Pasta with Slow Roasted Tomatoes, Artichokes, Zucchini, and Roasted Red Peppers

Our tomato plants didn't do that well this year, but our cherry tomato plant surprised us a few weeks ago. The plant was loaded with little red tomatoes. I like popping cherry tomatoes into my mouth for a healthy snack, but I saved these little red guys for slow roasted tomatoes.

I cut the tomatoes in half and placed them on a baking sheet. I added a little olive oil, salt, pepper, basil, oregano, and fennel. I roasted them in the oven on 225 degrees for about 4 hours. I turned about every 30 minutes or so. The house smelled amazing!

I wasn't sure what I was going to do with them. They freeze really well, but I was too excited to use them. I decided to make whole wheat pasta with slow roasted tomatoes, artichokes, zucchini, and roasted red peppers. The slow roasted tomatoes made this pasta dish extra special. The tomatoes were so flavorful and delicious. I will be making this meal again. One of my new favorites and Josh loved it too.

If you haven't tried slow roasting tomatoes, I encourage you to do so and soon. They have the best flavor and are so good in soups, pasta dishes, sauces, etc. I used cherry tomatoes, but Roma tomatoes work really well. If you want to read a detailed post about slow roasted tomatoes, visit Kalyn's Kitchen.

Whole Wheat Pasta with Slow Roasted Tomatoes, Artichokes,

Zucchini, and Roasted Red Peppers

(Printable Recipe)

Cherry tomatoes, cut in half

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Seasonings-I used dried basil, fennel, and oregano

Whole wheat pasta, I used rigatoni

Olive oil

1/2 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

Red pepper flakes

Fennel

1 medium zucchini, chopped

1 red pepper, roasted, and chopped

1 1/2 cups slow roasted cherry tomatoes

Artichoke hearts, I used bottled, just drain them

Fresh basil, chopped

Parmesan cheese, optional

1. First, slow roast the tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes in half and put them on a baking sheet. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and seasonings. Roast for about 4 hours on 225 degrees. Turn them about every 30 minutes or so. Tomatoes will shrivel and smell really good. You can let them cool and freeze them or you can use them immediately.

2. To make the pasta dish. In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add salt and the whole wheat pasta of your choice. I used rigatoni. Cook until al dente.

3. Drain pasta and set aside.

4. In a large pan, heat about 1 T of olive oil. Add in onion and cook until tender. Next, add in garlic, a dash of red pepper flakes, and a dash of fennel. Cook for 2 minutes.

5. Stir in the zucchini, roasted red pepper, roasted cherry tomatoes, and artichoke hearts. Saute until veggies are tender and hot.

6. Stir in fresh basil and add the pasta. Mix until the pasta is fully coated with the sauce.

7. Serve hot. Add fresh basil and parmesan cheese to the pasta if you wish.

You might also like these recipes:

Slow-Roasted Tomato Bruschetta from The Perfect Pantry

Slow Roasted Tomato Hummus from Andrea's Recipes

Roasted Tomato, Basil, and Goat Cheese Holiday Spread from Kalyn's Kitchen

Slow Roasted Tomato Dressing from A Veggie Venture

Spinach Salad with Tortellini, Dried Cranberries, Apples, Almonds, and Feta

I love browsing Foodgawker and TasteSpotting for cooking and baking inspiration. The only problem is I usually end up hungry:) Last week I saw Picky Cook's tortellini salad and immediately bookmarked it.

On Sunday I was feeling lazy, but still wanted a tasty meal. This salad popped into my mind. I didn't have the exact ingredients, but that didn't stop me. I just switched things up a bit. I used frozen cheese tortellini and spinach as the base of the salad. I also added in dried cranberries, Granny Smith apple slices, almonds, and feta cheese. I drizzled the salad with balsamic dressing and voila-a masterpiece in minutes.

The dried cranberries and apples gave the salad a nice sweetness. The almonds also added a nice crunch. This salad is very filling because of the tortellini and all of the goodies involved. Enjoy it as a meal or serve a little bit on the side of your favorite fall soup.

Spinach Salad with Tortellini, Dried Cranberries, Apples, Almonds, and Feta

Inspired by Picky Cook

(Printable Recipe)

Fresh spinach leaves

Cheese tortellini, cooked, drained, and chilled

Dried cranberries

Granny Smith apple, cut into thin slices

Almonds

Feta cheese

Balsamic dressing

1. Cook the tortellini according to package instructions. I used frozen tortellini. Drain and rinse with cold water.

2. Place a bed of spinach on a plate.

3. Add tortellini, dried cranberries, apple slices, almonds, feta cheese, and dressing.

4. Eat and enjoy.

You might also like:
Greek Style Tortellini Salad from RecipeGirl
Pesto Tortellini with Sauteed Vegetables and Parmesan Cheese from For the Love of Cooking
Tortellini Skewers from Dana Treat

Tortellini Vegetable Soup from Two Peas and Their Pod

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Vegetables and Chickpeas

When we were participating in the $100 Food Challenge we had to “put on our thinking caps” to create some of our meals. I tried to cook healthy, tasty dishes using the ingredients we already had at home. It was challenging on some nights, but we had fun coming up with new recipes.

This pasta dish was one of my favorites. I used whole wheat spaghetti and added in zucchini, yellow squash, green beans, and chickpeas. The chickpeas added a nice nutty flavor and gave the pasta an extra boost of protein. I finished the pasta off with some of our homegrown fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.

The pasta was very light and easy to prepare. It makes a great, affordable summer meal!

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Vegetables and Chickpeas

(Printable Recipe)

1 box whole wheat spaghetti

Olive oil

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 onion, chopped

1 Zucchini, chopped

1 Yellow squash, chopped

Large handful of fresh green beans, snap off the ends

1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Fresh basil

Parmesan cheese

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Make sure you salt the water for flavor.

In a large skillet, sauté the onion in a little bit of olive oil. Add in the garlic. Cook for a couple of minutes. Add in the vegetables. Cook until tender. Add in the chickpeas. Cook until warm. Drain the pasta and add it to the vegetable mix. Toss with fresh basil and parmesan. Drizzle with more olive oil if you wish. Enjoy!

Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad

"Summer time and the living's easy!" It is Friday and I have the day off so I am feeling pretty good today:) We don't have huge weekend plans, but I am still excited it is here!

Fresh, local produce is one of my favorite things about summer. We don't have a garden this year, well we have tomato plants and herbs, but never got around to planting anything else. The sprinkler system project took over. We love going to the farmer's market and supporting our local farmers though!

I made this grilled vegetable pasta salad with some of our favorite summer veggies. Josh grilled zucchini, eggplant, red peppers, and yellow squash. I made a simple balsamic dressing, chopped some tomatoes, fresh basil, and added everything to some pasta. I finished it off with feta cheese.

Pasta salads are perfect for the summer. I like to make a big bowl so we can have leftovers for our lunches. They are also good for bbq's, picnics, and pool parties. Have a great weekend everyone!

Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad

(Printable Recipe)

Grill the following vegetables, I brush them with a little olive oil and balsamic:

Zucchini

Eggplant

Red pepper

Yellow Squash

Chop up tomatoes and fresh basil.

Cook your favorite pasta and run cold water over it, this is a cold pasta salad.

Make a balsamic dressing or use store bought.

I used balsamic vinegar, a little olive oil, garlic, shallots, Dijon mustard, chopped basil, salt, and pepper. Whisk everything together to your taste. Sorry I didn't measure.

In a big bowl add the pasta, veggies, and basil. Stir. Pour dressing over pasta and veggies. Stir and add more until the pasta is well coated. Add in feta cheese. Serve cold. Will keep for a couple of days.

