Rachael Rays BLT Pasta

All you Rachael Ray haters dont know what you are missing!  Look how beautiful this pasta dish is! I made this dish for my parents this weekend and they loved it.  It has a delicious crunchy topping that I couldnt get enough of.  You can use any type of pasta you like, Rachael used Farfalle but I used Rigatoni.  Its so easy and its a spin off of a BLT - Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato.  Instead of lettuce the recipe called for Arugula but if thats too spicy or bitter for you, I think spinach would be a fine substitute.

Turns out that due to the excessive cold weather tomatoes are hard to come by so supermarkets are jacking up the price.  My mom and I were in shock when we saw a little pint of grape tomatoes was $5!  Thats double to the usual price.  Dont worry, we made it work with canned cherry tomatoes.  I never saw them canned before but they were so cute!  I added a sprinkle of sugar to the sauce to help sweeten them up and the taste was great!  You never would have known that the recipe was altered in any way.

BLT Pasta

by Rachael Ray

As seen on The Rachael Ray Show. 

Serves 4-6 (If you are using Rigatoni, this recipe will only serve 4)

Ingredients:

EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling, plus 2 tablespoons
12 slices good quality smoky bacon, cut into half-inch dice
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
A handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
A couple of generous handfuls grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 small red onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped or grated
A pinch crushed red pepper flakes
2 pints cherry tomatoes
Salt and pepper
1 pound bowtie pasta
4 cups arugula, a couple of bundles, coarsely chopped
1 cup basil leaves, about 20 leaves, torn or coarsely chopped



Directions:

Heat a drizzle of EVOO in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add bacon and brown to crisp. Remove to plate to drain. Add Panko crumbs to the pan with the bacon drippings and toast to golden brown. Add parsley and a couple of handfuls of grated cheese. Toss to combine, turn off heat and reserve the crumbs.

Heat 2 tablespoons EVOO in a large skillet with tight-fitting lid over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, and cook to soften, 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add red pepper and cherry tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, and cover pan tightly with lid. Cook, shaking occasionally, until tomatoes begin to burst, about 8 minutes. Remove cover and gently mash up the tomatoes a bit with a wooden spoon.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil for pasta. Salt water and cook bowties to al dente. Just before draining, add a cup of the starchy liquid to the cherry tomato sauce. Drain pasta.

Add arugula and basil to the tomato sauce, along with the reserved bacon and drained bowties. Season with black pepper and salt, and toss to combine. Garnish bowls of pasta with the seasoned crumbs and serve.

Click here for a printable version of BLT Pasta.

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Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

I know, I know, Ive been a bad girl. I havent posted a recipe in weeks! Ive been pretty busy with parties and showers and all kinds of things going on. All happy celebrations so I dont mind it. With all the craziness that went on I did remember to snap a photo so I could blog about this wonderful dish. I made this for Steves Aunts Baby Shower last week and everyone liked it which makes me very happy!

Before I go on to post this recipe I just want to say Congratulations Melissa and Salvatore and Congratulations to Dana and Lenny!!! Both couples will be parents for the very first time!!!

Okay so here goes...its really very easy and you can add as much or as little garlic as you like or even use hot sausage or a mixture of sweet and hot. This recipe was written to feed a crowd but you can certainly make this for one pound of pasta and use only one bunch of broccoli rabe and half the amount of sausage. I hope you like it! Id love to hear your variation on this very popular dish so feel free to comment!

Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

Ingredients:

1 lb sweet Italian sausage (6 links)
2 bunches, broccoli rabe
4-5 cloves garlic
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Crushed red pepper, to taste
Salt and peppr
Romano cheese, to taste
2 lbs pasta

Directions:

1. Remove stems from broccoli rabe and discard. Cut into bite sized pieces.
Boil broccoli rabe in a large pot of salted water for about 8-10 minutes. Drain (reserve 2 cups of water) and put into an ice cold water bath to stop the cooking process and set aside.

2. While broccoli rabe is cooking, remove sausage from casing and crumble. Saute sausage in oil with garlic and red pepper, constantly breaking it up. Once sausage is cooked add in broccoli rabe and toss to coat with oil. Let it cook together with a few minutes so the broccoli rabe picks up the flavors. At this point you can refrigerate overnight or until ready to cook the pasta.

3. Boil pasta (chose one that won’t fall apart such as orrechiette, cellantani, cavatappi, etc.) in salted water while reheating sausage and broccoli rabe mixture. Add some reserved water from the broccoli rabe to moisten the mixture. Add cooked pasta and toss while continuing to add more water as needed. It shouldn’t be soupy but should not be dry. Toss with cheese and a little more extra virgin olive oil.

Enjoy!

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Hot Wheels Pasta – Your Taste Buds Will Be Rollin on Dubs

It only happens once every couple years or so, but sometimes I’ll think of the name of a recipe before I actually have the recipe. This summery, hot wheels pasta is one such dish. Not sure how “hot wheels” popped into my brain, but pop it did, and the next thing I knew I was at the market buying a box of rotelle.

So the “wheels” part was easy, but what about the “hot?” Just as easy, thanks to an assortment of hot and sweet pepper rings. I used about two-thirds hot peppers to one-third sweet, but you’ll obviously adjust to your personal tolerance. The zucchini provided a nice balance, although this is the kind of pasta that will accept any and all other summer veggies.

Besides what to add, you also have a lot of flexibility when it comes to the final taste and texture. I tend to like my peppers and squash just barely tender for this, but if you cook the sauce a few extra minutes before adding the pasta, you will get a softer, sweeter sauce. My version was a little more bracing, with some bite left to it.

On the other hand, you could cook everything even less, and have what would basically be a hot pasta and vegetable salad. Regardless, no matter what you add, or how long you cook it, I hope you’ll be driven to try this great recipe soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

2 generous cups dry rotelle pasta

2 zucchini, sliced

2 to 3 cups of sliced pepper rings, seeded

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup green onion

1 anchovy filet

3 garlic cloves, minced

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups prepared tomato sauce (use a pinch of sugar if sauce needs it)

3/4 cup chicken stock

Italian parsley

grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

View the complete recipe

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Italian Sausage and Mozzarella Pasta Bake

This photo has been sitting in my Flickr for a while now so its about time I post the recipe. I have a weak spot for extra cheesy dishes and this one has a whopping 1:1 ratio of pasta to mozzarella. The best part is how each scoop pulls away never-ending tendrils of gooey, melty cheese.

A note:
Leave the pasta boil the pasta two minutes short of al dente because it will finish cooking in the oven. If you boil it to al dente, it will overcook in the oven.

Italian Sausage and Mozzarella Pasta Bake
serves 3 - 4

8 oz. pasta (penne, cellantani, farfalle, campanelle)
2 Italian sausages, removed from casings
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/4 C red wine
1 14oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 tsp Italian herb mix
1/8 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp olive oil
8 oz. mozzarella, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (preferably fresh mozzarella)
1/4 C grated Parmesan


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and boil the pasta to 2 minutes short of the recommended time.

Meanwhile, heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage and break into bite size pieces. When the sausage has browned, remove and set aside. Add the onion and some salt and pepper, and cook over medium heat until the onions have softened, then add the Italian sausage back in. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 1/4 C red wine and cook until almost evaporated. Add the drained diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and herbs, and a little sugar to taste. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to combine. Add half of the mozzarella and mix it into the pasta. Transfer to a 2 quart baking dish. Top with the remaining half of mozzerella cubes and grated Parmesan. Bake until bubbly and lightly browned, about 10 to 15 minutes.

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Prego Pasta Sauce Deliciously Thick Rich

These are my 2nd batch of recipe booklets with Campbells featuring FOUR of their Prego Pasta Sauce apart from the 1st batch using Swanson Clear Chicken Broth(read more HERE). And our aim for these recipes is provide consumers with some quick and fuss free idea to whip up festive dishes for coming Christmas of New Year family meals or gatherings.

