Dinner

Angel Hair Creamy Marinara Recipe

[heart_this] · Nov 12, 2016 · 2 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. The following content is intended for readers who are 21 or older. #thetalkofthetable #CollectiveBias

In under an hour you can have this Angel Hair Creamy Marinara Recipe on the table.

I am what you call a pasta girl. Always have been, always will be. Italian food is one of my favorites. All that garlic, oh and the cheese and carbs.

My best friend Cassie and I are obsessed with the Local Italian. We frequent it way too often, bread, pasta, tiramisu? Sign us up!

I also love cooking at home, hence this blog. I’ve used Barilla pasta for years, like this lasagna I made a few years ago. The pasta is always spot on. I tend to stick to brands and become a brand snob once I know they are trustworthy. The pasta tastes good and is fairly priced. Yup, I am Barilla snob.

When we have a girls night in we tend to eat cheat foods. Mainly because I love to cook or prepare cheat foods. Nothing beats cheese and crackers to start, with of course some salami, prosciutto or pancetta. Then pasta, because pasta. And garlic bread, because I would eat garlic bread for every meal if I could. Theres a garlic bread lovers Instagram account that just makes memes of garlic bread lovers, it makes me and my friend Nicole laugh!!

Let’s be honest though, girls night in would not be complete without wine. I’m not a wine snob but I ain’t drinking that $2 stuff. And when I am making a sauce, I love to add some wine in it. Cooking with booze is the best. It forces me to crack open the bottle before guests arrive, my rough life.

I tend to go for more approachable wines, for white I love a good fruity wine with those buttery vibes. So grabbing a bottle of the Clos du Bois Chardonnay was perfect. It went perfectly in this sauce and perfectly in my wine glass. Only problem was there seemed to be a leak in my wine glass, I had to keep refilling. Oops!

This Creamy Marinara with Angel Hair was perfect. With less than an hour between getting home from work and the girls coming over I was able to create a fabulous dinner. And guess what freezer leftovers of the sauce paired with the Barilla Angel Hair that takes a whopping 4 minutes to boil, BAM easy peasy leftovers!

So for your next girls night, be the talk of your table And enjoy this Angel Hair Creamy Marinara

Creamy Marinara with Angel Hair

Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 40
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 4

Description

In under an hour you can have this Angel Hair Creamy Marinara Recipe on the table.

Ingredients

Creamy Marinara

1 Medium Yellow Onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2- 28oz Cans of San Marzano Tomatoes
2 Tablespoons Dried Oregano
1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
Sprinkle of Red Pepper Flakes
Handful of Fresh Basil, torn into small pieces
3/4 cup Clos du Bois Chardonnay
1 Cup Heavy Cream
Handful of Fresh Basil Leaves, torn into small pieces

Pasta

Barilla Angel Hair

Garlic Bread

1 Head of Roasted Garlic
Butter
French Baguette
Parmesan Cheese

Instructions

In a large skillet over medium low heat add olive oil and onion. Cook for 6-8 minutes until the onions begin to turn translucent/ brown a little, stirring every so often. Add the garlic and let cook for 30 seconds to a minute.
Add in the canned tomatoes, not the tomato juice. Turn heat up to medium high and let the tomatoes sizzle for 2-3 minutes. Add in tomato juice, dried oregano, sea salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, basil and Clos du Bois Chardonnay. Break up large tomatoes. Let simmer over low heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Using an immersion blender or by pouring into a blender, break sauce up. Then add heavy cream and let simmer until ready to serve. (Sauce can be prepared ahead of time and reheated on stove)

Pasta

Bring a large pot filled with 4-6 quarts of water to a boil. Add in Barilla Angel Hair and boil for 4 minutes. Drain pasta then dish up dinner.

Garlic Bread

Turn broiler on. In a small bowl mix together the roasted garlic and butter. Spread generously on the bread then sprinkle parmesan on top. And place under the broiler until cheese has melted. (Bread can be prepared ahead of time up to placing bread under the broiler)

Want more pasta ideas? Check out this Barilla website or Check out Barilla’s Pinterest

Nutella Pumpkin Tiramisu

Rosa lasagna

http://cbi.as/5laxq

http://cbi.as/5sf3u

Chicken Pesto Mac & Cheese

[heart_this] · Sep 7, 2014 · 7 Comments

Pasta is a love of mine. Who the heck doesn’t love pasta?! A crazy person that’s who. Sorry if you are that person, I just don’t understand how you cannot be in love with pasta. A garlic olive oil sauce, a beautiful juicy tomato sauce or a rich cheesey cream sauce…how on earth can you go wrong? I’ll take all of the above!

