Spring Vegetable Tortellini Salad

Now that spring is in full swing and the warm weather is here, I'm constantly on the look out for new dishes to try that  don't require me to use my oven. Since I love pasta salads, especially when they are made with tortellini, as soon as I saw this one, I knew it was bound to be on our table. Since Joel is obsessed with prosciutto, I knew that this would win bonus points with him, too. I made this salad to go along with some grilled sausages, since I'm apparently all about the side dishes (at least that is what Joel says), but I think this would also be a great stand alone meal on a hot day in the summer. Light, refreshing, and delicious--the best words to describe this salad. 

For the Salad:
9 ounces Fresh Cheese Tortellini (I used a 12 ounce frozen bag…turned out perfectly)
1/2 pound Asparagus, woody ends removed
1/2 cup Frozen Peas
2-3 slices Prosciutto, chopped 
1/4 cup Herbs, chopped (I used parsley and thyme) 
Dressing, recipe below 

Cook the tortellini according to package directions. Cut the asparagus into 2-inch pieces and add them to the tortellini for the last 2 minutes of cooking time. Drain the pasta and asparagus and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain again. Toss with the peas and set aside. In a small skillet over medium heat, cook the prosciutto until crispy and lightly browned, stirring often. Drain on a paper towel. In a large bowl, toss the tortellini, asparagus, peas, and herbs. Top with the dressing and stir until combined. Sprinkle with the prosciutto and serve. Serves 4.

For the Dressing:
1 teaspoon Lemon Zest
Juice from 1/2 Lemon
1 tablespoon White Wine Vinegar
Salt and Pepper
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
Tiny squeeze of Honey

 Combine the zest, lemon juice, salt, pepper, olive oil, and honey in a jar with a lid. Make sure that the lid is tightly secured and shake the jar until the ingredients have combined. 

SOURCE: Pink Parsley

Spicy Italian Drunken Noodles with Sausage

Even though it's officially spring, you wouldn't know it by looking outside. The temperatures have been in the upper 20's and low 30's. One minute it's clear, the next minute snow is blowing sideways in an apparent blizzard! The weather is certainly bi-polar, at least where I live. So, since it doesn't feel much like spring, I will share a comforting pasta dish that is well suited for winter. This filling pasta dish is full of flavor; the sweetness from the peppers perfectly balances the spiciness from the sausage. The original recipe says that it serves 4, but we had enough for a few days worth of food, which would come in handy if we happened to get snowed in...

2 tablespoons Olive Oil
4 links Italian Sausage (we used hot), casings removed
1 Onion, quartered and thinly sliced
 1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
 1 teaspoon Italian Seasonings (I used a mix of oregano and basil)
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
1 Red Bell Pepper, cored and thinly sliced
1 Orange Bell Pepper, cored and thinly sliced
1 Yellow Bell Pepper, cored and thinly sliced
4 Garlic Cloves, minced
1/2 cup Dry White Wine
1 (28 ounce) can Diced Tomatoes, with juices
2 tablespoons Parsley, chopped
1/4 cup Basil Leaves, julienned
8 ounces Pappardelle Noodles 

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Squeeze the sausage out of the casings and into the pan with the hot oil; break the sausage into chunks and allow it to brown on each side. Once the sausage has been cooked, remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon and set it aside in a bowl. Add the onion to the pan with the sausage drippings and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until the onion starts to become golden; add salt, Italian seasonings, and black pepper, stirring to combine. Add the bell peppers and allow them to sauté with the onion for about 2 minutes, until they become slightly golden and tender. Add the garlic and once it becomes aromatic, add in the white wine, allowing it to cook until the wine has almost completely reduced, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and return the sausage to the pan. Gently stir the mixture to combine and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer for 3-4 minutes, to allow the flavors to combine. Turn off the heat and stir in about half of the parsley and basil. Prepare the noodles according to package directions. Drain the noodles well, then add them to the pan with the sausage mixture, gently tossing to coat the noodles with the sauce. Place portions of the pasta on plates or in bowls and top with remaining herbs and shaved parmesan, if desired. 