Soba Noodles with Edamame, Zucchini, and Spinach

Every Wednesday we go to the Sunflower Market and stock up on produce. It is our date night, I know we are nerds:) Wednesday is double ad day, so everything from the week before and the new week is on sale. That means tons of cheap and delicious produce! We load our cart and usually only spend $12. It is our magic number.

Last week zucchini was on sale for 88 cents a pound, such a bargain! I loaded the cart and probably got a little carried away. I've been trying to find ways to use it before it goes bad. I made pasta with zucchini, we grilled zucchini, and I made this amazing soba noodle dish.

Have you tried soba noodles? We love them. Soba noodles are thin Japanese noodles made with buckwheat and wheat flour. They can be served hot, cold, or in soup. This time we served them warm with an Asian sauce. We added in edamame, spinach, and our star ingredient, zucchini.

We loved this dish. Soba noodles aren't heavy like some pastas can be. I loved the light Asian sauce and green vegetables too. It not only was a pretty dish, but a tasty one! I will be making this one again and again. I might even add tofu next time.

Soba Noodles with Edamame, Zucchini, and Spinach

(Printable Recipe)

Sauce:
Low sodium soy sauce
Water
Rice wine vinegar
Honey
Garlic Chile Paste

Soba noodles
1 T Sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 zucchini, chopped
1/2 cup shelled edamame
1 cup fresh spinach leaves
3 green onions, chopped
Black pepper, to taste
Sesame seeds
Extra green onions for garnish

1. First, make the sauce. In a small bowl whisk together the ingredients. I guessed on the measurments, so just make sure you taste as you go. Sorry we forget to measure sometimes.
2. Cook the soba noodles according to the package instructions. Drain them and set aside.
3. In a large skillet heat the sesame oil. Add in garlic and cook for a couple of minutes. Add in zucchini, edamame, spinach, and green onions. Cook until the zucchini is tender and the spinach is wilted.
4. Pour in the sacue. Stir well. Add black pepper, to taste.
5. Stir in the soba noodles. Let everytihng cook together for a couple of minutes.
6. Serve in a bowl. Add sesame seeds and green onions on top, if you wish.

Stuffed Shells with Ricotta, Spinach, and Portobello Mushrooms

I never get sick of Italian food. Sometimes I think I am Italian, my name is Maria, I have dark hair, I could pass, right? :) I love pasta, pizza, gelato, panini, etc. Italian food always hits the spot for me.

I recently made stuffed shells for dinner. I started with the classic ricotta spinach mixture. I also added in portobello mushrooms, onion, garlic, and red peppers. I made a homemade marinara sauce and topped the shells off with cheese.

I loved peeking in on the bubbling shells that were oozing with cheese. The house smelled amazing too. I am glad I added in the extra vegetables, the portobello mushrooms and red peppers worked well with the spinach and cheese.

I think this is a great dish to serve to guests. You can prepare the filling and stuff the shells in advance. Keep the stuffed shells covered in the refrigerator until you are ready for dinner. Bake them 35 minutes before the guests arrive and you will have an amazing dinner with no last minute hassles.

Stuffed Shells with Ricotta, Spinach, and Portobello Mushrooms

(Printable Recipe)

1 T olive oil

1 large portobello mushroom, chopped

1/2 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 red pepper, diced

1 15 oz ricotta cheese - I used low fat

1 egg

3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded (divided)

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated (divided)

1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed, drained, and chopped (use a potato ricer to get rid of the water)

1/2 tsp dried basil

Dash of crushed red pepper

Salt and pepper

About 3 cups of marinara sauce (I made my own, you can use store bought)

About 18 jumbo pasta shells, cooked al dente, read box instructions:)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large casserole dish or Pyrex 9 by 13 pan with cooking spray. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Once hot, add the onion, cook until soft. Add in garlic, mushrooms, and red peppers. Remove from heat and cool.

