Creamy Mushroom Gnocchi. Most days the thought of bearing my own offspring scares me to death. I can barely tie my own shoes. I lay on the couch most Saturday mornings until 11 am. Or later. Sometimes I yawn in church. And chew gum. Sorry, Dad. I watch Sopranos marathons for four hours straight and then spend another two asking my husband if Tony is real because I know, I just know that he has to be real. I watch mindless trash like Jersey Shore too. Not apologizing for that one Dad… I know you watch it too. I don’t water my flowers. I don’t clean the refrigerator. Laundry is merely a blip on the radar. And just yesterday, I went to spray a baking sheet with Pam and grabbed Raid instead.
Sometimes I have ice cream for dinner. I stay in my pajamas some days until 8 o’clock at night. But what I’m really worried about? What I fret about all day? I might need to eat vegetables. Honestly, do I have to? And that whole balanced meal business? No more caramel and bacon for dinner I suppose. Woe is me. Boil water. Voila. Serves 2. Spinach, Mushroom, & Ricotta Stuffed Shells | Handle the Heat. 20 Minute Roasted Tomato Pasta. Okay, so maybe I led you on. This pasta doesn’t have that many veggies. It still has too many for me though. But how can I resist when it is so simple and quick? Preheating my oven is what took the longest! It’s easy, it’s versatile, and you can make it your own.
It actually took me less than 20 minutes to make. 20-Minute Roasted Tomato Pasta serves 4+ 2 pints grape tomatoes 1 cup mushrooms, chopped 1/2 sweet onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 6-ounce bag of spinach 4 tablespoons olive oil 1 pound whole wheat pasta 1/3 cup asiago cheese Preheat oven to 450. Lay tomatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and make sure each tomato gets oiled. After the tomatoes go into the oven, heat a skillet over medium heat and add remaining olive oil. Add garlic and spinach to the skillet, sauteing until garlic is wilted. Coming up next: Super Bowl recipes that will cause you to spend 600 hours on the treadmill. Ginger Lime Shrimp and Noodles. I’m taking it down a notch today. After all, we needed to eat some form of food other than bacon and cupcakes. Although I deem both to be highly acceptable complete meals.
Some of you may remember that this time last year, Mr. How Sweet thought it would be funny to grow a mustache. To put it nicely, he looked like a major creep. So creepy that I had the phone to my ear, dialing Chris Hanson. In retaliation, I refused to make him dinner and lived on guacamole, hummus, eggs, cheese, bacon, toast and soup for dinner. I would leisurely stretch out on the couch and watch trash on TV while he rushed home from a long day of work to an empty kitchen. I even took it as far to purposely make things he dislikes, like pancakes with coconut and homemade peppermint patties. I’m giggling just thinking about it. This past weekend, I thought I stepped back in time. My eyes nearly popped out of my head at the impending crustache that was forming. The next morning – no more fuzz!
And luckily, he doesn’t have to! Crispy Shrimp Pasta with Arugula Pesto. There is one green that I occasionally allow in my life. I actually really enjoy arugula. Well, as much as someone who doesn’t love veggies can like a green. One of the first recipes I ever shared here was arugula and asiago pesto. When prepared this way, I adore arugula. I love it’s peppery flavor and the bite it gives to every dish. It had been far too long since I made a batch, and I knew exactly what I was going to do with it. Ever since making the crispy shrimp tacos, I can’t get that crispy shrimp out of my mind. So I cooked up the shrimp, boiled some pasta, threw on the pesto, and had a full meal in minutes. Oh… and instead of just regular pesto? This is a very green dish for me! Crispy Shrimp Pasta serves 2-4 1 pound raw, deveined shrimp (tails removed) 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 tablespoons flour 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/2 pound whole wheat fettuccine (or pasta of choice) Boil water for pasta and begin to cook according to directions. 1 garlic clove.
Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce. I have a bit of a problem. It’s an addiction to light orange-red pasta sauces. There’s this one: Pasta alla Vodka. Proceed with caution. And there’s this one: Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce. And of course, there’s this one from my cookbook: Penne alla Betsy. A triumph. Continuing that tradition, today I bring you this most basic recipe for pasta with tomato cream sauce. Make it if you’re feeling blue. Or are hungry for pasta. It definitely does the trick. An onion! Cut it in half from root to tip, then lop off the tops. Peel off the paper, then make vertical slices. Rotate the onion 90 degrees, then dice it up. Easy as pie. Garlic. Three or four cloves, peeled. Mince ‘em up. Two cans of tomato sauce. In a large skillet, heat equal parts olive oil and butter. Stir them around and start the cooking process… Then pour in the tomato sauce! Stir it around and let it cook for 20 to 30 minutes over low heat.
This is about 25 minutes later. Yes, I said a cup of cream. Yes. Stir it around… Die from anticipation. Springy Shells. I know it’s bathing suit season and we all need to be more conscious of every bite that enters our yappers so we can all look great in our bikinis. But here’s the awesome part: I haven’t worn a bikini since 1993! It was in Bermuda. I was on a vacation with my kid sister Betsy and I wore that bikini like there was no tomorrow. I think deep down I must have sensed that the time was drawing near that “bikini” would one day be as foreign to me as “clean car” or “empty hamper.” And I enjoyed every minute of it. Anyway, now that I don’t wear bikinis and worry about every fat gram and every tenth of a pound…I get to eat things like this!
And you can eat things like this, too! For this deliciousness, you need green vegetables. Asparagus is a must. Zucchini is yummy, too. Broccoli. And don’t kill me, but I think frozen peas are just peachy. Wash/rinse all the veggies. Set the asparagus aside. Then cut the broccoli into very small pieces. I love green vegetables. Now. Grab some garlic and chop it up. Three Cheese-Stuffed Shells with Meaty Tomato Sauce. This is yummy.
This is simple. This was dinner last night. The kids loved it. Marlboro Man loved it. Amen. Everyone loves stuffed pasta shells—even people who don’t think they like stuffed pasta shells. Pasta shells will triumph! Sorry. Dice up an onion. Some garlic, too. Then heat up some oil in a large skillet. It’s getting cold here, by the way! Translation: I’ve never been happier in my life. Throw in the onion and garlic… Then throw in the Italian sausage. You could use regular breakfast sausage. Or hamburger. Or a mixture of both. Stir it around and crumble it while it browns. When it’s nice and brown, pour in some red wine. Let the liquid bubble and cook for a couple of minutes… Then pour in the crushed tomatoes. (You can also just use plain tomato sauce.) Stir it around, add salt, pepper, and sugar.
While the sauce is cooking, throw jumbo pasta shells in boiling water. Throw the ricotta into a large bowl… Then throw in the egg. Throw in a bunch of freshly grated Parmesan. And some grated Romano. Yum. A Tasty Recipe: Bacon and Parmesan Pasta – Tasty Kitchen Blog. Bacon. Parmesan cheese. Cream cheese. Heavy cream. Oh yes. This stuff is good. This recipe, brought to us by Trish Boese, brings together some of the most enticing ingredients known to man into an easy, irresistible dish. It was hard to keep my fork out of the pot before serving the pasta. Here’s what you’ll need: bacon (yes, a whole pound) crushed red pepper flakes, penne pasta (I used whole wheat), heavy cream, cream cheese, grated Parmesan, eggs, and freshly ground black pepper. Begin by frying the bacon. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add the pasta and cook until done (it took about 12 minutes for the whole wheat Penne to cook to al dente).
Meanwhile, place the cream cheese and cream in a small saucepan. Heat over low until the cream cheese is melted. Remove from heat. Drain the pasta and reserve 1/2 cup of the water. Serve with extra Parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper. Notes: The flavors in this recipe were excellent and even improved the next day. Description Ingredients. Petite Lasagnas « Can You Stay for Dinner?
Recipe slightly adapted from Hungry Girl (makes 12) 12 oz raw ground turkey ¼ tsp salt, divided ¼ tsp pepper 1 cup chopped onion ½ cup chopped mushrooms 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes, or tomato sauce 2 cloves garlic, minced 3 tsp dried oregano, divided ½ tsp dried basil 1 ½ cups part skim ricotta cheese 24 small square wonton wrappers (the kind near the tofu in the refrigerated section of the produce dept) 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese Preheat oven to 375ºF. Add the crushed tomatoes and 2 tsp of oregano. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, a pinch of salt and pepper, the remaining teaspoon of oregano, and the basil. Coat a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Using half of the ricotta mixture, divide it among the 12 muffin cups. Gently press another wonton wrapper on top of the mozzarella layer. Repeat the process by distributing the remaining ricotta, then the remaining tomato sauce, and finally the rest of the shredded mozzarella.
Nutrition Info for 1 petite lasagna: Curried Chicken Pasta Salad. I had some visitors on the ranch last week. I made the beds, dusted the furniture, and did what any self-respecting hostess would do: I bought ‘em a bunch of ready-made salads at Whole Foods, stuck ‘em in the fridge at the Lodge, and left my guests a note that read “Have at it!” It’s the kind of hostess I am. Okay, listen. I was happy as a clam, too, when my guests left and I moseyed up to the Lodge to tidy up. Within seconds, I’d retrieved a fork from the drawer and was feasting on the salad like there was no tomorrow. Last night, I whipped up my own variation, adding some pasta to the mix to round things out a little more.
But whatever you do, make it. Here’s what you need. Mayo… Sour cream… Heavy cream. Curry powder. Salt… Pepper… And a little bit of sugar. And some celery. You’ll also need some golden raisins or currants. Can you hear that violin playing? Can you hear the voices? Sorry. You’ll also need chicken. Start by throwing the chicken into a pot of water. Cut it into strips… Look! Freaky.