Lemon Garlic Broccoli Pasta

Thank you again for your inspiration, Ina! If you follow her on Instagram, she just posted a picture of a recent rendition of her Broccoli and Bow Ties Recipe that looked so good I wanted to try it. It turned out just as delicious as it looked!

Lemon Garlic Broccoli Pasta

8 ounces pasta
8 cups broccoli (four heads- I only had two, so added some asparagus)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 lemon zested
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
freshly grated parmesan cheese

Cook the broccoli for 3 minutes in a large pot of boiling salted water. Remove the broccoli from the water with a slotted spoon or sieve. Place in a large bowl and set aside.

In the same water, cook the  pasta according to the package directions. Drain well and add to the broccoli.

Meanwhile, in a small saute pan, heat the butter and oil and cook the garlic and lemon zest over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Off the heat, add 2 teaspoons salt, the pepper, and lemon juice and pour this over the broccoli and pasta. Toss well. Season to taste, sprinkle with the pine nuts and cheese, if using, and serve.

Easy and Delicious Fresh Spinach Lasagna

This is the easiest lasagna recipe you will ever make- no cooking noodles, no draining frozen spinach, just layer and bake! You can add cooked ground turkey or beef to the sauce to make it a meat lasagna, but my kids love this vegetarian version. Perfect for a cold winter night!

Sauce and uncooked noodles

Fresh spinach on top of cheese

Lasagna ready to bake

Easy Spinach Lasagna

1 1/2 jars (24 ounce) spaghetti sauce (I like my lasagna a little saucy, so will sometimes use 2 full jars)
1 pound package uncooked lasagna noodles 
2 cups fresh baby spinach (just throw the whole leaves in- no need to chop!)
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped basil, if desired

Layer the following  in a 9 x 13" baking dish:

Put 1/2 cup sauce in bottom of baking dish.
First Layer: noodles to cover bottom of dish, 1/2 of the ricotta cheese, 1 cup spinach, 1/3 of mozzarella cheese and 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese, 1/3 of sauce
Second layer: noodles, 1/2 ricotta cheese, 1 cup spinach, 1/3 mozzarella cheese, 1/3 Parmesan cheese, 1/3 sauce
Last layer: noodles, sauce, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan 
Cover in tin foil.

Bake at 400 for 45 min, then remove foil & broil for 2 min to brown cheese on top.
Let sit for 10 minutes and then enjoy!

Easy Garlic Broccoli Spaghetti

My sweet Italian mother-in-law makes an awesome version of this dish and cooks the broccoli in the garlic oil with perfect results. When I tried to make it, I never seemed to be able to get the broccoli to cook well enough in the oil without burning the garlic. This is my compromise--- I cook the broccoli with the pasta and add the oil after. Not quite as tasty as  Marie's, but still easy and satisfying!!

GARLIC BROCCOLI SPAGHETTI

1 pound spaghetti
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1/3 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
sprinkle  of red pepper flakes, if desired
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly grated parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. When 5 minutes is left for the pasta to cook, add the broccoli to the pasta water. Drain both in colander.
While pasta is cooking, saute garlic and red pepper flakes in olive oil over medium heat until garlic is light brown, about 3-4 minutes. Pour garlic olive oil over pasta, sprinkle with salt to taste and finish with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

One Pot Pasta Zucchini Mushroom Pasta

When I have extra time to spend on the computer, I love finding inspiration for new recipes and learning new cooking techniques from all the amazing blogs that are available for us to enjoy on the web. The mouth watering images always look so perfect and beautiful, which makes me often wonder if I can really recreate the recipe to look like the picture that I admire.

I call my blog "Keeping it Real" because that is exactly what I am doing...the pictures of my food are most generally taken just before I serve the meal to my family with not ideal light, minimal staging and often in a hurry! So it's basically the real deal!

When I saw this delicious looking recipe, I thought it not only looked very appealing in the picture, but also sounded like something my family would like. But I was curious as to how it would all appear in the end without all the pretty staging... so here are the results of my "keeping it real" in terms of cooking, photography and what the final dish looked like in the pot. My pasta dish ended up not looking as pretty as my inspiration, but definitely was delicious and worth making~

The Inspiration: Damn Delicious photo

of One Pot Zucchini Mushroom Pasta

This is how Joy's One Pot Zucchini

Mushroom Pasta started-

looks pretty with the pasta sticking out of the 

pot but the zucchini are buried by the mushrooms

(and these pictures are taken with my iphone)

Then I realized that the pasta was not going to cook

on top of all the veggies, so I took all the vegetables

out, put the pasta back in on the BOTTOM of the pot

and put the veggies on top. Then proceeded to cook 

as directed (now you can see the zucchini).

The dish turned out creamy and delicious, 

but definitely not quite as beautiful as my inspiration.

I still encourage you to try this recipe if 

you and your family like these ingredients-

it was easy to make and tasty!

Baked Penne with Pancetta and Spinach

My oldest daughter is returning tonight from a four day rowing adventure at Lake Oroville. She and her teammates rowed two times a day for three days straight, with one practice lasting over four hours. Although I'm sure they were well fed during their crew intensive, I wanted to make a meal for her that was warm and comforting when she arrived home and I thought baked pasta was just that!

Madeleine is not a huge fan of melted cheese on top of baked entrees, so this version is lighter on the cheese than some baked pasta dishes and I threw in some handfuls of spinach to add a little vegetable nutrition. You can pull this dish together quickly, pop it in the oven in probably 20- 30 minutes and while it bakes, make a tasty salad and dinner is on the table in a jiffy!

Baked Penne with Pancetta and Spinach

1 pound penne pasta (or whatever shape you have on hand)
1/2 pound thick cut pancetta or thick cut bacon
1 large fresh mozarella ball or 1 12 ounce ball of mozarella
2 handfuls fresh baby spinach leaves (or leave 'em out if you don't like green in your pasta)
1 24 ounce jar of pasta sauce or your own homemade pasta sauce
1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
fresh basil, chiffonade to sprinkle on top to serve

Boil pasta according to package. Dice pancetta and saute over medium heat until browned. Drain and cool on paper towel.  Grate mozarella (if using packaged 12 oz ball) or tear fresh mozarella into pieces. 

Then assemble:  put drained hot pasta back into pasta pot, sprinkle with mozarella and give a quick stir. Then pour in sauce and spinach and stir again. Place pasta in casserole dish sprayed with olive oil spray and sprinkle with shredded parmesan. 
Bake in 375° oven until warm and bubbly and hot. Enjoy with crusty bread and a green salad!

Orzo Salad

ORZO SALAD

    

1 pound orzo, cooked according to package

juice of one lemon

1/2 cup olive oil

salt and pepper

basket of cherry tomatoes, halved

1/3 cup kalamata olives, sliced

1/3 cup feta, crumbled

1 English cucumber, peeled and cubed

10 basil leaves, chiffonade

handful of pine nuts to toss on top

Mix lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in bottom of large bowl. Cook orzo, drain and toss warm with the lemon oil mixture. When cooled, add rest of ingredients and toss gently. Serve cold or at room temp. Tastes great on a picnic the next day, too!

Easy Chicken Stroganoff

Over spring break, my kids and I had a wonderful adventure to La Jolla where we had a fabulous time hanging out on the beach enjoying the sand, sun and sea. I brought a pile of magazines that I never seem to have time to read at home.  I ripped out lots of tasty looking recipes and creative holiday ideas (yes, I even had a Martha Stewart magazine from December that I had not opened yet) during the few moments I had to relax in between kite flying walks and burying my kids in the big ol' hole they worked at digging all day!

The recipes for fast chicken ideas in Rachel Ray's magazine looked awesome and I tried this one last night- it's a winner! I clearly love the flavor of stroganoff as I have been drawn to making it before with ground turkey (go here to see the recipe). I cooked a full pound of fettucine since my kids can never seem to get enough pasta, so it was not overly saucy. I bet if you make this recipe with just 8 ounces of pasta like it calls for, the dish would be a bit creamier.