In a large bowl combine the ricotta, 1/4 cup of the mozzarella, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, stir well. Add in the egg, spinach, dried basil, crushed red pepper,salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste. Mix well until creamy. Add the mushroom, onion, red pepper mixture.

Pour 1/2 cup of marinara sauce in the bottom of your sprayed baking dish. Place the cooked shells in the pan. Make sure they are spaced out evenly. Stuff each shell with cheese/veggie mixture. Use a spoon, it might get messy:)

Pour the remaining sauce over the stuffed shells. Add the leftover mozzarella and Parmesan.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes. You want the shells to be bubbling with goodness. Let cool for a few minutes and serve warm.

Baked Penne Pasta with Italian Sausage

Last week Josh and his brother, Matt, spent numerous hours working in our yard. I feel guilty because I really didn't help much. I think I picked up a rake once, oops! They really worked hard and did a great job. I did contribute by feeding them though. That should count for something, right?

One night I made pasta for the boys. I love pasta because it is cheap, easy, and the choices are endless. We had leftover grilled Italian sausages and ricotta cheese so I decided to do a baked pasta. I added in onion, garlic, and roasted peppers too. I topped everything off with my homemade marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese.

The individual baked pastas came out nice and bubbly. The guys were thrilled to come in for dinner. I didn't taste it because I don't do meat, but the lack of conversation at the dinner table was a good sign. They devoured their pasta in minutes.

Sorry this recipe is kind of random. I just made it up as I was cooking. If you have questions let me know. I don't think you can mess it up! Just mix it all up, bake, and I am sure something good will come out of the oven:)

Tomorrow we are leaving for Palm Beach, Florida. We will be vacationing for an entire week. Josh's brother, Ben, and his wife, Whitney, are joining us. Should be a great time! We will try to check in from the beach! If anyone has Palm Beach suggestions-places to go or eat, let us know! Thanks friends!

Baked Penne Pasta with Italian Sausage

(Printable Recipe)

Penne pasta-cook until al dente, drain and set aside
Olive oil
Garlic-chopped
Onion, chopped
Fennel seed
Crushed red pepper
Basil, chopped
Roasted peppers-I used red and yellow-we had some in the freezer
Italian sausage-I used leftover grilled Colosimo's sausage, just cut it into chunks
Marinara sauce-I used my homemade sauce, but you can use store bought
Ricotta cheese
Mozzarella cheese

1. Spray baking dish with cooking spray. I used 2 individual dishes. You can use a big one for a large group. Spread marinara sauce on the bottom of the dishes.
2. In a skillet, heat olive oil. Add in onion, garlic, fennel seed, crushed red pepper, basil, and roasted peppers. Cook until tender.
3. Add in sausage chunks. Cook for a couple of minutes.
4. In a bowl, mix pasta with marinara sauce. Add in the pepper/sausage mixture.
5. Divide pasta evenly in dishes, or put all of it in one big dish.
6. Drop spoonfuls of ricotta cheese into the pasta dishes. Make sure to mix it a little bit. You want it to be in with the pasta/sauce mixture.
7. Sprinkle with mozzerella cheese and mix a little bit.
8. Cover the top of the pasta with more mozzerella and fresh basil.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until bubbly.
10. Enjoy!

Italian Sausage Lasagna

My dad is visiting from Illinois. He drove out to Utah last week, which is a 22 hour drive. My dad doesn't believe in stopping, only to fill up on gas, licorice, and M&M's. He says he just closes his eyes and keeps on driving:) We are having a great time so far. It is always nice having him around.

Sunday night my sister's family came over for dinner. We made homemade lasagna, an Artisan Bread in Five Loaf, and salad for dinner. Everything was quite tasty. We had to do two lasagnas though, a meat lover's and a veggie. I don't mind pleasing everyone, different strokes for different folks:)

Today I am sharing the Italian sausage recipe. I didn't have a taste, but everyone else enjoyed it. Josh made homemade noodles and I worked on the sauce and fillings. The lasagna came together in no time. I included the recipes for the sauce and noodles. Of course you can use store bought, but we believe fresh is best:) We use our KitchenAid mixer and pasta attachment and it makes pasta making super simple.

It was fun having the family over for dinner. As you can see below my niece, loved the ABin5 bread. She is always the life of the party!

Italian Sausage Lasagna

(Printable Recipe)

Marinara Sauce

Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Crushed red pepper flakes
Fennel seeds
3 cans diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato sauce
Fresh basil, chopped
Italian seasoning
Salt and black pepper

1. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion, cook until tender. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, and fennel seeds.
2. Add in tomatoes and tomato sauce. Stir.
3. Add in fresh basil, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
4. Let simmer for 30 minutes.

Noodles

4 large eggs

1 T water

3 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

1. Place eggs, water, flour and salt in mixer bowl. Attach flat beater. Turn to Speed 2 and mix for 30 seconds.

2. Put on the dough hook. Turn to Speed 2 and knead for 2 minutes. Remove dough and knead by had for 2 minutes.

3. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes. Follow pasta maker's instructions. You can roll it by hand, but we use our KA pasta attachment, which is worth every penny!

Lasagna

Lasagna noodles
Italian sausage
Fennel seeds
Crushed red pepper
2 cups Ricotta cheese
2 eggs
Black pepper
Dried basil
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese,plus more for the top of lasagna
Mozzarella cheese
Sauce

1. In a large skillet brown the Italian sausage with fennel seeds and crushed red pepper. I don't measure the seasons, just a dash or two. Cook sausage until brown and cooked all the way through.
2. Mix ricotta cheese, eggs, black pepper, dried basil, and parmesan in a small bowl.
3. In a large casserole dish or pan start creating the lasagna.
4. Spoon some marinara sauce at the bottom, add a layer of noodles.
5. Next, add sauce, ricotta mixture, sausage, and mozzarella cheese. I don't measure just spread around evenly. Be generous with all of the ingredients.
6. Add another layer or noodles and continue the layering process.
7. When you are finished layering, top the lasagna off with mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese.
8. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about an hour or until bubbly.
9. Let it sit for 10 minutes before cutting.

Recipe for Tortellini Spinach Salad

Happy Friday! Any fun weekend plans? We are working at the Viking Cooking School on Saturday night. We are doing a French Dinner Party Class, I can't wait. We also have some plans with friends. I am thinking it will be a great weekend!

I am always up for a good salad. This Tortellini Spinach Salad is one of my favorites. It is so easy and you can mix it up with whatever you have on hand. I use frozen cheese tortellini and I always buy the colorful kind. It makes the salad more fun:) I cook the tortellini and then rinse it with cold water. This is a cold pasta salad.

I mix in whatever vegetables I have on hand. Some of my favorites are: artichokes, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, olives, etc. I then toss everything with a fat free Italian dressing and Italian seasoning. The salad is best if the flavors have time to simmer, so I usually chill it for a couple of hours and then serve it over a bed of fresh spinach. I usually top it off with fresh Parmesan too!

I love this salad because you can make it in advance, it's easy, colorful, tasty, healthy, makes great leftovers, versatile, and again TASTY!

Tortellini Spinach Salad

(Printable Recipe)

-1 bag of frozen cheese tortellini (in Utah, I find it at Harmon's or Ream's)
-Vegetables of your choice-chopped (This time I used tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, yellow squash, and peppers, but use anything you like)
-Italian dressing (or similar variety, use your favorite)
-Italian seasoning
--Salt/Pepper
Fresh spinach

1. Cook the tortellini in a big pot of salted water. When cooked, rinse with cold water.
2.Add in veggies and stir.
3. Cover with dressing and seasonings. Stir until well-coated.
4. Chill and serve over a bed of spinach.
5. Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Lemon Pasta with Spinach and Roasted Asparagus

Utah is still cold with snow on the ground. Sure, it is pretty, but come on, it is March. I am sooo ready for Spring! We have had a couple of nice "teaser" days, but the snow always comes back to haunt me. I just want Mr. Sun to stick around!

