Pantry Pasta for Two

Another one of Pioneer Woman's delicious pasta recipes! This past week I was in the mood for pasta so on the menu for this week is 3 pasta dishes (technically 4 if you count the tortellini soup). This cold weather we have been having has made me crave comfort food and what better comfort food than pasta? I decided to give this a whirl and we enjoyed it last night at dinner. My favorite part was the olives, next time I am adding a bunch more because I am an olive lover. We ended up cubing the chicken after it was cooked to make it easier for the kids to eat (we used more than 2 pieces). I think I prefer it this way, though I have nothing to compare it to so what do I know!

Pantry Pasta for  Two by The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• ½ whole Red Onion, Diced
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 can (14.5 Ounce) Diced Tomatoes With Juice
• ⅓ cups Assorted Olives, Pitted And Roughly Chopped
• ⅓ cups White Wine
• 2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Pounded To Even Thickness
• Kosher Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• Grated Parmesan Cheese
• ½ pounds Linguine, Cooked Al Dente And Drained
• 1 teaspoon Olive Oil

Directions

1. Heat medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add olive oil. When warm add diced red onion and stir. Cook slowly for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, then stir and cook for one minute. Pour in diced tomatoes with their juice. Add chopped olives. Stir and cook for a minute or two. 
2. Splash in wine, then stir and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. While sauce is cooking, sprinkle salt and freshly ground black pepper over the chicken breasts. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a separate skillet. Cook on both sides until golden brown and done. Set aside. 
4.  Toss cooked linguine in olive oil and arrange on a small platter. Spoon 3/4 of the sauce over the pasta. Place chicken on top, then spoon remaining sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle on grated Parmesan and serve immediately.

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

Is there a pasta dish by Pioneer Woman that I do not love? I highly doubt it! When it comes to pasta, Ree knows her stuff! I think my obsession with her pasta dishes come from an obsession of fatty products (butter, heavy cream & wine!). It's not a PW recipe if it does not contain butter! 

Growing up in an Italian family pasta was pretty much a novelty. We had pasta at least twice a week and always on the holidays (along with an assortment of meat). But the kicker is, I dont really like "pasta". Sure, I love noodles (carbs anyone?) but when it comes to the sauce, I am not a huge fan. Not only do I not really care for the sauce, the smell is almost nauseating to me. So I avoid pasta usually because that marinara smell does not my mouth water. I dont enjoy homemade sauce, nor do I enjoy the jarred stuff.

This dish however is delicious, its like pasta for grown-ups, except my kids love it to! I could live on this pasta, it's that delicious (as are all her other pasta dishes). What makes it so different? The butter, the cream, and the lack of thick, pasty, tomato sauce. 

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce by The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
• 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 cans (15 Ounce Each) Tomato Sauce Or Marinara Sauce
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• Dash Of Sugar (more To Taste)
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• Grated Parmesan Or Romano Cheese, To Taste
• Fresh Basil, Chopped
• 1-½ pound Fettuccine (I used penne in the picture but have used fettuccine in the past)

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
2. Heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for a minute or so. Pour in tomato sauce and add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Stir and cook over low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove from heat and stir in cream. Add cheese to taste, then check seasonings. Stir in pasta and chopped basil and serve immediately. (Thin with pasta water before adding basil if needed.)

Grilled Chicken with Lemon Basil Pasta

Omg this is so good! Its like the three cheese chicken penne from applebees. Yum! I even had the leftovers for lunch, that's how good it is!

Grilled Chicken with Lemon Basil Pasta by Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• 4 whole Grilled Chicken Breasts, Sliced
• 1 pound Penne Pasta, Cooked Until Al Dente
• ½ sticks Butter
• 3 whole Lemons, Juiced
• ¾ cups Heavy Cream
• ¼ cups Half-and-half
• 1-½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (or Romano)
• Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
• 20 whole Basil Leaves, Chopped

Directions

Cook pasta, reserving 1 cup of hot pasta water when you drain. Set pasta aside in a colander.

In the same pot, melt butter over medium heat. Squeeze in the juice of 3 to 4 lemons. Whisk together. Pour in cream and half-and-heat. Whisk until hot. Dump in cheese and whisk until melted. Add salt and pepper. Check consistency, adding some of the hot pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed.

