Butternut Squash Ravioli with Herb Browned Butter

I love butternut squash and I love ravioli.
So when I saw Butternut Squash Ravioli at Trader Joe's recently,
I just had to buy it to try it out.
And guys - it's really yummy!

Not only is it tasty, it's super easy to make too!
I just threw together a simple herb browned butter sauce,
but even just a little butter would be delicious too.
Let me show you how I made mine.


The Goods:
Butternut Squash Ravioli
Butter
Garlic
Thyme
Parsley
Parmesan Cheese

Melt half a stick of butter in a skillet.

Once melted, turn down the heat slightly,

then add your garlic and thyme.

While the butter is browning, throw in your pasta to cook.

Cook according to package directions.

Keep an eye on your butter, stirring it every so often.

When it starts to brown and you smell a nutty flavor, you know it's done.

Add your cooked, drained pasta to the skillet 

and toss to coat it in the browned butter sauce. 

Plate your pasta, add fresh minced parsley and Parmesan cheese.

Dig in and ENJOY!!!

Roasted Cauliflower Quinoa Bites

After making Broccoli Cheddar Quinoa Bites,

and then following those up with Quinoa Pizza Bites,

I decided that I really liked the ease of eating these,

so I set out to make a brand new version of my own!

I'm a big fan of the flavor of roasted cauliflower,

so I knew right away I'd be using that.

And after tossing a few ideas around with a co-worker,

I knew I wanted to include lemon and parmesan as well.

Let me show you how easy it is to make these tasty

Roasted Cauliflower Quinoa Bites!!!

The Goods:

Quinoa

Roasted Cauliflower

Yellow Onion

Garlic

Eggs

Lemons

Parmesan Cheese

Salt

Pepper

Parsley Flakes

Cook quinoa according to your package directions.

In a large bowl, combine your cooked quinoa, roasted cauliflower, 

diced onion, minced garlic, both eggs, most of your parmesan cheese, salt, 

pepper and parsley to your liking, lemon juice and zest and mix to combine.

Stuff filling into greased mini muffin pans

and top with remaining parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes,

until tops are nice and crisp.

Cool in muffin pans for about 5 minutes,

then remove and finish cooling on wire rack.

Roasted Cauliflower Quinoa Bites

3/4 Cup Uncooked Quinoa

1 1/2 Cups Water

2 Cup Roasted Cauliflower

1/2 Cup Diced Yellow Onion

2 Cloves Minced Garlic

2 Eggs

Salt, Pepper and Parsley To Taste

1 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Juice and Zest from 1/2 a Lemon

1. Cook your quinoa according to package directions.
2. Roast your cauliflower (I did mine with juice and zest from 1 lemon, salt, pepper and olive oil.)
3. In large bowl combine everything (reserve 1/4 of the cheese for topping) and mix well.
4. Stuff filling into greased mini muffin pans and top with remaining cheese.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes until tops are nice and crisp.
6. Cool in muffin pans for about 5 minutes, then remove and finish cooling on wire rack.

Tortellini Aglio e Olio

I've had Aglio e Olio with pasta many times,

but I never thought to use it on tortellini until recently.

And let me tell you - it is absolutely amazing!
The sauce gets in all the little pasta crevices and is just WOW!!!
(But really - how can pasta, olive oil, garlic and parm ever taste bad?!?)

I had never made the sauce myself before this time,
but as usual, Google pointed me to something yummy!

This will be my go-to Aglio e Olio recipe
and I just had to share it on the blog.

The Goods:

Tortellini

Olive Oil

Garlic

Red Pepper Flakes

Salt

Italian Parsley

Parmesan Cheese

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat.

Add garlic and cook until lightly browned.

Next add the red pepper flakes and cook a minute more.

Cook your pasta according to directions and then drain.

Pour sauce over pasta and toss until mixed well.

Add fresh parsley and parmesan cheese.

Then serve yourself a bowl and dig in!!!

You can easily substitute any pasta of your liking in this recipe.

Tortellini Aglio e Olio 

Adapted from Emeril Lagasse

1 Pound Pasta

1/2 Cup Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons Minced Garlic

1 Tablespoon Red Pepper Flakes

Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese

Fresh Italian Parsley

1. Cook your pasta, drain and set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
3. Add garlic and cook until lightly browned.
4. Add the red pepper flakes and cook a minute more.
5. Pour sauce over drained pasta and mix well.
6. Add fresh parsley and parmesan cheese.
7. Serve, garnish with more parsley and cheese and ENJOY!!!

Vodka Blush Sauce with Bucatini

I've had this recipe a looooong time - a few years at least. 

I can't even remember where I originally found it,

but it's been in my recipe binder just waiting to be made.

While doing my weekly meal planning I've passed it many times,

but I recently had a HUGE craving for some kind of pasta,

so I finally whipped out my recipe for Vodka Blush Sauce!

The Goods:

Bucatini Pasta

Olive Oil

Vodka

Marinara Sauce

Chopped/Diced Tomatoes

Heavy Cream

Garlic

Salt

Red Pepper Flakes

Fresh Basil

Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley

Fresh Oregano

 Parmesan Cheese (Not pictured - oops!)

(Full Recipe at bottom of post!)

Heat the olive oil in a large pan, add garlic and red pepper flakes.

Saute for about 30 seconds - until garlic is starting to get fragrant. 

Add marinara sauce, stir, add the chopped tomatoes and stir again.

Next measure out your vodka and add to the sauce.

Add a whole bunch (that's how I measured at least) of fresh herbs!

I used fresh basil, flat leaf parsley and oregano.

Stir to combine and bring to a simmer.

Cook the sauce for about 15 minutes...

Until it looks something like this!

Now add your cream.

Give it another good stir and your sauce is almost done!

Let it simmer 5 more minutes.

At the last minute, I decided the sauce needed something more.

So I added a whole bunch (again - how I measured!) of fresh parmesan.

While the sauce was first simmering, I started my pasta.

I chose to use bucatini, but any pasta would be fine.

Just cook according to the package directions.

OR if you have time - make your own!

Once your pasta is cooked drain it well.

Then add the pasta to your sauce and fully combine together. 

And that's it folks! 

Serve with a little more fresh parmesan and herbs.

This recipe is so easy to make and can even be enjoyed by little ones.

The vodka cooks off, but leaves an amazing taste to the sauce.

I didn't time how long it took me, but I'm betting it was around a half hour.

Vodka Blush Sauce with Bucatini

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 heaping teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 large box (26.5 oz) chopped tomatoes

1 jar (24 oz) marinara sauce

2 tablespoons (+/-) fresh flat leaf parsley

1 tablespoon (+/1) fresh basil

1 teaspoon (+/-) fresh oregano

1/4 vodka

1/2 cup heavy cream

fresh parmesan to your liking

salt to taste

1 pound bucatini

Note: the herb measurements should be your guideline,

but as shown above I didn't accurately measure those myself. 

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook your pasta according to the package directions. (You should start the pasta once your sauce is simmering the first time.)
2. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil then add your garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for about 30 seconds.
3. Add marinara sauce and chopped tomatoes, then stir to combine.
4. Add the vodka and stir again.
5. Add the fresh herbs, stir once again. 
6. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes.
7. Add the heavy cream, stir and simmer 5 more minutes.
8. Add the freshly grated parmesan and stir.
9. Drain your pasta fully, add to the sauce and combine fully.
10. Serve with more fresh parmesan and herbs.

Sausage Zucchini Rice

I bought ingredients intending to make Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats,
but I was making it on a work night and I wanted something a little quicker.
So I decided to do a little research and my friend Google
gave me a recipe for Sausage Zucchini Rice that sounded amazing!

I went home that night and made it and it was quite good.
Then I made it again, and I'm pretty sure I made it once more.
THEN I realized I hadn't, but needed to blog about it,
so here I am to tell you all about it today!

The Goods:

Italian Sausage

Zucchini

Basmati Rice

Onion

Unsalted Butter

Chicken Broth

Parmesan Cheese

Parsley

Basil

Salt

Pepper

Note - I omitted the Pine Nuts from my version

because I had a bad experience with them once

and have been afraid to eat them ever since.

Feel free to use them if ya like - I'm sure it'd be tasty!

Chop your zucchini and onion.

And shred your cheese.

Brown the sausage.

Meanwhile, cook the rice...

Add butter to pot and sauté onions - about 5 minutes.

Add rice and broth to pan and bring to a boil.

Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook until water is absorbed.

While rice is cooking, start your zucchini...

In the same skillet you cooked the sausage,
cook your zucchini until tender - about 4 minutes.
Return sausage to the skillet and add broth and water,
cooking until heated through completely.

Add sausage and zucchini mixture to cooked rice.
Stir to combine and taste, then adjust seasoning if needed.

Now - serve and ENJOY!!!

Oh and before you go...

On a totally unrelated, but important note -
if you haven't signed up for Ebates yet, you need to.
It's so easy and right now lots of store have DOUBLE cash back!
Like I said before, I wish I had done it sooner!
Oh and with all the Christmas time you're probably doing.
Why not earn a little cash back while buying gift for others?

Homemade Pesto: Take 2!

