Pasta Recipes You’ll Love

I feel like I have to admit at the outset of this that I learned to cook in Italy. So while I didn’t grow up eating much pasta, it is CORE to my love of food and relationship with cooking. And it means that I am a major pasta snob, particularly when it comes to restaurants.

So these pasta recipes are are my way of celebrating the endlessly versatile carb that holds my heart. Sure, there are a few homemade or handmade pasta recipes here, but you don’t have to make your own for it to be amazing (I actually really love dried pasta).

Traditional & unique pasta recipes you'll love...explore all the pasta recipes on finding time for cooking

In these recipes I show you techniques for making some of the most classic Italian recipes out there (like the Roman cacio e pepe or Ligurian pesto), some that are beloved but definitely not traditional (my mom’s lasagna) and some interesting ingredient pairings you might not have guessed (marinated feta and arugula, anyone??).

Not sure where to start?? Here are a few of my faves:

You can browse my full recipe index or a more visual index here, or explore the archives below…

Simple, Traditional Cacio e Pepe Pasta

October 27, 2021

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. When not in Rome…still do as the Romans do, because the Romans know how to DO IT. While not as well-known in the U.S., cacio e pepe pasta is one of the most iconic traditional Roman dishes, beautiful in its simplicity.

When I dig into a bowl of this, I’m immediately transported back to a night in Rome sitting in a cozy little trattoria with a glass of local red, with the moon bright and the noise of people chatting and Vespas zooming by outside.

It takes just a few simple ingredients, a couple pretty simple techniques, and about 15 minutes to make cacio e pepe, but the result is pure magic. I used Samin Nosrat’s recipe, because I like her simple description of the technique, and I’ve provided step-by-step photos below.

The star of this dish is the pecorino romano cheese, a hard, salty sheep’s milk cheese that’s native to Italy and has a very distinctive flavor. It shouldn’t be too hard to find, the fancy Murray’s cheese counter in my Midwestern Kroger has it.

A couple tips to make your cacio e pepe spectacular:

I do STRONGLY recommend you get your hands on a real pecorino romano cheese…it is THE flavor in this dish, and any substitute just won’t be the same. It will be delicious, I’m sure, but not cacio e pepe. The cheese counter at my big Kroger has it (Murray’s).
The finer you grate your cheese, the better. I used two different tools…the first time I used my microplane zester/grater, which gives amazing fluffy cheese that’s perfect. But it takes longer and is a bit more difficult, so when making a full batch I used my cheese hand mill grater on the tiny setting, which was still awesome.
Get your cheese grated ahead of time, because things move very quickly once you start.
Don’t forget to reserve the pasta water before draining! I recommend waiting until the pasta has been cooking at least 5 minutes, to get it starchy enough.
The first time I did this, I didn’t use a big enough skillet and it was super hard to toss everything together and get the pasta coated, so use the biggest you have. Also, long pasta is much easier to toss and coat than short pasta. Long pasta is more traditional in this dish.

My photos here are actually a compilation of a few different times I’ve made it…mostly because I was a dummy and when I made it with the buccatini (long) noodles which are more traditional, I totally forgot I was halving the recipe. So I added way too much pasta water and the sauce you see in the photos isn’t thick enough. Still 10/10 for flavor though…

Now let’s just look at this dreamy, fluffy pile of cheese again, shall we???

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Pesto Goat Cheese Pasta with Zucchini

August 28, 2021

This pesto goat cheese pasta is, to me, a perfect encapsulation of late summer. Packed full of zucchini and fresh basil, it’s trying its darnedest to use up summer’s bounty of produce while it’s still there.

It combines two of my favorite things (fresh basil pesto and tangy goat cheese) into a super light, refreshing sauce. I added zucchini because I love the flavor and texture, and we’re in the peak of zucchini season.

I threw in the shredded brussels sprouts mostly because they were sitting in my fridge close to going squishy, and I wanted some added “health”.

I used my one true love, Giovanna’s easy homemade pesto, as the base for the sauce, though I did leave out the parmesan since it didn’t seem necessary.

It was as simple as blending the ingredients together and then adding the goat cheese while the pasta and vegetables cooked.

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Creamy Smoked Salmon Pasta with Veggies

July 15, 2021

This is a “kitchen sink” pasta, as so many of the best are. I had a delicious smoked salmon filet that needed used, and this creamy smoked salmon pasta is the result of me trying to create a pasta version of my beloved smoked salmon bagel flavors.

I started by thinking about smoked salmon with crème fraîche as the basis, and adding some minced red onion or shallots (and capers, which I was out of).

Then I wanted to add veggies, because you know…healthy. Spinach was a no-brainer and then I shredded and sautéed up some brussels sprouts (basically things that wouldn’t overpower the other flavors). I roasted some golden beets and threw those in as well.

You can use whatever you have on hand, but I’d stay away from strong flavors like peppers.

I used pappardelle because I had some leftover in a package, but would use something different next time. I’m not a huge long pasta fan myself, but linguini would work well, or for shorter pasta a gemelli or cavatappi would be great.

This was a perfect light summer pasta, paired with a crisp and mineral-y white wine.

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Authentic Ligurian Trofie Pasta by Hand (with Fresh Pesto)

June 4, 2021

Fresh pasta con pesto has long-been probably my favorite food in the entire world. Seriously.

If you visit the Liguria region of Italy, you’ll get the opportunity to experience pesto in its birthplace, and it will almost always be served with the traditional trofie pasta.

“Life is a combination of magic and pasta.”

~ Federico Fellini

I’ve talked about this more in my post on the food of Cinque Terre (one of my favorite places in the world!) but every time I visit those tiny fishing villages I look forward to gorging myself on platter after platter of trofie pasta with pesto.

If you haven’t made your own pasta before, it might seem kind of fussy and intimidating. But this Ligurian trofie pasta is really very easy, without dealing with eggs or any special equipment. All you need is a couple ingredients and your two hands!

It would even be a great activity with kids, or just a few extra people since the work will go much quicker and you can easily chat while you work.

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Melty Cheesy Zucchini Baked Pasta

September 7, 2020

This zucchini baked pasta is the perfect recipe for those lazy hot days of summer as they start to slide into fall. Not too heavy, packed with bright and silky garlicky zucchini and light ricotta, but oozing with a comforting amount of gooey mozzarella.

The recipe is also super flexible and adaptable, and I did make a couple changes.

I cut back on the fresh mozzarella by a third…partly because I forgot to buy enough, but I ended up finding what I had was MORE THAN plenty. I threw in a small handful of shredded (bagged) mozzarella in the main mixture for good measure and to help bind everything together.

I also used a ton of zucchini—three medium and one ginormous. In case you’re wondering, I made my own pesto (love that fresh basil taste!) but I’m sure a jarred would work fine.

I just needed something indulgent but not *too* unhealthy, and this zucchini ziti fit the bill perfectly.

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Pasta with Spinach, Tomatoes, & Feta

April 4, 2015

Somehow I totally forgot about this recipe. Which is bananas, because for a number of years I probably made this pasta with spinach, tomatoes, and feta…once a week???

I started making it in college, and pretty soon it was my go-to. I made it at least once a week while I was doing my internship, and later once I moved to Atlanta. Sometimes multiple times a week.

It was easy and cheap, came together in the time it took the pasta to cook, and felt kind of fancy. Before I started this blog I basically had a 3-recipe rotation…

[Editor’s note: photos updated in July 2021]

Then somehow I totally forgot about it once I started trying out lots of recipes for this site.

But when I was at the grocery store last weekend trying to figure out what to do for dinner (since my Kroger was totally out of avocados, which I’d kind of needed), I saw some beautiful heirloom tomatoes and this recipe popped into my mind.

It’s very forgiving, the veggie amounts aren’t super exact and neither is the feta amount. I recommend this for a night where you just need something on the table fast, and want fresh, healthy ingredients.

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Kale & Walnut Pesto (with & without Whole Wheat Pasta)

April 6, 2014

Today we’ve got a twist on a traditional pesto…specifically a kale and walnut pesto combo.

As I mentioned in my last post, last weekend I made a few healthy additions to my lifestyle, things I felt like I could manage. The first was guzzling a full glass of water before getting up every morning, and the second was making sure I ate a healthy breakfast every day. I also started to make sure I took vitamins every day.

This meal was about the last one—trying to eat more raw foods.

Cooking foods can make them more delicious, but can also destroy valuable nutrients and enzymes.

That’s not to say you should never eat anything cooked, but adding more raw foods to your diet (such as fruits, vegetables, and nuts) can significantly up the amount of benefits you’re getting from your food.

Of course, the best way to really get the most out of your food is to make sure you’re buying local and organic, since the longer since a food has been harvested, the more it loses. That’s not always feasible—either financially or availability-wise—but I am trying to get certain things organic, such as apples and carrots (two of the worst pesticide-contaminated foods).

This organic dino kale was in my CSA box, so it checks both boxes. Rather than sauteeing it up like I normally do, I decided to puree it with some raw walnuts, garlic, salt, olive oil, and a little ground flaxseed for a different take on pesto.

