Spaghetti Bolognese with Mushrooms

In keeping with resolutions to live well, we bring you an easy-to-make dish to fuel your workout sessions. Pasta, in general, is a favorite of runners to “carb-load” in preparation for races, and this bolognese with mushroom sauce is a delicious way to get your fix. Bolognese is a meat-based sauce originally from Italy, and typically contains beef, but here I have substituted lean ground turkey for beef. For vegetarian version, you can use a plant-based protein substitute, such as MorningStar Farms Grillers Crumbles (though these aren’t necessarily “healthier”), paneer, or baked tofu. Also, because I love mushrooms and would eat them with almost any meal if I could, I always put sliced fresh mushrooms in this sauce. For noodles, I used a mix of angel-hair pasta and whole wheat thin spaghetti, but the great thing about a sauce like this is that you can serve it over pretty much any type of noodle you like - even use it for a lasagna!

 

Ingredients: (serves 6-8)

1-1.5 lbs ground turkey (or beef)

1 15oz can no-salt-added petite diced tomatoes

8oz can no-salt-added tomato sauce

4oz can tomato paste

8oz mushrooms, sliced

~¼ cup minced onions

4-6 cloves garlic, minced

~1tsp oregano (I used dried, but fresh would be even better)

~1tsp ground thyme

~1tsp ground sage

~1tsp ground marjoram

Salt, pepper to taste


Brown the meat in a pan over med-hi heat (no oil necessary - there will be enough fat from the meat). Add the mushrooms and onions and cook until they are soft and most of the released liquid has cooked off. Season with garlic, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, salt, pepper, adjusting quantities to taste. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste. Turn heat to med-lo and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Serve over noodles and top with grated or shredded Parmesan cheese. Pairs well with a glass of Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon - not recommended before a work-out :-)

 

~ Karla

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One Pot Macaroni With Creamy Spinach Sauce

Pasta might not be considered the healthiest of foods, but a nice weekend workout deserves some warm, comforting pasta with a delicious creamy sauce. Especially so, if you are able to sneak in a lot of nutrition in the pasta meal! Here’s one way of doing that - this creamy one pot pasta is cooked in the sauce itself. The starch from the pasta helps thicken the sauce without having to add any cheese or cream. Pureed spinach adds a good dose of vitamins and a bright pop of color to the meal. I used broccoli and corn, but any other vegetables can be added to the pasta. To complete the meal with protein, serve it with boiled eggs or grilled chicken.

Ingredients: (Serves 2)

2 tsp olive oil

2 cloves of garlic - minced

1 cup chopped broccoli

¼ cup corn

4 oz elbow macaroni - uncooked

1 cup water

1 cup packed spinach

½ cup skimmed milk

Salt, ground black pepper, chili flakes (to taste)

2 boiled eggs (optional)

Parmesan cheese (optional)

Lemon juice (optional)

Heat oil over medium heat. Add the veggies and garlic, saute for a couple minutes to let the garlic cook. Add the uncooked pasta, and saute for a minute. Add 1 cup of water, deglaze the pan, add salt, pepper and/or chili flakes and cook covered for 2-3 minutes. While pasta is cooking, add the spinach and milk to a blender and puree until smooth. Add the pureed mixture to the pasta, and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally until pasta is cooked. Add more water or milk if required.

Serve hot topped with boiled eggs. Sprinkle fresh lemon juice and grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

~Gayatri

Note: 
Other one pot pastas you might like -
Spaghetti in a tomato based sauce with spinach and mushrooms
Pasta with creamy garlic sauce

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Pesto Cavatappi

My family and I frequent the restaurant Noodles & Co., and I always get their pesto cavatappi dish. The pasta is always cooked just right and the pesto so flavorful, I always leave feeling satisfied, and usually wanting more (since a good portion of my noodles always goes to my 2-year-old!). The dish is pretty simple - noodles covered in pesto with some mushroom and tomato chunks thrown in - so I decided to try recreating it myself. This way I could personalize it with my own pesto and by increasing the amount of tomatoes and mushrooms, making it a bit more nutritious. There’s also the added benefit of homemade being a little easier on the wallet :)

Ingredients: (makes 6-8 servings)

~1 cup basil pesto (recipe here)

½ lb mushrooms (I used baby portobello, but any will do)

3-4 tomatoes (I’m partial to Roma tomatoes)

½ lb cavatappi pasta (may also be referred to as cellentani or fusilli rigati) - of course, any other pasta will work as well

1-2 TBSP canola or olive oil

Black pepper, garlic (ground or minced) to taste

Slice the mushrooms and roughly chop the tomatoes. Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Sauté mushrooms and tomatoes, seasoning with pepper and garlic.

In a large pot, cook pasta per instructions. Once pasta is al dente, drain the water. Mix in the sautéed tomatoes and mushrooms. Stir in pesto a little at a time until desired flavor is reached.

Serve up as-is or as a complement to your favorite protein, such as Parmesan-crusted chicken, pictured above.

~Karla

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Spirally pesto pasta goodness!http://cooksofcakeandkindness.blogspot.com/2015/11/pesto-cavatappi.html

Posted by The Cooks of Cake and Kindness on Monday, November 9, 2015

Basic Basil Pesto

Pesto is one of those wonderfully versatile sauces that can add flavor to a variety of foods such as pasta, sandwiches, soups, pizza, etc. It’s super easy to make and is really nice to have on-hand for snacking or throwing together a last-minute meal. Plus, you can personalize everything about pesto from the taste to the texture, and use a multitude of variations such as adding spinach, broccoli or sun-dried tomatoes, or substituting different nuts - you really can’t go wrong!

Ingredients: (makes about 1 cup)

2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

⅓ cup pine nuts

3 garlic cloves, minced

salt, pepper to taste

*Note: all ingredients may be adjusted to taste and texture preference

Put basil leaves, pine nuts, and garlic in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the Parmesan cheese and pulse until the cheese is fully mixed in. You might have to occasionally scrape down the sides with a spatula. With the food processor running, slowly add the oil until the mixture is smooth and the desired consistency is achieved. If you add too much oil and the pesto is too runny, add a bit more cheese to thicken it up again. I added a bit more oil and processed a little longer to achieve a creamier consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve as an appetizer with pita wedges, toasted bread or crackers, or toss with pasta for an easy, flavorful sauce.

~Karla


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Basic basil pesto - a flavorful and versatile sauce!http://cooksofcakeandkindness.blogspot.com/2015/10/basic-basil-pesto.html
Posted by The Cooks of Cake and Kindness on Tuesday, October 20, 2015

One pot pasta with creamy garlic sauce

The convenience of a one pot meal is extremely appealing, and for certain dishes, like pasta, it even helps enhance the taste and texture. Cooking the pasta in the sauce helps soak up the flavors better and it also thickens the sauce. A good example of a delicious one pot pasta is the Italian One-derpot which has a tomato based sauce and can be customized to your taste with the vegetables you like. I wanted to try a pasta with creamy sauce with the one pot convenience, and found this garlic parmesan pasta recipe quite interesting. I added some asparagus and mushrooms, increased the quantity of garlic to make the sauce really garlicky, reduced the amount of cheese and butter, and adjusted the liquids as required. This pasta is so rich and creamy - its hard to tell that there’s no cream and hardly any cheese in the sauce.

Ingredients: (~3 servings)

½ Tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chopped portobello mushrooms (or other kind)

1 cup chopped asparagus

Other vegetables that would work really well: broccoli, carrots, snap peas

¾ - 1 cup milk

~2 cups water or vegetable broth

1 tsp unsalted butter or margarine

4 oz dry fettuccine pasta - uncooked

Salt and pepper to taste

1 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

chopped cilantro or parsley for garnish

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat and saute the mushrooms and garlic for a couple minutes. Add ¾ cup of milk and about 1.5 cups of water. Add the butter and season with salt and pepper. Add the fettuccine and let the liquid come to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add asparagus and simmer for another 5-10 min until pasta is al dente (make sure to stir a couple times). Add more water and/or milk if required. Remove from heat and mix in the parmesan cheese. Serve warm garnished with chopped herbs and extra parmesan cheese if desired.

~Gayatri

Note: Since you're not draining and cooling the cooked pasta under cold water as you would usually do (when pasta is cooked separately), it will continue to cook a little in the hot pan with the sauce even after you take it off the heat. So, make sure not to overcook the pasta.


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Delicious pasta with mushrooms, asparagus and creamy garlic sauce - cooks in a single pot saving time and cleaning...

Posted by The Cooks of Cake and Kindness on Thursday, June 25, 2015

Italian One-derpot

This one-pot wonder is inspired by this lovely post on budget recipes. As you can see, I’ve slightly modified the name :-). I’ve also made some other adjustments (addition of mushrooms, whole grain noodles, different cheese, etc.) and this has turned into a fabulously versatile pasta dish!

Ingredients: (about 14-16 servings)

4 cups vegetable stock (I used store-bought, but you can make your own or substitute water, adjusting seasoning accordingly)

~1 cup water

~2 TBSP canola oil

12 oz. fettuccini noodles (or whole grain linguini noodles) - uncooked

~8 oz. fresh or frozen spinach

28 oz. diced tomatoes (I typically use one each of a 14oz can diced tomatoes and a 14oz can petite diced tomatoes, with no salt added)

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

~8 oz. mushrooms, sliced

4 cloves garlic (adjust amount to your liking)

Italian spices to taste (use as many or as few as you wish), ~1 tsp each: dried basil, dried oregano, rosemary, thyme, sage, marjoram (adjust amount per your preference)

ground black pepper

freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Pour the vegetable stock + 1 cup water into a large pot and add the canola oil. Add uncooked noodles to the pot, breaking them in half for easier mixing. Add tomatoes, onion, mushroom, garlic, and other seasonings. (Note: if you prefer less crunchy onions, you can saute them for about 5 minutes first, then add the rest of the ingredients.)

Make sure the ingredients are mostly submerged and cover the pot with a lid before bringing to a boil on high. Once a full, rolling boil has been achieved, remove lid and turn the heat down to medium.

Add the frozen spinach and return to a boil. Continue to boil over medium heat, sans lid, for about 10-15 minutes, until the pasta is cooked. Stir occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom or sides.

When ready to serve, top with the freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

This pasta marvel can be served up as-is, or along with Parmesan-crusted chicken:

~Karla

Note: I usually underestimate just how much food this recipe makes, so even after a couple of dinners and sharing with friends, I’ve been able repurpose the leftovers in a delicious chicken-pasta bake (put pasta into a lined baking pan, add cooked chopped chicken breast, top with shredded mozzarella cheese and bake at 350F for ½ hour):

Spinach Avocado Pasta

Avocado is an incredibly nutritious fruit – its good for your heart, has lots of fiber as well as vitamins and minerals. However, it is also quite expensive. So when I saw it on sale a few weeks ago, I jumped on the opportunity and bought a few avocados. I generally eat it with salads or spread it on toast sprinkled with some salt and pepper, but I had to get more creative to use them all up before they would go bad. I had some spinach on hand, so I decided to make pasta sauce with spinach and avocado. Its flavored with basil and garlic which pairs well with the creaminess of the avocado. Like everything else made using avocado, this is best eaten fresh. I made it for lunch and had leftovers for dinner. The color got darker due to the avocado, but it still tasted the same!



Ingredients:

1.5 cups dry pasta of your choice (I used Farfalle/bowtie)

½ avocado

¾ cup fresh spinach (reduce quantity if using frozen)

½ tsp chopped garlic (~1 clove)

1 tsp chopped basil

2 tsp lemon juice (or to taste)

½ tsp oil/butter

Salt

Pepper

Parmesan cheese (optional) 

Cook pasta as per package instructions. While pasta is cooking, heat oil/butter on medium heat and saute garlic for a few seconds before adding spinach and basil. Cook only until spinach is slightly wilted (30-60 seconds), and take it off the heat. Transfer the spinach mixture to a food processor along with avocado and lemon juice. Process until you get a smooth paste. Add water or olive oil if it is too thick. Add salt, pepper to taste. Mix the sauce with the cooked pasta, top it with any vegetables you like. I only had tomatoes at home, but sautéed mushroom, broccoli, asparagus would taste great with this sauce. Sprinkle parmesan cheese (optional – I didn’t use any), squeeze more lemon juice on top if you like, and enjoy the delicious creamy pasta without any cream!

~Gayatri