Spicy Artichoke Pasta

 Spicy Artichoke Pasta

Spicy Artichoke Pasta is one of my husband's favorite meals that we eat. I've started making sure that we have the ingredients on hand so we can make it at any time. This dish is a refreshing change from the traditional marinara sauce you are used to. 

I got this recipe from my friend Holli a few years ago. I was nervous of the artichokes the first time I made this. I am a recovering picky eater, so new foods scare me. I chopped them up small and avoided some of them at first, but they add so much flavor. I am happy to say this meal has educated me into trying new possibilities. This was definitely a success.

I've never tried a pasta like this. Usually pastas have a strong tomato or Alfredo base to them. Although this pasta has tomatoes in it, the artichokes and seasonings add such a unique flavor to it. I think that is why Kevin is so drawn to it.

Spicy Artichoke Pasta

1 Clove Garlic, minced

2 Chicken Breasts, diced

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Saute the Chicken and Garlic with the Olive Oil, over medium heat until the chicken is almost cooked through. 

1 Can of Petite Diced Tomatoes

1 14oz jar of Marinated Artichoke Hearts, drained and cut smaller, if desired

Add the Tomatoes and Artichoke Hearts to the Chicken and cook for about 10 minutes longer. I chop my artichokes smaller. 

1 Cup Heavy Cream

Lawry's Garlic Salt

Cajun's Choice Creole Seasoning

3/4 Cup Real Parmesan Cheese

1 Pound of Fettucini or Spaghetti, cooked

Add the Heavy Cream and sprinkle in the Garlic Salt and Cajun Seasoning to taste. I add more (Lawry's) Garlic salt than I do Cajun. I am told that the longer you cook it, the hotter it will get, but I haven't really noticed a difference. Cook the sauce over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for another 20 minutes or so while you cook the pasta. Remove from heat and add in the cooked pasta and shredded Parmesan Cheese. Use forks to coat the pasta with the sauce. When eating, we usually sprinkle a little more Cajun Seasoning on top of the pasta on our plates. It usually needs just a tad more on top of the pasta. 

 Enjoy!

Pioneer Woman's Creamy Tomato Sauce

Pioneer Woman's Creamy Tomato Sauce

One year for Mother's Day, I wanted a pasta dish for Dinner. I found a recipe from the Pioneer Woman I was curious about, so I asked Kevin to make it for me. We've been hooked ever since.  We make this on a regular basis. It goes great with Garlic Knots or Breadsticks!

Abby requests this almost every month for her night. This is one of her favorite meals. The thing that I love about it, is it is meat free and doesn't leave you wishing for the meat like other pasta dishes do.

Pioneer Woman's Tomato Cream Sauce

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Butter
1/2-1 Onion, finely diced
4 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 Cans Tomato Sauce, 15oz each
Salt and Pepper to taste
Dash of Sugar
Lawry's Garlic Salt
1 Cup Heavy Cream
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Handful of Fresh Basil
1 Pound Cooked Spaghetti or Fettucini

Heat Butter and Oil over medium heat. Meanwhile, chop the onion finely and mince the garlic. Once the pan is hot, saute the onion for several minutes till it is tender. Add the garlic and cook 1-2 minutes longer. In a food processor add the basil and some of the tomato sauce. If you desire a more pureed tomato sauce and don't like the onion crunch, add the cooked onion and garlic to the processor and puree. Add this back into the pan and add the rest of the tomato sauce. Season with salt, pepper, garlic salt, and sugar. Cook the Pasta as needed, reserving some pasta water if desired. Simmer for 15 minutes and add the heavy cream and a handful of Real Parmesan Cheese, and the grated Parmesan Cheese in the green container. Remove from heat and stir. You can either toss in the pasta and coat, or just pour the sauce directly over the pasta. We've never used the reserved pasta water. Add more basil if desired.

It bubbles very quickly. I love the orange sauce once you pour in the heavy cream. 

We prefer to puree the veggies.

Enjoy! 

Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce

Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce

I saved this recipe years ago from Jill, and we absolutely love it! It is easy to make and we've only made a few changes to it. This is excellent for dipping breadsticks in it. 

Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce

1 pint Heavy Cream (2 cups)

1 Stick Butter

2 Tablespoons Cream Cheese

3/4 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese (Real)

2-3 Tablespoons Flour (for thickening)

1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

Extra Lawry's Garlic Salt as needed 

Add all ingredients into a sauce pan and cook over medium heat. Stir to keep from burning. Cook until it starts to boil and thicken. Season to taste, I add probably about an extra teaspoon of the Lawry's Garlic Salt (with parsley). Remove from heat and serve with cooked pasta and strips or chunks of chicken, cooked in seasonings or Lawry's Garlic and Herb Marinade, or Italian Salad Dressing.

