Zucchini Ribbon Pasta

In my CSA recently, I received parsley, basil, zucchini, yellow squash, and garlic, among other goodies.  I was interested in trying a new zucchini recipe and I came across this one, that happened to use many of the items I had on hand.  Everyone in my family loved it!  It took a little time for me to make the zucchini and squash ribbons - I used a peeler - but if you have a tool for that, I am sure it would be quick and easy.  If you want to make this vegetarian, it would only require switching the chicken stock for vegetable broth.  If you want to add protein, I think shredded chicken would be a good choice.


INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 pound whole-wheat fettuccini
• yellow and green zucchini (about 2 lb total)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup grated (1-ounce) Parmesan (lightly packed), plus 2 tablespoons
• 1/3 cup finely minced parsley leaves, plus more for garnish
• 1 cup thinly sliced basil leaves, plus more for garnish
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• Salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large pasta pot, cook pasta "al dente", 1 or 2 minutes less than the package instructions call for. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, slice off ends of zucchini and discard. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise. Using a mandoline, or vegetable peeler, slice zucchini into very thin (about 1/8-inch) slices, trying to keep some skin on each piece for color. Stack slices and cut in half lengthwise. Reserve zucchini ribbons in a large bowl.
3. In the pasta pot, heat the olive oil over low-medium heat. Add garlic and cook until soft and translucent but not browned, about 1 minute. Add zucchini ribbons and 1/4 cup chicken broth, raise heat to medium-high and cook until zucchini is still somewhat firm but just cooked, about 3 minutes. 
4. Return pasta to pot and add remaining chicken stock; cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until liquid has mostly absorbed into the pasta. Add 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, parsley, basil, red pepper flakes, black pepper and toss to combine. Season with salt, to taste. Serve garnished with additional parsley, basil and the remaining 2 tablespoons of cheese.

Time: About 30 minutes, total

Difficulty: Depends on how hard it is for you to make the zucchini ribbons. That was the only possible challenge

Source: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/zucchini-ribbon-pasta-recipe-1940043#/

Roasted Veggie and Sausage Pasta

I am not sure if I love roasted veggies or grilled veggies more but I know they both make my mouth water.  This recipe uses a variety of vegetables - feel free to customize it to your tastes or what you have on hand.  Since several of the steps are concurrent (boil and cook pasta while browning sausage and roasting veggies), the time involved isn't too much and the wonderful, deep flavors meld together wonderfully once everything is combined.  My family has never once complained about eating their veggies with this meal!

INGREDIENTS:

• olive oil
• 8 oz mushrooms, quartered
• 2 small bell peppers
• 1 small summer squash or zucchini
• 1 medium red onion
• 1 small sweet yellow onion
• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
• 3/4 lb sweet Italian sausage
• 3/4 lb pasta (I used fusili)
• sea salt
• pepper
• optional toppings: fresh basil, oregano, shredded Parmesan (I used all three and it was amazing)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line two baking sheets with foil.  Begin boiling water for pasta.
2. Slice squash lengthwise to quarter and then cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Chop peppers and onions.  Spread on one of the foil-lined sheets, drizzle with about 2 Tbsp olive oil and gently stir to coat.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Place mushrooms on the second foil-lined baking sheet, drizzle with oil and toss to coat.
4. Bake vegetables for 10 minutes, gently stir, and then place back into the oven for another 5-10 minutes longer, or to desired tenderness.  (You may want to leave the mushrooms in longer than the other veggies.)
5. As the veggies are cooking, cook pasta according to package directions and brown and drain sausage.
6. Add the can of diced tomatoes, with juices, to the sausage.  Cook for 5 minutes.
7. Combine sausage, veggies, and pasta.  
8. Serve topped with fresh oregano, basil, and shredded Parmesan cheese.

Difficulty: relatively easy but with some chopping

Time: 30-40 minutes

Source:  This one is my own...and is much loved by my family.

Pasta Trapanese

School has begun and fall is around the corner...and we are ready to give away another great Gooseberry Patch cookbook!  From Maryland Crabcakes to Too-Much-Zucchini Stovetop Dinner to Chocolate-Hazelnut Skillet Bars, 101 Stovetop Suppers has all the recipes you need to make a delicious meal (or dessert!) without ever having to heat up the oven.  To top it off, each recipe includes a mouth-watering, full-color photo.

This Pasta Trapanese recipe from the "Slowly Simmered" chapter was absolutely amazing.  We have been giving "Meatless Mondays" a try, and this fit the bill perfectly.  While I did have to stir the sauce every now and then as it was simmering, I felt as though it was a very simple dish to make with a big payoff - the fresh taste was awesome and my family loved it.  With a large variety of recipes in chapters called "Quick & Easy", "Slowly Simmered", and "Serves a Crowd,"  I am sure that your family will find a lot to love in this book, as well.

We are sorry; This giveaway is over.

 INGREDIENTS:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed (I finely diced)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 28 oz can whole Italian plum tomatoes, crushed
• 5 to 6 T fresh basil, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
• 12 oz package penne pasta, cooked
• grated Parmesan cheese (optional garnish)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a skillet over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in oil.
2. Add tomatoes with juice, basil, salt and pepper.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.  Stir in almonds.  Serve over cooked pasta, garnished with Parmesan cheese.

Difficulty: easy
Time: 35-40 minutes
Source: 101 Stovetop Suppers by Gooseberry Patch

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Creamy Lemon Basil Potato Salad

Potato salad, while certainly a picnic and barbecue staple, has never been a favorite of mine.  In fact, I can't think of even one time that I put it on my plate while pursuing the options at a summer get-together.  When I came across The Pioneer Woman's Creamy Lemon Basil Potato Salad recipe, I knew I had finally met my potato salad match.  The basil, lemon, and pesto are just what I needed...the combo makes for a perfectly delicious and light dressing when mixed with a minimal amount of mayo.  This version of the recipe makes enough for a side dish (with a little bit leftover) for my family.  I would double or triple it if making to take to a picnic, where it is sure to be a hit.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 qt small red or new potatoes (8 or so), cut into quarters (or smaller, depending on the size of the potato)
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise with olive oil
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp pesto
• fresh basil, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring water to a boil; add a pinch of salt and the potatoes.  Boil for 10-15 minutes or until fork tender.  (Careful not to overcook; you don't want mashed potatoes!)
2. In a small bowl, mix together the mayo, olive oil, lemon juice, and pesto until thoroughly combined.
3. Drain the potatoes and place in serving bowl.  Pour dressing mixture on top and gently stir.  Add chopped basil, salt, and pepper; stir again.

Difficulty: easy

Time: 20 minutes

Source: adapted from The Pioneer Woman's recipe of the same name (click here to see original)

Tomato and Asparagus Carbonara

I first made this yummy, meatless dish last September...I picked the basil from my garden and we ate on the deck.  We loved it; the quick prep and the fresh and simple ingredients made for a perfect late summer dish that was light and yet filling. Since that fall evening, I have made it numerous times - pretty much every time that asparagus has gone on sale at our local grocery store. It has been a hit every time!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 T olive oil
• 1-1.5 lb diagonally cut trimmed asparagus
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large egg
• 8 oz uncooked penne pasta
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

DIRECTIONS:

1. Boil water for pasta; cook according to package directions.
2. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add oil to pan; swirl to coat.  Add asparagus; saute for 3 1/2 minutes.  Add garlic; saute for 1 minute.  Add tomatoes; cook for 6 minutes or until tomatoes are tender.
3. Combine cheese, salt, pepper, and egg in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk.  
4. Drain pasta and toss immediately with egg mixture.  Add tomato mixture, tossing until sauce thickens.  Top served pasta with basil.

