Pasta Salad with Feta, Basil & Olives

Pasta salads are a common side at summer BBQs and potlucks. I've grown up eating some delicious creamy pasta salads, but wanted to make something that I was hoping was a bit different from the traditional salad. (Surprisingly, someone brought an almost identical pasta salad to the BBQ we brought this to! Oh well, I enjoyed the leftovers!)

This is easy to make, and can be made the day of the event if you don't have a lot of fridge room to keep in in. We used the Campenelle pasta because it would help hold onto the sauce, and it was a festive looking pasta for the BBQ. Feel free to use whatever you have on hand!



PASTA SALAD WITH FETA, BASIL & OLIVES (Adapted from The Parsley Thief)

6 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound Campenelle pasta (or pasta of choice)
1 large red-ripe tomato, diced
8 ounces feta
1 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 cup black olives, pitted & halved

Add the olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes & garlic to the bowl of a food processor. Blend until the tomatoes are coarsely chopped. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain & transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the dressing & toss to coat. Cool to room temperature, tossing occasionally.

Add the tomatoes, feta, basil, Parmesan, & olives. Toss to combine.

Serve chilled.

ENJOY!

Beef Stroganoff

As the weather has turned cool, we've been craving heartier dinners. My husband & I love mushrooms, so we decided we'd try stroganoff. I've never made the "real" thing before as I grew up on the Hamburger Helper version, and made crock-pot versions while in college (with lots of cream of mushroom soups and hamburger for the meat). This is definitely worth the additional effort. We easily had enough for about 6-7 servings, which meant easy lunches for the next few days as it reheated fairly well. Next time we make it, I hope to have the time to make egg noodles from scratch, too!



BEEF STROGANOFF (From The Joy of Cooking)

2 pounds of stew beef
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
2 cups beef broth
1 cup sour cream (I used light sour cream)
1 tablespoon dijon mustard

Cut beef into small strips. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the meat in batches, until just browned. Remove to a plate.

In the same skillet, melt the butter. Add, and cook, the onion for about 3 minutes, or until softened. Add the mushrooms, and cook until the liquid evaporates (approximately 8 minutes).

Add the beef broth, an simmer for 10 minutes. Then stir in the sour cream and mustard. Add back the meat, and simmer (do NOT boil) for about 2-3 minutes until the meat is heated through, but still medium to medium rare. Serve immediately over egg noodles.

ENJOY!

Sesame Pasta Salad

This fall, we had a BBQ with friends. We provided the meet, everyone else brought the sides & drinks. Some of our friends stopped by the local coop on their way over to pick up some salads, and brought a sesame pasta salad over that I fell in love with. I scoured the internet for something similar, and think that this is it!

This is so simple to make up (and makes a HUGE batch - perfect if you're bringing it somewhere to share!) I think it easily be made into a more substantial salad by adding some chicken and cashews or peanuts to the mix.



SESAME PASTA SALAD (Adapted from Pioneer Woman)

16 ounces, thin noodles (spaghetti, angel hair, etc), cooked and drained
1/3 cups Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Sugar
4 cloves Garlic, Minced
2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
3 Tablespoons Pure Sesame Oil
1 teaspoon Hot Chili Oil
4 Tablespoons Canola Oil
4 whole Green Onions, Sliced Thin

Whisk all ingredients (except noodles and green onions) together in a bowl. Taste and adjust ingredients as needed. Pour sauce over warm noodles and toss to coat. Sprinkle with green onions and toss.

Chill before serving.

ENJOY!

Mushroom Mascarpone Ravioli with Sundried Tomato Alfredo Sauce

After successfully making homemade pasta noodles, I knew the next thing I had to try was ravioli. I'm always a huge fan of stuffed pastas, and with my husband's & my love for mushrooms, there was no question on what kind I would make first.

The filling was delicious, as was the sauce. While they tasted great together - I think there were too many competing flavors. Both recipes are definitely "keepers." I just feel they are better separately. Surprisingly, the sauce actually reheats rather well, especially for a cream & butter sauce.

The pasta makes the perfect amount for the ravioli - enough to feed 4-6 people (we only cooked 1/2 of them for a meal). We probably used about 1/2 of the sauce for 1/2 the ravioli, so easily enough for a meal of pasta for a family of 6.

Also, while ravioli is doable without a ravioli mold, I plan on getting one before my next adventure with ravioli - I'd prefer to have them more full than I was able to do without one.



PASTA DOUGH(From Cooking Weekends)

1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cup unbleached flour
1 1/2 cup semolina flour
1 tsp salt
4 large eggs
1-3 tbsp water

Place the 1 1/2 cups unbleached flour (to start), semolina and salt into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade. Pulse a few times to combine.

Add the eggs and 1 tablespoon of water to start. Pulse a few times. If the mixture seems too dry, sprinkle a bit more water over the mixture.

The dough should have the consistency of fresh bread crumbs,and start to form a ball. Add additional flour or water as needed to get desired consistency.

Gather up the dough and knead for a few minutes on a lightly floured surface until you have a smooth ball. Cover with plastic wrap (or place in a bag) and allow to rest for about 20 minutes.

Separate dough into 2-3 sections. Flatten the piece and run it through the pasta machine at the widest setting a few times. Fold and pass through the widest setting a few more times. After 4-5 runs through the widest setting, run through the narrower settings until desired thickness is obtained.



MUSHROOM MASCARPONE FILLING (Adapted from All Recipes)

1 tablespoon olive oil
10 ounces fresh mushrooms, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 (8 ounce) container mascarpone cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms & garlic - cook until the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, stir together the mascarpone cheese and mushroom mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper; set aside.

To form the ravioli, scoop 1-2 tsp of filling onto a sheet of pasta.





