Easy one-pan pasta

For once, I am sitting in a quiet house. My boys are peacefully napping, which means I have time to get some work done. But I am having a hard time finding words today. Apparently I am only able to be productive when, "MOMMY! My toe just fell off!" is being screamed across the house. Productive under pressure. That should be the subtitle of my life. 

Last night after I ran across the idea of a one-pot meal in the most recent issue of Martha Stewart Living Magazine, I threw one together myself. Why had I not ever thought of this? Throw everything into a single pan and 10 minutes later, dinner is ready! The version I made last night was so easy and delicious. The leftovers are sitting in my fridge, begging me to come take a bite. I can't wait till dinner!

And there goes my quiet, so certainly now the words will flow with ease!

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Cheesy noodle bake

Dan and I used to make a version of this dish years ago. We have often remembered it fondly, but for some reason we haven't replicated it until now. How silly! Our original version contained jalapeno peppers and I recall them adding the perfect zing. This version was made sans jalapenos in order to not burn the mouths of our young ones. I have found myself many times over the past few days crouched down in front of the open fridge, fork in hand, sneaking just "one more" teeny bite. It's a keeper. We will not be waiting another seven years to make it again!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large saucepan, cook a 12-oz. package of egg noodles in boiling water according to package directions. Drain and rinse.

Place the following in a medium skillet:

1/2 large onion, chopped

1 pound ground beef

Salt and pepper, to taste

Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the meat is no longer pink and the onions are soft. 

Remove from the heat.

Layer the prepared baking dish as follows:

Ground beef-onion mixture

Half of the cooked egg noodles

14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes

8-oz. package cream cheese, cut into 10 slices (omit this if you wish to slim down the dish)

8 oz. frozen corn kernels

Remaining egg noodles

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

If you haven't already, be sure to leave a comment on this post for a chance to win a copy of my ecookbook!

Printable recipe: Cheesy noodle bake

Black bean sun-dried tomato pasta salad

The little boys and I have spent the past few days in Iowa with family. Packing bodies into my aunt and uncle's house on the lake is something we do every August. The kids and adults alike get totally exhausted, but it is a ton of fun. I love spending time my family. Dan will join us in the morning, and we are looking forward to a few more days here as a family.

I threw this easy pasta salad together to bring along to our gathering. I'll admit that I used ingredients that were already in my refrigerator and pantry. I feel like it was almost too easy to post about!

In a large bowl, combine:

12-oz. package twisted elbows, cooked to al dente

15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons capers

8-oz. jar julienne cut sun-ripened dried tomatoes

1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

4 oz. crumbled feta cheese

Salt and pepper, to taste

Add the juice from 1/2 of a lemon.

Mix well.

Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Sorry for the quick post. There is a bonfire burning out back and I must go sit by it!

Printable recipe: Black bean sun-dried tomato pasta salad

Spring linguine

Over the weekend I became enthralled with a woman I never even knew existed until a few days ago. Penny De Los Santos is amazing! Her food photography class on creativelive.com held me captive for three straight days.

Penny is a fabulous photographer and a beautiful person. I love her sense of humor, her style, the way she gets right in there for the perfect shot. And she’s so easy-going. I’d love to spend a day peppering her with questions about the places she has traveled, the people she has met and the photos she has made. Her talent and eye for beauty have inspired me in so many ways. What a fabulous way to live…doing what you love day after day. Penny’s passion shows through in every story she tells, every picture she makes. She’s the real deal, in my opinion.

Her best advice? “If you’re not doing what you love, why not? Whatever you want to do, you can do it.”

She is absolutely right. And it makes me think of another inspiring person I learned more about over the weekend. I watched the Justin Bieber documentary Never Say Neverwith my kids (don't laugh; it was really good!). If that story doesn’t make you want to dream big and follow your dreams, I don’t know what would. A Canadian kid with a great voice, was discovered on YouTube. A couple of years later he sold out Madison Square Garden in 22 minutes.  In his short career he has done things no other person has done. And he’s only 17.

Penny De Los Santos and Justin Bieber are an odd pair to talk about in the same breath, I’ll admit. But you know what I love about both of them? From the little I have seen, I get a strong feeling that they are both genuine people who have their priorities straight. In other words, their hearts are in the right places. And their stories make me smile.

All of my rambling has absolutely nothing to do with this recipe. Except that I shot these photos before I watched Penny’s class, and I hope that in the coming weeks and months I can start to show some improvement from the great tips I picked up over the weekend. If you didn't catch the class you can order a download at http://www.creativelive.com/courses/food-photography-penny-de-los-santos.

This pasta was, in fact, delicious. The stars of the show were the fresh asparagus and the basil that I snipped from my very own, newly acquired plant. Hooray for spring!

It’s an easy, quick dish you can whip up after a long workday. And I've found the time passes faster if you drink a glass (or two) of wine while cooking. 

Cook 4 ounces of linguine in boiling water until al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil over medium high heat. Mince two cloves of garlic and sauté for a minute or two. Add 2 cups of shrimp and saute. Steam 3 cups chopped asparagus until crisp-tender, 1-2 minutes. Add to shrimp and garlic. Add one cup cooked peas, and the zest and juice of one lemon. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve vegetables and shrimp over linguine. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkling of fresh basil and a dash of red pepper flakes if you’d like a little heat. And Parmesan cheese would be good too. I didn’t think about it until after the fact, but it would have been delicious.   

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Click here for a printable recipe!