pasta

Summer pasta recipe

 in Entertaining / Home  tagged cathys original recipes / pasta / recipes by

Summer pasta: dinner plate / silverware / table cloth /

As the weather warms up, it is nice to lighten up our pasta sauce, and make a summer pasta for dinner! Yum! I love this light and healthy pasta which I put together on a warm day for dinner.

This is a really easy recipe to make for dinner. So, without further ado, here is what you need to make this yummy pasta dish at home.

  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes
  • 1 lb. pasta (pick your favorite shape!)
  • 1 cup fresh basil
  • 3 cloves diced or crushed garlic
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • Shredded or grated parmesan cheese (save for after cooking)

In a large pot, boil water for your pasta. In a small sauce pan, simmer butter or margarine, olive oil, garlic, and paprika until melted and blended together. Once melted and blended, set it aside.

Wash your cherry tomatoes and fresh basil. Keep them cool and place them aside for after the pasta is done.

Once your pasta is cooked, drain it and put is back into the pot you cooked it in. Pour your sauce into the pot and stir until pasta is coated.

Serve your pasta on a dish and sprinkle basil leaves and cherry tomatoes on top of the pasta. Top with parmesan cheese.

Then, serve and enjoy! Yum!

I hope you love this summer pasta dish as much as my family does. It is light and yummy!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

Andouille sausage pasta recipe

 in Home  tagged cathys original recipes / entrees / lifestyle / pasta / recipes by
andouille sausage pasta recipe

Pictured: blue mug / turquoise dish /

Do you love pasta? Do you like pasta with a kick? Then this is the pasta dish for you! Andouille sausage has a nice little kick to it, so when it is paired with pasta, it makes a fun pasta dish, with a kick! Love that!

This is a really easy pasta dish you can make at home. It’s a fun way to mix American cuisine with and Italian favorite. Can we call this, Italian-American fusion? I think so!

Without further ado, here are the ingredients and directions to make this yummy andouille sausage pasta dish with chicken, at home!

Ingredients

  • 1/4 olive oil
  • 2 cloved minced garlic
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 10 oz chopped andouille sausage link
  • 2 chopped tomatoes
  • 1 lb. pasta, your choice for shape
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 pats butter
  • 1/2 pound shredded chicken, or vegan chicken. Pre-cook your chicken! The tomatoes will turn the chicken pink, so you want to make sure your chicken is thoroughly cooked before mixing it with the tomatoes.
  • Season to taste: paprika, basil, oregano, salt, black pepper

Fill your large pot with water and bring to a boil. While you are waiting for your pasta pot to boil, mix your sauce ingredients together into a large sauce pot. The tomatoes will add a little juice to the sauce. This helps it cook, and keeps your sauce from drying out. Embrace the juice.

Cook the sauce on low for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

pasta recipe ideas

When your water in your pasta pot boils, add the pasta. Cook until your pasta achieves it’s desired tenderness.

Once your pasta is done cooking, and your sauce has cooked for 30 minutes, drain your pasta and add the sauce to the pot. Mix the pasta and the sauce together. Voila! You have finished cooking your andouille sausage pasta dinner!

Serve, top with grated parmesan, and enjoy! I hope you love this easy pasta dish with a kick! If andouille sausage isn’t your thing, you can always make this dish a milder sausage of your choice. The possibilities are endless!

Things you might need to make andouille sausage pasta at home:

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you love it!

XOXO
Cathy

andouille sausage pasta recipe

Creamy Chicken Pasta recipe

 in Entertaining / Home  tagged cathys original recipes / chicken / lifestyle / pasta / recipes by

creamy chicken pasta recipe light

Creamy Chicken Pasta recipe: tapered mug / Italian Soda recipe (inside mug) / turquoise dinner plate / tablecloth (sold out, also love this one) /

One of our favorite types of food is pasta. There are so many different ways to fix pasta, so it’s a fabulous staple to keep in the kitchen pantry for lunch or dinner. If you love pasta, and you love chicken, this is a great recipe you can make with them both! You can use chicken purchased for this meal, or use this as a way to incorporate chicken leftovers. It’s great with BBQ chicken leftovers, baked chicken leftovers, and rotisserie chicken leftovers.

This Creamy Chicken Pasta recipe uses cream; which, as we know, isn’t great for a diet. I made it lighter by switching the cream to half-and-half. You can also substitute milk for an even lighter version of the sauce. That being said, here is what you need to make Creamy Chicken Pasta yourself!

Creamy Chicken Pasta ingredients

  • 1 pound of your favorite pasta
  • 2 cups shredded chicken (I like to use Safeway’s shredded rotisserie chicken, or leftover chicken chopped in smaller pieces)
  • 2 cups chopped tomatoes (or one can diced tomatoes-drained)
  • 4 garlic cloves chopped or smashed
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (I prefer extra virgin)
  • 1 pat of unsalted butter
  • 1.5 cups of heavy cream (I use half-and-half instead)
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • Dash of salt
  • Dash of pepper
  • 1 tablespoon each of paprika, basil, oregano
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion

You will need two pots to make Creamy Chicken Pasta. One large pot for cooking your pasta, and one medium saucepan for the sauce. Cook your pasta separately from your sauce. For the sauce, mix all the ingredients together and simmer on medium for thirty minutes. Stir frequently to keep the cheese from sticking to the pot. When the pasta is done cooking, drain, and then mix the sauce together with the pasta. Voila! You have easily cooked Creamy Chicken Pasta! Love!

My kids really enjoy this meal, and it is an enjoyed by adults too. This makes a great family dish! You can top it with more parmesan cheese if you’d like, once it’s on your plate. This should make about nine servings. We usually have leftovers, and the leftovers are great for lunch the next day. I hope you enjoy my Creamy Chicken Pasta recipe!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy