A months worth of dinners in 2 days! {Part 2 - cooking marathon}

OK...I admit. When I said {part 2} was going to come the day after {part 1} I was lying. Sorry! I know you'll forgive me. I have pregnancy brain and cant concentrate on anything for more than 5 seconds these days :)

Alright...here we go.

After you get yourself organized as mentioned in {part 1} of my "making freezer meals" post...its time to cook!!!

The recipes I decided to use are ones I have tried in the past so I know they tasted yummy and would work straight out of the freezer. The first 3 recipes are ones I have blogged about previously so you can click on the links to see them. The enchiladas I just kind of made up so excuse my super non technical recipe.

Artichoke Manicotti with pesto cream sauce

* Note: I tweaked this one a bit since the first time I made it. I decided I was to lazy to make the pesto myself so used store bought and combined it with Parmesan and heavy cream in the blender. I thought it turned out pretty good. I just kept tasting it until the pesto/cream ratio was perfect.

* Another note: I doubled the filling and cream sauce but think that I will triple it next time because I wasn't able to fill as many shells as I wanted.

Chili con carne

Basic pasta sauce

Chicken Enchiladas {here is my attempt at remembering how I made them}

Ingredients:

- 4 chicken breasts
- 2 small cans of diced green chilis
- Sour cream
- 4 cups shredded cheese ( I used the Mexican blend)
- 1 large can of enchilada sauce
- 20 pack of white corn tortillas

1. Bake chicken breasts - place in a shallow baking pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fill pan with water to almost cover chicken then bake at 350 degrees for 40 min or until cooked through. Let cool.

2. Once chicken is cool shred with a fork and place in a large bowl. Mix in green chili's, sour cream and about half of the shredded cheese {this is the part I don't really measure. Just keep adding until it tastes good. I like mine creamy so put in lots of sour cream}

3. Start rolling filling inside corn tortillas, place in bake pans then top with enchilada sauce and cheese. {Tip: its helps to warm tortillas a bit so they don't break when rolling}

4. When cooking from frozen - cover with foil and place in 400 degree oven for about 40 min.

* Note: When I was cooking I only made 2 meals at the same time to avoid confusion. I started off by popping chicken in oven for enchiladas since it took a while to cook and cool then I began on the chili and tomato sauce. Once they were done I started up on assembling the enchiladas and manicotti.

Now its time to package your meals! Be sure everything is cool prior to sealing up containers and placing in freezer.

The manicotti was portioned out 4 per tray.

I packaged the Chili in the round soup containers. Be sure to label and date them!

Enchiladas were in the tins. I was able to fit 3 per pan.

The zip top bags are great for the tomato sauce because they close tight and wont leak plus you can stack them flat in the freezer so they don't take up much space. I measured out 2 cups of sauce per bag. I find that's a good amount for a 2 person pasta dinner.

One other thing I did was buy 5 loaves of the Columbo garlic bread. I sliced each loaf in half then placed in freezer bags. Now we have 10 portions of garlic bread we can easily use to accompany either the chili or pasta dinners.

Now we are all set for a few weeks once the baby comes. But, trust me you dont need to be having a baby to prepare make ahead meals. This is a great plan for every busy household. What could be better than always having a stash of easy no fuss dinners on hand.

Oh, and also this coming week im picking up the share of beef we resesrved a few months ago through the Bay Area Meat CSA. So, in addition to having all of the prepared meals we will have loads of prepackaged grass fed beef to cook too!

Simple tomato sauce

Here is another great recipe from my favorite blog Sweet Paul. I made this simple tomato sauce the other day and it was really good. Sometimes when I make my own I get a little to complicated with it. Simple is better! This has only a few ingredients (most of which you might have on hand already) and tastes so fresh. I'm going to make this my new standby.

{Super cute photo from here. }

The thing that's so great about this sauce is that you could make a double batch and freeze some for a rainy (or lazy) day. When I made it the other day I added spicy Italian sausage and spooned it over pasta. Tonight I'm using the leftovers as pizza sauce (yup...doing the BBQ pizza thing again). The possibilities are endless.



Serves 4

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 28-ounce can good quality crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 cup fresh basil, chopped
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups water


Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
Add onions and garlic, cook until soft.
Add the crushed tomatoes with their liquid.
Add brown sugar.
Add the basil.
Season with salt and pepper.
Add the water.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until sauce has reduced and thickened. This takes 20 min.

