Lentils and Pasta with Greens

The Classic Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals cookbook is full of recipes.  There is a recipe in here for pretty much anything you can think of, as long as it doesn't involve baking.  I go through phases of love and apathy with this book - love because of the sheer volume of inspirational ideas and apathy because it's just so much to sort through.  I was in an adventurous mood, so I flipped through the book and found "Lentils and Pasta with Greens."  It sounded nutrient dense and Rachael wouldn't make it if it weren't delicious, right?  I've never had lentils before, but it's a new year and the perfect time to expand my culinary horizons.

Salsa All'Amatriciana

I enjoy a good tomato sauce as much as the next Italian American, but I don't always have time to simmer marinara for an hour plus (especially if I don't plan ahead on the weekend).  Sometimes, I want my dinner in half an hour.  And sometimes I want bacon.  "Salsa All'Amatriciana" from Giada De Laurentiis' Everyday Italian fits the bill, giving me lots of tomato-y, bacon-y goodness to pile on my pasta without a ton of time in front of the stove, which is always a plus during the height of the summer heat.  Time to sizzle...some bacon!

Pasta Primavera

In another effort to incorporate more vegetables into my diet, I decided to add them to one of my favorite things, pasta!  When I think pasta, I think of Giada.  Consequently, I pulled out Everyday Italian and selected the "Pasta Primavera."  Here in Southern California our weather is pretty mild and produce is abundant for most of the year, so I figured I could stretch the "spring" reference in this recipe.  Are you ready for some spring in August?  Me too!

Spaghetti with Garlic, Olive Oil, & Red Pepper Flakes

Lately I feel as though I don't want to cook.  Inspiration is hard to come by, and I'm just scouring the cupboards for something quick, easy, and minimally messy.  Enter the "From the Pantry" section of Giada De Laurentiis' Everyday Italian.  This section is really short - just three recipes.  It really doesn't matter, because the "Spaghetti with Garlic, Olive Oil, & Red Pepper Flakes" recipe is all this section needs.  Lazy weekday evening, here I come!

Pasta alla Checca

I was already at Trader Joe's shopping for the penne pepporanata (for my last post), so I decided to apply some of the goodies that I had at home along with a couple unique ingredients from TJ's to create "Pasta alla Checca" from Cooking with all things Trader Joe's.

The flavors all sounded right to me.  Pure, non-frilly, tomatoes, mozzarella, basil and olive oil make spaghetti something totally elevated and I just don't understand why.  I'll eat it any day of the week anyhow.

Penne Pepperonata with Shrimp and Asparagus

A couple of years back, I became slightly obsessed with Trader Joe's.  I totally dug the fun shopping environment and great customer service.  Did you know they have free wine tasting?  When I found out there was a cookbook that could tell me how to use all their wonderful wares in new and inventive ways, I was immediately smitten.  I lingered in front of Cooking with all things Trader Joe's at every bookstore for what felt like a year before it was gifted to me on my birthday by my very handsome husband.

A note on this cookbook: Keep your excitement in check.  Some of the recipes in this book look awesome, but Trader Joe's is always rotating products in and out and does not guarantee that the ingredients in the book will be in the store.  Regardless, when you can find all of the ingredients, the result can be really fun.  I've been trying to expand my seafood repertoire, and I'm always up for pasta, so the "Penne Pepporanata with Shrimp and Asparagus" sounded like a good idea.

Roasted Green Chile & Tomatillo Mac & Cheese

I adore macaroni and cheese.  It is the quintessential comfort food and is my favorite dish - to eat.  I specify, to eat, because unless it comes from the blue box, I have yet to achieve homemade macaroni and cheese perfection.  The finicky bechamels, the endless cheese grating, and the annoying need to bake the concoction all add up to frustration on my part as I strive for something that hearkens back to my childhood - creamy, cheesy, dreamy, and no silly breadcrumbs.

I'm not a purist necessarily and I will be the first to admit that there are a number of ingredients that can indeed enhance a bowl of mac & cheese, like bacon or broccoli.  When I came across the recipe for "Roasted Green Chile and Tomatillo Mac and Cheese" in the stove-top section of my new Macaroni & Cheese cookbook by Marlena Spieler, I knew I had to try it.  Green chiles and cheese?  Dynamite flavor combo!