Orzo Pasta with Peas Lemon and Feta

I am SO ready for spring! Around this time every year, I tend to start making more “springy” recipes in the hopes that the weather picks up on my strong hints for warmer weather. And what are more spring than peas especially in this recipe for Orzo Pasta with Peas Lemon and Feta?

Kritharoto (Orzo Pasta) with Peas Lemon and Feta

This recipe for Kritharoto (Orzo Pasta with Peas Lemon and Feta) is from the most recent Cooking Light magazine.

Kritharoto (Orzo Pasta) with Peas, Lemon, and Feta

In this recipe, Kirtharoto (or orzo pasta) is cooked in a chicken stock, tossed with fresh herbs and citrus, and topped with feta cheese. This simple recipe is on the table in under 30 minutes too!

 

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups unsalted chicken stock or vegetable stock to make vegetarian
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 8 ounces orzo
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1 (16 oz) bag frozen green peas, thawed
  • 7 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped
  • the juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
  • 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)

Continue reading Orzo Pasta with Peas Lemon and Feta

Butterfly Shrimp over Asparagus Pasta

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ShrimpItUp #CollectiveBias

We all have nights that you don’t have time to run to the grocery store before heading home for dinner. These nights happen to me more than I’d like to admit, but I try to keep myself prepared for them by keeping my freezer stocked and my pantry full.

This recipe for Butterfly Shrimp over Asparagus Pasta is a great “pantry meal;” almost all of the ingredients are made with things from your freezer or ingredients you almost always have on hand. The star of the recipe is those deliciously breaded SeaPak® butterfly shrimp on top of the pasta, because, let’s be honest, most dinners are better with a little bit o’ shrimp!

I picked up a Party Size box of SeaPak Butterfly Shrimp from my local Walmart, which you can find in the freezer section. (There are a few SeaPak varieties available, so for good measure, I also grabbed a Party Size box of Coconut Shrimp, yum!) Walmart may not typically be your first thought for frozen section seafood products, but SeaPak delivers solid quality seafood in a bunch of varieties (plus, they are super tasty). To save even more, there is a coupon for $0.75 off any SeaPak product available now!

The party size is great because you can either serve a crowd easily, or make as much as you want and freeze the rest for later. One box delivers 7 servings, so my fiance and I have them on hand for multiple meals!

 

Ingredients (serves 4):

  • 1/2 of the party size box of Seapak Butterfly Shrimp
  • 1/2 box (~6 oz) spaghetti
  • 1 8 oz package frozen asparagus spears
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
  • the juice of 1/2 lemon (save the other 1/2 for serving)
  • 1/4 cup parsley, chopped (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions for “al dente.” Drain, saving about 1/3 cup of the pasta water. Set aside.

While waiting for the pasta to cook, bake the butterfly shrimp. Preheat your oven to 425°f. Add half of the shrimp in a single layer to a baking sheet. When the oven is preheated, add to the oven on the middle rack. Bake for 11-12 minutes, turning the shrimp over half way through.

frozen
flipped after 6 minutes
cooked

Steam the frozen asparagus according to package directions, but cook for only half the time given on the package (they will finish cooking in the dish). Remove, and when cool enough to do so, chop into bite sized pieces (about 1 inch long).

Add the butter to a large saute pan over high heat. When melted, add the asparagus, stirring to coat.

Season with salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Add in the broth and pasta. If there doesn’t seem to be enough liquid, add a bit of the reserved pasta water until you think there is enough liquid. Cook for another minute, stirring to combine.

Add in the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese, stirring to evenly coat everything in the mixture. Remove from heat and squeeze the lemon juice over the dish.

If using, sprinkle with parsley and mix to combine. Spoon into 4 separate bowls and top with the SeaPak butterfly shrimp.

What I like best about this recipe is that you can adjust it to substitute whatever you have on hand! Throw in some frozen peas or broccoli instead of the asparagus, or use a different type of pasta (rotini? bowties? whatever you want!). Just don’t forget the shrimp on top!

 

Butterfly Shrimp over Asparagus Pasta #ShrimpItUp

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1/2 of the party size box of Seapak Butterfly Shrimp
  • 1/2 box (~6 oz) spaghetti
  • 1 8 oz package frozen asparagus spears
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
  • the juice of 1/2 lemon (save the other 1/2 for serving)
  • 1/4 cup parsley, chopped (optional)