Since the weather isn't cooperating, I turned to the kitchen for some help. I made my favorite spring time dish, Whole Wheat Lemon Pasta with Spinach and Roasted Asparagus. The flavors are light and fresh and make me think of sunny days.

I used whole wheat spaghetti, but any pasta will do. The sauce is really easy. I saute garlic, onions, red pepper flakes, and fresh spinach in olive oil and toss them with the warm pasta. To finish off the dish, I add lemon zest and squeeze fresh lemon juice over the pasta and mix. I love the refreshing and powerful flavor the lemon gives.

I served roasted asparagus on the side, I found it on sale for 88 cents a pound, yahoo! I didn't do anything fancy, just a little olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh lemon juice. I finished everything off with a bit of Parmesan cheese. This was the perfect meal to chase away the winter blues.

Whole Wheat Lemon Pasta with Spinach and Roasted Asparagus

(Printable Recipe)

Whole wheat pasta (any variety will work)
Olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch of fresh spinach, cleaned and chopped
Red pepper flakes, just a quick shake
Salt and Pepper
Zest and juice of one large lemon
Parmesan cheese

1.Bring a big pot of water to boil. Add salt and cook pasta until al dente.
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large saute pan. Add onions and cook until tender. Add garlic and red pepper flakes.
3. Add spinach and cook until it has cooked down. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Drain the pasta and pour it into a large serving bowl.
5. Toss the pasta with the spinach mixture.
6. Add lemon zest and lemon juice and mix well.
7. Top with fresh Parmesan cheese.

For the Asparagus:
1 bunch of fresh asparagus
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Fresh lemon juice

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Trim the ends of the asparagus and place on a large baking sheet, lined with foil.
3. Drizzle asparagus lightly with olive oil.
4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Roast for 10-15 minutes in the oven. Stir them at least once.
6. Remove from oven and squeeze fresh lemon juice over the spears.
7. Serve with pasta dish above.

Recipe for Vegetable Soup with Whole Wheat Spinach Ravioli

Soup has been hitting the spot lately, probably because of the freezing temperatures and snow we have in Salt Lake! And I just love a one pot meal that is loaded with tasty, nutritious ingredients!

Today's Soup du Jour is Vegetable Soup with Whole Wheat Spinach Ravioli. I just used what I had in my refrigerator and freezer. I had a ton of veggies that needed to be used, so they were picked for the soup team! We also had some homemade whole wheat spinach ravioli in the freezer that we made awhile ago, so I threw that in too!

The soup was delectable! I enjoyed the numerous chunks of vegetables...and the ravioli was a great addition. I loved the nutty, wholesome flavor from the whole wheat pasta...and the spinach cheese filling was wonderful as well.

If some of the raviolis break, don't worry, it is a good thing! Then you get the cheese and spinach flavor throughout the soup! If you don't want to make your own ravioli that is fine, just find some in the freezer section! You can find our ravioli recipe here...just use whole wheat flour! We forgot to post that variation when we made it, oops!

All and all this soup was delightful!! Do ENJOY!





Vegetable Soup with Whole Wheat Spinach Ravioli

1 T olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 stalks of celery, diced 2 carrots, diced
1 bell pepper, diced (red, yellow, orange, or green-you choose)
1 zucchini, chopped
1 yellow squash, chopped
Mushrooms, chopped
2 15 0z. cans of diced tomatoes (I used one with Italian seasonings and one low sodium variety)
4 cups of low sodium vegetable broth
Italian Essence (I used Emeril's brand, Italian seasoning would work too)
Fresh Basil, chopped
Whole wheat spinach ravioli (or store bought frozen ravioli of your choice)
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Heat olive oil in a big pot. Add in onion and saute until tender. Stir in garlic. Saute for a couple of minutes.
2. Add in vegetables. Saute until soft. About 5-7 minutes.
3. Stir in tomatoes and broth.
4. Add seasonings and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
5. Carefully drop in ravioli and cook until they float to the top, about 7-8 minutes.
6. Taste and season again if necessary. Serve while hot!

Recipe for Homemade Spinach Pasta

We love making homemade pasta! This time we tried spinach fettuccine and once again we were in heaven! Josh is the pasta king! I help, but he is the reason our pasta turns out so well. We even started making it late one night. I thought it would take forever, but we were done in 30 minutes. I was impressed!

Using frozen spinach makes this so easy! I am sure you have everything at home..as long as you have a KitchenAid and the Pasta Attachment. If you don't, go out and buy it! It is well worth it. We use it a lot and homemade pasta is so much tastier! You can use another brand or try it by hand if you wish!!

I really liked the color of the pasta too! We served it with a fresh vegetable sauce. It was DELISH! Plus, it made a ton so we rolled the extra pasta into little "nests" and put them in the freezer. I can't wait to eat this pasta again. Even Popeye would love this one!











Spinach Pasta

1 10 oz. package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 T water
4 large eggs
4 cups sifted all purpose flour

Place spinach in a towel and wring out all of the water until spinach is dry. Finely chop the spinach using a food processor or blender.

Place the spinach, water, eggs, and flour in the mixer bowl. Attach the flat beater, turn to speed 2 and mix for 30 seconds.

Exchange the flat beater for the dough hook. Turn to speed 2 and knead for two minutes. Remove dough from bowl and hand knead for 1-2 minutes. Divide dough into eight pieces before processing with the pasta sheet roller attachment. If you don't have the KitchenAid Pasta Attachment, use your own manufactures instructions or try it by hand!

To cook the pasta, bring a larte pot of salted water to boil. Add in pasta. Cook for about 6-7 minutes. To freeze pasta, roll the fresh noodles into "nests" and freeze.

Individual Baked Pastas

We made Individual Baked Pastas the other night and boy did that meal hit the spot! It has been cold here in Salt Lake City...so I am craving comfort foods and pasta does it for me!

I made a chunky vegetable sauce to go with our whole wheat pasta. We used rigatoni this time around. I layered the sauce with the cooked pasta and some cheese! It was that easy.

Since we baked them in individual dishes it didn't take long at all! And we each got our own little dish! It was two meals for me, but only one for Joshua:) We made four dishes so we could have leftovers too! It was great for lunch the next day.

This is a great meal for busy weeknights or if you are just craving good classic comfort food! And don't forget it is healthy too! Just go light on the cheese:)

Individual Baked Pasta Dishes

Whole wheat rigatoni pasta (we used about half of a 1 pound bag)

2 zucchini squash, chopped

1 eggplant, sliced
1 T. olive oil 1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves, garlic, minced
Crushed red pepper, a dash
Fennel seeds, dash
2 15 oz. cans of diced tomatoes, low sodium
Roasted peppers, about 1/2 cup, chopped (we had some in the freezer)
Dried basil, a couple dashes
Italian seasoning, a couple dashes
Salt and pepper, to taste
Mozzarella cheese, shredded-use what you like, but I went light on the cheese!
Parmesan cheese-just a bit for a kick. we used the good stuff so a little went a long way!

Directions:
1. Boil the whole wheat pasta in salted water. Cook until al dente. You don't want it all the way done because it will finish in the oven. 2. Place the zucchini and eggplant on a greased cookie sheet. Add salt and pepper. Put under the broiler for about 5-7 minutes, or until the veggies are tender. 3. Chop up the eggplant. 4. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Add onion. Then add garlic, red pepper, and fennel. Stir in roasted peppers, zucchini, and eggplant. Cook until soft. 5. Add in diced tomatoes, basil, Italian seasoning, and salt/pepper. 6. Simmer for 10 minutes. 7. Spray your dishes. Put some sauce on the bottom and then add some pasta. Add another layer of sauce, then some cheese, and then more pasta, and sauce. 8. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until bubbly. 9. Garnish with fresh basil if you wish.

