Zucchini Bowtie Pasta

I think I've mentioned before that we eat a lot of pasta. A lot. So, what better thing to write about than a dish we eat at least every other week? We like to vary our pasta forms, so for this dish we use bowtie (farfalle) pasta. We've used rotini in the past, but it's just not the same. Well, I guess it does taste the same, but...eh. The shape seems to at least hold a mental importance. In some dishes, the shape of the pasta is actually important--there are certain pasta varieties that are suited better for different textures of sauces. For instance: linguine, fettuccine, and other thick strips of pasta are generally suited for heavy, creamy sauces. Thin pastas, like angel hair, do well with light sauces, thin sauces. Shaped pastas, like rotini, ziti, or mostaccioli , do well with chunky sauces. Check out this website for ideas on what to do with all those other fun shapes you find at the store.

This recipe is really simple and fast. It should be, since it was adapted from a Rachael Ray 30 minute meal. It can also be used as a side dish for a main dish such as chicken Parmesan or breaded chicken, or the like. Very versatile!

Zucchini Bowtie Pasta
adapted from 30 Minute Meals by Rachael Ray

Ingredients:
16 oz. bowtie pasta
1 zucchini, cut into matchsticks
1 yellow squash, cut into matchsticks
5-6 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced (we do this is a mini food processor)
about a cup (or more) shredded Parmesan cheese
olive oil
salt and pepper


Directions:
1. Cook bowtie pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1-2 ladle fulls of starchy water for later and drain the rest.
2. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Saute garlic in oil 1-2 minutes. Add zucchini and squash and saute until soft (8-10 minutes). Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add the reserved starchy water to the skillet and stir 1 minute. Add pasta to skillet and stir all together (water should begin to absorb into pasta). Sprinkle cheese over top and stir until cheese is melted.


Enjoy!

Rotini with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce and Onion Roasted Potatoes

There has been a lull in posting--if you check this often, my apologies. I have still been cooking, but finding the time to put the recipe and pictures on here has been tricky. In addition, I have been pouring through culinary magazines like nobody's business. By doing that, sometimes if we just don't have time to cook, it makes me feel like I still made even a slight attempt to be "culinary" for the day.

Lucas and I are big pasta eaters. In fact, some weeks we probably have pasta with every meal. Recently we have tried to use whole wheat pasta when available to add a semblance of healthiness to our fast and carbohydrate loaded dishes. The latest issue of Food & Wine (February 2008) has an article dedicated to fast, hearty pastas. It was, of course, the first article I read when I opened the magazine. Thus far, we have tried 2 of the recipes with minor adaptations to both. I can't say I've been really pleased with either--although I can't say that isn't because I didn't stay true to the original recipe or I just didn't care for the dish. I am picking one of the two to share (in my opinion , the slightly better of the two). This dish involves a roasted red pepper sauce. I have made a roasted red pepper sauce in the past, and was looking forward to seeing how mine compared with the recipe in the magazine. In the end, I think both Lucas and I preferred my version because it is a bit more flavorful--I will post that here sometime and you can compare them yourselves. The main difference in the 2 is the source of fat--my version uses heavy cream and this one uses olive oil. Take your pick, I guess.

For this recipe you will need the following ingredients:
3/4 lb. rotini noodles (I used whole wheat)
6 oz. roasted red peppers (if you don't have access to fresh, you can find them in jars)
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
3 T. tomato paste
1 large garlic clove
3 fresh basil leaves
1/2 lb. salted fresh mozzerella cheese cut into 1/2" cubes
salt and pepper

1. Boil the water and add the rotini noodles. Cook according to package directions.
2. In a blender, puree the red peppers, olive oil, tomato paste, garlic, and basil leaves until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Heat the sauce in a small sauce pan until simmering.

4. Drain the pasta place into a large serving bowl. Toss with the sauce, mozzarella cubes, and if desired, top with fresh basil.

Now, I'm not saying this recipe wasn't good at all--we definitely ate it all, and even had leftovers the next day--I'm just saying it could use some tweaking for my taste. You might try it and love it. If you do try it and make any changes, let me know so I can give them a try.

Our side dish was onion roasted potatoes, a staple since Lucas and I first got married. It is easy, quick, and always tasty. It is also readily adaptable to size of crowd you are feeding. I make it with new (red) potatoes and for that use one potato per person. If you are using russet or other large potato, you may just need 1 for every 2 people.


Ingredients:
1 packet dried onion soup (e.g., Liptons)
olive oil
potatoes, cut into cubes

1.. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Coat potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle on onion soup--stir until well coated. I usually use less than a whole packet--just sprinkle and stir until the potatoes are completely coated and save the rest for next time. Use enough olive oil to coast, but you don't want a pool at the bottom of the pan either.
3. Place potatoes on baking sheet and bake in oven for 30-40 minutes, or until tender. Stir halfway through to ensure even cooking.

Enjoy!