These recipe booklets consists of 4 recipes using 2 white and 2 red sauces from Prego Pasta Sauce range. You could find these recipe booklets available in major supermarkets such as FairPrice, Cold Storage island wide. And here I would like to share 2 of the complimentary recipes from the booklet with those who are interested to try it with the Prego pasta sauce.

CHEESY CHICKEN DUMPLINGS

This Cheesy Chicken Dumplings is a fusion of Asian Dumpling with Italian Alfredo sauce to cook up something similar to Ravioli. Instead of using egg pasta dough for the dumplings, I have replaced it with Chinese round dumpling wrappers filled with minced chicken meat mixtures.

As this could be a rich dish due to the cheesy Alfredo sauce I would recommend it to be served together with some fresh salad greens to balance the taste. And for some nutty flavour, you could also scatter some toasted pine nuts on top of the prepared dumplings before serving.

(serves: 4 | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 15 minutes)

Ingredients:
1 Bottle 350g Prego Cheesy Alfredo
20 Round Dumpling Wrappers
150g Mince Chicken Meat
20g Carrot, finely chopped/grated
2 Shallots, finely chopped
3 Fresh Water Chestnut, finely chopped
1/2 Tablespoon Chopped Parsley

Marinade:
1/2 Tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
1 Teaspoon Cooking Wine
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1/4 Teaspoon Cornflour
2 Cloves Garlic, slice thinly

Garnish:
Freshly Grind Black Pepper
Dried Chili Flakes, optional

Method:-

1. Marinate mince chicken, carrot, shallot, water chestnut and parsley together with marinade for at least 10 minutes.

2. Wrap each dumpling wrapper with 1/2 tablespoon of mince meat mixture by wetting the edge of the wrapper with some water and fold it into half.

3. Cook the dumplings in a medium pot filled with boiling water and 1/2 teaspoon of oil.

4. Once the dumplings float on the surface, lower the heat and continue to simmer for another 1 minute. Remove, rinse with tap water and drain well.

5. Heat up 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in a pan, sauté garlic slices until golden brown remove and set aside. Pour in Prego Cheesy Alfredo, toss in cooked dumplings and simmer for 1 minute. Top with garnish and fried garlic slices. Serve immediately.

BAKED HAINANESE CHICKEN CHOP

If you love those Hong Kong style baked rice with red sauce that comes in either chicken, pork or seafood I am sure you would like this fusion version of Baked Hainanese Chicken Chop. You could replace the chicken chop with either pork or seafood and bake it together with rice or even spaghetti to create 1 dish with different versions.

The is a simple version where I use bottled tomato pasta sauce to replace our usual "Asian" seasoning and at the same time retain some of the ingredients like onion, pineapple, green peas and etc to create a fusion dish. To shorten the process you could also used frozen pork/chicken schnitzel which is available in the supermarkets too. 

(serves: 4 | Preparation: 20 minutes | Cooking: 10 minutes)

Ingredients:
1 Bottle( 680g) Prego Traditional Sauce
2 Chicken Breast Meat/ 4 Chicken Fillets
1.5 Cup Dried Bread Crumbs
Oil For Shallow Frying
2 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
2 Medium Onion, cut into wedges
150g Green Peas
2 Medium Tomato, cut into wedges
2 Slices Pineapple, cut into cubes
1 Cup Shredded Tasty Cheese

Marinade:
2 Teaspoons Sesame Oil
2 Teaspoons Cooking Wine
1 Tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
½ Teaspoon Ground Pepper
1 Tablespoon Cornflour
1 Large Egg

Method:-

1. Tenderise the chicken by flatten it with a meat mallet or the back of the knife for easy cooking before marinate it for least 10 minutes.

2. Pour cooking oil into a frying pan till about 1cm in depth and heat it up. At the meantime roll the marinated chicken fillet in breadcrumbs, pressing firmly.

3. Cooked chicken fillet for 2 - 3 minutes on each side until golden brown or cooked through on medium low heat. (do not use high heat or it will burnt the breadcrumbs)

4. Drain on absorbent paper, cut into 1cm thick slices and set aside.

5. Sauté onion till soft add in green peas and cook for 30 seconds before stirring in Prego Traditional Sauce, tomato and pineapple, simmer for 2 minutes.

6. Arrange chicken schnitzel on top of the cooked pasta or rice in a baking dish, top with pasta sauce mixture and shredded tasty cheese.

7. Bake in pre-heated 200 degree oven for 5 minutes until cheese turns golden brown. Serve.

Lastly hope you would like these 4 dishes that I have prepared using the Prego Pasta Sauce for this coming festive season. And for your information, there is also a "Holiday Giveaways With Campbells" promotion where consumers could spent S$6.00 to quality for the festive draw to win travel vouchers up to S$3,000. Details can be found HERE or at major participating supermarkets. Cheers and have a great week everyone!

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B L T Pasta – I’ll Have the Bacon Lettuce and Tomato…Hold the Sandwich

I love Twitter for many reasons, but stumbling upon recipe ideas is probably my favorite. I recently saw a picture posted by my friend, Mardi from eat. live. travel. write, for something called, “BLT Pasta,” and I immediately had one of those, “why didn’t I think of that” moments. By the way, I have four or five of those moments a day.

Since I get so many food wishes for pasta recipes, I figured I would give it a go. Plus, as luck would have it, I had some arugula in the fridge just begging to be used. I knew that this combination would taste great, but I wasn’t prepared for just how great.

I decided to use crème fraiche as the main sauce ingredient, and it worked beautifully. It was just rich enough, and the fermented cream’s subtle nuttiness was an excellent foil for the smoky meat, sweet tomatoes, and bitter greens. As I mentioned in the video, crème fraiche is pretty easy to find, but of course we’ll encourage you to follow this link and make your own.

If you can’t find or make some, just use heavy cream along with a squeeze of lemon juice to mimic that essential tanginess. Thank you Mardi (and Twitter) for the inspiration, and if you’re looking for a quick, easy, and very summery pasta idea, I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

1 tbsp olive oil

8 oz bacon

2 garlic cloves minced

2 tsp lemon zest

2/3 cup crème fraiche

2 cups halved cheery tomatoes

3-4 cups roughly chopped arugula or other salad greens

2 cups macaroni, cooked, drained
grated Parmesan

View the complete recipe

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Pasta Puttanesca

There aren’t many foods that I dislike but I recently discovered one: capers. The little buds are painstakingly harvested by hand so they seemed like something really special and delicious. I made some spaghetti puttanesca as my first caper dish and surprisingly, I couldn’t stand the taste of them. I can’t explain why I don’t like them, they just taste very alien to me. So if you’re like me and don’t like capers (but I may be alone in this), you can easily omit them from the recipe. But dont let me put you off capers, since many if not most people love them. One day I will give capers another chance, perhaps its an acquired taste.

Puttanesca is a simple and very flavorful dish with plenty of healthy ingredients so it’s perfect for this month’s "Heart of the Matter" theme, pasta. Tomatoes are a great source of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant, and other compounds that help prevent cancer and heart disease. Studies have shown that the volatile oils in parsley inhibit tumor growth in animals and also neutralize harmful carcinogens. Olives are also a good source of monosaturated fats, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins A, C, and E. There is no meat, cream, butter, or cheese in this dish. Another way to make pasta even healthier is to sneak in some whole wheat pasta (Ronzoni is the best brand). I can get away with about 1 part whole wheat to 3 parts regular pasta before Steven notices a difference but Im slowly trying to add more and more.

Spaghetti Puttanesca
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes or substitute cayenne but use less (1/8 to 1/4 tsp)
2 tsp minced anchovies, about 4 – 5 fillets (or you can press the fillets through a garlic press)
1 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes, drained and reserve 1/4 C of the juice
1 Tbsp capers or more to taste, rinsed
1/4 C Kalamata olives, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp minced parsley
8 oz. pasta of your choice
salt

Start by boiling water for the pasta. Start cooking the sauce when you add the pasta and salt to the boiling water.

Mix the minced garlic with a scant tablespoon of water. Add the garlic, anchovies, red pepper flakes to olive oil in a skillet and heat the mixture over medium heat. Cook until the garlic is fragrant and slightly blond but not brown, about 2 minutes. Add the drained tomatoes and simmer until it slightly thickens, about 8 minutes.

Drain the pasta when cooked.

Stir the olives, capers, and parsley into the sauce and toss with the pasta. If the mixture looks too dry, add in some of the reserved tomato juice. This dish is already salty enough from the olives and anchovies. Parmesan is not used to garnish this pasta.

Serves 2

Be sure to check the round up later this month at Ilva’s blog Lucullian Delights for more heart healthy pasta dishes.
Previous Heart of the Matter rounds for other great recipes.

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Angel Hair Pasta And Fried Rice Using Lee Kum Kee XO Sauce Plus Giveaways

With more than 120 years of history and relentless efforts in quality and innovation, Lee Kum Lee (李锦记) has became a well-known household brand as well as in the kitchens of many best gourmet restaurants. Today you can also find Lee Kum Kee products in most Asian or Local supermarkets worldwide with their featured range of products.

Do you know, Lee Kum Lee has over 200 sauces and condiments available worldwide with the common one such as their Oyster Sauce, Soy Sauce and Convenience Sauce. Above are some of my favourite Convenience Sauce which I always keep stock in my pantry in order to whip up delicious and fast free homecook dishes.

Lee Kum Kee XO Sauce is an all purpose condiment made from finest ingredients such as dried scallop, dried shrimp, red chill pepper and spices. It can be a delicious appetizer by itself or use as an addition to dishes such as Chinese dim sum, noodles, porridge and etc. Furthermore XO Sauce is also ideal for cooking meats, vegetables, tofu, fried rice and even pasta.

Lee Kum Kee XO Sauce comes in either XO Sauce (Regular) or XO Sauce (Extra Hot) in both 80g or 200g to suit individual preference.

ANGEL HAIR PASTA WITH XO SAUCE AND CRISPY WHITEBAITS

A week ago, I received some complimentary Lee Kum Kee products because I could not make it for their "Fast, Fresh And Simple Contemporary Cooking with Lee Kum Kee" workshop which was held at Cookyn Inc.  To find out more about this event and some quick recipes using Lee Kum Kee, you could check Melissa (HERE) and ShiTing (HERE) posts.

And with a recipe booklet that comes together in the goodie bag, I decided to try the most simplest and foolproof  pasta dish for our lunch.

Recipe adapted and modify from Lee Kum Kee Contemporary Cooking Workshop

(Serves: 2 - 3 | Preparation: 5 minutes | Cooking: 5 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 250g Dried Angel Hair Pasta
• 2 Tablespoons Lee Kum Kee XO Sauce
• 3 Garlic Cloves, finely minced
• 1 Tablespoon Chopped Spring Onions,
• Some Chopped Coriander Leaves, optional
• Some Fried Whitebaits

Method:-
1. Follow the packaging instruction, blanch pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Remove and drain well.

2. Preheat frying pan with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, saute garlic till fragrant, stir in XO Sauce and cook for a few seconds.

3. Turn Off the heat, toss in cooked pasta, chopped coriander and toss well.

4. Divide the pasta into serving plates, top with extra XO sauce, spring onion and crispy whitebaits. Serve immediately. (if the taste is a bit bland to your liking, you can season it with some Lee Kum Kee First Draw Soy Sauce to enhance the flavour)

FRIED RICE WITH XO SAUCE

Other than the pasta dish, I also used the XO Sauce to prepare a simple fried rice together with some sweetcorn kernels, green peas and egg. Honestly I am not a fan for fried rice and I usually dont order fried rice when I eat out as I find it rather "over-price" for just rice and a few little shrimps or some diced char siew (BBQ pork).

This fried rice used similar ingredients as the "pasta dish" above and with the additions of the XO sauce it actually enhance the flavour of the rice and give it a full wrap up!

(Serves: 2   | Preparation: 5 minutes  |   Cooking: 10 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons Lee Kum Kee XO Sauce
• 2 Servings (from 1 cup uncook rice) of Cooked Brown Rice
• 2 Tablespoons Of Cooking Oil
• 1/4 Cup Sweetcorn Kernels
• 1/4 Cup Green Peas
• 3 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
• 1 Egg, lightly beaten
• 1 Teaspoon Belacan Chilli, optional
• Some Fried Whitebaits

Method:-
1. Preheat oil in frying pan, saute garlic until fragrant. Add sweetcorn kernels and green peas, stir-fry for about 2 minutes.

2. Add cooked rice (room temperature or straight from the fridge), using the back of the spatula or wooden spoon flatten the rice clusters so that the grains are separated.

3. Add XO sauce and belacan chilli, keep stirring till the rice is evenly coated with the sauce.

4. Next slowly swirl in beaten egg mixture over the rice and use high heat to fry the rice until dry.

5. Season with some freshly ground black pepper and stir in handful of fried whitebaits. Give the mixture a quick toss, remove and serve with extra spoon of XO sauce for strong flavour.

LEE KUM KEE GOODIE BAGS TO BE WON

Thanks to Lee Kum Kee (李锦记), I am giving away a set of the above "Lee Kum Kee Goodie Bag" (consists of  1 bottle of First Draw Soy Sauce, Chiu Chow Chili Oil, Hoisin Sauce and  XO Sauce) to 3 lucky readers. Prizes will be delivered to you by Lee Kum Kee after the giveaway ended.

To win:

1. Like the the above Lee Kum Kee Goodie Bag photo on Cuisine Paradise Facebook Page, AND

2. Leave a comment on the facebook photo stating a creative dish that you would make using the Lee Kum Kee XO Sauce.

OR

~ DOUBLE UP your "winning" chance by uploading a photo of your homecook dish using any of the Lee Kum Kee products on Cuisine Paradise facebook wall.

Example:- Soy Sauce, Lemon Chicken Sauce, Black Bean sauce and etc.

Closing Date: 15 September 2012 (Saturday), 9.00pm.
*only for readers living in Singapore*

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Cajun Chicken Pasta

   Pasta dishes are pure comfort to me. I love them. My waistline doesnt, but its okay. What I love about this dish is how easy it is. I use a jar of store-bought Alfredo sauce to help out with time and money. It also calls for halves of bell peppers. Dont worry about wasting the other half. I have just recently started freezing my bell peppers and onion halves I dont need right away. I chop them up, throw them in a sandwich baggie and put them in my freezer. It works out perfectly the next time I need them in a recipe.

Also, this cajun seasoning mixture makes a lot. Store it in an air tight container, and it will last 6 months or so. Only use the smallest amount your taste buds can handle. It can get spicy!

Cajun Chicken Pasta
Serves 4

1/2 lb (8 oz) Linguine or Penne Pasta  (Either work great)

2-3 boneless skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into small cubes

1-2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (recipe below)

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1/2 cup Red Bell Pepper, chopped

1/2 cup Green Bell Pepper, chopped

1 jar Alfredo Sauce (I use Ragu brand)

1/2 cup Milk

1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese

Boil the pasta noodles in a large pot of water according to package directions.

Meanwhile, sprinkle the chicken breast cubes with the cajun seasoning. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute bell peppers for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cubed chicken breasts and cook until peppers are soft and chicken is thoroughly cooked, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low and stir in alfredo sauce and milk. Sprinkle in pepper. Cook until mixture is thoroughly heated.

Drain the water from pasta and add pasta to the alfredo sauce. Toss to coat. Serve in individual bowls and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Cajun Seasoning

1 Tablespoon Onion Powder

1 Tablespoon Dried Thyme

1 Tablespoon Ground Red Pepper (Cayenne)

2 Tablespoons Garlic Powder

2 Tablespoons Paprika

1 Tablespoon Salt

1 Tablespoon Black Pepper

Combine all together in a small air tight container. Store for up to six months.