Recipe for Homemade Gnocchi

I love Italian food. It is my favorite...ok, I have a lot of favorites, but it is up there for sure! My brother lived in Italy for 2 years and I was lucky enough to go back with him for a fun trip after we graduated college. We had a great time touring the country. I loved everything about Italy, but the food was my favorite. Gelato number one and gnocchi number two!

My favorite meal was in Cinque Terre, which is along Northern Italy's Rivera coast. After a long day of hiking, we settled down at a fine restaurant. We had a table outside with a lovely view. With my brother's assistance, I ordered homemade gnocchi with pesto. The little potato dumplings were fresh and oh so tasty. I had the perfect meal, in the perfect place.

Ever since then, I have had a longing for good gnocchi, but it is hard to find. The store bought stuff doesn't do it justice. Since we are newlyweds and can't afford to travel to Italy every week to eat gnocchi...we decided to make it ourselves. How hard could it be, potatoes, flour, salt???

We purchased a potato ricer for this cooking adventure. You want to make sure the potatoes are really smooth!! You don't want chunks in your gnocchi! The recipe is basic, but getting the right combination of flour and potatoes is the tricky part. You don't want the gnocchi to be mushy, but you don't want them to be dry and tough either.

We rolled out one rope and tested the gnocchi. I recommend doing this. Ours were mushy at first so we had to add more flour. Once you get the right consistency you can roll out the rest of the ropes and cut away! It was fun! We did the traditional "fork" trick so they would look authentic:) It only took a couple of minutes to boil them. We served the gnocchi with a roasted pepper sauce. So good!!

All said and done, I was impressed with our first gnocchi adventure. Of course, it didn't beat my meal in Italy, but I don't know if I can ever top that one!! We will be making these again...and again!

Homemade Gnocchi

2 pounds Russet potatoes
1 1/2 cups flour (you might need more, add it slowly though)
1 ½ teaspoons salt (or to your taste)

Wash potatoes and place them in a large pot of boiling water. I salted the water. Boil until tender, about 45 minutes. When soft remove them from the water and let cool.

1. Peel the potatoes, and then pass them through a potato ricer, into a large bowl. (If you don’t have a ricer, use a food mill or try grating them. I hear it works.) Let the potatoes cool to room temperature.
2. Add salt to the potatoes. Next, add the flour a little at a time, using only as much as you need so that the dough will not stick to your hands. When the flour has been incorporated, bring the dough together with your fingertips.
3. Dump the dough and any remaining floury bits onto a slightly floured surface. Knead the dough as you would bread dough
4. Form the dough into a ball and then divide it into six smaller balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one of the six pieces using your fingertips into a long rope about 3/4 inch thick. Cut the dough into 1 inch pieces. Before we did all of the dough we tested the gnocchi. Roll out one rope and cut a piece off. Place it in salted boiling water. If it is too mushy, add more flour to the rest of your dough. We had to add more flour so I am glad we tested it outJ
5. When all of your gnocchi is cut, press each piece of dough against the tines of a fork. With your finger, gently roll the pressed dough back off the fork. This takes a little practice. If you find the dough sticking to the fork, dip the fork in flour before you press the dough against it. It gives the gnocchi a nice look!
6. To cook the gnocchi, place them into a pot of boiling and well-salted water. After a few minutes the gnocchi will float to the top. Continue to cook for one minute then remove and set aside.
7. To freeze gnocchi-lay them out on a baking sheet, in a single layer. Freeze for about one hour and then place into freezer bags. When you are ready to cook them, don’t defrost, just follow the cooking instructions above.