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Very Veggie Pasta

January 23, 2012 By Kate 1 Comment

Life is good around our house. We’ve lived here for a year and a half and I think we’re finally starting to feel like we’ve done every project that we’ve wanted to do. Since the start of the year, Eric has painted and rearranged all of the kids’ bedrooms and we’ve done some redecorating in a few of the rooms. Our project list gets smaller and smaller each week.

Now that we’ve gotten all of that work taken care of, I need to start really focusing on some new meals on a more frequent basis. We’ve been eating a lot of our old favorites lately, and while no one is complaining, I’m really itching to get back to spending more time working on new recipes.

This dish originally started out as sauteed veggies, but as they were cooking, I decided to mix things up a bit for a new side dish. It turned out to be the perfect accompaniment to the Parmesan Chicken Fingers we had for dinner and I think it would go great with a lot of other meals too. In fact, it’s robust and flavorful enough that it could easily serve as a main course too. I’m definitely excited to make this again in the future. I’m thinking I’d like to make some on a Sunday night and then eat it for lunch for the next few days. It would be perfect for that.

Very Veggie Pasta

  • 2 T. olive oil
  • 1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms
  • 1 red pepper, sliced
  • 1 12 oz. bag frozen French-style green beans, thawed
  • 1 t. salt
  • 1 t. oregano
  • 1 t. dried basil
  • 1/2 t. garlic powder
  • 1/2 t. pepper
  • 1/8 t. crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 1/2 lb. cooked pasta

1. Heat olive oil and add mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes, until the start to brown. Add sliced pepper, green beans and seasonings and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.

2. Add cooked pasta and stir to combine well. Enjoy!

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Harvest Pasta Skillet

September 5, 2011 By Kate 1 Comment

There has been a definite chill in the air the past few days, which has me so excited. Fall is my absolute favorite season. It means sweater weather, changing leaves, hot apple cider and lots of bowls of soup. What’s not to love?

We’re kind of in that holding pattern between summer and fall right now. Our menu plan for the week definitely reflects this weather. Starting with this pasta on Sunday night that takes advantage of some final summer bounty to hot dogs on the grill tonight to a big pot of soup tomorrow night; we’re covering all of the bases!

This Harvest Pasta Skillet is a rich and filling vegetarian meal. It’s packed full of delicious summer flavors and colors. The kids and I loved it exactly as it came out of the skillet although I did have to add some diced chicken to it for Eric. That’s definitely an option for you if your family isn’t too keen on eating meat free.

Harvest Pasta Skillet

  • 1/2 c. chopped walnuts
  • 1 T. olive oil
  • 2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
  • 3 ears corn, kernels cut off the cob (about 2 cups)
  • 1 c. ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 c. milk
  • 2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 t. salt
  • 1/2 t. black pepper
  • 1/2 c. finely chopped basil
  • 2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced
  • 1 lb. pasta, cooked and drained

1. Toast walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, until fragrant; set aside. Add olive oil to skillet. Add zucchini and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, until tender. Add corn and cook an additional two minutes.

2. Reduce skillet heat to low and stir in ricotta, milk, lemon juice, Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, until smooth. Stir in basil, tomatoes and toasted walnuts.

3. Toss sauce with cooked pasta and serve.

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Pasta Salad Skewers

June 30, 2011 By Kate 6 Comments

My husband laughed at me when I first told him I had this idea. He thought “pasta salad on a stick” was the craziest idea he’d heard in a long time. But I just knew it would work, so I didn’t let his laughter dissuade me.

And I’m so glad I didn’t because these came out so great. The kids are thrilled to have these for lunch both because of the novelty and the taste.

My idea for these originally came about because I wanted a quick lunch that could be ready in the fridge and that all of the kids, even the 4 year old, could just grab when it was lunchtime and head back outside to eat. Since these stay good for at least 3 days, I love to make up a big batch and have them on hand all the time. The skewers would also be perfect for a casual picnic since they don’t require any silverware.

Pasta Salad Skewers

  • 1 lb. cheese tortellini; cooked, drained and rinsed in cold water
  • 1/2 lb. grape or cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cucumber, peeled and cut into cubes
  • 1/2 lb. pepperoni
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 bottle Italian dressing
  • Bamboo skewers

1. Alternately thread tortellini, tomatoes, cucumbers and folded pepperoni onto skewers. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place in a large casserole, bowl or big plastic bags and cover with salad dressing.

2. Refrigerate until serving, but at least 4 hours to allow the flavors to develop.

You can obviously play around with this idea a LOT and replace or add different veggies and meats as desired. The dressing can be played with too, although I’m not how well a creamy dressing would work. If you try it out, let me know!

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