Pour pasta and sauce into a large serving bowl. Sprinkle remaining basil all over the top, then add sliced chicken breasts. Serve immediately!

Springy Shells

Do you love pasta and veggies? If so this recipe is for you! Its similar to a baked ziti but without red sauce and with a ton of veggies. Yum, yum, yum! Even my kids gobbled this up!

Springy Shells by Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• 16 ounces, weight Pasta Shells (medium) Or Other Short Pasta
• 1 pound Asparagus (cut Into 1 1/2 Inch Pieces) Discard Tough Pieces
• ½ pounds Broccoli, Cut Into Small Florets
• ½ pounds Zucchini (about 1 Medium Zucchini) Diced
• ½ cups Frozen Peas
• 3 whole Green Onions Sliced (white & Light Green Parts)
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 20 ounces, weight Ricotta Cheese (20 - 22 Ozs.)
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1-½ cup Parmesan Cheese
• Black Pepper, Freshly Ground
• Extra Olive Oil For Drizzling

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook pasta until extremely al dente—with still quite a bit of bite.

Melt butter with the olive oil over medium-low to medium heat, then add in the garlic. Add the asparagus to the pan and cook for five minutes. Sprinkle in a little salt.

Add the broccoli and cook for one minute, then add the zucchini and cook for one or two more minutes. Add the frozen peas, still together then turn off the heat. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, eggs, salt, and pepper until well combined.

Assembly:

Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish. Add half the pasta, then spread 1/3 cup of the ricotta mixture over the surface. Sprinkle 1/3 of the Parmesan over the ricotta, then ½ of the vegetables. Repeat with the rest of the pasta, the rest of the ricotta, and another 1/3 of the Parmesan. End with the rest of the vegetables and the rest of the Parmesan.

Drizzle with a couple of tablespoons olive oil, then bake for 25 minutes on 350 degrees or until nice and hot.

Serve with extra Parmesan, crusty French bread, and chilled white wine. Yummy!

Shells Stuffed with Pancetta & Spinach

I was in the mood for some yummy Italian-style food that didnt involved alfredo or marinara. I came across this recipe and thought it sounded good so I went ahead and made it. It's so yummy and cheesy. One of my favorites for sure! It's pretty easy to make too.

Shells with Crispy Pancetta & Spinach by Giada De Laurentiis

• 1 (12-ounce) package jumbo shells pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 pound thick-cut pancetta, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 2 pounds frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta
• 1 cup grated asiago cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Sauce

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup cream
• 2 cups grated asiago cheese, plus 1/4 cup
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.

- Warm the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Remove the pancetta from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large bowl.

- Add the spinach, ricotta cheese, asiago cheese, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir to combine.

- Stuff the shells with about 2 tablespoons of the spinach mixture each and place the stuffed shells in a large, buttered baking dish.

For the sauce:

- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan.

- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

- Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to very low and add the 2 cups asiago cheese, parsley, and pepper.

- Stir until the cheese is dissolved. Pour the sauce over the shells. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup asiago cheese.

- Bake until golden on top, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Baked Pasta with Veggies

This was pretty darn good and it smelled magnificent while it baked. I think with a few minor modifications it will be much better next time!

Ingredients:
- cooking spray
- 1 lg onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 zucchini, slices (works with summer squash, carrots or eggplant, I used eggplant)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- 1lb ziti or penne pasta
- 1 c ricotta cheese (definitely use 2-3 cups)
- 1/4 c Parmesan cheese plus 1/2 c
- nutmeg, just a pinch
- 3 tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 c shredded mozzarella
- 1/2 c bread crumbs

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly coat a large, shallow baking dish with cooking spray. Place a large pot of salted water over medium-high heat.

- Toss onion, garlic, red pepper and zuchini in a large bowl with olive oil; season with salt & pepper to taste. Place veggies on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

- While veggies are roasting, add pasta to water and boil about 2 minutes short of package directions (it should still be slightly firm). Drain.

- In a large bowl, mix ricotta, 1/4 c Parmesan, and nutmeg. Season with salt & pepper. Gently toss pasta with the ricotta mixture, vegetables, tomatoes, oregano and mozzarella. Pour mixture into a baking dish.

- Sprinkle top with remaining Parmesan and bread crumbs. Bake, uncovered, until lightly browned and bubbling, about 20 minutes.

* You can assemble through step 4 and refrigerate up to a day a head *

** When I made this, it ended up filling 2 13x9 baking dishes.**

Fress Tomato & Basil Pizza

This pizza was so good! The dough was perfect and the overall taste was delicious! Definitely will be making this again!

Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp yellow cornmeal
- homemade or purchased pizza dough
- 6 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/3 cups, shredded mozzarella
- 2 Roma tomatoes, cut crosswise into 1/4" thick slices
- 1/4 grated Parmesan
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 6 fresh basil leaves, plus extra for garnish
- 1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

- Sprinkle cornmeal over pizza baking sheet and roll out dough into over the pan.

- Drizzle 2 teaspoons of oil over the pizza dough. Sprinkle on the mozzarella, leaving a 1" border around the pizza.

- Arrange the tomato slices in a single layer over the cheese, sprinkle with Parmesan.

- Arrange basil leaves on top, drizzle with a little more olive oil and sprinkle garlic all over.

- Bake pizzas until the crusts are crisp and brown on the bottom and the cheese is melted on the top, about 15 minutes.

- Drizzle 1 tsp of oil over the pizza, sprinkle basil for garnish and salt.

buffalo chicken pizza

My favorite recipe ever! Fred is actually the one that makes this and it tastes so good and my mouth waters as I smell it cooking! YUM!

I've searched online to find a buffalo chicken pizza and there are tons of them. So we mixed them all together and came up with our favorite way to make it. So yummy!

Ingredients:

- chicken breasts
- pizza dough (frozen, homemade or store bought)
- mozzarella cheese
- blue cheese dressing
- scallions
- a bottle of hot sauce/wing sauce
- blue cheese crumbles

- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
- Spread pizza dough on pizza sheet (we use the dough already made in the deli section(it comes in a ball), but frozen works good or you can make your own).
- bake the dough (there is no set time, just watch it, you want to cook is so that it isnt all gooey), if you use the dough that's already made, you can skip this step.
- cube chicken and cook in a pan over medium heat with a little bit of olive oil.
- Once chicken is cooked add in hot sauce (wing sauce works better because it sticks to the chicken).
- spread a thin-medium layer of blue cheese dressing on pizza crust
- cover with mozzarella cheese, blue cheese crumbles, chopped scallions and buffalo chicken pieces
-bake in the oven for about 20 minutes (watch it so it doesnt burn)
- let it sit for about 5 minutes so its not a gooey mess when you cut it)
- Enjoy!

It's so good!

No-cook Fresh Tomato Sauce with Pasta

This recipe is to die for!! It's perfect for the summer if you want something light! And it only took 10 minutes!! I seriously could make this every single day for lunch, it was that delicious!

2 lb. plum tomatoes (I used regular tomatoes, 2 medium)
1/4 c chopped fresh basil leaves
2 tbsp. chopped red onion (I used a whole onion, not a great idea unless you LOVE onion!)
1/2 c. Italian dressing
1/4 c. Grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.
1 lb. pasta, cooked & drained.

• Boil pasta (I used linguine)
• Cut up tomatoes, basil & onions.
• Add tomatoes, basil & onions to large bowl.
• Stir in dressing and cheese.
• Add pasta, toss lightly.

nice & slow chicken cacciatore

I've never made chicken cacciatore before and I was also looking for something I could just toss in the crockpot. I came across this recipe and decided to try it out. It wasnt okay, seemed a little bland. It needs something else, but I am not quite sure what. My husband liked it but also thought it was missing something.

1/4 c. Italian dressing
3 lb. chicken thighs & drumsticks
1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms
1.5 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. red pepper strips
1/2 c. green pepper strips
1 clove garlic
1 can (14.5oz) crushed tomatoes
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
3 c. instant white rice, uncooked.

• Heat dressing in large skillet on medium-high heat.
• Add chicken, in batches; cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until browned on both sides.
• Place mushrooms, onions, peppers, and garlic in slow cooker.
• Top with chicken.
• Combine tomatoes, salt & thyme; pour over ingredients in slow cooker.
• Cover with lid.
• Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours (or on HIGH for 5 hours).
• Cook rice as directed on package.
  
• Serve chicken mixture over the rice.
  

I already scooped all the chicken out before I realized I didnt take a picture lol