My herb garden is doing really well

and I have a TON of basil.

So what's someone with so much basil do?

They decide to make a yummy pesto

and of course, then blog about it!

Years ago, I blogged about making Sunflower Seed Pesto.

It is really good and a great option for someone allergic to tree nuts.

I didn't need to omit tree nuts, so I used pecans in today's recipe!

Like most recipes I make,

this is pretty simple to whip up.

It tastes AMAZING,
and can even be made a few days before!

Now let me show you how easy it really is!!!

The Goods:

2 Cup Fresh Basil

2 Cloves Garlic

1/4 Cup Pecans

1/2 Cup Fresh Parmesan

2/3 Cup Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Add basil, pecans and garlic to food processor and chop.

Drizzle in 1/2 Cup oil and process until incorporated and smooth.

If using immediately, add remaining oil and cheese.

If using later (or even to freeze), drizzle remaining oil on top.

When ready to use, thaw and then incorporate cheese.

The finished product!

It was so so SO good!!!

I like to use my pesto on pasta of course,

but it's also great on a sandwich or even fries too!

Tortellini Pasta Salad

I'm always on the lookout for easy, yet delicious lunches.
Especially ones I can make a big batch of and eat throughout the week.
So when I ran across this recipe, I KNEW I'd be making it soon!
And as usual, I'd be modifying it just a tad.

I've always loved a good pasta salad,
but I honestly never thought to use tortellini!
And boy, was I glad I tried it.
It is so so SO good!!!

And the best part?
It's incredibly easy to make too!
Just take a look below at how easy it really is.

The Goods:

1 Family Size Cheese Tortellini Pasta

1/2 Cup Italian Dressing - store bought or homemade

About 1 Cup Turkey Pepperoni, cut into quarters

1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped

1 Pint Cherry or Grape Tomatoes

1/2 Cup or so Black Olives, halved

1/2 Cup or so Green Olives, halved

3/4 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook your pasta, drain and set aside to cool.

Chop your bell pepper, olives and pepperoni.

Grate your Parmesan Cheese.

Combine EVERYTHING in one big bowl.

Mix, taste and adjust salt, pepper and dressing if needed.

And now...

DIG IN!!!

I will 100% be making this for lunches again soon!

Elina and Robyn Make...Gnocchi

It's been quite awhile since I posted about something delicious Elina and I made.
I'm sorry it's been so long, but I hope this amazing food makes up for it!

A few weeks ago, Elina and I were watching a show on the Food Network and they were making homemade Gnocchi. As soon as we saw this, we both looked at each other and had the same thought -
WE HAVE TO MAKE THIS SOON!

After doing a little research, we figured making gnocchi wouldn't be much more difficult than making homemade pasta and we've both done that numerous times before. The more difficult part was deciding what type of sauce to make with the gnocchi.

After each of us threw our a few ideas, we decided on ...

A Cheesy Garlic Cream Sauce!!!

Homemade Gnocchi with anything sounds great, but with a cheesy garlic cream sauce is sounds even better!
(Note: We didn't toss our broccoli with the gnocchi as this recipe indicates.)

The Goods - Part 1:

Flour

Eggs

Potatoes

Parmesan

Cream

Garlic

Salt

Pepper

Lemon

The Goods - Part 2 (AKA Things we forgot in Part 1...):

Milk

Chicken Broth

Butter

Fresh Parsley

Peel, cut up, cook, drain, cool off and finally rice your potatoes.

Arrange your potatoes in a dome and create a well in the middle.
Add your egg mixture and start combining with your hands.
Gradually mix in cheese and flour until dough is slightly sticky.

Divide dough in sixths, roll out into 1/2 inch thick, then slice in 1/2 inch pieces.

Create indentations on each piece using fork tines.

We put our gnocchi on cookies sheets, then stored them in the fridge while we made the delicious sauce!

Now time, to make the sauce!!!

Melt butter and cook the garlic.

Stir in Chicken Broth and combine.

Whisk in Cream and Milk until incorporated. 

Add the parmesan right before combining with the gnocchi.

Bring water to a slow boil, add gnocchi and cook until they rise to the surface.

Drain the gnocchi and combine with the sauce.

Finish off with Fresh Parsley.

Plate, add more fresh parm and serve with a crisp green salad!

The gnocchi and sauce were absolutely amazing!

After taking a few bites, we decided that the gnocchi were like little pillows of deliciousness.

And then we scarfed the rest down without saying another word to each other.

It was THAT good!

We were both very happy with the end result and knew we'd both be making this again.

In fact, we even had some uncooked gnocchi leftover that we were able to freeze for a later date.