Angel Hair Pasta with Peas, Tomatoes and Garlic ~ Recipe

 

It's been a while since I've posted a recipe here on the blog, so I thought I would share a simple dinner that we had last week.  Pasta is my go-to dinner when I want something quick, easy and satisfying.  This easy pasta dish can be prepared in about 15-20 minutes!

Angel Hair with Peas, Tomatoes and Garlic

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 lb. Angel Hair pasta

1 can diced tomatoes (14 oz) with garlic and olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese plus more, to taste

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook for one minute.  Add canned tomatoes and a quarter cup of starchy cooking liquid (from pasta pot) and cook for five to seven minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste.  Add frozen peas and cook for 1-2 minutes or until peas are warmed through. 

Drain pasta.  Add pasta to skillet with tomato and pea mixture.  Top with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (or however much you like).  Toss pasta with tongs. Serve in bowl with additional sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper on top.

Enjoy!

Cottage Mama's Note:  If you can't find canned tomatoes with olive oil and garlic, try substituting Italian seasoned tomatoes or just use plain diced tomatoes.  During the summer months try using diced, fresh tomatoes to take advantage of the delicious seasonal ingredients that are available. Pin It

Tortellini Chicken Soup

Fall is finally in the air and nothing feels better than a warm, comforting bowl of chicken soup.  This is a little different take on your traditional chicken noodle soup.  If you're looking for something to soothe the soul, this would be it!

Tortellini Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

1 rotisserie chicken or two (bone-in) roasted chicken breasts

1 package fresh tortellini (8 oz.)

Olive oil

2 carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 box chicken broth (I prefer low-sodium organic)

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon salt (more, if needed)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (for garnish)

Directions:

Shred or chop chicken.  Heat a large, heavy bottom pan over medium heat and drizzle bottom with olive oil.  Add chopped celery, onions and carrots.  Cook for approximately 6-8 minutes.  You want the vegetables to cook, but you really don't want to add much color to them.  

Add thyme and cook another 2 minutes.  Cooking the thyme with release more of the flavor.  Feel free to add more if you like a stronger flavor.  Add salt and pepper as well.  Like I've said before I love black pepper so I would probably add more, but I included a modest amount for this recipe.

Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Once the soup is boiling add fresh tortellini and cook according to package directions (probably 6-8 minutes).  In the last several minutes add your chicken.

Sprinkle the top of the soup with some grated Parmesan cheese before serving.  I love this soup with good ole Saltine crackers crushed on top or some crusty french bread for dipping.

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Summer Pasta Salad

I love a good pasta salad, don't you?  I've tried tons of different recipes and I don't know if I've ever met a pasta salad that I didn't really like.  For Matilda's "Tea for 2" party I wanted to do an updated version of a traditional classic.  This is my version of Summer Pasta Salad with fresh herbs, sun dried tomatoes, peas, black olives and asparagus.

Serves 15-20
Ingredients:
2 lbs. tri-color rotini pasta
1 cup zesty Italian dressing
1 cup Caesar dressing
1/2 jar of sun dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
10 fresh chives
Handful of fresh parsley
1/2 cup fresh basil
2 small cans sliced black olives
Half bag of frozen peas, thawed (run under hot water)
10 cooked asparagus spears, cut into 1" pieces

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Once cooking is complete, rinse thoroughly under cold water to remove starch and set aside.

While pasta is cooking, make your dressing for the pasta salad.  Combine both dressings, sun dried tomatoes (with some of the olive oil), and all the fresh herbs.  Place in a blender and puree until dressing comes together.  Feel free to add any additional fresh herbs that your family loves.

Pour dressing into a large mixing bowl.  Combine pasta, olives, peas, asparagus, and dressing until pasta is fully coated.  Place in refrigerator to cool.  Remove from refrigerator 1 hour prior to serving and stir.  Can be made up to two days ahead of time.

 Garnish with fresh parsley or any other herbs.  We just happen to have a lot of parsley in our garden this year so that's what I chose to use.  My Grandma Marge always taught us to never serve a dish without a garnish.  I think she would be proud.

This is a wonderful dish for entertaining because it can be made up to two days in advance and only continues to get better the longer it sits.  You can add any vegetables that are in season or that your family enjoys.  I think this would be amazing with some grilled zucchini or roasted bell peppers.  Just make the dressing and see what you happen to have on hand - you can't really go wrong! Pin It

Leftover Remix: Grilled Shrimp and Roasted Corn Pasta

Yesterday I posted my recipe for Spicy Grilled Shrimp with Corn Relish.  Well, we had some leftovers and I decided it would be fun to turn them into something new for the following dinner.  There are very few additional ingredients for this pasta dish, but your family will never know they are eating something very similar to the night before.

If you would like to make this dish, but fear you might not have any leftovers from the night before, just plan ahead and make a double recipe of the spicy shrimp.

Leftover Remix:  Grilled Shrimp and Roasted Corn Pasta

Ingredients:

Leftover Spicy Grilled Shrimp with Corn Relish (pineapple removed)

1 pound cavatappi pasta (or any shape you like)

1 package grape tomatoes

Olive oil

3/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Cook pasta according to package directions.

Place leftover corn relish, grilled onions, and grape tomatoes on a large baking sheet.  Drizzle with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.  Roast in the oven for approximately 20 minutes or until grape tomatoes start to get wrinkly and corn starts to get a little color.

Meanwhile, cut up your shrimp into small pieces.  Once you remove your corn and tomato mixture from the oven, add your shrimp to the baking sheet - this will warm them up without cooking them any further.

Drain pasta.  Add all the contents from the cookie sheet into the pasta.  Make sure to scrape up all the little brown bits (this gives the great roasted flavor).  Add your Parmesan cheese and an extra drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper (to taste).

Garnish with additional sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and serve with freshly baked garlic bread.

Now that's practically two meals in one - how great is that?  I love things that do double duty!

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Tortellini with Lemon Cream Sauce

 

Sometimes the most delicious dishes only contain a few ingredients.  My tortellini with lemon cream sauce is one of those.  So simple, yet indulgently delicious.  

Tortellini with Lemon Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

1 package fresh cheese tortellini (8 oz.)

3 tablespoons butter

1.5 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 lemon
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Begin cooking fresh tortellini according to package directions.

In a large pan, melt butter over medium heat.  Add in heavy cream and bring to a boil.  Once you've reached a boil, reduce the heat to medium.  Add in the juice of one lemon, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.  Taste the sauce to check for salt and pepper.  I like a lot of pepper in my cream sauce and if it doesn't taste savory enough, it probably needs more salt.

Allow the sauce to bubble lightly until it reaches your desired consistency.  Once you are happy with the thickness of your sauce, reduce the heat to low until your tortellini is ready.

Drain tortellini and add to the large saucepan.  Toss to coat.  Serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, freshly grated black pepper and a slice of lemon.

Enjoy!

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Roasted Vegetable Shrimp Pasta Primavera

So as I mentioned last week, my Mom came to town from Texas for a visit this past weekend.  While she was here I wanted to fix her something super yummy for dinner the first night she arrived.  I prepared a roasted vegetable shrimp pasta primavera with basil in a light cream sauce.  It was SO good, I could go for some right now!!  This is not the most figure flattering recipe (but I'm sure you've figured that's the way with most of my recipes) but I do have some healthy ones coming, I promise!

Roasted Vegetable Shrimp Pasta Primavera

Ingredients:

2 zucchinis, cut in half lengthwise and cut into half inch chunks

1 large red onion, cut into 1 inch cubes

4 Roma tomatoes, diced

1 lb. fettuccine noodles, cooked according to package directions

2 cups heavy cream

2 garlic cloves, minced or a spoonful of jarred garlic

1/2 cup fresh basil

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling
1 tablespoon butter (REAL butter)
1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 lb. frozen shrimp

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Begin boiling water for pasta and cook according to package directions.

Cut all of your vegetables as mentioned above.

Spread vegetables out on a cookie sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Use your hands to mix vegetables in order to thoroughly coat with olive oil.  Place vegetables in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until cooked through.

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large skillet on medium heat.  Add garlic, saute 1-2 minutes.  Add frozen shrimp and cook until warmed through.  Pour in 2 cups heavy cream and increase heat.  Once cream mixture starts bubbling, reduce heat to medium low - should become a simmer.  Allow to thicken for 10 minutes.  Add parmesan cheese and 1 tablespoon butter and simmer for 5 more minutes or until it reaches your desired consistency.

Once vegetables, pasta, and cream sauce are ready, combine everything in the same skillet where you cooked your cream sauce.  Here I added the vegetables, then pasta, then fresh basil.

Combine all of the ingredients with your pasta spoon until every noodle is coated with the delicious cream sauce.

Plate the pasta in a large pasta bowl, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and fresh basil or parsley.

Enjoy your pasta with a nice glass of wine, garlic bread, and good company!

Here's my good company - my hubby (taking the picture) and The Cottage Mama's Mama!  My Mom and I had such a great time together and we had a blast at the International Quilt Festival.  It's always so hard to say goodbye, but I keep hoping and praying that some day we will live closer to one another.  

Miss you and love you Mom!

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The Cottage Mama's Favorite Mac & Cheese Recipe

You know the saying "If it's not broke, don't fix it"?  Well, I should have listened to this several nights ago when I tried to change up my homemade Mac & Cheese recipe.  Yes, I can admit it........my new recipe........not so good.  I think from now on I will just stick to the one I know I can count on.

So here is my GOOD mac & cheese recipe - the one you can count on to be perfect every time.  This is from Ina Garten, the "Barefoot Contessa", and it is the creamiest, dreamiest mac & cheese recipe you will ever have!

The Cottage Mama's Favorite Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:

nocouponsKosher salt

Vegetable oil

1 pound elbow macaroni or cavatappi

1 quart milk

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

12 ounces Gruyere, grated (4 cups)

8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (2 cups)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3/4 pound fresh tomatoes (4 small)

1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish.

Slice the tomatoes and arrange on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

Cottage Mama's Note:  Feel free to add shredded chicken or cubed ham to add some protein to this dish.  I live with a meat and potatoes lover so he is always looking for the meat!!

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Cajun Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

I honestly think I could eat pasta everyday for the rest of my life - that is how much I love it!  There are so many different ways to prepare it and it can take on so many different flavors and styles of cooking.

My friend Megan was my inspiration for this dish.  She mentioned a similar dish that she had made for her family that had her husband coming back for more.  So I took the recipe she told me about and added my own spin on it!

Cajun Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

Ingredients:

1 lb. pasta (shells or penne rigate)

1.5 cups heavy cream

1 cup roasted red peppers (I used ones from a jar)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic

1 teaspoon cajun seasoning (or a lot more if you like it spicy)

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese + a little for garnish

Green onions (for garnish)

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Ok, it doesn't get a whole lot easier than this......place all ingredients (except pasta) in a blender and puree until smooth.  Then pour the red pepper/cream mixture into a saucepan and cook for 10 minutes on medium-high heat until thickened.

Meanwhile, slice green onions.  Once pasta is cooked, drain and combine with sauce and parmesan cheese.

Sprinkle green onions and a little more parmesan on top and serve.  Enjoy!!

Cottage Mama's Note:  I would normally add sliced andouille sausage to this dish, but the day I made this version, I didn't have any on-hand.  It tasted great without it, but for my "meat-loving" hubby, the sausage is always a winner!  There are some wonderful chicken andouille sausages available in-store these days ("Amy's" makes a great one!).

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Creamy Pesto Alfredo Pasta

I'm going to tell you a little secret.......well, I guess it's not a total secret........ I have a serious addiction to Fettuccine Alfredo.  I think it is one of the most delicious, indulgent things on earth!  Personally I would choose to eat this over a piece of chocolate cake any day! 

I know I have not been posting the most "figure flattering" recipes lately, but we had this for dinner last night and it was just so good that I had to share it with you!

Creamy Pesto Alfredo Pasta

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1lb. pasta shells (1 box)

2 cups heavy cream

1/3 cup pesto (store-bought or fresh)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic chopped (or 1 teaspoon jar garlic).

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (+ more for garnish)

1 teaspoon salt

Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes (do not allow garlic to brown).  Add pesto and cook for 3 minutes.  I like to cook the store-bought pesto a little bit because I think it mellows out the flavor which can be VERY strong sometimes.  

Add heavy cream, salt, pepper and Parmesan and turn heat up to medium-high.  Once the cream sauce begins to bubble turn the heat down to medium low.  Allow sauce to thicken for about 10 minutes or until it reaches your desired consistency.  Taste your sauce and determine whether or not you would like to add a little more salt or pepper.  If it doesn't taste SUPER delicious to you, then chances are you need more salt.

Once cooked, drain pasta (reserving 1/3 cup pasta cooking liquid).  Add cooking liquid to sauce and stir to combine.  Then add drained pasta to the sauce in the saute pan.  Stir until the pasta is fully coated with the creamy pesto alfredo sauce.

Serve in pasta bowls and sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese before serving.  This dish is wonderful with garlic bread & Caesar salad!

Cottage Mama's Note:  During the winter months, I prefer to buy store-bought pesto just because I find fresh basil to be somewhat expensive in the store.  However, in the summer, when my herb garden is in full swing, fresh pesto is the best!! 