Pasta with chicken sausage and broccoli

This is a recipe from the Sept '09 issue of Real Simple magazine. It was pretty good but didn't knock my socks off. I added artichoke hearts to spice it up a bit but it still needed more zest. Maybe ill throw in some sun dried tomato next time.

One thing that's great about this meal is its SUPER EASY (plus, H loved it). It only took about 20 min total.




12 oz rigatoni
1 tbs olive oil
1 onion, sliced thin
6 oz fully cooked chicken sausage, sliced (I used Aidells spinach and feta)
1 small head broccoli, cut into florets and trim stems
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1. Cook pasta according to package directions

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Cook the onion until slightly browned. About 3 min. Add the sausage and cook until brown. About 3 min. Add the broccoli and 1 cup water and simmer until broccoli is tender. About 3 min.

3. Toss the pasta with sausage mixture and any remaining liquid and Parmesan

** NOTES: Recipe calls for 1 1/4 water to be added in step 2 but I only added 1 cup. I still felt like it was to much. I ended up removing about 1/4 cup after broccoli was done cooking just so there was not to much water mixed in with pasta and sausage in the end.

Birthday dinner course 2: Lobster pasta with herbed cream sauce

This recipe is from Bon Appétit December 2004


If you want to seriously impress your friends and family this is the dish to make. Don't be intimidated...its very, very easy and takes almost no time at all. The best part is that it can be prepared up to 1 day ahead.



* Note: Recipe serves 6. I cut it in half for 2 people and it was the perfect amount. I bought two 7 oz lobster tails. I didn't want to fuss with the live ones (and the screaming...ack!)

3 1 3/4-pound live lobsters * see note
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 large plum tomatoes, chopped
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, sliced
2 fresh tarragon sprigs
2 fresh thyme sprigs
2 fresh Italian parsley sprigs
6 cups whipping cream
1 1/2 pounds fettuccine or linguine (using fresh pasta is best)

Bring very large pot of salted water to boil. Add lobsters. Boil until cooked through, about 12 minutes (or cook in batches, if necessary). Using tongs, transfer lobsters to large rimmed baking sheet. Remove meat from tail and claws; place meat in medium bowl. Remove any roe from bodies and place in small bowl. Cover and chill meat and roe (if any). Remove tomalley (green matter) from bodies and discard. Reserve bodies and shells.

If only using lobster tails, boil them in large pot of salted water for 10 min. When done remove from pot and allow to cool. Remove meat from shells. Cover and refrigerate. Reserve shells for sauce.

Heat oil in heavy large pot over high heat. Add reserved lobster bodies and shells. Sauté 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add tomato paste; stir 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, wine, vinegar, garlic, tarragon, thyme, and parsley. Add cream; boil 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low.

Simmer just until lobster flavor infuses cream, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Strain sauce into large bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard contents of strainer. (Lobster and sauce can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill.)

Transfer sauce to heavy large saucepan. Cut lobster meat into bite-size pieces; coarsely crumble roe, if using. Add to sauce. Gently rewarm over low heat, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain; return pasta to pot. Add sauce; toss over medium-high heat until sauce coats pasta, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to large shallow bowl and serve. Garnish with tarragon sprigs if desired.

{Review}

This dish was really good and looked fancy although it was very easy to make. It would be great for any special occasion, holiday or dinner party.

I recently discovered the New England Lobster Company in South San Francisco. This made buying the tails really convenient. I know sometimes they are hard to find. If you don't have a fresh seafood store near you try Costco.

Husband approved for sure

{Serve with}

Beet and Stilton salad with orange vinaigrette


{Time}
30 min

A happy birthday dinner!

Today is Hamish's birthday so im pulling out all the stops with dinner. Im making fettuccine with lobster cream sauce and a basil lime granita with raspberries for desert. Hopefully it turns out great. Im excited about this meal. I'll post the "results" tomorrow.

By the way - I made a great find yesterday. There is actually a lobster store right by my house. Go figure. I bought 2 BEAUTIFUL fresh lobster tails. I cant wait to eat them!

Lemon spaghetti with garlic artichoke sausage

This lemon spaghetti recipe is from the "Everyday Italian" cookbook by Giada De Laurentiis. I added the sausage to give it a little more oomph and to make it more of a main dish.

1 pound spaghetti
2/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 large lemons)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Aidells brand garlic and artichoke precooked sausages (found at most supermarkets)

Slice precooked sausages and brown slightly in saute pan. Set aside.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the oil, Parmesan, and lemon juice in a large bowl to blend.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss the pasta with the sausage, lemon sauce, and the reserved cooking liquid (if needed). Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with lemon zest and chopped basil.

{Review}

Wow! This recipe was really easy and pretty dang good. My favorite part is that I pretty much stock these ingredients in my fridge so this recipe is a great backup plan if I don't really have much time to cook.

Adding the sausage made it more filling.

Husband approved

{Serve with}

Salad and garlic bread

{Time}

30 min or less (more like 20min...woohoo!)

Penne A La Carbonara

This recipe is from the "Everyday Italian" cookbook by Giada De Laurentiis {pg 113}

1 pound pancetta, diced into 1-inch cubes (can substitute bacon)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
1 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 pound dried penne
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (optional)

Heat a large saute pan, until hot. Add pancetta/bacon and saute until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Season with black pepper and remove pan from heat.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and cream. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in Parmesan, reserving 2 tablespoons for garnish.

In a large pot, boil 6 quarts of salted boiling water. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta in a colander. Do not rinse with water; you want to retain the pasta's natural starches so that the sauce will stick.

While the pasta is still hot, return it back to the pot. Add the browned pancetta/bacon and mix well. Add the cream mixture and coat the pasta completely. It's important to work quickly while the pasta is still warm so that the cream mixture will cook, but not curdle. Add remaining Parmesan and chopped parsley.

{Review}
This was a very easy recipe and quite tasty. I did substitute the pancetta with bacon and used 5 eggs rather then 6 and still had some leftover cream mixture. I didn't use all the mixture for fear of it becoming to much sauce. I had about 1/2 cup leftover.
Husband approved.


{Serve with}
We just ate it by itself. Its pretty rich! Although a salad might have been nice.


{Time}
30 min or less

Baked penne with white cheddar and leeks

This recipe is from Bon Appétit March 2009




1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
5 cups chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only; about 5 large)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 1/2 cups whole milk
1 pound extra-sharp white cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (about 4 cups packed)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 pound penne pasta

(Note: I also added gouda cheese to add a bit more flavor)

Lightly butter 15x10x2-inch baking dish. Melt 1/4 cup butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks; stir to coat. Cover saucepan and cook until leeks are tender, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes (do not brown). Uncover saucepan; add flour. Stir 2 minutes. Add milk; bring to simmer, stirring often. Add cheese, mustard, and pepper sauce. Stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat. Season cheese sauce to taste with salt.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Return to pot.

Stir cheese sauce into pasta in pot. Transfer to prepared baking dish. Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake pasta until cheese sauce is bubbling around edges and some ends of pasta are golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

Let stand 15 minutes. Serve hot.

{Review}
This was good although a little bland. I think adding more types of cheese would be better. I added gouda but next time might add fontina as well.

The recipe in magazine calls for adding an egg to cheese mixture. I totally removed this step because you don't really need it and the chance of egg curdling from hot cheese sauce is pretty high (read: screwing up the entire dish).

This is husband approved but he said it needed more flavor which I have to agree with him on.

{Serve with}
Steamed veggies on the side

{Time}
25 min prep. 25 min in oven

Sarah's mini meatballs with penne

This recipe makes 30 mini meatballs. You can freeze them then take a few out to cook as needed. I love having something easy lurking in the freezer for those days I really don't feel like cooking.

Tip: I roll out the meatballs and place in a mini muffin pan. That way they are all the same size. I freeze them in the pan then transfer them to a ziploc bag for long term storage.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef (90/10)

1 lb ground pork

1/2 onion, finely diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 egg

3/4 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

2 tsp each salt and pepper

- Over med heat saute onion and garlic in 1 tbs olive oil until soft.

- To large mixing bowl add ground beef, pork, egg, bread crumbs, parsley, S&P and cooled onion/garlic mixture. Mix together gently.

- Roll out mini meat balls and place in mini muffin pan. Put some aside for dinner and place the rest in freezer. Freeze overnight then transfer to ziploc bag for storage. (see tip above)

To cook meatballs:

- Add 2 tbs olive oil to saute pan. Brown mini meatballs on all sides then simmer in marinara sauce until cooked all the way through. About 10 min.

- Serve over pasta of choice with marinara sauce. Top with ricotta if desired.

** If using frozen meatballs be sure to defrost prior to browning step.
**These will keep in freezer for a few months.

{Review}
Love these. They are so easy and this one recipe makes about 4 meals.
Husband approved


{Serve with}
Penne and marinara sauce
Ricotta optional
Garlic bread


{Time}
25 - 30 min

Sarah's chicken picatta with artichoke hearts and angel hair pasta

Sorry for the lack of posts last week. Hamish was out of town so I didn't have anyone to cook for...boooooo. Now im back and have some good stuff planned.

