(Bowties Are Cool) Pasta Salad

Pasta is what's for dinner. Pasta salad to be exact. This is perfect for those spring-y summer-y weather. This one is really easy to put together. But first let backtrack a bit. Have you seen those frozen veggie packs where you can steam them in the packages in the microwave? All I can say is Super time-saver!!!! Pop those suckers in the microwave and in minutes you've got steamed veggies. Bird's Eye is one that I know that does this.

Now back to the dish. Cook up some farfalle pasta. The ones that look like bowties or whichever pasta you prefer. It works with any kind. Add the steamed veggies and toss in a light dressing. You can serve this warmed of chilled. It tastes great both ways. The dressing has a nice slight tang to it from the rice wine vinegar. Just enough to give your tongue a tickle. The veggies I used for this are sweet corn and broccoli. Maybe next time I'll add some marinated tofu.

Also, the name of the dish is a reference to one of my favorite shows currently on BBC. Here's a hint... He travels thru space and time in a big blue police box. You can find the answer in the tags of this post. :) It's a long weekend here in the States. Memorial Day weekend meaning barbecues be happening all over. Me... I'm thinking short ribs or maybe some fish and chips.

Serves 2-3

(Bowties are cool) Pasta Salad

2 c dry farfalle (bowtie) pasta or your own preference
1 pack frozen sweet corn (in ready steam pack)
1 pack frozen broccoli (in ready steam pack)
          or 1 pack frozen mixed veggies (in ready steam pack)
pepper
salt
extra virgin olive oil

dressing
2/3 c extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves - minced or 1 tsp garlic paste
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
3 tsp sweet relish
2 tsp dry basil
salt

Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt liberally and drizzle a little extra olive oil before adding the pasta. Cook for roughly 6-7 minutes for al dente. Stir once to avoid the pasta from sticking to each other. When pasta is cooked, drain the water from the pot and drizzle some extra virgin olive oil and toss to keep the pasta moist and again from sticking to each other. Set aside.

While the pasta cooks, You make "steam" the veggies and make the dressing.

Follow steaming instructions on the packages of frozen veggies

Mince the garlic cloves into a paste consistency. Fine chop the garlic and place into a mortar and pestle. Sprinkle a little salt and mash the pieces until a paste-like consistency. Scoop the garlic paste into a bowl and slowly add rice wine vinegar and sweet relish. Add the dry basil and slowly drizzle the extra virgin olive oil. Constantly stir to combine.

To the cooled pasta, add the steamed veggies and toss thoroughly. Then drizzle the dressing and again toss to thoroughly combine.

Serve slightly warm, room temp or chilled.

WIld Mushroom Orzo

This is what I created with the other two mushrooms. I had the porcini and matsutake left and this one I made a another simple easy dish. I used the broth that was made after dehydrating this as the base. It's sort of reminiscent of risotto. I have made something similar before and I have found orzo to be of great use. I think it's become of my favorite pastas.

Serves 2

Wild Mushroom Orzo

1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms
1/2 oz dried matsutake mushrooms
1 c uncooked orzo
1 large beefy tomato - seeded and chopped
1 large garlic cloves - minced
3 c water -- for stock
2 Tbsp Oyster sauce
1 Tbsp Ponzu sauce
1 Tbsp Soy sauce
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp dry thyme
1/2 tsp dry oregano


First rehydrate the mushrooms. Do do so in a small pot, boil the water. Once boiling, turn off the heat and place the dried mushrooms in the water. Soak the mushrooms for 30 minutes. Drain on a paper towel and set aside. Do not throw away water, you will use the mushroom stock to cook the orzo.

Heat a skillet with a drizzle of olive oil. Saute the garlic for 30 seconds. Add the tomato and saute until it is slightly cooked down. Add the mushrooms and the orzo and stir occasionally. Slowly add 1/2 cup of the mushroom stock and and stir. do this until you have added all the stock. Let it simmer for 5-10 minutes until the stock as been fully absorbed and the orzo is cooked.

The add the oyster sauce, ponzu and soy sauce. Stir in the dry thyme and oregano stir to fully combine. Then season with the pepper.

It should be a slightly creamy consistency. Serve warm.

Tuna Salad Casserole

My apologies for the photos in this recipe. It was one of those "I'm uber hungry and don't feel like lugging out my camera to take a picture.  Can we eat now?" moment. On a whim I wanted to make tuna burgers, but no buns. Then in comes pasta to the rescue and it becomes a tuna salad. I later glance in the fridge and see some shredded mozzarella. The imaginary light bulb lights up and casserole comes to mind. and what you see is the result of that oddly "I can't think when I'm hungry" moment.

I served it wish a side of fresh slices of avocado.

Serves 2

Tuna Salad Casserole
1 can  tuna in oil or water - drained
1-2 c uncooked small penne or elbow
1 1/2 Tbsp mayo
1 Tbsp relish
1/3 cup pineapple tidbits - drained
Extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c Shredded mozzarella (plus extra for topping)
1/3 c panko crumbs

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Note" to avoid the pasta from sticking drizzle a little olive oil before cooking and stir once. Also season the water with salt. Drain when cooked and let cool.

Preheat your oven to 350˚F

In a large bowl, mix together the tuna, mayo, relish, and pineapple. Then toss in the cooled pasta, panko crumbs and mozzarella. Toss together until fully mixed. Next place the mixture into a baking dish . Baked for 15-20 minutes. 5 minutes before removing from the oven, sprinkle more cheese on top.

Serve slightly warm.

Pasta Salad

It's been a while since I've posted a recipe on there. With things somewhat calming down, I'm slowly but surely getting back into the kitchen. Though, with the summer heat beating down right now...cooking seems like a second option to everything else at the moment. But luckily there are those dishes that don't really require slaving over a hot stove. Pasta salads are one of them. Cooking the pasta is simple enough. Toss in some other fresh ingredients add some dressing and voila. The dressing I used for this one was Girard's Champagne flavor that I had gotten to sample.

I've got to say...it was a good choice to add into the mix of piccolini pasta, tomato, avocado, pineapple, almond slices and fresh garlic. Chilled in the fridge for a little bit and a delicious meal for any weeknight done in less than 30 minutes.

Pasta Salad

1-2 c Piccolini pasta
2 medium tomato - seeded and chopped
1 large ripe avocado - seeded, peeled and chopped
1 - large garlic clove - minced
1/3 c pineapple tidbits
1/4 c almond slices
1/3 c Girard's Champagne Dressing
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
pepper to taste

Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package. When cooked drain the pasta and let it cool completely before adding any ingredients.  Place the pasta in a large bowl and add the extra virgin olive and garlic. Toss together until completely coated.  Then add the tomato, avocado, pineapple, and almond slices. Drizzle the dressing and toss together completely. Season with a little pepper and toss once more.

Served chilled.

Tomato and Orzo

This is what happens when you've got nothing in the fridge and nothing in the pantry but tomato sauce, a couple fresh tomatoes and orzo pasta. Plus a few dry herbs here and there. And some garlic. Must not forget the handful cheese, too. Overall, I'm loving that this is packed with tomato-y goodness.

It's basically a "lazy to go to the market" kind of meal.

Tomato and Orzo

1 c uncooked orzo
1 12oz can tomato sauce
1 medium beefy tomato - quartered and seeded
2 large garlic cloves
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp dry thyme
1 Tbsp dry oregano
1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
olive oil
shredded cheese (optional)

In a small drizzle of oil, saute the garlic for 30 seconds. Add the tomato and cook until the tomatoes have released their juices. Then add the tomato sauce. Bring the sauce to a slight boil on high heat covered. Once boiling reduce the heat and simmer to a few minutes. Add the dry herbs, soy sauce, and sugar. Stir to combine. Then add the orzo. Stir to combine once again.

Add the orzo and cook until it absorbs the sauce and has a creamy like consistency. Roughly 8 minutes. Stir occasionally to avoid the orzo from sticking to the pan. Once cooked. Serve in bowl and sprinkle some shredded cheese on top.