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Pantry Cooking: Asian Peanut Noodles

I'm a huge fan of pantry cooking.  I keep many things in my cabinets that can be used with or without fresh ingredients.  I think having a well-stocked pantry is essential for any home.  If you happen to have a night where you haven't really thought about dinner or it's the end of the week and you've run out of fresh ingredients, you can head to your pantry and get creative if you have the right things on hand.


One of my favorite pantry dishes is Asian Peanut Noodles.  This dish is created from ingredients you would normally have on hand and can be "dolled-up" if you happen to have some additional fresh ingredients.  This is one of my favorite dishes to make when my husband is at his brew club meetings and it's just me alone with my huge bowl of peanut noodles - SO good!!

Asian Peanut Noodles

Ingredients:

1 lb. spaghetti

1 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 glove garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon asian chili sauce (more or less depending on how spicy you like things)

Pasta cooking water

Ingredients

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions.

In a mixing bowl add all of the rest of the ingredients.

As you pasta begins to boil, spoon in some of the pasta cooking water into the bowl with all of your other ingredients.  You will probably use about 1/2 cup total, but keep adding the water until you reach your desired consistency (see picture above).

 Asian Peanut Noodles

Drain pasta, mix with sauce and enjoy!!

Cottage Mama's Note: If I were really going to plan on making this dish (rather than just throwing it together last minute), I would make sure to add two green onions (sliced), 1 carrot (grated), 1 cup snap peas, a handful of cilantro (chopped), and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.  

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Garlic Shrimp Scampi

I LOVE shrimp - I mean love, love, love shrimp.  It is my most favorite food in the world.  If there is a shrimp item on a dinner menu, 9 times out of 10 that is what I will order when we are out.  However, ordering shrimp in a restaurant can be a bit pricey at times so when I find shrimp on sale at my grocery store, I always try to snatch it up.

About a week ago I made this delicious shrimp scampi for my husband and I for dinner.  Now I know it was good because my husband said it about 3 times and coming from him that means my recipe was a hit!!  The shrimp were on sale - only $5.00 per pound (down from $15.00 per pound), the angel hair pasta was maybe .99 and all the other ingredients are always in my pantry.  So I made a huge amount of shrimp scampi for two for maybe around $6.00-$7.00 (which would have cost around $16.00 or more per serving in a restaurant).

So here's my recipe for Garlic Shrimp Scampi.  The key to this recipe is perfectly cooked shrimp.  Do not overcook them - I repeat, do not overcook.  Take them off the heat once they turn pink and just start to curl.  I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!!

Garlic Shrimp Scampi

Ingredients:
1 lb. raw shrimp (deveined and shells removed)
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 tablespoons butter
1 lb. angel hair pasta

Directions:
Cook angel hair pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, heat large sauce-pan over medium heat.  Add olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes and saute 3 minutes, until garlic is cooked, but not brown.  Add shrimp and cook until pink.  Add remaining butter.

Serve buttery garlic shrimp scampi over angel hair pasta.  Enjoy!!

Cottage Mama's Note:  If you don't have angel hair, use linguine, spaghetti, or fettuccine.  Even serving this delicious dish with a nice loaf of bread (that you can dip in the buttery sauce) instead of pasta is good too. Also parsley, thinly sliced lemon, and lemon zest make a wonderful garnish for this dish. Pin It

Chicken "Divine"

Ok, so it's been rather chilly out lately and cold weather makes me think of casseroles.  My brother Ben, the chef, is anti-casserole due to their homey nature (not fancy enough for him), but I can't resist a warm, comforting cheesy casserole.  Makes my mouth water just thinking about it!!  It's the perfect food for the cottage home and the perfect food for your home too!

I would imagine many of you have heard of the classic dish, Chicken Divan.  Perhaps your Mom made it or your Grandmother - it's been around since the 1950's, I'd say.  If you're not familiar, it's made with cream of mushroom soup, broccoli, chicken, cheddar cheese, ect.  It is quite a tasty dish; however, I have an updated version of this classic that is just diviiiiiiine - it's called Chicken "Divine" and its from the Bride and Groom First and Forever Cookbook.


There are several reasons why I love this casserole;
1 - It can be made a day ahead of time - definite plus for the busy Cottage Mama.
2 - You can freeze it and just pop it in the oven during the week on a busy day when you have no time to cook (adjust cooking time accordingly).
3 - It is a wonderful dish to take to someone who is ill or has just had a new baby.
4 - It's comfort food at it's best and will warm you from the inside out!

