Quick Easy Tomato Basil Pasta

Hello everyone!!! So i super apologize for not blogging last week. I was extremely busy and just spaced it! So i hope you have all had a great couple of weeks and a great mothers day!! My husband brought home flowers because i am a mom to our dogs! :) He is cute!
So on Saturday the 12th I was in a cooking competition called the Fud Fued and made Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps. I will give you all the recipe sometime. I entered in the appetizer category and received third place!!! A couple of the judges were The Food Nanny from BYUtv and Judge Jaxon who owns a cooking school in Park City. So it is kind of fun who they get. Last year I made chicken egg rolls and got third place as well. I received some fun prizes that i am excited to use :) All in all it was a fun experience that my husband. mom, step dad, aunt and a couple of friends were able to enjoy with me!
On the weight loss I have lost 6-7 pounds. I need to kick it in gear!!! Yesterday I started noticing where i might be losing weight...... ITS THE LAST PLACE I WANNA LOSE WEIGHT!!...... but oh well.

Anyway on to the recipe for today.... I have made a bunch of recipes in the past few weeks that i am so excited to share with you and some horrible ones i will share so you know not to try them!! But last nights dinner was sooooooo good I couldnt wait till today to blog about it......

Super Quick Tomato Basil Cream Pasta
Serves Two (i always cook way to much pasta so i got enough for 3-4)
1 Large, ripe tomato (2 cups roughly chopped, 1 1/2 cups blended)
1/2 Cup Raw Cashews
1 Tbs Tomato Paste ( i did two TBSP)
1/4 Cup Water

2 Tbs Olive Oil
2-4 Cloves Garlic, minced, optional

6 Ounces (ish) Whole Wheat Spaghetti

1 tsp Salt
2-3 Tbs Wine or Water, optional
1-2 tsp Freshly Cracked, Coarse Black Pepper
1 Large Handful Fresh Basil Leaves, chopped

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil. Once boiling add pasta.
Core the tomato, then roughly chop it. Add it to your blender, seeds, skin and all. Add cashews, tomato paste, and water. Blend until very smooth. (seriously blend for awhile)
Add olive oil to a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute until golden, being careful not to burn.
Pour sauce from the blender into the saute pan and bring to a simmer.
Add salt and let cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
If desired add wine/water to thin out the sauce. ( i did 3 Tbsp of wine, it cooks out)
Taste and season more if necessary.
Let simmer until pasta is finished cooking. (my pasta was done way before, so i drained it and let it sit)
Once pasta is cooked, drain.
Add pasta to the saute pan with black pepper and freshly chopped basil leaves. Toss to coat. Serve immediately, garnishing with more pepper and basil.
(i added a handful of parmesan cheese :/......)

So i was really nervous with this because my mom and i tried making a tomato basil soup with chopped on almonds and it was just soo chunky we couldnt handle it. So this sauce being made with cashews i was nervous... because even after i blended awhile it was still slightly chunky. WELL, the cooking it 4-5 minutes makes it soft and it was DELICIOUS!! My husband and I both ate it so fast!! 

Just ate the leftovers for lunch and it was soooo delicious!! Im so excited about this recipe!!  

We had ours with chicken that was marinated in a Lawreys Tuscan Dried Tomato Herbs and some Asparagus :)

Angel Chicken

So, did I chase you all away after my last post? Sometimes I'm not in the best mindset for blogging. I think I was in a rambling mood that day. Surprising you even got a recipe out of that! Anyway, I'm back {sort of} and trying to figure out how to make my computer time more effective so that I can share recipes more often. 

I found this recipe in a Kraft recipes magazine I got ages ago. I think it was a 2009 magazine. But I only just recently got around to trying it out. So so tasty! And the best part is this recipe is perfect for doing in the crock pot so it can be a make-ahead, too. I love those!

Angel Chicken
Recipe from Kraft

4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) Cream Cheese, very soft
1 can  cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup Italian Dressing
1/4 cup  chicken broth
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 lb.  angel hair pasta, uncooked
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley OR 2 tsp dried parsley

Directions:
Put your chicken pieces into a frying pan with a small bit of oil. Cook on medium heat for 3-5 minutes, or until chicken is done. Turn heat down to low and cover while completing next part.