I will say that this sauce isn't the best for baking in the oven though. I tried doing a baked Ziti meal with this sauce and the sauce was non existent after it came out of the oven. It kind of got absorbed into the pasta. It DID turn out delicious on pizza though. Also, in these pictures, I added my leftover pesto to the sauce, but I liked the original recipe more. 

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

There's nothing like home cooked goodness while your family is all sitting around at the table. My youngest son has been requesting Macaroni and Cheese for years so I finally found a homemade recipe to try and we've been making it ever since. My kids get a special night once a month with Mom and Dad and they get to choose what meal we have that night. You can pretty much guarantee that we will have Macaroni and Cheese and Green Beans every time it is Quinn's night. 

My recipe makes a lot. It feeds 8 people and sometimes leaves left overs for the next day. I originally found this recipe on Allrecipes. I tried looking for it but can't find the actual one to link for you. I've tweeked it some throughout the years. 

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

(Full Version for Large Families)

4 1/2 Cups dried pasta shells, cooked and drained 

1 1/2 Sticks of real Butter (12 Tbsp)

9 Tbsp Flour

4 1/2 Cups milk

1 1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp pepper

about 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 Pound Cheese, grated (Tillamook)

I usually start a large sauce pan on medium heat and throw in my butter to start melting. Once that is on, I start a pot of water boiling to make the pasta. I like to do this so the noodles and sauce finish around the same time. Preheat the oven to 350. 

Grab a whisk and start stirring the butter. I add in a few tablespoons of the flour as it melts and finish off by adding the rest of it by the time all the butter is melted. This is the white sauce of the dish and what makes it creamy. You want to make sure you don't burn the butter by adding the flour too late. Stir and let it bubble about a minute. This is about the time it takes me to get out the milk and measure it out. Add the milk slowly, stirring frequently. Once all the milk is added and you have stirred all the ingredients together, you will need to occasionally-frequently stir as you wait for it to boil. I keep my burner on medium heat the whole time so there is less of a chance that I will burn it. Make sure to stir the edges where the whisk sometimes struggles to get down in there. 

I think proper protocol is to add the peppers(cayenne and black pepper) and salt after it thickens. I add it when I have the time. After about 8 minutes it will start to boil and bubble up. In the meantime, start grating the cheese. Reserve about a cup (to sprinkle on top). This is around the time the pasta is finished cooking, so drain that and let it sit or dump it into the dish.

  Make sure you are still stirring your white sauce occasionally. Once it starts boiling, turn the heat to low and add in the cheese, reserving 1 cup of it for later. I throw in the big chunks that didn't fully grate in the food processor. Once all the cheese is melted, pour it into your 9 x 13 pan (or 4 qt pyrex)

Stir together the sauce and noodles and sprinkle the reserved cup of cheese on top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes

 This is what the sauce looks like when it is starting to thicken.

Pour in the sauce and scrape around the edges with a rubber spatula to get all of that goodness.

Pour in the noodles and stir well to combine. 

Sprinkle on the extra cheese, cover and bake. 

In order to have good tasting Macaroni and Cheese, you need good cheese. A lot of people prefer to use Sharp Cheese. We usually just use the Medium Tillamook cheese. It's just what we have on hand. We've only just recently started adding in the cayenne pepper. We all like the adjustment, it just adds a little extra flavor. Some of the pictures show Rotini pasta, it's just what we had one of the nights I made it. Our preferred is the medium shells. We've tried several types of pasta. The medium shells have a little burst of creaminess because of the little pocket the sauce fits in. Whole milk does make it creamier. Any percentage works though.

Halfsies

2 1/4 cups, dried medium shells, cooked and drained

6 Tbsp butter

4 1/2 Tbsp flour

2 1/4 cups milk

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 + 1/8 tsp pepper

pinch of cayenne pepper

1/2 pound cheese, grated (Tillamook) (reserve 3/4 cup for the top)

Cook and drain the pasta and put in a baking dish. Meanwhile, to make the white sauce, melt the butter in a sauce pan, over medium heat. Stir in the flour and let bubble for a minute. slowly stir in the milk and combine well. Stir in the salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir frequently till the sauce starts to boil. Once it boils, reduce heat to low and stir in the cheese, reserving a little for the top. Once the cheese is melted, remove from heat and pour into the baking dish and stir the sauce and noodles well. Sprinkle the reserved cheese on top. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.