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!!

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.
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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.

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.

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.

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!!

When I was in high school I was OBSESSED with the roasted garlic chicken pasta from The Cheesecake Factory lol. NGL, that's where I got the inspo for this bad boy. I think the restaurant version has mushrooms and peas in it but I left this one plain jane so that it's easy to customize!

There will be leftover butter, the recipe is intended to make a batch of it. Use desired amount (or the amount I suggest for this quantity of pasta!) and then save the rest. Store it in the fridge for up to a week or store it in the freezer for even longer if you want flavored butter bombs at any time for future pasta dishes, grilled cheeses or amazinggggg toast!

Since you have to make garlic confit for this recipe, I wanted to share a little more about that! My roasted garlic butter uses the garlic, but not the oil. You can store both together or separately (in air-tight containers) in the fridge for a couple of weeks according to google, lol. There are plenty of ways to use the leftover oil, I use it just regular olive oil for things like eggs, to crisp bread or as an oil garnish to top off a soup or pasta dish.

This one is a giant summertime hug in a bowl!! I love eating squash all year round but especially in the summer when they taste super fresh!!

To make the breadcrumbs at home: rip up a few slices of your favorite bread (I did a demi baguette of ciabatta) and place them in a food processor. Blend until crumb size. Mix with 2 tbsp olive oil, 1/4 tsp garlic powder and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook the bread crumbs in a skillet on medium heat until toasted and crispy - about 10 minutes. Be sure to stir them every few minutes so that they cook evenly and don't burn.

After spending a ton of time traveling in the southern states, I became a HUGE fan of fried green tomatoes. I've had everything from fried green tomato BLT salads to fried green tomato eggs benedict. I've been on such a pasta salad kick lately and really wanted to come up with a way to make the flavors work with pasta and boooom. (I also love a good caprese salad so I added in some elements of that as well - basil, fresh mozz, balsamic!)

The tomatoes aren't actually fried (so much less work - and healthier!) but the addition of homemade crispy breadcrumbs mixed into every bite makes it feel like they are fried and creates that crispy texture! You can buy breadcrumbs, but I highly suggest making your own! Throw a few slices of your fave bread into a processor and toast them in olive oil on the stovetop until golden brown and crispy! Worth every second. 

Hi, okay so this recipe is insane. Before all you food purists come at me - this dish is a combination of my 10 Min Mac & Cheese recipe AND it has elements of cacio e pepe in it to make the ultimate cheesy pasta hybrid !! If you don't like it, don't make it lol.

I used pecorino romano cheese, toasted freshly-cracked black peppercorns, shredded mozzarella (instead of cheddar to keep the sauce white) and then heavy cream. Lots of people make mac and cheese different ways (with a roux, without a roux) but I personally think heavy cream is the ultimate creamy cheesy pasta sauce hero ingredient so that's the style I prefer.

My first cold noodle salad!! I've been seeing these for years and always thought they looked so good despite the fact that most recipes for this dish contain nuts and sesame ingredients!! I also do NOT like soba noodles for some reason and it seems like a lot of cold noodles dishes are made with them.

This version is very allergy friendly to those who can't have nuts or sesame! And also gluten!! I used brown rice ramen. PLZ take note that brown rice noodles don't refrigerate well so I usually get them super cool with an ice cold water rinse and then I eat the noodle salad immediately after assembly.

I LOVE noodles, it's truly no secret. These particular noodles that I used in this recipe are called knife cut noodles and I buy them from my local Chinese grocery store!! You can use any kind of noodle, but I love the wavy edges and the chewy texture of knife cut noodles the best!

This dish is inspired by Chinese scallion noodles - I've seen the dish made a ton of different ways on the internet and even at local restaurants (LJ Shanghai has the BEST scallion noodles if you are a Clevelander) but this is how I like to make them at home. I also have allergies to sesame and peanut so you won't find any of that in any of my home cooking!!  

OKAY, so there are two ways I love to use this butter. It elevates every single dish you use it in...the roasted garlic and the chiles take everything to the next level!!

ON BREAD (pictured below)
The best freaking cheesy garlic bread you will ever eat. I promise. My favorite way to make cheesy garlic bread is to use this butter on ciabatta. I usually coat the ciabatta with a generous amount of butter and top with thick shredded mozzarella cheese before toasting in the oven. You can either stick them under the broiler setting until the mozz gets nice and melty or toast them at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes until golden.