Toss with some curly pasta, and you get the best of both worlds—cooked whole grains with a potent creamy raw sauce. I toasted a few walnuts to throw on top, or if you don’t care as much about raw foods then you could toast all your walnuts before making the pesto.

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Creamy Sweet Potato Pasta with Crispy Kale

March 30, 2014

The CSA box I got a couple weeks ago was—much like the rest of us here in Georgia—stuck between summer and winter.

There were some delightful strawberries and spring-y butter lettuce, but a couple of sweet potatoes as well. I don’t give sweet potatoes much thought, generally, but the timing seemed perfect since I’d just pinned this sweet potato pasta sauce recipe.

I’ve been really trying to focus on cooking and eating healthy when I’m at home (minus a few Chinese food-palooza Saturday nights), particularly since I’ve had a rash of delicious but indulgent lunches and dinners for work.

This recipe seemed to balance my need for comfort food that especially-chilly day, but the presence of whole wheat pasta and adding creamy sweet potato to the sauce upped the healthy quotient.

Also, shallots, amirite?! These little guys pack so much flavor punch!! And the crispy sesame kale really takes this dish to the next level.

The sauce also has deeeelicious sautéed garlic and shallots to make a super flavorful base. I had a little trouble with the crispy kale (left it in the oven too long…yikes!) but overall this was simple and awesome and totally satisfying.

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Mac & Cheese with Kale, Roasted Butternut Squash, & Chicken Sausage

February 23, 2014

As the whole country knows, Atlanta has had some winter weather troubles lately. A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough not to get stuck in the 24-hour city-wide traffic jam—only took me an hour and a half to get home (vs. 20 minutes usually).

I hadn’t had the foresight to check the weather ahead of time, so I ended up being stuck at home for a few days with only the food I had stocked up in my pantry and fridge. (I did have wine this time…a few years ago I got snowed/iced in for five days without wine. #neveragain)

I started poking around to see what I could make. I was craving comfort food but knew I needed to eat somewhat healthy. Unfortunately I hadn’t bought many fruits and veggies, but I found a butternut squash in the fridge and had some wilted kale, so I figured I could make something work.

This is a true McGyver meal, but I think it came out pretty darn good. It was creamy and warm, with the salty sausage and the kale adding different textures. It’s since become one of my go-to comfort food dishes.

So BEHOLD, I give you the best mac & cheese with kale, roasted butternut squash, and chicken sausage!

Can you tell I’ve been craving comfort food? Seriously, I could have chosen to make a quinoa casserole or something, but instead I ended up with a steamy, creamy mac & cheese.READ THE POST

Mom’s Famous Lasagna

January 26, 2014

Lasagna is a very personal thing. In general, most people think their mom’s/grandma’s/wife’s/pick your relative’s lasagna is the absolute best thing in the world, and all other lasagnas are vastly inferior.

I certainly fall into this camp. I’m don’t think I even ate any other lasagna except my mom’s until I was…in college? And then I was so disappointed by it that it only reinforced my opinion.

I stand by that opinion, and have had friends reinforce it over the years. When I make this, I often get exclamations of “This is so good! It’s even better than my mom’s…though don’t tell her I said that!”

This lasagna recipe is really easy to put together, and it gets its awesomeness from a couple ingredients that are outside the norm.

Instead of a homemade marinara or a jarred tomato sauce, it uses a specific Hunt’s canned four-cheese sauce, which gives it a special flavor. And rather than the traditional ricotta, it uses cottage cheese.

Yeah, I know it sounds weird. I think we started doing that when I was a kid and I didn’t like ricotta and my mom wasn’t too crazy about it either. But what we discovered is that the little curds in the cottage cheese end up melting and take this to a whole other level of gooeyness (instead of the graininess of ricotta).

The result? Tangy, cheesy, fragrant, spice-filled awesomeness. I love it fresh out of the oven, with the steam still coming off it.

My dad loves it as leftovers, when the cheese and sauce have had a day or two to hang out and get married in the fridge. Either way, it’s out of this world. [My mom informs me that it was originally my Aunt Susan’s recipe that we tweaked over the years, so kudos to her as well!]READ THE POST

Baked Pasta with Broccolini, Kale, & Sausage

December 21, 2013

Mercy! It’s been over a month since I posted a real, honest-to-goodness main dish recipe here. I’ve had sweets and breads and pancakes, but nothing that’ll really stick to your bones.