Easy Chicken Stroganoff

• 8 ounces fettuccine (i used a full pound)
• 1 pound sliced cremini mushrooms
• 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 chopped shallot
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup pasta water (take out of the pot of boiling pasta before you drain it)
• 1 cup light sour cream
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• salt and pepper
• chopped parsley for garnish
• 
  
• Cook pasta; drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Season chicken with salt and pepper; in large skillet over high, cook in 2 tbsp. olive oil, 8 minutes. Transfer to plate. Cook mushrooms and  shallots in remaining olive oil, until browned and soft.  Stir in flour, then chicken stock and pasta water; simmer 2 minutes. Stir in sour cream and Worchestershire sauce; simmer 2 minutes. Add chicken; simmer 1 minute. Toss with pasta and season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Orecchiette with Broccoli and Sausage

Sometimes one-pot meals are the answer to a crazy, busy day. This pasta dish is easy to throw together, very satisfying and tastes great the next day (if you have any leftovers!)

Orecchiette with Broccoli and Sausage

1 pound broccoli

1 tablespoon olive oil

kosher salt

1 pound orecchiette

1 pound Italian sweet sausage, removed from casings and cut up

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add the 1 Tbs. salt. Add the broccoli and cook until the stems are just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs or a wire-mesh skimmer, lift out the broccoli into a sieve and cool it quickly under cold running water and drain.
Add the pasta to the boiling water, stir well and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, according to the package directions.
Meanwhile, in the fry pan over medium-low heat, warm the 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the sausage and garlic cook, stirring and breaking up the sausage meat with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is browned, about 7 minutes. Add the broccoli and stir to combine with the sausage. Cook until the broccoli rabe is hot throughout, about 2 minutes. Season with salt.
When the pasta is ready, scoop out and reserve about 2 ladlefuls of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add the sausage mixture and the cheese and stir and toss well over low heat to combine, adjusting the consistency with some of the cooking water, if needed. Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Inspired by this recipe

Spaghetti Carbonara

Spaghetti Carbonara is a simple dish that is such a crown pleaser in our house- it is gone in a flash! It is a great weeknight meal when you have just a little time to whip up something flavorful and satisfying.

Spaghetti Carbonara

1 pound spaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 slices bacon, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
parsley

In a large pot, cook spaghetti until al dents and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and set aside.
In large skillet, cook chopped bacon until slightly crisp, remove and drain on paper towels. Reserve 1 tablespoon bacon fat, add remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and heat in the skillet that you used to cook the bacon. Add chopped onion, cook over medium heat until translucent, add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Add spaghetti to pan with onions and add beaten eggs, tossing constantly with tongs or a fork until eggs are barely set. Quickly add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and toss again. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve immediately with chopped parsley on top and sprinkle with a little extra Parmesan. Enjoy!




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Healthy Turkey Stroganoff

Our family loves beef stroganoff, but it is not necessarily one of the healthiest meals. This is a twist on beef stroganoff made with ground turkey meat and low fat plain yogurt or lite sour cream, which cuts the fat significantly. Add a big salad or some steamed veggies and you have a great meal!

 Healthy Turkey Stroganoff

1¼ pounds ground turkey
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large shallot, chopped
1 pound cremini mushrooms (or button mushrooms, whatever you can find)
1/4 cup white wine
1 tablespoon beef base (its like condensed beef stock. I use Better than Bouillon Beef Base )
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt or light sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

Saute shallot in 1 tablespoon olive oil in non-stick skillet for 3-4 minutes until soft. Add ground turkey and cook until browned. Drain fat from pan and remove turkey meat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan and saute mushrooms until soft, around 5 minutes. Add wine to mushrooms when pan looks a little dry. Put turkey meat back into pan with mushrooms, and add beef base and Worcestershire sauce, stir until well mixed. Add yogurt or light sour cream and mix until heated, but do not boil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve over egg noodles (or other shaped pasta) or rice. Enjoy!

Simple Sesame Noodles

My daughter had a hankering tonight for Asian noodles, so we did a quick internet search and found Pioneer Woman's recipe for this super simple dish. It was so easy to make and tasted delicious! We only had fettuccine noodles, which tasted great, but I'm sure it would be even better with angle hair pasta or lo mein noodles. I grilled a flank steak with salt and pepper and added a salad with dressing that was a variation on the sesame sauce.