ON PASTA
I love using this in my drunken buttered noodle recipe. Think white wine, parmesan, chiles, butter, roasted garlic!! Ah it's so good. Tap here to view my drunken buttered noodle recipe. It pairs so well with everything, especially seafood or roasted cherry tomatoes.

I love the flavors of Mexican elote so I used some components of it (mayo, lime, chili powder, cotija) to make a pasta salad!! I love using inspiration from different dishes that I love to eat and figuring out a way to combine those flavors with pasta. :)

The recipe makes enough for 6 side dish servings, if you're planning on making for a large gathering you could definitely double it. It does refrigerate well, so you can def make it a day ahead of time. I suggest bringing it back to life with an additional 1/4 cup of mayo + a squirt of fresh lime juice before serving after chilling for a longer period of time.

I've been seeing a grinder sandwich recipe all over TikTok the last few weeks and I basically used the "salad" component of the sandwich as inspiration for this perfect summer pasta salad! I also added in diced salami and turkey deli meat, so it does in-fact taste SO much like a delicious deli sub, but in pasta salad form!!

Obviously feel free to customize but I wouldn't change the red wine vinegar and mayo base!! Pro tip - if you are using chopped iceberg lettuce in the pasta salad, mix it into the salad right before you serve it, this way you avoid any soggy, wilted leaves. Cabbage is a good alternative to the lettuce and can last mixed in, overnight in the fridge! 

Recipe makes enough for 2 large entrees or 4-6 sides of pasta salad!! 

What you need:
For the dressing

• 3/4 cup mayo
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

For the salad

• 1/2 lb pasta of choice, cooked al dente then cooled
• 1/2 head of diced cabbage or ice burg lettuce (cabbage holds it's form longer!)
• 4-5 jarred pepperoncini peppers, sliced
• 1/2 red onion sliced super thin
• Sandwich meat of choice, I like a handful of diced turkey and a handful of chopped salami
• Sandwich cheese of choice, I like provolone or fresh mozzarella balls
• Sandwich veggies of choice, I like chopped cucumbers and cherry tomatoes, sometimes spicy peppers too

It's no surprise that my son's favorite food is pasta. At first I gave him a bite of my plain buttered stelline and then after realizing he loved it, I got sneaky with it and added a whole bunch of spinach. It's really easy to sneak half an avocado into the sauce too, but I usually am eating it with him and I'm allergic to avocados so most times I just mash a little bit of one up and stir it into his bowl!

This is one of the better tasting versions of "pesto" I've ever tasted. It's nut-free and very light and silky tasting! Imagine a hybrid of buttered noodles and pesto pasta. LITERALLY SO EASY TOO! There are only 3 recipe steps, lol.

A few important notes about the recipe:
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• I left parmesan out of the butter for those that wanted to keep things dairy free and use vegan butter. You could def add some if you want, or just save it for on top of the finished recipe
• I love to add spinach or kale for some extra nutrition now that my son Emmitt is eating solids - all about sneaking veggies into meals these days! The basil and garlic are so strong that they overpower any veggie taste.
• MAKES 1 CUP OF BASIL BUTTER!! There will be leftovers to use on whatever you would like (you're welcome!) Store in the fridge for up to two weeks or you can freeze it too for up to 6 months.

Okay SOOO, I've been making a lot of chicken with sazon seasoning lately (a staple in Latin-American cooking) and I love the flavor. It's like the most perfect tasting seasoned salt. The other day, I had some chicken bits and seasoning left over in a skillet after making chicken and I dropped some buttered pasta into the skillet as I was transferring it to a bowl and a lightbulb went off in my head!! Love when recipe creations are happy accidents!

I kept things pretty simple but I think this dish would be REALLY good with mushrooms and or spinach also mixed into it. Maybe bacon too?? Can you tell that I'm laying in bed writing up this recipe right now and I'm soooo hungry? Lol. If you try and and add stuff to customize, let me know how it goes!

Saffron is THE BEST addition to a simple creamy pasta sauce. It's honestly impossible to explain the flavor but it's pretty subtle and a perfect compliment to a neutral sauce base.

Have you ever heard of saffron before?? I hadn't until I saw a couple of my blogger friends shared it in their recipes a few years back! The spice originates from a flower called crocus sativus — aka "saffron crocus." After looking it up online, it seems that saffron originated in Greece, but today the spice is primarily grown in Iran, Greece, Morocco, and India. That means the saffron we have in the United States is imported!!

