Week 66: Italian Tortellini Pasta Salad

This was a tasty, refreshing, and EASY pasta salad. Another one that would be good for picnics or barbeques because it doesn't have a mayo base. This could also be made with pasta, but I'm not sure I'd want to give up that yummy tortellini!

Year of Yum Rating: 4 1/2 STARS

INGREDIENTS
1 package refrigerated cheese tortellini
2 packages frozen chopped spinach
1 can black olives, sliced
1 package turkey pepperoni, slices quartered
4 cups grape tomatoes, halved
parmesan cheese
1 bottle Italian dressing

DIRECTIONS
Cook the tortellini according to package directions, and let it cool. Defrost the spinach and squeeze out all the moisture. Toss all ingredients together.

Voila!

Week 56: PW's Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad

Another successful recipe from good ol' Pioneer Woman. This isn't your regular pasta salad. It's the kind of pasta salad that you can feel good about bringing outside and letting it sit there for a bit while you enjoy the summer weather because it doesn't have a mayo-based dressing. It's the kind of pasta salad that you feel kind of healthy eating. It's light, and refreshing, and pretty much has some of my favorite Mediterranean flavors.

Don't even think about leaving out the olives. Or the fresh basil. I can't be held responsible if you do.

Now, I forgot my camera when going to cook at Abby's apartment. I told her not to worry, and that I would take a picture of the leftovers when I ate them. Well, I'll be darned if I didn't scarf down those leftovers before they could say "cheese." I guess that means that I'll just have to make it again sometime soon, and I'll post a picture when I do. Ah, the sacrifices I make...

Year of Yum Rating: 4 1/2 STARS

INGREDIENTS
DRESSING:
1 jar sundried tomatoes (7 Oz.)
4 cloves garlic
3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt And pepper, to taste

SALAD:
16 ounces whole wheat pasta
1 jar Kalamata olives
1 pint ripe cherry or grape tomatoes (cut in halves)
10 leaves basil (10-15 Leaves), chopped or julienne
1-½ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

DIRECTIONS

Dressing:
In a blender combine sundried tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, and vinegar until tomatoes are chopped. Continue blending while drizzling in olive oil until mixed together.

Pasta:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water until no longer hot.

Pour 2/3 of the dressing over the pasta. Add olives and toss together. Add remaining ingredients, tossing together and adding more dressing until the salad is coated to your liking.

Serve on a big platter with an extra sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Week 54: Pesto Mac and Goat Cheese

The perfect meal for rainy weather? Mac and Cheese. But you wouldn't expect us to make NORMAL mac and cheese, would you? This week's variation of an already-delicious dish uses goat cheese (salty deliciousness) and pesto. I also liked how the sauce stuck on the minature shells.

While it was still wonderful reheated as a leftover, it lost that great panko breadcrumb crunch that it had straight out of the oven. I also found the recipe slightly confusing to follow, but it's also likely that I was just distracted by the prospect of eating something that smelled this yummy.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 1/2 STARS

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for baking dish
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped basil leaves
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 3/4 cups Parmesan
1 pound mini pasta shells
2 cups half-and-half
16 ounces goat cheese
1/2 cup pesto sauce, store-bought or home-made
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Butter a 2 quart baking dish. Preheat the broiler and arrange a rack on top.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a small pan over low heat. In a large bowl add the garlic, basil, panko, and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan. Add the melted butter and toss to combine. Reserve.

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions. Meanwhile, put the half-and-half in a small pot and bring to a simmer over low heat. Simmer until reduced and slightly thickened, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water and drain the pasta. Put the pot over low heat and add the half-and-half mixture. When it simmers, add the goat cheese and whisk until smooth. Add in the remaining Parmesan and whisk until melted.

Add the pasta and stir to coat. Stir in the pesto, reserved cooking water, salt, and pepper. Season with additional salt and freshly ground black pepper, if needed.

Pour the pasta mixture into the buttered baking dish and top with the panko mixture. Put under the broiler until the mixture bubbles and the top is browned, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the broiler and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Week 50: Cool Asian Noodles With Tofu, Cashews, and Sesame Vinaigrette

Abby commented that she was looking for a cool-me-down recipe since her classroom has been really hot in the afternoons. This cold pasta dish...almost an Asian pasta salad...fit the bill. We DID make a few minor adjustments.

We used tempeh instead of tofu. This was kind of by mistake, but it was yummy anyway. We just steamed the tempeh according the the package directions, crumbled it in a bowl, and threw it in the bowl with the oils, lime juice, and salt so it could soak up all the yumminess. Through a little research I learned that tempeh is actually healthier than tofu. Since it's less processed, it has more protein and fiber than tofu.

We used roasted peanuts instead of roasted cashews, just out of personal preference.

We cut our carrots a little bigger than "shredded" which turned out to be just dandy.

We also decided that we might use whole wheat pasta if we made this again, and were actually buying spaghetti from the store rather than using what was already around the house.

Year of Yum Rating: 3 1/2 STARS

INGREDIENTS
5 ounces spaghetti (about a 1/3 of a box)
1 carrot, shredded
1 Kirby cucumber, cut into ¼-inch pieces
4 ounces firm tofu, cut into cubes
¼ cup chopped roasted cashews
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
kosher salt

DIRECTIONS
1.Cook the pasta according to the package directions; drain and run under cold water to cool.
2.In a large bowl, toss the pasta, carrot, cucumber, tofu, cashews, oils, lime juice, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
3.Divide the salad between 2 containers and refrigerate for up to 1 day.