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Chicken Bow Tie Pasta Salad

   This salad is a popular one, always served at baby and bridal showers I have been to. Its really simple, yet delicious, containing bow tie pasta noodles, grilled seasoned chicken, chopped romaine lettuce and cherry tomatoes.

  When I serve this at parties I like to have lots of different dressings on the table, so your guests can choose whichever kind they like! My favorite is ranch dressing or creamy poppyseed. Talk about yum! I also like to have seperate bowls of croutons, and shredded parmesan cheese next to it, so they can pile on as much or as little as they want.

   Have some warm breadsticks to enjoy with this salad, and its the perfect party meal!



Chicken Bow Tie Pasta Salad
Serves about: 8-10

3-4 heads Romaine lettuce, rinsed and chopped
2 pounds Chicken breasts
salt, pepper, lemon pepper seasoning
1 pound Bow Tie pasta noodles
1-2 cups cherry tomatoes, rinsed

Toppings:
Seasoned Croutons
Shredded parmesan cheese
Assorted dressings: Ranch, Creamy Poppyseed, Caesar, Raspberry Vinaigrette


Directions: Rinse the romaine lettuce in water, then  pat dry with paper towels. Chop. Place chopped lettuce in a large serving bowl, cover and place in fridge to chill.

Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper and lemon-pepper seasoning. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil on a large skillet, over medium-high heat. Cook chicken for 6 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Set cooked chicken on a platter. Cover with foil and let rest a few minutes before slicing into bite-size pieces.

*While chicken is cooking, boil the bow tie pasta noodles in a large pot of water; according to package directions. Drain water, then rinse pasta with cold water to stop cooking process, and to cool.

Assemble salad:  Add the cooked chicken pieces, cooled pasta and cherry tomatoes to the bowl of romaine lettuce. Toss with salad tongs. Serve salad with assorted dressings, croutons and parmesan cheese. Enjoy ♥

*Note: Whenever I make this salad, I like to cook the bow tie noodles in advance, so theyre cold in the salad. I just boil the noodles in the morning. Drain the water, then rinse in cold water. I shake all the excess water off and then place the noodles in a large ziplock bag. I place the bag in my fridge until Im ready to put them in the salad.

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Red and White Pasta

 

    I really dont think it gets any easier than this for a simple and delicious meal! Only four ingredients. Yep, thats it. This is my go-to dish to make on weeknights after Ive had a long day at work. My kids just love it, and they are the pickiest eaters on the planet! Pasta... Cheese.... It has Kid-Friendly written all over it! : )

   The recipe comes from my favorite cookbook I always talk about, The Food Nanny. Her recipe calls for a homemade Alfredo sauce that she makes. It is amazing, but when Im in a hurry and dont have a lot of time to make dinner, I just use a bottled Alfredo sauce. It works out perfectly.

   I believe another reason I love The Food Nannys cookbook so much is because a lot of the book has menu planning and preparation ideas. It is what gave me the idea to plan out meals for a week or two in advance, so I always have homemade meals to make my family. I remember when I used to go to the grocery store with absolutley no idea what I was going to make for any meals. I would spend a couple hundred dollars on a bunch of odds and ends, and we would always end up eating out or grabbing fast food. It was such a waste of money.

   Now before I go to the store, I will plan all of my meals and write down all the ingredients I need. I will also go through my pantry and fridge to see if I already have some of the items Ill need to prevent me from buying what I already have. It has been such a money saver! : )

Red and White Pasta

8 Servings

• 1 pound box Penne Pasta
• 1 (26 oz) jar meatless Spaghetti Sauce
• 1 (16 oz) jar Alfredo Sauce
• 3 cups shredded Mozzerella Cheese

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Boil and cook pasta in a large pot of water according to package directions. Drain.

In a 9x13 glass baking dish, spread 1/2 cup of spaghetti sauce on bottom. Pour half of the cooked pasta on top. Pour half the alfredo sauce, half the spaghetti sauce and 1 cup of cheese evenly over pasta. Repeat with remaining pasta, sauces and cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes or until hot & bubbly!

 

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