Creamy Garlic Pasta

I found this recipe via Pinterest and it was amazing! It was so easy to make and tasted SO good- my entire family adored it. 

via

Ingredients:

2 teaspoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cups chicken broth, plus a little extra
1/2 pound spaghetti
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 tablespoons dried parsley 

Directions:

In a medium pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add the garlic and stir for 1-2 minutes.  Add butter and melt, stirring constantly.  Add salt, pepper, and 3 cups chicken broth.  Bring to a boil.  Add the pasta and cook according to box directions.  Add a little more chicken broth if the noodles start to stick to the bottom and burn.  Add the cheese, cream, and parsley when the pasta is cooked to your desired tenderness and mix thoroughly.  Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Fettuccine Alfredo

I have never been a huge fan of Fettuccine Alfredo, but it's one of Jase's favorites, and since he is eating real food again after a long two weeks of bland, soft foods, I decided to make it for him last night for dinner. I found a recipe over at Pioneer Woman's website, and it was amazing! I don't even want to think about how many calories are in it, so I won't. I halved the recipe and it was perfect for 2 people. 


Enjoy!!

photo from here

Ingredients

• 1 pound Fettuccine Noodles
• 1 Stick butter
• 1 Cup Heavy Cream
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• 2 Cups Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions.

In a saucepan or skillet, warm butter and cream. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Grate Parmesan cheese and place half of it into a large serving bowl. Pour warm butter/cream mixture over the top.

Drain pasta and immediately pour it into the bowl.
Toss a couple of times, then sprinkle in the other half of the Parmesan.

Toss to combine, thinning with pasta water if necessary.
Serve immediately as a main course or accompaniment to meat or salad.

Baby Pasta Shells with Asparagus

photo from here

 Jase had his tonsils out two weeks ago, so I didn't post any recipes during that time because our meals mostly consisted of mashed potatoes and jello and popsicles. 

Yesterday, I found this recipe here and loved it immediately. I am a sucker for anything asparagus, and Jase loves pasta, so I thought it would be fitting for his first "real food" meal since the surgery. It was so so so so delicious- I think it's safe to say it was our favorite pasta dish yet. 

Enjoy!

 Baby Pasta Shells with Asparagus *

*I modified the recipe slightly from the original by using Trader Joe's 3 Cheese Pasta Sauce instead of homemade marinara. Because that Trader Joe's sauce is addicting and wonderful and we love it.

Ingredients

• 8 oz baby pasta shells (gluten free use brown rice pasta)
• 1 bunch thin asparagus, tough ends removed
• 1 1/2 cups homemade marinara sauce (recipe follows)
• 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano
• salt and fresh pepper to taste

Boil about 4 inches of water in a large pot, when boiling add asparagus and cook about 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender crisp. Drain and chop into small bite sized pieces.Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (you can use the same pot from the asparagus not to dirty too many dishes). Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente. Return pasta back to the pot and toss with marinara, asparagus, grated cheese, salt and pepper and a 1/4 cup of the pasta water or as needed to loosen the sauce. Divide between four bowls and top with fresh pepper and more grated cheese if desired.

Baked Lemon Pasta

Another delightful recipe from The Pioneer Woman (that lady is genius).

I love it because it has lemons.

Jase loves it because it is filling, creamy, and absolutely mouth-watering.

It's simple, refreshing, and the lemon-on-pasta thing gives a unique spin on pasta. We love it!

One problem we run into a lot when cooking, is that we often end up with loads of leftovers that go to waste (because one of us refuses to eat left overs. It's me. Sorry folks, I just can't do it) This recipe is nice because if there are just two or three of you, you can easily half it and cook it in a little 8x8 pan for a perfectly portioned meal.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 pound Thin Spaghetti
• 4 Tablespoons Salted Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 whole Lemon, Juiced And Zested
• 2 cups Sour Cream
• ½ teaspoons Kosher Salt, Or More To Taste
• Plenty Of Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Flat-leaf Parsley, Chopped
• Extra Lemon Juice

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook spaghetti until al dente.

In a skillet, melt butter with olive oil over LOW HEAT. When butter is melted, add minced garlic. Squeeze lemon juice into the pan. Turn off heat.

Add sour cream and stir mixture together. Add lemon zest and salt. Taste, then add more salt if necessary. Pour mixture over drained spaghetti and stir together, then pour spaghetti into an oven safe dish.

Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes. (Don’t bake too long or the pasta will dry out.)

When you remove it from the oven, squeeze a little more lemon juice over the top. Top generously with Parmesan cheese, then chopped parsley. Give it a final squeeze of lemon juice at the end.