Chicken Milano

This pasta dish is a fantastic change from the usual tomato-based pasta sauces you usually see.  Sun-dried tomatoes and chicken make for a great combination; the cream and chicken broth makes the sauce thick and decadent (though a bit fattening of course, swap for half and half if you’re calorie conscious).  I highly encourage making this dish for company, it takes a bit over half an hour, so it’s quick, but the taste will definitely impress your guests and make them think you spent a lot more time in the kitchen than you really did.  Serve with garlic bread and a green salad and you’ve got a perfect meal!

Ingredients (serves 4):

1 tbsp butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 onion, diced

1/2 c sun-dried tomatoes

1 c chicken broth

1 c heavy cream (or half and half; makes for a slightly thinner sauce, but much less calories)

1 tbsp olive oil

2 chicken breasts, cut into pieces

salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp basil

8 oz pasta of your choice

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.

2. In a saucepan over low heat, melt butter; add garlic and onions and cook for about 1 minute.  Add tomatoes and chicken broth, increase to medium heat and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes.  Add cream and bring to a boil; simmer over medium heat until the sauce thickens.

3. Meanwhile, Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and saute in oil over medium heat.  When fully cooked, stir chicken and basil into cream sauce.  Serve sauce on top of sauce.

Pasta with Spicy Vodka Tomato Cream Sauce

We bought vodka about a month and a half ago for a little Halloween get-together we had…and it’s still sitting on our counter.  I really don’t like vodka very much when it comes to drinks, and it would seem neither do my roommates.  Now attempting to use it in recipes is certainly not going to get rid of the rest of that handle very quickly, but it’s certainly worth an attempt.  And if you’re concerned about the vodka in the recipe, don’t be.  I won’t say it cooks off entirely, I don’t think it really simmers with the vodka added for long enough to do that, but there’s so little in there the alcohol itself won’t really make a difference.

The only adjustment I would make to this recipe next time (and would recommend to you) is changing the pasta.  I used thin spaghetti, because that’s what I had in the cabinet, but I’m thinking some sort of shaped pasta (or at least something thicker) would be better for this sauce.  Whatever, it’s delicious either way.

Ingredients (makes about 8 servings):

1 lb pasta

1 link kielbasa, sliced (use sweet Italian sausage if you can get it, but Wal-Mart of course didn’t have any when I was there)

2 Tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup half and half

1 Tbsp cornstarch

2 Tbsp vodka

 Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

2. In large skillet, heat oil over moderate heat.  Add the sausage and cook until brown. Add garlic and red pepper and cook, stirring until garlic is golden brown.

3. Add tomatoes and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.

4. In a small bowl, combine half and half and cornstarch and mix well.  Add cream mixture and vodka to sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and add pasta, toss for 1 minute.

 

Spinach and Feta Pasta

Quick pasta recipes are a must.  I think everyone should have a few quick and easy pasta recipes in their cooking arsenal.  That way, on those days when you just don’t have much time or don’t feel like putting forth too much effort, you can still have a delicious dinner that didn’t come from a box or a drive-thru.  Quick pasta dishes are also great because you can use whatever random bits of vegetable (or even meat) you have left over from previous meals to make them.  This Greek-inspired pasta is perfect for that.  You’ve got half an onion and some random tomatoes leftover from yesterday?  Perfect!  No mushrooms?  That’s ok, use that half a jar of artichoke hearts you’ve had sitting in the fridge for two weeks.  No extra trips to the store necessary.

Ingredients (serves 4)

8oz pasta (I used spaghetti this time because it’s what I had, but in the past I’ve used penne or similar shaped pasta and I think that tends to work a bit better in a dish like this)

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 a small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

3 cups chopped tomatoes (thanks Ms. Adam’s for the cherry tomatoes!)

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

2 cups spinach leaves

salt and pepper to taste

pinch of crushed red pepper

splash of white wine (maybe 2 tbsp?)

8 oz feta cheese, crumbled

 

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add onions and garlic and cook until golden brown.  Mix in tomatoes, mushrooms, and spinach.  Season with salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, and wine.  Cook until tomatoes are heated through and spinach is wilted, about 2-3 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and stir in pasta and feta before serving.

Kielbasa Pasta

I made pierogies (not from scratch, just the frozen kind…although I really want to make an attempt at homemade pierogies one of these days…) with kielbasa and sauerkraut a few weeks ago for myself and today I realized I STILL had some of the kielbasa chilling in the freezer.  Needless to say, it needed to get eaten pretty soon.  I wasn’t really feeling more pierogies, so I decided to make some pasta with it instead.  Yesterday I bought a bunch of green peppers at the farmer’s market here in town, so this dish seemed like the perfect use for both of these ingredients.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 lb kielbasa (I use turkey kielbasa, but whatever), sliced and cut in half

1 small green pepper (about 1/2-3/4 cup), chopped

1/2 a small onion (maybe 1/3 cup), chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 can diced tomatoes

8oz pasta (I used penne, but use whatever you want)

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, saute the kielbasa, green pepper, onion and garlic in oil until sausage is lightly browned. Stir in tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Spoon kielbasa mixture over pasta to serve and top with cheese.