I feel like I’ve been saying it all year, but it’s been utter madness lately. Work’s crazy, some travel, add in Thanksgiving, all the extra food and drinks around the holidays, and trying to finish everything up for the year.

That means I’ve been keeping long hours and not eating remotely normally. Pretty much no fruits and veggies, and I don’t remember the last time I cooked a real meal. But last weekend it was so cold and dreary and I really wanted to get back to real life.

I wanted comfort food, but healthy, and this baked pasta with broccolini, kale, and chicken sausage fit the bill. It’s got greens and crunch, tossed with golden sausage and firm pasta, all in the warm hug of creamy, garlicky béchamel and dots of gooey fresh mozzarella.

Basically, it’s perfect.

And fairly simple, all things considered. I was able to saute up the sausage and kale while the water boiled, then get everything else ready while the pasta and broccolini cooked, then stir everything together and pour it into the pan.

Twenty minutes later, I had a big, golden, slightly crunchy masterpiece on my hands.

The original recipe from Smitten Kitchen calls for broccoli rabe, which I couldn’t locate at my grocery store. I used broccolini instead (which isn’t quite the same, but can do in a pinch) and added some sautéed kale for some extra health and texture. Everything else was just right!READ THE POST

Easy Roasted Vegetable Mac and Cheese

October 27, 2013

I used to be really scared of making mac & cheese. I mean the legit baked kind where the sauce starts with a roux and there’s whisking involved. Whisking is one of those things that kind of intimidates me. I have no idea why, but it seems very serious.

Luckily, I’ve tried a few recipes over the past year that have helped me get over my fear of making bechamel sauce, including some different mac and cheese recipes (it all started with the beer mac & cheese last Thanksgiving).

But every time I make it, I still get this anxiety right before I start whisking like my life depends on it…

For some reason I was really just craving some comfort food last weekend, but needed it to be healthy comfort food—I’ll be on a beach in a swimsuit in a couple weeks (vacay, finally!) and do have a little bit of vanity left in me.

So this roasted vegetable mac and cheese, with its hearty roasted veggies, whole wheat pasta, and olive oil-based cheese sauce, called to me.

One of the things that really intrigued me about this recipe is that the roux—basis for the bechamel cheese sauce—is made with olive oil instead of butter. Honestly, I don’t know that I’ve seen a roux recipe without butter, so I was definitely interested to see how that went.

And I quite liked it. It gives things a little bit of an olive oil-y flavor that, when combined with the flour and whole wheat pasta, was a different twist on a regular mac & cheese. READ THE POST

Creamy Charred Corn & Leek Fettuccine

October 2, 2013

Garrison Keillor (he of Prairie Home Companion notoriety) famously said, “Sex is good, but not as good as fresh, sweet corn”. Corn is one of those hallmarks of summer for me. I grew up in the middle of nowhere in Kansas, and my grandma always had a giant garden—well, somewhere between garden and legit field—just for corn.

All the aunts and cousins would get together for a few days and pick corn, shuck it, blanch it, and cut it off the cob for preserving. But we’d always save the best ears for eating right away, rolled in butter and lightly salted. That sweet, juicy pop of kernels is synonymous with summer for me.

With my surgery happening in the middle of the summer (and all the preparation that came before it), I feel like I’ve kind of missed out on summer, particularly the glut of zucchini, tomatoes, and corn that usually accompany the hot months.

Right before I left for Colorado a couple weeks ago, I realized that the entire summer has passed by and I hadn’t made a single dish with fresh sweet corn. Which is totally unacceptable. So this creamy corn & leek fettuccine is like the last hurrah of summer!

This is actually an adaptation of two different pasta recipes I’d pinned, this one from A Cozy Kitchen, and this one from Pinch of Yum. Each featured charred sweet corn as the primary ingredient, but one focused more on fresh fennel, tarragon, and clams (which I don’t eat), while the other recipe had chipotle and cilantro (which are definitely not my style) but a sauce process I liked.

This recipe has some elements of each, but I made several changes as well…hence creamy charred corn & leek fettucine. A perfect comforting dish that will help us slide into fall.

To put my own spin on it, I added leeks as the flavor base for the sauce. I actually wanted to use shallots opposite the corn, but the store was out so I let the leek pinch-hit. They have a great, subtle flavor when sautéed and then partially pureed.

I didn’t have fresh tarragon, but used dried instead. I added the charred corn to the sauce (and would recommend lightly pureeing) as well as just tossing the whole, charred corn kernels with the pasta.