Brush egg around the filling & top with another sheet of pasta. Seal around the filling, trying to get as much of the air out of the filling as possible.



Cut ravioli into squares. Using a fork, press around the edges to help seal the filling in. (I think they look better this way, too!)



Boil for approximately 5 minutes (or until the pasta is done to your liking)



SUN DRIED TOMATO ALFREDO SAUCE (Adapted from The Open Pantry)

1/2 cup Butter
8 oz Cream cheese
3/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 cup Milk or Cream (I used cream for a nice, thick sauce)
1/4 cup Sun dried Tomatoes in oil, pureed
2 cloves Roasted Garlic, pureed
Salt

Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan over medium low heat then add the cream cheese and Parmesan cheese stirring until melted. Add the Pureed sun dried tomatoes and pureed garlic. Stir, add the cream and cook until it begins to thicken and has a creamy consistency. Taste and add salt if desired. Serve over pasta.

ENJOY!

Homemade Pasta

Until recently, I never thought I'd have the desire to make pasta. The boxes of dry pasta at the store are so incredibly cheap & easy. When I ultimately decided that I wanted to make pasta, I wanted the pasta attachment for my trusty KitchenAid Mixer. However, without knowing if I would truly like homemade pasta and the work going into it, I thought I would start with a hand-cranked pasta maker from BBB (which is much more affordable than the attachment).

I have to say, homemade pasta is definitely worth the extra time! It's easier with 2 sets of hands, and thankfully my hubby likes to spend time in the kitchen with me. We enjoy our "dates" in the kitchen making pasta (and enjoying the wonderful meal afterwards!)



SEMINOLA PASTA (From Recipes & Reviews)

1 cup All Purpose flour (I use unbleached)
1 cup semolina flour (I had to go to Whole Foods to get some)
1 pinch salt
3 extra-large eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil


Mix all ingredients in a stand mixer for about 1 minute with the paddle attachment (it will look slightly crumbly at this point). Reach in and form it by hand into a ball, then switch to the dough hook. Knead it for 5-10 minutes. If it falls apart, stop the mixer and form it back into a ball. Adjust the moisture level with small amounts of water or flour as needed.

Toss your dough ball into a plastic bag (or wrap in plastic wrap) and let it sit on the counter for approximately 30 minutes.

Divide your dough ball into 2 or more pieces. (Keep the piece you aren't using in the bag) Roll into a strip with a rolling pin. Then, set your pasta machine to its widest setting and run your dough through it. Fold the dough in half, and run it through again. Repeat approximately 5-6 times. If it comes out a little sticky, sprinkle on a little more semolina flour.



Now it is time to start working your way down through the thinner settings on your machine, one at a time, until you reach your desired thickness (we went from 7 - our widest setting - down to 3 or 4)

After the sheets are at your desired thickness, run through the cutting roller (my machine makes spaghetti & fettucini) Hang to let air circulate and dry the pasta for at least 10 minutes before cooking.



Remember, fresh pasta cooks MUCH faster than dry pasta. Any pasta you aren't using immediately can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge (we used the rest later in the week).

ENJOY!

Creamy Taco Mac, aka Homemade Hamburger Helper

Most of us have eaten a fair share of Hamburger Helper during our lives. I didn't make it often when I lived on my own, because I'm not much of an eater of left overs, and I definitely couldn't eat Hamburger Helper for days on end. I've tried it again as a convenience on a busy night, and it just doesn't taste as good as I used to think it did. (Even my husband, who will eat everything, even if it doesn't taste too good, prefers not to eat it). I ran across this recipe, and decided to give it a try. It's delicious! Just as easy as the boxed stuff, but you know what's going into it. And, it's fairly healthy if you use reduced fat ingredients.



CREAMY TACO MAC (Adapted from Annie's Eats)

1¼ lbs. ground turkey
8-12 oz. dry pasta
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup taco seasoning
3-4 oz. cream cheese (I used the 1/3 less fat version)
1/2 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper
Shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the ground turkey over medium-high heat until no longer pink. A few minutes before the turkey is cooked through, add the chopped onion. Once the turkey is completely cooked, mix in the garlic, and cook for approximately 1 minute. Mix in the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese and sour cream, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix in a medium sized handful of finely shredded cheese. Remove from the heat and top with shredded cheddar cheese, if desired.

Note: Both the hubby & I think this reheats wonderfully!

ENJOY!

Cajun Chicken Pasta

This is one of our favorite "go to" meals when we have guests on a week night. It takes less than 30 minutes to make, and I never get complaints. It's easy to adjust the amount of "heat" to your personal preference. While it may be healthier to use half & half, it may be difficult to get this to a nice thick sauce. I personally recommend splurging :)



CAJUN CHICKEN PASTA
Serves 4-6

3-4 chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
1 14-16oz bag of frozen bell peppers
Minced Garlic
1.5 pints whipping cream
Cayenne pepper
Cajun seasoning (We use Emeril's Bayou Blast)
Olive Oil
1 16 oz box of pasta, cooked

Saute chicken pieces in small amount of olive oil, with approximately 1-2 teaspoons garlic (adjust amount to taste). Sprinkle with Cajun Seasoning. When fully cooked, add bell peppers. When warm, baste off all of the juices, which can be discarded. Add whipping cream, and seasonings to taste. (We add quite a bit, but we like things spicy). Bring sauce to a simmer, and cook until desired thickness.

Serve over pasta. Great with some breadsticks or garlic bread to enjoy with the sauce.

(See, I told you it was easy! I never measure the spices, I start by dusting the entire top of the pan with the cajun seasoning, and usually do this a few times until I get the desired amount of heat.)

Enjoy!