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Tortellini Pasta Salad

8/31/2022

I love making salads with pasta in them!! Especially tortellini since it's filled with cheese, lol. The best part is that you can either go pasta heavy or salad heavy depending on your mood and the occasion!!

What you need:

2 cups cooked and cooled tortellini
1 cup diced hard salami
1 cup peeled and diced cucumber
1 cup chopped lettuce of choice (I used romaine)
*Extra parm and black pepper for topping

For the dressing:

1 garlic clove, grated
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup EVOO
1/4 cup very finely shredded parmesan cheese

What to do:

Cook the tortellini according to package instructions and set aside and allow it to cool down.
Prep and chop the other salad ingredients and then combine the dressing ingredients in the bottom of a large bowl.
Add the tortellini and other ingredients to the dressing and mix. Serve at room temp or slightly chilled.

1 Comment

Aglio E Olio

8/31/2022

2 Comments

This is one of my all time favorite pasta dishes. I was NEVER impressed with it when I ordered it from restaurants and then at some point I read about it online and decided to try and make it at home - so much better that way because I put all of the love and effort into all of my pasta dishes that I make in my kitchen!!

Aglio e olio is a simple and classic Italian dish. There are a ton of spin off versions of it but the essentials will always be the garlic (aglio) and the oil (olio.)

This is a recipe that's super dependent on the technique since the ingredients are so simple, so pay attention to these two notes lol:

You have to gently cook the garlic (and optional red pepper flakes) in good quality EVOO, that way the oil is infused with a deeeep garlic flavor.

You have to salt your pasta water. Adding starchy salty pasta water to the skillet with the garlic and oil is CRUCIAL because it helps emulsify the sauce to create a silky, less oily texture.

What you need:

1/2 lb of pasta (I prefer something longer linguine or spaghetti)
1/4 cup good quality EVOO (Jovial Foods is my favorite)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (this is optional but highly recommended, it's my favorite addition!)
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley (also optional)

What to do:

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Do NOT skip salting the pasta water here!! Since the pasta sauce is very simple, the pasta must be seasoned with salt as it cooks.
Warm the oil in a skillet on medium heat stove setting. Once the oil is warm, add the garlic and cook for a minute or two until fragrant.
Turn the heat down low until there's a few minutes of cooking time left for the pasta you're making. *If you're using red pepper flakes, I like to add them to the oil halfway through cooking the garlic so that the oil doesn't get insanely spicy.
Once your pasta has about 5 minutes of cooking time left, turn the skillet heat to medium-high. Scoop about 1/3 cup of pasta water out of the boiling pasta pot and add it to the skillet. The starchy water and oil will emulsify as it cooks and bubbles in the heat, it's finished once you notice it's thickened a bit and is looking glossy.
Mix the cooked pasta into the finished sauce. Here is where you'll add the fresh chopped parsley if you're going that route. Not traditional but, I also like to top with parmesan cheese!

2 Comments

Chili OIl Noodles

8/29/2022

4 Comments

There are SO many different variations of chili oil noodles. I personally love the flavor of the spicy oil mixed in with garlic and butter and a touch of soy sauce, but I make different versions all the time depending on what I have at home or what I'm in the mood for.

Sometimes I add Chinese black vinegar or rice vinegar to cut the fat from the butter and it's the best umami flavor bomb ever. Parmesan cheese is also amazing as a topping..same with crispy garlic or a fried egg!! One more thing. Cooking the noodles in chicken broth or adding a splash of broth into the mixture is also a major upgrade for adding even more flavor.

What you need:

1/2 lb noodles of choice
3 tbsp salted butter
1 tbsp minced garlic
2-3 tbsp chili oil (start with less if you don't like spicy food)
1/4 cup rough chopped scallions or parsley
1/2 tbsp soy sauce

What to do:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the noodles according to package instructions.
Gently cook the garlic in the butter and chili oil until fragrant. I use a medium heat setting and turn it down to low once the garlic is translucent and soft.
Add the noodles and fresh green herbs to the sauce and sprinkle in the soy sauce as you toss to combine it all. If you didn't salt your noodle water or if you're not using soy sauce, you may need to season with a little salt.

4 Comments

French Onion Pasta Salad

8/24/2022

6 Comments

French onion dip x pasta salad. YEAAAAAH BABY.

I was a little worried about it being to thick and creamy so I decided to thin out the dressing with white wine vinegar and a secret ingredient, soy sauce. The thin texture of these liquids helped a ton!! If you want your sauce to be even more thin, you could add in some cooled off pasta water 1 tbsp at a time until it reaches desired texture.

What you need:

2 onions, I used white onions
3 tbsp evoo
1/4 tsp salt
2-3 garlic cloves
3/4 lb farfalle pasta (a little more than half a standard sized box)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped chives
1 tbsp soy sauce

What to do:

Slice up the onions super thin and cook them on low in a skillet with olive oil until caramelized. Season with a little salt and stir on and off every 3-5 minutes until the become soft and golden brown. During the last minute of cooking the onions, add in the minced garlic cloves and cook until fragrant. The while process usually takes about 45 minutes. I know, a labor of love..but so worth it!
While the onions are caramelizing, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain the pasta once it's done and let cool before adding to the pasta salad dressing.
Next, make the pasta salad dressing by combining the sour cream, mayo, white wine vinegar, chopped parsley and soy sauce. Taste test with potato chips if you have them! Feel free to adjust the thickness of the dressing with cooled down pasta water from the cooking farfalle. *I saved a few onion strands for topping the dish, looked prettier that way!
Top the dish with reserved caramelized onions, parsley leaves and fresh cracked black pepper. It's good at room temp or chilled - can be kept in the fridge for a couple of days!

6 Comments

Tomato Basil & Burrata Rigatoni

8/20/2022

1 Comment

This is a good one!!! Think caprese salad vibes, but warm and with pasta!! I know no one likes to read past the first line of a recipe intro (I get it, because, same) but I have some vital info for this recipe so pay attention and I'll keep it short and sweet!!

The burrata pieces that go into the pasta will stiffen up if it's too hot. So be sure to remove the pan from heat before you mix them in. You're going to want to add them to WARM pasta and sauce, not scalding hot pasta and sauce that is still cooking. Some might like the taste of a firmed up mozz, but I don't so just wanted to share this tip!!

What you need:

1/2 lb rigatoni
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup evoo
2-4 minced garlic cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup dry white wine (I use chardonnay or pino grigio)
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 handful of fresh basil leaves
2 balls of burrata cheese
1/4 cup balsamic glaze for topping

What to do:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the rigatoni according to package instructions.
Cook the cherry tomatoes and garlic in the EVOO until fragrant. Season with salt and pepper.
Once the garlic is fragrant, add in the white wine and balsamic vinegar and a handful of basil leaves.
Bring the liquid to a boil and then turn the heat to low-medium and cover so that the tomatoes soften and burst. Leave covered for about 7-8 minutes, the point is to get those tomato juices into the sauce. (If your tomatoes don't burst, use a fork and pop them yourself!)
REMOVE the pan from heat before adding in the pasta.
Break one of the balls of burrata into pieces and stir into the pasta and sauce.
Break apart the other ball of burrata and use to top the dish. I also topped with some more fresh basil leaves too before serving.

1 Comment

Tortellini Pasta Salad

Aglio E Olio

Chili OIl Noodles

French Onion Pasta Salad

Tomato Basil & Burrata Rigatoni

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