My favorite Italian restaurant around where I live is Roman Cucina. On Tuesday nights there special is a creamy pesto and I freaking LOVE IT! It is that good. They also have a delicious tiramisu, oh and they have seasonal cheesecakes- lemon, Oreo, cookie dough, pumpkin..oh how I love all of them!

Well last week I made some homemade basil pesto, so easy and delicious, and for dinner I had to make a creamy pesto sauce. The problem was I was craving mac and cheese so I kind of combined the two. Awesome choice, if I do say so myself. I also made a cheesey cream sauce with no heavy cream! I used 2% milk and greek yogurt! I was quite proud of myself because the pasta still tasted rich. ( I am on a #fitlife kick right now, let’s see how long that lasts! LOL)

This is the Basil Pesto Recipe I used in the pasta

Chicken Pesto Mac & Cheese

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
2 1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
1 1/2 cup milk (I used 2%)
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese/ parmsean
1/4 cup basil pesto
1/4 cup greek yogurt

Instructions

Cook elbow macaroni according to box instructions, set aside.
In a large skillet cook chicken breasts in a little olive oil over medium heat, cook until no pink remains and chicken breasts are fully cooked.
Take chicken breasts out of pan and add butter and flour. Whisk flour and butter for two minutes, so the two are fully combined. Mix in salt, pepper and milk once combined let simmer for two minutes. Whisk in cheddar cheese then add pesto and greek yogurt. Mix in chicken and pasta, let cook for two minutes. Serve immediately, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, if desired.

Classic Basil Pesto

[heart_this] · Aug 23, 2014 · 5 Comments

Classic Basil Pesto is the perfect flavor to add to any dish The other day I visited the spa with my best friend. We visit Glen Ivy Hot Springs when we are in the mood for a spa day, palm trees, pools and Peach Bellinis make this our favorite place. We enjoyed tanning, a facial, Peach Belinis and a tasty lunch. Spa days need to come more often in my life, and facials ohhhh they are the best ever!! Another favorite of mine? Basil Pesto. It was only until I was 19 that I realized my adoration for pesto. It’s ironic because I worked at an Italian restaurant from 15-19 but never had any pesto while I worked there. Weirdly, the green color put me off. But now the rich green color excites me. Pesto Garlic Bread, Pesto Chicken Sandwiches, Creamy Pesto Pasta, Pesto Hummus… the options are endless. I usually buy pesto from Costco or Trader Joe’s but the other week I questioned why I had never made it. I couldn’t come up with a good answer so I decided I better make some. It was simple, made in 5 minutes. And being the garlic lover that I am, I loved being able to adjust the amount of garlic. This is one of those things that you have to just make yourself, it is that easy. I used some of this pesto to make a Pesto Mac & Cheese, recipe coming next week.

Classic Basil Pesto

Prep Time: 10
Total Time: 10

Description

Classic Basil Pesto is the perfect flavor to add to any dish

Ingredients

4 Garlic Cloves, minced
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 cup fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

In a food processor pulse garlic, pine nuts, parmesan cheese and basil leaves. Pulse until fully combined, add in olive oil and pulse until you get a smooth texture. Store in fridge for up to one week or freeze for up to three months.

Feta Sun-dried Tomato Dip

Chicken Pesto Salad

Light Pesto Chicken Salad

[heart_this] · Mar 17, 2014 · 8 Comments

Happy St. Paddy’s Day!! I can’t wait for it to be Tuesday already. Well really I cannot wait for Thursday cuz I am taking the day off. Paddy’s is a HUGE BUSY day at work for me, working a British Pub all the “Irish” people come out of the woodwork for a grand ol time! We don’t serve any green beer we stick to the traditional real stuff,- Corned Beef & Cabbage, Irish Stew, Bailey’s, Tullamore Dew.. you know the real stuff.

I have been baking a lot of rich desserts lately while also trying to eat a bit healthier and workout more. I have been doing pilates and walking which seems to help me. But the other day I made Lemon Creme Brulee & Vanilla Bean Cheesecake so naturally I needed something to break up the creamy dreamy richness. Light pesto chicken salad for lunch.