Simple Sesame Noodles

1 pound noodles (spaghetti, fettuccine, angel hair pasta, lo mein)

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

3 green onion

Put all ingredients except noodles and green onion in jar and shake until well mixed. Pour over warm noodles, toss to coat and garnish with green onions. Enjoy!

* the original recipe included additional oil which I eliminated-still is tasty without more oil

A delicious dinner is ready!

  

One Pot Pasta in a Jiffy

Tonight I needed to figure out a quick meal for my husband and me before we zipped off to our daughters' first softball game of the season. In literally 15 minutes, this savory one pot pasta dish was ready to go!

Pasta, Sausage and Kale
       
1/2 pound pasta (any shape will do!)
2 aidells Italian Style smoked chicken sausage (or any kind of sausage you like)
1/4 cup julienne sun dried tomatoes in olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
4 leaves of kale (or spinach)
grated parmesan

While you boil the pasta, grill the sausages (or you could even warm them in microwave to make it really simple). Chop the kale or spinach leaves and put them in the bottom of a colander. When the pasta is finished cooking, pour into colander over kale or spinach, therefore cooking the greens while draining the pasta. Put pasta and greens in a bowl and add sun dried tomatoes. The olive oil in the tomatoes makes the pasta moist. Add the salt, pepper and herbs, mix and then top with grated parmesan...you now have a delicious, quick meal!

Pasta D’Allesandria

This pasta dish is dinner in one bowl- lots of veggies, sausage and carbs! It is also perfect for a potluck.

Pasta D'Allesandria

Ingredients

4 red/yellow bell peppers, quartered, seeds and stems discarded

6 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black peeper

1 lb. large white mushrooms, sliced

1 tbsp. fresh or 1 tsp dried oregano leaves

1 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves stripped from stems or 1 tsp dried

2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

1 lb Italian sausage crumbled into smaller bite size pieces

1 lb. pasta

9 oz bag spinach

1/4 cup reserved pasta cooking liquid

Grated parmesan to taste

Directions

Heat oven to 450°

Cut pepper quarters into 1/2 thick diagonal pieces. Place in 9 x 13" baking dish. Drizzle with 3 tbsp. of olive oil, salt, pepper and bake until peppers are charred on edges and tender, stirring occasionally, 30-40 min. Remove from oven.

Chop oregano, thyme, and garlic together & set aside. Heat 3 tbsp. of oil in large non-stick skillet. Add mushrooms, cook, stirring, over medium high heat until mushrooms are tender and golden brown. Add chopped herbs and garlic mixture, sauté stirring 2 minutes. Sprinkle salt, pepper transfer to side dish. 

Place sausage into skillet cook stirring over medium high heat, until sausage is browned. Drain. 

Boil pasta. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid and drain.
In a large bowl, combine pasta, spinach, red peppers, mushrooms and sausage mixture, then add pasta cooking liquid and stir. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Baked Penne with spinach, mushrooms, gruyere and bacon

Baked Penne with lots of greens

Delicious dinner all in one dish!

Baked Penne with Spinach, Mushrooms, Gruyere and Bacon

Ingredients

1 pound penne
1 pound sliced mushrooms

9 ounce bag of baby spinach

3 ounces arugula

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 shallot, chopped fine

3 slices bacon

2 cups gruyere cheese grated

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Directions

Boil pasta in salted water according to package. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking liquid before draining pasta, then add pasta back to cooking pot and add spinach and arugula a handful at a time and stir to help wilt greens.

Cook bacon over medium heat until browned, and drain on paper towel. 

Add mushrooms, shallots and garlic and saute until somewhat cooked through, about 5 minutes. 

Mix mushrooms with pasta and greens mixture and add cup of reserved pasta water. Season with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top of casserole.

Bake covered with greased foil for 25 minutes at 400 degrees. Then remove foil and bake for 10 minutes more until cheese is melted and brown on top.