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Cheesy Pimento Pasta Salad

4/24/2023

Just got back home from spending two weeks in the south, in Savannah, GA!! IYKYK, pimento cheese is everywhere down there and I was totally inspired to incorporate it into a few of my upcoming recipes. This recipe would be SUCH a good addition to a summer bbq - think macaroni salad but like next level and a little more fun!

What you need:

1 lb pasta (I used mini farafalle)
8 oz sharp cheddar, grated into thick pieces and cut short lengthwise
6 oz diced pimentos + the liquid in the jar
1/2 red onion, very finely diced
1/2 cup mayo
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
optional for heat - add in 1/4 cup diced jalapeno or 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper

What to do:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to packaging instructions. Rinse with cold water when it's done in order to chill the pasta.
While the pasta is cooking, prep and measure your other pasta salad ingredients.
Add the chilled pasta into a bowl and pour the rest of the ingredients on top - mix!
Serve at room temp or store in the fridge and serve later. (It'll last a few days so it can be made ahead of time!)

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Spicy, Creamy Chorizo Pasta

4/6/2023

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THIS PASTA IS SO GOOD. It's sort of like a creamy Italian sausage pasta but with a much different flare. I love the flavor of chorizo and it brings the perfect amount of heat to this creamy, dreamy pasta!!

What you need:

1/2 lb (roughly half a standard box) pasta
3 tbsp EVOO or other neutral oil
4-6 garlic cloves, minced or grated
1/2 cup diced white onion
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1 lb ground chorizo
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/3 cup dry white wine (or other liquid like broth to deglaze)
2 handfuls roughly chopped spinach
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Parmesan cheese for topping
Black pepper for topping

What to do:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to packaging instructions. (Put the pasta into the boiling water after the chorizo is cooked to time it up!)
Add the evoo, onions, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to a deep skillet and cook for a few minutes until fragrant.
Add the chorizo and cook and separate into smaller pieces until browned.
Add the tomato paste and cook until it turns a brick red color, at least 3-4 minutes.
Deglaze with liquid of choice! Scrape up any brown bits or tomato paste from the bottom of the pan as you go - let it cook for 5ish minutes until the liquid evaporates/decreases by half. (I suggest using chardonnay but you could also use chicken broth.)
Add the spinach and heavy whipping cream. Stir, bring to a boil and then turn the heat to low-medium and cook until the sauce thickens up and can coat the back of a spoon.
Add your pasta, be sure to reserve and add in a scoop of that salty/starchy pasta water. Top with parmesan cheese and black pepper before serving. Enjoy!

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Stuffed Shells

4/3/2023

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Every time I'm pregnant, I crave food from my childhood. Growing up, there were always stuffed shells on the table for dinner!!! I decided to get creative with the filling and ended up loving it so much!!

The recipe made enough for an entire baking dish worth of stuffed shells, so this one is family-sized unlike my other recipes which are mostly for 2-3 people!

What you need:

1 box jumbo shell pasta
15 oz ricotta cheese
1 cup made up of equal parts freshly grated asiago, parmesan and mozz cheese (Italian blend)
1 large or two small balls of burrata cheese
4 minced garlic cloves or 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Italian herbs of choice - I did a handful of fresh chopped basil leaves, and pinches (1/2 tsp) dried oregano, parsley and rosemary
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 cups roughly chopped spinach
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups pasta sauce, preferably marinara (homemade or jarred)
More cheese and fresh basil for topping

What to do:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the shells according to packaging instructions. (I like to cook mine al dente since they will bake and cook a bit longer in the oven after they are stuffed!
Mix the cheeses, garlic, herbs, lemon and spinach in a bowl until fully combined and season the mixture with a little salt and pepper.
Pour a cup of sauce into your baking dish and spread around evenly.
Stuff each cooked shell with the filling mixture and place each one into the sauced baking dish
Pour the additional cup of pasta sauce as evenly has you can over the top of the shells and then sprinkle with more of the cheese - I did parmesan and mozzarella.
Bake for 20 minutes. I like to cover with foil but if you're the person who likes when the top of things get a little crispy while baking, leave it uncovered!!
Once it's done baking I top off with a little fresh cracked black pepper and fresh basil leaves.

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Cheesy Pimento Pasta Salad

Spicy, Creamy Chorizo Pasta

Stuffed Shells

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