I could not have dreamed this to be better. I seriously fell in love.

I even ate this on romaine lettuce leaves instead of bread because it was that AWESOME! And I would rather add parmesan cheese then sandwich bread. So this is new favorite lunch, I’ve already had it three times since I made the first batch. Obsessive much? I know.

Healthy Pesto Chicken Salad

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 3 servings

Ingredients

3 tbsp EVOO
1 garlic clove, minced
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/3 cup greek yogurt
1/4 cup pesto, homemade or store bought
1/2 cup baby tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup spinach
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Romain lettuce leaves or any kind of bread

Instructions

In a frying pan over medium heat place 3 tbsp olive oil add garlic and chicken breast, season with salt and pepper, cook until no pink remains. Take off of heat and shred chicken. Place in freezer for 5 minutes to cool off quickly. Scoop garlic out of olive oil and set aside.
In a large bowl combine shredded chicken, garlic, greek yogurt, pesto, baby tomatoes, spinach and parmesan cheese. Mix until just combined, no white streaks remain. Cover and let marinate in fridge for 30 minutes.
Serve on romaine lettuce leaves or bread.

Football or Football time with Digiorno #gametimegoodies #shop #cbias

[heart_this] · Jan 21, 2014 · 3 Comments

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser. #GameTimeGoodies, #shop, #cbias

My dad is a big fan of football AND football. You see having an English background I use the word football when I am talking about soccer AND American football. That’s usually how I distinguish it anyways football or American football.

That’s part of growing up with English parents in America, I often joke to Americans that I can translate between the two languages English and American that is! Boot= trunk, liquidizer=blender, I cannot be bothered= I don’t care, crisps=chips, chips= french fries, Aborigine= eggplant… you get the point.

One thing that doesn’t change between continents… pizza. I love pizza, it is my GO TO dinner. Whether it’s at home or out to eat. How the heck can anyone not like pizza? My favorite pizza to make at home? Digorno! Seriously I don’t know how many basketball games I have sat through for the sole purpose of being able to eat pizza. Pepperoni Pizza that is.. with ranch. Perfection!!

I am so sad San Francisco lost and so did New England but at least for the big game I will still have pizza. LOL The only reason I go to sport parties… the food!

I used the four cheese pizza and added some tomatoes on top. I love the four cheese, cuz well its more cheese! But I adore Digorno Pepperoni Pizza especially because the pepperoni’s are cut nice and thick. You really taste them. I HATE thin sliced pepperoni. You know what else is great about Digorno? The sauce, its got so much flavor and for people who are pathetic like me- the sauce is almost a little bit spicy.

PS doesn’t Wednesday (aka my sister) look so exited for some pizza. That’s because we are a family of foodies, we can’t get enough pizza in our lives!

This may be a sponsored post but Digorno Pizza is the ONLY store-bought pizza I use, ever! Have been doing so for years, because it truly is delicious.

I shop at Wal-Mart for two things food and makeup. Seriously, the amount of chocolate chips, eyeliner, heavy cream and mascara I buy from Wal-Mart is not normal. But then again I am not normal 😉

I make homemade ranch to go along with my Digiorno pizza.

Homemade Ranch Dressing

Prep Time: 5
Total Time: 5

Description

Ingredients

2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 tbsp finely chopped chives
1-4 tbsp finely chopped garlic
1/3 cup greek yogurt
1 cup real mayo
1/4 cup buttermilk

Instructions

In a food processor or blender combine all ingredients until fully combined. Store in an air tight container in fridge.

Notes

I LOVE garlic so I use more than the average person, hence 1-4 tbsp.

Rosa lasagna

[heart_this] · Dec 11, 2013 · 12 Comments

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Barilla, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #JoytotheTable http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO.

I love lasagna. I have fond memories of begging for lasagna for dinner. Maybe that’s where my love for Italian food began. If I could I would eat garlic cheesy bread, pasta, pizza, mozzarela, proscuitto, tiramisu, cannoli and the rest everyday of my life. Maybe that’s why Italy is my favorite place to visit. The pizza in Naples was unreal. Nothing like what America deems as “pizza”. The tomatoes in Italy are so fresh, vibrant- full of flavor. I am literally sitting here yearning for some Italy time.

Maybe, I should just go through my Instagram profile. Half of my posts from August were of gelato from around Italy. Although, I love to post, tweet, pin, insta, goolge + the main reason I love social media is how it helps me relive my foodie adventures. Make sure you like Barilla on Facebook to see scrumptious photos and recipes of delicious Italian meals.

So I was driving home from Church the other day and stopped at Vons on the way home, I wanted to make a creamy dreamy lasanga, like the one I order at my favorite restaurant, Roman Cucina. I first picked up my noodles. I grabbed the normal Barilla Lasagna noodles but then I saw Barilla Oven Ready Lasagna Noodles and I freaked out!! That’s amazing becuase I am always on a shortage of time so any shortcut sounds good to me!! Then I need some sauce I knew I wantd to do a creamy sauce so I picked up some heavy whipping cream but then the hard part came choosing a sauce, but then I thought use two different ones- best of both worlds!! So I settled on Barilla Roasted Garlic Sauce and Barilla Tomato Basil Sauce!! Great decision if I do say so myself 😉

Now this Rosa Lasagna, it was so easy to make. Something like lasagna sounds like it would take a bit of effort but it really was not, at all! And after I baked the lasagna I broiled it for a few minutes to make the cheese extra delicious. I LOOOOOVE cooked cheese. When I am at Roman Cucina and order the Bruschetta I always pick the hardened cheese on the plate. I know, I have issues.

The Barilla Oven Ready Lasagna Noodles were amazing to work with, Cooks Illustrated even named them as the best oven ready lasagna noodles. I pre soaked them in the pan with hot water for 10 minutes because I was using cream in my sauce, I read that on Cooks Illustrated. The noodles baked up perfectly.

I think it’s safe to say my sissie was excited to eat some Lasagna!!

I added some garlic, tomatoes, onions and basil to the Barilla Roasted Garlic & Barilla Tomato Basil Sauce and the sauce was the best I have ever made. Hands down!! I will always start with these two sauces, I honestly could not stop “tasting” the sauce when I was cooking it. I must have had about 10 spoonfuls. I then proceeded to grab a piece of bread and “mop” up the remainder of the sauce in the pan once I made the lasagna. Again with the issues, I know.

Visit your local SafeWay Store to take advantage of this Promotion: $1 off the purchase of ONE (1) box of Barilla® Lasagne and ONE (1) Barilla® Sauce.

Savin money and eating yummy italian food?! SCORE!

Rosa lasagna

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 9

Description

A delicious creamy marinara lasagna made easy and simple with the help of Barilla Oven Ready Lasagna Noodles, Barilla Roasted Garlic Sauce & Barilla Tomato Basil Sauce! Your family will swoon over this Lasagna!

Ingredients

Sausage

2 tbsp olive oil
1lb ground sausage or beef

Rosa Sauce

2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped small
1 medium tomato, chopped small
2 tbsp chopped basil
2 tbsp chopped garlic
1 jar Barilla Tomato Basil sauce
1 jar Bailla Roasted Garlic sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan

Cheese Mixture

1 15 oz container ricotta cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan

Assembly

1 Box Barilla Oven Ready Lasagna Noodles
2 cups Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 cup ish Parmesan shredded

Instructions

Sausage

In a large skillet over medium heat add olive oil and swirl around, once pan is hot add ground sausage. Using a wooden spatula spread sausage thin to cook evenly. Cook until no pink remains about 7-10 minutes. Place a piece of paper towel on a large plate and put cooked sausage on top of paper towel.

Rosa Sauce

In a large skillet over medium heat add olive oil and chopped onions cook for 5 minutes. Add in chopped tomato, basil and garlic stir and cook for 1 minute. Add in Barilla Tomato & Basil Marinara Sauce and Barilla Roasted Garlic Marinara Sauce. Let cook for 5 minutes over medium heat.
Stir in heavy cream and parmesan cheese, let simmer on medium-low heat for 10 minutes.

Cheese Mixture

In a small bowl combine ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan.

