Tomato and Asparagus Carbonara

recipe courtesy Cooking Light

Tomato and Asparagus Carbonara

3 quarts water 

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 

1 pound (1-inch) diagonally cut trimmed asparagus

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved 

2 ounces pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated (about 1/2 cup)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 large egg 

8 ounces uncooked penne pasta

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a Dutch oven.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add asparagus; sauté 3 1/2 minutes. Add garlic; sauté for 1 minute. Add tomatoes; cook for 6 minutes or until tomatoes are tender.

Combine cheese, salt, pepper, and egg in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk.

Add pasta to boiling water; cook 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and toss pasta immediately with egg mixture. Add tomato mixture, tossing until sauce thickens. Divide pasta equally among 4 bowls. Sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon basil. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

* Pairs well with a sauvignon blanc.

Grilled Chicken and Peaches with Green Beans and Orzo

recipe courtesy Better Homes and Gardens

Grilled Chicken and Peaches with Green Beans and Orzo

8 ounces dried orzo (1 1/3 cups)

8 ounces green beans, trimmed (about 2 1/2 cups)

1 pound chicken tenders

2 peaches, cut into wedges

1/4 teaspoon each salt and ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 - 4 ounces herb-flavored feta cheese ( garlic and herb or peppercorn), crumbled

Fresh thyme (optional)

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven cook orzo according to package directions. Add green beans during last 5 minutes of cooking time. Drain; do not rinse.

Meanwhile, lightly brush chicken and peaches with some of the oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes, until no pink remains in chicken and peaches are tender and grill-marked.

In a large bowl combine orzo, beans, grilled chicken and peaches (chopped, if desired), and feta. Drizzle with remaining olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with thyme, if desired. Serves 4.

Seashells with Basil, Tomatoes and Garlic

recipe courtesy Sunset Magazine

Seashells with Basil, Tomatoes and Garlic

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

About 3/4 tsp. kosher salt

1 1/4 pounds (1 qt.) small cherry and teardrop tomatoes

3/4 pound medium seashell pasta

1/2 cup shaved parmesan cheese

1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

Combine oil, garlic, and 3/4 tsp. salt in a large bowl. Chop 1 cup of the tomatoes and add to bowl. Cut remaining tomatoes in half and stir into mixture; let stand about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, cook pasta as package directs in a large pot of salted boiling water.

Drain pasta, saving 1 cup water. Toss pasta with tomato mixture, then with cheese and all but 1 tbsp. basil. Mix in a little pasta water if needed for a looser texture. Sprinkle remaining basil on top and season with salt. Serves 6.

Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic

This was delicious!  My girls slurped it up and licked their fingers afterwards!  I used whole wheat spaghetti noodles to make it an even healthier meal.  Yum!

recipe courtesy Cooking Light Magazine

Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic

1 tablespoon kosher salt

8 ounces uncooked spaghetti 

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided 

2 pints multicolored cherry tomatoes

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved

1/4 cup small basil leaves 

Preheat oven to 450°.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add 1 tablespoon salt. Add pasta; cook 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain pasta in a colander over a bowl, reserving 6 tablespoons cooking liquid. Return pasta to pan. Combine reserved cooking liquid and 2 tablespoons oil in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Boil 4 minutes or until mixture measures 1/3 cup. Add oil mixture to pan with pasta; toss to coat.

While pasta cooks, combine remaining 2 tablespoons oil, tomatoes, and garlic on a jelly-roll pan, tossing to combine. Bake at 450° for 11 minutes or until tomatoes are lightly browned and begin to burst. Add tomato mixture, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to pasta; toss to coat. Top with cheese and basil.  Serves 4.

Roasted Zucchini and Walnut Orzo

recipe courtesy Sunset Magazine

Roasted Zucchini and Walnut Orzo

1 1/4 lbs. zucchini 

2 tsp. olive oil

About 1/8 tsp. salt

About 1/8 tsp. pepper

1/2 c. walnut pieces, coarsely chopped

4 3/4 cups fat-skimmed chicken broth or vegetable broth

2 cups dried orzo pasta

2 tablespoons lemon juice 

2 teaspoons walnut oil

Rinse and dry zucchini; cut each in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. In a bowl, mix zucchini with olive oil, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Divide mixture equally between two baking sheets, each 12 by 15 inches, and spread zucchini in a single layer.

Bake in a 400° regular or convection oven until zucchini is tender when pierced, 8 to 10 minutes. Pour back into bowl. Rinse and dry one baking sheet.

Put walnut pieces on clean baking sheet and bake in a 350° oven until pale gold beneath skins, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring broth to a boil. Add orzo, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until orzo is tender to bite and liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.

Stir zucchini, walnuts, lemon juice, and walnut oil into orzo. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

Chicken Meatballs in Tomato Pesto

Chicken Meatballs in Tomato Pesto

1 c. sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed)

1 c. prepared sun dried tomato pasta sauce

1 c. fresh basil leaves

2/3 c. cold water

1 lb. ground skinless chicken breast

1/3 c. seasoned dried bread crumbs

1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg white

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

1 tbsp. olive oil

Combine the sun-dried tomatoes and enough boiling water to cover in a bowl.  Let stand until softened, about 10 minutes; drain.

Put the sun-dried tomatoes, pasta sauce, basil and cold water in a blender and puree.

Combine the chicken, bread crumbs, cheese, egg white and pepper in a large bowl until well mixed. Shape the mixture into 20 meatballs.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add the meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, about 4 minutes.  Add the sun-dried tomato mixture and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the meatballs are cooked through, about 7 minutes.

recipe courtesy Weight Watchers

Serve with fettuccine or your favorite pasta.  Serves 4.

* Tip: Use whole wheat noodles for an even healthier option.

Lemon-Dill Salmon and Pasta

Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Lemon-Dill Shrimp & Pasta 

Lemon-Dill Salmon and Pasta Ingredients:

(4) 4 oz. salmon fillets

1 lemon

8 oz. dried fettuccine

2 tbsp olive oil

3-4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

6 c. baby spinach

1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning, crushed

1/2 tsp. fresh dill, snipped

Fresh dill sprigs for garnish

salt and pepper to taste

In a small bowl, combine 1 tsp. lemon zest, 3 tbsp lemon juice, Italian seasoning and 1/2 tsp. fresh snipped dill.  Set aside.  Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook in hot oil for 1 minute.  Turn up heat to high and add salmon fillets (season fillets with pepper first). Sear face down for 2 minutes on high heat.  Turn down heat to medium and flip fillets over so skin side is down.  Cook until no longer raw in the middle.  Peel away salmon skin and use a fork to flake/chunk the meat. Set aside.

Add spinach and drained pasta to skillet; toss just until spinach beings to wilt.  Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice mixture and salmon chunks.  Season with salt and pepper and garnish with fresh dill.  Makes 4-6 servings.