Summer Garden Pasta

Summer Garden Pasta
from my friend Kim, who got it from Ina Garten 


4 pt. Cherry Tomatoes, halved
1/2 c.Olive Oil (good quality)
2 tablespoons Minced Garlic
18 Basil Leaves, large, julienned
1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes, crushed
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper, freshly ground
1 pound Angel Hair Pasta, dried
1 1/2 cups Paremsan Cheese, grated, plus extra for serving

Combine the cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, basil, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper in a large bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for about 4 hours.  Just before you're ready to serve, bring a large pot of water with a splash of olive oil and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil and add the pasta.  Cook a dente according to the directions on the package. Drain the pasta well and add to the bowl with the cherry tomatoes.  Add the cheese and some extra fresh basil leaves and toss well.

{cooks note}

I really love this pasta.  You could add a lot more things to this if you want, but I basically stuck to the recipe.  Next time I serve this for dinner, I will grill some chicken and toss it in with the pasta.  I added some fresh mozzarella (cubed) and I used shaved Parmesan Cheese.  I have switched most of my pasta to wheat, so I used wheat angel hair for this.  I am not a short order cook at my house, but I knew my boys would never touch this pasta with a ten foot pole had I left in the "leaves" (basil) and the tomatoes.  I just left those out for them and they scarfed it right up.  I did make each of them try a tomato.

 I used organic grape tomatoes instead of cherry.  They were so sweet.

I chopped all of my little tomatoes with my Wusthof knife.  It was a breeze and there was no sawing.

 Don't you just love fresh ingredients?  

I served our pasta with fresh corn on the cob.  

Hopefully this recipe will add some inspiration to your weekly menu.  

Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and Cheese

adapted from Favorites

1 pound elbow macaroni

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup flour

4 cups milk

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon dry mustard

5 cups grated Cheddar cheese (medium or sharp)

Cook macaroni in boiling, salted water according to package directions and drain.  In a large saucepan, melt butter.  Add flour and stir.  Pour in milk and cook, stirring constantly until thick.  Add salt, pepper and dry mustard, then add 4 1/2 cups of the cheese and stir just until cheese is melted.  Remove from heat and add cooked macaroni and mix together.  Pour into 9"x13" glass baking pan, sprinkle remaining 1/2 cups cheese on top and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

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{cooks note}

If this isn't comfort food, then I don't know what is.   My husband is still trying to understand just what comfort food is.  Go here for a great definition.  Back to the recipe.  I changed this recipe so there is double the sauce.  There is nothing worse to me than dry macaroni and cheese.  With this recipe, your macaroni and cheese will be the opposite of dry.  It makes for really great leftovers too.  I sometimes also freeze half of this before baking because it makes such a large quantity.  

First, I cook the pasta.  Make sure you under-cook it slightly since it will finish cooking in the oven.

While the pasta is cooking, I start my cheese sauce.  This is after I melted the butter and added the flour.  

Just after the milk was added.  Make sure to continually stir.

Drain the macaroni and set aside.

Next, I grate the cheese. I use my slicer-shredder attachment for my Bosch to do all the work.  It's wonderful.

Put a block of cheese in the top (I like to use sharp for a stronger cheese flavor)...

and out it comes perfectly shredded.

Here is a another look.

This is the top of the blade that shreds the cheese.  You can choose which size you would like.  Large or small.

Back to the cheese sauce.  After it has thickened, add the salt and pepper and dry mustard.

In case you are trying to figure out what dry mustard is, here is a picture.  It can be found in the spice isle in your local grocery store.  

Once the spices have been mixed in, add the cheese.

Give it a good stir until the cheese has all melted in.

Pour your macaroni into a baking dish.

Add the cheese sauce.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheese on top. I cheated and added a little more.  You can never have too much cheese, right?

Twenty-five minutes later you have this.  A creamy macaroni and cheese that is to die for.

I served mine with steamed long green beans and a simple salad with carrots, tomatoes and avacado.  

Macaroni and cheese.  It's what's for dinner.

Chicken & Ham Bow Tie Pasta

Chicken and Ham Bow Tie Pasta

adapted from my friend Jenna

1 pound box bow tie pasta

1 small package of frozen petite peas

1 cup of cooked ham, cubed

2 cups of chicken, cubed

1 package of Creamy Garlic Alfredo sauce mix from McCormick (make sauce according to directions)

1 cup of heavy whipping cream

Pepper to taste

1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook pasta according to package directions making sure it is al dente.  Drain and put into a large mixing bowl.  Cube ham.  Cube chicken and cook in a skillet with olive oil until done.  About 5-6 minutes.  While chicken is cooking, make the creamy garlic alfredo sauce according to the directions on the package.  Once it is slightly thickened, add 1 cup of heavy whipping cream.  Add sauce, ham, frozen peas, chicken and one cup of Parmesan cheese to the pasta.  Mix with a large spoon until combined.  Add pepper to taste.  Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese on top and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.  Place a piece of foil on the top the remaining 10 minutes for a total cook time of 25 minutes.

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My friend made this for our family after I had Blake.  She made it up, but I had to know what went in it.  I tried my best to write out a recipe for you. This dish most likely will not need salt because of the salt the ham already provides.  If I have to buy ham for this, I buy it from my grocery store deli and have them slice it thick so I can cut it into cubes.  Make sure you purchase a good quality ham that is pre-cooked.  You may want to add more whipping cream after you have mixed everything together for a creamier pasta.

The ingredients, but not quite.  When I made this I didn't have a few things on hand. Like frozen petite peas, and bow tie pasta.  It all worked out.  I doubled my recipe since I was taking half of it to another family, so that is why you see double the pasta.

Chicken seasoned with salt and pepper.

This ham is leftover from a ham I cooked in the crock pot.  I will post that recipe at a later date.  I usually have enough leftovers to freeze for meals like this.  This is the most delicious ham you will every put in your mouth.

Ham and pasta.

Whisking the creamy garlic alfredo sauce.

Sprinkling with Parmesan cheese before baking in the oven.

The end result, minus the peas.  This is a quick and easy meal loved by all.