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Garlicky Spinach & Chicken Pasta with Goat Cheese

August 31, 2013

I’ll preface this one by admitting that it’s a tad rich for my blood. Which probably puts it right in most people’s wheelhouse since I have a low tolerance for that kind of thing. But the pasta combination of flavorful rotisserie chicken, garlicky spinach, and creamy goat cheese really packs a wallop.

This is another of my infamous “kitchen sink” pastas, which have a pretty doggone good track record over the years. There seem to be some really odd but delicious combinations of random pasta-friendly ingredients sitting around my house when I’m hungry.

This one, while not my favorite ever, was warm and comforting—it would have been a great winter dish. And for someone with a taste for these things, a dash of spice (like red pepper flakes or something along those lines) would add an interesting bite to the creamy richness.READ THE POST

Cavatappi with Goat Cheese, Tomatoes, Kale, & Grilled Zucchini

August 18, 2013

I’ve got another “kitchen sink” pasta coming your way, and BOY is this one a goodie!

It was borne of necessity, and in the weirdest way imaginable. As I mentioned a few posts ago, I had surgery towards the end of July, and it actually happened quite fast. Typically it takes about 6-8 weeks to get a spot on the surgery list, but they had a cancellation two weeks out that I was able to grab.

But that meant I had to get a million things done in a really short amount of time—calling insurance companies, booking hotels (the surgery was out of state), figuring out what equipment I’d need for recovery, etc.

I also had to get into my regular doctor for a pre-surgery check-up. I got in, they did some bloodwork and such, and then the next day got a call that my blood clotting was the teensiest, tiniest bit below normal. Not a surprise to me, I bleed like a stuck pig, but she wanted to re-do the bloodwork after the weekend and if it wasn’t normal possibly have me see a hematologist.

So naturally, I’m freaking out, because I don’t have time for complications, and I really needed the surgery to go on as scheduled.

What does that have to do with pasta, you ask? Well, as I said, I was freaking out a little (okay, a fair amount), so I did a bunch of research on foods that help your blood clot, and foods that prevent blood clots.

Unfortunately, I learned that ALL THE GOOD FOODS keep your blood from clotting—wine, coffee, balsamic vinegar, soy, strawberries, tomatoes, basically every spice. And only a few thicken the blood. I avoided coffee and wine (yes, it was a sad weekend) and wracked my brain for what I could make for dinner Sunday night before the bloodwork Monday morning.

Veggies high in vitamin K were the first place to start, like kale, brussels sprouts, and okra, so I totally loaded up on those. I put kale and zucchini in the pasta, roasted some okra, and also had steak, goat cheese, and anything else I could find that was higher in saturated fat. I did go ahead and throw some tomatoes into the pasta, but largely avoided them when I ate it that night, just in case.

The good news is that it worked—my blood clotting came out in the normal range and the surgery went on as scheduled. It was a weekend full of worrying, but at least I was able to find a solution. And I got a delicious, super easy pasta recipe out of the bargain. So without further ado…READ THE POST

Pasta with Easy No-Cook Sauce

May 29, 2013

You know those days when you just don’t feel like cooking, or going through a million steps to get a meal on the table? A.k.a. every day? Or it’s just too hot to cook things for too long? That’s where this recipe comes in—a simple pasta with no-cook sauce.

You have the amazing summer flavors of fresh tomatoes and basil, the bite of the garlic, and that’s about it. Simple, basic. And super delish.

Add in a tiny bit of cheese and some hot pasta, and you have a winner, and all in the time it takes to boil the pasta.

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Pasta With Roasted Peppers, Sausage, & Goat Cheese

May 13, 2013

I make up a LOT of pasta dishes. Like…a lot. But it’s only once in a blue moon I create one that becomes a life staple. This recipe is one of the all-timers, a hearty and indulgent pasta with roasted peppers and red onion, crisp chicken sausage, and a creamy goat cheese sauce. It’s my dreams in pasta form.

Specifically, I recommend sticking with yellow and orange bell (or sweet) peppers for this, because they have a mildness to them that really complements the tangy goat cheese. And similarly, the bite of red onion is definitely a winner over yellow or white. Then give them that delicious caramelization from roasting, and it’s sublime.

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Creamy Chicken Mushroom Pasta

April 27, 2013

I’ve been trying to break out of my pasta rut a little bit lately. Don’t get me wrong, my rut is quite delicious—homemade pesto or sauteed/roasted veggies and sausage with some kind of cheese in the sauce, you can’t go wrong. But pasta can be so many things, and I really under-utilize its potential sometimes.

