This is not a recipe that I make very often because of the expensive ingredients, but it does make a lot of pasta so, if there are people coming over for dinner, or it's a special occasion, it's a good choice. This is also a really easy way to look like you know how to cook fancy. Feel free to mix up the seafood choices if you can't find some of these items in your supermarket. This would even be good with some cooked salmon.
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 c shallot, minced
- 2 tsp garlic, chopped
- kosher salt/pepper
- 2 c tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
- 1 lbs fresh mussels, scrubbed (you can buy canned if you don't want the hassle)
- 1 lbs medium shrimp
- 2 c dry white wine
- 1 lbs lump crab meat, cleaned
- 1/2 c chopped green onion
- 1 lbs penne pasta, cooked
- 4 oz grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 c chiffonade fresh basil
- white truffle oil
1 In a large saute pan eat the oil. Add the shallots and garlic and saute about 2 minute on low heat. Season with salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes and saute for 1 minute. Add the mussels and shrimp and season again with salt and pepper. Let this saute for 2 minutes.
2. Add the wine and scrape all the bits ff the bottom of the pan. Bring this to a simmer and cover; cook until shells open, about 4 to 6 minutes. Add the crab meat and green onions and saute for 1 minute. Add the pasta, toss and combine cooking until the pasta is heated through, about 7 minutes.
3. Toss the pasta with the cheese and basil. Spoon onto a large serving plate and drizzle with just a little truffle oil. ENJOY!!
This is one of my all time favorite recipes. I pretty much lived on this in college because it was so easy and quick. I still make this as a quick lunch or even dinner for the kids with some roasted broccoli. I have even substituted broccoli for the pasta if I didn't want to eat any carbs that day. YUM!!
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 Tbsp ground cumin
- 1/2 Tbsp lemon pepper
- 2 chicken breasts, boneless (you can also use a white fish, pork, or chicken tenders)
- 4 oz. spiral pasta, cooked (I like the multi-colored ones, but any short pasta here would work)
1. Melt about half the butter in a medium skillet. Season the chicken with the cumin and lemon pepper. When the butter gets hot, add the chicken to the pan and cook through, flipping once. This should take about 5 minutes per side.
*Remember to make sure the finished temperature is above 165 degrees.
2. Remove the chicken from the pan and let it rest on a plate. Melt the remaining butter in the same pan and add any remaining cumin and lemon pepper you might have. Toss the pasta into the butter mixture and cook until hot and even a little brown on the edges. (This gives your pasta a little texture.) This should take 4-5 minutes.
3. Serve along side the chicken and add a green vegetable for a full meal. ENJOY!!
This is my version of a deconstructed Hamburger Helper. I like to make this when it starts getting a little cooler outside. Since I usually keep all these ingredients (except ground beef) in my pantry, this is a really inexpensive meal for us. Let's get started...
Ingredients
- 1/2 small onion (chopped)
- 1 lb ground beef (turkey or pork could be substituted)
- 1/4 c red wine
- 1 packet onion soup mix
- 1 c water
- 1 Roma tomato (chopped)
- 4 chopped scallions
- 4 c cooked pasta (about 1 1/2 c raw)
1. Saute the ground beef in a large skillet until browned and cooked through. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon as you go. This should take about 5 minutes on medium heat. Throw in the onion and saute until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
2. Deglaze the pan with the red wine and scrape all the good bits off the bottom of the pan. Then add the soup mix and the water and mix well to get all the lumps out. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens.
3. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper if needed. The soup mix is condensed and pretty salty, so you probably won't need it.
4. Turn off the heat and add the tomatoes and scallions. If you would like to cook these ingredients it's up to you, but I like freshness of them being just heated through.
5. Pour the meat sauce over some cooked noodles and serve with a nice salad and some garlic bread. ENJOY!!
