Cooking During Stolen Moments» Pasta

Very Veggie Pasta

Kate — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 03:46:42 +0000

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

Kate — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 01:23:58 +0000

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

Kate — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 01:17:52 +0000

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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Turkey & Pesto Pasta Salad

Kate — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 01:08:09 +0000

Pasta salad in the summertime is my equivalent to soup in the fall and winter. It’s one of those meals that I just can’t get enough of when the weather is hot outside. We tend to eat pasta salad of some kind at least twice a week for dinner and at least once for lunch. As you can probably guess, everyone else in the house enjoys it just as much as I do.

Taste aside, pasta salad is one of my favorites for many of the same reasons that any recipe makes it on my favorite list – it’s versatile, it’s completely stolen moments friendly and it’s easy to put together.

Are you a pasta salad fan too? What’s your favorite kind? How often do you eat pasta salads during the summer?

Turkey & Pesto Pasta Salad

1/2 c. olive oil
3 T. red wine or rice vinegar
1 t. salt
1 t. black pepper
1 t. sugar
1/3 c. pesto, prepared or homemade
1 c. grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 cucumber, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 lb. cooked and cubed turkey breast (I just used some leftover grilled turkey breast tenderloin)
1 lb. cooked rotini, rinsed in cold water and drained

1. In a large bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar. Stir in pesto. Add cut vegetables and turkey. Stir until fully combined.

2. Add pasta and toss to coat. Refrigerate until serving.

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Brown Butter Ravioli with Peas & Parmesan

Kate — Fri, 06 May 2011 17:19:41 +0000

This is the second of 4 check-ins for the 1/3 Less Challenge. Leaving a comment on this post WILL enter you in the $50 Visa gift card giveaway.

I’m feeling like I’m really slacking in my progress on this 1/3 Less Challenge. I had such high hopes and so many categories I wanted to focus around. But I’ve only managed to really focus on just a few of those original categories. I guess too many changes at once just don’t work for me. However, I am definitely feeling the benefits where I have cut back by 1/3, so I guess that’s good. How’s it going for you?

Here’s another quick and easy dish that will get you out of the kitchen in 1/3 Less time. Frozen ravioli is one prepared, convenience food that makes a regular appearance in our house without much guilt on my part. It’s always my go-to option on monthly grocery shopping day. Usually I toss it with some homemade marinara sauce and frozen spinach. However, even for a once a month dish, that gets a little old sometimes. So I came up with this very simple idea instead. It turned out great and was a wonderful change of pace. Plus, dinner was done, start to finish, in about 15 minutes. Perfect!

Brown Butter Ravioli with Peas & Parmesan

1 – 2 lbs. frozen cheese ravioli
1/3 c. butter
1/4 c. fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 1/4 t. salt
1 t. freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 c. frozen peas
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook ravioli according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a skillet over low heat and cook, swirling pan frequently, for about 5 minutes, until golden brown in color. Stir in parsley, salt, pepper and peas. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes, until peas are completely warmed.

3. Toss the ravioli with the brown butter sauce and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

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Tuna Pasta Salad

Kate — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 02:21:54 +0000

This is one of our go-to lunch recipes. The kids love it so much that they request it every single weekend for lunch. I make it probably once or twice a month during the winter and every single week during the summer. And just for a little background, this recipe was my first foray in cooking during stolen moments. When I realized that I could make this dish for lunch while serving the kids breakfast, I knew I was on to something…and the rest is history. I’m happy to say that the method has evolved well beyond this simple Tuna Pasta Salad, but this recipe will always hold a special place in my heart.

For this recipe, I’m giving you the ingredients and estimated measurements for the way I usually make the salad. However, it is very versatile and open to all kinds of additions (onions, celery and peas are all great), deletions (skip the dill and relish if you’re not a fan) and substitutions (1/2 mayo and 1/2 Ranch dressing is a great option). Some of my usual deviations from the norm are that I scoop out the serving for our 11 year old before I stir in the pickle relish and I heavily salt mine because, since it’s tuna and I’m not the biggest fan, I need the extra saltiness.

Tuna Pasta Salad

1 c. mayonnaise
1 can tuna, drained
1 T. mustard
1 t. salt
1/2 t. dill
1.2 t. pepper
2 T. pickle relish
1 lb. pasta of choice (we prefer medium shells or elbow macaroni), cooked, drained and rinsed in cold water

1. Combine all ingredients except pasta in a large bowl and stir until thoroughly combined. Add pasta and stir to coat. Refrigerate until eating.

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Tortellini & Broccoli Salad

Kate — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 03:51:47 +0000

We are all longing for spring around here. It just can’t come soon enough! Eric has been asking for me to start incorporating spring type meals into my cooking. I definitely know where he’s coming from. So when I was writing out the grocery lists for our monthly shopping trips this weekend, I made sure to include plenty of ingredients that would allow me to make those kinds of meals.

We spent a combined total of probably 5 hours grocery shopping and unloading groceries this weekend, but it feels great to have it all done. There is just no feeling I love more in the world then seeing our pantry, refrigerator and freezer stocked full of food. It makes me so happy each month. Although at the start of every month I always feel like there’s no way we’ll eat everything by the end of the month. But we do. In fact, it’s starting to go so much faster than it used to. These kids eat a lot! We’re already stressing over what it will be like as the years go on.

Anyhow, on to the recipe. This pasta salad comes together so quickly and it is so delicious. It definitely added a taste of spring to our Sunday night dinner!

Tortellini & Broccoli Salad

1 9 oz. package cheese tortellini
1 crown broccoli
1 bunch green onions
1/4 lb. grape or cherry tomatoes
1 6 oz. can sliced black olives, drained
1 t. Italian seasoning
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
1 1/2 c. Italian salad dressing

1. Cook tortellini according to package directions. While tortellini cooks, cut broccoli into florets. Slice green onions and cut tomatoes in hlaf. Place in a large bowl. Add olives, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.

2. Drain tortellini and rinse with cold water. Add to the bowl and pour salad dressing over all. Stir to combine and refrigerate until eating. For best flavor, refrigerate for at least 4 hours before eating.

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Pepperoni Macaroni

Kate — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 02:10:00 +0000

I have a tendency to get a bit of a self-inflated ego when it comes to the way my kids eat. They are great eaters and for the most part, they will eat whatever is put in front of them. They eat their veggies. They eat all kinds of different meats. They love exotic flavors and new ingredients. I pat myself on the back when they are served a “fancy” meal and clean their plates.

But nothing brings me back to earth as quickly as a discussion about meals with them. Ask them what their favorite meals are and they’ll prove they are kids with fairly stereotypical tastes. Spaghetti, pizza, macaroni and cheese, tacos and French toast top their lists of favorites. Seriously? I was expecting to hear ragout and curry and bisque. Oh well. Leave it to the kids to keep it real for me!

So I wasn’t at all surprised when this Pepperoni Macaroni flew off their plates and into their mouths. It is classic kid-fare after all. As for my husband and myself, we realized we’re still kids at heart too. A simple meal that includes pepperoni, pizza sauce and pasta tastes just like you’d think it would whether you’re 4 or 34.

Pepperoni Macaroni

1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1/4 c. water
2 T. olive oil
2 t. Italian seasoning
1 t. salt
1 t. sugar
1 t. garlic powder
1/8 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 lb. macaroni noodles
1 3.5 oz. package pepperoni
Grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Combine the tomato paste, diced tomatoes, water, olive oil and seasonings in a small bowl. Stir to combine well. Cover and refrigerate until using.

+ 8-10 minutes boiling time Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Stir in macaroni and cook according to package directions. While pasta cooks, cut the pepperoni into halves or quarters. Drain pasta. If not using right away, rinse with cold water before refrigerating to keep it from sticking together.

Combine pasta, pepperoni and pizza sauce in a large skillet (or use the pasta pot to cut down on dishes). Cook over medium heat just until heated through. Top with grated Parmesan cheese before serving, if desired.

Please tell me I’m not the only one whose kids would opt for pizza over puttanesca!

This post is being linked to:

$5 Dinner Challenge at $5 Dinners
Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

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