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions for "al dente." Drain, saving about 1/3 cup of the pasta water. Set aside.
  2. While waiting for the pasta to cook, bake the butterfly shrimp. Preheat your oven to 425°f. Add half of the shrimp in a single layer to a baking sheet. When the oven is preheated, add to the oven on the middle rack. Bake for 11-12 minutes, turning the shrimp over half way through.
  3. Steam the frozen asparagus according to package directions, but cook for only half the time given on the package (they will finish cooking in the dish). Remove, and when cool enough to do so, chop into bite sized pieces (about 1 inch long).
  4. Add the butter to a large saute pan over high heat. When melted, add the asparagus, stirring to coat.
  5. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Add in the broth and pasta. If there doesn't seem to be enough liquid, add a bit of the reserved pasta water until you think there is enough liquid. Cook for another minute, stirring to combine.
  6. Add in the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese, stirring to evenly coat everything in the mixture. Remove from heat and squeeze the lemon juice over the dish.
  7. If using, sprinkle with parsley and mix to combine. Spoon into 4 separate bowls and top with the SeaPak butterfly shrimp.
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Hemp Seed Basil Pesto

During Choctoberfest, I was sent a pretty sweet package of goodies from Just Hemp Foods, including Hemp Protein Powder (which I used in these muffins), Hemp Seeds, and Hemp Oil.

 

This weekend, I finally cracked into the Hemp Seed Oil. I had a bunch of basil that I knew I couldn’t use up before it wilted, so I made pesto, or more specifically, Hemp Seed Basil Pesto!

 

Hemp Seed Oil delivers a subtle nutty taste, so it’s perfect in a pesto. The oil contains the ideal 3:1 omega-6 to omega-3 ratio which supports heart health. Hemp Seed Oil degrades with light and heat, so it’s best to refrigerate it and use it cold. The oil has a green color to it, so it really makes the basil pop!

 

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
  • 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup hemp seed oil
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Continue reading Hemp Seed Basil Pesto

Homemade Marinara Sauce

I had a sad surprise this weekend. I opened my freezer to grab a quart of tomato sauce only to find I was all out!

Time to make another batch of sauce, so I decided to make Homemade Marinara Sauce!

This time around, I have a nifty new tool to help make my marinara sauce: OXO’s new Illuminating Digital Immersion Blender.

The immersion blender has six digital controls so you can pick the perfect speed for whatever it is you need blended. Just turn the dial at the top of the immersion blender to adjust the speed; a backlit LED indicator clearly shows your speed selection.

To start blending, you just press down on the wide, soft-touch power button located on the top half of the blender. The handle is nonslip, even when hands are wet.

source: oxo.com

The head is made of nylon, which won’t scratch your bowls or cookware while it blends.

source: oxo.com

A really nifty spec is the soft-glow LED headlight that illuminates the pot while you blend, which is super helpful when making a large batch of soup or sauce in a tall pot. A softer version of the light remains on the entire time the blender is plugged in for safety.

The immersion blender comes with a measuring beaker with a silicone lid that holds up to 3 cups. You can blend right in the beaker, then top with the lid to store whatever you don’t use immediately.

When finished using the blender, the cord wraps securely around the blender body for tidy, compact storage, great for my small kitchen!

source: oxo.com

The blender is a super helpful tool when making soups, dips, smoothies, and sauces. I used it to make a smooth marinara sauce made with canned whole plum tomatoes and sauteed carrots, celery and onions.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1/3 cup red wine
  • 2 (28 oz) cans whole plum tomatoes
  • 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 bay leaf
  • fresh basil, sliced

Continue reading Homemade Marinara Sauce

Freezer Friendly Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells

I live in Philadelphia, and last week I was kind “stuck” at home because of the pope’s impeding arrival. So I used the opportunity to cook up a storm! (Seriously, I managed to make Saucy Chicken Over Rice, Chicken Tacos Bowls, Tomato Sauce, this recipe shared below, and a bunch of other yummy freezable dishes. My slow cooker and stove had quite the week!)

 

Here’s one of my favorite “freezer friendly” meals, with directions on how to store in your freezer and how to reheat when ready.

 

These Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells are easy to make, and are great to pack away for future meals (or eat immediately, that’s totally allowed too).

 

Ingredients:

  • 30 cooked jumbo pasta shells
  • 1 15 oz container ricotta
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
  • 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 cups marinara sauce, divided
  • Cooking spray Continue reading Freezer Friendly Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Squash Ribbon Pasta with Lemon Herb Cream Sauce

Late August delivers some of the best produce! I’ve been using a lot of zucchini and yellow squash lately because it’s so darn plentiful right now.

 

This recipe is adapted from Cooking Light and makes the most of summer squash. I added some lemon juice to the dish to brighten it up a bit, but in general kept the recipe in tact.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium zucchini (about 8 ounces)
  • 1 medium yellow summer squash (about 8 ounces)
  • 8 ounces uncooked fettuccine (I used spinach fettuccine)
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
  • 1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh tarragon
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • the juice of 1 lemon
  • freshly chopped parsley, for garnish

 

Continue reading Squash Ribbon Pasta with Lemon Herb Cream Sauce

Zucchini Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce

It’s probably no secret that I love pasta. My fiance and I eat it every Sunday night. But its so darn hot in Philadelphia right now and I’ve been craving something a bit less heavy to eat.

OXO must have known my pasta-loving dilemma because they sent me their new Hand-Held Spiralizer, which turns veggies into long thin spaghetti-like strands in no time!

Zucchini noodles (or “zoodles”) seem to be all the rage at the moment, so I was excited to try them out myself!

The OXO Hand-Held Spiralizer creates curly noodles from  long vegetables like zucchini, carrots, and cucumbers, while it’s open blade design accommodates round vegetables like beets, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. The food holder keeps hands safe from the blade and the easy non-slip grip container makes it simple to turn the Spiralizer. It is also BPA-free and dishwasher safe.

For this recipe, I decided to make a tomato sauce out of the fresh tomatoes I had in my house, so this recipe for Zucchini Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce is a very summery meal!

Note: I was sent an OXO Hand-Help Spiralizer to try for this post. Opinions are my own. 

 

Ingredients:

  • 9 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped (~3 cups)
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 6 zucchini squash
  • grated Parmesan cheese (omit to make dairy free)
  • fresh basil leaves, optional

Continue reading Zucchini Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce

Quick Meatball and Pasta Bake

Most Sunday nights in my house are Pasta Night. Typically, we just thaw a batch of homemade tomato sauce from the freezer to mix in with the pasta, but I am all out of my tomato sauce at the moment! Cooking Light to the rescue!

 

 

This recipe from Cooking Light is really quick and easy — it takes about 30 minutes to make. I adapted the recipe a bit, but the general concept remained the same. For the original recipe, visit myrecipes.com.

 

 

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces uncooked mini bow tie pasta (or ziti, rigatoni, etc.)
  • 1/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 ounces 90% lean ground sirloin
  • 8 ounces sausage, removed from its casing
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 (28-ounce) can unsalted crushed tomatoes
  • 2 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1/2 cup)

 

Continue reading Quick Meatball and Pasta Bake

Smoked Sausage with Rigatoni

Whew. I am having a crazy busy month, so unfortunately my cooking is suffering. I can never have too many weeknight meal options (ie. meals that can be on the table in 30 minutes or less) at my disposal, so here’s another quick and easy dinner that comes together quickly- Smoked Sausage with Rigatoni! I tend to usually make chicken or seafood recipes, so I am finally doing a quick beef recipe!

 

This recipe for Smoked Sausage with Rigatoni uses Hillshire Farm’s Beef Smoked Sausage to add some yummy flavor to a quick fire roasted chunky tomato sauce. It’s a great alternative to chicken to snazz up a midweek meal.

The beef sausage cooks up in no time. Using the same pan to cook the sausage and to make the sauce gives the sauce a subtle smoky flavor that’s so tasty!

Ingredients:

  • 1 (16 oz) box rigatoni, cooked according to package directions
  • 1 package Hillshire Farms Beef Smoked Sausage, cut into slices
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped (~1 cup)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil leaves
  • 2 (14.5 oz) cans Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • grated Parmesan cheese, optional

#spon: I’m required to disclose a relationship between our site and Hillshire. This could include Hillshire providing us w/content, product, access or other forms of payment. Continue reading Smoked Sausage with Rigatoni

Shrimp Rotini with Arugula Pesto

We are in that weird beginning-of-fall/end-of-summer phase right now, where the weather can be anywhere from 50-80 degrees. So my weeknight dinners are just as random. I keep going in between comfort food choices like Mushroom and Sausage Ragu over Polenta to lighter meals like Autumn Apple Salad with Cinnamon Honey Dijon Dressing. So sticking with tradition and flip flopping again, after posting a recipe for Pumpkin Cake Bites earlier this week, I bring you a seafood pasta recipe with pesto!

This recipe uses arugula as the primary ingredient in the pesto, so it’s really perfect for this time of year. It also comes together in no time (which is why I love meals that use pesto) while adding such freshness to a recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup uncooked mini rotini
  • 1 1/2 cups arugula
  • 1/4 cup basil leaves, plus more for garnish
  • 3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1  pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1/4 cup white wine

Continue reading Shrimp Rotini with Arugula Pesto

Cheese Ravioli with Pesto

I have another busy week this week so I needed some easy meals that can be prepared quickly. Pasta is usually a great option and this recipe for Cheese Ravioli with Pesto is no exception. It comes together in about 15 minutes!

 

I found this recipe on Cooking Light. The pesto is more of a “pesto” and stays pretty chunky. But don’t be fooled, those little flecks of green are packed with flavor!

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 (16-ounce) package frozen cheese ravioli
  • 2 cups fresh baby spinach
  • 1 cup fresh basil leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 tablespoons fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 plum tomatoes, diced
  • 3/4 cup shaved fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
  • 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted, divided
  • Fresh basil leaves (optional)

Continue reading Cheese Ravioli with Pesto

Eggplant & Portobello Pasta #BeerLoversHH

I love cooking with beer, I’ve used it a lot in past recipes — everything from Beer-Steamed Clams and Mussels to Pumpkin Spice Bread. So this new cookbook is right up my alley! The Ultimate Beer Lover’s Happy Hour includes bar snacks, beer cocktails, and recipes that incorporate beer into the dish as well as almost 1,000 beer pairing suggestions for the recipes.

I was sent one of the recipes in the cookbook to test and share with you: Eggplant & Portobello Pasta. I  used local witbier in the recipe but you can also use a slightly toasty Vienna Lager, mellow Golden Ale, or classic American Wheat Ale.

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I also  have a fun contest to share! In celebration of the release of John Schlimm’s new book, The Ultimate Beer Lover’s Happy Hour, you can win a copy of the cookbook for your very own!

For a chance to win, try the recipe of the week (this Eggplant & Portobello Pasta I’m posting below) and take a photo of your dish.

Post it on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram using the hastag #BeerLoversHH and tag me! (Facebook: I Can Cook That, Instagram: @icancookthat, Twitter: @icancookthat).  Send them my way by Monday, September 8 for a chance to win!

Photos posted using the hashtag will also be compiled onto Sourcebooks’ Pinterest page and shared across Sourcebooks Media.

Pair with: Vienna Lager, Golden Ale, American Wheat Ale

Adapted from The Ultimate Beer Lover’s Happy Hour

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 Portobello mushroom caps, sliced into bite-size pieces
  • 2 medium eggplant, peeled and diced (I used graffiti eggplant)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 (16 oz) beer of your choice, preferably the same beer you’re pairing with the dish (I used Walt Wit)
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
  • 1 pound rotini pasta
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

  Continue reading Eggplant & Portobello Pasta #BeerLoversHH

Farfalle with Sun-Dried Tomato and Scallion Cream

Almost every Sunday night, my boyfriend and I have pasta for dinner. We typically just have spaghetti or rigatoni with meat sauce. I make the sauce in huge batches and freeze it for later use. Last weekend, I didn’t realize we had used up the last of our sauce until Sunday afternoon! So we needed a quick pasta recipe that we could use instead. (Don’t worry, I made more sauce this weekend so we are safe for the next few weeks!)

This recipe from Food and Wine uses sun-dried tomatoes to make a quick and simple no-cook sauce. The meal was done in under 30 minutes!

 

Ingredients:

  • 5 scallions, white and light-green parts only
  • 12 sun-dried tomato halves
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 1  box (1 pound) bow tie/farfalle pasta
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano

Continue reading Farfalle with Sun-Dried Tomato and Scallion Cream

Pasta Rustica with Smoked Mozzarella

If you follow my Facebook page, you may have seen that my recipe for Wild Mushroom Truffled Pizza Topped with a Runny Egg won a recipe contest hosted by Cooking Planit and sponsored by Formaggio Cheese! Not only is my recipe now available through Cooking Planit, but I also won some snazzy prizes, including an amazing assortment of Formaggio products. My fridge is now happily filled with cheese, so I will be posting a few cheesy recipes over the coming weeks.

One of the first products I noticed in the basket was Smoked Mozzarella. I’ve had smoked mozzarella in the past and found the flavor to be a bit… overwhelming… so I was interested to see if I could get it to work well in a recipe instead of becoming the only flavor you can taste. But Formaggio’s smoked mozzarella was a pleasant surprise! The smoky flavor is present without being overpowering and works to enhance other flavors instead of covering them up.

I found this recipe for Pasta Rustica with Smoked Mozzarella on Bon Appetit and altered the amounts of the ingredients to fit my taste.

 

Ingredients:

  • 16 oz package frozen cheese tortellini
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 12 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup dry vermouth
  • 1 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
  • 1 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 8 oz smoked mozzarella, cut into small cubes

Continue reading Pasta Rustica with Smoked Mozzarella

Pappardelle Pasta with Snap Peas

 

Last Sunday, my boyfriend ran in the ODDyssey Half Marathon. So the Friday before, I wanted to make a pasta dish for him to “carb load,” but I didn’t want to give him our normal protein-heavy meat sauce.

 

 

This recipe from Food Network was a perfect choice! It uses fresh veggies and herbs to deliver the flavor instead of meat and tomatoes.

 

 

Ingredients:

  • Kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 bunch scallions, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 cup of chopped scallions)
  • 1/2 pound sugar snap peas, roughly chopped
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
  • 1 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 bunch fresh chives, thinly sliced (about 3 tablespoons)
  • 1/2 pound dry pappardelle pasta
  • 3/4 cup crumbled ricotta salata
  • ground pepper, to taste

Continue reading Pappardelle Pasta with Snap Peas

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