Brown Butter Pasta

This is one of our simplest and most loved dinners. I pull this one out a lot when one of us adults will be out of the house. It is even better when made with fresh homemade pasta!

Brown Butter Pasta
2 cups pasta
4-5 tbs butter
Mizithra cheese
Parmesan Cheese
1 cup frozen or fresh peas

Cook pasta in boiling water when there is about 4 min left in the pasta cook time add the peas. Melt and brown butter in a small skillet over med heat. Drain the pasta and peas and mix with the butter. Finely grate the cheese over the pasta. Serve warm.

Options-

add different veggies cooking in your desired way

instead of butter drizzle a bit of olive oil over the warm pasta

Mac and Cheese

Almost every kid loves Mac and Cheese. Around here I make and freeze ours in batches so we have it when we need it. We have been known to eat boxed mac and cheese at times...only the organic ones of course but this is much healthier especially if you add some veggie puree and some chopped veggies to it. By changing up the ingredients you can create something rich and almost sinful or a delicious healthy meal.

Mac and Cheese

4 cups Pasta (whatever small pasta I have on hand)

3 tbs Butter

3 tbs Flour

1 cup Milk

1 cup Cream*

3 cups Cheese grated any combination of cheeses ex: Cheddar, Monterrey Jack, Colby, Parmesan...

¼ cup Cream Cheese*

1-2 cups Chopped Veggies ex: Broccoli, Carrots, Squash...

2-4 tsp dried spices ex: parsley, garlic, thyme, sage, nutmeg...

Boil water and cook pasta. If you like your veggies softer you can steam them for about 5 min or mix them in raw for a added crunch. While pasta is cooking make the cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add the flour and spices and whisk with the butter. Cook the butter and flour for 1 min stirring constantly. Add the milk and/or cream and whisk until the flour and butter is well blended. Continue to stir until the sauce thickens. Mix the cheese and/or the cream cheese in the sauce and stir until melted. Drain the pasta and mix with the sauce and the veggies. Pour into two 6 cup casserole dishes. Bake at 350° for 30 min.

Or cover and freeze to bake later. If frozen bake 400° for 50 min

*Any combination of cream to milk can be used. Just be sure to have 2 cups. I have used just Milk or 1/4 cup Cream and 1 3/4 cup milk. Try different combinations depending on your tastes.
The cream cheese can also be left out if desired.

Sometimes I like to add bread cubes to the top of the mac and cheese. To do this mix small bread cubes with 1 tbs melted butter, add to top of the pasta before baking.


I also like to add different pureed veggies to the sauce. I mix in the puree when I am adding the cheese. Some of my favorite puree to use are butternut or acorn squash, carrot, and sweet potato. Start with about 1 cup of puree taste and add more if desired.

Spinach Lasagna

This is a great make ahead meal. It freezes wonderfully and can be reheated when ever needed. I divide it into two 6 cup casserole dishes which is just enough for one dinner for our family and one to freeze.

Spinach Lasagna
5 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
9 Lasagna Noodles (dried noodles* or fresh uncooked noodles)
1 recipe Marinara Sauce
 
Spinach Filling
6 cups Spinach (fresh or frozen)
1 Egg
15 oz Ricotta Cheese
¾ cup Parmesan Cheese
¼ tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Bay leafs

Cook spinach in a large pan over med heat until most of the water is out. Mix together the spinach and the other filling ingredients. 

In a dish layer Sauce, noodles, filling, and cheese. Make 2 layers end with a layer of noodles, sauce, and top with the remaining cheese. 

To bake cover with foil and Bake at 375° for 35-40 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before cutting.

Freezing and Reheating

Prepare as above in a glass dish but do not bake. Cover tightly and freeze. Cook 450° for 50 min.

*I do not precook my dried noodles. I prepare the lasagna as directed and then bake covered with foil for the entire cook time. I then leave the lasagna covered for 10 min after removing it from the oven.

Fettuccine Alfredo

Make this basic sauce and then add you favorite spices, herbs, or veggies. I have included three of my favorite variations.

Fettuccine Alfredo
1 ¼ cup Cream

4 tbs Butter

¾ cup Parmesan Cheese

½ teaspoon Nutmeg

1 ½ cup Fettuccine Pasta

Cook pasta in a large pan according to package directions.

Heat cream and butter in pan and bring to a light boil stir frequently. Add Parmesan and nutmeg to cream and stir until cheese is melted. Mix pasta and cream sauce.

Serve with a salad and Garlic Bread

Zucchini Fettuccine

Slice one zucchini into long thin slices, like fettuccine pasta.

Cook zucchini in a pan with 1/2 tablespoon little butter, add to the cream with pasta.

Lemon Peas Fettuccine

Boil 3/4 cup peas in a small amount of water for about 5 minutes, or add to pasta while cooking. Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice to the cream sauce with the nutmeg.

Garlic Fettuccine
Saute 2 cloves crushed garlic in 1/2 tablespoon butter. Add cream to sauteed garlic and follow above directions.

Artichoke and Sun Dried Tomato Pasta

Another quick and easy dinner. The whole meal is done in the time it takes to boil pasta.

Artichoke and Sun Dried Tomato Pasta

2 cups Penne Pasta

1 cup Cream

½ cup Sun-dried Tomatoes

1 7.5 oz jar Artichoke Hearts

2 teaspoons Parsley

½ cup Parmesan Cheese

Cook pasta adding the sun dried tomatoes when there is about 2 minutes left. Heat the cream in a pan until boiling. Add the artichoke hearts and parsley, cook 1 minute more. Mix together the cream and pasta top with Parmesan cheese.

Serve with salad, biscuits or garlic bread.

This week I was out of Parmesan cheese and so I used 1/4 cup mizithra cheese instead, it was great.

Veggies and Couscous

This is an incredibly quick and easy dish to make. Kids love it, although the little Couscous pasta can be slightly messy.

Couscous

1 cup Couscous

1 ¼ cup water

2 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon butter

½ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup veggies

1 cup Parmesan (Real Parmesan not the Kraft stuff)

Steam veggies or add them with the garlic and saute. Finely grate the Parmesan cheese. Sauté garlic in butter add water, veggies, and spices and bring to a boil. Add couscous, cover and remove from heat. Let sit 5 min add Parmesan and mix.

Some veggies to try- broccoli, peas, bell peppers, onion, carrots, squash, zucchini, green onions, celery, acorn squash, raisins

Experiment with adding your favorite spices and herbs or other cheeses like Ramona or feta.
Or forgo the cheese and mix in a vinaigrette like the one below.

Vinaigrette
1 tbs lemon juice
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tbs olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt