Snow Family Spaghetti

I’ve been dying to make this ever since I saw Sara Snow make this on her show (Get Fresh with Sara Snow on Discovery Health). It looks real simple, but what I’m really looking forward to is just how hearty and healthy it is. It’s not even 5pm right now, but I think I’ll head off to the kitchen and start dinner early tonight.

1 large onion
2 garlic cloves
1 package mushrooms
1 pound spinach
2 medium zucchini
1/2 pound tofu—firm, drained and mashed (or use meatless soy crumbles)
1 jar organic spaghetti sauce
1 can stewed, chopped tomatoes
salt & pepper
bay leaf
oregano
1/2 tsp. sugar or tamari

Saute onion, garlic, mushrooms, spinach, and zucchini. Cover and cook; mushrooms should be about 1/2 their original size. Add tofu (or soy meat substitute). Add spaghetti sauce, tomatoes, and seasonings. Balance with sugar or tamari (to taste).

Serve over whole wheat spaghetti or your choice of pasta. Don’t forget the fresh parmiggiano reggiano!

Pesto Tortellini Salad

I found this recipe in one of my old issues of Cooking Light. I only modified it a bit to make use of what I had on hand.

4 cups zucchini (halved and thinly sliced)
2 cups sugar plum tomatoes (halved)
10oz package of fresh cheese tortellini
3 tbl prepared pesto
1 tbl bottled crushed garlic
olive oil cooking spray
kosher salt and pepper
parmiggiano reggiano (shaved)

Cook tortellini according to package directions.

While the torellini is cooking, cut the zucchini into thin half-moon slices and set aside. Next, halve or quarter the the sugar plum tomatoes, then set aside. Spray a large skillet with the cooking spray and set at medium heat. Add the crushed garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the the zucchini and sautee until tender (approximately 10 minutes), adding 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and freshly ground pepper.

When the tortellini is done, drain but reserve 1/4 cup of the liquid. Place the tortellini in a large bowl and add the zucchini. Toss gently to combine. Then, add the pesto, tomatoes, cooking liquid, and an additional 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper (or more to taste). Toss gently to combine.

Serve with freshly shaved parmigianno reggiano.

Spaghettini con Carciofi, Menta e Aglio

If I were to pick a single favorite type of food, and if chocolate isn’t an option, then I would be pretty content if I ate Italian dishes every day. I’m always on the hunt for new recipes, because frankly, as lovely as it is, pesto gets pretty tiring if you make it each week.

I’m also a sucker for celebrity chefs, and Mario Batali is one of my heroes. I picked up Molto Italiano not too long ago, excited at the thought of whipping up fancy (and “authentic!”) Italian dishes. Sadly, the book quickly humbled me into admitting what a novice I really am and I haven’t opened it since.

I’m not giving up though. Tonight I came across Mario’s Spagettini con Carfciofi, Menta e Aglio. I’m hoping to try this out this weekend. Baby artichokes shouldn’t be too hard to find, but … Frascati??

20 baby artichokes
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
12 cloves garlic, peeled
6 ounces Frascati or other dry white wine
1 tablespoon red chile flakes
1/2-cup mint leaves
1 pound dry spaghettini

Peel and trim the artichokes, leaving the stems intact. Place in acidulated water.

Place the olive oil and garlic cloves in a 12 to 14-inch pan and place over medium high heat. Cook until the garlic is light golden brown. Drain the artichokes and place in a pan with the garlic and cook until tender (occasionally spritzing with wine, when necessary, to slow the cooking), about 10 minutes. Add the chili flakes and mint, stir through, season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons salt.

Cook the spaghettini according to the package directions, until tender yet al dente. Drain the spaghettini and toss into the pan with the artichokes. Toss all over high heat 1 minute, then divide evenly among four warmed pasta bowls and serve immediately.

Penne with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

This is probably one of my favorite recipes. I love pesto because it’s so easy to make; the sun-dried tomato in this recipe makes it absolutely divine. The recipe comes from Giada De Laurentiis’ Everyday Italian cookbook (as well as on Food Network).

I would advise using good parmigiano reggiano that you grate yourself. Once you use the real stuff, there’s no going back to those tubs of parmesan at the grocery store.

12 ounces penne pasta
1 (8.5-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
2 garlic cloves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, blend the sun-dried tomatoes and their oil, garlic, salt and pepper, to taste, and basil in a food processor and blend until the tomatoes are finely chopped. Transfer the tomato mixture to a large bowl. Stir in the Parmesan.

Add the pasta to the pesto and toss to coat, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta, to taste, with salt and pepper and serve.