Totes Totes Totes Awesome!!! (am I wearing it out??? ok I'll stop) But, truthfully, this is the easiest bestest, most awesomest pasta. You can customize to your taste and or what you have on hand, which also makes it versatile and affordable.
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins
Ingredients
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1/2 pint Cherry (or grape) tomatoes, halved
3 cloves Garlic chopped (I used the jarred minced garlic)
1 lb Bowtie Pasta
2 cups Fresh baby spinach or arugula
Parmesan, salt and pepper to taste
* Optional: ground Italian sausage browned, chopped grilled chicken, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, black olives, red pepper flakes
How To:
1. Cook and drain pasta, reserving a cup of the cooking water.
2. Heat garlic and red pepper flakes in olive oil over medium heat till fragrant.
3. Add tomato halves, cook till softened, approx 5 mins. Reduce heat and add any additional ingredients (cooked meat, mushrooms, etc) cook until the tomatoes begin to burst open and create a thin sauce.
4. Turn heat back up to medium high, toss in pasta, stir to coat and cook for 3 mins. Add reserved pasta water if too dry.
5. Add the spinach or arugula at the very end and toss with pasta mixture will incorporated.
6. Serve with grated Parmesan.
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| Photo from www.campbellskitchen.com |
Adapted from Campbell's Kitchen Broccoli Rice Casserole recipe.
Prep: 20 minutes
Bake: 30 minutes
Ingredients
1 stick butter
1 large onion chopped
16 ounces frozen chopped broccoli
1/3 cup milk
1 can Cream of Chicken soup or Cream of Mushroom soup
1 jar Cheez Whiz, 8 oz Velveeta or 1 can Cheddar soup
1 1/2 cups cooked white rice
How to:
1. Heat butter in skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook till tender.
2. Stir the broccoli into the butter and onion mixture and cook until tender. Stir in milk, soup, cheese and rice.
3. Cook until the cheese is melted and all ingredients are mixed well.
4. Pour into casserole dish and bake at 350 until hot and bubbly.
"Dressed-Up" Spaghetti
I didn't get a picture of this one... no good excuse, just dropped the ball on this one. But trust me, it's good. "Dressing-up" spaghetti sauce is a quick and easy way to add some flair to a plain old inexpensive jar of
store bought spaghetti sauce. By adding chopped veggies or left over meats this multi-tasking sauce becomes a healthy and hearty meal. Using up left overs and those last bits of veggies that hide in the back of the crisper drawer reduces waste, making it frugal too!
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Ingredients
1/2 lb Spaghetti noodles cooked
1 Jar Your favorite brand spaghetti sauce
1/2 lb Ground Italian sausage cooked, drained and seasoned to taste (try sage, oregano, garlic, onion)
*and here's the "dressed up" part.....Add any canned or fresh veggies you have on hand and need to use up. Try the following: Fresh or canned mushroom (saute in butter or olive oil with some garlic), black olives,
chopped fresh onion, fresh or canned tomatoes, zucchini, squash, celery, bell pepper (any color), or carrot.
How To:
1. Empty jarred spaghetti sauce into a medium sauce pot.
2. Add cooked sausage and any "dress-up" items you like
3. Heat to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 mins.
4. Serve over cooked spaghetti noodles. Garnish with grated parmesan or mozzarella cheese and a side of garlic bread.
* Got kiddos that don't like veggies. Spaghetti sauce is a great place to "hide" them. If they won't go for the added chopped veggies, puree them and add to the jarred sauce. Try carrots, celery, white beans, bell peppers, zucchini, or even peas, broccoli or turnip.