First up is chicken picatta with artichoke hearts and angel hair pasta



4 thin sliced chicken breast
1 cup flour
3 tbs butter
1 shallot, finely diced
1/2 lemon
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup frozen artichoke hearts (I like the Trader Joes brand)
2 tbs capers, drained and rinsed
S & P

Serves 2-3

- Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper then dredge in flour. Shake off excess. ** Note: I like to use the foster farms thin sliced breasts because they cook faster.
- Add 1 tbs olive oil to saute pan and cook chicken until golden brown on both sides over med-high heat. Set aside chicken and cover with foil.
**No need to worry about cooking chicken completely through at this point. They will be added back to pan later.
- Add 1 tbs butter to same pan and saute shallots until soft. Add in white wine and let boil for 1 min. Add in capers, frozen artichoke hearts, broth and juice from 1/2 lemon. Bring back to a boil.
- Add chicken back to pan along with 2 tbs butter and the squeezed out lemon rind. Cover and turn down heat to medium-low and let simmer for 10 min (if using thicker chicken breasts you may need to add more time)
- While chicken is cooking, make pasta and set aside.
- Taste sauce - it may need more lemon or salt. Season if needed. At the very end I like to remove chicken and boil sauce for a few minutes until it becomes thicker. This step is optional.
- Serve chicken, artichoke hearts and sauce over angel hair pasta.


{Review}
I've been making this for years and its one of my easy weeknight standbys
Husband approved


{Serve with}
Garlic bread


{Time}
25 min


Tomorrow i'll have my homemade mini meatballs with pasta. Its a great recipe because you can make some now then freeze the rest for a rainy day. Stay tuned!

Sarah's awesome mac n' cheese

My other favorite food is homemade mac n' cheese. I have gone through so many recipes and think I finally mastered it. This one is easy and so creamy. It also has a crisp panko topping which is like the icing on the cake ...ummm, macaroni.




Ingredients
Topping:
1/2 cup panko
2 tbs unsalted butter, melted
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar


Macaroni:
1 lb bag of large macaroni noodles
3 tbs unsalted butter
3 tbs flour
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 yellow onion (diced)
2 cup milk (I use 2%)
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tsp dijon mustard
8 oz white cheddar
Small block of fontina (remove red wax from outside)
4 oz Gruyere
2 cup Sharp cheddar
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper



Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray baking dish with cooking spray.


Shred all cheese in food processor. Set aside.


Bring stock pot of water to a boil for pasta. Add pasta and cook according to package directions (about 5-6 min) Drain in colander and return to stock pot.


Melt 3tbs butter over medium heat in large sauce pan. Once melted add diced onion and saute until soft. Stir in red pepper flakes. Add 3 tbs flour and stir for 1 min until combined. Whisk in milk. Bring to a slight boil whisking constantly.


Add cream, dijon, salt, pepper and all cheeses. Remove pan from heat. Stir together until all cheese is melted.


Combine about 3/4 cheese sauce to cooked macaroni in stock pot. Mix well. I usually end up having some cheese sauce left over. Feel free to add all of sauce but I find it ends up being more sauce then noodles.


Pour into large baking dish. Sprinkle 1 c sharp cheddar on top.


Combine panko with 2 tbs melted butter and sprinkle on top of macaroni. Bake in 350 oven for 25 min or until bubbly.


{Review}
Husband approved
Pretty easy
Great comfort food


{Serve with}
Sarah's Sticky ribs
Salad


{Time}
20 min prep time
25 min cook time

Creamy One-Pot Pasta

The other day while hanging out with my friend Sara we had some leftovers of this yummy pasta she made. Its seriously awesome and so easy.

* This can be made vegetarian by substituting veg broth for chicken broth.

4 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 jar (7 oz) sun-dried tomatoes in oil, undrained
3 cans (14.5 oz each) chicken broth (5¼ cups)
1 lb uncooked penne pasta
1 head broccoli (2 cups small florets)
2 medium carrots, peeled
4 oz reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel)
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp coarsely ground black pepper
Grated fresh Parmesan cheese and snipped fresh basil (optional)

Thinly slice garlic. Place garlic and 1 tbsp oil from sun-dried tomatoes into
(8-qt.) Stockpot. Cook garlic over medium heat 2-3 minutes or until garlic is golden brown, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat; add broth. Return to burner; increase heat to high. Cover and bring to a boil. Stir in pasta; cover and simmer vigorously 8-10 minutes or until pasta is almost cooked but still firm, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, cut broccoli into small florets; place into bowl. Cut carrots in half lengthwise; thinly
slice crosswise on a bias. Drain sun-dried tomatoes; pat dry with a paper towel.

Slice sun dried tomatoes into thin strips. Add carrots and tomatoes to batter bowl. Mix well.

Cut cream cheese into cubes. Add vegetables, cream cheese, salt and black pepper to Stockpot. Stir until cream cheese is melted and fully incorporated. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook an additional 2-4 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Serve immediately. If desired, top with grated fresh Parmesan cheese and snipped fresh basil.
Makes: 6 servings

{Review}

This was a great dish and incredibly easy.

Note: After penne was done but prior to adding veggies & cream cheese I removed about 3/4 cup of the broth from pot. I was worried it would water down the sauce to much. Once cheese melted in pot it was a good consistency. If you want to thin it out just add some of the broth back in. Once the pasta cooled down it became pretty thick. I added the reserve broth back in prior to putting it in the fridge as leftovers. It stayed nice and creamy for the next day.

{Serve with}

Garlic bread

{Time}

30min or less

Baked Penne with Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

This recipe is from "Everyday Food Magazine" Pasta innovations issue

*Note: Recipe calls for provalone cheese. I didnt find it to have much flavor (it pretty much had none). If I made this again I would substitute with gouda and white chedder.

To cut out some fat I boiled the chicken for about 20min then sliced rather than pan frying as recipe calls for.

6 tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dishes
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound penne rigate
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (8 ounces each), halved horizontally
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups whole milk
10 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups shredded provolone (6 ounces) *See note
1 cup finely grated Parmesan (4 ounces)



Directions
Preheat oven to 400. Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta, and return to pot.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.

In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer, whisking frequently. Add mushrooms and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. Off heat, gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup Parmesan.

Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper. Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes; sprinkle each with cup Parmesan.

Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Prepare through step 4; let cool. Cover tightly with foil, and freeze, up to 3 months.
Preheat oven to 400, and bake (still covered in foil) on a rimmed baking sheet until center is hot, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove foil; bake until golden, about 15 minutes more.

{Review}
This is easy to make
Recipe would have been better if cheese mixture had more flavor. See note above.


{Serve with}
Garlic bread
Salad

{Time}
About 30min prep and 20min in oven

Chicken w/ artichokes and anglehair pasta

This recipe is from "Everyday Food Magazine" Pasta innovations issue


{Image}


Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
8 thin chicken cutlets (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
14 oz artichoke hearts (I use the frozen ones from Trader Joes)
2 tablespoons rinsed and drained capers
2 tablespoons butter
8 ounces angel-hair pasta
1/2 cup parsley leaves (optional)


Set a large pot of salted water to boil. Place flour in a shallow dish, and season with salt and pepper. Dredge cutlets, shaking off excess. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Cook chicken in batches, adding remaining oil as needed, until light golden, 1 to 3 minutes per side; transfer to a dish.

Add broth to skillet, and bring to a boil; cook until reduced by half. Add frozen artichokes , capers, and the chicken with any juices. Gently swirl to combine, and bring just to a boil. Remove skillet from heat. Swirl in butter, and cover to keep warm.

Add pasta to boiling water. Cook until al dente; drain. Serve chicken and sauce over pasta, topped with parsley.


{Review}
Very good and easy
Husband approved


{Serve with}
Garlic bread


{Time}
25min or less

Shrimp, tomato and basil pasta

This recipe is from the "Everyday Food" cookbook. Page 157



{image}

1 ½ pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails removed)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
6 teaspoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes in juice
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
½ pound linguine
1 ½ cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces, plus extra leaves for garnish (optional)


Season shrimp with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 4 teaspoons oil over high. Add shrimp; cook until opaque throughout, turning occasionally, 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; set aside.

Make sauce: To the same skillet, add remaining 2 teaspoons oil and garlic; cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add canned tomatoes and their juice, along with 2 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes have softened and are saucy, about 15 minutes. Remove sauce from heat; stir in cherry tomatoes.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain; return pasta to pot. Add tomato sauce, shrimp, and basil; season with salt and pepper, and toss. Serve immediately, garnished with basil leaves, if desired.


{Review}
Very easy to make
Husband approved

{Time}
30min or less

{Serve with}
Garlic bread
Salad