SOURCE: The Cozy Apron

Chicken Parm Meatballs

I really can't remember having homemade meatballs all too often growing up. Sure, we'd sometimes have meatballs with our spaghetti, but they were most likely from a bag in the freezer section of the grocery store. I think because of that, I never really gave homemade meatball recipes the time of day. Somewhere along the way, however, I gave one a try, and I was hooked! Since then, I've tried a few different kinds, pairing them with pasta, stuffing them into a hoagie roll, or just by themselves. When I came across this recipe, I loved that it took the flavors of one of my favorite dishes, chicken parm, and rolled them into one easy-to-eat package. These meatballs were delicious on top of a pile of spaghetti, and they were equally delicious the next day in sub form. 

1 1/4 pounds Ground Chicken
1/2 cup Breadcrumbs (I used Italian style)
2 tablespoons Chopped Onion
1 tablespoon Chopped Parsley
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1 egg, whisked
Zest of 1/2 Lemon
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 tablespoon Spaghetti Sauce (I used the jarred sauce I was topping the pasta with)
12 slices Mozzarella Cheese (I used 3 square slices, which I quartered to make 12)

In a large bowl, using your hands, mix together the chicken, breadcrumbs, onion, parsley, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, garlic, egg, and lemon zest. Shape the meat mixture into 12 balls (slightly larger than golf balls). Place the meatballs a few inches apart from one another on a foil lined baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine the oil with the spaghetti sauce. Brush the mixture on top of each meatball. Bake the meatballs at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Once the meatballs have been cooked, place a piece of cheese on top of each one and put them under the broiler for 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown and melted. Serve the meatballs on top of pasta, in a hoagie roll, or by themselves with additional sauce. 

SOURCE: Daydream Kitchen

Dragon Noodles

In an effort to continue with the theme of eating healthier in the new year, we made this noodle dish for dinner tonight. It took all of about 10 minutes to throw together and it was comprised of ingredients I almost always have on hand. We are fans of spicy dishes in this house, and let me tell you, this definitely had a kick. As I write this, my mouth is still burning, and it has been at least 30 minutes since I took my last bite! Even Joel made a comment about the spice, and that says a lot because the guy can handle spicy! If you like quick, cheap, spicy dishes, this is the one for you.

1 package (8 ounces) Lo Mein Noodles
2 tablespoons Butter
1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
2 Eggs
2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 tablespoons Sriracha
1 handful Cilantro (I omitted)
1 Scallion, sliced

Cook the noodles according to package directions. In the meantime, stir together the brown sugar, soy sauce, and sriracha in a small bowl. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the red pepper flakes as the butter melts. Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl, then add them to the melted butter and stir until cooked through. Remove the egg from the heat and set aside. When the noodles are tender, drain them and add them to the skillet with the egg. Top with the sauce. Turn the heat on low and mix until all the noodles are well coated with the sauce. Sprinkle the scallions and cilantro over the top and serve. 

SOURCE: Budget Bytes

Spicy Pasta with Broccoli & Sausage

It's Secret Recipe Club reveal day again, and sadly, this one marks the end of summer. This month, I was assigned to Kate's blog, Food Babbles. Kate writes a wonderful blog with a great mix of sweet and savory recipes, which of course, made it very difficult to choose just one to make. As per usual, when I got my assignment, I went right to work reading every post from the beginning to the present. I had several that I immediately bookmarked, including Chicken Chorizo Empanadas, which was Kate's most recent post for First on the First, a cool monthly project that she co-hosts (that I am thinking about emailing her to see if she will accept a new member). While I didn't end up making the empanadas (yet), I ended up making this pasta dish because it seemed like just the kind of recipe that we love. And love we did! It was a great pasta recipe to bridge the gap from summer to fall, keeping things fresh and light with the broccoli and minimal ingredients, but still being a comforting, and spicy, pasta dish. Thanks, Kate, for introducing me to a recipe that I am sure will be a household staple for years to come. 

6 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
1/3 cup Olive Oil
4 cups Broccoli, chopped
1 pound Italian Sausage, casings removed (I used a hot pork sausage)
1 cup Reserved Pasta Water
1/2 cup White Wine
1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 pound Orecchiette Pasta, or similar shape (I used small shells)
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Pepper

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. In a pan over medium-high heat, brown the sausage, breaking it up as it cooks. Meanwhile, in a separate pan over medium-high heat, cook the garlic in the oil for about 1 minute, stirring occasionally, until golden. Add the broccoli, 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water, wine, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli is tender and the liquid is mostly evaporated. Add the sausage and pasta to the broccoli mixture and toss to combine. Add the other half of the reserved pasta water, if the remaining liquid needs thinning. Stir in the parmesan cheese and serve. 

SOURCE: Food Babbles