I found this recipe in my Cooking Light magazine and pulled it out quite a while ago. It’s been sitting on my couch since then, largely because I had to remember to buy mascarpone at Trader Joe’s. You can also find it at certain grocery stores, though not all the time. But good ol’ TJ’s always has it.

The flavor was mild and yet really interesting. While I’m not a huge fan of mushrooms, they were great in this dish.READ THE POST

Giovanna’s Pasta con Pesto

April 20, 2013

I’ve long said that if I *had* to choose one scent and be able to smell only that for the rest of my life (who’s making me choose? why? don’t think about it that hard), I think it might be fresh basil. Fresh basil is one of the BEST smells in the world!

As I mentioned back in my tiramisu post a few months ago, I studied in Italy during college on a language immersion program, and I lived with this awesome couple named Pietro and Giovanna.

Giovanna was an amazing cook and made us three- and four-course dinners every night, and also imparted a few of her family’s recipes to me. This authentic Ligurian pesto pasta recipe and the tiramisu are the two that have become a permanent part of my recipe book.

I make this every week or two during the summer when fresh basil is plentiful and high-quality. It’s my #1 go-to recipe because it literally takes 15 minutes from start to finish and is AMAZEBALLS. Basically, as long as it takes to boil pasta, that’s how long this dish takes.

As you’ll notice in the pictures below, I’m actually showing you pictures from two different times I made this dish (don’t be confused!), because there are two ways you can do it—the real way, and a slightly modified way with fewer ingredients. Both are really easy, it just depends on if you want to go to the trouble of buying two extra things.

Try this next: How to Make Ligurian Trofie Pasta by Hand (with Fresh Pesto)

First, I’m going to show you the weird secret to the best pasta con pesto.READ THE POST

Pasta with Gorgonzola, Chicken, Brussels Sprouts & Caramelized Onions

April 7, 2013

As everyone knows, I love a good pasta dish. And I love brussels sprouts. And Gorgonzola. So this recipe is very nearly perfect—that is, after I made a few changes.

I originally found this recipe through Pinterest, a pin from Kraft’s website, but decided to tweak it a little. It called for asparagus, which isn’t really my thing, and was quite expensive this time of year. And I found a really fun kind of pasta, something a little fancier than penne.
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Rosemary Chicken Lasagna

March 10, 2013

When my mom was here a couple months ago, we got quite ambitious with dinner one night. We started with this rosemary chicken lasagna, which I’d been wanting to make for forever, and finished with white chocolate lemon lava cakes. And despite the work, we weren’t sorry—we WERE stuffed!

The flavor on this lasagna was so interesting! The rosemary added a nice depth to the bechamel, the chicken and mushrooms provide good protein, and the lemon zest was such a lovely counterpoint to the richness of the cheese and sauce.

It was nice to have the second set of hands when assembling everything and making the bechamel, but it’s a fairly easy recipe—just make sure to give yourself enough time so you’re not frantic trying to put it together. For me, being frantic takes the fun out of cooking.

This is definitely the most interesting chicken lasagna recipe I’ve seen, and I will definitely be making it again!

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Traditional Tuscan Pasta With Walnut Sauce & Arugula (Version 1)

November 10, 2012

So, as I’ve mentioned a time or two (or seven), I recently was blessed to be able to spend a couple weeks in Italy and Croatia experiencing the culture, history, and food. Lots of food. Food all the time. As anyone who has ever traveled with me can attest, I pretty much need fed constantly when I’m traveling. And then my next thought is what we’ll eat next. I take it very seriously. I may have a problem.

At the hotel we stayed at for several days in Grosseto, Italy, the menus were set for every meal since we were such a large group. Most of them were adequate, but there were a couple dishes I absolutely loved and decided I had to try and recreate as authentically as possible when I got home. One was this pasta with walnut sauce and rocket (basically like arugula).

So I’ve been Googling all sorts of recipes for an authentic Tuscan walnut sauce, and found a few. I decided to try two of them out and see if either came close to the one I ate in Italy. So behold my first try.

This one (we’ll call it version one) was quite tasty. Not quite the same exactly as I had in Italy, but still a pretty great flavor. The walnuts gave it an interesting grainy texture that my pasta sauces don’t normally have, so that was a nice difference. Because it had nuts, it was quite filling too!READ THE POST

Leftover Pasta Frittata

November 5, 2012

Guys, today was a big day for me. Life’s been a little crazy, so leftovers have piled up in my fridge for the past week. My eyes were bigger than my stomach when I bought produce and I thought I would use more of my leftovers, but I was going to have to throw everything away. And then I found the leftover pasta frittata, and my life changed.