My Mom's friend, Judi gave Brett and I this cookbook for our wedding and it has been a "go to" book for me ever since.  I haven't tried a single recipe that didn't turn out excellent.  The first year we were married I hosted my in-laws for Thanksgiving (nerve-racking, right?) and I used many recipes from this book and they all turned out to be a success.  If you have an upcoming wedding or shower to attend, I highly recommend this book as a gift - your friends will definitely thank you for it!

Chicken "Divine"

Ingredients:

2 packages (10 oz. each) frozen broccoli florets, thawed

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup dry white wine (such as Chardonnay)

1 jar (16 oz) alfredo sauce, such as Classico

2 cups (4 oz) grated smoked gouda

1/2 cup milk

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

4 cups cooked penne, macaroni, or orecchiette pasta

2 cups shredded roast chicken

1/4 cup italian style bread crumbs

Paprika for sprinkling

Directions:

Serves 4.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion, thyme, kosher salt, and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender, about 5 mins.  Add the wine, increase the heat to high and cook until all the liquid has evaporated, 2 to 3 mins. Remove from heat.  Stir in the alfredo sauce, 1/2 cup of the cheese, the milk and nutmeg.  Then stir in the cooked pasta, broccoli, and chicken and mix thoroughly.

Transfer to an 8-in square baking dish.  Top with the remaining 1.5 cups of cheese and the bread crumbs. Sprinkle with paprika, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 mins.  Uncover and bake until golden brown, 10-15 mins. more.

Do-Ahead:  This casserole can be made 1 day in advance and refrigerated.  It can also be assembled and then frozen.

Cottage Mama's Note:  About 3 cups dried penne pasta yields 4 cups cooked.

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Goat Cheese & Shrimp Pasta Recipe

If you've been following my blog lately, you know how I feel about using up the food we have on hand.  Since we didn't do a grocery store trip this past weekend, things are getting a little sparse here in the cottage home.  Last night I knew I needed to use up the package of crumbled goat cheese that had been sitting in our fridge so alas a new excuse to develop another recipe!  The recipe turned out mighty tasty, if you like goat cheese, that is.  Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Goat Cheese & Shrimp Pasta

Ingredients:

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 box frozen leaf spinach, thawed and drained

4 oz. crumbled goat cheese

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

1/2 pound medium shrimp

1 lb. linguine pasta

1 teaspoon salt

black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, saute onions in olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter on medium-low heat until softened.  Add garlic and saute for 3-5 minutes until softened, but not browned.  Add shrimp and saute until cooked.  Add drained spinach, salt and pepper - saute for 5 minutes.  Add 1 cup of pasta cooking water to shrimp, spinach and onion mixture, then stir in goat cheese, parmesan and remaining tablespoon of butter.  Cook until slightly thickened.  Add pasta to saute pan with shrimp, onion and spinach mixture and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Plate pasta, sprinkle top with parmesan and serve.  Enjoy!

Cottage Mama's Note:

*I typically season things with salt and pepper as I go (and I LOVE fresh black pepper), so my measurements on salt and pepper may not be exact.  Taste as you go to make sure the seasoning is to your liking.

**When draining pasta, do not rinse.  You want to the pasta to absorb some of the flavors from the sauce and rinsing will not allow it to do so.

***If you have a fresh lemon on hand, a nice squeeze of lemon juice onto the finished pasta would add a really nice flare to this dish (though I did not have one last night).

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Entertaining a Crowd

I love entertaining.  It is so wonderful to be able to welcome people into your home and serve them delicious food and drink.  Our house right now is not ideal for entertaining large crowds, but we can manage to host a pretty good medium-sized party.  My husband (who is an avid winemaker and homebrewer) always has the drink part covered and I am left to make sure we have an awesome meal!

This past weekend was my baby girl, Matilda Jane's baptism into the Catholic faith.  We had about sixteen close family and friends attend the ceremony and luncheon at our home following her baptism.  For our Matida's baptism, I decided it would be best to make food that could all be prepared ahead of time since we would be heading straight from the church to the party.  I don't like being in the kitchen preparing food when my guests are over because it doesn't allow me enough time to mingle and truly host.  If I am going to throw a party, I would like to make sure I get to attend it as well.

When planning your menu for your guests it is important to think about the type of event you are hosting, the number of people attending, and the types of food your guests would enjoy.  If it is a smaller group, then perhaps you will choose to do a plated meal, if a larger crowed, then generally buffet style is the way to go.  Menu planning is one of my favorite parts of hosting an event!