Egg and Tomato with Ravioli

As I write up my Philippine foodventure posts, thought I'd try to get back into the swing of things with this little dish. My posts at the moment may seem a little sporadic rather than the daily variety, but once things have settled down everything will be a-ok. That's the thing for going on vacations, right?

I had this the day before I left for my trip. I had a couple eggs left at the time. I didn't want to leave it in the fridge and let it expire while I was away. That would have been a waste of some good eggs. So I somewhat turned it into a sauce of sorts. I cooked up some canned diced tomatoes first. Letting the juices come out and simmer, before adding the beaten egg. I actually had this Idea to try and make some egg drop tomato soup but ended up with scrambled eggs with tomato. Hahaha... I guess the juices of the tomato dried up a little. Maybe I'll add some stock next time. I guess this was a sort of failed attempt at that.

I did manage to salvage it with some ravioli. Thank goodness for pasta right. I bought another package of the bertolli ravioli. But you can use any variety of ravioli you'd like. I really like it quite a lot. A little filling, but really good. I also add some dry herbs into the mix. It was a little reminiscent of that pasta scramble I had a while back. Not bad, eh?

serves 2

Egg and Tomato with Ravioli

1 pk Ravioli
1 12oz can diced tomato - minus juices
3 eggs - beaten
1 tsp dry oregano
1 tsp dry thyme
2 large cloves of garlic  - fine chopped
olive oil

Heat a good drizzle of olive oil in a skillet, coating the bottom of the pan. Combine the dry herbs with the beaten egg. One the oil is hot enough, saute the garlic for 30 seconds and add the egg. Stir occasionally to keep the egg from sticking to the pan. When the egg is nearly cooked, add the diced tomato and stir to combine. Cook for another few minutes.

Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Season some salt and a tiny drizzle of olive oil. When the water is boiling, cook the ravioli till al dente. Roughly 4-6 minutes.

Place some the ravioli on a plate or bowl and scoop some of the egg mixture on top. Serve warm.

Crispy Ravioli

A few or couple weeks ago, I received a coupon to get myself one of Buitoni's Sauces or Pasta from the new Riserva products as being a part of their Tastemaker Program. Special thanks to FoodBuzz and Buitoni. I figured I use it before my trip, so use it I did. I ventured into the grovery and picked up a pack of the Wild Mushroom Agnolotti, which look like ravioli and is "generously filled with fresh portobello & crimini mushrooms, imported grana Padano & Parmesan cheese and fresh roasted garlic." The latter part of that sentence was from what was written on the package. I've had pasta several times this week and rather than going the traditional route of drowning it in some sauce I changed it up a bit and decided make into appetizer bites. Or make it the same way you would as zucchini fries. But I didn't have the proper ingredients to use for breading.

I have no eggs in the fridge, I had no cheese. All I had was panko. Hmph! I did however have some evaporated milk that I had opened a couple days earlier. I had also gotten a bag of Pirates Booty when I purchased the pasta. Pirates Booty is a brand of cheese puffs made with aged white cheddar. Totally addicting. That gave me the idea to use the cheese puffs in place of the panko. It already had the cheese and lite saltiness. What was that saying? Kill two birds with one stone?

So I bread the ravioli by dipping in the evaporated milk, then into the crushed cheese puffs and pan-fired them lightly. And you know what. They were crispy! Serve it with some marinara or your choice of dip a perfect appetizer or meal for 2.

Makes 12 ravioli

Crispy Ravioli

1 pk Buitoni Wild Mushroom Agnolotti
2-3 c cheese puffs - Pirates Booty - crushed
1/3 c evaorated milk
 canola oil

Pre-heat on a medium to low flame, some canola oil 1/2-inch deep in a deep skillet. Place the evaorated milk and cheese puffs in two separate shallow dishes.

Dip the ravioli in the evaorated milk, then into the crushed cheese puffs and pan fry each side until golden brown. Keep an eye out as they will cool up quick. Work in batches and repeat each time.

Place the finished ravioli on some paper towel to remove excess oil.

Serve with some marinara sauce.

Pasta Scramble 2.0

First things first, I switched internet providers and now it's up and running. Completely fast service I tell ya!! Plus it was way simpler to set up. It I felt like I was going through withdrawal from not being able to check blogs and emails at home even for one day. Eek! Talk about technology dependent. Anyway, still trying to clean out the fridge and pantry. It's officially one week before my trip. It's coming down to the wire to get thing done before my departure next week. My mind's filled with mental lists, checking off one item at a time. I'm really excited. A week seems so long when you know a trip is just right around the corner. 

This is another version of pasta scramble I had many some time last year. This time using some orzo pasta.  Two eggs, some dry herbs and diced tomato. I'd probably add more into it like mushrooms, or spinach, or maybe even some sausage and bacon. Mmmmm...I can think of more, but it's pretty late as I write this post and I'm hankering for a midnight snack.

Serves 1-2

Pasta Scramble 2.0

1/2 c uncooked orzo
2 eggs - lightly beaten
1/3 c diced tomato - fresh or canned
1 tsp oregano
pinch of salt

Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Lightly salt the water and drizzle a little olive oil. When the water is boiling add the orzo and cook until al dente. Drain out the water well then place the orzo back into the small pot. Add the eggs and continually toss together until the eggs have fully cooked and coated the pasta. Then add in the oregano and tomato and toss together again for a few minutes. Season with a pinch of salt.

Shrimps & Scallops with a White Wine Broth

So this was the lovely dish I wanted to post yesterday, but couldn't due to my internet fiasco. What a bummer that's been. But much like many an afternoon, i spent some quality time in my local Panera sipping on some fresh brewed coffee with my laptop on the table, answering emails messages, catching up on blogs. I swear the people that work there know me by now. haha...

Anyway... I asked my mom the day before Mother's Day what she would like to eat. I asked sometimes early in the afternoon. Several hours later...still no decision. But I waited patiently and patiently and patiently. Ain't I a loving daughter? Finally...Pasta. Scallops. Shrimp. Ok, so brain turns and what do you get? Angel hair pasta with sauteed shrimp and scallops in a white wine broth.

Delicious? Why...it's pasta-licious. Sorry...that last bit was corny.

 Serves 3-4

Shrimps & Scallops with a White Wine Broth

1/2 box angel hair pasta
6 oz diced tomato
2 large garlic clove - rough chopped
5 oz evaporated milk
1/2 tbsp oregano
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1/2 c white wine
1/2 lb shrimp - deveined and shelled
1 lb scallops

In a sauce pan, heat a small drizzle of olive oil and saute the garlic for 30-60 seconds. Add the shrimp and scallops and saute until the shrimp have turned a nice shade pink and the scallops are slightly whiter in color. Some of the juices will be released. Stir several times to cook all the seafood.

On a high to medium heat, add the wine and bring to a slight boil. When the wine has reduced slightly, lower the heat and add the evaporated milk. Add the tomato and oregano. Stir occasionally. Let it simmer for a good 15 minutes. Season with a little salt and pepper to taste.

While that cooks, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Season with salt and cook the pasta until al dente roughly 8-10 minutes.

Place some of the paste in a large enough plate and ladle some of the shrimp, scallops and sauce over. Serve warm.

Stewed Tomato and Orzo

I've been having a mild case of the sniffles and sneezes lately. I don't want to get sick. I. WILL. NOT. GET. SICK!!! I'm take every precaution in making sure that I'm well enough before my trip. That's the worst thing that could happen. *crossing fingers* So I've got juice and tea and fruits and veggies and...and...soups and...stews in mind for the next couple weeks. I'm not leaving anything to chance. Allergies beware I ain't giving in without a fight! :)

Anyway...I actually wanted tomato soup, but ended up making this. A tomato stew, of sorts...with diced tomatoes, chopped carrots, orzo, ans some veggie stock. Simple and easy and tomato-y goodness. Have I mentioned that I love tomatoes?

Serves 2

Stewed Tomato and Orzo

1 12oz can vegetable stock
1 12 oz can diced tomato
1 large garlic clove
1 large carrot - peeled and rough chopped
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c uncooked orzo
pepper to taste.

In a pot, sauce the garlic in the olive oil for 30 seconds. Then add the tomato sauce and stock. Bring the whole thing to a slight boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer. Stir occasionally. Add the carrots and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes until the carrots had become tender. 10 minutes before serving add the orzo. Again stirring occasionally so that the orzo will not stick to the pot. Season with pepper to taste.  The orzo will absorb some of the sauce.

Veggie Orzo Pasta with Smoked Scallops

Oh, what a day yesterday had been. If you've seen my tweets and facebook status updates, I was a victim of theft. It's not fun finding out that thieves had cashed a couple a checks that were issued to a different company. How they did it...I have no idea. Just goes to show how desperate people are coming to these days. It's a sad shame. And the wasn't for a small amounts too. Frustration and anger.

This was a test of some kind, I can feel it. This is God saying..."you've had it easy to a little while. Here's a little curve ball."  Testing my will power and seeing how I will react. But I'm staying positive that this situation will be resolved. Sure, it'll be a a little difficult for a little while, but in a time when everyone is tightening their belts, I have to tighten mine a little tighter than usual.  Have I passed the test yet? Sorry for this not being as food related, but it's a frightening situation that could happen to anyone that I thought to share with you as an example to be extra cautious with all your personal information. I thought I lived in a quiet and safe neighborhood, yet you'll never know what hides beneath that nice exterior.

Anyway...after dealing with all that. I needed to calm myself down. I ventured into the kitchen and made something. luckily it just around dinnertime. I mentioned before that I find cooking and baking to be therapeutic. It really does help take your mind off things that bother us.

Have you ever heard of smoked scallops in those sardine-like cans? I had gotten a couple of these from the grocery and they looked really interesting. They were small scallops packed in cottonseed oil. I once again make a risotto like dish using orzo pasta with some frozen veggies, chicken stock, and evaporated milk. The result deliciousness on a plate. It helped deviate from the stress of the day.

Edited to add: I'm submitting this recipe to 5 Star Foodie for the 5 Star Makeover. This month is pasta.



Serves 2

Veggie Orzo Pasta with Smoked Scallops 

1 c uncooked orzo
1 12oz can chicken stock
2-3 c frozen mixed veggies - defrosted
1 large garlic clove - fine chopped
1 can smoked scallops in cottonseed oil - drained
1 5 oz can evaorated milk
1 Tbsp paprika
extra virgin olive oil
pepper to taste


Heat a small drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet. Saute the garlic for 30 sec, the add the scallops and saute for a couple minutes. Add the vegetables and paprika. Cook for another few minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add the stock and orzo. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once the orzo looks like it's cooked to al dente and has absorbed most of the stock, lower the heat and add the evaporated milk. Simmer for a few minutes and season with pepper to taste.

Serve warm.

Creamy Mushroom and Orzo pasta

It's kind of like a risotto. Kind of, but not really. I saw a few recipes out there using orzo as a kind of risotto. I thought that was a great idea. I had the orzo. To the ingredient list were also some baby bella mushrooms that I chopped up. As well as an onion. So I saute the those then added the orzo and vegetable stock. It's still lent, so chicken stock was out of the question. Cook that up until the orzo cooks up and absorbs the stock. then season with the usual S&P with the addition of some dry thyme, oregano and my favorite spice paprika.  To give it that creamy texture i used evaporated milk instead of cream and some white wine. Risotto usually has parmesan in it, which I didn't have. So I used shredded mozzarella. It worked just fine. I was a little intimidated by how it would turn out, yet I ate it all up. Not because I was hungry as heck, but it was really good. A nice hint of the white wine with the mushroom. Delicious.

Serve 2

Creamy Mushroom and Orzo pasta

1 c uncooked orzo pasta
1 12oz can vegetable stock
1 small onion - chopped
8 oz baby portobella mushrooms - sliced
1/4 c evaporated milk
1/4 c white wine
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp dry thyme
1 Tbsp dry oregano
1 Tbsp paprika


Melted the butter in a pot and saute the onions and mushrooms until both are tender. Season with a little salt and pepper. Add the orzo and vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer. When orzo has cooked and absorbed the stock, add the milk and wine. Stir occasionally and combine and then add the dry thyme, oregano, and paprika. Simmer for a couple minutes before serving.

Four Cheese Spinach Bake and A Winner

First, we've got a winner!! A week ago I announced a giveaway for the 1-year birthday of B + B. I got some interesting and diverse responses to what you favorite dishes are. It was nice to read a variety of tastes.  Thank you to everyone who entered. I was going to do it the old fashioned way by pulling a name out a bowl, but things happened in the last couple days that prevented it. So I used my back up via random.org.

And the winner of the really cool sushi book and kit is....................................

ValleyWriter from Adventures in the Pioneer Valley!!!!!!! 

Email me your address (jenn@jenniferrazon.com) and I'll get this fab prize your way. Congrats!!!

--

Now, onto today's dish. I still had that second Bertolli sauce to try out courtesy of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program and Bertolli. The Four Cheese Rosa. It tastes much like an alfredo sauce with a hint of tomato. I enjoyed it quite a bit. It a nice creamy texture and smooth at the same time. I cooked this up with some pasta. And I remember that I had some frozen spinach left in the freezer that I need to use up.

The pasta I used for this are some small shells. I find that they scoop the sauce really well. Mix in the spinach and well as the sauce. Topped it with some shredded cheese that I mixed with some panko crumbs to give it that nice cheesy and crunchy crust. Simple weeknight meal.

Serves 4-6

Four Cheese Spinach Bake

2-3 c uncooked pasta
1 c leafed spinach - from frozen (defrosted and squeezed of water)
1 jar Bertolli Four Cheese Rosa
1 tbsp garlic powder
pepper to taste
2 c panko crumbs
1 c grated parmesan cheese


Preheat your oven to 375˚F

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, season the water with salt and a small drizzle of olive oil. Drop in the pasta and stir a couple times to prevent the pasta from sticking to each other. Cook until al dente, roughly 8 minutes.

In a small bowl mix together the panko and cheese.  Set Aside.

Once the pasta as cooked drain most, but 1 cup of the pasta water. Add the spinach, garlic powder, and Bertolli Four Cheese Rosa sauce. Season with a little pepper and mix well. Pour the pasta mixture into an oven safe dish and spread evenly.  Then pour the panko-cheese mix on top.

Place the dish in the oven and bake for 15 tto 20 minutes until the cheese has melted and crumbs lightly browned.

Serve warm.

Macaroni Salad

"Yankee doodle went to town, riding on a pony. He stuck a feather in his hat and called it macaroni." Remember that little ditty. I remember singing that fondly as a little child. What does that have to do with macaroni salad? Absolutely nothing. Just thought I'd throw that out there for fun.

I had some last pieces of celery and carrots I needed to use up. It wasn't a lot andn I figured there's no point in making soup or something like that with it. But them i thought back to my crab salad. Suddenly remember that I still had a bunch of pasta in pantry. I had been thinking of cooking up a little pasta fix lately. One thing for sure I haven't done yet was another picnic/party essential as in a good ol' macaroni salad. I already did potato salad, so why not make its cousin. This one is simple to make. Very little ingredients. The reddish color comes from the paprika I added. I do love my paprika.

I guess my making this, I'm eager for winter to be over.

Serves 3-5

Macaroni Salad

1 celery stick - fine chopped
1 small carrot - peeled and fine chopped
1 small yellow bell pepper  - deseeded and fine chopped
2-3 c uncooked macaroni pasta
2 tsp sweet pickle relish
1/2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
3 Tbsp mayo
pepper to taste
1 tsp paprika
5 oz pineapple chunks
1 c shredded chicken - optional



Bring a pot of water to a boil. Season liberally with salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Cook the pasta until tender. Roughly 10 minutes. Be sure to drain and cool completely. (You can run it through cold water to let it cool faster)

In a large bowl, combine the celery, carrot, bell pepper, pineapple chunks and macaroni. You may also add the optional chicken. Toss together. Add in mayo, sweet pickle relish, rice wine vinegar and paprika. Season with a little pepper to taste. Toss together thoroughly coating everything.

