ pounds lean ground beef
  • Salt and pepper to season beef
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 Tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 Tablespoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 (4.5 ounce) can chopped mild green chiles
  • 8 ounces (2 cups) elbow macaroni
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
  • ½ cup cheddar cheese
  • Freshly ground pepper

Directions –

1. Heat oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat and add ground beef and diced onion. Season with a dash of salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Once the meat is no longer pink, strain off the grease in a colander and place the meat mixture back in the pan.

2. Add chili powder, cumin, onion powder, coriander, 1 teaspoon salt, minced garlic and brown sugar and cook over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.

3. Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes with roasted garlic, can of green chiles, elbow macaroni, and 2 cups water. Stir to combine, cover and keep at a high simmer for about 14 minutes or until juices are absorbed and macaroni is tender.

4. Stir in pepper jack, vintage cheddar, and cilantro and season with freshly ground pepper. Taste for salt and add if needed. Garnish with sour cream and parsley if desired.

Puh-sketti and Meat Sauce

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Quick Post: Yum! I used this marinara sauce but before I started the marinara sauce directions, I browned three links of Italian sausage and one pound of lean ground beef. I knew M wouldn’t appreciate it unless there was meat in it…If the sauce becomes too thick for you, add tomato sauce or water if you’d like. I ended up adding two 8 ounce cans of tomato sauce and the same volume  of water to make it a little thinner. Once the spaghetti noodles were finished cooking, I ladled about five cups of the sauce along with parmesan and Pecorino Romano cheese. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

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Oh, this is too good! While searching for a recipe to use up leftover roasted chicken, I came across this. I had to buy the cheese but I had everything else on hand which is always good:) While reading through a few of the comments, I noticed that several people wrote that this recipe makes “a ton” but they successfully halved it. Well, that sounded like a good idea to me because I didn’t have enough chicken to make three cups anyway. The recipe also doesn’t seem so decadent when you halve the amounts of cheese and butter;) Everyone enjoyed this, but M still prefers this one over all others I’ve made. Honestly, I’m looking forward to eating leftovers;) Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese – adapted from Food Network

  • 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the dish
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 pound elbow macaroni
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
  • 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3/4 cup hot sauce (preferably Frank’s)
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons dry mustard
  • 2 1/2 cups half-and-half
  • 1 pound yellow sharp cheddar, shredded
  • 8 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
  • 2/3 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup panko
  • 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (I used Gorgonzola)

Directions –

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken and garlic and cook 2 minutes, then add 1/2 cup hot sauce and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 more minute.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and mustard with a wooden spoon until smooth. Whisk in the half-and-half, then add the remaining 1/4 cup hot sauce and stir until thick, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, then whisk in the sour cream until smooth.

Spread half of the macaroni in the prepared baking dish, then top with the chicken mixture and the remaining macaroni. Pour the cheese sauce evenly on top.

Put the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted. Stir in the panko, blue cheese and parsley. Sprinkle over the macaroni and bake until bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.