Beat first 4 ingredients with whisk until well blended; pour over chicken in pan. Simmer on medium/low for 10-15 minutes to let the flavors blend. {Alternate cooking method: put the chicken in a crock pot; cover with the cream cheese mixture. Cook on low 4 to 5 hours or on high 2 to 3 hours.}

Cook pasta as directed on package; drain. Serve topped with chicken mixture and parsley. {Note: if using the dried parsley, mix it into the chicken mixture just before serving.}

Tuesday with Tierra! (Cheesy Bacon Penne)

Hello All!!! I hope you all had a fabulous 4th of July! I would like to apologize for not posting a blog last week, as Jessica explained I had worked for 13-14 hours and was exhausted. I will do my best to schedule blogs now lol However, thank you Jessica for posting a blog in my place!! :D
This weeks blog is amazing! It became a new favorite of mine and my hubbys!
I found this recipe in Taste of Home 100 Best Recipes and let me tell you so far so good out of the recipes I have tried in there.
Now I love Mac and Cheese. I am like a little kid with how much I love Mac and Cheese, but I am pretty picky about it. I have tried making many different kinds to find that perfect homemade cheese sauce and I think I might have finally found the perfect sauce and shoot add bacon to it and BAM! it is bound to be awesome! lol
Cheesy Bacon Penne
4-6 Servings

You Will Need:
2 C uncooked penne pasta
1 Garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp pepper
2 C milk
3 C shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 C crumbled cooked bacon

Directions:
1:Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2: Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, saute garlic in butter for 1 minute. Stir in flour and pepper until smooth; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat; stir in 2 cups of cheese until melted. Remove from the heat.

3: Drain pasta; add pasta and 1/3 C bacon to cheese sauce. Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese and bacon. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.



Enjoy!!

Tuesday with Tierra (Macaroni Salad)

Hello Again!! What a beautiful Tuesday! So today I am going to be posting a Macaroni Salad recipe. Now let me tell you this is not like any Macaroni salad you have ever had. Its not like when you go to the deli. No this salad has a sweet taste to it. I actually made it at Jessica's Baby Shower and it was such a hit! My cousin Brook actually said she thinks its a cross between a Potato Salad and a Macaroni Salad.
Now this salad is kind of time consuming but totally worth it! My husband can eat platefuls of it, no exaggeration!

Macaroni Salad
Originated from my husbands grandmother, and then my mother in law, and then again changed by me lol

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon ground mustard
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup vinegar
1 cup water
3 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons butter
Dash celery seed
4 cups small or medium shell macaroni
⅓ cup sweet pickle, chopped
⅓ cup bell pepper, chopped (i do not use this)
⅓ cup green olives, chopped ( i do not use this)
⅓ cup sweet onion, finely chopped (i do not use this)
4 hard-cooked eggs, chilled
½ lb. meaty bacon, fried and crumbled
4 oz. chopped pimientos, drained ( i do not use this)
Mayonnaise ( i do not use this)
Paprika

Directions:
In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, combine sugar, ground mustard, flour, salt, vinegar, and water. Stir until thickened.
Meanwhile beat 3 eggs in a small bowl and pour part of the boiled mixture in with the eggs stirring briskly. Once mixed well pour back into the saucepan. Then stir in butter and celery seed. Chill. ( You want to cook the egg but stirring briskly makes it so that the egg wont chunk up, if it does slightly thats okay)

Cook macaroni according to package instructions. Drain. Rinse in cool water. Chill.

To chilled macaroni, add chopped vegetables. Chill until ready to serve.
Just before serving, combine half of amount of dressing desired with equal amount mayonnaise. Fold into macaroni mixture. Stir in three chopped eggs, pimientos, and the bacon, folding gently. Slice one egg for garnish. Sprinkle surface of salad with paprika. (Keep in mind i do not do that mayo part, I dont feel like it needs it. However, my mom in law thinks it makes it not as sweet. So try both and figure out what you like.)

So as you can see there are a few steps to this.. but if you work it out where you make the sauce and pasta in the morning (which does not take long at all) then two of the steps are out of the way.
The cook the bacon and boil some eggs. Cut up whatever veggies you want in it and then when comes dinner time you can just throw it all together!


Enjoy!!! :D

Tuesday With Tierra! (Pasta Alfredo)

Welcome back to the second recipe by Tuesday with Tierra. Now this particular recipe is one of my favorites! I absolutely love Alfredo! The only downfall is how much butter and cream there is so unfortunately I cannot have this every day like I would like but it is fantastic!

This recipe stemmed from my sister-in-law and then my mother-in-law and now I have revised it to make it mine :D

Pasta Alfredo

You will need:

16 oz pasta
3/4 cup butter
1 cup cream
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tsp parsley
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup diced onion

1: In a medium sauce pan bring water to a boil and add in the 16 oz pasta, boil till tender.
2: While the pasta is boiling saute onion till tender, in the butter on a large frying pan.
3: Add in garlic to the frying pan when the onions are almost tender and do not let the garlic get to brown.
4: When the butter is melted and bowling add in the cream and bring to boil. Once it is brought to a boil, boil for about 5 minutes and the sauce should thicken.
5: Drain the pasta and add to the pan with the sauce.
6: Mix in parsley, parm cheese, and pepper. Mix well!

Serve on plates and Enjoy!

A nice addition to the pasta is Chicken. Take 1 chicken breast and add to a crock pot with 1 cup water. Season with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp thyme. Cook on high for 2-3 hours or until able to pull apart. Then mix in with the pasta and sauce.

Check back next week for another Awesome Recipe!!

Beef Steamer

I have no idea where I originally found the idea for this recipe. It's something that a lot of people probably figure has been around forever, I just hadn't made anything similar before this. Anyway, as I said, I don't remember where I found the original inspiration. But I took the idea and ran with it and this is what I came up with. 

This recipe is pretty much perfect for kids. I can't think of a kid I know who wouldn't like this stuff. It's a very simple, no-nonsense kind of recipe. Really, just meaning that it isn't complex with the flavors. The simplicity makes it a quick lunch or kid's meal, and since you put lots of veggies in it, I would feel okay feeding it to my daughter - at least, as soon as she is old enough to eat food like this, that is!.

Beef Steamer

Recipe from Cucina di Harwood

1 can chili

1 can tomoato soup

1/2 Tbsp. Chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1/3 tsp salt

1 lb. ground beef

1 cup dry macaroni or other pasta, cooked

1 onion, chopped

2-3 large carrots, grated

2-3 large florets of broccoli, chopped in small pieces {optional}

1/2-1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Directions:

Brown hamburger with onion; add green pepper just before the burger is completely cooked. If the hamburger is very greasy, add some flour to help soak up the grease. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook until warmed through.

If you would like the steamer a little more like soup, you could add some water. The macaroni and the cheese can be substituted for leftover macaroni and cheese.

Delicious & Easy Bow-Ties

I really love pasta.It's a serious weakness. Pasta and breads. I could eat a whole meal of fresh made bread. It doesn't matter what kind. I love it. Pasta is pretty much the same way. I never get tired of pasta. Now, if you combine pasta, tomatoes and bacon, you can just about guarantee I'll eat it. And eat it I did! Mmm ... just the thought of this is making my mouth water!

Delicious and Easy Bow Ties

Recipe from Western Family

Ingredients:

1 lb. bow tie pasta, cooked an drained

1 lb. bacon, cooked until crisp; drain and crumble {use the real stuff ... don't substitute turkey bacon here ... ask me why I know}

2 cans (14.5 oz) Italian Stewed Tomatoes, drained

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

3 cups fresh spinach leaves {I think if you slice these up, it tastes better and leftovers work better}

1 cup green onions, thinly sliced

1 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced, OR 2 tsp. dried basil leaves

1 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a deep skillet heat tomatoes and garlic over medium heat.

Add bacon, spinach, onions and basil to skillet and simmer until spinach is slightly wilted.

Add bow tie pasta and toss.

Add cheese and serve immediately.

Bowtie Chicken Caesar Salad

As promised, here is the recipe to use that delicious Marinated Chicken in. I think this is probably my favorite salad and a perfect summer option {yes, I'm aware that it is no longer summer, but salads can taste good in the fall too!}. 

Bowtie Chicken Caesar Salad
Favorite Family Recipes

1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped
Caesar salad dressing (about 1/4 c., but really it's to taste - I often put in a little more because of the lettuce amount)
Bowtie pasta (cooked to al dente, drained and cooled)
Marinated chicken, cooled and cubed (see link)
Cherry tomatoes (I have used regular tomatoes, diced, and they taste great)
Mushrooms, sliced (I usually just put in a small can if I don't have fresh ones. I actually love the salad without them too)
Olives, sliced (honestly, I've never used these - I don't really think the salad needs them)
Sunflower seeds (optional - never used these either)
Croutons
Parmesan cheese (freshly shredded, of course!)

Directions:
Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. Top with additional parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

{Note: I think this salad would also be delicious with other additions: sliced bell peppers, chopped cucumbers, sliced grapes, mandarine oranges}

Ranch Chicken Crock Pot

I honestly don't remember where this recipe came from. I wish I did - or that I would have taken better notes, as I should have. But, alas! there is no note as to the origins of this recipe. If you are the composer of this delicious goodness, please know that I would love to give you credit for it if only I could remember who you are!
My lack of bad record keeping aside, this recipe is a favorite. My husband and I love it and we recently made it when we had company over and our company loved it too! They all asked for the recipe and since I've been meaning to get back into the habit of sharing recipes here, I decided this would be where I would start again. This is an easy-peasy recipe. You pretty much can't go wrong with it. I hope you enjoy!

Ranch Chicken Crock Pot

4-6 chicken breasts

½ cup water

1 packet dry ranch dressing mix

1 (8oz) container cream cheese, softened (1/3 reduced fat works just as well as regular)

2 cans cream of chicken soup

Optional:

Mozzarella Cheese

Breadcrumbs

Directions:

Pour water into crock pot. Add chicken; sprinkle with ranch dressing mix. Cook on high for 3-4 hours, or until chicken is cooked through. When chicken is completely cooked, take it out and shred it. Do not discard juices from crock pot.

Mix cream cheese and cream of chicken soup together so they are well mixed. Add cream cheese mixture to juices in the crock pot and heat through. Add shredded chicken.

Serving suggestions:

1) Mix completed chicken mixture with some cooked pasta and place in a casserole dish. Cover with mozzarella cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until warm through and cheese is bubbly.

This photo is with the pasta. I don't have any photos of the chicken mixture served over rice {as per suggestion number 2}. But I'm sure you can figure it out!

2) Leaving chicken mixture in crock pot, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and allow to melt. Serve over rice. {This one is my favorite, though the first one is also good.}

Macaroni and Cheese _ 1

This is pretty good macaroni cheese recipe, though I'm still in search of that perfect recipe. We like our macaroni and cheese to be cheesy and creamy, but I'm not a fan of Velveeta {or some other such processed cheese}, which seems to be the best way to get really creamy macaroni and cheese. This recipe really is pretty good, though I don't recommend using the onions and it really should be served right away as that is when it tastes the very best. It is really quite creamy & delicious though the cheese flavor isn't the strongest - but if you want a fairly quick, creamy homemade macaroni and cheese dish, this is it.

Macaroni and Cheese _ 1
Recipe inspiration & some directions/measurements came from Family Dinners by Janet Peterson.

2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cups milk
2-3 cups grated cheddar cheese {can use another variety if desired}
1 package pasta {I probably used around 9-10 ounces; I just cooked up a bunch of pasta and added until I felt there was a good ratio and used the leftover pasta with spaghetti sauce}
1/4-1/2 cup chopped onion or 1 1/2 Tbsp. dried minced onion {optional; we used this and didn't really like the flavor it added so we probably won't do it again}
1/2-3/4 cup sour cream

Directions:
Melt butter in a large saucepan {saute your onion at this point if you are going to use it}. Stir in flour, salt and pepper and cook for about 1 minute {it's best if you have all these ingredients measured out and ready - once you put the flour in the cooking goes quickly and you'll want to stir the flour frequently so it doesn't burn}. Add milk; cook and stir over medium heat until slightly thickened {add up to 1 Tbsp more flour if the milk isn't thickening enough & be sure to stir frequently or the milk will burn on the bottom of the pan}. Add cheese and sour cream stirring until melted. Stir in the pasta. Serve immediately.

Variation:
Transfer the pasta/sauce mixture to a baking dish and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until slightly browned and bubbly. {I recommend using slightly less pasta so there will appear to be excess sauce - if you don't do this your macaroni will end up being kind of dry and it won't be creamy anymore.}

Optional Ingredients:
1 tsp. dry mustard or 1-2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 package {8 oz} cream cheese
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/3 cup fine bread crumbs

Italian Pasta with Tomato & Basil

This is perhaps one of my all-time favorite pasta recipes. I love it! Since I have tried it, I just don’t see pasta in the same light – I could eat this until there wasn’t a bit left. So yummy!

Italian Pasta with Tomato & Basil

Prep Time: 20 min Total Time: 20 min
Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

3 cups chopped tomatoes
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Parmesan, Romano, and Asiago Cheeses, divided {I just used shredded mozzarella – that’s what I had on hand and I didn’t buy extra cheese that I normally wouldn’t have purchased anyway.}1 Tbsp. sliced fresh basil {I use about a tsp or so of dried basil and it works just fine; more or less to taste}
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 cups (8 oz.) bow tie pasta, cooked, drained {or any kind of past you desire; I’ve used penne and fettuccine noodles, as well as bow tie – it all tastes good}

Directions:
Mix tomatoes, 3/4 cup of the cheese, basil, garlic and oil. Add to hot pasta in large bowl; toss to coat. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese.
Great Substitute: Prepare as directed, substituting 2 tsp. dried basil leaves for the fresh basil.

Cheesy Stuffed Shells

I really enjoyed this meal. It wasn’t too difficult to make {it would be especially easy if you actually just cooked the pasta al dente so it’s not too soft. I had a lot of shells that were too soft and didn’t hold up very well while I filled them – I wasn’t paying attention while they cooked!} and it tastes very yummy! I did forget to put in the spinach but I’m sure it would taste wonderful with spinach as well.

Cheesy Stuffed Shells

Ingredients:
24 uncooked jumbo pasta shells
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided {This is the only kind of cheese I used; I didn’t add the asiago.}
1 cup shredded asiago cheese
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup cottage cheese {I only used cottage cheese – I actually cut the recipe in half and just used a whole cup of cottage cheese. Saved me money and tasted just fine.}
4 tablespoons minced chives
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry {I imagine you could also use fresh spinach if washed and then added in the same way the frozen spinach would be}.
4 cups meatless spaghetti sauce, divided

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to package directions. In a small bowl, combine half the mozzarella cheese, asiago cheese, ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, chives, and 1 cup of the spinach. (Save remaining spinach for other uses.) Spread 2 cups of the spaghetti sauce into a shallow 9×13-inch glass baking dish coated with cooking spray. Drain pasta; stuff shells with cheese mixture and arrange in baking dish.

Top with remaining spaghetti sauce and mozzarella. Bake 30 minutes.

Serves 4 to 6.
Deseret Book, 2008; Photo by Ned Horton.
http://www.ldsliving.com/magazine/show/2006/Proven-Meals-for-Picky-Eaters

Lazy Lasagna

In case you haven't figured it out yet, I'm a "recipe borrower." I love to "borrow" other people's recipes and make them, sometimes "perfect" them to my tastes, and claim them as my own. However, I try to be sure and give credit where credit is due. For example, today's recipe comes from the Kraft kitchen. And if you ever have a recipe that you are just dying to share with me {which I will inevitably post on this blog} please send it my way!
Moral of the story, I'm not very creative. I'm trying though. Actually, I'm working on perfecting a few small things {and when I say small, I really mean small!} Someday you will see a lot more original creations {by moi!} on here. For now, I'm gonna keep borrowing recipes.

Lazy Lasagna
Prep Time: 10 min Total Time: 1 hr 10 min
Makes: 8 servings

Ingredients:
1 container (24 oz.) Low Fat Cottage Cheese
1/2 cup cholesterol-free egg product
2 cups Mozzarella Cheese, divided
1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce {I used more than this - 1 jar + 1 can Garlic & Basil Tomato Sauce - and I wish I would have used even more}
2 cups frozen BOCA Ground Crumbles {I used ground turkey for this - I have a hard time buying "ready cooked" meat when it doesn't take very long to cook my own. And the turkey is a bit healthier than normal ground beef.}
2 cups rotini pasta, uncooked

Directions:
Heat oven to 350°F. Mix cottage cheese, egg product and 1 cup mozzarella; set aside. Combine sauce and crumbles; spread 1/2 onto bottom of 13x9-inch pan sprayed with cooking spray.
Cover with layers of pasta and 1/2 of cottage cheese mixture; top with remaining sauce and cottage cheese mixtures. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella; cover with foil.
Bake 1 hour, removing foil after 30 min. Remove from oven; let stand 10 min. before cutting to serve.

Substitute: 2 beaten eggs for the egg product.

Note: this recipe is called "lazy" because you do not have to cook the noodles. I repeat, do not cook the noodles ahead of time. It'll be so quick - you may never go back to regular lasagna! Also, if you're a "two-people" family like we are, I would highly recommend cutting this recipe in half and making it in an 8x8 pan. We even had company over when we ate this dish and we were eating it for leftovers for weeks after! {ok, so maybe not quite that long, but it sure felt like it!}

Mediterranean Artichoke Pasta

I found this recipe on KraftFoods.com and thought I'd give it a try. It is a little different. If you aren't used to the flavor of artichokes {which we weren't} then the flavors may take you by surprise a little. Overall, we really liked it. It did make a lot for the two of us {by the time we had leftovers for the third time I was tired of it} but it was still yummy. I think it is best right after it's been cooked when it's nice and warm.

Mediterranean Artichoke Pasta

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. penne pasta, uncooked {as you can see from my pic, I used egg noodle pasta instead . . . and it still tasted great! ;) }
  
• 1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained
  
• 1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained, quartered {we didn't end up using the whole can - we were a little leary since we'd never used artichoke's in anything before - and I'm glad we didn't. It would have been over-kill for me. We also cut them up in smaller sections - but if you are a real artichoke lover, then don't change anything about this recipe!}
  
• 1 can (2-1/4 oz.) sliced pitted ripe olives, drained
  
• 1/4 cup olive oil
  
• 1/4 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
  

Directions:
Cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package. Drain; return to saucepan.
Add remaining ingredients; mix lightly. Cook 5 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

Parmesan Pasta

This pasta was so yummy and super quick to make! What's not to love about that?

Found this recipe at KraftFoods
Prep: 5 min - Total time: 20 min.
Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 8oz spaghette, uncooked
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine (I didn't use this much)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsely (I used dried parsley and just sprinkled it in until I had as much as I wanted)

Directions:
Cook spaghetti in large saucepan as directed on package; drain. Place in bowl; cover to keep warm. (when I drain my pasta, I also like to rinse it a bit unless I put sauce on it right away because otherwise it gets sticky. Rinse in hot water so the pasta doesn't get cold)
Melt butter in same pan on medium heat. Add garlic; cook and stir until tener. Add spaghetti; toss to coat.
Add cheese; mix lightly. top with tomatoes and parsley.



Come back soon for the recipe for the salad. My first ever experiment in the kitchen on my very own. Simple, I know, but it was really very tasty!