Its beauty is in its simplicity and flexibility. Seriously almost anything can go in this frittata. Leftover beer mac & cheese? Check. Orange bell pepper and spinach getting close to expiration? Throw them in.

Generally I don’t have the time or energy to cook on a work night, but this was so easy. I even got some yoga in while the frittata was baking in the oven!READ THE POST

Easy Baked Beer Mac & Cheese

October 29, 2012

I was kind of “meh” all last week. Nothing bad happened. It wasn’t a particularly hellacious week at work. Nothing was wrong. I just wasn’t feeling it.

So to banish the “oncoming winter” blues, I decided beer was the answer. Specifically, beer with carbs and cheese. This baked beer mac & cheese had been staring at me from my Pinterest page for quite some time, and I decided it was time to make it reality. Add beer bread into the equation, and you’ve got the recipe for an awesome Sunday night (with a lovely Malbec, a good friend, and The Artist on Netflix, of course).

The thing I love about this recipe (besides the beer, cheese, and pasta), is that it’s really not that bad for you relative to how awful mac & cheese can be. Sure, there’s quite a bit of cheese, but you use whole grain pasta, I used skim milk (most recipes call for heavy cream), and the whole recipe only takes 2 tablespoons of butter.READ THE POST

Tomato, Spinach, & Roasted Garlic Pasta with Ricotta

September 26, 2012

I didn’t really plan on cooking last Sunday. I have a bunch of travel coming up and my schedule’s so busy, I figured some nice pre-made ravioli or a Kashi pizza with wine would make a lovely end to the weekend. But then as I was browsing my Pinterest boards that morning, I came across this little pasta recipe and decided I could handle something this simple despite being tired (that was before, of course, I decided to make some chocolate hazelnut biscotti at the last minute, but that’s a story for another time).

This recipe was easy, a little different from what I normally do, very budget-friendly, and was a nice last “hurrah” of summer.

I also learned how to do a pretty great facsimile of oven-roasted garlic (which takes like almost an hour) in about two minutes, which is a very useful skill to have with my busy schedule.

The ricotta sauce (with a little help from some starchy pasta water) was creamy and light, and the parmesan (if you use it) adds a nice flavor. It was delicious fresh, though a little bland as leftovers a few days later (had to use much more salt and pepper).

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Pasta with Asparagus, Lemon, Goat Cheese, & Kale

September 23, 2012

I basically live on pasta. But mostly I stick to one or two recipes I’ve used for years (pasta con pesto and pasta with roasted veggies) and am too lazy to try new ones. So this recipe stuck out when I saw it on Pinterest, because it included goat cheese and lemon, two of my favorite things. I added the kale part myself, due to my great and abiding love for it.

I made this easy asparagus & lemon pasta recipe about a month ago when my family was in town. We went on a cooking and baking spree, trying new recipes left and right. This was actually a side dish when we made it, not the main entree, but it would make a great main dish as well. If you needed more protein, you could toss some pre-cooked chicken in with it too.

Goat cheese makes a really great, quick, creamy pasta sauce. And whether you blanch your pasta with asparagus or swap in string beans, edamame, or any other veggie, this dish comes together so quickly that you can put it in a regular year-round rotation and use whatever is in season.

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Baked Ziti with Summer Veggies & Chicken Sausage

September 3, 2012

I have a secret. I’ve never made a non-lasagna baked pasta dish (with the exception of the kale mac & cheese I made a few weeks ago). It’s weird, actually, given how much my diet has relied on pasta over the past decade.

I think it’s because that just seems like too much work—I mean, the reason I love pasta is because I can cook it quickly, toss it with any kind of sauce or veggies, and have a meal on the table in 15 minutes. Baking just seems unnecessary. I also haven’t loved much baked pasta at restaurants…they always seem so dry.

Needless to say, I approached this baked ziti recipe with some trepidation. But I was shocked by how GOOD it was! Delicious, great, bold flavors, a whole host of textures, and hearty enough to keep me feeling full for hours.

The original recipe was vegetarian, and didn’t call for the chicken sausage. But I had some on-hand and I’ve been crazily craving protein so I decided it couldn’t hurt. And it actually added an awesome flavor to everything.

It’s important to note, I doubled the recipe (or thereabouts) to make a 9×13 pan, because only cooking half the package of pasta didn’t make a lot of sense to me. That way I had lots of leftovers to feed me through the work week. It made possibly a bit too much pasta, but otherwise worked out just fine.

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Pasta with Heirloom Tomatoes & Ricotta

June 8, 2012

I’m weirdly obsessed with heirloom tomatoes, given that I’d never had one until I finally tried this recipe. So I’ve been fascinated with this recipe for a few years, since I found it in Real Simple and tore it out (that’s right, kids, out of a magazine made of paper). It’s been languishing in my “must try” cookbook since then, because heirloom tomatoes are surprisingly hard to find.

But a few weeks ago, serendipity struck. My chiropractor (Austin, who’s awesome) had a box of peppers, squash, and heirloom tomatoes for the taking, from his and his wife’s own garden.

I snatched a couple, trying not to look like a greedy pig. I practically squealed with glee when I got back to my car. Then I got super lucky and found a third at Publix, which gave me enough to work with.

It’s said that each type of heirloom tomato has its own unique flavor, so by mixing them together you’ll have something different each bite. They are indeed delicious. But would this recipe live up to my three years’ imagining? Time to find out.

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Kitchen Sink Pasta, the unendingly-versatile dinner (Pasta with Sausage, Cabbage, & Kale)

May 13, 2012

You know the feeling. Sunday night…standing in front of the fridge and pantry…wondering what on earth you can throw together for dinner. Preferably that makes leftovers, so you can actually eat lunch this week.

For me, the answer is almost always pasta. It’s possibly the best food ever—a versatile foundation, and there’s almost nothing you can’t pair it with. That’s where kitchen sink pasta comes in.

So a couple weeks ago I was in that exact situation and ended up making yet another version of kitchen sink pasta. And it was GOOD. And kind of unique.

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Pasta with Mixed Greens & Goat Cheese

April 30, 2012

Yesterday morning while I was fulfilling my sacrosanct Sunday morning ritual of coffee & an old black & white movie, I browsed a few recipes looking for what to make for dinner. Sunday is often the only night I really have time to cook anything beyond packaged ravioli or a Kashi pizza, plus I can make extra for lunches.

I’d found two Smitten Kitchen recipes from my stash of Pinterest pins that I liked (Garlicky Broccoli Rabe Pasta and Asparagus, Goat Cheese & Lemon Pasta), and figured I’d get to the store and call an audible based on what I found. Unfortunately, Publix didn’t have any broccoli rabe, and I wasn’t in the mood for anything super lemony (I’ve kind of exhausted that lately), so I decided to grab an element or two of each and just wing it. And thus, Pasta with Mixed Greens and Goat Cheese was born!

I always have kale on hand, and I had some random greens (komatsuna, arugula, maybe something else?) and a ~~shallot (scallion? let me know~~ wow, leeks…it was a time of innocence) from my weekly box o’ farm veggies that I needed to use up. And, MAN, did it hit the spot tonight?!

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Pasta Recipes You’ll Love

Simple, Traditional Cacio e Pepe Pasta

A couple tips to make your cacio e pepe spectacular:

Pesto Goat Cheese Pasta with Zucchini

Creamy Smoked Salmon Pasta with Veggies

Authentic Ligurian Trofie Pasta by Hand (with Fresh Pesto)

Melty Cheesy Zucchini Baked Pasta

Pasta with Spinach, Tomatoes, & Feta

Kale & Walnut Pesto (with & without Whole Wheat Pasta)

Creamy Sweet Potato Pasta with Crispy Kale

Mac & Cheese with Kale, Roasted Butternut Squash, & Chicken Sausage

Mom’s Famous Lasagna

Baked Pasta with Broccolini, Kale, & Sausage

Easy Roasted Vegetable Mac and Cheese

Creamy Charred Corn & Leek Fettuccine

Garlicky Spinach & Chicken Pasta with Goat Cheese

Cavatappi with Goat Cheese, Tomatoes, Kale, & Grilled Zucchini

Pasta with Easy No-Cook Sauce

Pasta With Roasted Peppers, Sausage, & Goat Cheese

Creamy Chicken Mushroom Pasta

Giovanna’s Pasta con Pesto

Pasta with Gorgonzola, Chicken, Brussels Sprouts & Caramelized Onions

Rosemary Chicken Lasagna

Traditional Tuscan Pasta With Walnut Sauce & Arugula (Version 1)

Leftover Pasta Frittata

Easy Baked Beer Mac & Cheese

Tomato, Spinach, & Roasted Garlic Pasta with Ricotta

Pasta with Asparagus, Lemon, Goat Cheese, & Kale

Baked Ziti with Summer Veggies & Chicken Sausage

Pasta with Heirloom Tomatoes & Ricotta

Kitchen Sink Pasta, the unendingly-versatile dinner (Pasta with Sausage, Cabbage, & Kale)

Pasta with Mixed Greens & Goat Cheese

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