Here is the menu I decided on for my Matilda's baptsim -  Chicken Salad on Croissants, Ruthie's Spinach Salad, Caprese Pasta Salad, Apple Spice Bread, and Cake (which was provided by my in-laws).  My husband complimented these food choices with his own home-brewed beer, as well as a special beer called "Matilda" (fitting, right?), wine and champagne.

Entertaining Tip:  When having a party of six or more, always answer the door with a drink in your hand.  This will let you guests know that it is going to be a festive, relaxed time from the start!

Here are some of my recipes for entertaining a crowd:

Ruthie's Spinach Salad

Dressing

3/4 C. salad oil

1/2 C. sugar

1/2 C. red wine vinegar

3-4 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Salad

8 cups washed and dried baby spinach

1 C dried cranberries or cherries

4 ounces feta cheese crumbled

I/2 to 1 medium red onion thinly sliced

4-6 slices bacon -cooked and crumbled

1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

For dressing--combine all ingredients in a container with a tight fitting lid.  Cover and shake well to blend.

For the salad--combine all ingredients--toss with dressing just before serving.

Six servings

Note:  This salad is WONDERFUL!  It is a perfect balance of sweet and savory.  Also, in this case, the salad is best slightly overdressed.

Caprese Pasta Salad

Easy summer salad. Great side dish to take to picnics or bbq's.

Cook time: 20 Minutes
Prep time: 15 Minutes
Ingredients
* 1/3 cup of olive oil
* 1/2 cup of drained, oil packed sun dried tomatoes
* 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
* 1 tablespoon of capers
* 2 cloves of garlic chopped
* 1/2 teaspoon crushed red peppers
* 1 lb of fussili pasta
* 1 1/2- 2 cups chopped, seeded tomatoes
* 8 ounces of braided, marinated mozzarella chopped into 1/2 inch pieces. I use one from Trader Joes that has a good kick to it.
* 1 cup of packed fresh basil leaves
* 1 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
* 1/2 cup of minced, pitted black olives

Directions
* Blend first 6 ingredients in a processor until tomatoes are coarsely chopped.
* Cook pasta in a large pot of salted, boiling water until tender but firm to bite.
* Drain pasta and transfer to a large bowl.  Add dressing to hot pasta and toss to coat.
* Add chopped fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, Parmesan and olives.
* Toss well, cover and chill for an hour.  Bring to room temp before serving.  Can be made 6 hours ahead.

Chicken Salad

Ingredients

1 whole rotisserie chicken

1 cup mayo

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary

Debone entire chicken and shred.  Combine chicken, mayo, salt, pepper, and rosemary.  Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Serve on fresh croissants.  Makes 18 croissant sandwiches.  

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The Big Rig(atoni)

Dinner time always seems to be crazy at my house - with bed-times and a newborns' feeding schedule - it's hard to know if the timing will be just right for me to start dinner.  I LOVE making dinners that can be done ahead of time. That way I can find a chunk of time during my day to get it assembled and then simply turn on the oven in the evening and I have a wonderful homemade dinner waiting for my hubby when he walks in the door.

I don't know about you, but my husband is always looking for meat at dinner time (I myself could probably be a vegetarian and never miss the meat).  It doesn't matter how great something tastes - he is always looking for the meat.  So I came up with this recipe with my husband in mind:

The Big Rig(atoni)
Ingredients:
Olive Oil
1 lb. hot italian sausage (5 links)
1 teaspoon. chopped garlic
1 can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
Black pepper, to taste
4 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 lb. rigatoni pasta
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil

Directions:
Fill pot with water and bring to a boil - cook rigatoni according to package directions.  Meanwhile, heat a thin layer of olive oil in a skillet.  Add hot italian sausage and saute until cooked through.  Remove sausage from pan and slice (1/2 inch slices).

Return sliced italian sausage to pan (do NOT remove oil from pan - this gives it tons of flavor).  Saute sausage until nicely golden (scrape up all the good bites from the bottom of the pan), add garlic and cook for 3 mins.  Then add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs (oregano, thyme, basil), salt and heavy cream - bring to a boil.  Allow the sauce to thicken (about 5-8 mins.).  Once thickened, toss sauce with cooked pasta and place in a 9x13 glass baking dish (I recommend spraying the baking dish with olive oil spray so pasta does not stick).  Top with mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 mins. or until heated through.

Additional Info:  Can be assembled a day ahead of time and kept in the fridge until ready to bake (adjust baking time accordingly).

I love this olive oil cooking spray from Trader Joe's:

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