One pot meals have been my JAM since becoming a mom, they're just so quick and easy and I loveeee that there's not much to clean up afterwards!! So obsessed with the rustic flavor of sun-dried tomatoes right now, it's like sunshine in a bowl!!

As always, the recipe makes enough for two large entrees or 3-4 smaller side dishes. 

Had some spicy Italian sausage that I had to get rid of before it went bad and came up with the idea to make a meat sauce!! It's super simple - onions, red pepper flakes, crushed tomatoes and an optional splash of cream to make it a little pink! 

I like the meat in heartier sauces to be super fine, so I ended up running it through my food processor to make it super smooth and I LOVED the texture afterwards! So good and I highly recommend.

What you need:

• 1 lb of pasta (if you want to jar half the sauce, just make 1/2 lb pasta)
• 2 tbsp EVOO
• 1 lb ground spicy Italain sausage
• 1 cup diced onion
• 6 minced garlic cloves
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)
• 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
• Parmesan and fresh basil for topping

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I've been obsessed with putting chipotle peppers into all my food lately!! They're so good mixed into pasta sauce...creamy, smokey, cheesy.. AHH!!

Kept this one simple for you guys so that you could customize on your own if you want. Would be really good with spinach and then I was also thinking cilantro might be good in here, but unfortunately I am one of those people who got the "cilantro tastes like soap" genes.

*At first when I made this recipe I blended 4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and it was WAY too spicy so I switched things up for you guys and suggest only using 2 tbsp of the adobo sauce - that way there's no need to get a blender dirty. You can freeze the leftover adobo peppers and save them for another time.. or make my copycat chipotle vinaigrette salad dressing recipe!! 

NGL, this dish is totally inspired by the creamy chicken Maruchan Ramen packets I used to eat as a child!! I remember when they first came out with the creamy flavor my family went crazy over it and we literally ate it EVERY day after school for weeks.

The recipe concept is basically to cook noodles in chicken broth on the stove and then once the broth has reduced, add butter and cream to make a lush, creamy chicken flavored sauce!! It's so freaking good. A little tricky with what size and shape noodles you use so pay attention to the tip where I mention to drain out some broth if there's too much in the skillet by the time the noodles are finished.

Last thing -- the noodles are not meant to be al dente, they're supposed to be slightly overcooked and pretty soft.

This chipotle chicken is a staple in our house!! We love to use it to make tacos, burritos, salads, nachos and/or burrito bowls!! The chicken can be paired with any sort taco/burrito faves but we like it with chopped romaine lettuce, white rice, my greek yogurt-based chipotle ranch sauce and then either monterey jack or white cheddar cheese. Basic, but amazing.

What you need:
For the chicken

• 5-6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• salt for the saltwater brine
• 1 tsp chipotle seasoning
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder 

For the chipotle ranch

• 3/4 cup greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup mayo
• 1-2 garlic cloves
• 1 pepper from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1 tsp dried oregano or similar herb (parsley or dill)
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar​
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt

I am HERE for the one pan/pot recipes!! Sometimes I don't like the texture of pasta sauce that's full blown pasta water but for this recipe it's absolutely necessary to mimic that thicker texture of the classic Spaghettio's in a can. Obviously, you can leave out the meatballs or use your own meatball recipe - and yes, it's pretty annoying to roll them into such tiny balls but hey, this recipe is fun and it's worth it in my opinion!! 

I didn't salt the pasta water since the meatballs are salty and the 1/4 cup of parm bring some saltiness into the dish as well. I highly recommend using freshly grated parm from a block - the pre-shredded stuff never melts as well or tastes as good and it's not great for texture. Also, if you don't grate the garlic there will be little chunks of it in there so that could throw off the texture too, FYI.

Recipe makes enough for two and the whole thing is done in 20-25 minutes depending on how fast of a meatball roller you are, lol.

What you need:
For the meatballs:

• 1/2 lb ground meat (I used 80% lean ground beef)
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• A handful of chopped herbs (I used basil and parsley)
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (I used one slice of bread that was going bad and just 
• 1/4 cup parmesan 
• 1 egg

For the Spaghettio's:

• 3-4 garlic cloves, grated
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup anellini pasta
• 3 cups broth (I used chicken)
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese