BRUSSELS SPROUTS AND PESTO PASTA VIA SIRIOUSLY DELICIOUS

I don't know about you guys, but I am feeling lazy.  September means school is back in session and ordering pizza/Chinese/both is becoming extremely tempting.  Measuring ingredients and reading a recipe seems like too daunting a task these days.  So when I saw this "recipe" I knew it had to happen in my kitchen.  We've had this pasta twice now, and the first time I found a bag of shaved brussels sprouts at Target.  The second time, I finally got to use the amazing mandoline my lovely friend, Andrea, gave me for my birthday!  It was fun.  The pieces were more substantial than the bagged kind and had fresher flavor.  You could also use a very sharp knife if you aren't lucky enough to have an Andrea in your life.

The amount of pesto, pasta, cheese and brussels sprouts really depends on your personal taste.  I used an entire pound of veggies, but you may not love brussels sprouts so you could use less, of course.  Mix and taste until you find the amount perfect for you!

P.S.  This is fabulous leftover and definitely makes lunch a happy occasion.

Yup, that's all you need!

I love you, mandoline.

Crispy and browned.

Don't forget to save some yummy pasta water!

Mix mix mix.

Dig in.  I dare you to resist!

Ingredients

1 lb pasta (any short shape will do)
1 lb Brussels sprouts, shaved
7-10 ounces refrigerated pesto basil
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
grated parmesan cheese (I used 1/2 cup)
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup reserved pasta water

Boil pasta in salted water in a large pot, according to package directions. Meanwhile, saute Brussels sprouts in olive oil until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.  Salt and pepper to taste.  When pasta is al dente, scoop out about a cup of pasta water.  Drain pasta and return to pot.  Add pesto, brussels sprouts and almost all the pasta water.  Stir to combine, then add cheese.  Give it a good stir, and decide if you need to add remaining pasta water to give it a saucy consistency.  Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary.  Serve immediately. 

COOKING LIGHT PASTA WITH ZUCCHINI AND WHITE BEANS

The Cooking Light cookbooks have been making more regular appearances in our kitchen lately.  My sister and I have been obsessed with this recipe for years and both make it all the time.  A serving is definitely enough to fill you up AND that includes two tablespoons of full fat feta cheese.  Yum.

The recipe calls for spaghetti, but this time around I decided to switch it up.  Spaghetti has to be twirled around your fork, then you have to try and scoop up the veggies to make a good bite.  Sounds easy, right?  Not for me.  I prefer to shovel forkfuls of perfectly mixed, bite sized pasta in my mouth.  Don't judge.  So I used rotini instead, and it was much easier to inhale eat politely like a normal human.

This is perfect for summer because the vegetables are in season now.  I used a mix of green zucchini and yellow squash, and chopped a bit more than the recipe called for.  It's versatile, so use what you enjoy!

Since the recipe only needs a tablespoon of tomato paste, try and find a tube at your grocery store.  You won't have to buy a tiny can and then throw the rest away.

You'll cook your zucchini in an olive oil sprayed pan until it's lightly browned.

Add tomatoes with seasonings and juices, drained beans, water, tomato paste, salt and pepper.

Mix and simmer about 5 minutes, until all the flavors are deliciously blended.

Plate it up beautifully, or mix it up!

Oops.  I suggest using a spoon, rather than trying to shake directly from the container.

Ingredients

6 ounces uncooked spaghetti
Olive oil flavored cooking spray
3 cups (1/4 inch) diced zucchini (2 medium)
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 can Great Northern Beans (15 oz) drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano (undrained)
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Cook spaghetti according to package directions.  While pasta cooks, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Coat pan with cooking spray.  Add zucchini to pan, cook 5 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.  Stir in water and next 5 ingredients, cover and simmer 4 minutes.  Place pasta evenly on 4 plates.  Top pasta evenly with zucchini mixture and cheese.
Note: serving size is 2/3 cup pasta, 1 cup zucchini mixture and 2 tablespoons cheese.  311 calories per serving.

GNOCCHI ALFREDO WITH BASIL AND MUSHROOMS

Do you ever have that moment of, "Ugh, I really need to go to the grocery store because I have nothing to make for dinner!" even though your pantry is jam packed?  I took an inventory and realized that our kitchen is housing plenty of shelf stable meal ingredients, which means I can make dinner without a trip to the store.  Time to get creative!

The only fresh ingredient I had on hand: mushrooms.  Pantry finds: gnocchi from World Market and a packet of Alfredo pasta sauce mix.  I love alfredo sauce, but it's not the healthiest option to top pasta.  There are jarred "light" sauces out there, but I really can't get down with the flavor of alfredo sauce in a jar.  Knorr offers a variety of sauce starters, including alfredo.  If you use skim milk and a lighter margarine option, you can have creamy, dreamy alfredo sauce with minimal calories and fat. 

Freezer finds: Dorot garlic and basil cubes.  Have you heard of these?  I found them at Trader Joe's and they are fantastic!  Mincing or crushing fresh garlic can leave your hands reeking for days.  Keeping fresh herbs in the kitchen and using them all before they go bad?  Impossible.

These cubes are perfectly portioned and live safely in your freezer, away from expiration danger.  You can read more about their magical powers here.

How cool are these?

I sauteed the mushrooms for about 15 minutes while waiting for the water to boil.  Throwing dry mushrooms in a pan without any oil or liquid always makes me nervous, but then I remember how much liquid they are holding.  After only a couple of minutes, they release enough moisture to cook themselves way down.  After they've cooked for a bit, add some salt and pepper.

Help me!  I'll burn without any cooking liquid!

Just kidding!  I make my own*

Meanwhile, boil your gnocchi and get started on that sauce.  Once sauce is simmering, whisk in 3 basil cubes and 1 garlic cube.  The gnocchi only take about 3 minutes, then they float to the top and are done!  Drain, then throw in the saute pan with the mushrooms.  Pour on sauce and stir to combine.  Done!  I've also made this alfredo sauce with mushrooms and spinach, then mixed it with hot, cooked pasta or tortellini.  Equally delicious.

Ingredients

1 package gnocchi, 16 oz
1 package alfredo sauce mix, plus required milk and butter
2 packages sliced mushrooms, 8 oz each
3 basil cubes, or fresh basil
1 garlic cube, or 1 clove minced garlic
salt and pepper, to taste

Boil gnocchi according to package directions.  Saute mushrooms for about 15 minutes, while gnocchi water comes to a boil.  Prepare alfredo sauce according to package directions, adding basil and garlic.  Drain gnocchi, then saute with mushrooms for about 5 minutes.  Pour on alfredo sauce, season with salt and pepper, then stir to combine.  Serve immediately, with grated parmesan if desired.  

*Yes, there were talking mushrooms in this post.