Assembly

In the 9 x 13 dish you will use to bake the lasagna place pasta in and add hot tap water. Let sit for 10 minutes then drain. Take pasta out of dish, spray with non stick cooking spray, place 1 cup of sauce then 3 pasta sheets, followed by 3/4 cup cheese mixture then 1/4 cup mozzarella and 1/3 cup of cooked sausage then sprinkle with roughly 2 tbsp of parmesan cheese. Repeat for 3 more layers.
Once the final layer of pasta is laid down top with remaining sauce, cheese mixture, mozzarella and parmesan.
Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Take foil off of pan and broil until cheese is browned. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving. Goes well with a crisp green salad and garlic bread.

Notes

Feel free to use whichever flavors of Barilla Sauce you want.

Recipe Adapted from Back of Barilla Oven Ready Lasagna Box

Lemon Garlic Cream Pasta

[heart_this] · Nov 30, 2013 · 3 Comments

Can you believe Thanksgiving has come and gone?! Heck 2013 pretty much is over. I can honestly say I am SOOOO ready for 2014. The year 2013 was crap, I am OVER it! No one I know has loved 2013. My nan even said she knew it was going to be a bad year, she had a feeling. Then all of her grandchildren broke up with their significant others. Needless to say its been an interesting year, I have learned a LOT and can honestly say I will never forget all of the events that have happened this year.

One good thing that happened this year?! I have been SUPER busy, so busy I don’t have time to visit my favorite restaurants. It’s kind of depressing. But that’s my life right now, so I am okay with it. But the good in that is I have been forced to cook more. And cooking delicious things is kind of amazing.

I made this Garlic Lemon Cream Pasta one afternoon when I had exactly 1 hour break in between leaving work and going back to work. Like I said I have had some loooooooooooong days lately. Anyways, I threw it together and let me tell you I was obnoxiously pleased with it. My sister and I begged for it. We ate one dish each, looked at each other and I said to Lydia “Should I blog it?” naturally she said “YES!” so we plated it up I photographed it and then proceeded to eat the rest of the pasta even though we were both so full.

This pasta was SOOO tasty, so easy and I am newly obsessed with this recipe.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend, I am off to cater and Afternoon Tea for 75 people at a local museum in honor of the Unofficial Downtown Abbey Cookbook. Wish me luck 😉

Lemon Garlic Cream Pasta

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
2 skinless boneless chicken breasts, fresh or defrosted
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup parmesan cheese blend
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tbsp chopped garlic
1/2 cup chopped green beans
1 cup diced tomatoes
6 oz cooked pasta noodles

Instructions

In a large skillet place over medium heat place olive oil then add chicken breasts cook until fully cooked and no pink remains. Place chicken on a plate, set aside. Once cooled for a few minutes cut chicken into bite size chunks.
In the same skillet add butter until melted then whisk in flour to make a rue, then add cream, parmesan, lemon zest, lemon juice and garlic. Whisk until fully combined.
Add green beans to the sauce and cook over medium heat for 4 minutes. Add in tomatoes, cook for another 2 minutes. Add in cooked chicken and pasta noodles. Mix together and let cook for another few minutes on low heat. Enjoy.

Notes

**Use Shrimp instead of Chicken

Garlic Veggie Pasta

[heart_this] · Jul 16, 2012 · Leave a Comment

If I could eat one type of food for the rest of my life it would be Italian. Pasta, Bread, Cheese, Garlic, Tiramisu, Cannoli…the list goes on! I just LOVE it so much!! I love the creamy Alfredo sauce, a great meat sauce, and just a plain old garlic olive oil.

The other night I wanted a quick, yummy, semi-healthy dinner. This is super easy to make. You can easily adjust to make a large batch or smaller single portions. You can also adjust the type of veggies you use based on what you already have in the house. Enjoy 🙂

Garlic Veggie Pasta

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 30 mins
Yield: 8

Ingredients

1 Cup of Cherry Tomatoes
1 Cup of Chopped Asparagus
1/2 Cup of Chopped Carrots
1 Cup of Broccoli
1 Bag of Pasta
1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Roasted Garlic
Parmesan & Romano Cheese

Instructions

In a pot of boiling water cook the pasta according to directions on pasta bag/box.
In a large saucepan saute broccoli, carrots and garlic in olive oil. After a few minutes add the asparagus. Three minutes later add the tomatoes.
Once the veggies are sautéed add the cooked pasta. Sprinkle with as much or as little cheese as you would like.
Enjoy 🙂

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Dinner

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Creamy Marinara

Pasta

Garlic Bread

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Pasta

Garlic Bread

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Rosa Sauce

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