Place in a container and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Pasta with Broccoli in Carrot Sauce

Carrots are good for betacarotines. Helps your eye sight. They are tasty when you dip them in a little ranch dressing. So I bought a couple from the farmer's market from the weekend. Usually when I buy produce, I have a vague idea as to what I can or will make with them. I usually decide the day before or the day of. Then I remember seeing a recipe over at Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice, which is run by the lovely Reeni of using carrots as a sauce for pasta. Ding! Bugs Bunny's Pasta Toss aka Roasted Carrot Cream Pasta Toss. Carrot sauce was a new idea to me and it's been a while since I've had a really good pasta fix, so why not. I adapted the sauce a bit by adding some onion, fresh basil, I didn't have any parmesan on hand, but I did have a 4 cheese Mexican blend on hand. I also cooked up some broccoli with it as well before tossing everything together.

Serves 2-3

Pasta with Broccoli in Carrot Sauce
adapted from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice

3 medium to large carrots
4 small heads of broccoli - cut into florets
1/2 small onion sliced
3/4 c fresh basil - chopped
3 Tbsp olive oil (plus extra)
1 tsp dry thyme
2 garlic clove - chopped
1 5oz can evaporated milk
1/3 c shredded cheese - 4 cheese blend
salt and pepper to taste
3 c uncooked pasta
1 c pasta water


Preheat your oven to 400˚F

Peel and cut the carrots into 1/4-inch coins. Place them in a bowl along with the onion and toss them in olive oil, garlic, thyme, and a little bit of salt an pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes until the carrots are tender. Give the carrots a toss half way.

When the carrots are done place them in a food processor or blender and puree. Include the onion and garlic bits. Add the basil. Slowly drizzle in the evaporated milk and blend until smooth.

Bring a pot of water to a boil, seasoned liberally with salt and a tiny drizzle of olive oil. Boil the pasta to al dente. Roughly 8 minutes. Give it a stir to prevent sticking. Reserve 1 cup of the water and drain the rest from the pasta.

Heat a tiny drizzle of olive oil in a skillet and saute broccoli until tender. Turn off the heat and pour in the carrot sauce, the pasta water, cheese and pasta. If it looks slightly dry add a a tiny drizzle of olive oil.

Sprinkle a little more cheese just before serving and enjoy with some garlic bread.

Spaghetti

This is one tomato filled spaghetti. You can resist the power of spaghetti. As my job was to make the meatball, it was my mom's turn to make the spaghetti. Nothing like a little mother-daughter time in the kitchen. Awe, those precious moments. I do love my mom's cooking. I think if it weren't for her, I wouldn't know how to cook. A lot of the basic and traditional way of cooking I learned from her.

This is a relatively super easy sauce to make since most of the ingredients involve tomatoes and nothing else. Aside from a little onion, herbs, a dash of sugar and a little sweet relish. It helps balance out the sweet and tart flavors. The Filipino way is to mix in the noodles rather than spooning the sauce over. That way you can just pick up the fork and eat up rather than having to spend another minute or two mixing things around. You can add extra sauce, if you want. I added some of the oven steamed meatballs into this and a sprinkle of chopped cheese.

Serve 4-6

Spaghetti


1 box spaghetti

1 15 oz diced tomato
2 12 oz can tomato sauce
1 5 oz can tomato sauce with basil, oregano and garlic (Hunt's brand)
      ( if you can't find this, simple add 1 Tbsp of each -- dry basil, dry and garlic powder)
1 large fresh tomato
1 small onion
3 Tbsp brown sugar
3 Tbsp sweet relish
1 tsp dry oregano
salt and pepper to taste.

saute the onions in a tiny drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Add the diced tomato, tomato sauce, fresh tomato. Stir to combine. Then add the brown sugar, relish, dry oregano. Bring the sauce to a simmer and finally season with salt and pepper. Add more if needed.

Boil some water and cook the pasta to al dente. After draining, add the noodles into the sauce and caefully stir to combine.

Serve warm with a sprinkling of cheese.