Difficulty: very easy
Time: 20 minutes
Source: Cooking Light, September 2012

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

There was a point in time, not long ago, when I would have said, "Who in the world would make his or her own sauce when there is perfectly good stuff you can buy off the shelf for $2?! Seriously, spaghetti night is supposed to be the quickest and easiest meal of the week!"  I am not saying that I will never again buy sauce, but I definitely became a sauce convert about six months ago.  My friends who have long made their own sauces are wondering what took me so long.  I am, too.  This sauce is SO much better than jarred and it honestly doesn't take that much work or time.  This batch makes enough for at least three meals; I freeze two portions.  I add the meat from the start, so when I use it, I don't even have to brown meat.  Taking a bag of sauce out of the freezer the night before spaghetti night actually saves me time.  Plus, I love the feeling that I get when making it with my own fresh herbs and that I can control the amount of sugar and salt that goes in.  (The amount of sugar in jarred sauce is astounding!)  If you have never made sauce yourself, please give this a try one afternoon.  You won't regret it!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2.5-3 lb meat (I use a combination of ground beef and sausage)
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 2 (29 oz) cans of tomato sauce
• 1 (29 oz) can of diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped (use less if using dried)
• 1/4 cup fresh oregano, chopped (use less if using dried)
• 4 cloves garlic, diced
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Brown ground meat with onion in a large pot or dutch oven until no longer pink.
2. Add remaining ingredients; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Difficulty: Surprisingly easy

Time: about 1.5 hours, 20 minutes or so of which are hands-on

Source:  After researching online for a while, I just decided to make my own recipe; I have made this many times now and my family devours it!

Tomato Pie

At the beginning of the summer, my neighbor, Jill, raved about a new recipe that she had tried from Kraft Food & Family magazine.  It sounded wonderful, and I am always looking for more ways to use my basil, so I gave it a try.  The first night that I made it, my mother-in-law was over for dinner.  She loved it, and so did everyone else in my family.  I have made it several times this summer, and the kids are always so excited when they hear that we are going to have tomato pie!  I wish our tomato plants had been more fruitful for us this year, but we are lucky to have friends and neighbors with an abundance.  Tonight's pie was made with a co-workers shared bounty, and when dinner was over, there was but one piece to take into work for him to enjoy...the kids kept going back for more!

Sorry! I forgot to include the onion in the picture!!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 ready to use refrigerated pie crust
• 4 tomatoes (1 1/2 lb), chopped
• 1/2 cup sweet onions
• 1/2 tsp dried basil leaves or 1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil (I used fresh and used more than this)
• 1 1/2 cups Italian blend shredded cheese
• 3 Tbsp Kraft mayo with Olive Oil Reduced Fat Mayonnaise

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place pie crust in pan as directed on package.  Pierce sides and bottom with a fork.  Bake 12-14 minutes or just until edge begins to brown.
2. Place chopped tomatoes in a colander over the sink or a bowl.  Press onto tomatoes with the back of a spoon to release as much of the juice as possible; discard juice.
3. Sprinkle onions onto bottom of baked crust; top with tomatoes and basil.  Combine cheese and mayo; spoon over tomatoes to within 1/2 inch of edge.
4. Bake 30-32 minutes, or until filling is heated through and crust is golden brown.  Sprinkle with additional basil, if desired.

Difficulty: Medium

Time: 15 minutes prep; ~45 minutes oven time (divided into two parts)

Source: Kraft Food & Family magazine, Summer 2012 edition

Lemon Basil Pork Chops

We are big fans of grilling at my house, and we often grill Asian Pork Chops.  I love to change it up now and then, though, and I look for every opportunity to use the fresh basil that I have so much of at this time of the year.  Fortunately, there are many delicious recipes that allow me to do that, such as this one from Old Fashioned Living.  This is a wonderful summer recipe that combines some of my favorite flavors and is made even better by the fact that it is so simple (and that my husband is the one who does the grilling in our family!).

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 can of frozen lemonade from concentrate (thawed)
• 1/2 cup basil, cut into thin slivers
• 4 T olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 4 pork chops

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine first four ingredients, reserving 1/4 cup for basting.
2. Marinate pork chops for 1-2 hours in the refrigerator, turning occasionally.
3. Grill pork chops for about 20 minutes, turning several times and basting with the reserved marinade each time.

Difficulty: Easy
Time: 5 minute prep, 1-2 hours to marinate, 20 minutes to grill
Source: Old Fashioned Living

Easy Shrimp Pasta

This is one of the few recipes that I can make from memory.  I generally don't have that much confidence that I will remember all of the ingredients or will get all the measurements right in most cases, but I have made this so many times and with so many different variations, I am sure I cannot go wrong with it.  It is absolutely delicious, my family devours it, and it is a great way to use some of my abundant summer basil.  I should probably tell you that that the original recipe called for uncooked shrimp, marinated, and cooked for three minutes (or until no longer pink) at the beginning of the process.  Some may think this sacrilegious, however, in the interest of saving time and money (particularly money), I found that some slight alterations and some precooked salad shrimp from Costco worked just perfectly for my family.  (Plus, my kids seem to like the "little shrimp" better.)

Oops! I forgot to include the shredded Parmesan cheese in the picture.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb shrimp (I use frozen cooked salad shrimp)
• 3/4 to 1 lb fettucini (I use 3/4 lb because I like my pasta to be saucier)
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinaigrette salad dressing
• 4 oz cream cheese, cubed
• 1 can diced tomatoes (I have used fresh, but actually like the diced better in this recipe)
• ~1/4 cup basil, chopped, plus some extra to garnish
• Shredded Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Thaw shrimp (if necessary) and marinate in 1/2 cup dressing for 30 minutes in the refrigerator, covered.
2. Cook pasta as instructed.
3. While the pasta is cooking, heat tomatoes, 2 Tbs dressing, and basil (reserve some basil to garnish the dish when finished) for 2-3 minutes in a deep pan.  Add cream cheese and stir until melted.
4. Remove shrimp from marinade with slotted spoon, add to skillet.  Heat just until warm.  (If you are using cooked shrimp like me, be careful not to heat them for too long.)
5. Add pasta, mix carefully.  Top with remaining shredded basil and Parmesan cheese.

Difficulty: Very easy

Time: 30 minutes to marinate, less than 20 minutes to cook

Source: Heavily adapted from Kraft Food & Family magazine

Black Bean and Quinoa Toss

Memorial Day will soon be upon us and then the end of the school year will be right around the corner.  Personally, I can't wait to dig into all of the picnic and outdoor party food that I get to eat during the summer, and this healthy and delicious dish will definitely be on my menu often.  It really makes a great side with burgers and grilled chicken, but it is goes just as well with a turkey sandwich or as a stand alone vegetarian dish. And it definitely makes enough to take to a neighborhood picnic or to as leftovers for lunch throughout the workweek.

INGREDIENTS:

Oops! Forgot to put the quinoa in the picture!

• 2 green peppers, cored, seeded and cut into quarters
• 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1 cup of corn
• 2 Tbsp fresh basil, shredded
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 475. Place green bell pepper quarters in a baking sheet and roast for 7-10 minutes, until tender. Remove and set aside to cool.
2. In small sauce pan, combine quinoa with 2 cups of water and salt; bring to a boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until tender.  Transfer cooked quinoa into a shallow dish to cool (can be made ahead of time and stored in refrigerator).
3. In a skillet over medium-high heat, roast corn in butter for about 3-4 minutes until browned and slightly charred; allow to cool slightly.
4. Cut cooled roasted pepper quarters into 1/2 inch pieces.  In a large bowl, toss peppers with remaining ingredients and fold in cooled quinoa.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Chill at least 1 hour before serving.

Difficulty: Medium
Time: This takes me about 30-35 minutes to make;  Sometimes, I don't allow everything to cool completely to save time, though, and I feel like it is much easier when I do some of the steps ahead of time (like make the quinoa and/or roast the peppers while I am cooking dinner the day before).
Source: A weekly circular for Giant Eagle