Tag: Italian Dishes

Daily Thoughts · Salads · Starches · Uncategorized

Zipppity Do Da Pasta Salad

Chocolate Castles2 Comments

Since I am in a most supercalifragilistic kind of mood today, I have that old song, “Zippity Do Da” going over and over in my mind today. Just coming home from Phoenix where I went to visit our daughter and family for a few days. Then last night returning home to Randy taking me out for Mexican food, how can I not be in a great mood?

This morning, I was to meet a new friend for coffee at 9. Because it was my first morning back in town, I began to think, “why did I accept this invite, when I wish I had made it for another day and could just stay home and bake.” But after meeting with her, well, all I can say is that I met a kindred spirit and it just made my day. Felt like I could have sat and talked to her for hours. Isn’t it always like that? When we least expect it, God puts someone in our lives that seems like such a gift. Was so thankful I kept the appointment. We began to share some of the things in our lives that have led up this point and it was apparent that we have so much in common. AND…….we both love white bakery cake!

But back to the pasta salad. As I sat there and began to tell her about the blog, I remembered that I had never posted the pasta salad that many have requested the recipe. So here it is….trust me on this one. It is just so simple, yet it is so so different from most pasta salads and everyone who tried it loved it. So get those salad forks ready and get ready to put this recipe on your “favorite recipe lists for bridal luncheons, Mother’s Day luncheons, and any Spring or Summer day you want something wonderful to eat besides chicken salad.”

Ingredients

1 bag or box of bow tie pasta

1/2 purple onion finely diced

one small jar of chopped pimentos, drained

1 cup finely grated parmesan or mozzarella cheese, (or a combo of both which is what I did)

1 8 or 12 oz jar of olive tapenade. (One jar I bought was 8 oz and another was 12 oz, but because I was making salad for 25, I used 3 jars and 3 boxes of pasta)

1 bottle of Kraft Roasted Red Pepper dressing

*opt if you want to add some cut up pepperoni or dry salami, it goes well with this recipe also, just add the amount you desire to the pasta once you have added rest of ingredients.

Directions

Cook pasta according to directions on box. Drain and cool.

Add all ingredients except the dressing and stir. Add salt and pepper to your liking.

Depending on what brand of olive tapenade you use, will depend on how much of the dressing you will need. If the brand you use has quite a bit of the olive oil in it, you might want to drain some of the olive oil off so that you would need more of the roasted bell pepper dressing.

After you have added the ingredients you want in the pasta, add enough of the dressing to make it moist.  Keep covered in fridge. Right before serving, you might want to add a little more dressing if it has soaked in too much into the pasta. Sprinkle some extra grated cheese on top and serve.

Daily Thoughts · Starches · Uncategorized · Vegetables

Lemon-Green Bean Pasta

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This week I saw this recipe on FB and decided that I had to try it. We cooked it Friday evening and it was delicious. No meet, yet, it was so good that we didn’t even miss the meatballs! Quick and easy, you might even have everything in the house that is needed to make it. We have decided next time to add some fresh spinach along with the green beans but you will love this wonderful meatless Italian dish.

1 box angel hair or spaghetti
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 tables olive oil
1/3 cup finely chopped purple onion
5 tables unsalted butter
4 teas lemon zest
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 teas Italian Seasoning
1/2 teas crushed red pepper
2 cups fresh green beans (I bought the bag of fresh green beans that you can cook in microwave in the bag and cooked them for 3 min in microwave before adding to the skillet.
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
2 teas lemon juice

Cook pasta according to directions on box, set aside saving about 1/2 cup pasta water.
Add olive oil and butter to skillet and stir until butter is melted. Saute onion, garlic and green beans in the oil/butter mixture until onion is clear. Add salt and pepper to your liking. Add the crushed red pepper and Italian seasoning and cook until green beans are tender (remember I cooked them first in the microwave to save on time). When these vegetables are done, add the pasta to the green bean mixture along with the pasta water, lemon juice and zest to mixture. Add the Parmesan cheese to the mixture before serving. Serve with garlic bread and Tomato-Mozzarella salad!

Casseroles · Chicken · Daily Thoughts · Holiday Fare · Meats · Starches · Uncategorized

Mushroom Chicken With Asparagus

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This evening I was wanting to make something that I had never made before. We ended up with this really great Italian dinner. Even Peter Pumpkin sat there saying, “this is really good and I even like the asparagus”. Will wonders never cease. He is not a huge fan of mushrooms or asparagus and so for him to ask for seconds made me so proud. It was so easy and actually a great dish for serving company during the holidays. Plus…it was pretty. A dear friend of mine, Reny gave me this dish years ago and it is still one of my favorites to serve Italian food.

Ingredients:
2 tables unsalted butter
1 tables olive oil
2 chicken breast, chopped into 1″ pieces
1/2 chopped sweet white onion, diced
8 oz fresh mushrooms
1 bunch of fresh asparagus (about 10-12), trimming and using just the tips.
2 cloves garlic or 1 teas garlic powder
1-2 cups bottled Alfredo Sauce (I used Classico Extra Creamy Alfredo)
1 cup pasta water
salt and pepper to taste.

3 cups cooked spaghetti (I used angel hair pasta)
1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese, shredded
Fresh chopped parsley (opt)

Heat oil and butter in a large skillet. Add chopped onion and raw chicken pieces and fry until chicken is almost done. Add the cleaned mushrooms to skillet along with the asparagus tips. Add garlic and salt and pepper to mixture. Stir, cooking over medium heat until chicken is well cooked and mushrooms, onions and asparagus is beginning to get tender. Add the Alfredo sauce. Turn down heat to low and continue to cook while you cook the pasta. When pasta is done, and before draining, add 1 cup of the pasta water to the chicken mixture. Lightly grease a a baking dish with oil or butter. Place the cooked pasta in the baking dish and pour the chicken Alfredo mixture over the pasta. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the mixture and bake in preheated 350 oven for about 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is beginning to bubble. Serve with garlic bread and salad.

Chicken · Daily Thoughts · Meats · Starches · Uncategorized

Cast Iron Chicken Piccata

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Isn’t this time of year so awesome when we sit and go through old magazines because well, its just one of those things that Fall gets us in the mood to do. Look through recipes to see what we want to make for friends/family. This is one of those foods that I tend to order quite a lot when we are out eating Italian. When I saw this it showed me how easy it is to make and now I don’t need to wait until I am at Vito’s or Maggianos to have chicken piccata.

Taken from Southern Living magazine April 2016 (yes, I tend to hoard my SL magazines and don’t throw them away until Mr. We Don’t Have Room For ALL These Magazines, makes me get rid of them)

4 (5-6 oz) chicken cutlets
1/2 cup (2 oz) flour
1 1/2 teas kosher salt
1/4 teas black pepper
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
6 tables salted butter, divided
2 tables olive oil, divided
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tables brined capers, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Hot cooked pasta

Place each chicken cutlet between two sheets of heavy duty plastic wrap and flatten to 1/4″ thickness, using a rolling pin or flat side of a meat mallet. Stir together flour, salt and pepper. Dip each cutlet in egg white and dredge in flour mixture.
Melt 2 tables butter with 1 tables olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 cutlets, and cook until golden brown, 2-3 min on each side. Transfer to a plate. Wipe skillet clean and repeat process with 2 tables butter and 1 tables olive oil and remaining 2 cutlets. Discard drippings; but do not wipe skillet clean.
Add broth, lemon juice and capers to skillet. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring and scraping bottom of skillet to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, whisking occasionally for 5 minutes. Whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons butter and parsley. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve over pasta.

