Pasta with Brussels Sprouts, Chicken Sausage, and Pesto

I planted Brussels sprouts in my raised bed garden this year and waited patiently all summer for them to grow.  Last weekend I was able to pick a whole bunch of them to use in this delicious pasta dish.  They were fantastic!  I loved this pasta and it was the perfect way to enjoy my homegrown Brussels sprouts.

Isn't the shape of this pasta delicious?

Here are the Brussels sprouts growing in the garden.  Isn't it cool how they grow on a long stalk?  Lots of time at the market, I see the whole stalk for sale, but I only picked the largest sprouts at the bottom, and hopefully the smaller ones near the top will keep growing.  

All ready to go into the oven for roasting...

Pasta with Brussels Sprouts, Chicken Sausage, and Pesto

- 1 lb of fresh Brussels sprouts; cut in half.  Remove any outer yellow leaves

- Extra virgin olive oil

- salt

- pepper

- 1 lb pasta of your choice

- 4 fully-cooked chicken sausage links (flavor of your choice; I used an Italian style flavor), sliced

- 3 cloves garlic; minced

- 1/2 cup pesto (prepared, or make your own)

- freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large bowl, mix together Brussels sprouts, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.  Place on a baking sheet lined with foil or a silpat mat in a single layer.  Roast for 10-20 minutes.  Roasting time will depend on the size of your Brussels sprouts.  Stir halfway through cooking.

2.  While Brussels sprouts are in the oven, cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and set aside reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.

3.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium low heat.  Add garlic and cook for a minute or until fragrant.  Add pasta, Brussels sprouts, sausage, and pesto to skillet.  Stir and cook over low heat until sausage is heated through.  If mixture seems dry, add reserved pasta water until desired consistency.

4.  Serve immediately and top with shredded Parmesan, if desired.

{ Recipe adapted from this one at Gimme Some Oven }

I decided this pasta would be best enjoyed with a glass of vino.  Perfect Sunday dinner :)

If you like Brussels sprouts, I think you will love this dish - It was the perfect Fall meal.  I'm off to the garden to check on the rest of my Brussels sprouts.  I can't wait to use more in another recipe!

One Pot Thai Pasta Bowl

If you like Thai - you will love this dish!  And, it couldn't be simpler.  It's a one pot meal - place all the ingredients together in one pot, cook for 10 minutes, and enjoy.  It's doesn't get much easier than that!  I made this on a Friday night after a long week at work, and it was perfect.

(Recipe adapted from this one at Your Cup of Cake)

One Pot Thai Pasta Bowl

- 12 oz. pasta (spaghetti or linguine; uncooked)

- 4 cups vegetable stock or broth

- 1/2 cup water

- 3 cloves garlic, minced

- 2" section of ginger root; cut into 1/2" long pieces

- 1 large carrot, sliced into 2" long slices

- 1 red bell pepper; sliced into 2" long slices

- 6 green onions; sliced lengthwise and into 2" long pieces

- 1/2 cup roasted, salted peanuts, plus additional for garnish

- 2 tablespoons peanut butter (creamy)

- 1 tablespoon soy sauce

- 1 tablespoon red curry paste (I found this in a tiny jar in the Asian section of my grocery store)

- Juice of 1 lime

- Lime wedges, for garnish

- Fresh cilantro, for garnish

1.  Add all ingredients (except for lime juice, lime wedges, and cilantro) to a medium size stock pot.  Place on stove and bring to a boil over medium / high heat.  Reduce heat to medium / low, and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat.  If all of liquid is not yet absorbed, cover and let sit, about 5 minutes.  Remove ginger pieces and discard.  Stir in lime juice.

2.  Dish out pasta and top with chopped peanuts, lime wedges, and chopped cilantro for garnish.  Enjoy!

I really loved this dish - I'm putting it on my regular meal rotation list.

Weekend Kitchen: Fresh Tomato Pie

I'm calling this the Summer of the Tomato.  My nine tomato plants are going strong and have produced an amazing amount of fruit the last month or so.  I've been planning my meals around the tomatoes!  Not that I'm complaining.  This tomato pie was easy, delicious, and a fantastic way to use up 2.5 lbs of tomatoes!

Does anyone know what variety this heirloom is?  It was labeled as 'Green Zebra' when I bought the little plant.  Clearly, it's not!  It's delicious and I'd love to know what it is so I can plant it again next year.

(Recipe adapted from one by Southern Boy Dishes

Fresh Tomato Pie

- 2.5 pounds of tomatoes (use any combination you'd like!)

- 3/4 cup chopped sweet onion

- 1-3/4 cup Gruyere cheese, grated

- 1/2 cup Parmesan, grated

- 3/4 mayonnaise

- 1/4 cup basil, chiffonade; packed tightly; plus additional for garnish

- 1 teaspoon dried thyme

- salt & pepper

- 1 egg, lightly beaten

- 1 recipe pie crust (I used my old standby from Smitten Kitchen)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Prepare pie crust and place in refrigerator until ready to use.  You can do this the day before, if you'd like.

2.  Cut the tomatoes into 1/4 thick slices.  Place in a single layer on paper towels to remove excess moisture while you prepare the mayo mixture.

3.  In a small bowl, combine cheeses, mayo, basil, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and egg.

4.  Remove pie dough from the refrigerator, and roll out to a round shape to fit in your pie plate.  Place dough in pie plate.

5.  Evenly spread onions on top of pie dough.  Top onion with 1/3 of the mayo mixture. Layer half of tomatoes on top of the mayo mixture.  Repeat with another layer of the mayo mixture and tomatoes, reserving enough tomatoes for the top layer.  Spread out remainder of mayo mixture.  Lay out  last layer of tomatoes on top, overlapping slightly.

6.  Bake in oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until crust is slightly browned and tomatoes are bubbling.  You may want to place your pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet for baking so that the juices don't run down into the oven.

7.  Remove from oven and let cool completely before serving.  Top with additional basil, if desired, before serving.

Darn, this was good.  Summer in a pie.

On another note, can you believe it's September?  I'm in denial, I think.  Luckily, we are in for a week of hot, summer temps, so I won't complain too much!

One Pot Pasta with Basil & Cherry Tomatoes

 

These days, I'm pretty much surviving on tomatoes and basil.  Seriously.  My garden is bursting with both and it's fantastic.  I had a bunch of cherry tomatoes to use and was excited to come across this recipe - a delicious way to use a good 3 cups of them! 

 

One Pot Pasta with Basil & Cherry Tomatoes

- 3 to 3-1/2 cups of cherry tomatoes

- 1 medium onion, sliced thin

- 4 garlic cloves, minced

- large handful of basil leaves, torn or cut into small pieces

- 3 TBS extra virgin olive oil

- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

- 12 oz. of pasta

- 4-1/4 cups water

- fresh Parmesan cheese, grated, for topping

 

Add all ingredients to a large stock pot.  Heat on stove until mixture comes to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and continue cooking for 8-10 minutes or until pasta tastes done, tossing often with tongs.  Even if all of the water is not absorbed, remove from heat, cover and let additional liquid absorb.  Dish out and top with Parmesan.  Enjoy!

 

{ Original recipe is from Martha Stewart - I found it here at Barefeet in the Kitchen }

 

 

This pasta is surprisingly creamy for not having any type of cream in it.  The tomatoes cook down and create a delicious sauce and flavor.  And really, does it get much easier than one pot? 

 

Weekend Kitchen: Tortellini, Pesto, & Mozzarella Skewers

I've found the perfect summer appetizer!  It's fresh, simple, and super easy to put together.  What could be better?

Tortellini, Pesto, & Mozzarella Skewers

Ingredients:

- Cheese tortellini

- Fresh mozzarella balls

- Cherry tomatoes

- Fresh basil leaves

- Pesto (prepared or homemade)

- Skewers (the ones I used are 6" long)

* Quantity of ingredients depends on how many skewers you want to make.

1.  Cook tortellini according to package instructions.  Drain and place in a bowl. Mix in a small amount of pesto so that the pasta doesn't stick together.

2.  Assemble skewers.  Lay first row of skewers on platter and spoon pesto over the tortellini. Continue layering on assembled skewers and topping the tortellini with pesto.

3.  That's it!  Serve and enjoy.

All of a sudden, my cherry tomatoes are ripening by the dozen, so this was the perfect appetizer to make.  The basil also came from my garden (see this post).  It's so nice having fresh produce outside my back door!

Don't the skewers make for a pretty presentation?  

No Cook Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Sauce

This pasta is so quick and easy - you're going to love it.  Perfect for hot summer days when you don't feel like slaving over the stove. 

I used orecchiette pasta for this recipe because it's one of my favorite shapes of pasta for holding sauce.  Also, it means "little ear" in Italian, which is adorable, don't you think?

{ Recipe adapted from one of my favorite food blogs,  The Italian Dish. }

Ingredients:

- 1 lb of your favorite pasta

- 1/2 cup of Parmesan-Reggiano cheeses, chopped into chunks

- 8 oz jar of sun dried tomatos packed in oil (do not drain)

- 2 garlic cloves, peeled

- 1 large handful of fresh basil leaves

- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (less if you don't like the spice)

- salt, to taste

- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water

Directions:

1.  Bring a pot of water to boil.  Add pasta and cook according to package directions.  Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of water, and set aside.

2.  Meanwhile, prepare the sauce.  Add cheese to food processor or blender and process until it is coarsely ground.  Add tomatoes, garlic, basil, pepper, salt, and reserved pasta water.  Process until sauce is combined and almost smooth.

3.  Toss with pasta and enjoy!

Weekend Kitchen: Fettuccine with Creamy Gorgonzola Sauce

 

You know how sometimes you see a recipe and know right there that you need to make it immediately?  That's what happened to me with this one.  Everything about it sounded appealing to me.  Also, this is super simple to make and the ingredients list is not huge.  Serve this with a salad and maybe some warm crusty bread, and you've got a great meal in no time flat! 

 

 

{ recipe adapted from this one found on Apples + Sparkle Blog }

Ingredients:

- 1 lb. fettuccine or similar pasta

- 2 T. extra-virgin olive oil

- 1 large shallot, minced

- 2 garlic cloves, minced

- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

- 28 oz, can whole, peeled tomatoes (do not drain), pureed in blender until almost smooth.

- 1 1/2 c. heavy cream

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1 teaspoon sugar

- 1/2 - 3/4 c. Gorgonzola cheese

- 1/2 c. chopped fresh basil, plus additional for topping if desired

- Freshly grated Parmesan for topping, if desired

Directions:

1.  Start a pot of water on the stove to boil.

2.  Warm olive oil in large sauté pan over medium heat for 30 seconds to a minute.  Add shallot and sauté for 2-3 minutes or until shallot almost starts to brown, stirring occasionally.  Add garlic and pepper flakes and continue to sauté for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add tomatoes and stir to combine.  Next, add cream slowly, stirring as you add.  Add salt and sugar.  Bring mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until sauce is slightly thickened.

3.  Your water should now be boiling.  Add pasta and cook according to package directions or until al dente.  Drain and set aside.

4.  Meanwhile, add gorgonzola to sauce and stir until the cheese has melted and is combined into sauce.  When cheese is combined, add pasta and basil to sauce.  Stir until combined.  Season with salt and pepper if desired.  After plating, top with additional basil and Parmesan, if desired.

{ serves 4 }