Daily Thoughts · Starches · Uncategorized

Fettuccine Alfredo With Asparagus

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This has been such a great week. Not only did I find a great new series on Netflix called The Paradise about a turn of the century shopping store, we have had so much rain. Rain always makes me want to live in the kitchen because of the coolness in the air and the black clouds which (apparently I must be half witch because I love dark clouds and rain) always brings out my baking mood. Because we are going to the evening church service instead of our normal “get up and git to church” routine, we were able to make taquitos for breakfast and homemade cinnamon rolls, which just came out of the oven. We have a friend going with us to church and back here for dinner tonight, so of course, there is now a pork roast in the crockpot.

Sundays are the perfect day for baking, before or after going to worship. When I saw this recipe in an old Southern Living magazine, I realized that the only thing that needed to be purchased before making it was the asparagus. So this will be our new recipe for this week. I’m trying to decide if I will post the recipe for the cinnamon rolls and the pork roast. If I can stay out of the kitchen long enough to blog, I will post pictures of the rolls and the roast and will probably post the recipes. In the meantime, as you begin to think and plan this weeks menu, put this recipe on your list. You will be glad you did.

8 oz uncooked fettuccine
1 tsp olive oil
1 lb fresh asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 2″ pieces
3/4 teas kosher salt, divided
1/2 teas ground black pepper, divided
1 teas lemon zest
2 teas fresh lemon juice
1 tables butter
1 tables vodka or water
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup milk (I use half & half)
6 tables grated Parmesan cheese
1 tables chopped fresh chives

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain in a colander over a large bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking water.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil, swirl to coat. Add asparagus,1/4 teas salt and 1/4 teas of the pepper. Sauce until tender crips, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Add lemon zest and juice; toss. Keep warm.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium. Add vodka (or water) and garlic. Cook 1 minute. Add team cheese, stirring until smooth. Stir in milk, Parmesan cheese and remaining 1/2 teas salt and 1/4 teas pepper. Stir in reserved cooking water pasta and asparagus. Toss. Sprinkle with chives

Daily Thoughts · Meats · Uncategorized

Italian Sausage With Peppers & Onions

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Last night we were invited to a Italian Night with our small group from church. There were 14 of us and since the hostess was making Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken, Randy “ask” (highly suggested) that maybe I should take sausage with peppers & onions. So I began to search for recipes online for just the perfect one. I ended up combining about 3 different ones and if I had known how good it would turn out, I would have taken pictures and payed more attention to the ingredients (like the oz on the cans). They were really a hit at dinner and everyone was telling me how good they were. They really were very good and so much fun to make. It made me feel like I’m ready to head to Italy to dine with the rest of the great Italian chefs….ok, maybe I’m not there yet, but most assuredly, it was a dish that we will make again and be so excited to serve to others.

If you enjoy Chocolatecastles, would you mind sharing the blog with your family and friends or telling them about it! Thanks so much! Penelope Pumpkin

Serves 14-16

2 cans of Hunts Traditional Spaghetti Sauce(I don’t know the ounces, but it is the tall can that cost about $1 at Walmart
12 oz of water
2 packets of McCormick Thick & Zesty Spaghetti Sauce Seasoning
2 large green bell peppers (cut into 1-2″ pieces)
1 large red bell pepper(cut into same size pieces as the green)
1 large sweet yellow onion (cut into 1-2″ size pieces)
3 tales olive oil
3 packages or 15 mild Italian Sausages in casing (I used 15 and cut each sausage in half after browning them giving me 30 pieces of sausage)
1 tables oregano
1 tables dried parsley
3 cubes of frozen garlic cubes, divided (or garlic to taste if using fresh or powder)

Directions:

in a heavy Dutch oven, pour cans of Spaghetti sauce with the water. Pour the 2 packets of seasoning and 2 cubes of the garlic. Cover and bake in preheated 325 oven for about 2 hours.
While sauce is in oven, using a large skillet, put 2 tables of the olive oil and heat to where it sizzles when you place each sausage in to brown. Turn and brown all the sausages until they are all lightly browned. Remove from Skillet and cut each one in half (if desired). Place sausages in the sauce. If needed, add the other tables of olive oil to the skillet. Place cut up onion and peppers into hot oil. Sprinkle the oregano, parsley and remaining garlic cube over the pepper-onion mixture. Stir and heat until onion and peppers are beginning to get tender. When ready, add to the sausage-sauce mixture. Add any pepper or red pepper flakes if you like added “kick” to your sauce. (I did not, because even the mild Italian sausage we bought had enough kick to it to be little spicey.
Cover with heavy lid and bake in 350 degree oven for about 1 to 2 hours. Sauce should be thick and deep red. Serve over pasta or just with garlic bread.
Gustare! (Italian for taste, savor, relish)

Beef · Daily Thoughts · Holiday Fare · Meats · Uncategorized

Spaghetti & Meatballs

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It was a shock to me to find that I had never posted my Spaghetti & meatball recipe. It is one of our most requested dinners from family and friends alike. When I lived in Corpus Christ for years, there was a neighbor, Cam, who was Italian from New York and she gave me so many of her recipes that to this day, her meatballs, pecan pie, sour cream pound cake, and so many other of our desserts are still most treasured.

1 large can of Hunts Traditional or Del Monte pasta sauce
1 can (the large can, I don’t have any here today but its about a 24 oz can I think) of small chopped diced tomatoes in sauce
1 small can oof tomato paste
2 cups water
2 packets of Thick and Zesty Italian Seasoning
1 teas Italian Seasoning
1 teas dried oregano
1 cube of frozen garlic (or one garlic clove or almost one teas of garlic powder)
1 lb 93/7 ground hamburger meat
1 lb of Italian flavored ground turkey
1 lb of ground pork
1/2 cup Progresso Italian flavored bread crumbs
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1/2 teas garlic powder
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
Salt and Pepper to taste

Place all the meat in a large bowl.
Meatballs:
Add one (1) packet of the Italian Seasoning, the bread crumbs, the parmesan cheese, eggs, parsley and 1/2 teas garlic powder (I usually add a little more than that, but we love garlic)
Mix well with your hands and form meatballs about 2″ in size. Place on lightly greased jelly roll pan or pyrex dish and back in preheated 400 degree oven until meatballs are done. About 12-15 minutes, depending on your oven.
Remove meatballs from baking dish and set aside.
Sauce:
In a oven proof dutch oven, spray it with Pam or lightly with a little oil. Pour all of the tomato sauce, water, paste and diced tomatoes in the pan. Add the other packet of Italian seasoning, the garlic, the Italian seasoning and the oregano. Stir and place meatballs in tomato mixture.
Bake in preheated 300 oven, covered with heavy lid for 2-3 hours, or until thick and deep red in color. Sometimes, I have to add a little more water if it cooks to quickly.
Remove from oven and spoon oven cooked (according to directions on package) spaghetti. Sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese.
This serves about 8-10 people.

Meats · Starches · Uncategorized

Salisbury Meatballs With Alfredo Pasta

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1 pound ground sirloin
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup chopped yellow onion, divided
3/4 cup panko crumbs
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tables Dijon mustard
1 tables Worcestershire sauce
2 1/2 teas Montreal steak seasoning
3 tables olive oil, divided
1 (15 oz) jar Alfredo sauce
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 (16 oz) package linguine, cooked according to package directions
Garnish: grated Parmesan cheese, chopped fresh parsley

In a large bowl, stir together beef, egg, 1/2 cup onion, bread crumbs (if you don’t have panko, substitute with 1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs, such as Progresso brand),ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire and steak seasoning. Shape mixture into 1″ balls.
In a large skillet, heat 2 tables oil over medium heat. Add meatballs; cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook until meatballs are done, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in another large skillet, heat remaining 1 tables oil over medium heat. Add remaining 1/2 cup onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in Alfredo sauce and cream, and bring to a low boil. Add cooked pasta and gently toss together until heated through about 5 minutes. Serve meatballs over pasta mixture, Garnish with cheese and parsley.

Makes 4-6 servings

Daily Thoughts · Starches · Uncategorized

Fettuccine Alfredo With Asparagus

Chocolate Castles

Why is it that this is the day after Cinco de Mayo and all I can think about is Italian food? We had an adventure this week of going to Temecula, CA to meet up with 20 of our closest friends for lunch. Because it is a 6 hour trip from our house, we went the night before and found a great little Italian restaurant called Trattoria Toscana, where the pasta was freshly made and the eggplant literally melted in our mouths.  The waiter’s Italian accent was so heavy, I could hardly understand him, but when I heard, lobster ravioli, I figured that was really all I needed to hear. Randy kept looking at me with this precious “love me tender, love me true” look which I took that he was just so glad to get me off to himself for a couple of days, but no, it was the eggplant that was on his mind. He was quick to blurt out, “no really, this eggplant is literally melting in my mouth. It is the best eggplant I have ever eaten” to which I knew immediately where his “look” was coming from. He was choosing the pasta over his princess. But if Im going to take second place, I’m glad it is to a great pasta dish. Every since we ate there, all I can think about is making pasta and finding new recipes for eggplant. But in the meantime, I came across this recipe in a Southern Living Magazine from 2016. So until I can get my hands on an eggplant, this dish will suffice, along with fresh garlic bread and tomato-mozzarella salad.

8 oz uncooked fettuccine

1 teas olive  oil

1 lb fresh asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 2″ pieces

3/4 teas kosher salt, divided

1/2 teas black pepper, divided

1 teas lemon zest

2 teas fresh lemon juice

1 tables butter

1 tables vodka or water

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 oz cream cheese

1/4 cup milk

6 tables grated Parmesan cheese

1 tables chopped fresh chives

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain in a colander over a large bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking water.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add asparagus, 1/4 teas of the salt and 1/4 teas of the pepper. Sauce until tender crisp about 6 minutes.

Remove from heat. Add lemon zest and juice, toss. Keep warm.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add vodka (or water) and garlic and cook 1 minute. Add cream cheese, stirring until smooth. Stir in milk, Parmesan cheese and remaining 1/2 teas salt and the remaining pepper. Stir in reserved cooking water, pasta and asparagus and toss. Sprinkle with chives.

appetizers · Breads · Daily Thoughts · Super Bowl Recipes · Vegetables

Bruschetta Melts

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One of my favorite foods is bruschetta. Sometimes on a Friday or Sunday evening, instead of making dinner, we choose to just have a plate of bruschetta. When I saw this in a Taste of Home magazine from 2015 (ok, I have been kinda busy and am just sitting down to go through some old magazines) I knew this would be our dinner next time we went for a little healthier dinner than running to Baskin-Robins for a hot fudge sundae. Yes we do that about once a month, nothing like a gorgeous hot fudge sundae for dinner….try it sometime. It will make your heart sing.

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teas lemon juice

1/2 teas seasoned salt (such as Lawry’s)

1/2 teas pepper

1/4 teas garlic powder (I will use probably about 3 cloves as we just cannot get enough garlic, hum…I wonder why we don’t have many friends?)

4 plum tomatoes, finely chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion

2 tables minced fresh basil

1 carton (8 oz) spreadable chive and onion cream cheese

24 slices French bread (1/4″ thick)

2 cups (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

Additional minced fresh basil

Preheat oven to 425. In a small bowl, wish the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic powder until blended. Stir in tomatoes, onion and 2 tables fresh basil

Spread cream cheese over French bread slices and place on greased baking sheets. Top with tomato mixture; sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese.

Bake 7-9 min or until mozzarella cheese is melted. Sprinkle with additional minced fresh basil if desired.